2A Buddhism - Section A: Good conduct and key moral principles — AQA A-Level Religious Studies
2A Buddhism - Section A: Good conduct and key moral principles explained
2A Buddhism - Section A: Good conduct and key moral principles covers 3 specification points, including The importance of good moral conduct in the… and The nature of the five precepts and the….
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Open a point below for its explanation and revision guidance.
Good conduct: the importance of good moral conduct in the Buddhist way of life; the importance of intention; actions as kusala (healthy) or akusala (unhealthy); the extent of human free will and moral responsibility.
Good conduct (sīla) shapes the Buddhist way of life because it steadies the mind, reduces harm and supports progress on the path; the Eightfold Path places right action, right speech and right livelihood within ethical training. Intention matters because karma is understood as volitional action: the same outward act done from greed, hatred or delusion differs from one done from generosity and compassion. Actions are classed as kusala (healthy, rooted in non-greed, non-hatred and non-delusion) or akusala (unhealthy, rooted in their opposites), with results ripening for the agent. This raises the question of how far humans exercise free will and bear moral responsibility, given conditioning by habit, culture and circumstance; Buddhist teaching generally affirms that effort and mindful choice can reshape character, while recognising constraint.
The nature of the five precepts and the distinctive features of the six perfections of the Mahayana Buddhism.
The five precepts are undertakings lay Buddhists commonly take: to refrain from harming living beings, from taking what is not given, from sexual misconduct, from false speech and from intoxicants that cloud the mind. They are training rules rather than divine commands, and their positive counterparts are cultivating compassion, generosity, contentment, truthfulness and mindfulness. The six perfections (pāramitās) are distinctive Mahayana practices: generosity (dāna), ethical conduct (sīla), patience (kṣānti), energy (vīrya), meditation (dhyāna) and wisdom (prajñā). They are cultivated over many lives toward Buddhahood, are oriented by compassion and the bodhisattva ideal, and wisdom and compassion are held together rather than separated.
Ahimsa: the concept of ahimsa and its application to issues concerning the embryo and the unborn child, treatment of animals and war, including the use of weapons of mass destruction; different Buddhist views.
Ahimsa means non-harming, the resolve to avoid causing suffering to any sentient being. In Buddhism it sits within the first precept, not to take life, and is read alongside karuna (compassion) and metta (loving-kindness). Applied to the embryo and unborn child, learners weigh the precept against Buddhist teaching that life begins at conception in many traditions, so abortion raises kammic and compassionate questions, including the mother's circumstances. Applied to animals, ahimsa supports vegetarianism and opposition to factory farming, though Theravada monks traditionally accept what is given as alms. Applied to war, most Buddhists condemn killing, yet some allow defensive force; weapons of mass destruction, which kill indiscriminately, are widely rejected. Views differ between traditions and individual Buddhists.
Your focus
- Explain why good moral conduct matters in the Buddhist way of life.
- Distinguish kusala from akusala actions using their roots.
- Evaluate the extent of human free will and moral responsibility in Buddhist thought.
Show all 9 objectives
- State the five precepts and explain their nature as training commitments.
- Name and describe the six perfections of Mahayana Buddhism.
- Explain what makes the six perfections distinctive within Mahayana practice.
- Define ahimsa and relate it to Buddhist precepts and values.
- Apply ahimsa to the embryo, animals and war, including weapons of mass destruction.
- Contrast different Buddhist views on these applications.
2A Buddhism - Section A: Good conduct and key moral principles exam tips
Marking Points
- Identifies good conduct as ethical training that supports the Buddhist path and reduces harm to oneself and others.
- Explains that intention is central because karma is understood as volitional action rather than mere outward behaviour.
- Distinguishes kusala actions as rooted in non-greed, non-hatred and non-delusion from akusala actions rooted in greed, hatred and delusion.
- Discusses the extent of human free will and moral responsibility, weighing conditioned habit against the capacity for deliberate effort and change.
- Lists the five precepts accurately as training commitments concerning harm, taking, sexual misconduct, false speech and intoxicants.
- Explains that the precepts are undertaken as training rather than as commands from a divine authority.
- Names the six perfections of generosity, ethical conduct, patience, energy, meditation and wisdom.
- Identifies distinctive Mahayana features of the perfections, such as their orientation to Buddhahood, the bodhisattva ideal and the union of compassion with wisdom.
- Identifies ahimsa as the principle of non-harming or non-violence toward sentient beings.
- Links ahimsa to the first precept and to karuna and metta as supporting values.
- Explains how ahimsa bears on the embryo and unborn child, including kammic and compassionate considerations.
- Explains how ahimsa applies to the treatment of animals, such as vegetarianism or opposition to factory farming.
- Explains how ahimsa applies to war and why weapons of mass destruction are widely rejected for killing indiscriminately.
- Distinguishes different Buddhist views, for example between Theravada and Mahayana or between individual Buddhists.
Examiner Tips
- 💡Define kusala and akusala precisely with their three roots before applying them to an example.
- 💡Use a concrete case, such as giving to charity from genuine compassion versus giving for reputation, to show why intention matters.
- 💡When discussing free will, state a position and support it with Buddhist teaching on effort and conditioning rather than listing views.
- 💡Learn both lists in order so you can name every item without hesitation.
- 💡Pair each precept with its positive counterpart to show understanding beyond prohibition.
- 💡When asked about distinctive features, contrast the perfections' long-term orientation to Buddhahood with the precepts' everyday ethical focus.
- 💡Read the stem carefully to see whether it asks for the concept, an application, or a contrast of views.
- 💡Eliminate options that treat ahimsa as permitting deliberate killing of the innocent.
- 💡Where two options seem close, prefer the one that names a specific Buddhist value such as karuna or the first precept.
- 💡Check that any option about weapons of mass destruction reflects the indiscriminate killing objection.
Common Mistakes
- Treats karma as a reward-and-punishment system imposed by an external judge; explain it as the working out of intentional action and its results.
- Assumes the outward act alone determines its moral quality; stress that intention and mental state shape whether an action is kusala or akusala.
- Claims Buddhism denies all free will because everything is conditioned; recognise the teaching that deliberate effort and mindfulness can reshape habits and character.
- Presents the five precepts as absolute divine commandments; describe them as training rules voluntarily undertaken.
- Confuses the six perfections with the Eightfold Path or the five precepts; keep the lists distinct and name each perfection.
- Treats the perfections as a purely Theravada scheme; identify them as distinctive Mahayana practices linked to the bodhisattva ideal.
- Treats ahimsa as an absolute rule with no exceptions; recognise that Buddhists apply it with compassion and context, and views differ.
- Confuses ahimsa with a Christian or secular concept of pacifism; keep the answer grounded in Buddhist teaching and precepts.
- Assumes all Buddhists are vegetarian; note that Theravada monks traditionally accept alms food as given.
- Ignores the 'different Buddhist views' clause; include at least one contrast between traditions or individuals.