Deck 10: Buddhist Traditions

Question 1

Approximately how many Buddhists are there worldwide today?

A) 10 to 15 million
B) 1 billion
C) 200 to 300 million
D) 500 to 600 million
E) 500,000 to 1 million

Answer 1

C

Question 2

At what age did the Buddha experience enlightenment?

A) 16
B) 18
C) 21
D) 25
E) 35

Answer 2

E

Question 3

In the Buddhist tradition, what does the term "dharma" mean?

A) Duty
B) Teaching
C) Community
D) Righteousness
E) Religion

Answer 3

B

Question 4

From where did the three main traditions of ("vehicles") of Buddhism originate?

A) India and China
B) Thailand and China
C) India
D) Thailand
E) India and Thailand

Question 5

What are the three "vehicles" in Buddhism?

A) Tibetan, Theravada, and Pure Land
B) Morality, Meditation, and Wisdom
C) Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana
D) The Buddha, Dharma, and the Sangha
E) Suffering, Impermanence, and No-self

Question 6

Which Buddhist concepts were major innovations at the time?

A) The impermanence of the human self or soul
B) Social egalitarianism
C) Karma
D) Both A and B
E) All of the above

Question 7

In the Buddhist tradition, what does the term "Arhat" mean?

A) Ford-builder
B) Teacher
C) Awakened one
D) Worthy one or saint
E) Seer

Question 8

In the Buddhist tradition, who is a bodhisattva?

A) A wise sage
B) One who as dedicated him- or herself to achieving buddahood
C) A god occupying one of the heavenly realms
D) A fully enlightened being
E) A great ruler

Question 9

All Buddhist traditions agree that Shakyamuni lived to what age?

A) 65
B) 99
C) 80
D) 50
E) 100

Question 10

According to most accounts, approximately when did Siddartha Gautama live?

A) Tenth century BCE
B) Sixth century CE
C) First century CE
D) First century BCE
E) Fifth to sixth century BCE

Question 11

According to Buddhist tradition, a spiritual being in the form of which of the following entered the body of the mother of the Buddha to become the embryo of the Buddha-to-be.

A) A tree branch
B) A river
C) A ghost
D) A gust of wind
E) A sacred white elephant

Question 12

According to the traditional story of the Buddha, what did brahmins predict about his future when he was an infant?

A) That he would die before he was five years old
B) That he would become a god
C) That he would unite all of India under one great faith
D) That he would conquer the rival powers throughout India
E) That he would become either a great emperor or a fully enlightened being

Question 13

What were the four sights that, according to tradition, Siddartha Gautama saw that caused him to leave his home life and become and ascetic?

A) A sick man, suffering old man, a dead man, and an ascetic
B) A tree, a mountain, a waterfall, and a deer
C) A monk, a nun, a layman giving alms, and a laywoman giving alms
D) A rich man, a poor man, a healthy man, and a sick man
E) A priest, a warrior, a merchant, and a servant

Question 14

What is the traditional place of the Buddha's enlightenment?

A) Kushinagar
B) Bodh Gaya
C) Lumbini
D) Ladakh
E) Varanasi

Question 15

In Buddhist tradition, who is Mara?

A) The god of creation
B) Siddartha Gautama's first meditation instructor
C) The lord of death
D) A great Indian king who converts to Buddhism
E) The first convert to Buddhism

Question 16

What does the term "buddha" literally mean?

A) Fully enlightened one
B) Immortal one
C) Divine one
D) Supreme master
E) Being striving for enlightenment

Question 17

What title, meaning "thus-gone one," does the Buddha most often use to refer to himself?

A) Tathagata
B) Shakyamuni
C) Mahatma
D) Arhat
E) Bodhisattva

Question 18

In its negative aspect, the concept of nirvana means which of the following?

A) "Losing oneself" for the sake of the other
B) "Putting out the fires" of greed, hatred and delusion.
C) "Renouncing desires" that focus on our ambitions
D) "Humbling the self" to the point of not desiring enlightenment
E) "Rejecting meditation" as a form of spiritual pride

Question 19

To whom did the Buddha deliver his first sutra (discourse or sermon)?

