Quick Review Flashcards - Click to flip and test your knowledge!
Question
In which century BCE did Jainism and Buddhism emerge as potent religious reform movements in India?
Answer
The sixth century BCE.
Question
Which metal's tools enabled people in the Later Vedic Age to clear forests and expand agriculture?
Answer
Iron.
Question
What were the larger and more powerful independent kingdoms in ancient India called?
Answer
Mahajanapadas.
Question
Which Jain source consists of 12 parts compiled by Mahavira's disciples?
Answer
The Angas.
Question
What is the collective Sanskrit name for the 12 Angas of Jainism?
Answer
Dwadashangi.
Question
Which specific Anga deals with the code of conduct required for a Jain monk?
Answer
Aacharang Sutra.
Question
What is the more popular name for the Anga 'Vyakhyha Pragnapti' which expounds Jain doctrines?
Answer
Bhagavati Sutra.
Question
Besides the 12 Angas, the seers compiled 12 auxiliary works known as _____.
Answer
Upangas.
Question
In which language was the final collection of Jain scriptures made at the council in Valabhi?
Answer
Ardhmagadhi Prakrit.
Question
What does the literal meaning of the word 'Tripitika' translate to?
Answer
Three Baskets.
Question
In which language were the Buddhist Tripitikas written?
Answer
Pali.
Question
Which Pitaka deals specifically with the rules and regulations for Buddhist monks and nuns?
Answer
The Vinaya Pitaka.
Question
Which Pitaka comprises the discourses of Buddha and his disciples?
Answer
The Sutta Pitaka.
Question
What is the title of the important component of the Sutta Pitaka that contains Buddha's teachings?
Answer
The Dhammapada.
Question
Which Pitaka deals with Buddhist philosophy, including the working of the human mind?
Answer
The Abhidhamma Pitaka.
Question
Which Buddhist literary works describe the previous births of Buddha in human and animal form?
Answer
The Jatakas.
Question
Why did the agricultural economy of the Gangetic valley favour religions that preached non-violence?
Answer
Farmers needed animal protection for their iron-drawn ploughs.
Question
Which social class led the protest against the dominance of priestly rituals and the rigid caste system?
Answer
Kshatriyas.
Question
Why was the use of Sanskrit a cause for the rise of new faiths like Jainism and Buddhism?
Answer
The common people found it difficult to understand compared to local dialects.
Question
In Jainism, what term is used for saints or acharyas who guide people across the 'river of existence'?
Answer
Tirthankaras.
Question
Who was the first Tirthankara of Jainism?
Answer
Rishabhadev.
Question
Who was the twenty-third Tirthankara of Jainism?
Answer
Parshvanath.
Question
Where was Vardhamana Mahavira born?
Answer
Kundagrama near Vaishali in Bihar.
Question
What was the childhood name of Mahavira?
Answer
Vardhamana.
Question
At what age did Mahavira renounce the world to become an ascetic?
Answer
Thirty.
Question
What title was given to Mahavira after he conquered his desires and obtained supreme knowledge?
Answer
Jina.
Question
Where did Mahavira give his first sermon?
Answer
Mount Vipul at Rajgriha.
Question
Where did Mahavira attain salvation at the age of 72?
Answer
Pavapuri in Bihar.
Question
What are the three jewels (Tri-ratnas) of Jainism?
Answer
Right faith, right knowledge, and right conduct.
Question
List the five vows a Jain householder is expected to take.
Answer
Ahimsa, Asteya, Satya, Aparigraha, and Brahmacharya.
Question
Which of the five Jain vows was specifically added by Mahavira?
Answer
Brahmacharya (practising chastity).
Question
In Jain philosophy, what is the term for non-injury to living beings?
Answer
Ahimsa.
Question
What is the Jain term for 'not stealing'?
Answer
Achaurya (or Asteya).
Question
What is the Jain term for 'not possessing property'?
Answer
Aparigraha.
Question
In Jainism, how many 'Truths' are essential for a seeker to know for salvation?
Answer
Nine.
Question
What is the Jain term for 'living things' within the Nine Truths?
Answer
Jiva.
Question
What is the Jain term for the ultimate goal of freedom from worldly bonds?
Answer
Moksha.
Question
How does the Jain view of Karma differ from the Hindu view regarding liberation?
Answer
Jains believe good deeds alone liberate a man from the cycle of life and death.
Question
What is the term for the Jain practice of dying by starvation, considered a virtue?
Answer
Santhara (or Sallekhana).
Question
Which Mauryan ruler is said to have converted to Jainism in the later years of his rule?
Answer
Chandragupta Maurya.
Question
Which Jain sect, led by Sthulabhadra, wore white clothes?
Answer
Shvetambaras.
Question
Which Jain sect, led by Bhadrabahu, practiced nudity as a sign of detachment?
Answer
Digambaras.
Question
What was a major political impact of Jainism on the Kshatriyas who adopted it?
Answer
They lost their war-like instincts.
Question
Where are the famous Dilwara Jain temples located?
Answer
Mount Abu, Rajasthan.
Question
What is the name of the 57-foot tall Jain statue located at Shravanabelagola?
Answer
Bahubali (Gomateswara).
Question
What was the childhood name of Gautama Buddha?
Answer
Siddharth.
Question
To which clan did Gautama Buddha belong?
Answer
The Sakya clan of Kshatriyas.
Question
List the 'Four Great Sights' that changed Buddha's outlook on life.
Answer
An old man, a sick man, a dead body, and an ascetic.
Question
What term is used for Buddha's act of leaving his home in search of truth?
Answer
Mahabhiskramana (The Great Renunciation).
Question
At what age and where did Siddharth attain enlightenment?
Answer
At age 35 at Bodh Gaya in Bihar.
Question
What term is used for Buddha's first sermon at the Deer Park in Sarnath?
Answer
Dharmachakrapravartana (Turning of the wheel of law).
Question
Where did Gautama Buddha obtain Mahaparinirvana (death)?
Answer
Kushinagar in Uttar Pradesh.
Question
According to the Four Noble Truths, what is the cause of suffering?
Answer
Desire.
Question
What is the Eightfold Path also known as in Buddhism?
Answer
Ashtangika Marg (or the Middle Path).
Question
What is the ultimate goal of human life according to Buddhism?
Answer
Nirvana.
Question
What universal law did Buddha believe controlled the universe instead of a personal God?
Answer
Dharma.
Question
What was the name of the monastic order established to spread Buddhism?
Answer
The Sangha.
Question
What were the male and female members of the Buddhist Sangha called?
Answer
Bhikshus and Bhikshunis.
Question
In the Buddhist Sangha, what was the minimum age for membership?
Answer
15 years.
Question
What term refers to the ten commandments or virtues that Sangha members had to follow?
Answer
Paramita.