Buddhism: Philosophy of Religion | Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies B (1RB0)
Buddhism: Philosophy of Religion
- 96 questions
- 8 subtopics
- Buddhism, one religion of seven
- Paper 3
Buddhism: Philosophy of Religion is examined in Paper 3, Area of Study 3: Religion, Philosophy and Social Justice, if Buddhism is the religion studied for that area.
It covers Buddhist teaching on the non-existence of a personal God, the devas, the Realm of Gods and the Wheel of Life, enlightenment as a Buddhist religious experience, Buddhist teaching on miracles, Buddhist prayer and the Avalokitesvara mantra, Buddhist teaching on visions, Buddhist attitudes to religious experience and A Buddhist upbringing.
Sample questions from Buddhism: Philosophy of Religion
Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.
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Buddhist teaching on the non-existence of a personal God
How does the Buddha argue against a creator in the Devadaha Sutta?
Show the answer
The Buddha argued that if a creator caused suffering, those who suffer terribly must have been made by an evil creator. A good creator could not be the source of such pain. -
The devas, the Realm of Gods and the Wheel of Life
How does the Buddha's meeting with the god Brahma show the status of devas?
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Tradition says the god Brahma Sahampati begged the Buddha to teach after his enlightenment. Even the highest god needed the Buddha's teaching. -
Enlightenment as a Buddhist religious experience
What does the Maha-Saccaka Sutta tell about the Buddha's search for enlightenment?
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The Maha-Saccaka Sutta describes the Buddha's extreme austerities, such as holding his breath and eating almost nothing. The Buddha found that self-torment did not lead to awakening. -
Buddhist teaching on miracles
Why did the Buddha reject displays of supernatural power?
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A sceptic could say the display was just a magic charm, so it proves nothing. The Buddha said he was troubled and ashamed by such displays. -
Buddhist prayer and the Avalokitesvara mantra
Who is Avalokitesvara?
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Avalokitesvara is the bodhisattva of compassion, who hears the cries of the world. Tibetans believe the Dalai Lama is an emanation of Avalokitesvara. -
Buddhist teaching on visions
Who was Asanga?
Show the answer
Asanga was a fourth-century Indian monk who, with his brother Vasubandhu, founded the Yogacara school. Asanga is said to have received teachings from the future Buddha Maitreya. -
Buddhist attitudes to religious experience
What answer did the Buddha give in the Kevatta Sutta?
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The Buddha said the question should ask where the elements find no footing. The elements cease in a consciousness that is boundless and non-manifest, where name and form end. -
A Buddhist upbringing
How do Buddhist children learn at the vihara?
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Many viharas run Dhamma schools where children learn the precepts, chanting and stories of the Buddha. Children also join in festivals and give food to the monks.
The 8 subtopics
One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.
| Subtopic | What it covers | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Buddhist teaching on the non-existence of a personal God | The Devadaha Sutta's case against a creator and the Niganthas, non-theistic rather than atheistic, what the Buddha told his followers to rely on, Pure Land devotion to Amitabha, and a Christian disagreement. | 11 |
| The devas, the Realm of Gods and the Wheel of Life | Why devas are no source of liberation, the Śūraṅgama Sūtra on the heavens, the Buddha's meeting with Brahma, the six realms, the figure holding the Wheel, and the twelve pictures on its rim. | 12 |
| Enlightenment as a Buddhist religious experience | Theravada and Mahayana understandings, satori in Zen, the Maha-Saccaka Sutta on the Buddha's search, the childhood memory and the night of awakening, and scientific and non-religious challenges with Buddhist replies. | 13 |
| Buddhist teaching on miracles | Kevatta's request and the three kinds of miracle the Buddha describes, the miracle of instruction, why displays of power were refused, the tradition of Savatthi, and atheist and scientific explanations. | 11 |
| Buddhist prayer and the Avalokitesvara mantra | Om mani padme hum and its meaning, who Avalokitesvara is, praying without a personal God, metta and the sharing of merit, prayer and a wider consciousness, and how it differs from Christian prayer. | 11 |
| Buddhist teaching on visions | The Vajra or Diamond Sutra on seeing the Buddha in a form, Asanga's vision of Maitreya and the Five Treatises, makyo in Zen, visions as emptiness or message dreams, and the charge of hallucination. | 14 |
| Buddhist attitudes to religious experience | The jhanas, the monk's question to the gods and Brahma's answer in the Kevatta Sutta, whether experience gives real knowledge, Theravada and Mahayana caution, atheist challenges, and the Mind and Life Institute. | 12 |
| A Buddhist upbringing | The Sigalovada Sutta on bringing up children, the Buddhist home, Jataka tales and learning at the vihara, the shinbyu ceremony, the Kalama Sutta on testing teachings, and Humanist charges of indoctrination. | 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.