Learn about Buddhism

Scouts is open to everyone. We don’t identify exclusively with one faith, and we welcome people of all faiths and of none.

We know it’s important for people to learn about each other, including understanding different faiths and beliefs. Scouts always respects people’s beliefs, faiths and cultures, and everyone should be open to learn.

As an inclusive and values based movement, we support our members to engage and learn about different faiths and beliefs in an exciting and meaningful way, even if they don’t have a faith themselves.  

Celebrating and understanding differences, including differences in faiths and beliefs, is an important part of our Scout values, which are:

• Integrity: We act with integrity; we are honest, trustworthy and loyal.
• Respect: We have self-respect and respect for others.
• Care: We support others and take care of the world in which we live.
• Belief: We explore our faiths, beliefs and attitudes.
• Co-operation: We make a positive difference; we co-operate with others and make friends.

Our value of Belief and its exploration helps Scouts to learn from other faiths and beliefs. This encourages them to develop or build their personal beliefs and understand their shared values, whether faith-based on not. 

We know that learning about faiths, beliefs and different attitudes can help to break down barriers, helps us all to recognise what we have in common, and teaches us to value and respect other people. It also helps us to build up respect, acceptance and knowledge for each other, leading to a more co-operative and inclusive society. 

In our diverse society, people can sometimes feel cautious talking about  this sensitive subject. However, it's important that Scouts offers young people safe, exciting and open spaces to explore faiths and beliefs. They should be able to engage in personal reflection, as they question and develop their opinions and understanding of the world around them.

Making time for personal reflection and developing our beliefs means exploring the places, people, communities, celebrations or stories which hold meaning for us, and it may not necessarily mean exploring a faith. 

For example, someone’s shared values may be their Scout Values and that person may choose to reflect on them at important times, such as when they make their Promise. Others may choose to reflect at certain times of the year, such as a faith-based festival, birthdays, meaningful events or at New Year. Some people may still celebrate events, such as Christmas, but use it as a time to celebrate family, friends and loved ones, as well as for charity and giving.

Discover more about Faiths and Beliefs in Scouts.

• Buddhism is the name of the religion, and its followers are known as Buddhists. 
• Today there are around 376 million Buddhists living around the world, with approximately 180,000 living in the UK.

Who is Buddha?

• Buddhists follow the teachings of the Buddha, which means 'enlightened one'. The Buddha was a man called Siddhartha Gautama, who is said to have lived nearly 2,500 years ago in India.
• Buddhists don’t believe that the Buddha was a god, but they hold a deep respect for him and show their devotion to him by following his teachings.

What did Buddha teach?

• Buddhism focuses on personal spiritual development, and Buddhists try to live a good life by following the Buddha's teachings, which are called the Dharma.
• In the Four Noble Truths, the Buddha taught that life is full of suffering. Suffering is caused by desire and wanting things, and attachment to possessions. The way to stop suffering is to stop wanting things by following the Eightfold Path.

What’s the symbol of Buddhism?

• The dharmachakra, also known as wheel of dharma, is widely used as the symbol of Buddhism. It shows a wheel with eight spokes, representing the Noble Eightfold Path and the teachings of the Buddha. The Four Noble Truths are the basis of the Buddha’s teachings, and they explain why people suffer and how they can end that suffering.

What are Buddhist scriptures?

• The Buddhist scriptures are known as the Tripitaka which means 'three baskets'. This is because the original writings were made on palm leaves and stored in baskets.
• The Tripitaka contains the teachings of the Buddha and his companions, comments on those teachings, as well as rules for monks. Buddhists call the teachings of the Buddha 'dharma', which means ‘truth’.

How do Buddhists worship?

• Buddhists don’t worship in the traditional sense.
• They show their devotion by a ritual called puja, either at home, in a temple or a vihara.
• A vihara is a Buddhist monastery, which is open to the community for study, meditation and worship.
• In Buddhist countries, there are many temples. People bring flowers and incense for the shrine and food for the monks.
• When entering a temple or vihara, Buddhists will take off their shoes, put their hands together and bow to the image of the Buddha. They may also use prayer beads called malas.

What rules do Buddhists follow?

• Buddhists follow rules known as the Five Precepts. The first rule is not to kill any living being, so many Buddhists choose not to eat any meat in their diet. The fifth rule forbids intoxication so Buddhists may also choose to abstain from drinking alcohol.

• Lots of temples are used to providing activities about Buddhism for groups. It can be a helpful start to ask them what activities they would usually run.
• Plan some activities in addition to any ideas your guest has.
• After inviting the guest to your meeting, ask whether they have any accessibility or transport needs. Check closer to the time that they can still make it.
• Ask ahead of time if your guest is comfortable sharing how their faith has impacted their life, and if they can share information about key teachings or texts.
• Tell the guest about your group. They may want to know how many young people you have, how old they are, how energetic the group are, and what kind of activities they enjoy.
• Check whether there’s anything you need to prepare in advance, or any materials you need to buy for the activities.