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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. To what other notable teacher has Confucius been compared?

2. What is the ultimate reality of Taoism?

3. What is the result of seeking wealth, fame, and power?

4. What is the Zen koan?

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

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the last stage of spiritual awareness in Hinduism called sannyasin.

2. Describe in one sentence the basic tenet of Hinduism.

3. Briefly describe the impact of Confucius on the Chinese.

4. What is the symbolism of the rafts in Buddhism?

5. Simply stated, how do the three approaches to Taoism come together?

6. How does Taoism look at the weak and the deformed?

7. What is the ultimate goal of Hinduism?

8. In what way is Buddhism a religion of introspection?

9. What is the gist of Philosophical Taoism?

10. How does Sri Ramakrishna explain the Hindu tolerance of other religions?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay on how your preconceived ideas of one or more of the religions examined in the book have changed. Describe what you knew about the religion before the study and how the study changed your viewpoint of the religion.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay on one of the religions studied in this book that is different from your own but that you found to be the most interesting. Explain why it interested you and what you got from studying this religion.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay on different approaches to suffering. All religions recognize the existence of suffering but approach the subject in different ways. Select two or three religious teachings on suffering and draw either parallels or contradictions.

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