Questions tagged [theravada]
The oldest of the two big branches in Buddhism. Theravada tries to follow the original teachings of Gautama Buddha as closely as possible
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How to reconcile Mahayana ideas of “nama-rupa” with the Pali definition?
I read the following ideas on the internet by Mahayana faithful:
Namarupa means "name-form" - meaning "a concept of form", "an idea of
form" - referring to our subjective representations of ...
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1answer
31 views
Are eating raw oysters a violation of the first Precept? [duplicate]
The first Precept is to abstain from Killing a "living being".
Is there a consistent definition of Living Being that we should not kill to avoid violating the first Precept?
I have heard of a ...
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2answers
70 views
Other types of consciousness (viññāṇa) in Theravada?
There are the six types of consciousness (viññāṇa) based on MN 38, namely those related to the six sense media: eye, ear, nose, tongue, touch or mind.
In MN 49, there was a "consciousness without ...
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39 views
Single boy viditng thr Brothels, hsving sex with Prostitiutes, Does this violate the 3rd Percept in Buddhism? [duplicate]
There are single freind of mine who visit brothels, due to he has no any girlfriens and also he was not handsome so its hard to him to find a gf. But not everyday but very rarely he is going to have ...
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2answers
47 views
What is the meaning of ditthi visuddhi?
The third visuddhi of the Satta Visuddhi is "ditthi visuddhi". But what is the exact meaning of it ?
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4answers
107 views
Is Papanca (i.e., hindrance) always unwholesome?
Is Papanca always unwholesome?
The above question is based on MN 18 the honey cake --
https://suttacentral.net/mn18
Ven. Thanissaro has given a detailed explanation in his translation --
https://...
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3answers
244 views
Is there a major translation error in MN 10?
I have noticed the following translation in MN10:
And again, monks, a monk, when he is walking, comprehends, ‘I am walking’; or when he is standing still, comprehends, ‘I am standing still’; or ...
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2answers
60 views
What are the merits (results) of giving fearlessness (abhaya danna)
And also need to know, where it includes in tipitaka..
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102 views
What is the Buddhist Perspective on Dreaming?
I met my family who has already died in my dream. He told me something bad about my partner.
Should I believe him?
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1answer
69 views
Do all words belong to conventional truth (Sammuti Sacca)?
"Sanketa vacanam saccam - loka sammuti karanam
Paramattha vacanam saccam - dhammanam tathalakkhanam"
According to the above quote, all the words (cenventional truth) made by living beings using any ...
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7answers
281 views
Does Sotapanna have the fear of death?
Does Sotapanna have the fear of death?
Recently I spoke to a monk about Sotapanna. He said the best test to understand whether someone is Sotapanna is to see whether he has fear of death.
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140 views
About the compatibility between meditation methods, guides, trainings and teachers, and other questions regarding Samadhi
Being acquainted with Buddhism (although in a pretty shallow and intellectual fashion) since a few years now, I've just realized that I had almost no experience in meditation at all. It was only ...
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97 views
How do you meditate with a blocked nose?
I have a blocked nose and I can’t feel the breath sensations. Should I put my finger to feel the breath? Is it ok if I focus on other things like finger touching each other? How do I feel the breath ...
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1answer
76 views
Latent tendencies, memories of this life and brain damage, dementia
This question is from the Theravada perspective only.
How are memories of this life stored and recalled? Is it stored in the physical brain?
There is the concept of latent tendencies (anusaya). ...
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1answer
101 views
Various types of death
In this answer, Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu wrote about various types of death (quoted below).
Where can I find references to and more info on the various types of death that is mentioned - khaṇika-maraṇa, ...
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1answer
125 views
Are there other things like life?
In this text SN 56.46 Andhakara Sutta: Darkness, the Buddha seems to say, in my opinion, that life is much more stressful than black holes.
And I think life is an anomaly in this universe just like ...
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2answers
99 views
Within Theravāda tradition, what are the differences in doctrine and practice between schools and sects around the world?
