AQA · GCSE · Religious Studies

    Course version: 8062 · Version from Sept 2018

    Key Beliefs: the Buddha’s ascetic life

    Following his renunciation, Siddhartha spent six years living an ascetic life to overcome suffering.

    Checked against the AQA 8062 specification (opens in a new tab) on .

    • Point 18 of 24
    • 4 key terms

    Study notes

    From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.

    The idea

    Following his renunciation, Siddhartha spent six years living an ascetic life to overcome suffering. Asceticism involves severe self-discipline and avoiding indulgence. Siddhartha practised extreme fasting, surviving on a single grain of rice a day, and subjected his body to harsh austerities like holding his breath and living in dangerous forests. He studied under renowned meditation teachers but found their methods insufficient for achieving ultimate liberation. Eventually, Siddhartha realised that extreme self-mortification only weakened his mind and body without bringing him closer to enlightenment. This realisation led him to abandon the ascetic life in favour of the Middle Way, a balanced approach between luxury and extreme deprivation.

    What earns the marks

    • Define asceticism as the practice of severe self-discipline and abstention from all forms of indulgence.
    • Provide specific examples of Siddhartha's ascetic practices, such as extreme fasting and breath control.
    • Explain the duration and purpose of this period: six years spent seeking the solution to human suffering.
    • Describe the outcome of the ascetic life, specifically Siddhartha's realisation that extreme deprivation weakens the mind and leads to the discovery of the Middle Way.

    Common mistakes and how to put them right

    • Claiming that Siddhartha achieved enlightenment while practising asceticism.

      Put it right: Clarify that asceticism failed to bring him enlightenment, which he only achieved after abandoning these extreme practices for the Middle Way.

    • Confusing asceticism with meditation.

      Put it right: Distinguish between the physical austerities of asceticism (like fasting) and the mental focus of meditation, noting he practised both but rejected extreme physical deprivation.

    • Stating that Buddhists today are required to live as extreme ascetics.

      Put it right: Explain that Buddhists follow the Middle Way, avoiding the extremes of both luxury and severe asceticism.

    Exam tips

    • Use the story of Siddhartha's asceticism to explain the origins and importance of the Middle Way in Buddhist practice.
    • Include specific details, such as fasting until he could feel his spine through his stomach, to demonstrate strong subject knowledge.
    • Contrast his ascetic life with his earlier life of luxury in the palace to highlight the two extremes he experienced before finding balance.

    Try the lesson

    The start of the Key Beliefs: the Buddha’s ascetic life lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.

    Have a go first

    Which practice was a key feature of Siddhartha Gautama's ascetic life before he attained enlightenment?

    Listen

    Following his renunciation, Siddhartha spent six years living an ascetic life to overcome suffering. Asceticism involves severe self-discipline and avoiding indulgence. Siddhartha practised extreme fasting, surviving on a single grain of rice a day, and subjected his body to harsh austerities like holding his breath and living in dangerous forests. He studied under renowned meditation teachers but found their methods insufficient for achieving ultimate liberation. Eventually, Siddhartha realised that extreme self-mortification only weakened his mind and body without bringing him closer to enlightenment. This realisation led him to abandon the ascetic life in favour of the Middle Way, a balanced approach between luxury and extreme deprivation. A strong answer earns marks for these points. Define asceticism as the practice of severe self-discipline and abstention from all forms of indulgence. Provide specific examples of Siddhartha's ascetic practices, such as extreme fasting and breath control. Explain the duration and purpose of this period: six years spent seeking the solution to human suffering. Describe the outcome of the ascetic life, specifically Siddhartha's realisation that extreme deprivation weakens the mind and leads to the discovery of the Middle Way. A common slip: Claiming that Siddhartha achieved enlightenment while practising asceticism. Instead, Clarify that asceticism failed to bring him enlightenment, which he only achieved after abandoning these extreme practices for the Middle Way. Exam tip: Use the story of Siddhartha's asceticism to explain the origins and importance of the Middle Way in Buddhist practice.

    See it

    A top-down flowchart. It begins with a node labelled Renunciation, which leads to Six years of ascetic life. From there the flow splits into three branches: Severe self-discipline and avoiding indulgence, which leads to Extreme fasting and to Harsh austerities: holding breath, dangerous forests; and Studied under meditation teachers, which leads to Their methods insufficient for ultimate liberation. Extreme fasting, Harsh austerities and Their methods insufficient for ultimate liberation all lead to Realisation: extreme self-mortification weakens mind and body. This leads to Abandoned ascetic life, which leads to Middle Way: balance between luxury and extreme deprivation.
    It shows Siddhartha's six years of ascetic practice, its failure to bring enlightenment, and how this led him to the Middle Way.

    Key words

    Say what each word means before you turn the card.

    Asceticism

    Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.

    The Middle Way

    Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.

    Enlightenment

    Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.

    Renunciation

    Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.

    See every definition
    Asceticism
    The practice of severe self-discipline and avoiding indulgence, which Siddhartha followed for six years to overcome suffering.
    The Middle Way
    A balanced approach between luxury and extreme deprivation, which Siddhartha adopted after abandoning the ascetic life.
    Enlightenment
    Ultimate liberation, which Siddhartha realised extreme self-mortification did not bring him closer to.
    Renunciation
    The step after which Siddhartha spent six years living an ascetic life to overcome suffering.

    Label the diagram

    Some boxes have lost their names. Pick the right name for each number.

    The diagram again, with 3 boxes numbered instead of named. A top-down flowchart. It begins with a node labelled Renunciation, which leads to Six years of ascetic life. From there the flow splits into three branches: Severe self-discipline and avoiding indulgence, which leads to Extreme fasting and to Harsh austerities: holding breath, dangerous forests; and Studied under meditation teachers, which leads to Their methods insufficient for ultimate liberation. Extreme fasting, Harsh austerities and Their methods insufficient for ultimate liberation all lead to Realisation: extreme self-mortification weakens mind and body. This leads to Abandoned ascetic life, which leads to Middle Way: balance between luxury and extreme deprivation.

    • 1Box 1

    • 2Box 2

    • 3Box 3

    0 of 3 labelled

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