Common forms of Buddhist practice for lay persons include visiting temples to pray, burn incense, place offerings of fruit or flowers at altars, and observe rituals performed by monks, such as the consecration of new images or the celebration of a Buddhist festival.

To the left is a picture showing people praying at a Buddhist temple in Shanghai.

What do you notice about the Buddha image? 

Can you tell what it is made of?

Worshipping in a Buddhist temple in Shanghai

To the right is a picture showing Buddhist women's association in Taiwan meeting for worship.

Can you identify some objects seen in temples?

To the left is the image of a wealthy patron about to be enshrined in a temple in Taiwan.

Look closely and try to describe the situation.

Enshrinement ceremony

This is a scene from Taer Temple in Qinghai Province.

To what kind of object are these Buddhists bowing? 

Notice the position of the bow. What parts of the body are touching the ground?

Partial prostration

The bowing figures above were engaged in partial prostration. The figures below are engaged in full prostration. 

This bow begins by standing with hands overhead like the figure in red, then after touching the body at three or four points with the hands, the worshipper lays on the floor with the whole body in contact with the ground like the figure in white.

Here lay people observe a religious service at an altar adorned with dough figurines.

What do you notice about the figures? How does the material from which they are made relate to their appearance?

At left, lay people watch dancers perform.

Do you think the dance is religious in nature? Why or why not?

Dancing performance at Taer Monastery