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June 2021

Q1.1: Which one of the following terms means the concept of dependent arising in

Buddhism?

Put a tick () in the box next to the correct answer. A Arhat B Bodhisattva C Paticcasamuppada D Sunyata

Answer:

beliefs, practices and sources of authority Answer: C Paticcasamuppada

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Q1.2: Give two stages of the Eightfold Path.

Answer:

beliefs, practices and sources of authority considered for marking. Students could either state wisdom (panna or prajna), ethics or morality (sila) and meditation (samadhi) as the stages of the Eightfold Path or as below. • Right Understanding / viewpoint / samma ditthi. • Right Thought / intention / samma sankappa. • Right Speech / samma vaca. • Right Action / samma kammanta. • Right Livelihood / job / profession / samma ajiva. • Right Effort / samma vayama. • Right Mindfulness / samma sati. • Right Concentration / samma samadhi.

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Q1.3: Explain two ways in which the Four Sights the Buddha saw influence Buddhists

today.

Answer:

influence on individuals, communities and societies. To be a ‘detailed explanation’ the ‘influence’ of the way must be included. • The Four Sights influences Buddhists today because without them Buddhism would not exist. • Buddhists follow Buddhism today because Buddha’s teaching arose out of the Four Sights. • The first Sight, old age / everyone will experience decay and getting old / recognition that getting old is inevitable / avoid things like plastic surgery and other techniques to try and stop or postpone for a time the onset of old age. • The second Sight, illness / everyone will experience some sort of pain, illness being unwell at some stage in their lives / understanding that illness is a reality of life / through this understanding, an acceptance that illness will come and go. • The third Sight, death / death is the inevitable, that everyone will experience it / if someone is born, they go through a process that involves growing older, illness, suffering and death / there is no escape from this reality for people so they accept that it will happen at some point in their lives. • The fourth Sight, the holy man / people might search for an answer to why they suffer / be calm in their approach to life / be able to understand the process of dukkha more, etc. NB: Students can comment holistically or on any two of the Four Sights or all of them in their

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Q1.4: Explain two of the Three Marks of Existence.

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 • Dukkha is usually translated as suffering but can mean dissatisfaction with things or unsatisfactoriness / Buddhists try to reduce their dukkha and the dukkha of others by their actions and intentions / Buddhists try to increase their understanding of reality by acknowledging dukkha / dukkha can mean ordinary everyday suffering, suffering caused by things being impermanent or simply angst, those niggling things that cause people some form of suffering. • Anicca is usually translated as impermanence / everything is impermanent and continually changing / it affects living things; for example, birth is followed by decay and death / it affects non- living things; for example, an iron nail left out in the rain will eventually rust; a Buddhist temple will eventually erode and turn into ruins if it is not repaired / it affects people’s minds; for example, our thoughts, views, feelings, ideals, morals, longings all change throughout life. • Anatta is often translated as ‘no self’ or ‘no soul’ / it means no permanent self or soul / people are made up of five constituent parts called the five aggregates or skandhas / these are: form; sensations or feelings; perception or recognition of what things are; mental formation which are people’s thoughts and consciousness or people’s awareness of things, etc.

Sources of authority might include:

‘What I teach is suffering and the cessation of suffering.’ Majjhima Nikaya, vol 1, page 140. ‘Kisa Gotami, I have a way to bring your son back to life.’ ‘My Lord, I will do anything to bring my son back’. ‘If that is the case, then I need you to find me something. Bring me a mustard seed but it must be taken from a house where no one residing in the house has ever lost a family member. Bring this seed back to me and your son will come back to life.’ Gotami Sutta. ‘If all the harm, fear and suffering in the world occur due to grasping on to the self, what use is that great demon to me?’ Shantideva (Indian Buddhist monk from the 8 century C.E.).

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Q1.5: ‘For Buddhists, suffering cannot be overcome.’

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]

Extra space

Q2 Buddhism: Practices

Answer:

In your answer you should: • give reasoned arguments to support this statement • give reasoned arguments to support a different point of view [Plus 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.

Arguments in support

• Suffering is a fact of life and is part of the human condition / everyone will suffer at some point. • It would not matter about a particular mindset, humans will always experience hurt, pain and loss at some point in their lives. • Suffering will continue after someone dies for those they leave behind. • People can only find ways to come to terms with suffering / they will never overcome suffering. • The Tibetan Wheel of Life teaches that suffering is constant and will ultimately happen again / even if a person is enlightened, they can still experience some suffering. • It is unrealistic to think that suffering can be overcome even if Buddhists follow the Buddha’s

Arguments in support of other views

• Clearly the Buddha’s main message is that suffering can be overcome. • If people believe in the Buddha’s teachings, then suffering is an illusion anyway / note his teaching on anatta. • It is the goal of the Buddhist faith so must be achievable / Buddhism cannot be based on a false • The Buddha had clearly changed once he had become enlightened / for the Buddha, suffering was no more. • Mind over matter is a powerful medium so people should be able to overcome suffering. • Most suffering is temporary, so it does end, even if we then suffer for something else, etc. Credit reference to how humans deal with animal suffering.

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Q2.1: Which one of the following is not one of the Six Perfections in the

Mahayana tradition?

A Energy B Generosity C Jealousy D Patience

Answer:

beliefs, practices and sources of authority Answer: C Jealousy

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Q2.2: Give two reasons why Buddhists perform puja in the home.

