CIVILSEVA - A Platform for Civil Service Aspirants

  Known as the "Diamond Vehicle," Vajrayana is a form of Buddhism prominent in Tibet and incorporates esoteric rituals and practices. Worship of female goddesses was adopted as a part of the growth of the Vajrayana phase in Buddhism. The famous image of of Tara  seated on a throne, accompanied by a growing curvilinear lotus stalk and her right hand is in the Abhay mudra belongs to Vajrayana Buddhism.

Mahayana Buddhists believe they can achieve enlightenment through following the teachings of the Buddha. The goal of a Mahayana Buddhist may be to become a Bodhisattva and this is achieved through the Six Perfections. Compassion is very important in Mahayana Buddhism. Therefore, Bodhisattvas choose to stay in the cycle of samsara to help others to achieve enlightenment as well as themselves. This is a key difference between Theravada and Mahayana Buddhists. Whereas Theravada Buddhists strive to become Arhats and gain freedom from the cycle of samsara, Mahayana Buddhists may choose to stay in the cycle of samsara out of compassion for others.

Theravada Buddhism is older and the more conservative of the divisions of Buddhism and is often referred to as the ‘traditions of the elders’. Many Theravada Buddhists follow the teachings of the Buddha exactly, and many of them a monks or nuns. Theravada Buddhists strive to be arhats. Arhats are perfected people who have gained true insight into the nature of reality. This means they have followed the Noble Eightfold Path to ‘blow out’ the three fires of greed, hatred and ignorance and have become enlightened. In Buddhism, enlightenment leads to nibbana (or nirvana), which means freedom from the cycle of rebirth (samsara). Consequently, they will no longer be reborn through samsara.

On the basis of vertical distribution of temperature, the atmosphere is classified into four characteristic regions, namely troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere and thermosphere. Environmental or Normal Lapse Rate: The lapse rate refers to the rate at which temperature decreases with an increase in altitude in the atmosphere. There are different lapse rates in different layers of the atmosphere: 1. Troposphere (Negative Lapse Rate):  In the troposphere, which is the lowest layer(8-17KM) of the atmosphere where weather phenomena occur, the lapse rate is called the environmental lapse rate (ELR). On average, the ELR is about 0.64°C /100 m or 6.5°C per kilometer (or 3.5°F per 1,000 feet) of altitude gained. However, it can vary due to various factors such as atmospheric stability, moisture content, and geographical location. In the upper limits of the troposphere, the temperature decreases to about –56°C.  The upper boundary of the troposphere is known as tropopause. The trans...

  Which of the following statements about Swami Dayanand Saraswati is INCORRECT? 1. His birthplace was Gujarat. 2. He authored the book 'Satyarth Prakash'. 3. He was the founder of Brahmo Samaj. 4. He was the founder of Arya Samaj. Click for Answer

  Who among the following has authored the play ‘Nil Darpan’? (a) Chittaranjan Das (b) Motilal Nehru (c) Dinabandhu Mitra (d) Sarojini Naidu Click to see answer