Questions tagged [modern-world]
Particular issues from the modern world, which relate to or affect the practice of Buddhism. These topics include but are not limited to technological, political and consumer issues that impact on Buddhist thought and practice.
175
questions
2
votes
1
answer
72
views
How should lay buddhists respond to amoral people?
How should lay buddhists respond to amoral people, people who keep generating bad karma for themselves but don't believe they've done anything wrong at all, especially if they have the power to get ...
user19950
0
votes
2
answers
63
views
Is it important to have a traditional understanding of Buddhism?
Is it important to have a traditional understanding of Buddhism or is avoiding so called "heresies" enough to make sure you are not distorting, undermining etc., the dharma?
Take the idea of ...
user19950
2
votes
2
answers
229
views
How is Buddhism structured (in Japan)?
How is Buddhism structured? All I really know if you have lay people, priests, monks, and in some places masters or grand masters (I don't know if these are the same), and there are various different ...
user23322
2
votes
1
answer
78
views
Complex lifestyle and leads us to get on the correct path
Today, we are living in very complex world. Various lifestyles inspire us greatly. So as being a modern layperson, it is difficult to know good karma and bad one. How would I will be on good path and ...
- 21
5
votes
5
answers
189
views
Non-striving and happiness
I have only an informal understanding of Buddhism, so please excuse the informal language used in this question. My intent is to understand Buddhism better, and I welcome any answers or resources that ...
- 51
8
votes
8
answers
2k
views
When it comes to commercial products, is there harm to choosing a more beautiful and well-designed option?
I am new to buddhism and this is my first question here. I hope I can provide something of value and that I am clear in my phrasing.
So I have recently started learning about the teachings of the ...
- 123
3
votes
6
answers
150
views
Are lives of people who have, by birth or design, large amounts of money, worth more to the Buddha, than the poor?
Are lives of people who have, by birth or design, large amounts of money, worth more to the Buddha, than the poor?
I don't actually know enough about the history of Buddhism to answer that question!
user21635
1
vote
2
answers
69
views
Is even Buddhahood itself a short straw next to material wealth and pleasure and fame?
Is even Buddhahood itself a short straw next to material wealth and pleasure and fame? The Buddha could have been a wheel turning monarch, and was in deed born a prince. So perhaps his decision isn't ...
user19950
0
votes
3
answers
107
views
Ghost or horror stories/videos are appropriate during Pandemic moment?
There are more and more horror movie during pandemic and tension moment. Hong Kong is one of the example before riots recently.
Pretty much of productions of horror or ghost movie produced because the ...
- 145
2
votes
4
answers
161
views
Has the Buddha taught anything about how one should approach fixing society?
Has the Buddha taught anything about how one should approach fixing society?
Does the Buddha advocate for striving to make society better?
Does the Buddha have any practices for groups and societies ...
- 6,999
4
votes
2
answers
120
views
Father-Son relationship
I have a father who left me when I was 5. He moved out of state when I was 7. We saw each other once every year or two. He returned to my area when I was 13. By the time I was 21, we still had a very ...
1
vote
2
answers
159
views
Is it conventional to use third-person speech when conversing with a monk?
In this comment, Samana Johann wrote,
worthy to raise a question on it and it's perfect training to use only 3-person and no calling of names, adressing just proper positions
The topic is, using &...
- 44.8k
2
votes
5
answers
714
views
Buddhism and racism
How does the problem of racism relate to Buddha-Dharma? Can Buddhism teach us something about racism? Is there something in the teachings or texts addressing the topic, directly or indirectly?
- 56.9k
2
votes
3
answers
146
views
How do I develop a healthier relationship with images?
I doubt that anybody has asked this question before, which is why I thought to write it down. Since I was thirteen-years-old, I have saved a lot of photographs from the internet on the cloud (i.e., ...
2
votes
3
answers
352
views
Must I continue a relationship with my abusive parents?
My parents were physically and mentally abusive to me as a child. As an adult, they have never recognized what they have done to me and even try to guilt me into having a relationship with them that I ...
- 21
1
vote
5
answers
210
views
Do any modern ("free-thinking") monks or monastic orders discard elements of the Vinaya?
Yesterday I spent some time studying one of the Vinayas and, completely honestly, I couldn't help but think that some of the rules were shockingly superstitious even by the standards of most of the ...
