Year 5 - Religious education
Buddha: meditation
Buddhists: who was the Buddha and what does he mean for Buddhists?
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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 are introduced to Buddhism. They focus on the significance of the figure of Siddhartha Buddha. They will examine stories of his life before considering his meaning for devotees today. They will learn about key concepts of dhamma and impermanence.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to explain the importance of meditation to many Buddhists.
Key Notes
- Many Buddhists all over the world practise meditation in a variety of ways.
- This aims to cultivate concentration, mindfulness and peace.
- A statue of the Buddha may help a Buddhist to focus their thoughts.
- Some Buddhists may also use mala beads, mandala patterns and mantras as aids to meditation.
Vocabulary To Learn
- Buddha statue: a representation of Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism
- mala beads: Buddhist prayer beads used to aid meditation
- mandala: Buddhist image used to symbolise the world
- mantra: a word or sound repeated to aid concentration in meditation
- meditation: a practice of focusing and clearing the mind
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Meditation is the same as prayer.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the lesson in two key points.
Many Buddhists all over the world practise meditation in a variety of ways. This aims to cultivate concentration, mindfulness and peace.
2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'Buddha statue'
a representation of Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism.
3. Correct this common mistake.
Mistake: Meditation is the same as prayer. Correction: Meditation and prayer may both be used to focus the mind, but prayer is usually directed towards God or a god, whereas meditation is not necessarily religious.
More Lessons In This Unit
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