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June 2020

Q1.1: Which one of the following was not one of the Four Sights Siddhartha Gautama

(The Buddha) saw when he left the palace?

Put a tick () in the box next to the correct answer. A Holy man B Old man C Young man D Sick man

Answer:

beliefs, practices and sources of authority Answer: C Young man

Q1.2: Give two of the five moral precepts.

Answer:

beliefs, practices and sources of authority 1 Do not take life / kill / take anything that has a life force 2 Do not take what is not given / steal 3 Do not misuse the senses / no sexual misconduct 4 Do not speak falsehoods / engage in false speech / gossip etc. 5 Do not take intoxicants that cloud the mind / drugs / alcohol. NB – Students will be expected to make reference to two different precepts. Also, students cannot be awarded two marks if they give two aspects of one precept.

Q1.3: Explain two ways in which the Buddha’s Enlightenment influences Buddhists today.

Answer:

influence on individuals, communities and societies To be a ‘detailed explanation’ the ‘influence’ of the way must be included. • They too can get enlightened as the Buddha did. • Buddhists gain a whole new way of seeing life. • Buddhists can become wiser and compassionate. • Buddhists are more committed to following the Noble Eightfold Path as this is the path or way the Buddha took to gain enlightenment. • The Buddha is an example to be followed. • Some Buddhists see the Buddha as a symbol for their own potential through enlightenment. • Buddhists can understand how they create their own suffering and how they could potentially alleviate that suffering. • Buddhists can gain a state of profound freedom and peace. • Buddhists can finally let go of hatred, desire and ignorance, etc. NB – Students may give alternative views such as Buddhists will follow the Buddha’s teaching, they will give to charity, they will try to give up wanting things and only shop for things they need. These are creditworthy in context, etc.

Q1.4: Explain two teachings about the causes of suffering found in the Four Noble Truths.

Refer to sacred writings or another source of Buddhist belief and teaching in your answer.

Answer:

beliefs, practices and sources of authority Relevant and accurate reference to sacred writing or another source of Buddhist belief and teaching – 1 mark • The first two Noble Truths are about the truth of suffering or suffering exists (dukkha) and the truth of the cause of suffering or suffering is caused by something (samudaya). • In the First Noble Truth – there are seven well-known states of suffering or dukkha from birth, sickness, old age and death to not getting what one wants, sorrow and despair and contact with unpleasant things / everyone experiences pain and suffering at some point in their lives / it is a universal truth / temporary measures will not combat suffering as suffering is an unavoidable part • In the Second Noble Truth – one of the main causes of suffering is tanha or craving / craving for sense pleasures or beautiful things / craving to become something you are not / wanting to get rid of something or stop it from happening anymore / attachment to people and material possessions will bring suffering / the wheel of life shows a pig, a cockerel and a snake in the centre and these three animals represent the causes of suffering ie greed, hatred and ignorance or delusion; they are called the three fires or poisons / the Buddha also taught that avijja or ignorance is at the root cause of suffering too and this traps people in the world of samsara. NB Even though the first two Noble Truths are where teaching about the causes of suffering is predominantly found, credit must be given for including any valid cause of suffering taken from the third and / or fourth Noble Truth as either a ‘simple explanation’ [1 marks] or a detailed explanation [2 marks] for each. Possible references to sacred writings or other sources of Buddhist belief and teaching might • ‘Now this (monks) is the noble truth of suffering; birth is suffering, ageing is suffering, illness is suffering, death is suffering; union with what is displeasing is suffering; separation from what is pleasing is suffering; not to get what one wants is suffering; in brief, the five aggregates subject to clinging are suffering.’ The Buddha in the Samyutta Nikaya vol. 5, p. 421 • ‘…. The insight is, ‘There is suffering’…. The insight is simply the acknowledgement that there is suffering without making it personal.’ Ajahn Sumedho (Theravadan monk) • ‘Now this monks, is the noble truth of the origin of suffering: it is the craving which leads to renewed existence, accompanied by delight and lust, seeking delight here and there; that is, craving for sensual pleasure, craving for existence, craving for extermination…’ The Buddha in the Samyutta Nikaya, vol. 5, p 421

Q1.5: ‘For Buddhists, the most important aim in life is to become a Bodhisattva (an

enlightened being).’ Evaluate this statement. In your answer you should: • refer to Buddhist teaching • give reasoned arguments to support this statement • give reasoned arguments to support a different point of view • reach a justified conclusion.

[SPaG 3 marks]

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Answer:

In your answer you should: • give reasoned arguments to support this statement • give reasoned arguments to support a different point of view [SPaG 3 marks] understanding of relevant evidence and information. References to religion applied to the issue. relevant evidence and information. Clear reference to religion. evidence and information. evidence and arguments must be credited.

Arguments in support

• To become a Bodhisattva is to elevate the status of compassion to that of wisdom / (thereby being much less selfish an ideal than the Arhat) / as you would want to save all beings from • A Bodhisattva remains in the cycle of births, deaths and rebirths to help others. • Mahayana Buddhists believe that the original emphasis of the Buddha’s teachings to his disciples was to ‘go forth for the welfare of the many’ / and this is what Bodhisattvas do / making it the ideal person to be. • A Bodhisattva will have attained certain attributes (the six paramitas) / and this is a high goal to • A Bodhisattva can become transcendent, not just earthly so another important part of the aim. • A Bodhisattva can appear in different forms to help others / and lead them to enlightenment. • Mahayana Buddhists can pray to Bodhisattvas in times of need thereby suggesting their great

Arguments in support of other views

• It is too difficult for people to become a Bodhisattva because compassion is too high an ideal. • Buddhists may want to focus on their own spiritual awareness rather than help others. • The Buddha did not explicitly say people should help others towards enlightenment. • Becoming an Arhat is the spiritual goal of Theravada Buddhism / so very important too as a Buddhist spiritual ideal. • Any being that is no longer reborn when they die and someone who is finally freed from the suffering of existence in the cycle of births, deaths and rebirths, would surely be the most important aim for a Buddhist. • It might not be the most important aim because a Buddhist might just want to free themselves up • Buddhism is a practical faith and it might be difficult to visualise ‘earthly’ and ‘transcendent’ bodhisattvas as an aim. • A Buddhist may not want to remain in the cycle of samsara as bodhisattvas do because all their teachings suggest release from the cycle once they have erased dukkha from their lives, etc. [Plus SPaG 3 marks]