1
vote
2
answers
129
views
How are expectations and responsibilities seen in Buddhism?
These two things seem to be closely knitted together, sometimes contradictory and can be found especially in a professional setting. For example when a group of people work in a project, They have ...
- 11
1
vote
3
answers
278
views
Does Dhp 256-257 condone judging others?
In several answers on this site, judging others as judge or jury is looked upon unfavourably, for both lay people and monks. It is often said that the one who passes a guilty or innocent verdict, ...
- 36k
3
votes
3
answers
284
views
Meditating on Public Transport
I saw there was one post about mindfulness on public transport. However, I felt these posts dealt with being mindful on public transport rather than meditation. I wonder:
Is meditation itself ...
user7302
5
votes
4
answers
179
views
Audio guided meditation recommendations?
I know how many of you feel about guided meditations, but I am introducing meditation to some fellow university friends, and one of them is telling me he is having an incredibly hard time while ...
3
votes
3
answers
179
views
How do you pray correctly in Buddhism?
I have been calling myself a Buddhist for as long as I can remember, but I have never done it right. I notice that my mom would chant the mantras from the book, while usually I would just say anything ...
- 31
0
votes
1
answer
81
views
Is it a sin to organize liqour & meat on cutomer request as a prt of my job?
I'm interested in Event planning & if I take up that job I'll have to make necessary arrangements for liqour & meat to be served at events upon client request.
I'd like to know if that is ...
- 313
7
votes
3
answers
150
views
A noobs balance. Where to go on my journey?
I’ll keep this short and sweet. Recently I’ve been pondering the idea of becoming a professor of Eastern Religions, particularly Buddhism. I can’t put my finger on it exactly, but something about ...
- 101
0
votes
5
answers
322
views
How to reconcile non-attachment in a Type-A, North American culture where work is life?
I've been meditating on-and-off for years.
However, the non-attachment preached by the Buddha conflicts with the environment around me. I'm in a large urban center in North America.
Achievement is ...
- 9
4
votes
9
answers
1k
views
How to mitigate the negative karmic effect of killing
I'm a graduate student studying plant-insect interactions. My research, necessary for my degree, requires me to collect (kill) a few hundred insects. Are there any suttas, or general Buddhist ...
- 2,653
4
votes
5
answers
132
views
Spiritualism VS layman's path
I have followed the Dharma for the last ten+ years, and have been married for thirty. l have reached a stage where my progression is noticeably obstructed by the Layman's world. I've talked to my ...
- 41
1
vote
1
answer
83
views
Ambitions - Are they Real or just an Illusion
Do our passions and ambitions need to be fulfilled or is it just an illusion created by our mind? According to the dhamma, is it considered to be helpful or unhelpful to fulfill goals?
- 201
0
votes
2
answers
314
views
Are Buddhists hypnotists?
Are Buddhists hypnotists?
I'm being a little facetious, but not entirely. Hypnotism is a strange mental phenomena, and I wondered how much interaction, in any tradition, is based in similar mental ...
user2512
3
votes
2
answers
577
views
Is it disrespectful or unlawful to have dharma tattoo in Sri Lanka?
I read sometime ago that a woman with a Buddha tattoo was deported from Sri Lanka.
Is it illegal because it's a Buddha image? Or other symbols like the dharma wheel are not allowed as tattoo as well?
...
- 31
4
votes
4
answers
359
views
Why should one not address a venerable as friend?
Here is a quote from MN 26:
One, standing up to greet me, received my robe & bowl. Another spread out a seat. Another set out water for washing my feet. However, they addressed me by name and as '...
- 44.8k
2
votes
3
answers
531
views
Duty to parents?
There are maybe 80 questions about 'parents' already but perhaps this one hasn't been asked.
What are a Buddhist's responsibilities or duties towards their parents?
Listen to advice? Do what they ...
- 44.8k
3
votes
3
answers
374
views
Importance of good moral conduct
What is the importance of this concept compared to other practices, such as meditation in the Buddhist way of life?
- 484
0
votes
1
answer
62
views
How is dharma formed?
