Buddhism: Living the Buddhist Life

What Buddhism: Living the Buddhist Life covers

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.

The 8 subtopics

Each one has its own page.

• Buddhist meditation: samatha, metta bhavana, vipassana and zazenMindfulness 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.Open →
• Buddhist chantingDevotion, 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.Open →
• Mantra recitation, mala beads and offeringsHow 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.Open →
• Buddhist places of worship: temples, viharas and gompasThe 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.Open →
• Buddharupas and other objects of devotionBowing, 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.Open →
• Buddhist puja in the vihara and the homePuja 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.Open →
• Buddhist death and mourning ritualsThe 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.Open →
• Buddhist festivals and retreatsWesak, 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.Open →

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Take Buddhism: Living the Buddhist Life further

The same content, four other ways.

Commonly confused

Pairs that lose marks when they are blurred together.

• Samatha vs Vipassana

  Samatha: calming meditation that concentrates the mind on one object. Vipassana: insight meditation that observes impermanence, suffering and not-self.

• Vihara vs Gompa

  Vihara: a monastery where monks or nuns live, found especially in Theravada countries. Gompa: a Tibetan monastery or meditation hall, often in a remote place.

• Mantra vs Mudra

  Mantra: a sacred sound or phrase repeated to focus the mind. Mudra: a symbolic hand gesture shown on images of the Buddha.

Questions from this topic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1. 1

   What is the purpose of meditation in Buddhism?

   Model answer

   Meditation trains the mind to become calm, focused and clear. A trained mind can see reality as it is and so move towards enlightenment.

2. 2

   What is samatha meditation?

   Model answer

   Samatha is calming or concentration meditation. The meditator rests attention on one object, such as the breath, until the mind becomes still.

3. 3

   Describe mindfulness of breathing.

   Model answer

   The meditator sits still and follows the breath as it enters and leaves the body. Whenever the mind wanders, attention is gently brought back.

4. 4

   What is metta bhavana?

   Model answer

   Metta bhavana is the cultivation of loving kindness. The meditator wishes well to themselves, a friend, a neutral person, a difficult person and finally all beings.

5. 5

   What is vipassana meditation?

   Model answer

   Vipassana is insight meditation. The meditator observes body and mind closely to see anicca, dukkha and anatta directly.

6. 6

   How are samatha and vipassana used together?

   Model answer

   Samatha calms the mind so that it is steady enough for insight. Vipassana then uses that steadiness to see things as they really are.

What is inside Levo

Six ways to work the same material.

Buddhism: Living the Buddhist Life revision questions

What does Buddhism: Living the Buddhist Life cover in Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies B?

8 subtopics: 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. Each one has its own page with questions and model answers.

How is Buddhism: Living the Buddhist Life organised?

By the Edexcel 1RB0 specification, subtopic by subtopic, so it matches the order you are taught it in.