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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. The father of the Madhyamaka was thought to have influenced the philosopher _____.

2. _____ is the beginning of the Buddhist path.

3. One of the five hindrances is _____.

4. How long have people been wandering through samsara?

5. The Buddha apparently approved of worship at _____.

Short Essay Questions

1. Why was vegetarianism not an explicit tenet of early Buddhism? What questions did this bring up?

2. What is causal connectedness?

3. How does the sense of self spring from delusion?

4. What is access concentration in meditation?

5. What did the Buddha say of the beginning of samsara?

6. How are the thirty-one levels of existence classified? Who resides in these realms?

7. How are the lower and higher realms of existence different from each other in Buddhism?

8. What happens as the path of the bodhisattva progresses?

9. What is the legend of Megha?

10. How is world contraction described according to the Abhidharma?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explain Abhidharma. What does this word mean? How does it appear in texts? What is its significance in Buddhism?

Essay Topic 2

Explain the relationship between the Sangha and the state. How did the Sangha relate to kings in history, particularly Asoka?

Essay Topic 3

Describe the Mahayana tradition of Buddhism. How does it relate to the Theraveda tradition of Buddhism? How did it originate? Who practices this form of Buddhism?

(see the answer keys)

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