Year 10 - Religious education
The six perfections in the Mahayana tradition: meditation and wisom
Buddhism: Practices
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit pupils will examine practices in Buddhism such as puja and meditation. They will understand the considerable diversity of these practices among Buddhist adherents. Following that they wil look at the role of precepts and how these look different in Therevada and Mahayna Buddhism.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to explain the six perfections: meditation and wisdom, why they are important and how they can be developed.
Key Notes
- The six perfections (paramitas) are virtues that guide how a Bodhisattva should live their life.
- The perfections help Buddhists progress toward Buddhahood and ultimately achieve enlightenment.
- Meditation is the fifth of the six perfections and is vital in developing insight and wisdom.
- The sixth perfection is wisdom, the realisation that all phenomena is empty of inherent existence (sunyata).
Vocabulary To Learn
- Bodhisattva: an enlightened being, who postpones their final escape from samsara in order to help living beings
- Buddhahood: reaching enlightenment
- meditation: a spiritual experience that opens a person up to the highest state of consciousness
- the six perfections/paramitas: ethical principles in Mahayana Buddhism to lead a being to enlightenment
- wisdom: insight into the true nature of reality
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Wisdom means gaining intellectual knowledge or philosophical understanding.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the lesson in two key points.
The six perfections (paramitas) are virtues that guide how a Bodhisattva should live their life. The perfections help Buddhists progress toward Buddhahood and ultimately achieve enlightenment.
2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'Bodhisattva'
an enlightened being, who postpones their final escape from samsara in order to help living beings.
3. Correct this common mistake.
Mistake: Wisdom means gaining intellectual knowledge or philosophical understanding. Correction: In the context of the perfections, wisdom isn't about collecting facts or debating philosophy, it is about experiencing the truth of emptiness (sunyata).
More Lessons In This Unit
- Buddha rupa, artefacts and offerings Study Guide
- Celebrations: origins and significance of Wesak and Parinirvana Day Study Guide
- Ceremonies and rituals associated with death and mourning Study Guide
- Compassion and loving-kindness Study Guide
- Kamma and rebirth Study Guide
- Samatha meditation Study Guide
- The five moral precepts: do not take life or what is not given Study Guide
- The five moral precepts: senses, falsehoods or intoxicants Study Guide
- The nature and importance of diverse places of worship for Buddhists Study Guide
- The role and significance of Puja for Buddhists Study Guide
- The six perfections in the Mahayana tradition: generosity and morality Study Guide
- The six perfections in the Mahayana tradition: patience and energy Study Guide
- Vipassana meditation Study Guide
- Visualisation of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas Study Guide
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