Buddhism–The eBook
An Online Introduction by Charles Prebish and Damien Keown

Buddhism Online:
Self-Test Questions

The Background to Buddhism
Self Test Questions
  1. What were the two chief cities of the Indus Valley civilization situated on the river Indus?
  2. How long did the Indus valley civilization last?
  3. What role did the Mother Goddess and yoga play in the religion of the Indus Valley?
  4. What was soma?
  5. How many Vedas are there, and which is the most important?
  6. What was innovative about the teachings of the Upani?ads?
  7. What do the Upanishads mean when they proclaim "Tat tvam asi" and 'Brahmo 'ham"?
  8. Describe the pattern of social change that was taking place in the Buddha's day.
  9. What goal did the 'wanderers' (parivrajakas) seek, and what methods did they use to attain it?
  10. How do Buddhist teachings about the absence of a soul (atman) cause difficulty for the doctrine of karma?
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Chapter 1
Self Test Questions
  1. Name three religions that have a linear view of time.
  2. What is a kalpa?
  3. In what months of the year does the monsoon come in India?
  4. Which Indian texts first mention the idea of reincarnation, and at what date?
  5. Into which two main categories does Buddhist cosmology divide the universe?
  6. Which Buddhist text mentioned in this chapter contains a creation myth?
  7. Can you name the six realms of rebirth?
  8. How many planes of existence are there in total in the Buddhist universe?
  9. What is the literal meaning of the word "karma?"
  10. What is pu.nya?
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Chapter 2
Self Test Questions
  1. Name two textual sources that provide information about the Buddha's life.
  2. Where was the Buddha born?
  3. How old was he when he died?
  4. What were the names of the Buddha's parents?
  5. What were the "four signs" the Buddha saw when he went outside the palace?
  6. Did the Buddha have any children?
  7. How old was the Buddha when he a) renounced the world; b) gained enlightenment?
  8. Who is Mara?
  9. What is the English title of the Buddha's first sermon?
  10. What was done to the Buddha's body after he died?
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Chapter 3
Self Test Questions
  1. What are the "three jewels"?
  2. What are the three aspects of suffering distinguished in Buddhist texts?
  3. What three forms of craving are mentioned in the Second Noble Truth?
  4. What are the two forms of nirvana?
  5. What is the simplest definition of "nirvana-in-this-life"?
  6. Why is the Noble Eightfold Path known as the "middle way"?
  7. What are the four categories of "holy persons" (arya-pudgala)?
  8. What does "nama-rupa" mean?
  9. What are the five aggregates (skandhas)?
  10. What is the meaning of vijñana?
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Chapter 4
Self Test Questions
  1. What are the "three refuges?"
  2. Describe the ordination procedure for monastics.
  3. What is the structure of the Vinaya Pi?aka?
  4. Why is the Pratimoksha so important to the sangha?
  5. Why does the sangha recite the Pratimoksha twice per month?
  6. How does the laity support the monastic unit?
  7. How do the monks and nuns support the laity?
  8. Why were Ananda and Upali so important to the sangha?
  9. What is the role of royal patrons for the early sangha?
  10. Why did the monastic members of the sangha settle down during each rainy season?
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Chapter 5
Self-test Questions
  1. How long did Buddhism exist in India?
  2. What are the dates of the Magadhan period?
  3. In what year was Asoka consecrated emperor?
  4. When and where did the "Third Council" take place?
  5. Which two groups separated at the "Great Schism?"
  6. Who were the Vibhajyavadins?
  7. How many of Asoka's inscriptions have been found to date?
  8. How was Buddha symbolised in art before the first Buddha-images appeared?
  9. What is the "Five Buddha Family" system?
  10. In what year was Nalanda sacked?
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Chapter 6
Self Test Questions
  1. What are the major Prajñaparamita texts?
  2. What are the major Pure Land Sutras?
  3. What is Buddha-nature and how does it apply to practitioners?
  4. Why are wisdom and compassion so important to Mahayana?
  5. How is the doctrine of emptiness related to dependent origination?
  6. How are Madhyamika and Yogacara similar? How are they different?
  7. How is the bodhisattva path different from the path of the arhant?
  8. What are the "three bodies of the Buddha?"
  9. Who are the main Mahayana logicians, and why are they important?
  10. Why do some scholars consider Nagarjuna the greatest Buddhist philosopher?
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Chapter 7
Self Test Questions
  1. What are the main groups of forty meditation topics include in Buddhaghosa's Visuddhimagga?
  2. What are the beginning, eidetic, and representational signs?
  3. List and explain the four trance states.
  4. What is the different between calming meditation (samatha) and insight meditation (vipasana)?
  5. How are the practices of calm and insight used in Mahayana?
  6. What are the stages on the Mahayana path of meditation?
  7. In what sense can Pure Land practice be called "meditation?"
  8. How is the mandala used in Tantric practice?
  9. What is Mahamudra?
  10. What are koans in Zen, and how are they used?
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Chapter 8
Self Test Questions
  1. Which is the only one of the early Buddhist schools of the Hinayana or "Small Vehicle" to have survived down to modern times?
