Verified Test Bank Buddhist Traditions Ch.10

Chapter 10

Buddhist Traditions

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Approximately how many Buddhists are there worldwide today?
   1. 10 to 15 million
   2. 1 billion
   3. 200 to 300 million
   4. 500 to 600 million
   5. 500,000 to 1 million
2. At what age did the Buddha experience enlightenment?
   1. 16
   2. 18
   3. 21
   4. 25
   5. 35
3. In the Buddhist tradition, what does the term “dharma” mean?
   1. Duty
   2. Teaching
   3. Community
   4. Righteousness
   5. Religion
4. From where did the three main traditions of (“vehicles”) of Buddhism originate?
   1. India and China
   2. Thailand and China
   3. India
   4. Thailand
   5. India and Thailand
5. What are the three “vehicles” in Buddhism?
   1. Tibetan, Theravada, and Pure Land
   2. Morality, Meditation, and Wisdom
   3. Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana
   4. The Buddha, Dharma, and the Sangha
   5. Suffering, Impermanence, and No-self
6. Which Buddhist concepts were major innovations at the time?
   1. The impermanence of the human self or soul
   2. Social egalitarianism
   3. Karma
   4. Both A and B
   5. All of the above
7. In the Buddhist tradition, what does the term “Arhat” mean?
   1. Ford-builder
   2. Teacher
   3. Awakened one
   4. Worthy one or saint
   5. Seer
8. In the Buddhist tradition, who is a bodhisattva?
   1. A wise sage
   2. One who as dedicated him- or herself to achieving buddahood
   3. A god occupying one of the heavenly realms
   4. A fully enlightened being
   5. A great ruler
9. All Buddhist traditions agree that Shakyamuni lived to what age?
   1. 65
   2. 99
   3. 80
   4. 50
   5. 100
10. According to most accounts, approximately when did Siddartha Gautama live?
    1. Tenth century BCE
    2. Sixth century CE
    3. First century CE
    4. First century BCE
    5. Fifth to sixth century BCE
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.
    1. A tree branch
    2. A river
    3. A ghost
    4. A gust of wind
    5. A sacred white elephant
12. According to the traditional story of the Buddha, what did brahmins predict about his future when he was an infant?
    1. That he would die before he was five years old
    2. That he would become a god
    3. That he would unite all of India under one great faith
    4. That he would conquer the rival powers throughout India
    5. That he would become either a great emperor or a fully enlightened being
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?
    1. A sick man, suffering old man, a dead man, and an ascetic
    2. A tree, a mountain, a waterfall, and a deer
    3. A monk, a nun, a layman giving alms, and a laywoman giving alms
    4. A rich man, a poor man, a healthy man, and a sick man
    5. A priest, a warrior, a merchant, and a servant
14. What is the traditional place of the Buddha’s enlightenment?
    1. Kushinagar
    2. Bodh Gaya
    3. Lumbini
    4. Ladakh
    5. Varanasi
15. In Buddhist tradition, who is Mara?
    1. The god of creation
    2. Siddartha Gautama’s first meditation instructor
    3. The lord of death
    4. A great Indian king who converts to Buddhism
    5. The first convert to Buddhism
16. What does the term “buddha” literally mean?
    1. Fully enlightened one
    2. Immortal one
    3. Divine one
    4. Supreme master
    5. Being striving for enlightenment
17. What title, meaning “thus-gone one,” does the Buddha most often use to refer to himself?
    1. Tathagata
    2. Shakyamuni
    3. Mahatma
    4. Arhat
    5. Bodhisattva
18. In its negative aspect, the concept of nirvana means which of the following?
    1. “Losing oneself” for the sake of the other
