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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 cause does the author attribute his unnatural attachment to a particular type of object?

2. The author states that what elements are just tools to help the brain sort the importance of various thoughts?

3. What type of plant does the author now recognize as beautiful after his meditation retreat?

4. What is Robert Zajonc's field of expertise?

5. The author states that the idea of enlightenment is to take what action in regard to one's delusions?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe Plato's use of the horse and charioteer analogy to comment on the relationship between feelings and the rational self.

2. Explain the emptiness doctrine presented by the author within the chapter entitled Encounters with the Formless.

3. What three careers are used to characterize the three different schools of meditation and on which type does the author focus within Buddhism is True?

4. What is the significance of the author's discussion of the Capgras delusion?

5. What connection does the author make between awareness and control and how is paradox used within the author's discussion of this connection?

6. Discuss an instance when the author points out a potential pitfall of a regular meditation practice.

7. What is the significance of the author's anecdote about the sound of a buzz saw?

8. What is the RAIN technique discussed by the author and how can it help quell a harmful urge?

9. In what way does the author use the appeal of ethos within the chapter entitled "Encounters with the Formless"?

10. For what purpose does the author discuss his disagreement with a prominent meditation teacher?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

What ultimate message is Robert Wright's book Buddhism is True sending about the nature and value of compassion?

Essay Topic 3

How does the author use sensory details in order to paint a vivid portrait of the historical events he depicts within the book? Discuss at least two scenes that include extensive use of sensory details and pull quotes from these scenes to support your claim.

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