Key Idea: Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism make up Section A of paper 1, and you must answer at least one question from this section. All three share the vocabulary of samsara and karma and differ sharply on what is reborn and on how release is reached — which is where the marks are.
Tested as
- A short extract, then part (a) at 3 marks and part (b) at 6
- Part (a) on a key idea or concept in the extract
- Part (b) on understanding and application, command term Explain
Watch for
- Reading anatta as meaning no person exists
- Saying good karma leads directly to moksha
- Calling the Guru Granth Sahib the Sikh holy book
Use
- The three traditions' own terms, glossed once
- atman against anatta as the sharpest contrast in the course
- One named practice per tradition as the supporting example
| Question | Hinduism | Buddhism | Sikhism |
|---|---|---|---|
| The condition | Caught in samsara, in maya, bound by karma | Marked by dukkha; anicca and anatta are the other two marks | Jot unrealised because of haumai and maya |
| What travels | The atman, the self | No permanent self — anatta; a continuity of processes | The jot, the divine spark |
| The goal | Moksha — union with God or release, by school | Nirvana — the extinguishing of craving | Mukti — the jot entering the sach khand |
| The means | Bhakti, jnana and karma yoga | The Eightfold Path, which is the fourth Noble Truth | Nam japna, kirat karni, vand ke chakna — and gurprasad |
| Where God sits | Saguna or nirguna, depending on school | Theravada Buddhists do not claim there is a creator god | One God, nirguna, known through grace |
Important: Anatta does not mean nobody exists. It means no permanent, unchanging self is to be found. Good karma does not produce moksha. It produces a better rebirth, which is still a rebirth. The Guru Granth Sahib is not a holy book. Sikhs hold it to be the living Guru, which is a stronger claim.
Explain how Hindu and Buddhist teaching differ on what is reborn.
🔒 Model answer plan
See the mark-by-mark plan — for / against / judgement, with marking guidance — in study mode.
Explain the importance of grace in Sikh teaching about liberation.
🔒 Model answer plan
See the mark-by-mark plan — for / against / judgement, with marking guidance — in study mode.
What does anatta actually deny? A permanent, unchanging essence in a person. It does not deny that a person exists; Buddhist analysis describes a continuity of changing processes.
Why can good karma not produce moksha? Because good karma produces a better rebirth, which is still a rebirth. Release addresses the attachment that binds, not the ledger of merit.
Name the Sikh five khands in order. Dharam khand, duty; gian khand, knowledge; saram khand, effort; karam khand, grace; sach khand, truth. Practice reaches the third; grace carries a person to the fifth.
What are the three Hindu yogas? Bhakti, the path of devotion; jnana, the path of knowledge; and karma yoga, the path of ethical actions — all taught in the Bhagavad Gita as means to moksha.
Exam tips
- Section A questions reward the tradition's own terms. Gloss each once, then use it.
- The atman/anatta contrast answers a great many questions. Learn it as a pair.
- Part (b) is 6 marks and the command term is always Explain — plan for explanation, not description.
- One named practice as evidence beats three general statements about belief.