New
New
Year 5
Siddhartha: enlightenment and impermanence
I can describe how Siddhartha understood impermanence and what it means for different Buddhists.
New
New
Year 5
Siddhartha: enlightenment and impermanence
I can describe how Siddhartha understood impermanence and what it means for different Buddhists.
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Lesson details
Key learning points
- Siddhartha gained enlightenment as he meditated under the Bodhi tree.
- Buddhists aim to become enlightened too.
- Siddhartha discovered everything is impermanent, nothing remains the same. Accepting this is the way to enlightement.
Keywords
Meditating - focusing and clearing the mind
Impermanence - nothing remains the same for ever
Enlightenment - waking up to a deeper understanding of life and the world around you
Common misconception
Siddhartha found the way to enlightement through a message from God.
Siddhartha gained enlightenment through meditation.
Print the images of Siddhartha meditating for annotation purposes.
Teacher tip
Equipment
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on
Open Government Licence version 3.0
except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).Lesson video
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Starter quiz
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6 Questions
Q1.
According to Buddhism, for how many years did Siddhartha Gautama fast?
Q2.
According to Siddhartha Gautama, what is the cause of suffering?
living the Middle Way
fasting
Q3.
What is the first Noble Truth?
living the Middle Way is necessary
the cause of suffering is craving
suffering can end
Q4.
According to Siddhartha Gautama, what does it mean to live the Middle Way?
taking the path of extreme luxury
taking the path of extreme poverty
Q5.
Which option is not an example of following the Middle Way?
exercising once a day
watching TV for 1 hour a day
having enough money to live comfortably
Q6.
Match the keywords to the correct definitions.
longing for something or someone
doing without food or drink
the path that falls between the two extremes of luxury and poverty
Exit quiz
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5 Questions
Q1.
What is 'enlightenment'?
knowing the difference between right and wrong
having a good balance of work and play
Q2.
Which word means that nothing stays the same for ever?
Q3.
Images of the Buddha will often include key symbols. Match the symbols below to what they represent.
a simple life
enlightenment
meditation
Q4.
Which attitudes would a Buddhist want to show to help achieve enlightenment?
craving or longing for things
becoming attached to possessions
Q5.
When he left the palace, Siddhartha saw four sights. These included sickness, old age and a holy man. Which one is missing?
Additional material
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