Buddhism: Living the Buddhist Life | Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies B (1RB0)
Buddhism: Living the Buddhist Life
- 98 questions
- 8 subtopics
- Buddhism, one religion of seven
- Paper 1, Paper 2 and Paper 3
Buddhism: Living the Buddhist Life is examined in whichever of the three papers Buddhism is studied for, because this section is the same in all three areas of study.
It covers Buddhist meditation: samatha, metta bhavana, vipassana and zazen, Buddhist chanting, mantra recitation, mala beads and offerings, Buddhist places of worship: temples, viharas and gompas, Buddharupas and other objects of devotion, Buddhist puja in the vihara and the home, Buddhist death and mourning rituals and Buddhist festivals and retreats.
Sample questions from Buddhism: Living the Buddhist Life
Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.
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Buddhist meditation: samatha, metta bhavana, vipassana and zazen
What is vipassana meditation?
Show the answer
Vipassana is insight meditation. The meditator observes body and mind closely to see anicca, dukkha and anatta directly. -
Buddhist chanting
How does Dhammapada 1–2 explain why Buddhists chant?
Show the answer
A chant fills the mind with wholesome thoughts. The Dhammapada teaches that a mind purified in this way brings happiness. -
Mantra recitation, mala beads and offerings
Why is mantra recitation less central in Theravada Buddhism?
Show the answer
Theravada Buddhism places its main emphasis on meditation, ethics and study of the suttas. Short formulas like Namo Buddhaya are used mainly as a support for concentration. -
Buddhist places of worship: temples, viharas and gompas
What is a stupa?
Show the answer
A stupa is a dome-shaped monument that holds relics of the Buddha or a great teacher. Buddhists walk around a stupa clockwise as an act of devotion. -
Buddharupas and other objects of devotion
What do the long earlobes and the ushnisha on a buddharupa represent?
Show the answer
Long earlobes recall the heavy earrings Siddhattha wore as a prince. The ushnisha, the rounded top of the head, represents his wisdom. -
Buddhist puja in the vihara and the home
How does the Mangala Sutta support the practice of puja?
Show the answer
The Mangala Sutta counts reverence, gratitude and hearing the Dhamma among the highest blessings. Puja puts these qualities into practice. -
Buddhist death and mourning rituals
Why do Theravada families hold merit-making ceremonies after a death?
Show the answer
Families give food and gifts to monks at set times, such as seven days and one year after the death. The merit is dedicated to the dead person to help their rebirth. -
Buddhist festivals and retreats
How do lay Buddhists take part in Vassa?
Show the answer
Lay people support the monks with food and may keep extra precepts. Some lay Buddhists give up meat or alcohol for the three months.
The 8 subtopics
One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.
| Subtopic | What it covers | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Buddhist meditation: samatha, metta bhavana, vipassana and zazen | Mindfulness of breathing, how samatha and vipassana work together, Rinzai koans, visualising Buddhas and bodhisattvas, the Amitāyus Meditation Sutra, Theravada and Mahayana differences, and the benefits claimed. | 12 |
| Buddhist chanting | Devotion, concentration, confidence and joy, Dhammapada 1 to 2 and 190, the Tiratana Vandana and the Three Refuges, Nam Myoho Renge Kyo in Nichiren practice, and Theravada and Mahayana emphasis. | 12 |
| Mantra recitation, mala beads and offerings | How a mantra differs from a chant, Namo Buddhaya and the Theravada opening of devotion, Tibetan practice, the nembutsu, sacred syllables, the 108 beads of a mala, and flowers, candles and incense at the shrine. | 12 |
| Buddhist places of worship: temples, viharas and gompas | The first viharas, gompas and stupas, a Japanese Mahayana temple, Triratna centres, the shrine room and why it faces east, the vihara library and the Kimsila Sutta, and lay use. | 12 |
| Buddharupas and other objects of devotion | Bowing, the earth-touching gesture and other mudras, the long earlobes and ushnisha, the Vakkali Sutta and images, what a shrine holds, the bodhi tree and the Sri Maha Bodhi, and differing views of devotional objects. | 12 |
| Buddhist puja in the vihara and the home | Puja in the vihara and at home, the Mangala Sutta, bowing three times, the sevenfold puja, private and communal practice, and comparisons with Christian worship and prayer. | 12 |
| Buddhist death and mourning rituals | The moment of death, the Theravada funeral with its water-pouring and chanted verse, merit-making, Japanese funerals and home remembrance, the Tibetan Book of the Dead and its 49 days, sky burial, and impermanence. | 12 |
| Buddhist festivals and retreats | Wesak, Vassa and why the Rain Retreat began, Kathina, the Anapanasati Sutta, Uposatha days, Hanamatsuri, Obon and its origin, Parinibbana Day, Lama Tsong Khapa Day, and differing dates. | 14 |
How the guide is worked
Answering a question from memory stores it far better than reading the answer again. The guide runs that as a fixed procedure on one subtopic at a time, about twenty minutes a session.
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Step 1 · Closed book
Cover the answers. Work through one subtopic and write down what you can. Leave blanks where you have nothing.
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Step 2 · Open book
Go back to the top. Read each printed answer and write it out in full, including the ones you had right.
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Step 3 · Closed book again
Same questions, same order, from memory. The gap between pass one and pass three is the session result.
Read the full method, the return schedule and the research behind it.
Nearby topics
Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies B Active Recall Guide
Every topic, not just this one. 5,266 questions with their answers.