Buddhism

Question 1

The Buddha (Siddhartha)

Answer 1

Born into a royal family and abandoned it to pursue Middle Path. Through yogic meditation and under a pipal tree, Siddhartha achieved enlightenment (escaped the cycle of birth and rebirth)

Question 2

Ashoka “The Great”(r. 272-231 BCE)

Answer 2

Ruled over most of the Indian subcontinent – uniting diverse realms under the umbrella of Buddhism
Avid patron of Buddhist stupas

Question 3

Torana

Answer 3

Indian gateway, usually of stone, marking the entrance to a Buddhist shrine or stupa or to a Hindu temple

Question 4

Aniconism

Answer 4

opposition to the use of icons or visual images to depict religious figures or living creatures.

Question 5

Circumambulation

Answer 5

the act of moving around a sacred object or idol.

Question 6

Nirvana

Answer 6

the ultimate goal of becoming enlightened and free from the cycle of rebirth and suffering

Question 7

Karma

Answer 7

a natural law that explains how a person’s actions, thoughts, and words lead to consequences

Question 8

Jatakas

Answer 8

a collection of Buddhist stories about the Buddha’s previous lives

Question 9

Samsara

Answer 9

the endless cycle of life, death, and rebirth that is considered to be painful and unsatisfactory

Question 10

Mandala

Answer 10

Buddhist devotional images often deemed a diagram or symbol of an ideal universe