Study Guides

Unit Summary

In this unit pupils will examine key beliefs in Buddhism. They will examine key concepts such as dhamma and the idea of the human condition. They will gain an understanding of Buddhist ideas about suffering and the way to end it. They will also examine the story of Gautama Buddha.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to explain the three marks of existence and how they influence Buddhists today.

Key Notes

• These are three fundamental marks (or signs) of reality, sometimes also called the Three Universal Truths.
• Anicca reminds Buddhists that nothing is fixed or stable.
• Buddhism teaches that a person's feelings, beliefs and character, even their soul, changes.
• The story of Nagasena and the Chariot is used to explain the idea of having 'no self'.
• The impermanence of existence (anicca) means that pleasant experiences do not last.

Vocabulary To Learn

• anicca: a belief that nothing is permanent
• anatta: a belief that there is no fixed self/no soul
• dukkha: a belief that all life includes suffering and unsatisfactoriness

Common Mistakes To Avoid

• The three marks of existence, in particular dukkha, only describe negative aspects of life.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

More Lessons In This Unit

• Buddhahood and the Pure Land Study Guide
• Gautama Buddha's life and its significance Study Guide
• Human destiny: the Arhat and Boddhisatva ideals Study Guide
• Human personality in Mahayana tradition Study Guide
• Human personality in Theravada tradition Study Guide
• Meditation and wisdom Study Guide
• Nibbana and the end of suffering Study Guide
• Suffering and its causes Study Guide
• The concept of dependent arising Study Guide
• The concept of Dhamma Study Guide
• The Eightfold Path Study Guide
• The Four Noble Truths Study Guide
• The three poisons Study Guide
• The Threefold Way Study Guide