Customs

            In Theravada Buddhism the exchange of gifts is highly encouraged, most will give gifts to Buddhist monks. But giving gifts in general is encouraged as well. In the kind of Buddhism monks are believed to embody the key aspects of Buddhism. Giving gifts to monks is supposed to give the people merit. After the Buddha died four main points for pilgrimage showed up of where the Buddha lived. Since then there have been places of pilgrimage nearly everywhere that Buddhism has been established. The pilgrimage is supposed to promote spiritual devotion or to just travel. Pilgrimage also helps to create relationships with historical sites in Buddhism.