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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Chodron believe that we should do with the emotions related to our experiences?

2. What is the third lord of materialism?

3. What does the author recommend that we do with our sorrow?

4. What is the second of the three lords of materialism?

5. What is the first stage of the formal practice of maitri?

Short Essay Questions

1. What aspiration is used in the practice of loving-kindness?

2. Chodron asserts that there are two options in life. The first is "to grow up and relate to life directly." What is the second?

3. What does the slogan "train in three difficulties" mean?

4. What image of maitri does Chodron use to explain the concept?

5. What do Martin Luther King and Mother Teresa have in common, according to Chodron?

6. Why does Chodron describe the experience of a young woman who was in a foreign country, surrounded by people throwing stones at her?

7. What does Chodron compare to "tapping into a spring of living water that has been temporarily encased in solid rock"?

8. What are the qualities of maitri that are cultivated when we meditate?

9. What is bodhichitta?

10. What do the vajrayana Buddhists believe about emotions?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does Chodron define suffering? Where does she claim it comes from? How does she recommend avoiding it?

Essay Topic 2

What does Chodron mean by aspirations? How do these differ from affirmations? In the formal practice of aspirations, is there a difference in the aspirations for different qualities?

Essay Topic 3

For Chodron, what are the four limitless qualities? What are their near and far enemies?

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This section contains 737 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample