Deck 4: Buddhism

Question 1

Who was the founder of Buddhism?

A) Buddha
B) Mahavira
C) Mohammed
D) Siddhartha

Answer 1

D

Question 2

In Zen Buddhism, riddles meant to confuse reason before an initiate finds truth and ultimately enlightenment are called

A) koans.
B) alms.
C) sangha.
D) bodhisattva.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Which of these divisions of Buddhism is said to be closer to the original teachings of Buddha?

A) Theravada
B) Hinayana
C) Mahayana
D) True Buddhism

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Where did the Buddha first preach after reaching enlightenment?

A) Bear Park
B) Elephant Park
C) Tiger Park
D) Deer Park

Question 5

When he was young, Gautama thought that the answers to the questions that troubled him could be found in the various schools of

A) science.
B) philosophy.
C) history.
D) religion.

Question 6

The smaller and more conservative wing of Buddhism is known as the "exclusive way," or

A) Theravada.
B) Sangha.
C) Mahayana.
D) Hinayana.

Question 7

Buddhism began as an interpretation of what religious system?

A) Christianity
B) Hinduism
C) Islam
D) Shinto

Question 8

Adherents of this type of Buddhism use riddles in meditation and believe that truths come in sudden flashes of insight.

A) Pure Land
B) Zen
C) Tendai
D) Mahayana

Question 9

What is the name for individuals achieving Nirvana?

A) arhat
B) Buddha
C) Kabira
D) sangha

Question 10

When the Buddha stopped searching for enlightenment, he

A) died.
B) became a monk.
C) found enlightenment.
D) became an ascetic.

Question 11

What is one characteristic of early Buddhism concerning women that differs from orthodox Hinduism and Jainism?

A) separation of women from religious practice
B) inclusion of women in religious practice
C) belief that women could not attain enlightenment
D) belief that women were all-powerful

Question 12

Tibetan Buddhists believe that when the Dalai Lama dies, he

A) reaches Nirvana.
B) becomes the Buddha.
C) is reborn in the body of his successor.
D) sits under a heavenly bo tree.

Question 13

For Theravada Buddhists, one of the most important ways of making merit is to offer food to

A) strangers.
B) children.
C) the poor.
D) monks.

Question 14

Which of the following is the larger and more liberal sect of Buddhism?

A) Arahayana
B) Mahayana
C) Sangha
D) Theravada

Question 15

When Siddhartha Gautama was young, his father protected him from

A) sights of human misery and ugliness.
B) abstract philosophical thinking.
C) wealth and luxury.
D) non-Hindu religious ideas.

Question 16

The teachings of the Buddha are called the

A) Dharma.
B) Bodhisattva.
C) Samsara.
D) Sangha.

Question 17

Pure Land Buddhists offer prayers to a cosmic Buddha named

A) Ananda.
B) Sukhavati.
C) Amitabha.
D) Tathagata.

Question 18

The Four Noble Truths, which form the core of Buddhist teachings, came to the Buddha through

A) suffering.
B) samsara.
C) enlightenment.
D) prayer.

Question 19

To live the proper Buddhist way, one must follow the Eightfold Path and embrace

A) asceticism.
B) anatman.
C) arhat.
D) impermanence.

Question 20

Nirvana can be described as

A) a heavenly world of peace and love among people.
B) clear, rational understanding of the laws of the universe.
C) an exalted state in which one becomes a god/goddess.
D) having the self permanently extinguished like the flame on a candle.

Question 21

A type of meditation modeled on the experience of Gautama under the bo tree and devoted to achieving insight or truth is called

A) Sammatta.
B) vihara.
C) stupas.
D) Vipassana.

Question 22

Recount the life story of Gautama and discuss the relationship between the events of his life and the teachings he came to profess.

Question 23

Describe the development of Buddhism from the third century B.C.E. to the present. Where did it originate and how did it change and spread?

Question 24

What is a correct characterization of the Western world's view toward Buddhism?

A) The West is predominantly Judeo/Christian and doesn't think about Buddhism.
B) The Western world is fascinated with Buddhism.
C) Whereas the West was once fascinated by Buddhism, it is no longer.
D) The West does not support the teachings of the Buddha.

Question 25

What is one thing that celebrants do during the Festival of Souls?

A) They perform elaborate rituals for the dead.
B) They fast and meditate.
C) They wash statues of the Buddha.
D) They present robes to the Buddhist missionaries.

Question 26

What did the Buddha teach about the soul, the gods, and animal sacrifice? Explain his teachings on these points incorporating his understanding of Nirvana.

Question 27

Discuss Buddhism from a historical perspective, tracking its movements, changes, and slips into quiescence. Discuss the reasons for the strong Buddhist presence today in the world.

Question 28

What is the basic religious belief common to all forms of Buddhism? How does it compare to basic Hindu religious beliefs?

Question 29

By the twentieth century, Tibet had become a nation where lamas ruled the land. What caused this to change in 1950?

A) Japan invaded Tibet.
B) China invaded Tibet.
C) Catholic missionaries began converting Tibetans.
D) The Dalai Lama stopped preaching there.

Question 30

A human being who has discovered the path to Nirvana through his or her own efforts is called a

A) monk.
B) Buddha.
C) prophet.
D) sangha.