Buddha rupa, artefacts and offerings
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain the nature and purpose of Buddha rupas, artefacts and offerings, and why they are important for Buddhists today.
Key learning points
- Objects of devotion are used within different Buddhist places of worship.
- Buddha rupas are often symbolic and depict the Buddha’s path to enlightenment.
- The Buddha rupa is not to be worshipped, but used as inspiration to commit to the Dhamma.
- Artefacts are items of religious importance that aid puja by being a point of focus.
- Offerings are made as a mark of respect and reverence to the Buddha.
Keywords
Bodhisattva - a being destined for enlightenment, who postpones their final escape from samsara in order to help living beings
Buddha - an awakened or enlightened person
Buddha rupa - an image or statue of the historical Buddha or a being believed to have attained Buddhahood
Puja - the name given to ceremonies that involve meditation, prayer, and offerings
Shrine - a room or part of a room which contains a Buddha rupa, candles, an incense burner, and sometimes other offerings
Common misconception
The Buddharupa is worshipped by Buddhists.
The Buddharupa serves as a focal point for concentration and a source of inspiration and spiritual guidance to follow the Buddha's Dhamma.
Teacher tip
Teach pupils about Buddhist places of worship and puja to consolidate the learning in this lesson.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
5 Questions
Q1.A is a Buddhist monastery that often includes living quarters for monks.
Q2.What is a stupa used for in Buddhism?
Q3.The Sutta encourages Buddhists to learn and follow the teachings of the Dhamma.
Q4.Why do Buddhists make offerings at shrines?
Q5.Lay Buddhists may attend classes to develop mindfulness and follow the Dhamma.
Assessment exit quiz
5 Questions
Q1.Match each term to its meaning.
an awakened or enlightened person
an image or statue of the Buddha or a being who attained Buddhahood
an area which contains a Buddha rupa, candles or an incense burner
Q2.Objects of help Buddhists focus during worship and meditation.
Q3.Why do Buddhists not worship Buddha rupas as a god?
Q4.Buddhist artefacts are used during ' ' (worship) to help practitioners concentrate.
Q5.How does a Buddha rupa help Buddhists follow the Dhamma?
To help you plan your 10 religious education lesson on: Buddha rupa, artefacts and offerings, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 religious education lesson on: Buddha rupa, artefacts and offerings, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 religious education lessons from the Buddhism: Practices unit, dive into the full secondary religious education curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.