Exam 4: Theravada Buddhism The Middle Way

Compare and contrast the Theravada Buddhist and Hindu teachings, using the "framework for understanding" developed in Chapter 1. Which religious worldview do you prefer? Why?

According to Theravada Buddhist teaching, what appear to be our separate identities really are__________.

Buddhism is a rich religious tradition with three main strands, Hinayana or __________, Mahayana, and Vajrayana.

Which of the following Theravada Buddhist precepts is required for monks and nuns but not for lay people.

Explain and defend the following claim: Theravada Buddhism is "atheistic," but not in the sense this term is commonly understood.

Which of these "four passing sights" showed Siddartha Gautama a potential way to escape the suffering of existence?

Summarize the Buddha's "Parable of the Mustard Seed" and discuss how it expresses the heart of the Four Noble Truths.

The Pali Canon includes the __________.

The Second Noble Truth states __________.

Why is it wrong to speak of nirvana as a "Buddhist heaven"?

The "Middle Way" is defined by the __________.

Siddartha Gautama became the Buddha when he __________.

Describe the three major turning points in the life of Siddhartha Gautama (according to the religious biography accepted by his followers).

After the age of destruction in the current cosmic cycle, Buddhists believe that __________ will usher in a new age of cosmic harmony.

The "Parable of the Arrow" teaches the Buddhist to __________.

In the twenty-first century Theravada Buddhism has begun to revive in __________, where it had almost vanished.