Buddhism Basics

4. "Right concentration"; one of the practices of the Eightfold Path
5. Central figure of the Buddhist religion
6. Bodhisattva of compassion
9. Gautama, the Indian prince who is now known as the Buddha; "historical Buddha"
11. The number of Noble Truths, or the fundamental beliefs of Buddhism
12. Winged messenger in Buddhism
14. Buddha of the future
16. A streamlined form of Buddhism that closely resembles its original form
17. A branch of Buddhism widely practiced in Japan
18. Goal of Buddhists; the final step towards achieving nirvana

1. The Sanskrit word for the cycle of death and rebirth (reincarnation)
2. Sacred Buddhist text
3. The highest goal of a Buddhist; ends the cycle of death and rebirth
5. Semi-divine being capable of achieving enlightenment but stays on earth to help others
7. The visual symbols or representations used to convey key religious concepts
8. Branch of Buddhism that includes Tibetan Buddhism
10. Literally "action," this determines how you will be reincarnated
13. The most popular branch of Buddhism in East Asia
15. Path of steps one must follow to attain enlightenment