    2. “Putting out the fires” of greed, hatred and delusion.
    3. “Renouncing desires” that focus on our ambitions
    4. “Humbling the self” to the point of not desiring enlightenment
    5. “Rejecting meditation” as a form of spiritual pride
19. To whom did the Buddha deliver his first sutra (discourse or sermon)?
    1. A herd of deer
    2. Two merchants he passed on the road
    3. His father
    4. Five ascetics who were his former companions
    5. A young girl who brought him food
20. Where did the Buddha deliver his first sutra (discourse or sermon)?
    1. The town of Bodh Gaya
    2. By the waters of the Ganges near Benares
    3. The grove of Lumbini
    4. The deer park Sarnath, near Varanasi
    5. Delhi
21. What was the topic of the Buddha’s first sutra (discourse or sermon)?
    1. The importance of devotionalism
    2. The three paths to liberation
    3. The virtues of extreme asceticism
    4. Avoiding the temptations of Mara
    5. The Middle Way
22. What was the Buddha’s parinirvana?
    1. His time before enlightenment practising extreme asceticism
    2. The five hundred previous lives before he achieved full enlightenment
    3. The first stage of his enlightenment, in the first watch of the night
    4. The period after his enlightenment during which he travelled and taught
    5. The final end of the cycle of rebirth, suffering, and the perfection of happiness
23. In the Buddhist tradition, what does the term dukkha mean?
    1. Suffering
    2. Teaching
    3. Moral obligation
    4. Enlightenment
    5. Impermanence
24. Which of the following is NOT one of the Four Noble Truths?
    1. Suffering arises from excessive desire or craving.
    2. The end to desire, and thus suffering, is through the Eightfold Path.
    3. Suffering is real: no living being can escape suffering.
    4. Suffering will cease when desire ceases.
    5. The cosmos has no beginning, middle, or end.
25. According to Buddhist tradition, what are the three characteristics of existence?
    1. Morality, concentration, and wisdom
    2. The Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha
    3. Matter, the soul, and cosmic essence
    4. Suffering, impermanence, and no-self
    5. Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana
26. In the Buddhist tradition, what does the term anatman mean?
    1. Realm of rebirth
    2. Impermanence
    3. Enlightenment
    4. No-self or no-soul
    5. Suffering
27. In Buddhist teachings, the concept of skandhas, refers to which of the following?
    1. Components of personality
    2. Components of meditation
    3. Components of suffering
    4. Components of asceticism
    5. Components of impermanence
28. Which of the following is a term that references Buddhist monks?
    1. Bhikshus
    2. Theravadins
    3. Arhats
    4. Bodhisattvas
    5. Acharyas
29. In the Buddhist tradition, what does Tripitaka mean?
    1. Sayings
    2. Five bundles
    3. Palm leaves
    4. Three baskets
    5. Rules
30. What is contained within the Sutra Pitaka?
    1. Dharma attributed to Shakyamuni or his early disciples
    2. Poetry from unknown Buddhist monks
    3. Dharma from unnamed early monks
    4. Dharma from the first five companions of Buddha
    5. Ritual instructions written by early unnamed disciples
31. The term bhikshunis refers to which of the following groups?
    1. Ordained women (monks)
    2. Ordained men (monks)
    3. Layperson who assist monks
    4. Overseers of the temple rituals
    5. Women poets who were unable to be ordained
32. Which of the following was decided at the Vaishali Council in the 4^th c BCE?
    1. Men and women could be monks
    2. Only men could be monks
