Shin Buddhism in Modern Culture

Chapter 4 – The Mahayana Background: The Logic of Compassion

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Which of the following does *not* illustrate the idea of complete Universality of Salvation?
- the transfer of merit
- universal Buddha nature
- exclusion of evil people and women
2. The great teachers of the Kamakura period appealed to which of the following groups?
- the masses
- the elite
- the scholars
3. In ancient India, Upanishadic mysticism undermined the aristocratic and priestly dominance of the religion of the Vedas by:
- making the cultivation of the spirit to achieve union with Brahman all important
- focusing on sacrifices and magic
- rejecting the doctrine of Ahimsa or non-injury
4. Which of the following statements regarding early Buddhism is TRUE? It:
- was able to avoid the aristocratic tendency of the Vedic religion
- like Upanishadic mysticism, eventually fell into an elitism of the spiritually and intellectually competent
- was completely universal in its approach
5. With the development of Mahayana Buddhism, enlightenment and liberation became accessible to all. This trend is evident in the Mahayana concepts of:
- self-power and self-reliance
- social rigidity and immobility
- universal Buddha nature and the salvation of evil people
6. The trend to complete universality of salvation may be observed in the story of Boddhisattva Dharmakara. He vowed that he would:
- not accept enlightenment unless all beings could share in it
- become enlightened for himself alone
- enlighten all beings first, then attain it himself
7. According to D.T. Suzuki, a great turning point in the evolution of Buddhist thought was marked by the development of the concept of:
- merit-transference
- non-violence
- individual salvation
8. The concept of upaya or hoben, commonly called tactful means, is a central doctrine in Mahayana Buddhism because it:
- limits the teachings to the priestly class
- brings the teachings within every person’s reach
- promotes the building of stupas and ceremonial halls
9. The story of the Dragon girl in the Lotus Sutra illustrates:
- the fact that women have to be reborn as men to achieve Buddhahood
- that women are completely barred from Buddhahood
- the idea that women can attain Buddhahood through faith
10. Honen also rejected elitism by teaching that:
- salvation had no correlation to social position
- enlightenment depended upon intelligence and social status
- evil people had no chance of being saved
11. Shinran gave deeper theological interpretation to the meaning of universal compassion by:
- teaching that our salvation is assured through Amida’s compassion
- stressing the importance of self-effort
- denouncing the teachings of Honen

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Thought Questions

1. This chapter and the previous one have taken up the background of Mahayana Buddhism and its two basic perspectives. In what ways can a combination of the two — wisdom and compassion — be applied to the problems in religion and society that we face today?

2. We have seen how easily a religion such as Buddhism can become elitist. What are the forces that cause this tendency? Is elitism, in your opinion, present in Buddhism today? What can be done to make Buddhism available to all on a universal scale?

3. In your own words try to explain the concept of upaya, or hoben, commonly called Convenient Means. What is upaya and why is it such an important part of Mahayana Buddhist doctrine?

4. What do you think Honen was implying when he said that people who understand all the teachings of Shaka should behave like simple-minded folks?