Hinduism
Buddhism
Hindu Concepts and More
The Caste System
Miscellaneous
100
What are the Vedas in early Hinduism?
Collections of hymns, prayers, and rituals used to honor the gods
100
In Buddhism, what is the purpose of meditation?
To control the mind and gain wisdom.
100
Why does Arjuna hesitate to fight in the Bhagavad Gita?
He doesn't want to kill his family on the other side of the battlefield.
100
The term “caste” comes from...
The Portuguese word casta, meaning “race” or “lineage”
100
What is karma?
Energy that is based on a person’s actions and choices.
200
What is the atman in Hindu belief?
The eternal soul that connects every being to Brahman.
200
The Eightfold Path provides Buddhists with...
a plan for how to learn to change one’s expectations and desires and thus end suffering.
200
What advice does Krishna give Arjuna?
To fight, because it is his dharma (purpose) as a warrior.
200
Who are the Dalits?
People outside the varna system who faced discrimination; also known as Untouchables.
200
Dharma refers to...
The moral duty or responsibility in life.
300
According to the Upanishads, what is Brahman?
Brahman is truth, the ultimate reality, the source of existence. Brahman is the universe and is present in all things.
300
According to the Four Noble Truths, what is the cause of suffering?
(150 for each correct answer)
Expectations and desires
300
Svadharma means...
One's personal duty based on social role or varna
300
The rationale for the poor treatment of lower castes and Dalits is connected to the cycle of _______.
samsara
300
What is the ultimate goal for Buddhists who follow the Eightfold Path?
To reach nirvana, a state of peace and freedom from suffering
400
What is the goal of moksha in Hinduism?
To be released from the cycle of rebirth (samsara) and unite with Brahman.
400
What role did Buddhist monks and nuns play in their communities?
They taught householders and modeled righteous living.
400
As Vedic society became more complex, people started asking deeper questions about life and existence. Hinduism evolved to address these questions. New ideas were written down in the _________, religious texts created by Hindu sages and philosophers.
Upanishads
400
Put the following four social classes in order from highest to lowest:
Shudra, Brahmin, Vaishya, Kshatriya
400
What change has occurred in modern times regarding the caste system?
Discrimination is illegal in India, but prejudice and inequality still continue at times
500
Explain how samsara and moksha are connected.
Samsara is the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth that continues until a person reaches moksha. Moksha is freedom from that cycle (samsara). It happens when a person has fulfilled their dharma, their purpose, and no longer needs to be reborn.
500
Explain a difference between Hinduism and Buddhism.
500
The leader of India’s independence movement against Great Britain, who called Dalits “Harijan,” which means children of God.
Mahatma Gandhi
500
1. Explain how Hindu beliefs helped shape India’s caste system.
2. Then describe one result these beliefs had on people in the Dalit (Untouchable) class.
(250 for each correct response)
1. Hindu beliefs in karma and samsara helped shape India’s caste system because people thought their social position was based on actions from past lives. Those born into higher castes were believed to have earned good karma, while those in lower castes or the Dalit group were thought to have bad karma from past lives.
2. As a result, Dalits (Untouchables) were treated unfairly, forced to do the hardest jobs, and excluded from temples and public spaces.
500
Who is Siddhartha Gautama better known as?
the Buddha, which means "the enlightened one"