Question 2 continues on the next page

Answer:

beliefs, practices and sources of authority considered for marking. Meditation to settle the attention of the practitioners on their physical sensations developing calm and insight / reciting verses from scripture to acknowledge how important the Buddha is in their lives / chanting to reflect on the teachings of the Buddha / mantra recitation to focus the mind (maybe having transformative powers) / use of mala beads to count number of recitations which helps focus the mind / making offerings / visiting a temple may be difficult, etc.

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Q2.3: Explain two contrasting ways in which Buddhists can show devotion to the Buddha

in a temple.

Answer:

similarities and differences within and/or between religions and beliefs • Making offerings to the Buddha may symbolise wisdom such as light offering through a candle drives away the darkness of ignorance / flowers as an offering remind Buddhists of the Buddha’s teachings on anicca / incense reminds Buddhists of the purity of the Buddha’s • Reciting mantras and bowing down three times before the Buddha image. • Chanting a devotional practice may increase Buddhists’ receptivity towards the Buddha. • Tantras that often call on the spiritual qualities of the Buddha. • Circumambulate a stupa that is said to contain a relic of the Buddha. • Meditation as a spiritual exercise that calms the mind and do as the Buddha meditated. • Read and listen to scriptures that pay particular homage to the Buddha. • In Tibetan Buddhism it is common to visualise the Buddha either as an enlightened being or as a bodhisattva, their qualities and characteristics to then try and emulate. • A Buddhist may visualise the medicine Buddha (the Buddha of healing) or Avalokiteshvara (the bodhisattva of compassion) or Buddha Amitabha (the Pure Land Buddha). • Painting of thangkas as a sign of dedication to the Buddha. • Construction of a mandala as a sacred diagram that may represent the Buddha, etc.

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Q2.4: Explain two reasons why death and mourning rituals are important for many

Buddhists. 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 • When a Buddhist dies, their kammic energy leaves their body and this is important for Buddhists to acknowledge because their 5 skandhas are reborn into a new body. • Death is not seen as the end / death is only a transition from one form to another. • Death and mourning rituals are important to teach Buddhists about anicca (impermanence). • An opportunity to transfer merit to the deceased. • An opportunity to donate to a charity in recognition of a loved one’s life. • Offering of cloth to monks on behalf of a deceased relative is a meritorious act. • A shrine may be set up with an image of the Buddha next to it / this is to show the importance of relying on the Buddha’s teachings. • The Tibetan sky burial allows Buddhists to offer their dead bodies as a ‘gift’ to the vultures / a generous and practical act. • Buddhists may be asked to lift the casket of a deceased relative as a final act of service to the • Revered Buddhist teachers have always been cremated / the remains placed in a chorten (memorial structure often known as a stupa) / this becomes an important site for worship by Buddhists / an opportunity to show generosity and practical care. • Sending good thoughts through meditation to the family of those who have lost a loved one and contemplating the impermanence of life, etc.

Sources of authority might include:

‘At the hour of death, the king and the beggar are exactly equal in that no amount of relatives or possessions can affect or prevent death. But who is the richer in the time of death? If the beggar has created more merits, then although he looks materially poor he is really the rich man.’ Thubten Zopa Rinpoche – a Nepalese Buddhist monk. ‘This world is shrouded in darkness. Here, only a few can see their way free. These few birds escape from the net, and fly away to the heavens.’ Dhammapada 11.11, etc.

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Q2.5: ‘For Buddhists, it is always wrong to speak falsehoods (tell lies).’

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.

Extra space

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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 understanding of relevant evidence and information. References to religion applied to the issue. relevant evidence and information. Clear reference to religion. evidence and information.

Arguments in support

• In Buddhist texts, this precept is considered second in importance to the first precept, because a lying person is regarded to have no shame, and therefore capable of many wrongs. • It is against the fourth precept and clearly a significant moral stance in Buddhism. • Untruthfulness is not only to be avoided because it harms others, but also because it goes against the Buddhist ideal of finding the truth. • It is part of right or perfected speech on the Eightfold Path. • Buddhists should be accurate and sincere in what they say and speak in a way that promotes harmony between people. • Being kind and gentle when speaking are clearly wholesome thoughts. • Slander, gossip and speaking harshly or unfairly involve being dishonest with people and is not the Buddhist way. • ‘One who feels no shame at telling a deliberate lie,’ the Buddha told a monk after dramatically • Even lying about something because you love someone may still be hurting others. • Even so-called ‘white lies’ (which may be deemed as not as bad an outright lie) still involve potential deception which Buddhists must guard against in order to realise enlightenment, etc.

Arguments in support of other views

• Concepts of karuna (compassion) and metta (loving kindness) might take priority over the fourth • In Mahayana teachings such as the Lotus Sutra (Parable of the Burning House) telling a falsehood saves lives. • Sometimes in life, a ‘white lie’ can protect others; Buddhism is seen as a practical religion by many so this would fit in with Buddhist ethics. • There are ‘degrees’ of lying with some lies much worse than others. Telling the absolute truth could cause embarrassment or could harm a relationship. • If it is the lesser of two evils to lie it may be necessary for Buddhists to do so for the greater good. • There are far more important moral codes such as the first precept which Buddhists should concentrate on to help realise enlightenment. • Some, even Buddhists, might not deliberately set out to deceive someone by what they say, or their body language, but this is part of ‘normal’ living. • In the real world it is impossible to go through life not telling a lie, therefore the premise is

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