Buddhist

Question 1

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

Answer 1

Ashoka

Question 2

What does the Tripitaka or Pali Canon consist of?

Answer 2

Discourses on dharma, monastic rules, and systematic treatises

Question 3

Which of the following was NOT a Japanese form of Buddhism?

Answer 3

Hwaom

Question 4

By what title was Siddartha Gautama first known?

Answer 4

Shakyamuni

Question 5

What is the traditional place of the Buddha’s enlightenment, now a major pilgrimage sight?

Answer 5

Bodh Gaya

Question 6

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

Answer 6

Tathagata

Question 7

What is the gongan (‘koan’ in Japanese)?

Answer 7

A paradoxical thought exercise designed to defy rational understanding and propel the student toward enlightenment

Question 8

The collection of ‘birth stories’, or tales of the Buddha’s previous lives, are called:

Answer 8

Jataka

Question 9

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

Answer 9

Fifth to sixth century BCE

Question 10

Which of the following is NOT a form of Chinese Mahayana Buddhism?

Answer 10

Nichiren

Question 11

The Madhyamika (‘Middle Way’) school was founded by:

Answer 11

Nagarjuna

Question 12

Vajrayana is also known as

Answer 12

Tantric Buddhism and The ‘third turning of the wheel of dharma

Question 13

‘Hinayana’, which Theravada is sometimes called, means:

Answer 13

Little Vehicle

Question 14

The term ‘Buddha’ literally means:

Answer 14

Fully Enlightened One

Question 15

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

Answer 15

A sick man, an old man, a dead man, and a monk

Question 16

What simple form of meditation, meaning ‘insight’ or ‘mindfulness’, is practiced by Theravada Buddhists?

Answer 16

Vipassana

Question 17

The sacred geometric design used in Vajrayana Buddhist practice is called a:

Answer 17

Mandala

Question 18

The term anatman means:

Answer 18

“No-Self” or “No-Soul”

Question 19

Which of the following is NOT a common mudra or hand gesture found in depictions of the Buddha?

Answer 19

‘Strength’: Right hand tightened into a fist, representing the strength of wisdom

Question 20

The term ‘nirvana’, in Buddhism, refers to:

Answer 20

The State of Enlightenment

Question 21

Colorful strips of cloth often found in temples, which often have symbols, mantras, and prayers printed on the, are called:

Answer 21

Prayer Flags

Question 22

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

Answer 22

The appearance of body, body of bliss, and dharma body

Question 23

What are the three main traditions or ‘vehicles’ of Buddhism?

Answer 23

Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana

Question 24

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

Answer 24

The cosmos have no beginning, middle, or end

Question 25

What vow were Mahayana Buddhists, both lay and monastic, encouraged to take?

Answer 25

Bodhisattva Vow

Question 26

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

Answer 26

That he would become either a great emperor or a fully enlightened being

Question 27

What Bodhisattva of compassion is sometimes referred to as the 'Virgin Mary of East Asia'?

Answer 27

Guanyin

Question 28

The Buddhist Monastic community consists or ordained men and women called:

Answer 28

Bhikshus and Bhikshunis

Question 29

In the Buddhist tradition, the term 'dharma' means:

Answer 29

Teaching

Question 30

Who is traditionally believed to have brought Buddhism to Tibet?

Answer 30

Padmasambhava

Question 31

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

Answer 31

Dr. Bhimrao R. Ambedkar

Question 32

Which of the following was NOT a disagreement between newer Mahayana and older Theravada forms of Buddhism?

Answer 32

The importance of meditation and scripture

Question 33

What Buddhist practice did not originally sit well with the social system and values in China?

Answer 33

Monasticism

Question 34

What are the two schools or sub-sects of Southern Chan Buddhism known as?

Answer 34

gradual and sudden

Question 35

What are the 'Three Jewels' in Buddhism?

Answer 35

The Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha

Question 36

The term 'arhat' means:

Answer 36

Worthy One or Saint

Question 37

A stupa is:

Answer 37

A mound or structure built over an important relic, which becomes a pilgrimage site

Question 38

In Buddhist tradition, Mara is:

Answer 38

The Lord of Death

Question 39

According to what Mahayana school can we pray to Amitabha Buddha to be reborn in his realm, and from there achieve enlightenment?

Answer 39

Pure Land

Question 40

Chan was founded by:

Answer 40

Bodhidhamra

Question 41

Who is the pot-bellied 'Happy Buddha' in Chinese culture, derived from the bodhisattva Maitreya?

Answer 41

Milo

Question 42

To what does the Buddha's parinirvana refer?

Answer 42

His death, and moment of final release from the cycle of rebirth.