View a FREE sample

This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What Huston Smith says the book is not.
(a) A balanced account of the subjects of the book
(b) A book to give a specific descriptions of world religions
(c) A guide to base values of significant religions
(d) A book on comparative religions

2. Who is Siddhartha Gautama of the Sakya?
(a) The first Hindu.
(b) The founder of Sikhism.
(c) The awakened one, the Buddha.
(d) The author of the Hindu Vidas.

3. Under what condition does Hinduism allow for self-gratification of the senses?
(a) So long as it is only for spiritual growth
(b) So long as it benefits society
(c) So long as it does not last long
(d) So long as it does not harm others

4. How did the Taoist church devise a way of harnessing higher power for human benefit?
(a) By perfecting astrology
(b) By organizing religious retreats
(c) By assuming the reality of magical intervention
(d) By opening schools for magicians

5. How is Western thought different from Hinduism in the matter of imperfection?
(a) Western thought suggests getting as far away from imperfection as possible; whereas, Hinduism avows a purpose of by-passing imperfection altogether.
(b) Hinduism says there are no imperfections.
(c) Western thought says that imperfection is an illusion; whereas, Hinduism accepts it as reality.
(d) Western thought says there are no imperfections.

6. What does the Tao Te Ching say about Taoism?
(a) Anyone can understand its meaning
(b) It has nothing to do with the universe
(c) Mere words cannot explain it
(d) It is easily explained to a novice

7. What historical event occurred just as Confucius began teaching?
(a) The collapse of the Chou Dynasty
(b) The arrival of Marco Polo
(c) The birth of Mohammed
(d) The Peloponnesian War

8. What are the Hindu stages of life?
(a) Birth, separation, retirement, death
(b) Fetus, birth, education, work
(c) Student, marriage, retirement, detachment
(d) Infant, student, career, enjoyment

9. What did Confucius propose as a better way for society?
(a) Forget old traditions and create new ones
(b) Form political parties to work out differences
(c) Reinstate the Chou Dynasty and go back to the way things were
(d) Redirect thinking into a conscious reorientation of traditional behaviors

10. What did Confucius stress about the elderly?
(a) They should be isolated.
(b) They should be euthanized.
(c) They should be forgotten.
(d) They should be venerated.

11. According to Hinduism who has the spiritual ideas of infinite being, infinite awareness, and infinite bliss?
(a) Only one individual per lifetime has this knowledge.
(b) Only the oldest gurus understand these things.
(c) All humans already posses these things but until a certain point they remain hidden.
(d) Only philosophers can possess that information.

12. To what other notable teacher has Confucius been compared?
(a) Aristotle
(b) Horace Mann
(c) Socrates
(d) Jesus

13. How does Sri Ramakrishna illustrate the experience all the great world religions?
(a) He advocates trying out all religions for the best fit.
(b) He suggests that such questions are frivolous.
(c) He says each experience will reach a different goal.
(d) Whether you climb a ladder, a rope, or a bamboo pole, you still reach the same goal.

14. What was the subject matter of the Buddha's first sermon?
(a) The Wheel of Fortune
(b) The Four Nobel Truths
(c) The Way to Enlightenment
(d) The Eight-fold Path

15. What is the result of seeking wealth, fame, and power?
(a) Either celebrity or noteriety
(b) A lifetime of hard work
(c) More failure than success
(d) Competition, which is always precarious

Short Answer Questions

1. Eventually, how do Hindu minds conceive of God?

2. The two men Huston Smith regards as having the greatest impact on the world as we know it today.

3. How does Confucianism conflict with the yogi idea of finding God?

4. How do Hindus tend to look at Sikhs?

5. What is more or less the same in all forms of Buddhism?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 763 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample