Human personality
I can explain the Theravada and Mahayana Buddhist beliefs about the human personality, why these beliefs are important and how they influence Buddhists today.
Human personality
I can explain the Theravada and Mahayana Buddhist beliefs about the human personality, why these beliefs are important and how they influence Buddhists today.
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Lesson details
Key learning points
- In Theravada Buddhism, a human is understood to be a combination of five elements known as Five Aggregates - (s)kandhas.
- A human is made up of Five Aggregates or (s)kandhas – body, sensation, perception, thoughts and consciousness.
- In Mahayana Buddhism, the (s)kandhas that make up a human are seen as empty. This is known as sunyata.
- Sunyata helps Buddhists to understand that there is no fixed, stable self, and the universe is neither fixed nor stable.
- Buddha-nature is important in Mahayana Buddhism and means all humans have the potential to become enlightened.
Keywords
Five Aggregates - (s)khandas - a human is made up of five elements or ‘heaps’ – body, sensation, perception, thoughts and consciousness
Sunyata - literally ‘emptiness’
Buddhahood - reaching enlightenment
Buddha-nature - the nature of all beings, which means that all beings beings have potential to achieve enlightenment/Buddhahood
Common misconception
Sunyata means that everything is completely non-existent, there is nothing at all, or that the world is a void with no meaning or value.
Sunyata refers to the emptiness of inherent existence, meaning that all things are empty of an independent, permanent or fixed essence.
To help you plan your year 10 religious education lesson on: Human personality, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 10 religious education lesson on: Human personality, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
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