Buddhism: Relationships and Families | OCR GCSE Religious Studies (J625)
Buddhism: Relationships and Families
- 71 questions
- 6 subtopics
- Group 2 paper
- Group 2 paper
Buddhism: Relationships and Families is examined in Component Group 2, religion, philosophy and ethics in the modern world from a Buddhist perspective (J625/09), if this is the perspective studied.
That perspective must be one of the student's two Group 1 religions. It covers Buddhist views on the family and the Sigalovada Sutta, Buddhist attitudes to marriage and its cultural forms, Buddhist ethics of sex, the Third Precept and same-sex relationships, Buddhist views on cohabitation, celibacy, contraception and divorce, Buddhist views on the roles of men and women and Buddhist teaching on equality, caste and gender discrimination.
Sample questions from Buddhism: Relationships and Families
Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.
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Buddhist views on the family and the Sigalovada Sutta
What duties do parents owe their children according to the Sigalovada Sutta?
Show the answer
Parents should keep children from wrongdoing and encourage them to do good. Parents should train them for a trade, help them marry suitably and pass on their inheritance. -
Buddhist views on the family and the Sigalovada Sutta
Why do some Buddhists see family life as a hindrance to Enlightenment?
Show the answer
The Buddha described household life as crowded and dusty, and he left his own family. Attachment to family can feed craving and distract from practice. -
Buddhist attitudes to marriage and its cultural forms
What is fidelity and why does it matter to Buddhists?
Show the answer
Fidelity is faithfulness to one's partner. Buddhists see unfaithfulness as sexual misconduct that causes deep harm and breaks trust. -
Buddhist attitudes to marriage and its cultural forms
How do Western Buddhists often marry?
Show the answer
Many Western Buddhists hold a civil ceremony followed by readings, vows or a blessing at a Buddhist centre. Some Western Buddhist groups have written their own marriage blessings. -
Buddhist ethics of sex, the Third Precept and same-sex relationships
How do understandings of sexuality differ between monastic and lay Buddhists?
Show the answer
Monks and nuns renounce all sexual activity, and intercourse means expulsion from the order. Lay Buddhists are expected only to avoid sex that causes harm. -
Buddhist ethics of sex, the Third Precept and same-sex relationships
What has the Dalai Lama said about same-sex relationships?
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The Dalai Lama said in 1997 that traditional texts class homosexual sex as misconduct for Buddhists. In 2014 he said same-sex marriage was a matter for each country's laws. -
Buddhist views on cohabitation, celibacy, contraception and divorce
Why do most Buddhists accept contraception?
Show the answer
Preventing conception does not end a life, so it does not break the First Precept. Family planning can reduce suffering for parents and children. -
Buddhist views on cohabitation, celibacy, contraception and divorce
When might divorce be the most compassionate choice for a Buddhist?
Show the answer
Divorce may be right where a marriage involves violence, abuse or constant unhappiness. Staying together could cause more suffering to the partners and children.
The 6 subtopics
One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.
| Subtopic | What it covers | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Buddhist views on the family and the Sigalovada Sutta | The householder's Vinaya and the six directions, duties between parents and children, the purpose of family, the six paramitas at home, family as a hindrance, the Buddha leaving his wife and son, and elderly parents. | 11 |
| Buddhist attitudes to marriage and its cultural forms | Marriage's religious status, the duties of husband and wife, fidelity, the role of monks at a wedding, Sri Lankan, Thai and Western weddings, and what Queen Mallika taught King Pasenadi. | 11 |
| Buddhist ethics of sex, the Third Precept and same-sex relationships | What counts as sexual misconduct, traditional and modern readings, sexual desire, monastic and lay sexuality, sex before marriage, the Pali Canon and the Dalai Lama on same-sex relationships, and civil partnerships. | 12 |
| Buddhist views on cohabitation, celibacy, contraception and divorce | Objections to living together, celibacy for monastics and for lay people for a time, forms of contraception some reject, kamma and intention, divorce as compassion, concerns about divorce, annulment, and remarriage. | 12 |
| Buddhist views on the roles of men and women | Changing family roles, the Soma Sutta, the differing rules for monks and nuns, Taiwanese nuns as leaders, Tenzin Palmo, freedom of choice in raising children, the ordination restriction, and the shinbyu ceremony. | 12 |
| Buddhist teaching on equality, caste and gender discrimination | The Buddha on caste in Sutta Nipata 3.9, equality in the sangha, karuna, B. R. Ambedkar, Queen Mallika's daughter, culture and embedded inequality, the Lotus Sutra, and Buddhist women organising for equality. | 13 |
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
OCR GCSE Religious Studies Active Recall Guide
Every topic, not just this one. 2,800 questions with their answers.