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EDUQAS GCSE Buddhism BELIEFS – TEACHINGS - PRACTICES

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EDUQAS GCSE Buddhism BELIEFS – TEACHINGS - PRACTICES EDUQAS GCSE Buddhism BELIEFS – TEACHINGS - PRACTICES CONTENTS Specification and key terms p. 3 Introduction p. 4 The Buddha p. 6 The Dhamma p. 11 The Four Noble Truths p. 15 Samsara, Enlightenment and Nirvana p. 19 Theravada: the Arhat Ideal & Mahayana: The Bodhisattva Ideal p. 22 Theravada Understanding of Human Personality p. 26 Mahayana Understanding of Human Personality p. 30 Ethical Teaching p. 34 Pure Land Buddhism p. 38 Buddhist places of worship p. 42 Meditation p. 46 Devotional Practices p. 50 Death and Mourning p. 54 Festivals and Retreats: Practices in Britain and elsewhere p. 58 N. G. Heap Eton College 2 Specification: Learners should be aware that Buddhism is one of a diverse range of religious and non-religious traditions and beliefs in Great Britain today that also includes Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism, Humanism and Atheism, but that the main religious tradition in Great Britain is Christian. This knowledge may be applied throughout the assessment of the specified content. Learners must know, understand and express common and divergent views and the basis for beliefs, teachings and practices. Reference to relevant sources of wisdom and authority are expected, including scripture and/or sacred texts. Key terms Anicca: The impermanent nature of things Anatta: No independent or permanent self Dukkha: Suffering/unsatisfactoriness Skhandas: The five elements that make up a human being: 1. Form 2. Sensation 3. Perception 4. Mental Formations 5. Consciousness Samatha: Calmness or breathing meditation Pratitya-samutpada: Dependent origination; everything ‘exists’ only because of the ‘existence’ of other phenomena in an incredibly complex web of cause and effect covering time past, time present and time future Metta bhavana: The development of loving kindness, usually through meditation Vipassana: ‘Insight’ meditation enabling the individual to see the true nature of things 3 (1) INTRODUCTION The beliefs and practices of Buddhism are based on the teachings of the Buddha, formerly Gautama 563 – 483 BCE (the exact years are disputed) who was born in present day Nepal where he spent most of his life. Gautama gave up his worldly possessions to live the life of an ascetic while he searched for enlightenment. However, he rejected this lifestyle as being unhelpful. One day, as he sat under the Bodhi Tree, he achieved this enlightenment. He had become the Buddha – which means ‘enlightened one’ – and found the answer to the cause of human suffering and how to overcome it. The basic teaching of the Buddha is to avoid extremes. There is nothing to be gained from either over indulgence in pleasure, or in ascetic practices which punish the body. The way of the Buddha is therefore called the ‘middle way’. The Buddha said that life was like being on a wheel of existence, with people moving in samsara - a continuous cycle from birth, through life, to death, and then rebirth. He said that craving and desire keep people on the wheel. The escape from this endless cycle is nirvana – which means ‘blowing out’ – and this is the end of suffering and freedom from rebirth. By the time the Buddha died he had thousands of followers in India. Following his death, his teaching was handed down orally and eventually written down along with accounts of his life. This was preserved by the bhikkus (monks) and bhikkunis (nuns) which Buddha had founded and by lay people who had also been followers of Buddha. The spread and prosperity of Buddhism in India was greatly helped by the support it gained from the merchant and ruling classes and eventually from kings. The Emperor Ashoka (269 – 232 BCE.) who ruled much of present day Northern India declared himself a lay Buddhist and built many Buddhist viharas – Buddhist monastery/temple. Succeeding kings followed his example. Buddhism spread through most of present day Asia. It mingled with the culture and religious traditions of countries where it was absorbed, adopted and adapted. That is why it is may be argued that there is no one single Buddhism but many Buddhisms. Today there are over 500 million Buddhists spread worldwide, with the greatest concentrations in China, India, Japan, Malaysia, Burma/Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tibet and Vietnam. Buddhism has also become popular in the West, and there are communities of Buddhist monks and lay-Buddhists all over Europe and America. 4 Exercise 1 Knowledge Questions (5 marks): 1. What is the name for a Buddhist monk? 2. What is the name for a Buddhist nun? 3. What is a vihara? 4. Which emperor helped in the spread of Buddhism? 