Kamma and rebirth
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain Buddhist beliefs on kamma and rebirth, why these beliefs are important and how they influence Buddhists today.
Key learning points
- Karma/kamma is the belief in cause and effect.
- Most Theravada Buddhists want to achieve positive karma/kamma to avoid samsara and rebirth.
- Most Mahayana Buddhists want to achieve positive karma/kamma to be reborn as a Bodhisattva.
- Compassion (karuna) and loving-kindness (metta) are ways to achieve positive karma/kamma.
- Many Buddhists adopt the five moral precepts (panchasila).
Keywords
Enlightenment - a state of wisdom that enables total clarity and understanding of the truths of existence
Karma/kamma - the belief in cause and effect
Nirvana/Nibbana - liberation from the cycle of birth, death and rebirth
Rebirth - refers to the belief that when a being dies they are reborn
Samsara - the cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth
Common misconception
Karma and rebirth is the belief in a 'self' or 'soul' that is reborn. Many people assume that karma dictates the fate of a permanent, unchanging soul that carries over from one life to the next.
There is no eternal, unchanging self or soul. Instead, Buddhism teaches the concept of anatta, meaning 'no-self'. What is reborn is not a permanent soul, but a continuing process or stream of consciousness influenced by past actions (karma).
Teacher tip
Karuna and metta are two of the four sublime states in Buddhism.
Licence
Lesson video
Loading...
Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Where was Siddhartha Gautama born?
Q2.What does Wesak celebrate?
Q3.Why is Wesak considered to be the most important Buddhist festival?
Q4.Which of the following is not a common practice during Wesak?
Q5.One common Wesak practice is lighting to symbolise enlightenment.
Q6.What event does Parinirvana Day commemorate?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.In Buddhism, the cycle of birth, death and new life is called .
Q2.Kamma is the belief that every action has a and leads to an effect.
Q3.Why do most Theravada Buddhists want to achieve positive kamma?
Q4.How can Buddhists generate positive kamma?
Q5.What do many Mahayana Buddhists aim to become?
Q6.Why do many Buddhists follow the Five Moral Precepts?
To help you plan your 10 religious education lesson on: Kamma and rebirth, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 religious education lesson on: Kamma and rebirth, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 religious education lessons from the Buddhism: Practices unit, dive into the full secondary religious education curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.