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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 is the second of the three lords of materialism?

2. What is the final step of the formal practice of maitri?

3. Where did Atisha Dipankara take the bodhichitta teachings?

4. What does the author claim that bodhichitta training unlocks?

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

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

4. What are the stages of the formal practice of loving-kindness?

5. What is bodhichitta?

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

7. What ways does Chodron write that meditation can be misused?

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

9. What do the vajrayana Buddhists believe about emotions?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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

Essay Topic 2

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?

Essay Topic 3

For Chodron, what role do spiritual leaders that are mentioned throughout the text have? What importance does she give spiritual teachers in general? How does she characterize their relationships with their students? According to Chodron, what responsibilities do students have?

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