Question 6 of 13advanced⚖️ EvaluateEssay5 marks

Do you think the Buddha's ideas and way of teaching continue to hold meaning for us? Or have we found better ways to deal with grief?

Correct Answer

Yes, the Buddha's ideas and way of teaching continue to hold deep meaning for us today. His method of teaching Kisa Gotami was practical and experiential rather than just preaching. By sending her to find mustard seeds from a house where no one had died, he made her realise the universality of death firsthand. This approach remains powerful because people often need to discover truths themselves rather than being told.

The Buddha's core message that death is inevitable — "there is not any means by which those who have been born can avoid dying" — is an eternal truth. No modern method can change this reality. Understanding that grief is shared by all helps us feel less alone in our suffering.

The idea that being "selfish in grief" isolates us is still relevant. When we focus only on our own pain, we fail to see that others suffer too. Focusing on what we do for one another remains the best consolation we can find.

While modern counselling and therapy offer valuable tools for coping, they do not replace the Buddha's wisdom — they complement it. The Buddha's teaching that sorrow and joy are connected, like two sides of the same coin, still resonates. We have not found better ways to deal with grief, only additional ways alongside his timeless insights.

Exercise: Speaking | Q: 1 | (Page 4)
For More Understanding

Explanation

The question asks students to evaluate whether Buddha's 2500-year-old teachings on grief remain relevant today. The context shows Buddha's practical teaching method with Kisa Gotami, his sermon on the inevitability of death, and the idea that focusing on others helps console us. A strong answer should acknowledge both the continued relevance of Buddha's wisdom and the role of modern approaches, while drawing on specific details from the text like the universality of death, the practical teaching method, and the concept of being 'selfish in grief'.

Solution Steps

  1. Step 1: Identify Buddha's teaching method from the text - practical, experiential approach with Kisa Gotami

  2. Step 2: Extract key ideas - universality of death, selfishness in grief, consolation through helping others

  3. Step 3: Evaluate relevance today - these truths remain eternal and unchanged

  4. Step 4: Acknowledge modern methods as complementary, not replacements

  5. Step 5: Conclude that Buddha's wisdom holds lasting meaning