  2. Who are known as 'sikkhamat' or 'mae chi?'
  3. Who brought Buddhism to Sri Lanka, and when?
  4. Who was Sanghamitta?
  5. What are Nats?
  6. Who was Chapata?
  7. What was the Mahavihara?
  8. What is a gaing?
  9. Who was Mindon, and what did he achieve?
  10. Name two schools of Buddhism found in Vietnam.
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Chapter 9
Self Test Questions
  1. Who was the most renowned translator of Buddhist texts into Chinese?
  2. What is the most important practice in Pure Land Buddhism?
  3. Which was the most significant period in Chinese Buddhist history?
  4. Why was Ch'an Buddhism popular in China?
  5. Why is Chogye Buddhism important in modern Korea?
  6. How has Japanese Buddhism influenced Korean Buddhism since 1900?
  7. Which is the most important sect of Korean Buddhism?
  8. What are the most popular sects of Japanese Buddhism, and why is each popular?
  9. Why is Amida important in Pure Land Buddhism?
  10. How is Soka Gakkai related to the Buddhism of Nichiren?
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Chapter 10
Self Test Questions
  1. Why is Vajrayana Buddhism sometimes called the "Diamond Vehicle?"
  2. What is a mandala?
  3. What is a mantra and how does it work?
  4. What is the "fourth refuge" in Tibetan Buddhism?
  5. Why is Samye important?
  6. Why is Milarepa considered Tibet's most beloved poet-saint?
  7. What are the four traditional types of Tantra?
  8. Who is the Panchen Lama?
  9. What is the New Kadampa tradition?
  10. What is Dzogchen?
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Chapter 11
Self Test Questions
  1. What does a "top-down" introduction mean with respect to Buddhism's growth in Western cultures?
  2. When did Buddhism begin to move into Western cultures?
  3. Who were the earliest Buddhists in America?
  4. Why were Zen masters so popular in the early part of the twentieth century?
  5. Which is the most recent Buddhist culture to globalize?
  6. How attractive is Buddhism to non-Asians in the West?
  7. Roughly how many Buddhists are there in America?
  8. Which Buddhist traditions are most popular in the West?
  9. Are western Buddhists more involved in activist causes than Asian Buddhists?
  10. Will there be enough Western Buddhist teachers to meet the needs of Western Buddhist communities in the current century?
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Chapter 12
Self Test Questions
  1. What, according to Christopher Queen, are the four different styles of Buddhist ethics?
  2. Name three of the fourteen precepts of the Tiep Hien Order ("Order of Interbeing").
  3. Where did the Buddhist Peace Fellowship have its origins, and when?
  4. Name two of the five aims of the Buddhist Peace Fellowship.
  5. Who founded the International Network of Engaged Buddhists?
  6. What is the "Spirit in Education" movement?
  7. When was the Universal Declaration of Human Rights proclaimed?
  8. What is the Sarvodaya movement?
  9. Which philosopher of the T'ien-tai school spoke of "the enlightenment of grass and trees?"
  10. Who are the "ecology monks" and what do they do?
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Chapter 13
Self Test Questions
  1. What are the Five Precepts?
  2. What are the three "Cardinal Virtues" of Buddhism, and the three "roots of evil?"
  3. What are the Six Perfections of a bodhisattva?
  4. How many rules are there in the Pratimok?a?
  5. Who were the sohei?
  6. What is meant by ahimsa?
  7. What is dana?
  8. What is the meaning of "skillful means"?
  9. Who is Aung San Suu Kyi?
  10. Which Japanese sect builds "Peace Pagodas," and where are they found?
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Chapter 14
Self Test Questions
  1. Which early school of Buddhist scholarship rivalled the Anglo-German school?
  2. Who are the early European leaders of Buddhist Studies?
  3. When does Buddhist Studies arrive in America, and who are its earliest proponents?
  4. Which universities offer the most comprehensive programs in Buddhist Studies?
  5. When was the International Association of Buddhist Studies founded, and what is its current role in the discipline?
  6. Who are some of the leading "scholar-practitioners" in current Buddhist Studies?
  7. Why are Buddhist discussion groups on the Internet so important for ongoing Buddhist Studies?
  8. What are some of the problems involved in Buddhist Studies technology?
  9. How do "community webpages" of various Buddhist organizations impact the discipline of Buddhist Studies, if at all?
  10. What role do popular Buddhist publications like Tricycle play in the development of Buddhist Studies?
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