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Buddhism: Philosophy of Religion

  • 8 subtopics
  • 24 things to know
  • Paper 3
  • Paper 3, Religion, Philosophy and Social Justice, for the religion studied in this area. Two of the three areas are taken, each through a different religion

What Buddhism: Philosophy of Religion covers

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.

Where it is assessed

Paper 3

Area of Study 3, Religion, Philosophy and Social Justice, if this is the religion studied for that area.

Check the Pearson Edexcel specification ↗

The 8 subtopics

Each one has its own page.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

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Who and when

How did the Buddha find the way to enlightenment, according to the Maha-Saccaka Sutta?

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How does a Buddhist upbringing shape a child's understanding of reality?

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What do Buddhists mean by denying a personal God, and why is none needed?

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What are devas?

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What is a miracle in Buddhist terms?

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What is prayer in Buddhism?

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What is a vision in Buddhist terms?

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What counts as a religious experience in Buddhism?

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What do Buddhists mean by denying a personal God?

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How are devas different from a personal God?

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What is enlightenment in Buddhism?

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What happened when Kevatta asked the Buddha to perform miracles?

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What is the Avalokitesvara mantra?

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What is the Vajra Sutra?

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What are the jhanas?

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How does a Buddhist upbringing provide a basis for understanding reality?

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Why did the Buddha teach that belief in God is not needed?

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What does the Śūraṅgama Sūtra teach about the heavens?

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How do Theravada Buddhists understand enlightenment?

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Which three kinds of miracle does the Buddha describe in the Kevatta Sutta?

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What does Om mani padme hum mean?

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What does the Diamond Sutra teach about seeing the Buddha in a form?

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What question did a monk carry to the gods in the Kevatta Sutta?

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What does the Sigalovada Sutta teach about bringing up children?

Take Buddhism: Philosophy of Religion further

The same content, four other ways.

Commonly confused

Pairs that lose marks when they are blurred together.

  • Deva vs Personal God

    Deva: a heavenly being living in bliss but still subject to rebirth. Personal God: an eternal, loving creator who knows and cares for each individual.

  • Satori vs Jhana

    Satori: a sudden flash of awakening in Zen practice. Jhana: a state of deep meditative absorption and calm.

  • Vision vs Hallucination

    Vision: an experience of seeing something sacred, believed to carry spiritual meaning. Hallucination: a false perception produced by the brain with no outside cause.

Questions from this topic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    What do Buddhists mean by denying a personal God?

    Model answer

    Buddhists do not believe in a creator God who knows, loves and judges each person. The Buddha taught a path to freedom that depends on no such being.

  2. 2

    Why did the Buddha teach that belief in God is not needed?

    Model answer

    The Buddha taught that suffering and its end depend on causes within the mind. A person can follow the path to nibbana without the help of a creator.

  3. 3

    What does the Devadaha Sutta teach about a creator God?

    Model answer

    The Devadaha Sutta rejects the idea that pleasure and pain are caused by the act of a supreme creator. The Buddha pointed instead to actions and conditions.

  4. 4

    How does the Buddha argue against a creator in the Devadaha Sutta?

    Model 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.

  5. 5

    Who were the Niganthas in the Devadaha Sutta?

    Model answer

    The Niganthas were Jain ascetics who believed painful austerities could burn away past kamma. The Buddha questioned both their view and the idea of a creator god.

  6. 6

    Why do some people describe Buddhism as non-theistic rather than atheistic?

    Model answer

    Buddhism does not mainly argue against God but simply finds God unnecessary for the path. Buddhists accept gods called devas but deny a creator who controls the world.

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AOmnipotent means all-powerful.
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Buddhism: Philosophy of Religion revision questions

What does Buddhism: Philosophy of Religion cover in Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies B?
8 subtopics: 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. Each one has its own page with questions and model answers.
How is Buddhism: Philosophy of Religion organised?
By the Edexcel 1RB0 specification, subtopic by subtopic, so it matches the order you are taught it in.

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