Buddhism Vocab

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Across
  1. 2. The first of the Four Noble Truths, the basic Buddhist insight that suffering is part of the human condition.
  2. 4. An ancient language of India, similar to Sanskrit but more commonly understood, and used in the writing of the earliest Buddhist texts; most important for Theravada Buddhism.
  3. 7. The Buddhist community of monks and nuns; one of Three Jewels of Buddhism.
  4. 9. One of the Three Marks of Existence; the Buddhist doctrine that all existent things are constantly changing.
  5. 10. One who has become enlightened; the ideal type for Theravada Buddhism.
  6. 11. The basic moral requirements that are binding for all Buddhists.
  7. 15. The teachings of the Buddha, and one of the Three Jewels of Buddhism.
  8. 17. The spiritual leader of Vajrayana Buddhism, believed to be an incarnation of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara.
  9. 19. One of the Three Marks of Existence; the Buddhist doctrine denying a permanent self.
  10. 21. Siddhartha Guatama and all others who have by their own insight attained perfect enlightenment.
  11. 22. The largest of Buddhism’s three divisions, prevalent in China, Japan, and Korea; encompasses a variety of forms, including those that emphasize devotion and prayer to the Buddhas and bodhisattvas.
Down
  1. 1. A basic Buddhist teaching that rejects both the pleasures of sensual indulgence and the self-denial of asceticism, focusing instead on a practical approach to spiritual attainment.
  2. 3. Named for the vajra, the Buddha’s diamond scepter; prevalent form of Buddhism in Tibet; emphasizes the harnessing of sensual energies to attain nirvana.
  3. 5. The fourth of the Four Noble Truths; defines the basic practices of Buddhism that lead to nirvana.
  4. 6. Patterned icons that visually excite; used in Vajrayana Buddhism to enhance meditation.
  5. 8. Characteristics that summarize the changing nature of reality: anatta (no-self), anicca (impermanence), and dukkha (suffering).
  6. 11. The central teachings of Buddhism: to live is to experience suffering; suffering is caused by desire; the cessation of suffering can be achieved; the solution is the Noble Eightfold Path.
  7. 12. Prevalent form of Buddhism in Cambodia, Burma, Sri Lanka, and Thailand; focuses on the earliest texts and emphasizes monastic lifestyle.
  8. 13. Phrases or syllables chanted to evoke a deity or to enhance meditation; used in Hinduism and Buddhism, especially in Vajrayana.
  9. 14. Future Buddhas. As the ideal types for Mahayana Buddhism, beings who have experienced enlightenment but, motivated by compassion, stop short of entering nirvana so as to help others achieve it.
  10. 16. Choreographed hand movements used in the rituals of Vajrayana Buddhism.
  11. 18. The ultimate goal of all Buddhists, the extinction of desire and any sense of individual selfhood, resulting in liberation from samsara and its limiting conditions.
  12. 20. The second of the Four Noble Truths, selfish desire, which causes dukkha.