GCSE Religious Studies A Unit 12 405012 Buddhism Report on the Examination 4050 June 2013 Version: 1.0
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General comment It is pleasing to report a continuation of the high standard in the main that this particular exam has produced in students. The number of students entering has increased and it is clear that there is some very good teaching and learning going on in schools and colleges regarding the Buddhist faith. Aspects of this Specification such as the Life of the Buddha and the Dhamma (Dhamma) continue to be well taught and students can and do write at length on these aspects. Part A A1 The Dhamma (Dharma) A1(a) This was a good starter question for many students. They were sure of their knowledge and understanding on the concept of samsara and many scored the two marks available. Very few gave a superficial comment. A1(b) As with the previous question, students seemed sure of their ground with the concept of nibbana (nirvana) too. It is worth noting that it would be best for schools and colleges to home in on nibbana as a state of mind rather than say Buddhist heaven which is a little ambiguous. A1(c) Many students, perhaps all even, knew something about dukkha. There were varying degrees of success though with responses to this question. At the basic level, most could link dukkha with the Four Noble Truths. Some responses were more sophisticated, giving relevant examples from the Buddha s life and the four signs the Buddha saw were a useful base line. A1(d) This evaluation question produced some thoughtful and reflective responses from students. They could often see both sides of the argument, indicating with examples how some aspects of suffering were out of people s hands whilst acknowledging too that if people got rid of akusala (the three fires or poisons) from their life, as the Buddha indicated in his teaching, then many aspects of suffering could be avoided by individuals. A2 Worship A2(a) Many students knew plenty about worship and linked it well to the importance for Buddhists. Good exemplification, mention of the three aspects of puja and the inclusion of chanting as an aspect of Buddhist worship enabled full marks to be scored by many. A2(b) As with the previous question, this one on stupas was equally well responded to. That said, there were more students who left this blank seemingly having no knowledge or understanding of to what a stupa is. A2(c) This question on the temple and enlightenment was well evaluated in the main. Students could see the merit in the statement itself whilst acknowledging that many Buddhists have a shrine in their house, cannot always visit a temple (particularly in the rainy season) and the importance of leading a Buddhist moral lifestyle could also be a major factor on the road to enlightenment. 3 of 6
A3 The Life of the Buddha A3(a) Hardly any students failed to get some marks on this question. The Four Signs the Buddha saw is well known by students and it proved to be a gentle introduction to this topic on A3. A3(b) Students covered some good ground and many wanted to argue for and against, though clearly this skill is not required of them on the three marks evaluation questions. Many argued that the Buddha felt compelled to find out more after he saw the four signs and this was the event that underpinned all others. Some argued equally as well that the enlightenment itself was the defining moment in the Buddha life because it gave rise to his great teaching. A3(c) Many students offered plenty of detail on the Buddha s enlightenment. The mention of Mara and the temptations as well as the actual meditation process under the Bodhi tree all added up to a level 4 response. Some students did talk about the Buddha s ascetic life and how Sujata saved him from death with a bowl of milk and rice but this was a little too far away from the direction of the actual question. It is important that students are reminded to ensure they answer more directly the actual question set without adding any peripheral information. A3(d) Many students knew what the Middle way meant and were able to exemplify well and develop their responses to score full marks. A4 The Sangha A4(a) Some students just wrote about living as a monk and what this entailed rather than focusing on the question set which was about how living as a monk might aid enlightenment. Stronger responses focused in on ethical behaviour of monks and how being a monk in Buddhism is the highest religious attainment in the eyes of the older traditions of the faith. A4(b) This question was a little less successful for students than the previous one. The focus on the worth of the precepts for the lay people tended to fall a little short. Some students did home in on the hierarchy in Theravada Buddhism, so monks and nuns should keep more precepts. Others just glossed over the precepts aspect and did a straightforward comparison between monks, nuns and the laity which was not asked for. A4(c) This question proved to be a popular evaluation statement with many students and they responded with developed and thoughtful answers. Many aspects were considered, most notably the perception by many that monks and nuns are being cut off from the real world and contrasting with elements of newer Buddhist involvements in various societies such as the concept of engaged Buddhism. Part B Students seemed to find question B6 both a little more accessible and more popular than B5. B5 Global Issues B5(a) There was a range of responses from students for this question from generalised and rather too superficial to stronger students referring to non-violence, aspects of collective kamma and the Zen Buddhist term of esho funi. Some students linked attitudes to the environment with the Eightfold path which was a clever way to introduce the Buddha s teachings into the attitudes to the environment. 4 of 6
B5(b) This was well answered by students in the main. The better responses homed in on the Buddhist alms round and in the Theravada tradition in particular where monks and nuns would accept anything that was offered into their alms bowl according to the Buddha s teaching. This was counteracted with references to the first precept and ideas in the Tibetan wheel of life as well as Buddhists trying to show karuna and metta. B5(c) This was on the whole poorly done by many students and provided a timely reminder perhaps that all aspects of a specification should be covered and in some depth too. Students at the top end knew of the BSDA and the social development aspect some Buddhists are involved in, for example, in Cambodia. Others wrote well and with authority about the Karuna Trust or maybe The Buddhist Global Relief project. Many students wrote more superficially and did not name any particular Buddhist organisation and so generalised. B5(d) This proved to be an interesting evaluation question for many of the students and they excelled in the main on both sides of the argument. Some of the stronger responses argued, sensibly, that Buddhists can do much good with their wealth and looked at the angle of charitable donations (dana) and how a Buddhist might donate to a particular monastery. This was counteracted by aspects of the Middle Way and not being greedy. Mention of greed as one of the three fires or poisons (akusala) was also a good use of some key terminology on this Buddhism paper. B6 Attitudes to Life B6(a) This question was particularly well done. Virtually every student knew something of the Five Moral Precepts and linked their chosen precepts to their importance by examples and supportive comment. The two most popular were the first precept, not taking a life, and the fifth precept about avoiding intoxicants that cloud the mind. There was a whole range of supportive topics such as war, abstinence, abortion, euthanasia, gossip and slander and drug abuse and the question lent itself to some thoughtful and detailed responses. B5(b) This evaluation question about taking a life being the only way to solve a problem again raised an issue which required some thought and analysis on both sides of the argument. Many mentioned troubled spots in the world, as well as Thich Quang Duc and self-immolation and counter argued with references to ahimsa and Buddhists as peacemakers, such as the Dalai Lama of course. B6(c) This question on Buddhist attitudes to euthanasia saw many of the students finding it difficult to resolve Buddhist attitudes to alleviating one s own suffering with the thought that euthanasia could be performed for greed and desire and also could be classed as unskilful behaviour, as ultimately it breaks the first precept. Some good knowledge and understanding was shown in many responses on this theme. B6(d) Some students found this evaluation statement a little tricky but still argued that the Buddhist faith itself has much to say about ethical issues (panca sila). Meditation was also mentioned by some as a way of disciplining the mind to help make the right decisions. Some students at the top end were mindful that some aspects of Buddhist ethical teaching seem to be a little idealistic and others that common sense decisions should always prevail. 5 of 6
SPaG (Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar) This was introduced in Part B for the first time this year. Most students gained 3 or 4 marks from the 4 marks available. Students should be reminded to use specialist vocabulary where possible write coherently, use paragraphs and appropriate punctuation and ensure that key words are spelt correctly. Mark Ranges and Award of Grades Grade boundaries and cumulative percentage grades are available on the Results Statistics page of the AQA Website. Converting Marks into UMS marks Convert raw marks into Uniform Mark Scale (UMS) marks by using the link below. UMS conversion calculator 6 of 6