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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. Why does the Dalai Lama say he would prefer hell to heaven?

2. What is the dessert that Archbishop Tutu most enjoys?

3. Which of the following is a pillar of the heart?

4. Why does the Dalai Lama say impermanence happens?

5. What does Abrams write that he is tempted to see humor as a universal index of?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Part IV, what does Abrams identify as the Dalai Lama's and Archbishop Tutu's default approach to any subject, no matter how painful?

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

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

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

5. In Part IV, what does Abrams identify as the so-called first pillar of the heart, and why is it so important?

6. In Part III, what does the Dalai Lama advise people to think of suffering as rather than a problem?

7. In Part III, what specific advice does the Dalai Lama offer about changing one's perspective for the better?

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

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Frequently throughout the book, Abrams emphasizes the ease and humor with with the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu interact with each other. What role does Abrams argue that humor plays in the cultivation of joy, and of the bonds of friendship between these two particular religious leaders? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 2

How would you explain the so-called "paradox of happiness" that the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Tutu discuss on page 261? Write an essay explaining your answer, and explore how this concept relates to the pillars of joy in general.

Essay Topic 3

Are the Dalai Lama's and Archbishop Desmond Tutu's teachings about forgiveness - and the human capacity for forgiveness - realistic? Write an essay explaining your opinion, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

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