Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies B 1RB0
Catholic Christianity: Catholic BeliefsAny paper
Catholic Christianity: Living the Catholic LifeAny paper
Catholic Christianity: Marriage and the FamilyPaper 1
Catholic Christianity: Matters of Life and DeathPaper 1
Catholic Christianity: Crime and PunishmentPaper 2
Catholic Christianity: Peace and ConflictPaper 2
Catholic Christianity: Philosophy of ReligionPaper 3
Catholic Christianity: EqualityPaper 3
Christianity: Christian BeliefsAny paper
Christianity: Living the Christian LifeAny paper
Christianity: Marriage and the FamilyPaper 1
Christianity: Matters of Life and DeathPaper 1
Christianity: Crime and PunishmentPaper 2
Christianity: Peace and ConflictPaper 2
Christianity: Philosophy of ReligionPaper 3
Christianity: EqualityPaper 3
Islam: Muslim BeliefsAny paper
Islam: Living the Muslim LifeAny paper
Islam: Marriage and the FamilyPaper 1
Islam: Matters of Life and DeathPaper 1
Islam: Crime and PunishmentPaper 2
Islam: Peace and ConflictPaper 2
Islam: Philosophy of ReligionPaper 3
Islam: EqualityPaper 3
Buddhism: Buddhist BeliefsAny paper
Buddhism: Living the Buddhist LifeAny paper
Buddhism: Marriage and the FamilyPaper 1
Buddhism: Matters of Life and DeathPaper 1
Buddhism: Crime and PunishmentPaper 2
Buddhism: Peace and ConflictPaper 2
Buddhism: Philosophy of ReligionPaper 3
Buddhism: EqualityPaper 3
Hinduism: Hindu BeliefsAny paper
Hinduism: Living the Hindu LifeAny paper
Hinduism: Marriage and the FamilyPaper 1
Hinduism: Matters of Life and DeathPaper 1
Hinduism: Crime and PunishmentPaper 2
Hinduism: Peace and ConflictPaper 2
Hinduism: Philosophy of ReligionPaper 3
Hinduism: EqualityPaper 3
Judaism: Jewish BeliefsAny paper
Judaism: Living the Jewish LifeAny paper
Judaism: Marriage and the FamilyPaper 1
Judaism: Matters of Life and DeathPaper 1
Judaism: Crime and PunishmentPaper 2
Judaism: Peace and ConflictPaper 2
Judaism: Religious ExperiencePaper 3
Judaism: EqualityPaper 3
Sikhism: Sikh BeliefsAny paper
Sikhism: Living the Sikh LifeAny paper
Sikhism: Marriage and the FamilyPaper 1
Sikhism: Matters of Life and DeathPaper 1
Sikhism: Crime and PunishmentPaper 2
Sikhism: Peace and ConflictPaper 2
Sikhism: Philosophy of ReligionPaper 3
Sikhism: EqualityPaper 3
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.
- Buddhist teaching on the non-existence of a personal GodThe Devadaha Sutta's case against a creator and the Niganthas, non-theistic rather than atheistic, what the Buddha told his followers to rely on, Pure Land devotion to Amitabha, and a Christian disagreement.Open →
- The devas, the Realm of Gods and the Wheel of LifeWhy devas are no source of liberation, the Śūraṅgama Sūtra on the heavens, the Buddha's meeting with Brahma, the six realms, the figure holding the Wheel, and the twelve pictures on its rim.Open →
- Enlightenment as a Buddhist religious experienceTheravada and Mahayana understandings, satori in Zen, the Maha-Saccaka Sutta on the Buddha's search, the childhood memory and the night of awakening, and scientific and non-religious challenges with Buddhist replies.Open →
- Buddhist teaching on miraclesKevatta's request and the three kinds of miracle the Buddha describes, the miracle of instruction, why displays of power were refused, the tradition of Savatthi, and atheist and scientific explanations.Open →
- Buddhist prayer and the Avalokitesvara mantraOm mani padme hum and its meaning, who Avalokitesvara is, praying without a personal God, metta and the sharing of merit, prayer and a wider consciousness, and how it differs from Christian prayer.Open →
- Buddhist teaching on visionsThe Vajra or Diamond Sutra on seeing the Buddha in a form, Asanga's vision of Maitreya and the Five Treatises, makyo in Zen, visions as emptiness or message dreams, and the charge of hallucination.Open →
- Buddhist attitudes to religious experienceThe jhanas, the monk's question to the gods and Brahma's answer in the Kevatta Sutta, whether experience gives real knowledge, Theravada and Mahayana caution, atheist challenges, and the Mind and Life Institute.Open →
- A Buddhist upbringingThe Sigalovada Sutta on bringing up children, the Buddhist home, Jataka tales and learning at the vihara, the shinbyu ceremony, the Kalama Sutta on testing teachings, and Humanist charges of indoctrination.Open →
What you need to know
Answer each one before you reveal it.
How does a Buddhist upbringing shape a child's understanding of reality?
What do Buddhists mean by denying a personal God, and why is none needed?
What are devas?
What is a miracle in Buddhist terms?
What is prayer in Buddhism?
What is a vision in Buddhist terms?
What counts as a religious experience in Buddhism?
What do Buddhists mean by denying a personal God?
How are devas different from a personal God?
What is enlightenment in Buddhism?
What happened when Kevatta asked the Buddha to perform miracles?
What is the Avalokitesvara mantra?
What is the Vajra Sutra?
What are the jhanas?
How does a Buddhist upbringing provide a basis for understanding reality?
Why did the Buddha teach that belief in God is not needed?
What does the Śūraṅgama Sūtra teach about the heavens?
How do Theravada Buddhists understand enlightenment?
Which three kinds of miracle does the Buddha describe in the Kevatta Sutta?
What does Om mani padme hum mean?
What does the Diamond Sutra teach about seeing the Buddha in a form?
What question did a monk carry to the gods in the Kevatta Sutta?
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
What is inside Levo
Six ways to work the same material.
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.
Every question in Buddhism: Philosophy of Religion, on a schedule.
Attempt a question from memory, write the correct version, then attempt it again. Levo records the jump between your first attempt and your last, and brings each question back on the day you are due to forget it.
Or £46 a year, about £3.83 a month. Cancel anytime.