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R.E.
Key Stage 2
Title of Unit: The Four Noble Truths
Key Theme: Teaching and Authority
Key Concept: Dharma / Dhamma
Strands/ Fields of Enquiry
AT1: Beliefs teachings and sources / Practices and ways of life
AT2: Identity and belonging / Questions of meaning , purpose and truth / Values and
commitments
AT1 :
 Describe the key aspects of religions; especially the people, stories and traditions which influence beliefs
and values
 Describe how the variety of practices and ways of life in religions and understand how these stem from and
are closely connected to beliefs and teachings
 Investigate the significance of religion in the local, national and global communities
 Consider the meaning of a range of forms of religious expression, understand why they are important in
religion and note the links between them
AT2 :
 Reflect on what it means to belong to a faith community, communicating their own and others’ responses
thoughtfully
 Respond to the challenges of commitment both in their lives and within religious traditions, recognising
how commitment to a religion is shown in a variety of ways
 Discuss their own and others’ views of religious truth and belief, expressing their own identity
 Reflect on sources of inspiration in their own lives
Learning Outcomes
Explain the Buddha’s teaching of the Four Noble Truths.
Explain each one of the Four Noble Truths
Know the steps of the Eightfold Path;
Right Understanding
Right Thought
Right Speech
Right Action
Right Livelihood
Right Effort
Right Mindfulness
Right Concentration
Give examples of the Eightfold Path in practice
Say how your life might have to change to follow
the Eightfold Path.
Explain the term ‘enlightenment’.
Explain why the Buddhists do not worship the Buddha.
Expectations—Levels of Attainment—In line with locally Agreed Syllabus
Nearly all can:- (LEVEL WORKING TOWARDS)
Many can:- (LEVEL 1)
Some children have progressed further and can:- (LEVEL 2)
Skills
Reflection
Expression
Communication
Empathy
Thinking
Reasoning
Application
Key Attitudes and Values
Self-Esteem
Respect
Appreciation
Wonder
Opportunities for Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development
Reflect upon the unsatisfactoriness of life.
Reflect upon the idea that nothing is permanent, including the self.
Consider how greed, hatred and ignorance influence the world.
Explore Buddhism in different cultures and countries.
Reflect upon aspects of the Eightfold Path
Consider how your life might change if you followed Buddhist teaching
Every Child Matters
Cross Curricular Links
Social Cohesion
Communication, Language and
Literacy
Knowledge and Understanding of the
World
Creative Development
English
Art
Music
Geography
Food Technology
Find out about any Buddhist
community in your local area
Find out about Buddhist communities in
your area
Prior Learning
The life story of the Buddha
Key Questions for Enquiry;
What is the Dhamma / Dharma?
Why is this important in Buddhism?
How might it change someone's life?
Key Vocabulary
Dhamma / Dharma
The Four Noble Truths
Dukkha
The Three Marks of Existence
Anicca
Anatta
Khandhas
Possible Teaching Activities
The picture above is a modern image of the Buddha. It shows the Buddha sitting on a lotus flower. Find some
pictures of lotus flowers. You will see that the roots of the lotus flower grow in the muddy waters but the plant
grows out of the muddy water and becomes a beautiful flower. Buddhists believe that like the lotus, following the
Buddhist teaching will help you rise above the muddy waters of life. The Buddha was like a good doctor. He
diagnosed the problem and then set about a prescription and cure to solve the unsatisfactoriness of life. He called
his teaching The Four Noble Truths
The Diagnosis
The Buddha had discovered that life is not always perfect. We all experience times of pain and suffering.
Sometimes this is physical pain but often it is mental pain and heartache. Once enlightened the Buddha offered a
solution to life’s problems in his teachings, or what Buddhists call ‘The Dharma’ He had diagnosed the problem
and now, like a doctor, he was able to offer a prescription and a cure. He called this the Four Noble Truths.
Find some images like the ones above of the 2011 earthquake in New Zealand and the war in Afghanistan that
show how life is not always satisfactory. Pick out one of your choice and say why life is not always perfect and
sometime unsatisfactory.
The First Noble Truth - DUKKHA
This the Buddha called Dukkha. Being able to accept that life is sometimes unsatisfactory. Realising and accepting
that suffering and unsatisfactoriness exist.
The Buddha identified that there are three aspects of Dukkha. He called these the ‘Three Marks of Existence’
The first Dukkha is the feeling of ‘unsatisfactoriness.
The second he called Anicca; realising that nothing in this world is permanent.
Anicca
Look at the pictures below. Are they the same person?
In one way we can all see that it is Her Majesty the Queen but is she the same person in the last photograph as she
was in the first? Are you the same person that you were when you were a baby?
Bring in some photographs of yourself growing up. Ask yourself; ‘am I the same person as the baby in the
photograph?
Now think of some other changes that are taking place around you. It could be to the environment. In pairs make a
list.
The Buddha realised that nothing stays the same and that everything including us is constantly changing. A
Buddhist would say that we are like foam in a bubble bath; constantly changing and moving.
Anatta
The third mark of existence the Buddha called Anatta. The Buddha said that we are constantly changing: then do
we really exist? A Buddhist would say that ‘WE’ do not. This is Anatta and it means that there is ‘NO SELF’.
