Beliefs of Buddhism in Singapore

BUDDHISM

Who does Buddhists worship?

Buddhists believe in the Triple Gems:
Buddha – A great teacher and a role model for Buddhists to emulate
Dharma – Teachings of the Buddha to guide one along the path to enlightenment and truth
Sangha – The community of monks and nuns who preach the Dharma and guide one along the path to enlightenment

Who is the Buddha?

- The Buddha is not a god but one who through wisdom and compassion has attained full enlightenment and is thus beyond the endless cycle of birth, death and rebirth.
- The Buddha exemplifies the highest form of morality and is the supreme teacher showing people the way to relieve suffering.

Do Buddhists believe in God?

- If by “god” one means a creator of the universe or a being guiding ultimate human fate, then Buddhists do not believe in God.
- Buddhism emphasises the concept of conditional causation where everything in this world comes into being according to causes and conditions. Human beings will all have to go through the cycle of birth, old age, illness and death.

What is the significance of prayer to Buddhists?
Prayer allows one to repent past transgressions and vow not to repeat them.

The 5 precepts:
- Encouraged not to kill innocent life.
- No alcohol or drugs
- No adultery
- Not to tell lies
- Not to commit anything that is against th elaw


Buddhist celebrations
Buddhist New Year
The new year is celebrated for three days from the first full moon day in April. However, the Buddhist New Year depends on the country of origin or ethnic background of the people. As for example, Chinese, Koreans and Vietnamese celebrate late January or early February according to the lunar calendar, whilst the Tibetans usually celebrate about one month later.

Vesak or Visakah Puja ("Buddha Day")
Traditionally, Buddha's Birthday is known as Vesak or Visakah puja (Buddha's Birthday Celebrations). Vesak is the major Buddhist festival of the year as it celebrates the birth, enlightenment and death of the Buddha on the one day, the first full moon day in May, except in a leap year when the festival is held in June. This celebration is called Vesak being the name of the month in the Indian calendar.

Avalokitesvara’s (Kuan Yin) Birthday
This is a festival which celebrates the Bodhisattva ideal represented by Avalokitesvara. Who represents the perfection of compassion in the Mahayana traditions of Tibet and China. It occurs on the full moon day in March.