Answer the following questions in your jotters. 1. What is samsara? (4 marks) 2. What are the three root poisons? (3 marks) 3. How do the three root poisons.

Answer the following questions in your jotters.

1. What is samsara? (4 marks)

2. What are the three root poisons? (3 marks)

3. How do the three root poisons link to samsara? (3 marks)

The Wheel of Samsara

The Wheel of Samsara

This is a source.

The Buddhist belief linked to this source is samsara.

The point of the wheel of samsara is to teach

Buddhists that everything depends on something else

for its existence. This is called dependent origination.

In the middle of the wheel, are the Three Root Poisons.

Ignorance (rooster), greed (pig) and hatred (snake)

These are in the middle because they are what fuels samsara. Each of these root

poisons causes bad kamma, which keeps a person in samsara.

In the middle of the wheel, are the Three Root Poisons.

Ignorance (rooster), greed (pig) and hatred (snake)

These animals are pictured eating each other, to show that they all depend on each other

(dependent origination).

The next two circles include the “six realms”.

These are six good realms and six bad realms which rebirth can happen in.

Heaven

Humans

Animals

Hell

Ghosts

Titans

N.B. Buddhists don’t really believe in Heaven or Hell or ghosts or titans.

The wheel is not to be taken literally - it is only symbolic.

The final ring is 12 stages of dependent origination.

These are 12 links of cause and effect, showing how everything is caused by something else.

1. Ignorance. This is the first cause of samsara, because we don’t realise we are impermanent

and dependent on other things.

Ignorance is shown as a blind man.

2. Kamma. Because we are ignorant, we create bad kamma, which has consequences in our

future life.

Kamma shapes the new life like a potter shapes clay.

3. Consciousness. Because of kamma, you remain conscious after death into your next life,

until you reach Nibbana.

The monkey moving from one tree to another is like moving your consciousness from one life to

another.

4. Name and form. This refers to a new being’s mind and body.

The two travelers in the boat are the new mind and body.

5. Sensations. Once that mind and body develop, it will start to be able to sense things.

The empty house shows the mind and body before the senses are

used.

6. Contact. After the first use of the sense, they develop.

A man and woman’s first kiss shows the first use of a sense which will then

develop.

7. After sensations and contact as those sensations develop, we have feelings.

A person feeling an arrow in his eye.

8. Craving. Feelings create cravings.

Craving is shown by a man drinking.

9. Attachment. If you crave things, you become attached to them.

Attachment shown by a monkey grasping at fruit.

10. Being. As long as you have attachments, you will remain being in this world (in samsara).

You will be reborn as a baby.

11. Birth. Once a woman is pregnant, she will give birth.

A new baby

12. Ageing and dying. As soon as you are born, you are on your way to ageing and dying.

A corpse in a coffin

Outside the wheel stands the Buddha pointing to the moon, which symbolises freedom -

nibbana.

The wheel is held by a formidable master with three eyes, fangs and a crown of skills. He is called Yama, the Lord of Death, who has control over the fate of

those who live in samsara.

They are controlled by ignorance - that is one of the main reasons why they are locked in samsara.

The wheel is often thought of as being a mirror, which tells Buddhists the truth so they can stop being

ignorant, gain enlightenment and escape samsara.

Exam Question

Identify a Buddhist source you have studied. What does it teach

about Buddhist beliefs about samsara?

(4 marks)

Write an answer in pairs

The source I have studied is the Wheel of Samsara. This source teaches Buddhists about samsara.

The Buddha taught that samsara is the cycle of life, death and rebirth, which is represented by the wheel being a circle, with each part of the wheel leading to the next. This shows that everything is

dependent on something else for its existence, which is called dependent origination.

The Buddha taught that being locked in samsara is a constant cycle of suffering, since life is dukkha. This is shown by the fact that Yama,

Lord of Death is holding the wheel.

In the centre of the wheel are the Three Root Poisons: greed, hatred and ignorance, represented by a pig, a snake, and a rooster. These are in the centre of the wheel, as they are what cause bad kamma,

which locks people in samsara.

Buddhists try to escape samsara by achieving good kamma until they become Enlightened. This is represented by the Buddha standing

outside of the wheel, pointing to the moon.

“Samsara is caused by the Three Root Poisons” How far do your agree? Give

reasons for your answer.

Question 3

• Use “Some” “Others” “I”.• Write in full sentences.• Include at least 8 points.

“Samsara is caused by the Three Root Poisons” How far do your agree? Give

reasons for your answer.

Question 3

Agree:• The Three Poisons are greed, ignorance and hatred• Greed causes us to grasp and desire things for ourselves and this leads to bad kamma• Hatred leads us to create bad kamma which also keeps us in samsara• Ignorance leads us to crave for things to stay the same, which creates bad kamma and therefore samsara.

“Samsara is caused by the Three Root Poisons” How far do your agree? Give

reasons for your answer.

Question 3

Disagree:• Not everyone is greedy, ignorant and hateful, but are still in samsara - there must be more to it than that• Samsara is caused by our impermanence. Attachment to family/friends might be a good thing (not one of the Three Poisons), but still locks us in samsara• Some Buddhist’s stay in samsara to help others reach nibbana• Compassion can keep you in samsara.

3. “Samsara is caused by the Three Root Poisons” How far do your agree?

Give reasons for your answer.