Read a sentence from a book. A Buddhist would say that during the time that it has taken you to read it your body
has changed. Therefore, there can be no self. This is Anatta. Instead, our bodies are made up of several parts called
‘Khandhas’ just like particles. They fall into 5 categories
Matter / Feelings / Perception / Mental Activities and Consciousness. These 5 khandas come together when we are
born, are constantly changing and disintegrate when we die.
Spend a moment discussing this difficult idea. Do you really understand it?
Look at the 5 bricks in the picture. Can you build them in different ways, break them down and build again? Are all
things impermanent?
The Second Noble Truth – SAMUDAYAThe second Noble truth is about the origin of our suffering. The Buddha taught that because everything is
changing, so are our desires.
Think back to when you were little. Think about some of the things that you desperately wanted. A train set or a
doll’s pram or a teddy bear? Now write down five things that you would like at this moment.
Do you think that you will still want them in five or ten years’ time?
The Buddha believed that we as human beings have a desire to cling on to life and material possessions. This thirst
is called Tanha and the Buddha believed that it was the reason why much suffering exists. WE suffer because of
our own greed, hatred and ignorance; wanting to cling on to things or have things that we are unable to have.
Look at the image below.
It shows the Buddhist Wheel of Life. Find a clear image of the wheel.
If you look closely at the centre you can see three creatures; a pig, a cockerel and a snake. The pig symbolises
ignorance, the cockerel greed and the snake hatred. They are all chasing each other round in a never-ending circle.
This is the Buddhist life cycle of existence: birth, death and rebirth. It is called Samsara.
The prescription and cure
The Third Noble Truth – NIRODHA –
The third Noble Truth and is about ‘letting go of suffering’.
Think about something that you wanted really badly; those designer trainers or Nintendo. If you had not wanted it
so badly would you have been so disappointed if you had not received it?
Discuss this with a partner. Would it have made your life and probably your parents’ lives better if you had not
wanted it so badly in the first place?
The Fourth Noble Truth – MAGGA
Look at the image of the boat being tossed around on the water.
To the Buddhist life is like a journey on that boat. Sometimes the sea is rough, sometimes the sea is smooth. The
journey of life is Samsara. The boat needs steering. It usually has a wheel like the one in the image.
Magga, or the path, has eight steps like the spokes of the steering wheel.
By following what Buddhists call the ‘Eight Fold Path’, or the eight steps, Buddhists feel that they will be steered
through the waters of life.
The symbol of the wheel will guide them through the water.
Right Understanding
Being able to see and understand things as they really are - unsatisfactory
Right Thought
Being able to direct thoughts in an unselfish way
Right Speech
To abstain from gossiping or speaking thoughtlessly
Right Action
To behave and work in ways that will not bring suffering to others
Right Livelihood
To maintain a living or job that avoids harmfulness
Right Effort
Making an effort to be mindful in all things
Right Mindfulness
Being able to be aware of all you do in thought and action from moment to moment
Right Concentration.
To remain free from all mental disturbances such as worry, envy and anxiety
The path is the ‘Middle Way’ avoiding extremes
Think carefully and discuss in pairs how your life might change if you followed the Eight Fold Path.
The image below shows the teaching hand gesture of the Buddha. See if you can find some Buddha images with
this hand gesture. The palm is facing outward. A circle to symbolize the wheel is made with the index finger and
the thumb. The other three fingers point upward.
In groups design a poster to explain the Buddha’s teaching on one of the Four Noble Truths
Assessment Opportunity
In pairs write and illustrate a pamphlet for young Buddhist children explaining the Four Noble Truths
Produce an article to show how a particular world situation might improve if those involved followed the Eight
Fold Path
Background Information for the Teacher
Buddhists do not worship the Buddha.
Spelling of Buddhist terms can vary depending on the tradition; eg Dhamma in the Therevadan tradition / Dharma
in the Tibetan tradition.
The Buddha is regarded as a great teacher. Buddhists acknowledge the fact that the Buddha Siddattha was a great
teacher.
The importance of the three jewels/refuges: (I take refuge in the Buddha, I take refuge in the Dhamma / Dharma
and I take refuge in the Sangha)
The Buddha’s main teaching is called the Four Noble Truths
.
The First Noble Truth is Dukkha.
Dukkha is accepting that life is unsatisfactory and
that suffering exists.
There are three aspects of Dukkha:
Dukkha—recognising that life is unsatisfactory
Anicca—realising that nothing is permanent.
Anatta—recognising that there is no permanent self
The Second NobleTruth is Samudaya
Samudaya is recognising that the origins of suffering and unsatisfactoriness are greed, hatred and ignorance.
The Third Noble Truth is Nirodha
Nirodha is the letting go of this suffering.
The Fourth Noble Truth is Magga
Magga is the middle way. The Eightfold Path that will help overcome unsatisfactoriness.
Understand that Siddhattha was only one Buddha
Resources
www.primaryresources.co.uk/re/re_Buddhism.htm
Images of the Buddha in different positions
Pictures of someone at different ages
Newspaper cuttings of suffering and an unsatisfactory world
The Buddhist wheel of Life
Images of mudras ( hand gestures)
Web links Buddhist resources for children
Buddhism’ by Kevin and Denise Fossey published by QED UK 2007 - ISBN 978 1 85538 7112
Buddhism by Lilian Weatherley Longmans 1992
inspire-to-learn.com