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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. In what state did the author attend his very first silent meditation retreat?
2. What disorder does the author say makes it difficult for him to meditate?
3. What two drugs does the author say he imagines produce results similar to the feelings he had after a particularly good session of meditation at his first retreat?
4. What is the meaning of the term metta?
5. When ancient Buddhist writings mention the term sati, what does the word mean in English?
Short Essay Questions
1. Discuss the author's use of the anecdote regarding his tense jaw.
2. What is witness consciousness, according to the author?
3. To whom does the author recommend a meditation practice?
4. How does the author go about trying to depict the bliss he feels as a result of meditation?
5. How does the author use the example of bodily fluids in order to demonstrate the differences between Western Buddhism and Traditional Buddhism?
6. What is the nature of the author's characterization of a meditation retreat?
7. What does the author say about his own level of enlightenment and why?
8. Discuss the author's decision to begin the book with an allusion to the film The Matrix.
9. What is the author's analysis of the human fear of public speaking?
10. Discuss the tendency of humans to engage in self-inflation.
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
Examine Robert Wright's use of characterization methods to portray himself within the narrative. What effects do these characterization methods have on the book's inherent themes and messages?
Essay Topic 2
Examine how Robert Wright's book Buddhism is True invites readers to learn particular lessons from the author's own experiences and to apply those lessons to their own lives. How does the author accomplish this goal and how does this goal relate to the overarching themes of the text?
Essay Topic 3
Discuss the author's decision to include humor within the text of the book Buddhism is True. What purpose the author have in mind when including these instances of humor and how does the inclusion of these instances support the overarching themes and messages of the text?
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This section contains 1,350 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) |
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