• Buddhism requires certain duties and practices.buddhism image by Rich Johnson from Fotolia.com
  
  Buddhism is a form of religion that espouses such virtues as morality, concentration and wisdom as opposed to following a strict dogma. According to the late Dr. K. Sri Dhammananda, a Buddhist monk and scholar, Buddhism is the most prevalent religion in Asia and is practiced by almost 25 percent of world's population. Buddhism requires adhering to certain duties and practices.
  
  

Meditation

• Meditation is the practice of silently focusing on a concept to obtain spiritual enlightenment. Meditation typically is performed privately at least once a day. Types of medication include vipassana, which is used to gain insight, and samatha, which promotes tranquility. The belief is that once the mind becomes still and focused, insight can be more easily attained.
  
  

Mantras

• A mantra is a type of sound or chant that is believed to protect the mind and body from evil by channeling the powers of specific deities. Mantras may be chanted together by a group as part of a ceremony or performed individually. A common type of mantra used in some forms of Buddhism is a dharani, which is the chanting of religious doctrine for a specific purpose, such as preventing disasters.
  
  

Mudras

• Mudras are gestures used to during meditation or Buddhist rituals to identify a Buddha or evoke particular ideas. There are a variety of mudras used in Buddhism, but five mudras are the most common, including Dhyana mudra, which is the gesture of meditation, and the Abhaya mudra, which is the gesture of fearlessness.
  
  

Righteous Life

• A fundamental duty of a Buddhist is to live a righteous life. Buddhists believe they were put on Earth as a result of a moral consciousness known as good kamma, which they must pass on to others. Buddhists must refrain from engaging in the 10 evil actions of body, speech and mind, which include stealing, killing, slander or engaging in frivolous talk.
  
  

Good Householder

• Another duty of the Buddhist is to be a good householder. This involves acquiring wealth to provide a good home and living for his family, which must be obtained through honest and ethical means. He must devote one-quarter of his earnings to tend to personal needs and two-quarters to conducting his business affairs, and the remaining quarter should be set aside in the event of emergencies.