A) A herd of deer
B) Two merchants he passed on the road
C) His father
D) Five ascetics who were his former companions
E) A young girl who brought him food

Question 20

Where did the Buddha deliver his first sutra (discourse or sermon)?

A) The town of Bodh Gaya
B) By the waters of the Ganges near Benares
C) The grove of Lumbini
D) The deer park Sarnath, near Varanasi
E) Delhi

Question 21

What was the topic of the Buddha's first sutra (discourse or sermon)?

A) The importance of devotionalism
B) The three paths to liberation
C) The virtues of extreme asceticism
D) Avoiding the temptations of Mara
E) The Middle Way

Question 22

What was the Buddha's parinirvana?

A) His time before enlightenment practising extreme asceticism
B) The five hundred previous lives before he achieved full enlightenment
C) The first stage of his enlightenment, in the first watch of the night
D) The period after his enlightenment during which he travelled and taught
E) The final end of the cycle of rebirth, suffering, and the perfection of happiness

Question 23

In the Buddhist tradition, what does the term dukkha mean?

A) Suffering
B) Teaching
C) Moral obligation
D) Enlightenment
E) Impermanence

Question 24

Which of the following is NOT one of the Four Noble Truths?

A) Suffering arises from excessive desire or craving.
B) The end to desire, and thus suffering, is through the Eightfold Path.
C) Suffering is real: no living being can escape suffering.
D) Suffering will cease when desire ceases.
E) The cosmos has no beginning, middle, or end.

Question 25

According to Buddhist tradition, what are the three characteristics of existence?

A) Morality, concentration, and wisdom
B) The Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha
C) Matter, the soul, and cosmic essence
D) Suffering, impermanence, and no-self
E) Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana

Question 26

In the Buddhist tradition, what does the term anatman mean?

A) Realm of rebirth
B) Impermanence
C) Enlightenment
D) No-self or no-soul
E) Suffering

Question 27

In Buddhist teachings, the concept of skandhas, refers to which of the following?

A) Components of personality
B) Components of meditation
C) Components of suffering
D) Components of asceticism
E) Components of impermanence

Question 28

Which of the following is a term that references Buddhist monks?

A) Bhikshus
B) Theravadins
C) Arhats
D) Bodhisattvas
E) Acharyas

Question 29

In the Buddhist tradition, what does Tripitaka mean?

A) Sayings
B) Five bundles
C) Palm leaves
D) Three baskets
E) Rules

Question 30

What is contained within the Sutra Pitaka?

A) Dharma attributed to Shakyamuni or his early disciples
B) Poetry from unknown Buddhist monks
C) Dharma from unnamed early monks
D) Dharma from the first five companions of Buddha
E) Ritual instructions written by early unnamed disciples

Question 31

The term bhikshunis refers to which of the following groups?

A) Ordained women (monks)
B) Ordained men (monks)
C) Layperson who assist monks
D) Overseers of the temple rituals
E) Women poets who were unable to be ordained

Question 32

Which of the following was decided at the Vaishali Council in the 4^th c BCE?

A) Men and women could be monks
B) Only men could be monks
C) Monks could not receive gold and silver as donations
D) Monks could marry if they remained pure in mind
E) Monks must fast two times a week

Question 33

How many Buddhist sects existed by the third century BCE?

A) 12
B) 3
C) 99
D) 7
E) 18

Question 34

Which great king converted to Buddhism and helped spread it throughout India?

A) Altan Khan
B) Ashoka
C) Cyrus
D) Alexander
E) Wu

Question 35

The monk Mahinda is said to have taken Theravada Buddhism where in the third century BCE?

A) Japan
B) Afghanistan
C) Tibet
D) Nepal
E) Sri Lanka

Question 36

What is the main religion of Sri Lanka up to the present day?

A) Theravada Buddhism
B) Pure Land Buddhism
C) Mahayana Buddhism
D) Vajrayana Buddhism
E) Reformed Buddhism

Question 37

Theravada Buddhists practise what simple form of meditation?

A) Prajna
B) Shunyata
C) Zazen
D) Dana
E) Vipassana

Question 38

In the Buddhist tradition, what does "Mahayana" mean?

A) Way of the elders
B) Lesser vehicle
C) Greater vehicle
D) Middle way
E) Diamond vehicle

Question 39

Which of the following was NOT one of the differences from the teachings of Mahayana, which differentiated the Mahayana from the earlier Theravada?

A) Laypeople could achieve enlightenment
B) There were many heavenly bodhisattvas who helped those who prayed to them
C) Shakyamuni represented one of many manifestations of buddhahood.
D) Inclusion of the bodhisattva vow
E) Veneration of relics

Question 40

What are the "three bodies" (trikaya) of buddhahood, according to Mahayana teaching?

A) Deity, human, and underworld being
B) Male body, female body, and heavenly body
C) Appearance (Transformation) Body, Body of Bliss, and Dharma Body
D) The Arhat, the Bodhisattva, and the Buddha
E) Siddartha, Shakyamuni, and Tathagata

Question 41

The Mahayana Parable of the Burning House is found in which sacred Buddhist text?

A) Tripitaka
B) Sukhavati Sutra
C) Diamond Sutra
D) Lotus Sutra
E) Heart Sutra

Question 42

According to which Mahayana school can we be reborn in another realm and from where we can achieve enlightenment?

A) Zen
B) Pure Land
C) Tiantai
D) Madhyamika
E) Yogacara

Question 43

Who founded the Madhyamika ("Middle Way") school of Mahayana Buddhism?

A) Nagarjuna
B) Nichiren
C) Asanga
D) Bodhidharma
E) Ananda

Question 44

Which school of Buddhism was dedicated to a buddha of a previous age named Amitabha?

A) Zen
B) Pure Land
C) Yogacara
D) Nichiren
E) Tiantai

Question 45

Who founded Chan Buddhism?

A) Padmasambhava
B) Nichiren
C) Nagarjuna
D) Vasubandhu
E) Bodhidharma

Question 46

In Zen Buddhism, the question "what is the sound of one hand clapping" is an example of which of the following?

A) Parable
B) Chant
C) Sutra
D) Koan
E) Poetry

Question 47

Linji and Caodong are the two main sects within which form of Buddhism?

A) Nichiren
B) Zen
C) Shingon
D) Tendai
E) Pure Land

Question 48

What is Joshu's Mu?

A) The first koan presented to Zen disciples.
B) A phrase repeated by Pure Land Buddhists to express praise to Amitabha Buddha
C) A logic puzzle given to Buddhist students to find the solution through careful thought
D) The final question asked to a Buddhist monk at their ordination exam
E) A short sutra or text that is chanted for several hours a day

Question 49

The term zazen refers to which of the following practices?

A) Communal Chanting
B) Silent Prayer
C) Sitting Meditation
D) Almsgiving
E) Fasting

Question 50

Followers of Vajrayana Buddhism refer to it as which of the following?

A) True Buddhism
B) Third turning of the wheel of dharma
C) Final turning wheel of dharma
D) Seal of dharma
E) Seal of Buddhism

Question 51

Tantric Buddhism envisions cosmic reality as an interplay between which of the following?

A) Evil and good forces
B) Motion and stillness
C) Male and female forces
D) Light and darkness
E) Spirit and matter

Question 52

What is the name of the sacred geometric design used in Vajrayana Buddhist practice?

A) Pagoda
B) Murti
C) Chakra
D) Mandala
E) Koan

Question 53

Who is traditionally believed to have brought Buddhism to Tibet?

A) Dogen
B) Mahinda
C) Bodhidharma
D) Nichiren
E) Padmasambhava

Question 54

What is the more common name of the Bardo Thodol?

A) Great Sun Sutra
B) Tibetan Book of the Dead
C) Lotus Sutra
D) Diamond Sutra
E) Pali Canon

Question 55

What is the Bardo Thodol text of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition about?

A) Directions for how to cultivate special power through intense meditation
B) Legendary stories about early Buddhist tantric masters and local deities in Tibet
C) Instructions to help the dying achieve liberation in the stages between death and rebirth
D) The levels of Buddhist heaven and hell
E) Instructions on mantras to chant in order to erase bad karma and achieve a fruitful rebirth

Question 56

Which incarnation of his line is the current Dalai Lama believed to be?

A) Twelfth
B) Twenty-fourth
C) Ninth
D) Second
E) Fourteenth

Question 57

Which Buddhist practice was alien to the social system and values in China?

A) Temple building
B) Ancestor veneration
C) Bodhisattva veneration
D) Monasticism
E) Meditation

Question 58

The "Happy Buddha" reflects which of the following important aspects of Chinese culture?

A) Acceptance and celebration
B) Wealth and abundance
C) Wisdom and joy
D) Children and worldly prosperity
E) Frivolity and laughter

Question 59

What is a stupa?

A) A statue or idol of the Buddha or an important bodhisattva
B) A geometric pattern or design used as a visual aid in meditation and ritual
C) Memorials built over sacred objects including remains of major disciples and scripture
D) A word puzzle given to Zen students to help them break out of conventional thinking
E) A text containing Buddhist teachings or discourses

Question 60

The term mudras refers to which of the following in the Buddhist traditions?

A) Meditation Techniques
B) Prayer Postures
C) Chants
D) Poetic Verses
E) Hand Gestures

Question 61

Buddhism's intellectual and institutional influence lasted in India until when?

A) 12^th century BCE
B) 20^th century BCE
C) 17^th century BCE
D) 7^th century BCE
E) 2^nd century BCE

Question 62

Who led the conversion of thousands of dalits (untouchables) in India to Buddhism, himself included, in 1956?

A) Bhagat Singh
B) Mohandas K. Gandhi
C) Bhimrao R. Ambedkar
D) Jawaharlal Nehru
E) Indira Gandhi

Question 63

In what country has Buddhism had considerable influence on the ruling parties from the time of its independence through a civil war and to the present day?

A) Syria
B) India
C) Thailand
D) China
E) Sri Lanka

Question 64

Who was known as Tibet's Joan of Arc for leading a rebellion against the Chinese takeover in 1949?

A) Prajnatara
B) Cheng Yen
C) Zongchi
D) Ani Pachen
E) Wu Zeitan

Question 65

According to the Buddhist understanding, the dharma will continue to decline until when?

A) It will perpetually decline until the end of this illusory world
B) Until the next buddha restarts the wheel
C) Until the bodhisattvas answer prayers of the faithful
D) Until enough people recognize our collective need for enlightenment
E) Until cataclysmic events compel a shift in collective consciousness

Question 66

The "Three Gems" of Buddhism are the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Nirvana.

Question 67

All three "vehicles" or major groups of Buddhism originated in India.

Question 68

A major innovation in Buddhist thought was the idea of no permanent human self or soul.

Question 69

Buddhists understands the cosmos as an endless succession of universe arising and passing away.

Question 70

A bright light illuminated the world on the day when Shakyamuni, the Buddha, was born.

Question 71

As part of the traditional Buddhist story of Siddartha Gautama, his father tries to shelter him from any evidence of life's suffering.

Question 72

There are numerous stories that recountthe childhood of Shakyamuni.

Question 73

The term "buddha" means "being striving for enlightenment."

Question 74

Shakyamuni delivered his first sermon before the king and a crowd at the royal palace.

Question 75

According to tradition, the Buddha named his chief disciple Ananda as his successor.

Question 76

Buddhist usage of dharma reflects its root meaning of "that which holds."

Question 77

The Four Noble Truths of Buddhism are about suffering (dukkha), and the path to overcoming it.

Question 78

The three characteristics of existence according to Buddhism are suffering, death, and no-self.

Question 79

According to Buddhist teaching, there are twelve links or stages in the chain of dependent origination.

Question 80

The Buddhist Tripitaka is also known as the Pali canon.