Lesson video

Hello, I'm Ms. Ramalli, and thank you for joining me for today's RE lesson.

I will be guiding you through your learning today, and my priority is to make sure that you achieve the learning outcome.

By the end of today's lesson you will be able to explain the diverse ways lay Buddhists live and the significance of the Sangha to lay Buddhists.

To guide you through your learning today there are four keywords.

They are Sangha, community, lay, and alms. Sangha refers to the wider Buddhist community, including monks and nuns.

Community is a group of people working or living together with a common vision.

Lay refers to a follower of Buddhism who is not a monk or nun.

And alms is offering food or donations to monks and nuns as a means of supporting monastic life.

So, in our lesson today on "Sangha: diverse lay Buddhist community," there are four parts to our lesson.

Lay Buddhism, lay Buddhism in Asia, lay Buddhism in the UK, and the significance of the Sangha for lay Buddhists.

So let's begin with the first part of our lesson on lay Buddhism.

The Sangha is the third jewel.

All Buddhists form the Sangha, the Buddhist community.

Lay Buddhists are people who follow Buddhism but aren't monks or nuns.

Lay Buddhists live regular lives with jobs, families, and other responsibilities, while still following the Buddha's Dharma.

Here you can see on your screen that the red jewel symbolises the Sangha.

Okay, let's pause for a moment and complete a check for understanding.

True or false? Lay Buddhists do not form part of the Sangha.

Pause the video and press play when you're ready to check your answer.

Okay, well done to everybody that chose false.

Why is that statement false? All Buddhists, including lay monks and nuns, form the Sangha.

Lay Buddhists live differently depending on a number of factors, so there's diversity amongst lay Buddhists.

It might depend on which country they live in, the culture, interpretation of the Dharma, personal priorities, which school of Buddhism they belong to, which stage in life they are.

So all of these different factors can affect how lay Buddhists live their life.

How lay Buddhists practise Buddhism can look very different.

Some focus on meditation, service to the Sangha, chanting, following the moral precepts.

Lay Buddhists living in the UK may practise Buddhism differently from Buddhists living in Asia.

Okay, let's complete a true or false check for understanding.

All lay Buddhists practise the religion the same way.

Is that statement true or false? Pause the video and press play when you're ready to check your answer.

Okay, well done to everybody that selected false.

Why is that statement false? Well, how a lay Buddhist practises Buddhism will depend on many different factors, including the country that they live in.

Okay, so now we're in a position to complete the first of our practise tasks on lay Buddhism.

I would like you to complete the following table.

Firstly, I'd like you to give four factors that create diversity amongst lay Buddhists.

Secondly, I'd like you to give four areas of focus for lay Buddhists.

Good luck on the practise task.

Pause the video and press play when you're ready to check your answers.

Okay, welcome back, everybody.

So let's check your answers for our first practise task.

I asked you to complete the following table and your completed table may look like this.

So four factors that create diversity amongst lay Buddhists are the country they live in, their interpretation of the Dharma, their personal priorities, and which school of Buddhism they follow.

Four areas of focus for lay Buddhists include meditation, service to the Sangha, chanting, and following the moral precepts.

Fantastic, well done on your hard work completing that first practise task.

So now we're gonna move on to the second part of our lesson, lay Buddhism in Asia.

Some countries in Asia have a high percentage of Buddhists living in them.

So if you look at the screen here, you can see that Thailand has 93.

2% of their population as Buddhists, which is an estimated number of 64,420,000.

Cambodia have approximately 96.

9% of their population as Buddhists, which an estimated number equates to 13,690,000.

Sri Lanka is estimated at 69.

3% of their population being Buddhist, and that's an estimated number of Buddhists of 14,450,000.

Some of the population in these countries will live as Buddhist monks and nuns, but the majority will live as lay Buddhists.

Okay, let's pause and complete a check for our understanding.

Which one of the following is a country with a high percentage of Buddhists? A, Thailand; B, India; C, the UK.

Pause the video and press play when you're ready to check your answer.

Okay, welcome back and well done to everybody that said A, Thailand was the correct answer, well done.

