Buddhism, human rights and social justice
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain how Buddhist teachings guide attitudes and actions towards human rights and social justice.
Key learning points
- Buddhists believe all life has dignity and must be respected through compassion and non-harming.
- The Five Precepts and the Eightfold Path guide Buddhists to protect human rights and act ethically.
- Living according to the dhamma means taking practical steps to relieve suffering and promote fairness in society.
- Buddhists believe social justice is part of spiritual practice, not separate from personal development.
- Organisations like Rokpa show how Buddhist values of compassion and equality can be put into practice.
Keywords
Dhamma (dharma) - the teachings of the Buddha
Five precepts - five basic ethical guidelines for Buddhists
Metta (loving-kindness) - a pure love which is selfless
Right action - acting in a loving and peaceful way, part of the Eightfold Path
Rokpa - a Buddhist charity that tackles social injustice
Common misconception
Buddhism focuses on personal development.
While personal spiritual growth is important in Buddhism, Buddhists are also taught to show compassion to others and to act to relieve suffering in society, making social action an essential part of their practice.
Teacher tip
Link Buddhist principles like compassion and non-harm to issues students care about today, such as bullying, poverty, or fairness in their own communities.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
Loading...
Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is the main symbol of Buddhism and what does it represent?
Q2.Why is the Buddha considered important in Buddhism?
Q3.What does “Dukkha” mean in Buddhism?
Q4.Which of these is the correct order of the Four Noble Truths?
Q5.Which of the following best shows the Buddhist idea of impermanence (anicca)?
Q6.“Right View” in the Eightfold Path refers to understanding which of the following?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.“He who life, tells lies, takes what is not given to him … digs up his own roots even in this very life.”
Q2.“He who has gone for to the Buddha … penetrates the Four Noble Truths … ”
Q3.What does the Buddhist principle of metta mean?
Q4.What is the purpose of the Five Precepts?
Q5.How does Rokpa put Buddhist values into action?
Q6.Buddhism is only about personal spiritual development.
To help you plan your 11 religious education lesson on: Buddhism, human rights and social justice, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 11 religious education lesson on: Buddhism, human rights and social justice, 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 Issues of Human Rights unit, dive into the full secondary religious education curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.