Student Quiz: Chapter 9 | Concise Intro to World Religions | Higher Education

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Question 1:

Which of the following texts is traditionally thought to consist of Confucius' teachings as recorded by his followers?
a) The Book of Changes (I Ching)
b) The Analects
c) The Dao De Jing (The Classic of the Way and its Virtue)
d) The Baopuzi (The Master Who Embraces Simplicity)

Question 2:

Which of the following statements is not true of Confucius' understanding of Heaven (Tian)?
a) Heaven is an impersonal force that reinforces human morality.
b) Heaven is a physical place where deceased ancestors dwell.
c) Heaven is a deity that is interested in human conduct and can interact with individuals (especially political leaders).
d) Heaven displaced Shangdi (the ancestral deity of the Shang dynasty).

Question 3:

Which of the following is not one of Confucius' Five Relationships?
a) Husband–wife
b) Elder friend–younger friend
c) Father–son
d) Master–slave

Question 4:

For Confucius, behaving correctly towards one’s parents could be characterized as ________.
a) Ren: ‘benevolence’
b) Xiao: ‘filial piety’
c) Li: ‘ritual propriety’
d) All of the above.

Question 5:

Identify the correct pair of statements out of the following:
a) Mencius: Human nature is good. Xunzi: Human nature is good.
b) Mencius: Human nature is good. Xunzi: Human nature is evil.
c) Mencius: Human nature is evil. Xunzi: Human nature is good.
d) Mencius: Human nature is evil. Xunzi: Human nature is evil.

Question 6:

Which of the following descriptions of Zhu Xi’s life/philosophy is not true?
a) His teachings became the central curriculum for Chinese civil service examinations in 1313.
b) He expanded Confucian thought by incorporating a detailed metaphysical system, based on the interaction between principle (li) and matter-energy (qi).
c) He believed human nature could be perfected by studying Confucian classics
d) He was a great success during his lifetime, eventually serving as the prime minister of a large state in central China.
e) None of the above.

Question 7:

The Confucian concept of the Mandate of Heaven, proposed by Confucius himself and elaborated on by Mencius, was an influential part of the Chinese understanding of political leadership. Which of the following is the best summary of this doctrine?
a) The ruler’s actions and judgments are always correct, as they are as natural as the progression of the stars through the Heavens.
b) The ruler should use whatever means necessary, even extreme punishments (the ‘Wrath of Heaven’), to ensure political stability.
c) The ruler is an intermediary between the human and the divine realms.
d) The ruler is a reincarnation of Shangti (the Lord on High).

Question 8:

For Laozi (Lao-tzu), ruling the country properly required kings to adhere to ________.
a) Li (ritual propriety)
b) Zheng ming (the rectification of names)
c) Wu Xing (the five elements)
d) Wuwei (non-action)

Question 9:

For Laozi and Zhuangzi (Chuang-tzu), the Dao could be characterized in three distinct ways. Identify the incorrect characterization out of the following:
a) Dao is the origin of the cosmos.
b) Dao is the operational principle of the cosmos.
c) Dao is the rational, intellectual mind.
d) Dao is the correct path of human practice.

Question 10:

Which of the following best characterizes Zhuangzi’s approach to human life?
a) People should change the world through involvement in politics.
b) People should abandon rationality and subjectivity in favour of a life of free-¬and-easy wandering.
c) People should relate to each other by following the rules of ritual propriety (li).
d) People should spend their lives concocting elixirs of immortality.

Question 11:

Which of the following statements about the Heavenly Masters school is not true?
a) It was founded after Zhang Daoling saw a vision of Laozi.
b) It is characterized by its hereditary leadership.
c) Its monks are celibate and they abstain from alcohol.
d) Its headquarters are currently located in Taiwan.

Question 12:

Which of the following was not an important practice in Daoist Inner Alchemy?
a) Embryonic respiration
b) Spirit possession
c) Visualization of light passing through the body
d) Qigong exercises

Question 13:

What is the name of the ‘ethical society’ that bases its teachings on a syncretistic union of all Chinese religious traditions?
a) Quanzhen
b) Lingbao
c) Yiguandao
d) Daojiao

Question 14:

The term ‘Feng Shui’, a system of Chinese geomancy, can literally be translated as ________.
a) ‘dragon and monkey’
b) ‘earth science’
c) ‘wind and water’
d) ‘energy mapping’

Question 15:

One of the most significant days in the Chinese ritual calendar is Qingming, whose name can literally be translated as ‘clear and bright’. What is the primary focus of Qingming?
a) Sweeping the graves of deceased relatives.
b) Bathing an image of the Buddha
c) Burning offerings to the Stove God
d) Eating a harvest feast (which includes the consumption of moon cakes)

Higher Education

A Concise Introduction to World Religions: Chapter 9