Download Teacher guidance Explanation of terms: Unit 12 - Buddhism

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Explanation of terms
GCSE Religious Studies SpeciÞcation A Unit 12 Buddhism
These terms appear in the SpeciÞcation and so knowledge and understanding of their
meaning may be required in an examination.
Term
DeÞnition
Abhidhamma
(Abhidharma)
1. The third book of the Pali Canon in Theravada Buddhism.
2. The philosophy of Buddhism.
3. Further or Higher Teaching.
abortion
The deliberate termination (ending) of a pregnancy, usually before the foetus is
twenty-four weeks old.
anatta (anatman)
No self, no soul; the Universal Truth that the soul is insubstantial; that people change
over their lives; denial of a real or permanent self.
anicca (anitya)
Impermanence, instability, not permanent, etc.
ascetic
A life free from worldly pleasures (especially sexual activity and consumption of alcohol)
often with the aim of pursuing religious and spiritual goals.
bhikkhu (bhikshu)
A fully ordained Buddhist monk.
bhikkhuni (bhikshuni)
A fully ordained Buddhist nun.
Bodh Gaya
A place of pilgrimage for Buddhists in North India, where Siddartha became enlightened
and so referred to as Buddha.
Buddha
1. Historically the Buddha – the enlightened one.
2. An awakened or enlightened person.
conservation
Looking after the environment and protecting animals.
dhamma (dharma)
Universal law; ultimate truth; the teachings of Buddha.
discrimination
To act against someone on the basis of sex, race, religion, etc. Discrimination is usually
seen as wrong.
dukkha (duhkha)
Suffering; ill; everything leads to suffering; unsatisfactoriness.
‘engaged’ Buddhism
The state of Buddhahood, wherein the mind is puriÞed of all faults and Þlled with
the qualities necessary to lead beings to freedom from suffering. This is the goal of
Mahayana Buddhists. It also relates to the active response of many Buddhists to the
social and political ills in the world.
enlightenment
Wisdom or understanding enabling clarity of perception.
equality
That people should be given the same rights and opportunities regardless of sex,
religion, race, etc.
euthanasia
Inducing a painless death, by agreement and with compassion, to ease suffering. From
the Greek meaning ‘Good Death’.
The Five Moral Precepts
To not kill any living being, refrain from stealing, refrain from wrongful sexual activity,
refrain from lying, refrain from taking drugs and alcohol that cloud the mind.
The Four Noble Truths
Dukkha, Samudaya, Nirodha, Magga (suffering, the cause of suffering, the end of
suffering, the path to the end of suffering).
kamma (karma)
Literally ‘action’. Deliberate actions that affect the believer’s circumstances in this and
future lives; cause and effect.
karuna
Compassion or pity. Part of the spiritual path.
magga (marga)
Path. ‘The Middle Way’ which leads to freedom from suffering (The Fourth Noble Truth).
metta (maitri)
Loving kindness. A pure love, which is not possessive and which does not seek to gain.
Middle Way
Involves abstaining from addictive sense-pleasures and nurturing the set of “right”
actions that are known as the Noble Eightfold Path.
Copyright © 2008 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.
46924/SpecA/12
Teacher Resource Bank
Explanation of terms
GCSE Religious Studies SpeciÞcation A Unit 12 Buddhism
These terms appear in the SpeciÞcation and so knowledge and understanding of their
meaning may be required in an examination.
Term
DeÞnition
Noble Eightfold Path
The way to wisdom; mental training and the way of morality. Eight stages to be
practised simultaneously.
nibbana (nirvana)
To reach a state of perfect peace where the individual experiences liberation from the
cycle of birth, death and rebirth.
Nirodha
The end of suffering is to get rid of desire and craving (the Third Noble Truth).
ordination
The process by which individuals are set apart to perform various religious rites and
ceremonies.
prejudice
Unfairly judging someone before the facts are known. Holding biased opinions about an
individual or group.
samatha
Meditation; a state of calmness.
samsara
The circle of births, death and re-birth, which can be transcended by following the
Eightfold Path.
samudaya
The causes of suffering (the Second Noble Truth).
