Pūjā (Buddhism)

In Buddhism, a Pūjā (offering or worship) is a ritual devotional action made to a Buddha, deity or to the Triple Gem. Within the traditional Buddhist framework of karma and rebirth, Pūjās lead to the accumulation of merit (Sanskrit: puṇya; Pali: puñña), which leads to: a better rebirth as well as progress towards nirvana. The practice is also held to generate other positive qualities in a Buddhist practitioner, like respect, gratitude, and inspiration. It is also seen as being able to stimulate the blessings (adhiṣṭhāna) and power (bala) of the Buddhas. A pūjā can also act as preparation for meditation.
Common elements of a Buddhist Pūjā include the recitation of certain formulas, prayers, and texts (such as parittas, sutras or dharanis) which are often accompanied by different physical acts like bowing, prostration and the hand gesture of the añjali mudrā. It often includes material offerings such as a lit candle or oil lamp, incense, flowers, food, fruit, water or drinks. These offerings are commonly placed in front of a Buddhist altar.
In some Theravada traditions, two different types of offerings are identified: material or hospitality offerings (Pali: amisa-puja or sakkara-puja) and practice offerings (Pali: patipatti-puja).
Material offerings are considered external offerings of "words and deeds." Material offerings nurture generosity (Pali:dāna) and virtue (Pali: sīla). The act further honors the Triple Gem (the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha), deepening one's commitment to the Buddha's path.
Material offerings might be imbued with the following symbology:
Traditional chants in Pali, when offering lit candles (padīpa pūjā) and incense (sugandha pūjā) to an image of the Buddha are:
Similarly, a traditional Pali incense-lighting verse speaks of the Buddha's "fragrant body and fragrant face, fragrant with infinite virtues."
By contemplating on an offering, one tangibly sees life's impermanence (Pali: anicca), one of the three characteristics of all things upon which the Buddha encouraged his disciplines to recollect. For instance, the end of a traditional chant in Pali, when offering flowers (puppha pūjā) to an image of the Buddha is:
Practice offerings may be manifested by practicing:
In the Pali Canon, the Buddha declared practice offerings (Patipatti) as "the best way of honoring the Buddha" and as the "supreme" offering. This is primarily an internal offering for mental development (Pali: citta, bhāvanā and samādhi).
"But Ananda, whatever bhikkhu or bhikkhuni, layman or laywoman, abides by the Dhamma, lives uprightly in the Dhamma, walks in the way of the Dhamma, it is by such a one that the Tathagata is respected, venerated, esteemed, worshipped, and honored in the highest degree." (Taken from Mahāparinibbāṇa Sutta, Dīgha Nikāya)
In Mahayana Buddhism, a puja (Chinese: 供養; Tibetan: cho, Wylie: mchod) often involves ritual offerings, prayers, and the chanting of Mahayana sutras, dharanis and mantras. It is an important practice in Mahayana tradition, where it serves to cultivate a sense of refuge and devotion to the Buddha, bodhisattvas, and other revered figures as well as to cultivate other spiritual qualities. Puja can be performed individually or in a group and is typically conducted in temples or monasteries, although it can also be done in home altars.
Mahāyāna pujas often follow standard liturgical forms, such as the triskandhaka (three-part) and saptānga-vidhi (seven-part) rituals. These are classic Indic Mahayana pūjā forms. They initially derived from a basic three-part liturgy which consists of:
The second version of the three-part ritual is similar but adds a request to the buddhas to turn the wheel of the dharma (dharmacakrapravartana) instead of merit dedication.
The ritual expanded over time to include more elements. In one sūtra translated into Chinese in 2nd century named the Dispelling the Regrets of Ajātaśatru Sūtra, a five-part puja is outlined which consists of:
Over time, this grew into a more elaborate seven-part liturgy (saptāṅgavidhi, saptāṇgapūjā or saptavidhā anuttarapūjā), which includes:
This seven-part liturgy, notably found in the Bhadacaryāpranidhāna ("Vow of Samantabhadra's Deeds"), a part of the Gandavyūha section of the Avataṃsakasūtra, became a central element in many Mahāyāna practices. In Tibetan Buddhism, the seven part puja is a common structure adopted in many rituals and prayers. It is frequently recited before meditation sessions and is also a key feature in tantric pūjās.
The specific actions in a Mahāyāna puja vary considerably depending on the tradition, but it generally includes offerings such as water, flowers, incense, fragrant food, and light (candles, butterlamps, etc). These are taken to symbolize respect and reverence for the Buddhas and bodhisattvas. Pujas may also involve the chanting or recitation of specific ritual texts or sadhanas, and the names or mantras of Mahayana Buddhas and bodhisattvas, such as Avalokiteshvara, Amitabha, and Manjushri. All these actions are believed to invoke blessings, purify the mind, and cultivate merit. Pujas may also include other practices like prostrations. The Mahayana view of a puja reflects the ideal of the bodhisattva, as such it is often accompanied by prayers for compassion, for bodhicitta, the attitude to attain Buddhahood for the sake of all beings, and the bodhisattva vows.
East Asian Buddhist rituals contain many of the classic elements of the Indian puja rituals. For example, many of the elements of the Indian pujas can be found in the Lotus Samādhi outlined by the Tiantai patriarch Zhiyi in his Great Calming and Contemplation. As noted by Swanson, this practice contains the following ten elements: