Ritual and Devotion
I first encountered the concept of Buddhist ritual and devotion at the Cardiff Buddhist Centre. Rather than approaching Buddhism purely from an intellectual standpoint, one can engage feelings through ritual and devotion.
Sometimes, an intellectual understanding of Buddhism is not sufficient. It is a path of transformation, and following it requires engagement with emotions and imagination. Ritual serves as a means of directly connecting with these feelings—such emotional engagement fosters devotion or faith.
The three main components of Buddhist rituals are recitation, chanting, and making offerings. The verses recited are typically related to the principal tenets and ideals of Buddhism, expressing the spiritual aspirations that define a Buddhist. Buddhists generally chant in two ancient Indian languages, Pali and Sanskrit. Chanting helps forge an emotional connection with essential Buddhist ideals. Some mantras are chanted, which are Sanskrit phrases believed to express the essence of Enlightenment. Offerings mainly include flowers, symbolizing both beauty and impermanence; candles, representing the radiance of Enlightenment; and incense, which permeates the air like the truth experienced by the Buddha.
**The Threefold Puja**
1. **Opening Reverence**
We revere the Buddha, The Perfectly Enlightened One, The Shower of the Way.
We revere the Dharma, The Teaching of the Buddha, Which leads from darkness to light.
We revere the Sangha, The fellowship of the Buddha's disciples, That inspires and guides.
2. **Offerings to the Buddha**
In reverence to the Buddha, we offer flowers: Flowers that are fresh and sweetly blooming today, Flowers that will be faded and fallen tomorrow. Our bodies, too, like flowers, will pass away.
In reverence to the Buddha, we offer candles: To him, who is the light, we offer light. From his greater lamp, we light a lesser lamp within ourselves: The lamp of Bodhi shining within our hearts.
In reverence to the Buddha, we offer incense: Incense whose fragrance fills the air. The scent of the perfect life, sweeter than incense, Spreads in all directions throughout the world.
3. **Reverence to the Three Jewels**
We revere the Buddha and aspire to follow him. The Buddha was born as we are born. What the Buddha attained, we too can attain. What the Buddha overcame, we too can overcome.
We revere the Dharma and aspire to follow it, With body, speech, and mind until the end. The truth in all its aspects, the path in all its stages, We aspire to study, practice, and realize.
We revere the Sangha and aspire to follow it; The fellowship of those who tread the way. As one by one we make our commitment, An ever-widening circle, the Sangha grows.
Throughout the history of Buddhism, various forms of ritual have developed, ranging from simple recitations of a few verses to complex and lengthy ceremonies. These practices often involve simultaneous recitation of verses, physical activity, the conscious cultivation of positive emotional states, and the mental creation of images and sounds. This holistic approach fosters harmony in body, speech, and mind.
These ritual practices are known as puja. They encompass reciting verses that express spiritual commitment, known as the Refuges and Precepts. Additionally, several liturgies are sourced from traditional texts or, as in the case of the Threefold Puja, are more recently composed.
