Human personality in Mahayana tradition
I can explain the Mahayana Buddhist belief in the human personality, why it is important and how it influences Buddhists today.
Human personality in Mahayana tradition
I can explain the Mahayana Buddhist belief in the human personality, why it is important and how it influences Buddhists today.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- In Mahayana Buddhism, the skandhas that make up a human are seen as empty.
- Sunyata helps Buddhists to understand that there is no fixed, stable self, and the universe is neither fixed nor stable.
- This is because everything is dependent on something else and nothing has its own form.
- Buddha-nature is important in Mahayana Buddhism and means all humans have the potential to become enlightened.
- Teachings on the human personality influence Buddhists to avoid attachments, meditate daily and show compassion.
Keywords
Mahayana - literally 'Greater Vehicle'
Buddhahood - reaching enlightenment
Buddha-nature - the nature of all beings, which means that all beings can become enlightened/reach Buddhahood
Sunyata - literally ‘emptiness’
Common misconception
Sunyata means that everything is completely nonexistent, there is nothing at all, or the world is a void with no meaning or value.
Sunyata refers to the emptiness of inherent existence, meaning that all things are empty of an independent, permanent or fixed essence.
To help you plan your year 10 religious education lesson on: Human personality in Mahayana tradition, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 10 religious education lesson on: Human personality in Mahayana tradition, 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 Buddhism: beliefs unit, dive into the full secondary religious education curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Equipment
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
