43
votes
Accepted
If a buddhist should not kill a mouse living in their home, what justification do they have to rid themselves of a parasite such tapeworms
The Mahayana perspective on social and ecological ethics is based on the high ideals of symbiosis, harmony, and cooperation.
In the old times there were wandering monks who did not work and lived on ...
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37
votes
Accepted
Hypocrisy of Buddhism
Buddhist master, Ajahn Brahm, answered a similar question as follows in an interview with Rachael Kohn:
Rachael Kohn: I know that your message is often about happiness, and how the point of life......
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14
votes
Are there any alternative formulations of the five skandas?
Here is a fairly comprehensive list of alternatives:
Onefold: saṅkhāra
formations; everything that arises and ceases
all five aggregates fit in this category.
Twofold: nāmarūpa
name and form (...
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13
votes
If a buddhist should not kill a mouse living in their home, what justification do they have to rid themselves of a parasite such tapeworms
Where does one draw the line for which forms of life are ok to destroy, and which ones are not?
That (i.e. "which forms of life?") might be not the right question.
If you're describing the ...
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11
votes
Buddhism vs. Nature and Real World
Samsara can be quite brutal and there is suffering. The Buddha acknowledged this in the First Noble Truth. And his last words urged his disciples to strive on with diligence toward their enlightenment....
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11
votes
Accepted
If there is no self what or who is it that gets enlightened?
The main point of the answer you cite is that anatta is a characteristic of ultimate reality. Your question misses this and conflates two different paradigms or levels of understanding.
In Theravada ...
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11
votes
Hypocrisy of Buddhism
Buddhist not trying to accumulate money/power and use it to help people and change world, is hypocritical?
Hypocrisy is defined as:
1. a pretense of having a virtuous character, moral or religious ...
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10
votes
Why is there even a way to the end of suffering?
In MN64, the Buddha discusses the conundrum of identity and the presumed immaculate innocence of infants:
MN64:3.3: For a little baby doesn’t even have a concept of ‘identity’, so how could identity ...
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9
votes
Accepted
What are conditioned as opposed to unconditioned phenomena?
All things are conditioned (matter, feelings, perceptions, thoughts and consciousness itself). Conditioned in that their arising, form and duration are influenced by other things. Only nibbana (...
- 302
9
votes
How can the theory of emptiness be true and yet the self still transmigrates and takes rebirth?
Not all forms of Buddhism define emptiness in the way you describe; in Theravada Buddhism, for example, emptiness mainly means "empty of self":
“katamā cāvuso, suññatā cetovimutti”?
“idhāvuso, ...
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9
votes
Accepted
I would like to become Buddhist
I've heard that they don't believe in any god.
It depends on what you mean by God. Buddhism does not have the concept of a almighty, creator (deism), sustainer, creator plus sustainer (theism), ...
8
votes
Buddhism vs. Nature and Real World
Human belongs to a separate realm other than animal's according to Buddhism's realm classification (the 6 realms are: hell, afflicted spirit, animal, human, asura, and heavenly beings). It doesn't ...
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8
votes
Accepted
"Mystics" in buddhism? ("There is nothing hidden in my teaching" and the like)
It's the Mahaparinibbana Sutta, DN 16:
31. And the Blessed One recovered from that illness; and soon after his recovery he came out from his dwelling place and sat down in the shade of the building, ...
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8
votes
Accepted
Buddhism and the middle path
The middle path is not that which is in between two paths, rather it is usually a different path that does not take extreme viewpoints.
One definition of the middle path comes in the ...
- 36k
8
votes
Philosophical and Doctrinal Differences between Theravada and Zen, and its effects
It's, in a way, like comparing apples and oranges. Theravada means teaching of the elders; all it means is taking the Pali tipitaka and commentaries as more or less orthodox, and denying any teaching ...
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8
votes
Buddhism is not fatalism?
According to the Buddhism's theory, one man's fate is destined by the past's karma.
This is true that our conditions are determined by past karma, but they are determined by present as well.
A ...
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8
votes
If a buddhist should not kill a mouse living in their home, what justification do they have to rid themselves of a parasite such tapeworms
Theravada Buddhist Answer.
Whichever way you spin it, killing(intentionally) is bad Karma which you will have to pay for at some point in Samsara unless it becomes defunct. You can draw the line ...
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8
votes
How and when does one not invest in others in Buddhism?
These kinds of questions will always be difficult to answer because we only have one side of the story. We lack the vital perspective that comes from a. knowing you, and b. knowing the people that you ...
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8
votes
How did this material world come into existence if the ultimate reality is voidness?
Looks like you misunderstand Shunyata (Voidness, Emptiness, Hollowness). Shunyata is not nothingness, it is lack of solidity. It is interdependence. Famous Zen teacher Thích Nhat Hanh coined a new ...
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8
votes
Hesitation between Buddhism and Advaita Vedanta
If you want to know the truth about reality, you have to learn how to make impartial observations of nature. When you ask questions like "Who is waking up? Who is witnessing?", you have already made ...
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8
votes
Accepted
Buddhism on We are all one
OP: Is it right from a Buddhist point of view to say that you and me are the same because there is only one consciousness playing
different minds (egos, personalities, psychologies, etc) and bodies ...
- 36k
7
votes
Accepted
Is the mind different from the other 'six senses'?
According to Theravada Buddhism anyway, mind is different; it acts as both the receiver of the other five senses, as well as being a sense in and of itself. Meaning the mind can receive objects from ...
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7
votes
Accepted
What is the difference between Yogacara Buddhism and Idealism?
Some scholars, notably Dan Lusthaus, have argued that Yogācāra is not a form of Idealism. Lusthaus is one of the leading living authorities on Yogācāra and author of the authoritative analysis, ...
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7
votes
How do you decide when to stick up for yourself and when to let things go?
you said:
One shouldn't attach him/herself (to material matters).
One should move toward truthfulness in all things and correct harm.
but... the second one does not sound like a Buddhist ...
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7
votes
Accepted
What is attachment as per Buddhism?
Teacher S.L. gave the following examples of attachments: attachment to basic pleasures, attachment to possessions, attachment to "good looks", attachment to comfort, attachment to stability of life, ...
- 56.9k
7
votes
I would like to become Buddhist
You don't believe in any God. Ok. You don't believe in rituals. Ok. Very likely you already don't. So why Buddhism? I'd like to make an important point here stating that Buddhism is anything but a ...
- 2,224
7
votes
"Human Dignity" in Buddhism
Dignity in Buddhism is not built-in, it is to be earned. A realized person is respected because they deserve to be respected. If someone can control one's emotions, does not fall victim to one's ...
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