Middle Way

High school (ages 12+)
Philosophy & Big Questions

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/middle-way

1. What is the philosophical term?
2. What is the originator?
3. Why does the Middle Way say we should avoid extreme self-mortification and extreme pleasure?
4. How does the Middle Way help us feel better?

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the philosophical term?Majjhimāpaṭipadā (Pali) / Madhyamāpratipada (Sanskrit)
2. What is the originator?Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha)
3. Why does the Middle Way say we should avoid extreme self-mortification and extreme pleasure?It says we should avoid extreme self-mortification because it weakens our body and mind, and avoid extreme pleasure because it creates craving and suffering. Both extremes can keep us stuck in unhappiness.
4. How does the Middle Way help us feel better?By following the Middle Way, we learn to live with moderation, mindfulness, and care, which makes us feel more peaceful and clear-headed when we face challenges.

Asceticism: A practice of rigorous self-discipline and abstention from all forms of indulgence, often for spiritual reasons.
Sensual Indulgence: The act of yielding to and satisfying all sensory desires without restraint or moderation.
Eternalism: A philosophical view that asserts the existence of a permanent, unchanging self or reality.
Annihilationism: A philosophical view that asserts the complete cessation of existence, particularly of consciousness, after death.