Take this Buddhism 101 Quiz! Easy Trivia | Religion

Answer: Siddhartha Gautama

Siddhartha Gautama was born into a royal family in the Indo-Nepal region. Most accounts state that he was a prince with a young family. Born into wealth, he was kept isolated from the misery and poverty of the common man. One day he happened to step outside the boundaries of his royal household and came across sickness and death among the people.

This moved him so much that he took up the life of a monk to find a way out of the sickness, misery, and death that were inevitable in human life.

Answer: Nepal

Lumbini in Nepal is regarded as the birthplace of the Buddha, and is an important pilgrimage site for followers of this religion. It is located close to the India-Nepal border. Lumbini was designated as a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1997 and also features on a 100-rupee note issued by Nepal.

Bodh Gaya, a small town in the Indian state of Bihar, is the site where Buddha attained enlightenment.

Answer: Mahayana

Mahāyāna and Theravada are the two main branches of Buddhism. With around 53% of Buddhist followers, Mahāyāna is regarded as the larger of the two. Both the branches share the core precepts of the religion, including belief in the Buddha, the Eight Fold Path and the Four Noble Truths.

Theravada is the more conservative branch which continues to use the ancient language of Pali for its scriptures and worship. Mahāyāna has adopted some of the local customs as it spread through various parts of Asia.

It also includes chants and mantras which are recited in Sanskrit, while in Theravada the focus is on meditation. Theravada is practiced in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar while Mahāyāna has followers mainly in Nepal, Japan, China, Tibet, and Korea.

Answer: Tripitaka

Tripitaka is the traditional term for Buddhist scriptures. In Theravada Buddhism, this is also referred to as the Pali Canon, as the original scriptures are preserved that were written in Pali. The Mahāyāna tradition includes other scriptures that were written later in time as part of the religious texts.

The Tripitaka were originally passed down through generations by means of oral traditions. They are believed to have been first put into written form around 1 BC, when the monks feared loss of this canon through famine or war that then swept through the region.

Answer: Ashoka

Ashoka was an emperor of the Maurya Dynasty of India and reigned from 268 - 232 BC. At the time, the Maurya Dynasty ruled over most of the Indian subcontinent and the vastness of the empire led to Ashoka being known as Ashoka the Great. In 260 BC, Ashoka fought the Kalinga War against the state of Kalinga, a small independent state in eastern India.

This war is often referred to as one of the bloodiest of its time, and was the only major one fought during Ashoka's rule. The widespread death and destruction brought about a change of heart for the Emperor, who then converted to Buddhism, a more peaceful way of life. Ashoka was key to the spread of Buddhism to various parts of Asia, and this was carried on by his children after his death.

Answer: Cambodia

The Theravada branch of Buddhism is the official religion of Cambodia. It is followed by over 95% of the people of the country. Buddhism has been prevalent in Cambodia since the 5th century AD. Except during the Khmer Rouge period, Buddhism has been the state religion of Cambodia for a major part of its history since 5 AD.

This is also upheld in the Constitution of the country. In comparison, India and Nepal, where Buddhism first originated, are majority Hindu countries with Buddhists forming a relatively small part of the population.

Answer: Samsara

Samsara is the endless cycle of birth, suffering in life, death and then rebirth. The word is originally from Sanskrit, and brings up the image of a cyclical world. This concept is also found in other Indian religions such as Hinduism and Jainism.

Answer: Nirvana

Nirvana is the liberation from samsara - the endless cycle of birth, suffering, death, and rebirth. It is also called moksha. Nirvana is the state of tranquility and calmness attained after the body is freed from all suffering. To achieve this, one must let go of attachments to the world and all material pleasures.

Answer: Vipassana

Vipassanā is a meditation technique central to Theravada Buddhism. In Mahāyāna Buddhism, the focus is more on the recital of chants and mantras. Vipassanā is an emptying of the mind of all thoughts while being mindful of every activity done by the body including breathing.

This meditation can be done over the course of a day or several days, and during this period all interactions are limited and a code of silence is maintained to avoid cluttering the mind with thoughts.

Answer: Dalai Lama

The Dalai Lama is the title given to the spiritual head of the Tibetan Buddhist people. The current Dalai Lama is the fourteenth in this tradition, having assumed the title in 1940. Since the annexation of Tibet by China, many Tibetan Buddhists have fled the country in an attempt to preserve their religious and cultural traditions.

The Dalai Lama himself sought asylum in India and is now also the political head of Tibetan government in exile.