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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 the Dalai Lama say about Archbishop Tutu's father?

2. What does Archbishop Tutu think about developing one's sense of humor?

3. In Buddhism, who are one's most precious spiritual teachers?

4. What does the Dalai Lama say the Virgin Mary is a symbol of?

5. What is the dessert that the Dalai Lama most enjoys?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Part III, what does the Dalai Lama say happens when he prays to a certain statue in his home every morning?

2. In Part III, why does the Dalai Lama jokingly say he prefers to go to hell?

3. In Part III, in what way does the Dalai Lama say he considers himself a student at 80 years old?

4. In Part III, what does the Dalai Lama say about his feelings about his own safety and security in Dharamsala?

5. In Part IV, why does Archbishop Tutu say the ability to laugh at himself has served him well in life and allowed him to connect with people?

6. In Part IV, what does Brother David Steindl-Rast say about the relationship between gratitude and happiness?

7. In Part IV, what experience of Archbishop Tutu's has the greatest impact on his teachings and philosophies about forgiveness?

8. In Part III, what does Abrams's own father say after his terrible experience of traumatic brain injury?

9. In Part III, what does Jinpa say is the true measure of spiritual development?

10. In Part IV, what does the Dalai Lama say he learned on his flight from Japan to San Francisco in sitting next to a mother with young children?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does generosity of spirit relate to the practice of all the other pillars of joy, according to Abrams? Write an essay explaining your answer.

Essay Topic 2

In Part I of the book, how do the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu answer Abrams' question about how they maintain their levity in the face of their rigorous spiritual practices? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay analyzing Archbishop Tutu's feelings about his own relationship with his father. How does Tutu deal with his regret over his missed opportunity to speak with his father just before his father's death?

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This section contains 750 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample