Features and functions of Buddhist places of worship
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain the features, function and importance of different places of worship for Buddhists today.
Key learning points
- Buddhist places of worship include: temples, gompas, viharas and shrines.
- Buddhist places of worship share many features, including meditation halls, shrines, libraries and stupas or pagodas.
- The Kimsila Sutta highlights the importance of learning the Buddha's Dhamma.
- Buddhists may attend a place of worship to make offerings to the Buddha.
- Places of worship are important for offering Dhamma and meditation classes, which can support lay Buddhists.
Keywords
Gompa - a Tibetan monastery associated with learning and studying the Dhamma
Monastery (vihara) - a building that houses monks and nuns; it may have space for study, as well as accommodation
Shrine - a room or part of a room which contains a Buddha rupa, candles, an incense burner, and sometimes other offerings
Temple - a structure/building for religious or spiritual activities, such as meditation
Common misconception
All Buddhist places of worship have the same features and purpose.
Buddhist places of worship differ in appearance, size and function. This is often dependent on the location and which school of Buddhism it belongs to.
Teacher tip
Print images of different features and places of Buddhist worship. Ask pupils to annotate the pictures to consolidate learning in the lesson.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.The is the founder of Buddhism.
Q2.The is the name for the Buddha’s teachings.
Q3.Many Buddhists use to calm and train their minds.
Q4.Where do many Buddhists go to worship?
Q5.What is a Buddha rupa?
Q6.What is the aim of the Buddhist path?
Assessment exit quiz
5 Questions
Q1.Match each keyword to its definition.
a Tibetan monastery associated with learning
a building that houses monks and nuns
a room or part of a room which contains a Buddha rupa
Q2.Complete the following teaching from the Buddha: “You yourselves should make the ”.
Q3.What might be found in a Buddhist shrine?
Q4.Why might Buddhists visit a temple?
Q5.Do all Buddhist places of worship look and work the same?
To help you plan your 10 religious education lesson on: Features and functions of Buddhist places of worship, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 religious education lesson on: Features and functions of Buddhist places of worship, 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.