Roshan is a lay Buddhist and he explains his parents' experience of practising Buddhism in Sri Lanka.

Roshan says, "My parents were born in Sri Lanka but now live in the UK.

They have told me that growing up they would regularly give alms to the Buddhist monks and nuns living in their community.

This practise supports the Sangha, which is the third of the three jewels." Linn explains her mum's experience of practising as a lay Buddhist in Thailand.

Linn says, "In Thailand, my mum would visit the vihara daily along with other lay Buddhists.

The Sangha offers a sense of community and an opportunity to meet with and, if necessary, seek advice from Buddhist monks and nuns." Okay, let's pause for a moment and just check you've understood what you have just heard.

True or false? Many lay Buddhists living in Asia will give alms to other lay Buddhists to support the Sangha.

Pause the video and press play when you're ready to check your answer.

Okay, welcome back and well done to everybody that said the answer is false.

So why is that statement false? Well, many lay Buddhists will give alms to Buddhist monks and nuns to support the Sangha, not to other lay Buddhists.

Okay, so now we're in a strong position to complete our second practise task, this one being on lay Buddhism in Asia.

I would like you to finish the following sentences about how lay Buddhists may practise Buddhism in Asia.

A, lay Buddhists may regularly give.

B, giving alms offers a sense of.

which supports.

C, visiting the vihara daily offers the opportunity to.

Good luck on the practise task.

Pause the video here and press play when you are ready to check your answers.

Okay, welcome back, everybody.

Now let's check your answers for the practise task.

So I asked you to finish the following sentences about how lay Buddhists may practise Buddhism in Asia.

Your answers could include lay Buddhists may regularly give alms to the Buddhist monks and nuns living within the Sangha.

Giving alms offers a sense of community which supports the Sangha, which is the third jewel.

Visiting the vihara daily offers the opportunity to meet with other lay Buddhists and seek advice from Buddhist monks and nuns if necessary.

Fantastic, well done on all of your hard work completing that practise task.

So that means that we're now going to move on to the third part of our lesson, which is looking at lay Buddhism in the UK.

According to the Census 2021, there are approximately 273,000 Buddhists living in England and Wales.

This equates to 0.

5% of the population.

Although there are a few British monasteries, most British Buddhists choose to live as lay people.

Okay, let's pause and complete a check for understanding.

According to the Census 2021, approximately how many Buddhists live in England and Wales? Is it A, 73,000; B, 27,000; or C, 273,000? Pause the video and press play when you're ready to check the answer.

Okay, fantastic, welcome back, and well done to everybody that selected C.

According to the Census 2021, there are approximately 273,000 Buddhists living in England and Wales.

Okay, well done.

Tashi explains how she lives as a lay Buddhist in the UK.

Tashi says, "My parents converted to Buddhism before I was born.

We focus on adapting Buddhist teachings to fit a western lifestyle.

I meditate as often as possible and attend the Buddhist centre.

As a lay Buddhist, I live a regular life.

I go to school and my parents go to work.

We still practise Buddhism by showing compassion and following the Four Noble Truths.

This helps me gain good karma and achieve enlightenment." Roshan and Linn discuss how lay Buddhists practise differently in the UK.

Linn says, "In Thailand, there are many viharas.

When there, I attend daily.

In the UK, there are less viharas, so my mum has to drive us.

We cannot attend daily, so we go most weekends and on holy days." Roshan responds, "My grandparents in Sri Lanka give alms to their local Buddhist monks and nuns.

There are less Buddhist monasteries in the UK, so my parents donate to charities instead." Okay, let's just pause for a moment and complete a check for understanding.

I would like you to select three ways that a UK lay Buddhist might follow the Buddha's Dharma.

A, meditate; B, live in a monastery; C, attend a Buddhist centre; D, show compassion.

Remember you need to select three answers.

Okay, good luck.

Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to see the correct answers.

Okay, welcome back, everybody.

I asked you to select three ways that a UK lay Buddhist might follow the Buddha's Dharma.

Well done if you said the correct answers are A, C, and D.

Three ways a UK lay Buddhist might follow the Buddha's Dharma is meditate, attend a Buddhist centre, and show compassion.

