Buddhists try to live their lives following the Noble Eightfold Path and observing the Five Precepts. The important moments in a Buddhist’s life are shaped by these practices.
What are rites of passage?
Special prayers said when people make a journey
Points and/or ceremonies that mark a change from one stage of life to another
Rules about where people are allowed in religious buildings
How may the name of a Buddhist baby be decided?
By calling the baby the name of a close relative
By considering details from the baby's horoscope
By naming the child after a Buddhist teacher
What may be tied around the baby's wrists at a naming ceremony?
Sacred threads
Bracelets
Material from a monk's robe
What may happen when a baby is a month old?
The baby is taken to the temple
The baby is taken to visit its grandparents
A baby's head may be shaved
What must a man be free from when he enters a monastery?
Suffering
The cycle of life, death and rebirth
Debt
Why does a man who is planning to enter a monastery wear elaborate clothes before his ordination?
To represent the Buddha and his willingness to sacrifice his former life
So that he looks smart for the ceremony
So that he can then give them to the poor after his ceremony
Do all men remain in the monastery for the rest of their life after they have been ordained?
No, a man may stay in the monastery for a short time to help him understand the main teachings of Buddhism
Yes, they remain in the monastery for the rest of their lives
Yes, but they are allowed home for holidays during the year
Is marriage a religious ceremony?
Yes, the monks lead the ceremony
No, it is a social ceremony only. Monks do not lead the ceremony
No, because Buddhists do not marry
How do Buddhist beliefs affect married life?
Buddhists try to incorporate teachings such as the Eightfold Path into their married lives
Buddhist beliefs do not affect married life because Buddhists do not believe that marriage is necessary
Buddhists do not believe in divorce and therefore Buddhists will think that marriage is a life-long commitment
What is the bardo state?
It is the state of understanding that a Buddhist reaches when he/she reaches Nirvana
The time when dead people become conscious of their death and when the next rebirth is decided
The physical state a Buddhist is in before he/she is cremated