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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Chapters 13-16.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. On what object does the author say people should place themselves during meditation?
(a) A mat.
(b) A pillow.
(c) A bare floor.
(d) A cushion.

2. In the philosophical illustration focused on a charioteer and horses, what does the charioteer represent?
(a) The adrenal gland.
(b) The prefrontal cortex.
(c) The hypothalamus gland.
(d) The temporal lobe.

3. What do psychologists call the condition of "being stuck" in the natural human cycle of ultimately futile pleasure-seeking?
(a) The hedonic treadmill.
(b) The never-ending spiral.
(c) The hamster wheel.
(d) The great illusion.

4. What is the one thing that the author says natural selection "cares about" (3)?
(a) Procreation.
(b) Survival.
(c) Sustenance.
(d) Evolution.

5. What is NOT one of the five aggregates named by The Buddha when he first split the self into five aggregates?
(a) Feelings.
(b) Longings.
(c) The physical body.
(d) Mental formations.

Short Answer Questions

1. In what year did the author attend his first silent meditation retreat?

2. The Buddha stated that what emotion has a "poisoned root and honeyed tip" (30)?

3. Whom does the author name as being on the lowest end of the spectrum in relation to how easy it will be for a person to pick up meditation?

4. What is NOT a feeling listed by the author as one that fosters "wars and atrocities" (4)?

5. The word tanha is NOT translated as which word in English?

(see the answer key)

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