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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 Buddhist attitude toward good conduct and the suggestion of adherence to moral principles for their own sake may be an expression of _____.

2. A _____ is a being from a lower realm of existence in Buddhist cosmology.

3. The sravaka in the Mahayana tradition is a _____.

4. Some of the teachings of the Buddha are expressed in conventional terms, and others are expressed in _____ terms.

5. The term 'abhidharma' means _____ dharma.

Short Essay Questions

1. What are the five precepts of the lay followers in Buddhism?

2. What did the Buddha do after performing the miracle after his awakening?

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

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

5. What is the wheel of becoming?

6. Why is stilling the mind an integral goal of Buddhist meditation?

7. What does Nagasena tell the king about the self?

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

9. What components, according to Buddhist thought, comprise a world-sphere?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explain the role of suffering in Buddhism. What are the three kinds of suffering? What is the significance of each one in Buddhism?

Essay Topic 2

Explain the brahmanical tradition. Where did the people who founded this tradition in India come from? What effect did they have on Indian society?

Essay Topic 3

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

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This section contains 671 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample