Buddhism

What is Buddhism?

Buddhism is not based on a belief in a god, but is instead a quest for spiritual enlightenment. Buddhism comes from the experience and teaching of one man, Siddhartha Gautama.

Beliefs

Buddhists believe in Karma – all of our intentional actions have consequences and our lives are conditioned by our past intentional actions.

The name for Buddhist teachings is Dharma. This is the path to Enlightenment and Nirvana.

Buddhists can worship at home or at temples, but it is not considered necessary to go to temple.

Points to consider

Some Buddhists may be vegetarian. See our dietary requirements information to ensure that you cater for all dietary needs.

Some Buddhists don’t believe in competing with each other. Consider how you can adapt games so that the focus of the game is not on winning, but on girls trying their best or working as a team.

Things you can do in your unit

Developing your beliefs is part of the Promise, so if there is a Buddhist girl or volunteer in your unit take this as an opportunity to learn more. You could:

• ask a parent, volunteer, girl or young woman to lead a session on Buddhism - you could even ask them to lead a meditation
• visit a Buddhist centre
• learn about a Buddhist festival such as Wesak - the Buddha's birthday
• read a story about Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism.