Where and when Buddhism began, and what its followers believe and practice

Grade 6 Social Studies Worksheet

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Use this

   Teachings and texts (cards A to D). Card A, the Four Noble Truths, in our words: followers believe the Buddha taught four truths. Life involves suffering. Suffering has causes, such as craving. Suffering can end, which followers call nirvana. And there is a path to that end, the Eightfold Path, a middle way of living that includes right speech, right action and meditation. Card B, how the teachings were kept, in our words: scholars date the Buddha's death to about 483 BCE or about 368 BCE. His teachings were first passed on by word of mouth. In the 1st century BCE, in Sri Lanka, the Pali Tipitaka ("Three Baskets") was written down. Theravada Buddhists keep it as their main collection of scripture. Card C, a traveler's account, in our words: about 400 CE, a Chinese monk named Faxian traveled to India to find Buddhist rule books for monks. He wrote that he visited monasteries in many places. Card D, sutras, in our words: sutras are texts of teachings. Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhists accept many sutras beyond the Pali Tipitaka.

2. 1.

   Card A lists four truths. The fourth is the Eightfold Path. Which truth do followers say the Eightfold Path answers, Ari asks?

   • The truth that there is a path to the end of suffering
   • The truth that craving is among the causes of suffering
   • The truth that suffering is a punishment for choices made before
   • The truth that life includes suffering as part of living
3. 2.

   Card B says the Tipitaka was written down in the 1st century BCE, and gives two death dates for the Buddha. At least how long was the gap, Bo asks?

   • Exactly 268 years
   • Fewer than 100 years
   • Less than 200 years
   • More than 250 years
4. 3.

   Card B says the Tipitaka was written down in Sri Lanka. Which claim does the card support, Esme asks?

   • The Tipitaka was written down in India, where the Buddha taught
   • Sri Lanka was the first country to hear the Buddha's teachings
   • The teachings reached Sri Lanka before they were written down
   • The Tipitaka was written down at once, with no word-of-mouth stage
5. 4.

   Card D says Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhists accept sutras beyond the Pali Tipitaka. How do Theravada Buddhists differ, Jun asks?

   • Theravada Buddhists follow teachings that stayed spoken and were not written down
   • Theravada Buddhists reject the Buddha's teachings in the other sutras
   • Theravada Buddhists keep the Pali Tipitaka as their main scripture
   • Theravada Buddhists have a larger library of sutras than the other schools
6. 5.

   Card C comes from a traveler, Faxian, who came from China to India. What is it good evidence for, Kira asks?

   • That the Buddha himself taught in the monasteries Faxian visited
   • That Buddhism had not yet reached China before his trip
   • That the Pali Tipitaka was the sole Buddhist scripture in use
   • That Buddhism was active in India about 400 CE and drew visitors
7. 6.

   Card B puts the writing of the Tipitaka at about 100 BCE, and card C puts Faxian's trip at about 400 CE. About how many years apart are they, Milo asks?

   • About 500 years
   • About 400 years
   • About 5,000 years
   • About 300 years
8. 7.

   Card C says Faxian traveled to India to find Buddhist rule books for monks. What does that tell Noah about Faxian's purpose?

   • He traveled to teach the Buddha's story to the people he met in India
   • He traveled to take over the monasteries he visited and run them himself
   • He traveled to argue for the Four Noble Truths with the monks he met
   • He wanted rule books for monks in China, so he traveled to the source
9. 8.

   Card A says the Eightfold Path is a middle way of living. Which sentence is written the way a history book would write it, Pia asks?

   • Followers believe the Eightfold Path leads to the end of suffering
   • The Eightfold Path does end suffering for the people who follow it
   • The Eightfold Path is a made-up idea used to control followers
   • Scholars have measured how the Eightfold Path ends suffering
10. 9.

    Card B says the teachings were passed on by mouth before they were written. What came first in a teaching's life, Ren asks?

    • Followers remembered and repeated them before they were written
    • Followers were forbidden to repeat the teachings out loud
    • Followers waited for the Pali Tipitaka before they taught anyone
    • Followers wrote the teachings first and memorized them afterward
11. 10.

    A monk wrote a rule book about 400 CE. A scholar today writes about the same monks. How do their purposes differ, Tala asks?

    • The monk wrote to guide followers; the scholar describes and weighs evidence
    • Both wrote to convince readers of other religions that the same belief is true
    • Neither writer had a purpose, since both copied from older books
    • The scholar writes to guide followers and the monk wrote to weigh evidence