Death and mourning in Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism
I can explain Buddhist beliefs about death and how this belief is shown through different Buddhist death ceremonies and rituals.
Death and mourning in Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism
I can explain Buddhist beliefs about death and how this belief is shown through different Buddhist death ceremonies and rituals.
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Lesson details
Key learning points
- There are divergent death ceremonies and rituals across the Buddhist traditions and countries.
- The Buddhist ceremonies and rituals are a reminder of the impermenent nature of all things (anicca).
- Theravada Buddhists may practise good deeds to pass merit/positive kamma on to the deceased.
- Some Tibetan Buddhists read from the sacred text the 'Tibetan Book of the Dead' following the 49 days after death.
- In Japan, some Buddhists practise the ceremony of 'bone picking'.
Keywords
Bardo state - refers to a transitional period in which the deceased becomes aware of their death, rebirth is determined
Kamma (karma) - the belief in cause and effect
Rebirth - refers to the belief that when a being dies they are reborn
Samsara - the cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth
Common misconception
The Buddhist belief in rebirth teaches that after death, a persons 'soul' is reborn in to another living being.
The Buddha taught that nothing is permenent, everything changes (anicca) and there is no fixed self or soul (anatta). Rebirth may be described as a person's ‘energy’ being reborn, rather than a fixed soul.
To help you plan your year 10 religious education lesson on: Death and mourning in Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 10 religious education lesson on: Death and mourning in Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism, 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.
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The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
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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.
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- Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
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Adult supervision recommended
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