    3. Monks could not receive gold and silver as donations
    4. Monks could marry if they remained pure in mind
    5. Monks must fast two times a week
33. How many Buddhist sects existed by the third century BCE?
    1. 12
    2. 3
    3. 99
    4. 7
    5. 18
34. Which great king converted to Buddhism and helped spread it throughout India?
    1. Altan Khan
    2. Ashoka
    3. Cyrus
    4. Alexander
    5. Wu
35. The monk Mahinda is said to have taken Theravada Buddhism where in the third century BCE?
    1. Japan
    2. Afghanistan
    3. Tibet
    4. Nepal
    5. Sri Lanka
36. What is the main religion of Sri Lanka up to the present day?
    1. Theravada Buddhism
    2. Pure Land Buddhism
    3. Mahayana Buddhism
    4. Vajrayana Buddhism
    5. Reformed Buddhism
37. Theravada Buddhists practise what simple form of meditation?
    1. Prajna
    2. Shunyata
    3. Zazen
    4. Dana
    5. Vipassana
38. In the Buddhist tradition, what does “Mahayana” mean?
    1. Way of the elders
    2. Lesser vehicle
    3. Greater vehicle
    4. Middle way
    5. Diamond vehicle
39. Which of the following was NOT one of the differences from the teachings of Mahayana, which differentiated the Mahayana from the earlier Theravada?
    1. Laypeople could achieve enlightenment
    2. There were many heavenly bodhisattvas who helped those who prayed to them
    3. Shakyamuni represented one of many manifestations of buddhahood.
    4. Inclusion of the bodhisattva vow
    5. Veneration of relics
40. What are the “three bodies” (trikaya) of buddhahood, according to Mahayana teaching?
    1. Deity, human, and underworld being
    2. Male body, female body, and heavenly body
    3. Appearance (Transformation) Body, Body of Bliss, and Dharma Body
    4. The Arhat, the Bodhisattva, and the Buddha
    5. Siddartha, Shakyamuni, and Tathagata
41. The Mahayana Parable of the Burning House is found in which sacred Buddhist text?
    1. Tripitaka
    2. Sukhavati Sutra
    3. Diamond Sutra
    4. Lotus Sutra
    5. Heart Sutra
42. According to which Mahayana school can we be reborn in another realm and from where we can achieve enlightenment?
    1. Zen
    2. Pure Land
    3. Tiantai
    4. Madhyamika
    5. Yogacara
43. Who founded the Madhyamika (“Middle Way”) school of Mahayana Buddhism?
    1. Nagarjuna
    2. Nichiren
    3. Asanga
    4. Bodhidharma
    5. Ananda
44. Which school of Buddhism was dedicated to a buddha of a previous age named Amitabha?
    1. Zen
    2. Pure Land
    3. Yogacara
    4. Nichiren
    5. Tiantai
45. Who founded Chan Buddhism?
    1. Padmasambhava
    2. Nichiren
    3. Nagarjuna
    4. Vasubandhu
    5. Bodhidharma
46. In Zen Buddhism, the question “what is the sound of one hand clapping” is an example of which of the following?
    1. Parable
    2. Chant
    3. Sutra
    4. Koan
    5. Poetry
47. Linji and Caodong are the two main sects within which form of Buddhism?
    1. Nichiren
    2. Zen
    3. Shingon
    4. Tendai
    5. Pure Land
48. What is Joshu’s Mu?
    1. The first koan presented to Zen disciples.
    2. A phrase repeated by Pure Land Buddhists to express praise to Amitabha Buddha
    3. A logic puzzle given to Buddhist students to find the solution through careful thought
    4. The final question asked to a Buddhist monk at their ordination exam
    5. A short sutra or text that is chanted for several hours a day
49. The term zazen refers to which of the following practices?
    1. Communal Chanting
    2. Silent Prayer
    3. Sitting Meditation
    4. Almsgiving
    5. Fasting
50. Followers of Vajrayana Buddhism refer to it as which of the following?
    1. True Buddhism
    2. Third turning of the wheel of dharma
