All Questions

Upon (re)-reading this answer, I conjectured perhaps there are techniques unsuitable for some. It does seem to be the case with the breath for me, in my experience, despite the popularity and near ...

In this Buddhadasa Bhikkhu Dhamma Talk, Ajahn Buddhadasa and Santikaro Bhikkhhu explained at around minute 51:30 - 54:00 that the four Satipatthanas are always investigated. As far as I understood, ...

The Rhetoric of Immediacy: A Cultural Critique of Chan/Zen Buddhism By Bernard Faure p60 (I've not read this book) links it to linji ("the true man without affairs") Wiki says In his later years ...

I wondered today whether compassion is an antidote to a kind of lack of motivation, given that it remedies fear in the suttas, and often approach and avoidance are seen as opposite (e.g. fight or ...

Many suttas (SN 6.11; SN 21.11; MN 53; AN 11.10; DN 27) contain the following phase: ‘The aristocrat is best of those people ‘khattiyo seṭṭho janetasmiṃ, who take clan as the standard. ye ...

How is "becoming" (bhava) defined in the context of Dependent Co-arising? If there is craving, will that craving always result in "becoming"? Is there something like craving without "becoming"? ...

I have on occasion seen commenters here and elsewhere who declare their achievements, such as being a sotāpanna. These comments are downvoted, so they do not appear to be appreciated. If comments ...

In meditation, I seem to have great difficulty with the breath. Having some stability and mindfulness, but very little concentration, vividness and sharpness. However, loving-kindness works for me ...

What would one, certain wise but not free, ask/request if there is just one chance left?

What is required that a certain transaction is valid? A certain opinion of a certain judge? A transaction based on majority? A transaction which is in accordance with what is true? A transaction ...

Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, in a video, describes how some beginners exert themselves too much at once and then skip sessions. That is precisely my situation. Upon meditating for much longer than usual ...

A few days ago I started reading books about Paticcasamuppada because I realized how little and shallow was my understanding on this capital matter. Despite getting the gist of it, I still have ...

This morning I read many posts on this site. I felt like topics on Buddhist doctrine were somewhat clear to me, but those on meditation seemed complex, difficult to me. I wondered: Does meditation ...

I have heard in the past a kind of argument to show that there is no self along the lines of: are you your body? No, your cells regenerate all the time. Are you your emotions? No, they come and go. ...

I've heard a few pieces of advice the Buddha gave to arahants, but not much. What are some teachings the Buddha gave to arahants to guide them towards further growth? (Edit) I want to clarify a bit ...

I tend to contemplate beneficial topics throughout the day, shirking meditation at times. I conjecture such a daily contemplation is not highly concentrated. Is there any information in Buddhism on ...

Whenever I do mindfulness with breathing I get ear pains whenever I do longer breaths. The breath is also hearable. Wherein lies the problem?

I've realized that that I don't feel much friendliness for a person which I considered my friend previously. At the level of friendship, things are not the same. Yet, this person has done nothing ...

As seen in the title of this question, I'm not sure whether everyone is able to attain enlightenment. As far as my study and introspective analysis have shown to me, it seems that in order to uproot ...

Is there a fate worse than oblivion? To forget, to be forgotten is there … Chant for anti-nothingless?

I often see promotion of the positive benefits of meditation in the media and even in school and government settings. However, there is evidence meditation is not always beneficial. https://www....

I read that after careful mental noting of experience in mindfulness .One reaches a state of effortless effort and choiceless awareness .So I want clear out if awareness can direct itself without ...

I never understood silence or emptiness in Buddhism and how is experiencing them beneficial?.Is it a way for experiencing the arising of experience ?

After taking refuge within the Karma Kagyu tradition, I got "blessing pills". I have no idea, by which occasion I should take them, how they are manufactured and in which historical, cultural and ...

