Life and Teachings
Which statement about Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is correct?
A) It is only the title of the Lotus Sutra
B) It exists only in the lives of Buddhas
C) It is the fundamental Law pervading the universe and all life, universal and eternal
D) It applies only to the present existence
C. It is the fundamental Law, inherent in all people and persisting through past, present, and future.
Which worlds make up the three evil paths?
A) Hell, hungry spirits, animals
B) Hell, asuras, humans
C) Hungry spirits, animals, asuras
D) Voice-hearers, cause-awakened ones, bodhisattvas
A. Hell, hungry spirits, and animals. Adding asuras makes the four evil paths.
"One in body, one in mind" is described by President Ikeda as:
A) Coerced uniformity, akin to fascism
B) True unity
C) The ideal organization
D) The spirit of Atsuhara
B. One in mind means that everyone works together based on faith, sharing the same goal and purpose. This is true unity.
Who are the 3 presidents of Soka Gakai? (Full names)
Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, Josei Toda, and Daisaku Ikeda.
Who is the historical founder of Buddhism, whose life and teachings in ancient India provided the foundational roots for the development of Buddhist thought?
B. The historical founder of Buddhism is Shakyamuni
What two calamities did the Daishonin predict would occur?
A) Internal strife and foreign invasion
B) Famine and pestilence
C) Earthquakes and fires
D) Drought and storms
A. Internal strife (Hojo Tokisuke Rebellion, 1272) and foreign invasion (Mongols, 1274) both came true.
What does the mutual possession of the Ten Worlds mean?
A) The Ten Worlds are separate realms
B) Only Buddhas possess all ten worlds
C) Each of the Ten Worlds contains all ten, so any life can manifest Buddhahood
D) Humans can reach heaven after death
C. A being manifesting any one world possesses all ten and can transform even hell into Buddhahood.
Which of the three proofs did the Daishonin value most?
A) Actual proof
B) Documentary proof
C) Theoretical proof
D) All equally
A. "Even more valuable than reason and documentary proof is the proof of actual fact" (WND-1, 599).
What is the significance of November 18?
C
What does the word "Buddha" literally translate to or mean?
The word Buddha literally translates to "the awakened one," "the enlightened one," or "one who has woken up."
Which disciple alone carried on the Daishonin's spirit after his death and named his writings "gosho"?
A) Nanjo Tokimitsu
B) Shijo Kingo
C) Toki Jonin
D) Nikko Shonin
D. Nikko Shonin was his successor and called the writings gosho, "honourable writings."
In the Ten Worlds, "perversity" characterizes the world of:
A) Animals
B) Asuras
C) Hungry spirits
D) Hell
A. Rage = hell, greed = hungry spirits, foolishness = animals, perversity = asuras, joy = heaven, calmness = humanity.
Practice for oneself and for others are compared to:
A) Food and seasoning
B) Roots and branches
C) A mirror and its polish
D) The two wheels of a cart
A. He compared it to how, when eating rice or noodles, the primary source of nourishment, seasonings such as salt or vinegar are used to enhance, or supplement, the flavour.
What is the significance of May 3rd?
D
How does Soka Gakkai philosophy connect the concept of "human revolution" with the goal of "kosen-rufu"?
A) Kosen-rufu is achieved through political reform first, which then forces individuals to undergo human revolution.
B) They are entirely separate goals; human revolution is personal, while kosen-rufu is strictly a political movement.
C. In Soka Gakkai, these two concepts are deeply interconnected as cause and effect.
Which event prompted the Daishonin to write "On Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land"?
A) The Mongol invasion
B) The Shoka-era earthquake of 1257
C) The Hojo Tokisuke Rebellion
D) The drought of 1271
B. The devastating Shoka-era earthquake in August 1257 prompted the treatise.
Based on the teaching that 'greed is that of hungry spirits', how is the life-state of the World of Hungry Spirits characterized?
A) A state of deep, selfless altruism focused entirely on uplifting others.
B) A peaceful, detached condition free from all desires and worries.
C) A condition of fiery anger driven by a need to defeat rivals and prove superiority.
D) A condition marked by an insatiable craving, unending thirst, and fixation on acquiring possessions, status, or pleasure that can never be permanently satisfied.
D. The world of hungry spirits, or the life state of hunger, is characterized by relentless craving and the suffering arising from such craving going unsatisfied.
Which is the most fundamental of the four devils?
A) Hindrance of the five components
B) Hindrance of death
C) Hindrance of the devil king of the sixth heaven
D) Hindrance of earthly desires
C. Nichiren Daishonin says that “The fundamental darkness manifests itself as the devil king of the sixth heaven” (WND-1, 1113)
According to Nichiren Buddhism, what is the ultimate purpose of the Lotus Sutra?
C. The supreme purpose of the Lotus Sutra is to reveal that every single person possesses the Buddha nature and can attain supreme awakening.
What are the four universal and unavoidable existential sufferings common to all human life as identified in Buddhism?
A) Poverty, loneliness, old age, and fear
B. These four physical realities form the baseline of universal suffering that moved Shakyamuni to seek enlightenment.
Which order did the persecutions occur in?
A) Komatsubara Persecution, Tatsunokuchi Persecution, Matsubagayatsu Persecution, Atsuhara Persecution
B) Tatsunokuchi Persecution, Atsuhara Persecution, Matsubagayatsu Persecution, Komatsubara Persecution
C) Matsubagayatsu Persecution, Komatsubara Persecution, Tatsunokuchi Persecution, Atsuhara Persecution
D) Atsuhara Persecution, Matsubagayatsu Persecution, Tatsunokuchi Persecution, Komatsubara Persecution
C. Matsubagayatsu Persecution (1260): Nembutsu followers launched a violent attack on Nichiren’s dwelling in Kamakura.
Komatsubara Persecution (1264): Nichiren and his followers were ambushed by an armed group led by a local steward in Awa Province, resulting in injuries and casualties.
Tatsunokuchi Persecution (1271): The military authorities arrested Nichiren and attempted a summary beheading at the Tatsunokuchi execution grounds, which failed due to a sudden celestial phenomenon.
Atsuhara Persecution (1279): A major crackdown, threats, and eventual execution targeting Nichiren’s lay peasant followers in Atsuhara Village
According to Nichiren Daishonin’s teachings regarding the location of the pure land and hell, what does he emphasize about these states?
C. Nichiren Daishonin writes: “Neither the pure land nor hell exists outside oneself; both lie only within one’s own heart."
According to the Daishonin, the purpose of Shakyamuni's appearance lies in:
A) His miraculous powers
B) His many sutras
C) His behaviour as a human being
D) His renunciation of the world
C. Daishonin states, “The purpose of the appearance in this world of Shakyamuni Buddha, the lord of teachings, lies in his behaviour as a human being” (WND-1, 852).
What is the significance of March 16?
D
According to Shakyamuni's teachings in the text, how does ignorance of life's inherent dignity directly impact human behavior?
A) It isolates individuals from society, forcing them into a state of passive, permanent loneliness.
B) It traps people in an endless cycle of physical sickness that cannot be cured by medicine.
C) It causes individuals to be ruled by egoism and seek happiness at the expense of others.
D) It forces people to rely entirely on external political systems to define moral values.
C. Ignorance of life's inherent dignity results in people being ruled by egoism, which drives them to seek their own happiness at the expense of others.