I'm considering spending some time in the future in retreats to have a taste of what monastic life is like.
It seems that Theravāda is the current tradition most related and compatible to my moral ...
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1answer
70 views
Have Matreiya ever meet the present buddha?
I know that the Buddha went to tusita heaven or tavatimsa heaven to teach the dharma or Abidhamma to his mother. Matreiya is in tusita heaven so did he ever come down to tavatimsa heaven to hear the ...
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2answers
69 views
What is Vibhava Tanha?
What is Vibhava Tanha?
What is the destination (rebirth) of a person with Vibhaba Tanha?
Is the view non-existence considered Vibhava Tanha?
What is the Sutta reference relating to this teaching?
Why ...
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2answers
97 views
Can we cancel out a kamma by doing a strong opposite kamma?
Can a bad kamma be cancelled out by doing a strong good kamma?
If the answer is no, at-least can we reduce the effect of that bad kamma by doing so?
If the answers are no for the above two questions,...
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2answers
131 views
Does an Arahant accumulate kamma in his/her life?
Cetana (Intention) is a universal mental factor which can be seen in every consciousness even in Arahants'.
Kamma is the intention in one's consciousness.
I have thought about the below statements ...
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2answers
126 views
Why is Nanavira considered controversial?
Why is Nanavira considered controversial?
I've overheard conversations about Nanavira Thera, and people seem to be in three groups:
1) He's a heretic.
2) He's a genius sotapanna.
3) Nyana-who?
...
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6answers
163 views
If we consider 'kamma' as intention and habits, how are these transferred from a brain to next life when the brain breaks-up and cease to function?
According to the Pali Canon, how are intentions and habits passed on from one existence to another without any material support?
What do the texts tell us about rebirth and the transference of these ...
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5answers
145 views
How do we help people who have wrong views?
There are lot of wrong views in other religions but there are even some Buddhist who have wrong views. They don’t believe in rebirth and karma. And they say that they are metaphors. They seems to be ...
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3answers
48 views
How does killing bear consequences?
How can I explain to a non follower of the dhamma that killing living beings intentionally has mental and physical consequences?
This person started saying: "old hunter-gatherers, had no consequences ...
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1answer
53 views
Did Buddha ever say how to overcome shyness?
In AN 9.5, the Buddha said that whoever is endowed with the four powers has left behind the fear of embarrassment in assemblies. Is this the same as shyness? If not then did the Buddha ever say how to ...
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7answers
237 views
Why don't some buddhists believe in karma and rebirth?
According to MN 60 and other suttas, believing in karma and afterlife is right view and believing that there is no karma and afterlife is unskillful and a wrong view because there is actually karma ...
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2answers
152 views
Four Analytical Knowledges
Is it still possible to attain the four analytical knowledge? Bare insight seems to be the lowest attainment among arahants.
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3answers
90 views
Benefits of five precepts
I believe in karma and rebirth but I don’t understand one thing. How does five precepts give you merits? Isn’t it only preventing bad karma? If you don’t kill any living beings or don’t steal anything ...
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4answers
76 views
Did Gautama Buddha endorse the caste system?
Did Gautama Buddha endorse the caste system?
Buddhism: An Atheistic and Anti-Caste Religion?
Modern Ideology and Historical Reality of the Ancient Indian Bauddha Dharma
by Edmun Weber
Hans ...
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6answers
148 views
Is there any God or Satan in Buddhism? Is there any heaven or hell in Buddhism?
Every religion has a God and Satan, heaven and hell. Religion by definition means deification of a Supreme Being or worship of any deity. Monotheistic religions, like Islam and Christianity, have a ...
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1answer
55 views
According to Theravada tradition, was Siddharta Gautama illuminated after meditating under the Bodhi tree?
I just found out what seems to me as a contradiction under Theravada tradition:
When Siddharta Gautama meditated under the Bodhi tree, I understand ho achieved illumination, he reached the Nirvana.
...