Okay, so we're now in a position where we complete our third practise task, this one being on lay Buddhism in the UK.

I would like you to tick the practises that might be more difficult for a lay Buddhist living in the UK.

So the practises will be show compassion, visiting a vihara daily, meditation following the Four Noble Truths, giving alms to Buddhist monks and nuns.

Okay, good luck on the practise task.

Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to check your answers.

Okay, welcome back, everybody.

So let's check your answers for the practise task.

So well done if you selected visiting a vihara daily and giving alms to Buddhist monks and nuns.

Those practises are likely to be more difficult for a lay Buddhist living in the UK.

So now we're gonna move on to the fourth and final part of our lesson by looking at the significance of the Sangha for lay Buddhists.

Linn and Roshan discuss why the Sangha is important and significant in the Buddhist countries Thailand and Sri Lanka.

Linn explains, "In Thailand, lay Buddhists often visit viharas to give alms to the monks, which is seen as a way to earn good karma and show generosity." Roshan tells us that "in Sri Lanka, the Sangha helps Buddhists stay connected.

It is deeply respected and is an essential part of maintaining the country's Buddhist culture." Okay, let's complete a check for understanding.

Select two reasons why the Sangha is significant in Thailand and Sri Lanka.

A, there are fewer viharas in Thailand and Sri Lanka.

B, alms giving is a way to create good karma.

C, it is a way to stay connected to the community.

Remember, you're looking to select two answers.

Okay, pause the video and press play when you're ready to check your answer.

Okay, so let's see the correct answers, and well done if you selected B and C.

Two reasons why the Sangha is significant in Thailand and Sri Lanka are that alms giving is a way to create good karma and it's a way to stay connected to the community.

Tashi gives her perspective on why the Sangha is significant to her.

Tashi says, "The Sangha is significant to me as a lay Buddhist living in the UK because it is a community where I feel a sense of belonging.

Being a part of the Sangha helps me learn and grow in my practise as a Buddhist.

When I visit my local Buddhist centre, I feel connected to others with similar values.

The Sangha is like having a team to help me on my spiritual journey to attaining enlightenment." Okay, let's complete a check for understanding.

True or false? The Sangha is significant to most Buddhists.

Pause the video and press play when you're ready to see the correct answer.

Okay, welcome back, everyone, and well done to those of you that said this statement is true.

Why is this statement true? Well, the Sangha offers a sense of community, connection and belonging.

So now we're able to complete our final practise task for today's lesson.

This practise task is on the significance of the Sangha for lay Buddhists.

Andeep, Sofia, Lucas, and Aisha are discussing why the Sangha is important for lay Buddhists.

You need to explain who is incorrect and why.

Andeep says, "It helps Buddhists feel disconnected to one another during gatherings." Sofia says, "It gives an opportunity to meditate with others." Lucas says, "Lay Buddhists might offer food to the monks and nuns, earning good karma." And Aisha says, "It offers a sense of belonging and support in the community." Good luck completing the practise task.

Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to check your answer.

Okay, welcome back, everybody.

Time to check your answer for the practise task.

So Andeep, Sofia, Lucas, and Aisha are discussing why the Sangha is important for lay Buddhists.

You needed to explain who is incorrect and why.

Your answer may have included the following points.

Andeep is wrong in his answer because he incorrectly states that the Sangha helps lay Buddhists feel disconnected to one another during gatherings.

The Sangha is significant because it helps Buddhists feel connected.

It offers an opportunity to meditate with others within the Sangha, ask questions and feel a sense of belonging and support in the community.

Well done on all your hard work on the practise task for today's lesson.

So that brings us to the end of today's lesson on "Sangha: diverse lay Buddhist community." So here are the key points that we have learned in today's lesson.

The Sangha refers to the whole Buddhist community, including lay people.

There is diversity in how lay Buddhists practise Buddhism.

Lay Buddhists practise Buddhism in different ways depending on where they live and how they interpret Dharma.

Lay Buddhists in the UK may find it more challenging to visit the vihara and give alms daily.

And the Sangha is significant to all Buddhists.

Thank you very much for joining me for the lesson today, goodbye.