Buddhism: Marriage and the Family | Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies B (1RB0)
Buddhism: Marriage and the Family
- 92 questions
- 8 subtopics
- Buddhism, one religion of seven
- Paper 1
Buddhism: Marriage and the Family is examined in Paper 1, Area of Study 1: Religion and Ethics, if Buddhism is the religion studied for that area.
It covers the purpose of marriage in Buddhism, Buddhist teaching on sexual relationships, the Buddhist family and its purpose, how the Buddhist sangha supports families, Buddhist attitudes to contraception, Buddhist attitudes to divorce and remarriage, men and women in the Buddhist family and Buddhism, gender prejudice and discrimination.
Sample questions from Buddhism: Marriage and the Family
Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.
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The purpose of marriage in Buddhism
Why do some Buddhists see celibacy as an ideal?
Show the answer
Monks and nuns give up sex and marriage to devote themselves fully to the path. Sexual desire is a strong form of craving that ties a person to samsara. -
Buddhist teaching on sexual relationships
How do Theravada monks view sexual activity?
Show the answer
Sexual intercourse is one of the four gravest offences for a Theravada monk. A monk who commits it is permanently expelled from the Sangha. -
The Buddhist family and its purpose
Why did the Buddha reinterpret Sigala's worship of the six directions?
Show the answer
Sigala was bowing to the directions only as a ritual his father had asked for. The Buddha showed him that honouring the directions means keeping good relationships. -
How the Buddhist sangha supports families
How does the sangha support families through worship?
Show the answer
The vihara holds regular puja and teaching that families attend together. Children learn devotion and the precepts alongside their parents. -
Buddhist attitudes to contraception
What does the Dalai Lama argue in The Natural World about family planning?
Show the answer
The Dalai Lama argues that a rising human population puts great pressure on the planet's resources. The Dalai Lama therefore supports birth control to protect the natural world. -
Buddhist attitudes to divorce and remarriage
What does Sri Dhammananda say about remarriage?
Show the answer
Sri Dhammananda says divorced people are free to remarry. A new marriage should be built on the understanding and kindness the first one lacked. -
Men and women in the Buddhist family
Why do others say the Sigalovada Sutta reflects traditional roles?
Show the answer
The sutta gives the husband the role of provider and the wife the role of homemaker. Some Buddhists today see these roles as belonging to ancient Indian society. -
Buddhism, gender prejudice and discrimination
How do Buddhists oppose gender discrimination today?
Show the answer
Many Buddhists campaign for full ordination of women and equal access to teaching roles. Western groups such as Triratna ordain men and women on equal terms.
The 8 subtopics
One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.
| Subtopic | What it covers | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| The purpose of marriage in Buddhism | Whether marriage is a duty, why monks rarely conduct weddings, the Sigalovada Sutta, celibacy as an ideal, Western Buddhist ceremonies, cohabitation, and common ground with Humanists. | 12 |
| Buddhist teaching on sexual relationships | The Third Precept, Cunda and sexual misconduct in the Cunda Kammaraputta Sutta, Theravada monks and Jodo Shinshu on celibacy, sex outside marriage, same-sex relationships and the Dalai Lama's reported views, and Humanists. | 12 |
| The Buddhist family and its purpose | The Sigalovada Sutta on duties between parents and children, the six directions and why the Buddha reinterpreted Sigala's worship, gratitude, few rules on family shape, and nuclear, extended, single-parent, same-sex and blended families. | 12 |
| How the Buddhist sangha supports families | What sangha means, Khuddakapatha 1, worship, rites of passage and temporary ordination, festivals, counselling, UK Buddhist centres, and why some value this support more than others. | 11 |
| Buddhist attitudes to contraception | What scripture says, preventing conception versus methods some object to, the Dalai Lama in The Natural World and the methods he prefers, intention, differing views, Humanists and situation ethics. | 11 |
| Buddhist attitudes to divorce and remarriage | Venerable K. Sri Dhammananda and A Happy Married Life on divorce and remarriage, avoiding divorce with the Sigalovada Sutta, cultures that discourage it, situation ethics, and Buddhist and Humanist views compared. | 11 |
| Men and women in the Buddhist family | A husband's and wife's duties in the Sigalovada Sutta read as equal or traditional, Siddhattha leaving his family, the first order of nuns, Ananda and women's enlightenment, the eight special rules, and roles today. | 11 |
| Buddhism, gender prejudice and discrimination | Prejudice as unskilful, the nun Soma's answer to Mara, restoring full ordination for Theravada nuns and the dispute over it, Sakyadhita, the geshema degree, Tenzin Palmo, and the Dalai Lama's successor. | 12 |
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.