    3. Final turning wheel of dharma
    4. Seal of dharma
    5. Seal of Buddhism
51. Tantric Buddhism envisions cosmic reality as an interplay between which of the following?
    1. Evil and good forces
    2. Motion and stillness
    3. Male and female forces
    4. Light and darkness
    5. Spirit and matter
52. What is the name of the sacred geometric design used in Vajrayana Buddhist practice?
    1. Pagoda
    2. Murti
    3. Chakra
    4. Mandala
    5. Koan
53. Who is traditionally believed to have brought Buddhism to Tibet?
    1. Dogen
    2. Mahinda
    3. Bodhidharma
    4. Nichiren
    5. Padmasambhava
54. What is the more common name of the Bardo Thodol?
    1. Great Sun Sutra
    2. Tibetan Book of the Dead
    3. Lotus Sutra
    4. Diamond Sutra
    5. Pali Canon
55. What is the Bardo Thodol text of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition about?
    1. Directions for how to cultivate special power through intense meditation
    2. Legendary stories about early Buddhist tantric masters and local deities in Tibet
    3. Instructions to help the dying achieve liberation in the stages between death and rebirth
    4. The levels of Buddhist heaven and hell
    5. Instructions on mantras to chant in order to erase bad karma and achieve a fruitful rebirth
56. Which incarnation of his line is the current Dalai Lama believed to be?
    1. Twelfth
    2. Twenty-fourth
    3. Ninth
    4. Second
    5. Fourteenth
57. Which Buddhist practice was alien to the social system and values in China?
    1. Temple building
    2. Ancestor veneration
    3. Bodhisattva veneration
    4. Monasticism
    5. Meditation
58. The “Happy Buddha” reflects which of the following important aspects of Chinese culture?
    1. Acceptance and celebration
    2. Wealth and abundance
    3. Wisdom and joy
    4. Children and worldly prosperity
    5. Frivolity and laughter
59. What is a stupa?
    1. A statue or idol of the Buddha or an important bodhisattva
    2. A geometric pattern or design used as a visual aid in meditation and ritual
    3. Memorials built over sacred objects including remains of major disciples and scripture
    4. A word puzzle given to Zen students to help them break out of conventional thinking
    5. A text containing Buddhist teachings or discourses
60. The term mudras refers to which of the following in the Buddhist traditions?
    1. Meditation Techniques
    2. Prayer Postures
    3. Chants
    4. Poetic Verses
    5. Hand Gestures
61. Buddhism’s intellectual and institutional influence lasted in India until when?
    1. 12^th century BCE
    2. 20^th century BCE
    3. 17^th century BCE
    4. 7^th century BCE
    5. 2^nd century BCE
62. Who led the conversion of thousands of dalits (untouchables) in India to Buddhism, himself included, in 1956?
    1. Bhagat Singh
    2. Mohandas K. Gandhi
    3. Bhimrao R. Ambedkar
    4. Jawaharlal Nehru
    5. Indira Gandhi
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?
    1. Syria
    2. India
    3. Thailand
    4. China
    5. Sri Lanka
64. Who was known as Tibet’s Joan of Arc for leading a rebellion against the Chinese takeover in 1949?
    1. Prajnatara
    2. Cheng Yen
    3. Zongchi
    4. Ani Pachen
    5. Wu Zeitan
65. According to the Buddhist understanding, the dharma will continue to decline until when?
    1. It will perpetually decline until the end of this illusory world
    2. Until the next buddha restarts the wheel
    3. Until the bodhisattvas answer prayers of the faithful
    4. Until enough people recognize our collective need for enlightenment
    5. Until cataclysmic events compel a shift in collective consciousness

