Buddhist attitudes to issues of wealth and poverty
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain Buddhist teachings and responses to wealth and poverty.
Key learning points
- Wealth is neutral, but when tied to taṇhā (craving), lobha (greed), or exploitation, it causes dukkha (suffering).
- The Middle Way and the Eightfold Path guide Buddhists to use wealth ethically and avoid extremes.
- Values like mettā, karuṇā, and the Five Precepts promote honesty, fairness, and care for people living in poverty.
- Dr Ambedkar turned to Buddhism to fight caste oppression and poverty.
- The Karuna Trust and monasteries apply Buddhist values through service, simplicity, and community care.
Keywords
Dukkha (suffering) - belief that all life includes suffering and unsatisfactoriness; one of the Three Marks of Existence
Karuna (compassion) - sympathy and concern for the suffering of others; a key part of Buddhist ethics
Metta (loving-kindness) - a pure love which is selfless and not possessive; a key part of Buddhist ethics
The Middle Way - the path of moderation, avoiding both indulgence and severe self-denial
Tanha (craving) - the ongoing state of desire which causes suffering; grasping at things we enjoy or want
Common misconception
Buddhists oppose all wealth.
Buddhism teaches that wealth is neutral and only becomes problematic when it leads to attachment, greed, or exploitation.
Teacher tip
Compare Buddhist teachings on wealth and poverty with those of other religions.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.According to Christian teaching, wealth is ...
Q2.What is Christian Aid’s main aim?
Q3.Which Bible quote warns against valuing riches too highly?
Q4.What does Christian Aid do during emergencies?
Q5.What is a tithe in Christian tradition?
Q6.What is Christian Aid’s campaign for 'Tax Justice' linked to?
Assessment exit quiz
5 Questions
Q1.Match each keyword to the correct description.
sympathy and concern for the suffering of others
a pure love, which is selfless and not possessive
the ongoing state of desire which causes suffering
Q2.Buddhists believe that dukkha ( ) is caused by tanha (craving).
Q3.What do Buddhists believe about wealth?
Q4.What is the Middle Way?
Q5.What does the Karuna Trust do to show Buddhist values?
To help you plan your 11 religious education lesson on: Buddhist attitudes to issues of wealth and poverty, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 11 religious education lesson on: Buddhist attitudes to issues of wealth and poverty, 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.