5. How many Buddhists are there in the world today? Description Question (5 marks): Describe the basic teaching of Buddhism. Explanation Question (8 marks): Explain how Buddhism spread following the death of the Buddha. Discussion Questions (15 marks each): 1. ‘Suffering is the main problem of human existence.’ Discuss this statement showing that you have considered more than one point of view. (You must refer to religion and belief in your answer.) 2. ‘Any religion such as Buddhism which is 2500 years old, cannot be of help in the 21st century.’ Discuss this statement showing that you have considered more than one point of view. (You must refer to religion and belief in your answer.) 5 (2) THE BUDDHA In outlining his life story, Buddhists sometimes refer to the Ten Acts of the Buddha. 1. Conception 2. Physical Birth 3. Accomplishment in worldly skills and ability to meditate 4. A Life of Pleasure 5. The Four sights 6. Life as an Ascetic – 6 years of suffering 7. Victory over Mara 8. Enlightenment 9. Teaching 10. Parinirvana (final and complete nirvana which happens at the death of a Buddha) Some Buddhists take the events described as being literally true whereas other Buddhists regard them as having underlying truth which has been added to over time. Some accounts have additional stories and details. It is important to recognize that differences of opinion in this area are not a matter of any great concern for Buddhists. 1. Conception Father: Suddhodana – ruler of the Shakya Clan Mother: Maya According to the caste system of that time the family therefore belonged to the ruler class Maya dreamed that an elephant came down from the skies and entered her side Her pregnancy lasted 10 months 2. Physical Birth Maya was travelling to her parents’ home With her servants, she stopped at the gardens in Lumbini She walked beneath a tree which bent down to her Gautama was born out of her side painlessly The baby Gautama took 7 steps towards each of the 4 points of the compass At each step a lotus flower sprang up Gautama declared: I am king of the 4 directions. This is my last birth! Maya and Gautama returned to Kapilavastu A wise man predicted that Gautama would either be a great leader or a great religious teacher Maya died 7 days after the birth of Gautama 6 3. Accomplishment in Worldly Skills and Ability to Meditate Suddhodana wanted Gautama to be a great leader He shielded him from anything unpleasant or things which might make him ask religious or spiritual questions e.g. dead leaves were swept away Gautama excelled at all he did: sports (archery and wrestling) and academic subjects (mathematics, languages, music.) 4. A Life of Pleasure Gautama enjoyed a life of great luxury He was surrounded by every sort of pleasure Three palaces were built for him for each season of the year (hot, cool and rainy) He was surrounded by beautiful gardens Aged 16, Gautama married Yashodhara She gave birth to a son, Rahula For the next 13 years, he remained within the grounds of his father’s palace 5. The Four Sights Aged 29, Gautama left his father’s palace with his charioteer Channa to see the outside world They made 4 short journeys out of the palace On each journey, Gautama encountered a Sight or Sign – these marked the turning point in his life: i. an old man ii. a sick man iii. a dead man iv. a samana (a wandering holy man) Channa explained to Gautama that the first 3 Sights were the common experience of life which no one could avoid Gautama realised that his life of luxury and pleasure could not protect him from old age, sickness and death The 4th Sight showed him that it was possible to be peaceful in the face of old age, sickness and death but he was unsure what gave the samana calm Gautama decided to follow the example of the samana to seek a solution to human suffering He left the palace secretly at night after bidding a silent farewell to his wife and son 6. Life as an Ascetic Gautama cut off his hair, got rid of his royal clothes and replaced them with the simple clothing of a samana He sent Channa back to the palace with his jewels For the following 6 years, he learned yoga and meditation He went into the forests and joined with 5 other samanas who were living the ascetic life He fasted almost to the point of death, surviving on one grain of rice a day He became so thin that he could feel his backbone through his stomach A herdswoman named Sujata brought a bowl of milk rice to the place where Gautama sat meditating She offered the food to him – he accepted it and ate The 5 samanas saw this and left Gautama as they believed that he had failed by breaking his fast 7 7. Victory over Mara In the village of Bodh Gaya Gautama sat under a large fig tree – later called the Bodhi tree or ‘Tree of Enlightenment’ He resolved to remain in meditation until he achieved true insight He said: Let all the flesh and blood in my body dry up.
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