The teachings of the Buddha
Buddhism began with the teachings of the BUDDHA, and this word search gathers its key words. You'll be finding his teachings, the DHARMA, the community of followers, the SANGHA, the saffron-robed MONK, and the goal of NIRVANA — a state of peace and freedom from suffering.
Each puzzle pulls a fresh selection from the list, so the words change every time you play — gentle on Easy, and a longer-word challenge once the diagonals and backwards words appear on Hard.
A path of peace and wisdom
Buddhist life is built around calm, kindness and wisdom, and the words are here. There's quiet MEDITATION and being MINDFUL, the idea of KARMA and REBIRTH, and the wish to AWAKEN to the truth. You'll find the LOTUS flower and the BODHI tree, the WHEEL of dharma and the EIGHTFOLD path, the five PRECEPTS to live by, and the practice of ZEN. Sacred places include the TEMPLE, the dome-shaped STUPA and the tall PAGODA, while a MANDALA, a ROBE and a feeling of COMPASSION are part of everyday Buddhist life.
A religion that began with a question
Buddhism started around 2,500 years ago with a prince in ancient India named Siddhartha Gautama. The story says he gave up his life of luxury to find out why people suffer, and after long MEDITATION beneath a BODHI tree he 'awakened' — becoming the BUDDHA, which means 'the awakened one'. His answer became the DHARMA, his teachings, which followers — the SANGHA — still pass on today across much of Asia and the world.
Buddhism is unusual among major faiths because it focuses less on worshipping a god and more on how to live and think. It teaches that being MINDFUL, kind and full of COMPASSION can free us from suffering and lead toward NIRVANA, a state of perfect peace. Practices like MEDITATION and ideas like KARMA have spread far beyond Buddhism — many people around the world now meditate for calm and focus. That gentle, thoughtful approach makes Buddhism a rich RE or world-religions topic.
Great for a world-religions topic
It's a great fit for an RE or world-religions lesson — Easy mode keeps the grid small with no diagonals or reverse words. Play online, print a PDF pack, or use Make Your Own to build a grid from your own RE words.