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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 author claim that sitting meditation cultivates?

2. What does the author experience after finding her boyfriend "passionately embracing" another woman?

3. Which of the two witnesses does Chodron say we should hold?

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

5. What helps teach us the four qualities of maitri?

Short Essay Questions

1. According to Chodron, what is our relationship with enlightenment?

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

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

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

5. What are the four limitless qualities?

6. How did the nineteenth century yogi Patrul Rinpoche suggest arousing compassion?

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

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

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

10. What are the stages of the formal practice of tonglen?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What does Chodron mean when she says to do no harm? How is this beneficial? What makes it difficult?

Essay Topic 2

Does the author present herself as an authority on the topic of Buddhism? How?

Essay Topic 3

According to Chodron, what are the lojong slogans? How do they compliment the teachings in the other sections of the book? What are they used for? Which lojong slogan does the author describe in greatest detail?

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