Buddhism
Identifying an evaluative style answer

WJEC EDUQAS

Read the two responses to the following ‘Evaluate the claim that the birth narratives of the Buddha are not important for Buddhists today’.

Discuss why response A is a non-evaluative answer while response B is an evaluative answer.


Response A

1All stories indicate that the Buddha was unique. There are many versions of ‘mythical’ occurrences associated with the birth of the Buddha that are very important.

2Denise Cush observes that: "from the commentary and legends we learn that...at the time of his conception ten months earlier, Maya dreamed that a white elephant entered her womb." Therefore Buddha was born from her side, possibly indicating karmic purity, and this occurred beneath a tree

3Peter Harvey states: "the birth of Gotama under a tree fits the pattern of other key events in his life... This suggests his liking for simple natural environments where he could be in harmony with all forms of life."

4Also, the 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 that he would have no more rebirths.

5However, the stories are often argued to be just made up and not important. The scholar Walpola Rahula saw Buddhism as rational and any supernatural parts were unimportant. Another view is that the teachings are much more important such as the Four Noble Truths.

Response B

6The 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

7It 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.

8It 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’.

9Another 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.

10However, and in contrast, Ashvaghosha’s work, the ‘Buddhacarita’, suggest that his birth was more normal than this and could indicate that other birth narratives do not see mythical elements as crucial for Buddhists today.
In support of this argument, some Buddhists would argue that there are more important aspects of the Buddha’s life – such as accounts of the four sights and the enlightenment experience – that are of greater significance

11Overall, the birth narratives do demonstrate certain ways in which Buddhists see the Buddha, there is no doubt of this; however, at a closer look we can argue that this is only to serve as an aspirational tool for Buddhist development. This is the crucial point in that the importance of the birth narratives for Buddhists today depends upon how much significance they give to this in the overall scheme of Buddhism itself as a religion.