Activity 2: Explanation of Suffering in Buddhism
Our main goal for this activity is to see how a universal question (why do we suffer?)
can have very different answers in different religious frameworks. Along the way, we are going to learn about Buddhism and the Buddhist concept of divinity. Also, we will learn about finding information about religions. Resources available through the library (print or digital) are likely the most reliable. One has to be more careful on the Internet. Some people really hate certain religions. Other than being aware of some controversy, those sources are best avoided. Some reputable sources strive for objectivity, with varying degrees of engagement
with controversy (PBS, BBC, Wikipedia, Brittanica). Many sources are produced by religious organizations themselves. One can expect a certain positive bias and adaptation to modern sensibilities, but
those sources can be useful as well. However, you do need to be aware of whether a website is speaking for most adherents
of that religion, or promoting a minority interpretation. Despite some superficial attempts to show references, Large Language Models are very
bad at keeping track of where and how they gathered information.
Preparation (2 hours)
- Depending on background coming in, spend some time on basic questions such as, What
is Buddhism? Who is the Buddha? What is the Buddhist concept of divinity?
- Spend most of your preparation time specifically on the Budddhist explanation of and
resolution to suffering (the Four Noble Truths).
- What do you think of the Buddhist ideas? Are there situations in which you would find
them helpful? Others maybe not?
In-Class Collaboration (20 minutes)
- Find your assigned collaborators and introduce yourself
- Compare the sources you found clear and helpful, as well as how you went about finding
those sources.
- Compare the information you found about the Buddhist explanation of suffering. What
are some of the differences in how key concepts are translated or interpreted?
- Compare your personal reactions to the Buddhist explanation of suffering. Try to resist
the desire to only agree. You can have questions, concerns, and your own feelings
on the matter without disrespecting the religion or your collaborators.
- As time permits, compare to Israelite ideas and discuss other interesting things you
learned about Buddhism.
Reporting from Small Groups to the Whole Class (20 minutes = 2.5 minutes for each
of eight groups)
- Pick one person to speak for the group who was not the speaker last time
- Introduce self and other members of the group
- What are some of the differences your group found in how different sources presented
or interpreted the Buddhist explanation of suffering?
- What are the shared and different responses among people in your group? What questions
do you still have?
Individual Written Reflection (10 minutes)
- Compare the process of researching on your own with technology and the process of
researching together with humans but not technology.
- If you only remember one word about the Buddhist explanation of suffering, what will
it be?
- Do you see any overlap between Buddhist and Israelite explanations of suffering? What
are the fundamental similarities or differences?