Buddhism: Religion, Peace and Conflict | OCR GCSE Religious Studies (J625)
Buddhism: Religion, Peace and Conflict
- 78 questions
- 7 subtopics
- Group 2 paper
- Group 2 paper
Buddhism: Religion, Peace and Conflict 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 teachings on violence and non-harm, Buddhists in violent conflict and attitudes to terrorism, Buddhist views on justified war, holy war and modern warfare, Buddhist pacifism and non-violent action, Buddhist peacemakers and engaged Buddhism, Buddhist teachings on forgiveness and reconciliation and Buddhist views on justice, injustice and social justice.
Sample questions from Buddhism: Religion, Peace and Conflict
Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.
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Buddhist teachings on violence and non-harm
What does Dhammapada 5 teach about hatred?
Show the answer
Hatred is never ended by hatred but only by non-hatred. The Buddha called this an eternal law. -
Buddhist teachings on violence and non-harm
How are teachings about violence applied by Buddhist communities?
Show the answer
Monasteries are places of non-violence where even insects are protected. Communities teach loving-kindness to children and campaign against cruelty. -
Buddhists in violent conflict and attitudes to terrorism
What was the Tokyo subway attack of 1995?
Show the answer
Members of Aum Shinrikyo released sarin gas on the Tokyo subway, killing more than a dozen people. Aum was a new religious movement mixing Buddhist, Hindu and apocalyptic ideas. -
Buddhists in violent conflict and attitudes to terrorism
What role did Buddhists play in Sri Lanka's civil war?
Show the answer
Some Sinhalese Buddhist monks supported the government's war against the Tamil Tigers, which ended in 2009. Other Buddhists worked for peace between Sinhalese and Tamils. -
Buddhist views on justified war, holy war and modern warfare
What does the Upayakausalya Sutra story of the ship's captain teach?
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The future Buddha, a ship's captain, killed a robber who planned to murder 500 merchants. The captain acted from compassion, saving the robber from terrible kamma and the merchants from death. -
Buddhist views on justified war, holy war and modern warfare
How do Buddhists view drones and surgical strikes?
Show the answer
Buddhists fear that killing from a distance weakens compassion and makes war easier to start. Some argue precise strikes reduce civilian deaths, which could be the lesser harm. -
Buddhist pacifism and non-violent action
Why do some Buddhists reject absolute pacifism?
Show the answer
Refusing to act while others are harmed may itself be unskilful. Mahayana teaching on skilful means allows exceptional action from compassion. -
Buddhist pacifism and non-violent action
What does the Abhisanda Sutta (Anguttara Nikaya 8:39) teach about the precepts and peace?
Show the answer
The Buddha calls the five precepts great gifts. A person who refrains from killing gives limitless beings freedom from fear and danger.
The 7 subtopics
One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.
| Subtopic | What it covers | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Buddhist teachings on violence and non-harm | The First Precept, Dhammapada 129–130 and Dhammapada 5 on hatred, the Sangama Sutta, why violence breeds violence, force against an attacker, intention, and teachings applied by individuals and communities. | 11 |
| Buddhists in violent conflict and attitudes to terrorism | Causes of terrorism, the Dalai Lama after 11 September 2001, the Tokyo subway attack and Aum Shinrikyo, Buddhists in Myanmar and Sri Lanka's civil war, and Zen leaders in Japanese militarism. | 11 |
| Buddhist views on justified war, holy war and modern warfare | The Mahavamsa and why most Buddhists reject its case for war, the Middle Way applied to war, the ship's captain in the Upayakausalya Sutra, drones, nuclear weapons, and Josei Toda's 1957 declaration. | 12 |
| Buddhist pacifism and non-violent action | Absolute and conditional pacifism, upaya, ahimsa, right action and non-violence, the Abhisanda Sutta on the precepts, non-violence as a force, the value of peace, and conscientious objection. | 11 |
| Buddhist peacemakers and engaged Buddhism | Thich Nhat Hanh and the Dalai Lama, Maha Ghosananda, the Sarvodaya Shramadana movement, Peace Pagodas, individual and community work for peace, and why inner peace is linked to world peace. | 11 |
| Buddhist teachings on forgiveness and reconciliation | Why there is no divine forgiveness, Dhammapada 3–4, the stories of Angulimala and Prince Dighavu, the Buddha and the monks of Kosambi, loving-kindness meditation, compassion and wisdom, and forgiveness in society. | 11 |
| Buddhist views on justice, injustice and social justice | Peace in a just society, the Kutadanta Sutta on crime, how Buddhists pursue social justice, punishment and the death penalty, work with prisoners in Britain, and differing views on justice and forgiveness. | 11 |
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.