Sangha
The community or assembly, of monks, nuns, lay men and lay women, depending on
the form of Buddhism practised.
Sarnath
The Deer Park at Sarnath is a place of pilgrimage for Buddhists, because it there that
Buddha preached his Þrst sermon.
stupa
A burial mound.
sutta (sutra)
The word of the Buddha.
tanha (trishna)
Desire, which causes suffering. The attempt to grasp at the things we enjoy.
temple
A structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer.
Three Baskets
The Tipitaka.
Three Marks of
Existence
Sometimes known as the Three Universal Truths: dukkha, anicca, anatta
(unsatisfactoriness, impermanence, no self).
Three Refuges
Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha.
Three Universal Truths
Dukkha, anicca, anatta (unsatisfactoriness, impermanence, no self).
Tipitaka (Tripitaka)
A collection of texts, the Vinaya, Sutta and Abhidamma. Literally means “Three
Baskets”, or Pali Cannon.
Upasikas
Lay people.
upasakas
Followers of Buddhism who are not monks, nuns or novices.
vinaya
The rules of discipline of Buddhist monastic life.
vipassana (vipashyana)
Insight into the true nature of things; meditation.
Wesak
A South East Asian Buddhist festival celebrating the Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and
parinibbana.
46924/SpecA/12
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Teacher Resource Bank
Explanation of terms
GCSE Religious Studies SpeciÞcation A Unit 12 Buddhism
Useful terms (teachers might wish to include these in the delivery of the unit)
Term
DeÞnition
Anapanasati
(Anapanasmrti)
Mindfulness of the breath. Basic meditation technique, associated with the development
of concentration and calm, but also used in the training of the Vipassana (insight).
active euthanasia
The ending of a life by a deliberate action, such as by giving a patient a fatal injection.
biodegradable
Able to be broken down by bacteria in the environment.
Bodhisatta (Theravada)
A wisdom being. One intent on becoming, or destined to become, a Buddha. Gotama,
before his Enlightenment as the historical Buddha.
Bodhisattva (Mahayana)
A being destined for enlightenment, who postpones Þnal attainment of Buddhahood in
order to help living beings.
Buddha rupa
A statue of the Buddha/the body of the Buddha.
climate change
Changes to the climate, believed by some scientists to be irreparably damaging, that
have been caused by human lifestyles.
emergency aid
Also known as short term aid. Help given to communities in a time of disaster or crisis,
eg food during a famine, shelter after an earthquake.
extinction
When all members of a species have died out and that species will never exist on Earth
again.
foetus
Fertilised ovum from eight weeks.
Hinayana
1. ‘Lesser vehicle’: a form of Buddhism which focuses primarily on the individual
achieving nibbana; a derogatory term for Theravada Buddhists.
2. Theravada Buddhism.
kasina
A method for developing concentration by focussing on an object or shape, usually a
coloured disc.
long term aid
Helping needy people to help themselves by providing the tools, education and funding
for projects.
Mahayana Buddhism
A form of Buddhism which includes both the lay and monastic communities. Literally
“Greater Vehicle”, it focuses on achieving enlightenment for the sake of all beings. It is
the Buddhism of China, Tibet and Japan.
Mara
The evil one, the tempter.
parinibbana
(parinirvana)
Final and complete nibbana, achieved by Buddhas at their death.
passive euthanasia
Allowing a terminally or incurably ill person to die by withdrawing or withholding medical
treatment that would only prolong the suffering and have no real beneÞt.
Pure Land Buddhism
Form of Buddhism emphasising faith and chanting.
Siddattha Gotama
The name of the historical Buddha.
sila
Morality.
Theravada (Hinayana)
Buddhism
Form of Buddhism found in Sri Lanka and South East Asia.
Vajrayana
Literally, “indestructible vehicle”. The tantric form of Mahayana Buddhism practised
primarily by Tibetan Buddhists.
Zen Buddhism
A form of Mahayana Buddhism which stresses the value of meditation. Developed in
China and Japan.
Copyright © 2008 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.
46924/SpecA/12
Teacher Resource Bank
Explanation of terms
GCSE Religious Studies SpeciÞcation A Unit 12 Buddhism
Notes:
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