I believe that the word 'dharma' (among other things) refers to the constituent elements of a body and mind, and that the Buddhist should find those dharmas void of a person, and perhaps any ...
user2512
2
votes
4
answers
907
views
Does Buddhism have an answer to disturbing sexual fantasies?
I have extreme sexual fantasies that hurt me (submission, candaulism, etc.).
Because of the internet and pornography many young people have increasingly extreme fantasies, and when they are attached ...
- 21
2
votes
2
answers
212
views
What does 'corrupted' (world or society) mean?
Several people (several questions and answers) in this topic use the word "corrupted", especially applied to "the world" and "society".
What does the word "corrupted" mean?
Does it have a standard ...
- 44.8k
1
vote
3
answers
1k
views
How does Buddhism see Required Military Service?
I live in the United States, where although unlikely, a draft could happen. There are also many other countries that require military service in some capacity.
I know Buddhism generally opposes ...
- 113
2
votes
6
answers
215
views
Reincarnation and stem cell research
How do we apply reincarnation to phenomena such as reproduction by binary fission (amoeba) and creating animals like Dolly the sheep from a single cell? Also, why the population is rising in the ...
- 21
0
votes
4
answers
116
views
Is Lineage vital?
Lineage is important to teaching by gurus and the succession of teaching because it helps ensure that the teaching is complete and intact, and that the teachers are sincere. One must be granted ...
user2341
1
vote
4
answers
245
views
Is it ethical to develop software for financial company?
I'm wondering whether it is ethical to work as software engineer for financial company that develops software for exchanges and banks. When we consider exchange, different things are traded there, i.e....
- 39
3
votes
6
answers
2k
views
Does meditation increase sensitivity to sense perceptions and why?
Each morning, I meditate for 30 minutes. Within 45 minutes to an hour after, I commute to my university. For the first hour or two that I am at university after meditating, I feel almost overwhelmed ...
- 2,653
3
votes
11
answers
5k
views
Can a Buddhist own and run a billion dollar business?
China, Japan, Korea, etc. have so many companies and Buddhism is widespread in those areas. My question is: can a Buddhist make the aim of his life to run a billion dollar business?
- 3,985
3
votes
3
answers
114
views
Can there be another Dalai Lama?
From what I understand, the Panchen Lama is supposed to choose the next Dalai Lama. If he has been captured, is there any hope for another Dalai Lama to be chosen?
- 131
3
votes
5
answers
301
views
What does a normal person lose by following the path?
I have a person I know who, as far as I can say, has been intermittently long interested in Buddhism, but never made a big leap in her practice to achieve and cultivate bigger achievements. She is ...
- 387
1
vote
2
answers
48
views
Is there anything I can read about the Buddhist tradition today?
I've read the book Makers of Modern Korean Buddhism, and it was really interesting to read about the recent history of Buddhism, in Korea. And there's quite a few books on how Buddhism came to America ...
user2512
2
votes
2
answers
99
views
Do Asimov's three laws make a robot a Buddhist?
Would the imposition of Asimov's three laws of robotics make a robot act in a Buddhist manner?
A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
...
- 459
1
vote
2
answers
151
views
Life With Death
How can we earn money while we don't want to live for anything?
P.S.: I'm very wise and smart guy. I have high degrees in academical stuff. And I can say that I had satisfaction most of the emotions ...
user10973
3
votes
3
answers
191
views
Mendicants in the 21st century
Is a life of begging and poverty well suited to the modern world (21st century capitalism)? Not just the will to give it up, but to not suffer for it.
Aren't Buddhist monks traditionally mendicants?
user2512
2
votes
1
answer
525
views
Is there an API for Buddhist texts?
Does anyone know of an API for Buddhist texts along the same lines as this one for the Bible. I do some spare time software projects and I would like to hook up to Buddhist text API just as part of ...
- 21k
1
vote
4
answers
334
views
Can Cyborg/ Trans-human reach enlightenment? When enlightenment is depended on a Human Body
The world is going to a point of no return, with the thirst for materialistic grandeur and power to rule over nature; after the conquered of Oriental by the Occidental. This article talks about Cyborg....
- 2,291
3
votes
3
answers
132
views
significance of buddhism in this age of terrorism tyrannies and insolence
i would like to know the answer to the question from your point of view:
what is the significance of buddhism in this age of terrorism, tyrannies and insolence?
- 31