True or False Questions

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

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

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

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

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

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

There are numerous stories that recountthe childhood of Shakyamuni.

The term “buddha” means “being striving for enlightenment.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Buddhist Tripitaka is also known as the Pali canon.

The Buddha taught that women are not able to achieve enlightenment; they must first be reborn as men.

The central authority in Buddhism is continued through succession back to Shakyamuni.

Following his conversion, King Ashok advanced Buddhism throughout China.

The predominant form of Buddhism in Sri Lanka is Mahayana.

The practice of giving alms to monks is known as a ritual called dana.

Theravada Buddhist practice a form of meditation known as vipassana.

The Theravada tradition teaches that numerous bodhisattvas and cosmic buddhas may be appealed to for help in achieving enlightenment.

The teaching of “skilful means” (upaya) in transmitting the Dharma is a central Mahayana doctrine.

Mahayana teachings on the perfection of wisdom, particularly in the Diamond Cutter Sutra and the Heart Sutra, emphasize the emptiness (shunyata) of all things.

According to the Mahayana Yogacara school, we can never know if external objects exist.

Pure Land Buddhism teaches admission into the heavenly region is free to all who have faith in Amitabha’s compassionate power.

The founder of Chan (Zen) Buddhism, emphasized faith in Buddha over any notion of self-powered attainment.

The koan are rational propositions meant for novices interested in practicing Buddhism.

The Caodong/Soto sect of CZen Buddhism seeks gradual spiritual enlightenment through extensive hours of zazen.

Followers of Vajrayana Buddhism refer to it as the “second turning of the wheel of dharma.”

Mantras must be spoken in order to be effective.

A new Dalai Lama is elected only after the spirits confirm the selection to the state oracle.

The effort to drive out the Rohingyas from Myanmar was seen as a Buddhist attack on Hinduism.

In modern Cambodia, the overthrow of Prince Norodom Sihanouk was followed by the return to the Buddhist kingship ideal of government.

In 1963, a monk named Thich Quang Duc, burned himself to death to call attention to persecution of Buddhists in Vietnam.

In South Korea, the family shrine dedicated to the ancestors is called butsudan, literally meaning “the Buddhist altar.”

Alfred North Whithead once said that Buddhism was “a metaphysic generating a religion.”

Over time, the bhikshuni sanha grew in numbers throughout many Buddhist countries.

Ani Pachen was known as Tibet’s Joan of Arc for leading a rebelling against Chinese take over in 1949.

Buddhists confidently taki refuge in Buddha, the great man, turned divine god.

Short Answer Questions

What teachings and beliefs in early Buddhism were shared with other Ganges spiritual traditions of the sixth century BCE? What teachings and beliefs were unique to early Buddhism?

Why is Buddhism sometimes called the “Middle Way” and how does this connect with the traditional story of Shakyamuni Buddha’s path to enlightenment?

According to Buddhist tradition, what were the stages of progression toward enlightenment that Shakyamuni experienced immediately after defeating Mara wherein an earthquake drove the lord of death away? What did he realize at each stage?

What are the Four Noble Truths? Briefly explain each.

What is the Buddhist concept of anatman? What does it mean for how personhood is understood?

What are the twelve links in the chain of dependent origination that reflect the movement from the past life through the present one and on to the future?

What are the “three baskets” of the Pali canon?

What were the points of controversy raised following the Vaishali Council in the fourth century BCE? Identify at least three.

Who was King Ashoka and what impact did he have on Buddhism?

What are the Five Precepts that the Theravada Buddhists promise to observe during the ritual known as Buddha-puja?

What are three ways that Mahayana Buddhists differ from the earlier Theravada Buddhists?

What is the Mahayana Buddhist doctrine of “three bodies” (trikaya)?

Why did Pure Land Buddhism present a remarkable transformation in the Buddhist idea of heaven?

What is the koan and why is it used?

How is a new Dalai Lama chosen, according to Tibetan Buddhist tradition?

Essay Questions

How is the traditional story of the life of Siddartha Gautama instructive of key Buddhist concepts? Explain with examples.

Explain, in your own words, the relationship between the Buddhist teachings of the Four Noble Truths, the three characteristics of existence, and the principle of dependent origination. Use an example to help your explanation.

What, on the whole, has been the Buddhist attitude toward women? Explain with specific reference to early Buddhist history, and note any differences between Buddhist traditions in your response.

Explain the differences between the Mahayana Buddhist tradition from the earlier Theravada Buddhism. What are some of the possible arguments each of these traditions could assert against the other to substantiate their position as the more authentic and true?

Identify Nagarjuna and then provide a summary of his paradoxical ideas of shunyata, that is, emptiness or nothingness.

Who was Dr. Bhimrao R. Ambedkar (1891–1956) and what role did he play in the reviving of Buddhism in India?

Explain the circumstances of Thich Quang Duc’s self-immolation. How can this be reconciled with Buddhist teaching?

In what ways have Buddhist teachings appealed to Westerners, and how might they continue to do so?