What or who is the cause that non-existance comes into being? What causes your non-existing, have "been", could or will "be"? Or is such accidentally? Or an unconditioned phenomena? A material-alone ...

What or who is the cause that a realm of existance comes into being? Or is such accidentally? Or an unconditioned phenomena? A material-alone phenomena? What causes your world you "be", have "been", ...

It seems that the answer is no, but in this case, why would you want to become a monk instead of staying "normal" ?

I feel like this is a naive question, but I'm wondering what is the difference between experiencing discomfort and distress in meditation versus in daily life outside of meditation. Do the same ...

How do Buddhist monks deal with meals while traveling across different time zones?

Are there parallel texts between Pali Canon Jhana Suttas, and Mahayana equivalent? Dhyana Sutras? I now that the theme is picked up again in Tiantai texts, but I'm thinking of between the Pali canon ...

If we refer to Buddhist literature there are several versions of the same story. It differs between the branches Theravada and Mahayana and even within one branch the interpretation varies. Recently ...

I was reading this answer, in which an essay is cited. In this essay, Freedom From Fear, an example is given of a hunted deer which experiences anger, and thus aversion. In contrast, the desire to ...

If I want to read through the origins of western (really, Greek) thought about the virtue we generally call courage, I know exactly where to go: Laches, Republic, Nicomachean Ethics, etc. Meanwhile, ...

...from a Dhammic view (one that leads to liberation). To quote an example: I removed my forum as it was just a magnet for spammers, and no one was making use of it. I don’t find it productive to ...

Do the Pali texts on jhana actually mention Samadhi and/or One-Pointedness by name in the jhana descriptions or is this mention apocryphal?

In the context of the sutta below, what does the following phrase mean? - "whatever bad deed I did here in the past with this deed-born body is all to be experienced here. It will not follow along" (...

This is a request for sutta references. I'd like to know the sutta's that describe how one can dedicate offerings in the name of a dearly departed one so that (s)he can, hopefully, have a better ...

I realized that my use of social media always involves doing something else, and if I am on the internet I might also be on social media. Thus, I am always multitasking seemingly. How does the mind ...

I am wondering a simple question: In what conditions can we surf the internet mindfully? For what purposes is this possible or impossible?

Can anyone explain the hua-yen sutra accroding to tendai, to me? I've read a few books of secondary literature on tientai and tendai, a few translations of Zhiyi, the lotus sutra, some of the hua-yen ...

There are those who not only deny one's faults as a "Dhammic" approach, but also are very anti-social (absence of gratitude and dutyfullness), with tendencies found in "I don't like people but I like ...

Several years ago I did something that was totally legal, but very much against my upbringing, my world-view, and my ethics. It was a spur of the moment thing and I have regretted it massively ever ...

I've long felt that some people engage in unskillful behaviour as a consequence of not valuing themselves. For example, they engage in drugs to numb or detrimental sexuality, seemingly because they ...

I realized that, when I meet new people and especially people I have a romantic interest in, to value and idealize them disproportionately. This seems very ingrained in my personality. Here, cemetery ...

I've noticed (and have been told) that formal sitting meditation is required and beneficial, as opposed to merely being mindful or compassionate in daily life. What aspect of formal sitting causes ...

If something is both relatively and ultimately correct can it still be false in the center? I'm looking for a "yes" from any extant or historical tradition.

In the discourse on the four Divine Abodes, what is meant by "... no limiting action remains there, none persists there." Here a bhikkhu abides pervading one quarter with a mind imbued with ...

I just don't understand how morally good actions, can reliably change the state of mind positively over time, in the case where the mind state is negative. For example, let's say there was a ...

Is there any benefit to, as far as is humanly possible, total dedication to the precepts, in zen? So total celibacy, vegetarianism and non violence to any life form, complete abstinence form alcohol, ...

I've tried a few different Buddhist groups and they are quite prescriptive when it comes to meditation practices. They have their own system and everyone does it. But the Buddha used skillful means ...