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GCSE Religious Studies · key term
A sacred sound, word or phrase recited in worship or meditation.
Used by AQA and Eduqas
Paper 1
A sequence of sacred words or syllables repeated aloud or silently, often to focus the mind and cultivate spiritual qualities.
Revise: Puja and Devotional RitualA period of chanting or mantra recitation can be fitted around daily responsibilities. Its significance is that commitment to Buddhism is renewed regularly, rather than being restricted to visits to a religious building.
Paper 3
A short sequence of words or syllables repeated during devotional practice or meditation.
Revise: Devotional PracticesA mala is a string of beads used to count mantras or breaths during meditation. A practitioner moves through the beads as repetitions are completed. This provides a physical way to keep count, allowing more attention to remain on the sound, meaning or breathing rather than on remembering a number.
A sacred sound, word or phrase used in worship or meditation.
Distinguish chanting sacred texts from repeating a mantra; both can be devotional and help focus the mind.
Compare Shaivism and Vaishnavism directly, but describe differences as emphases rather than absolute rules. Both include devotion, temple worship and mantra recitation.
Name the Buddhist tradition when using an example. Do not assume that every Buddhist uses the same mantra, mala or ritual.
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