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BUDDHISM CHAPTER 4 EXAM QUESTIONS AND VERIFIED ANSWERS
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BUDDHISM CHAPTER 4 EXAM QUESTIONSAND VERIFIED ANSWERS
Where did Buddhism begin? - ANSWER Buddhism is one of the world's
oldest and most significant religions. It has spread through most of Asia,
influencing many cultures there, and is now gaining followers in the West. But
it had its beginning in India and arose from the experience of one person.
How was Buddha's birth miraculous? - ANSWER Siddhartha was born the son
of a prince of the Shakya tribe in what is today Nepal, in the lower Himalayas
Mountains. Legend says that his mother, Maya, dreamt that a white elephant
entered her side- this was the moment of conception of the future Buddha- and
that Siddhartha was born miraculously from her side. Siddhartha's mother died a
week after childbirth, and the boy was raised by his aunt.
What two options were foretold for the life of Siddhartha? What did his father
do about it? - ANSWER When a sage inspected the child, he saw special
marks on Siddhartha's body, indicating that he would be an illustrious person.
At his naming ceremony, priests foretold that his life could go in one of two
directions: either he would follow in his father's footsteps, inheriting his
position and becoming a great king, a "world ruler"; or, if he were exposed to
the sight of suffering he would become a great spiritual leader, a "world
teacher." Siddhartha's father, wanting his son to succeed him, took measures to
keep the boy from exposure to suffering. Kept in a large, walled palace
compound, Siddhartha grew up in luxury; married, at an early age, a young
woman his father had chosen; and had a son. He was educated and trained as a
warrior to prepare for eventually taking over his father's role.
What were the Four Passing Sights? - ANSWER He came across:
A. An old man , crooked and toothless
B. A sick man, wasted by disease
C. A corpse being taken for cremation
D. A sannyasin (a wandering holy man, a renunciate), who had no possessions
but seemed to be at peace
,What is the Great Going Forth? - ANSWER The Great Going Forth refers to
the event in which Siddhartha decided to escape. Legend tells how he took a last
look at his sleeping family and attendants and rode to the edge of the palace
grounds, where he gave his horse to his servant, removed his jewels, and cut off
his long black hair. Putting on simple clothing, he went out into the world with
nothing but questions.
What was the chief questions for which Siddhartha sought answers? -
ANSWER Begging for food and sleeping outdoors, Siddhartha spent about six
years seeking answers to his questions- particularly about the troubling facts of
suffering and death. His own mother died young, a death that was apparently
without meaning. Why, he often asked, is there suffering? Why do people have
to grow old and die? Is there a God or unchanging divine reality behind the
surface of things? Is there a soul? Is there an afterlife? Are we reborn? Can we
avoid suffering? How should we live?
How did Siddhartha try to prepare himself for the deeper insights that would
supply the answer to his questions? - ANSWER Seeking answers to his
questions, Siddhartha discovered that his teachers agreed on some issues but not
on others. So, in the company of five other nomadic "seekers" he set out to find
the answers he needed. To rid himself of distractions and to purify himself
spiritually, Siddhartha also practiced great austerity. Living on as little food,
drink, and sleep as possible, he hoped that he would find new insight and even
gain spiritual powers.
Why did Siddhartha's disciples desert him? - ANSWER Eventually, Siddhartha
collapsed from weakness. He was found resting under a sacred tree by a kind
woman, who had come from the nearby town of Gaya to worship the spirit of
the great tree. She offered him food, which he ACCEPTED gratefully and ate
under the shade of the tree, out of the sun. Once revived, Siddhartha realized
that his austerities had not strengthened him or brought him any closer to the
answers he sought. His five companions, having discovered Siddhartha's
rejection of asceticism, abandoned him.
What occurred under the bodhi tree which resembles an event in the life of
Jesus Christ? - ANSWER Being a practical person, Siddhartha decided to
adopt a path of moderation- a middle way between self-indulgence and
asceticism. He went to another tree, now called the Bodhi Tree, and sat facing
, the east, resolving to remain there in meditation until he had the understanding
he needed. Various traditions give different details, but every version talks of
his struggle with hunger, thirst, doubt, and weakness. Some stories describe the
work of an evil spirit, Mara, and his daughters who tempted Siddhartha with
sensuality and fear. But Siddhartha resisted all temptation. During one entire
night, as he sat meditating under a full moon, Siddhartha encountered
increasingly profound states of awareness. Legend says he saw past lives,
fathomed the laws of karma that govern everyone, and finally achieved insight
into release from suffering and rebirth. At last, at dawn, he reached a state of
profound understanding, called his Awakening, or Enlightenment (bodhi). He
saw suffering, aging, and death in a new way, recognizing them as an inevitable
part of life, but also seeing the possibility of release.
What does the name Buddha mean? - ANSWER Whatever the cause of his
enlightenment, Siddhartha arose and said that he was now a person who had
woken up. From this came his new name: the Buddha, the Awakened One,
taken from a Sanskrit word meaning "to wake up."
Who became the Buddha's first disciples? - ANSWER At last the Buddha
traveled west. He explained his awakening to his five former companions at a
deer park at Sarnath, near Benares. Although they had parted with him earlier
for abandoning his ascetic habits, they reconciled with him and became his first
disciples.
What was Buddha's final insight? - ANSWER When he was 80, legend says,
the Buddha ate food offered by a well-meaning blacksmith named Chunda, but
the food was spoiled and the Buddha became terribly sick. Sensing that he was
dying, he called his disciples. To those who were crying over his impending
death, he reminded them that everything must die- even the Buddha himself.
The Buddha's final instruction was this: Trust your own insights, and use self-
control to reach perfection and inner peace.
What does the image of the Reclining Buddha represent? - ANSWER
Following the pronouncement of his impending death, the Buddha turned on his
right side and died. The many sculptures and paintings of the so-called
Reclining Buddha may be images of his serene moment of death. In any case,
Buddhists idealize the Buddha's attitude toward death as a model for everyone.
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