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1answer
108 views
About the Buddha Preaching that we Humans are Aliens
What I have heard is, the Buddha has preached that we Humans are the Evolution of Alien life which had arrived on earth many years before
Could this be correct and did he preach so and in which SUTRA ...
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2answers
138 views
Offering water to a buddha statue?
Does offering water to a Buddha statue increase merits? Can I get more merits from offering food or drinks to a buddha statue than from giving money to beggars?
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4answers
131 views
What is wrong speech according to Buddhism?
Is something a lie if I don’t have bad or evil intentions but what I said turns out to be false? I’m trying to protect my five precepts but sometimes when I say something it turns out to be false but ...
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3answers
108 views
Do Arahants have Vinnana and Namarupa?
Do Arahants have Vinnana and Namarupa?
According to Dependent Origination, Namarupa is the result of Vinnana. It appears Vinnana is the contributory factor for six sense base which eventually leads to ...
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7answers
593 views
What should a 11-17 years old Buddhist do?
Can a 11-17 years old meditate and become arahant?
Is Buddhism only for adults?
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4answers
184 views
What's the karmic cause for shyness?
What did we do in our previous lives to become a shy person in this life?
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1answer
70 views
Did the Buddha believe in the existence of soul? [duplicate]
Did Gautama Buddha believe in the existence of soul in human body? If not, why?
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147 views
Are there different types of enlightenment?
I came across this article by Jack Kornfield in which he says that it is better to talk about enlightenments, since there are different versions of it. (So, this is not about different levels of ...
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5answers
126 views
What is actually Nirvana — what are some Tripitaka sources?
What do you know about the Nirvana?
Most of this community people are from all around the world, and may have different teachers, and level of knowledge may vary.
A brief explanation, with reference ...
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6answers
222 views
Too much Dhamma in modern age
Ajahn Brahm’s quite interesting position on "too much Dharma" and studying Abhidharma might be conveyed in this citation:
I think of our modern age is that too much Dhamma. So much Dhamma that
...
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4answers
88 views
Effects of modern culture (Movies/Gaming) on karmic reactions
Having read the following:
Are actions in computer games bad for karma?
Background: I have watched the latest Doom Eternal gameplay, its brilliant in terms of Graphics and dynamics. The actions and ...
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5answers
210 views
Is it true that arahants don't have sati?
A couple of months ago someone tried to convince me that arahants no longer have sati.
He said that sati is like a raft in the sense that it should be given up as soon as the goal, arahantship, has ...
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3answers
89 views
What does MN 18's “delineate a delineation” phrase mean?
What is the meaning of the phrase "delineate a delineation" from MN 18?
What is its message?
Is it connecting papanca (objectification-classification or reification) with dependent origination?
"...
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6answers
125 views
How does Theravada practice to obtain the direct knowledge of anatta?
In this comment it is stated that the Pali Suttas contain the correct method for manifesting direct knowledge of anatta. I agree, but I wonder what Theravada adherents would regard as the precise ...
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3answers
104 views
Suffering due to non-self-related preconceived notions in Theravada
According to this answer:
However, there is another type of suffering that cannot be fixed with
anatta! This type of suffering comes from attachment to forms other
than oneself, forms that have ...
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2answers
67 views
Do the words, Dharmakaya, Nirmanakaya or Samboghakaya appear in any Teravada Buddhist Scriptures?
I read some articles and saw some references to the words , Dharmakaya, Samboghakaya and Nirmanakaya used by Buddha , as mentioned in the Theravada scriptures , at least a few times during His ...
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7answers
218 views
Is the self an illusion or is it *like* an illusion?
Recently, in explaining the relative unimportance of the question whether phenomena lack true existence it was claimed that, "the self is definitely an illusion" and lacked true existence. This seemed ...
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6answers
81 views
Reference for Thoughts like rain drop bubbles
There is reference in the Thai Forest tradition to a teaching given to sāriputta by Buddha of thoughts like rain drop bubbles rising the mergie into the body of water.
Dose anyone know of this suta ...
