Buddhism
Identifying evaluative terms and phrases

WJEC EDUQAS

In activity 1 the author of Response B used key phrases that were clearly evaluative and helped with their answers.
As a group, look at the answer again and see if you can highlight all of the evaluative terms and phrases.


The real issue here is that there are many versions of ‘mythical’ occurrences associated with the birth of the Buddha. These often make up the main parts of the birth narratives.

It could be argued that all stories indicate that the Buddha was unique and the point is that they are therefore important to Buddhists today. For instance, there is the tradition of Maya dreaming of a white elephant entering her womb and the Buddha was then born from her side. Although this may not be a scientific account, it can be suggested that it indicates karmic purity, neutrality or weightless karmic energy and also, arguably, the iconic status of the Buddha. It could also be argued that his special status is important for Buddhists today as the Buddha is still an icon, symbolic of spiritual aspiration for all.

It is also evident from Peter Harvey, who states: "the birth of Gotama under a tree … suggests his liking for simple natural environments where he could be in harmony with all forms of life”, that this imagery, then, appears to be significant for Buddhists today in relation to their ‘simple’ lifestyle or ‘forest meditation’.

Another argument is that when the Buddha, as a baby, immediately stood up and took seven paces, turned to all corners of the universe and announced that he was the most enlightened being in the world and have no more rebirths, this was certainly another indication of his aspirational achievements for Buddhists today.