Specific For School

Question 1

What are the five aggregates

Answer 1

Form 
Feeling 
Perception 
Mental formation 
Consciousness

Question 2

What is the explanation for the first aggregate

Answer 2

Form

Refers to matter/ material to the sense organs and the objects of their experience

Question 3

What is the explanation for the second aggregate

Answer 3

Feeling/sensation

The feelings that arise from our sense organs making contact with objects, e.g. emotion or pain

Question 4

What is the explanation of the third aggregate

Answer 4

Perception
The ability to distinguish between different objects we experience through our senses, it enables memory
Allows you to recognise what things are based on previous experiences

Question 5

What is the explanation for the fourth aggregate

Answer 5

Mental formation

The thoughts and opinions that lead a person to do good, bad or morally neutral activities, producing good or bad kamma

Question 6

What is the explanation of the third aggregate

Answer 6

Consciousness
Awareness of something without or before perception/ recognition
General awareness of the world around you

Question 7

How might the five aggregates influence Buddhists today

Answer 7

May encourage Buddhists to adopt a belief in anatta- they negate the existence of a soul therefore Buddhists may believe that when they die it is their karmic energy, not soul, that is reborn
May enourage Buddhists to engage in Buddhist practice- e.g meditate to ensure good mental formations

Question 8

What is the first teaching stemming from the five aggregates

Answer 8

That people are made of five parts
Quote: the five skandhas are bundles or piles of… form, feeling, perception, mental formation and consciousness
Meaning some Buddhist may believe that these parts create a persons personality

Question 9

What is the second teaching of the five aggregates

Answer 9

That they deepen one’s existence of suffering
In the pali canon, the Buddha teaches people cling to the feeling the five aggregates produce, arguing they perpetuate one’s suffering as they crave these positive feelings

Question 10

How does buddhahood correlate with the six perfections

Answer 10

Buddha nature can encourage people to meditate which is one of the six perfections (generosity, morality, energy, paTience, meditation, wisdom) and Buddhists must practice these to achieve buddhahood (enlightenment)
Similarly, buddhahood could also encourage people to act generously, another of the six perfections

Question 11

Are the five aggregates/skandhas a Theravada or Mahayana belief

Answer 11

Theravada

Question 12

Is buddhahood and the six perfections a Theravada or a Mahayana belief

Answer 12

Mahayana

Question 13

What is the definition of buddhahood

Answer 13

Buddhahood or being a boddhisattva is a state of enlightenment, it is when someone achieves enlightenment and becomes a Buddha

Question 14

What is pure land buddhism

Answer 14

Involves chanting the name of the amitahba buddha

Dominant form of Buddhism in Japan

Question 15

What must one do to to become a bodhisattva

Answer 15

Perfect the six perfections
‘A bodhisattva is simply someone who perfects the six qualities… generosity, morality, patience, energy, emditation and wisdom’
Delay becoming enlightened to help others
‘Beings are numberless I vow to free them’

Question 16

How might pure land Buddhism impact a Buddhists practice

Answer 16

Today, it means they may recite the name of the amitabha Buddha as it is believed it may aid rebirth into pure land

Question 17

How might pure land Buddhism impact a Buddhists belief

Answer 17

It may lead a Buddhist to believe they are destined for amitabha pure land to achieve buddhahood

Question 18

What is the base of the pure land Buddhism faith

Answer 18

Pure land Buddhism is part of the Mahayana faith, it started in china and spread to Japan
It is based on faith in amitabha Buddha, a king who renounced his kingdom and achieved in enlightenment
When he became enlightened he created a land free of dukkha called sukhavati a ‘pure land’

Question 19

What are the five types of practice in pure land Buddhism

Answer 19

Reciting scriptures 
Meditating on A
Worshipping A
Chanting A
And making offerings to A 
If followed, it is believed that Buddhists will get into sukhavati

Question 20

What is seen as the most important thing in pure land Buddhism

Answer 20

Belief and faith in amitabha

Even more so than one’s actions and behaviours

Question 21

What is the main teaching of pure land Buddhism

Answer 21

If they have faith in AB they will reach enlightenment

‘Those who have faith and recite my name will achieve enlightenment’

Question 22

What is another belief in pure land Buddhism

Answer 22

Once his followers achieve enlightenment, they will turn gold
‘In the country of mine, being will be the colour of genuine gold’

Question 23

What are the four noble truths

Answer 23

Dukkha, samudaya, nirodha, Magga

Question 24

What are the four noble truths in relation to suffering

Answer 24

Dukkha is suffering
Samudaya is the cause of suffering
Nirodha is the end of suffering
Magga is the path to the end of suffering

Question 25

What is samudaya

Answer 25

The cause of suffering and the second noble truth

Consider3d to be one of or worsened by the three poisons

Question 26

What is nirodha

Answer 26

The end of suffering and the third noble truth

Suffering can end ‘the ultimate end to suffering is through attaining peace (reaching nirvana)

Question 27

What is Magga

Answer 27

The way to end suffering and the fourth noble truth

‘The end of suffering is to follow the eightfold path (middle way )’

Question 28

What is the eightfold path

Answer 28

Ethics (sila):
Right speech
Right action
Right livelihood

Meditation (samadhi)
Right effort
Right mindfulness
Right concentration

Wisdom (panna)
Right understanding
Right intention