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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Which does Chodron consider more emotionally challenging: loving-kindness or compassion?
(a) Loving-kindness, because people can be annoying.
(b) Compassion, because it involves looking at things in a new way.
(c) Loving-kindness, because it is easy to want to retaliate.
(d) Compassion, because it involves feeling pain.

2. What does the author argue that we do to sow the seeds of our own suffering?
(a) "Most of us keep strengthening our negative habits."
(b) "Most of us fail to notice that the world is full of love."
(c) "Most of us believe that we are separate from others, and seek only our own good."
(d) "Most of us focus our energies on problems."

3. Which of the following does Chodron recommend?
(a) Relax slowly into meditation, and it will be less strenuous on your body.
(b) Remember only positive moments from the past.
(c) Do not eat food that will make your mind race.
(d) Do not expect applause.

4. What does the author compare with the rawness of a broken heart?
(a) Bodhichitta.
(b) Meditation.
(c) Yoga.
(d) Nirvana.

5. What is the first stage of the formal practice of maitri?
(a) Closing our eyes, and taking a deep breath to relax the body.
(b) Decide that we will do no harm.
(c) Standing in the first yoga position.
(d) Engendering loving-kindness for ourselves.

Short Answer Questions

1. How does Chitta translate?

2. What made Geshe Chekawa interested in publicizing the lojong slogans?

3. How many steps does the aspiration practice for compassion have?

4. What three difficulties does the slogan "train in three difficulties" encourage?

5. What does tonglen literally mean?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the role of interconnectedness in the kind of training that Chodron proposes?

2. What is tonglen?

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

4. What does the Buddhist teaching tell us that all other beings have been over the course of many lifetimes?

5. Under what conditions does the author claim that people can "train" to be a warrior?

6. Why does the author include an anecdote about finding her boyfriend "passionately embracing another woman"?

7. What are the three lords of materialism?

8. What are the lojong teachings?

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

10. Why does Pema Chodron argue that most of us sow the seeds of our own suffering?

(see the answer keys)

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