How did Soma defeat Mara?

Soma recognised Mara and answered him with calm insight. Mara, knowing that Soma had seen through him, vanished.

How do Buddhists oppose gender discrimination today?

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.

How has full ordination for Theravada nuns been restored?

The Theravada order of nuns died out in about the eleventh century. Ordinations were revived in the 1990s, with a large ceremony at Bodh Gaya in 1998.

Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies B 1RB0

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Christianity: Matters of Life and DeathPaper 1

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Christianity: Peace and ConflictPaper 2

Topic overview Christian attitudes to peace and Jesus as a peacemaker Christian peacemaking and the work of Pax Christi Christian attitudes to conflict and its causes Christian pacifism, passive resistance and Martin Luther King Christian attitudes to the Just War theory Christian attitudes to Holy War Christian attitudes to weapons of mass destruction Christian responses to violence, war and terrorism

Christianity: Philosophy of ReligionPaper 3

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Islam: Marriage and the FamilyPaper 1

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Islam: Matters of Life and DeathPaper 1

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Islam: Philosophy of ReligionPaper 3

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Topic overview 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 Buddhism, gender prejudice and discrimination

Buddhism: Matters of Life and DeathPaper 1

Topic overview Buddhist teaching on the origins and value of the universe The sanctity of life in Buddhism Buddhist responses to evolution and survival of the fittest Buddhist attitudes to abortion Buddhist teaching on death, rebirth and the afterlife Buddhist responses to arguments against life after death Buddhist attitudes to euthanasia and hospice care Buddhist responses to the environment and animal rights

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Buddhism: Philosophy of ReligionPaper 3

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Hinduism: Matters of Life and DeathPaper 1

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Sikhism: Marriage and the FamilyPaper 1

Topic overview The purpose of marriage in Sikhism Sikh teaching on sexual relationships The purpose of the Sikh family How the sangat supports Sikh families Sikh attitudes to contraception Sikh attitudes to divorce and remarriage Men and women in the Sikh family Sikh opposition to gender prejudice

Sikhism: Matters of Life and DeathPaper 1

Topic overview Sikh responses to the origins and value of the universe Sikh teaching on the sanctity of life Sikh responses to evolution Sikh attitudes to abortion Sikh responses to arguments for life after death Sikh responses to arguments against life after death Sikh attitudes to euthanasia Sikh responses to the natural world and animal rights

Sikhism: Crime and PunishmentPaper 2

Topic overview Sikh attitudes to justice Sikh attitudes to crime and the Five Thieves Sikh teaching on good, evil and suffering Sikh attitudes to punishment Sikh views on the aims of punishment Sikh teaching on forgiveness Sikh teaching on the treatment of criminals Sikh attitudes to the death penalty

Sikhism: Peace and ConflictPaper 2

Topic overview Sikh teaching on peace Sikhs and peacemaking Sikh attitudes to conflict Sikh attitudes to pacifism and passive resistance Dharam Yudh: the Sikh Just War The saint-soldier and Sikh views on holy war Sikh attitudes to weapons of mass destruction Sikh responses to violence, war and terrorism

Sikhism: Philosophy of ReligionPaper 3

Topic overview Gurbani and Guru Nanak's revelation at the river Visions and mystical experiences in Sikhism Numinous experience, vismaad and enlightenment in Sikhism Miracles and Sikh belief Sikh attitudes to religious experience The design argument and Sikh belief The cosmological argument and Sikh belief A Sikh upbringing and belief in God

Sikhism: EqualityPaper 3

Topic overview Sikh teaching on human rights Sikh attitudes to equality and solutions to inequality Sikh attitudes to religious freedom and a multi-faith society Sikh attitudes to prejudice and discrimination against religions Sikh teaching on racial harmony and Begampura Sikh responses to racial discrimination Sikh attitudes to social justice and Deg Tegh Fateh Sikh attitudes to wealth and poverty

Buddhism: Marriage and the Family

Buddhism, gender prejudice and discrimination

3 things to know
Paper 1

Overview

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.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

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Key term

Why do Buddhists regard gender prejudice as unskilful?

Key term

What happens in the Soma Sutta?

Key term

What does the Soma Sutta teach about gender?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1
Why do Buddhists regard gender prejudice as unskilful?
Model answer
Gender prejudice judges people unfairly by their sex and comes from ignorance and aversion. Buddhism teaches that sex has no bearing on a person's capacity for enlightenment.
2
What happens in the Soma Sutta?
Model answer
Mara taunted the nun Soma that a woman's limited wisdom could never reach the goal of the sages. Soma replied that womanhood does not matter when the mind is well concentrated.
3
What does the Soma Sutta teach about gender?
Model answer
The Soma Sutta teaches that enlightenment depends on the mind, not on being a man or a woman. Anyone who thinks "I am a woman" or "I am a man" still clings to self.
4
How did Soma defeat Mara?
Model answer
Soma recognised Mara and answered him with calm insight. Mara, knowing that Soma had seen through him, vanished.
5
How do Buddhists oppose gender discrimination today?
Model 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.
6
How has full ordination for Theravada nuns been restored?
Model answer
The Theravada order of nuns died out in about the eleventh century. Ordinations were revived in the 1990s, with a large ceremony at Bodh Gaya in 1998.

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