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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 advice did the author receive as a six year old?

2. Where does the title of the book come from?

3. How does Chondron describe our "fundamental energy"?

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

5. What is the compassionate aspiration that the author begins with as she begins to teach?

Short Essay Questions

1. What are the four limitless qualities?

2. Why does Chodron mention a walled, protected community in Florida?

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

4. What is bodhichitta?

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

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

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

8. What are the three principles that the Buddha taught to be characteristic of human existence?

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

10. What do the vajrayana Buddhists believe about emotions?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is groundlessness for Chodron? Why is this important?

Essay Topic 2

How does Chodron define joy? How does she suggest we cultivate it?

Essay Topic 3

According to Chodron, what are the four limitless qualities? Why are they important? How are they cultivated? Does the author suggest which ones are most important?

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