text:
Is there any way one can be a Monk without a teacher in India/Nepal?
Nowadays, it can be seen that instead of doing meditation people are focusing on rectifying outside world. Some of such people call themselves a saint, sanyaasi, monk, swami, mahaguru (great teacher), sadguru(teacher of all), etc.
But it can be easily detected that they are not worthy of such noble words. If someone is unsatisfied in one way or other and is not ready to compromise in any way, can that person be a "self inspired meditator" to be an Arahant?
Remember Buddha's last words: "Atta Hi Attano Natho" (You are your own master), in fact this is what our mind does.
Is it possible to live an ascetic life in India/Nepal and meditate to one's heart's contents?
Any suggestions of such place in India/Nepal? (That place must be silent, as in pin-drop-silence).
This question has 2 parts:
1) Possibility of being a SELF - Meditator/Bhikkhu.
2) Silent place/ashram/Monastery in India/Nepal to practice Self-Meditation by being a monk without teacher, other than core teachings of Buddha (Means without teacher-student criteria)?
Contact me at tempoit1@gmail.com to have discussion/advice in private (if you don't want to answer in public).

Remember buddha's last words :: Atto Na Attanno Natho ~ You are your own teacher, infact this is what our Mind does.

It's important to see the Buddha's full paragraph because one cannot solely and entirely be one's own teacher without His Teaching:

Therefore, Ānanda, live with yourself as an island, yourself as a refuge, with no other refuge, with the Teaching as an island, the Teaching as a refuge, with no other refuge. And how, Ānanda, does a monk live with himself as an island, himself as a refuge, with no other refuge, with the Teaching as an island, the Teaching as a refuge, with no other refuge?
Here, Ānanda, a monk dwells contemplating the nature of the body in the body, ardent, fully aware, and mindful, after removing avarice and sorrow regarding the world; he dwells contemplating the nature of feelings in feelings, ardent, fully aware, and mindful, after removing avarice and sorrow regarding the world; he dwells contemplating the nature of the mind in the mind, ardent, fully aware, and mindful, after removing avarice and sorrow regarding the world; he dwells contemplating the nature of things in various things, ardent, fully aware, and mindful, after removing avarice and sorrow regarding the world... ~~ DN 16 ~~

So while it'd be helpful to have a knowledgeable and virtuous teacher who can coach/advise/correct you along your path, but if you're not able to find one who's truly knowledgeable and truly virtuous, it's totally legit. to go solo provided that you remember to cultivate the Path in both theory and in practice. Use great online resources like accesstoinsight.org, suttacentral.net, themindingcentre.org for the theoretical aspect and observe precepts/practice meditation for the practice side. Remember, one is a monk not because he shaves his head, wears an orange robe, and stays inside a monastery, but because he observes the Vinaya with its 227 rules and seriously cultivate Samadhi and Panna, just like you can't call someone a martial artist because he wears a gi and a black belt, but because you see him walking out of the ring alive and on his own two feet.

Yup! I know that . That's why at last ,in question, I wrote ," to practice Self-Meditation by being a Monk without teacher other than Core Teachings of Buddha". Also , it can be noticed that ," Atto Na Attanno Natho" in itself is complete as ,even if one is a student of Supreme teacher like buddha , s/he will only learn when s/he wants to -- here also one part of s/he Mind teaches another part . That's why ,Mind is it's own Master ,No-one else. Thanks for resource websites.

No need any teacher
Don't become anything.(Monk,etc)
Only need awareness. Choiceless awareness .find out
What is awareness?
What is choiceless awareness?
Indian monk making money from faith.
Indian monk is fake.
Monk  making money  our ignorance .
Search " Ram Rahim ", nimal baba  " indian fake monk
Indian any monk making money from our ignorance..
I am indian so i knew it.

Fake monks :: can be anyone ,not restricted to India. Choiceless Awareness :: It's a type of behaviour that can either be done/applied by enlightened one or by residing alongside enlightened one. For others ,meditation is needed.

Choiceless awareness:: "what is " you are greedy. Aware  you are greedy. You are feeling hate. Aware you are hate feeling.  Don't  resistance

Question is not about type of awareness. It's about possibility of practicing self-meditation & asceticness(monkhoodness) in India/Nepal without any teacher.

No need any teacher

Silent Place(forest/mountain ashram/monastery) where such practice can be done by strictly maintaining 5 buddhist Percepts(Sheela) without anyone's disturbance ??

No need silent place. Only need mindfulness  or awareness.  Aware these moment. Awareness great meditation

Hmm, thanks for advice.

I am interested in this topic but i can't answer based on texts nor give locations.
I can say that it seems to me that most gurus just want to get along and not step on eachothers toes. I've see this play out in public and in personal interaction. This benefits everyone involved in that it avoids conflict.
If you are self learned, capable of thinking, reading and writing people might see you as an op sec threat for this whole arrangement more so than a random person coming to learn enlightenments.
Therefore if you really want to be self-learned and autonomous then don't expect to be popular and enjoying the vast support of established structures neither from the yogis nor buddhists. I think there are these options id consider;
* ordain where people just don't care and do your own thing
* somehow get your own funding, a cave or some property
* be homeless, pick bottles, scrap metal or whatnot
I think more and more people will find themselves in these circumstances and it is probably going to be quite difficult to build these places and even harder to maintain as a place conducive to legit growth. Thus they will probably not be a free for all and those same elements of op sec will come into play hopefully based on right views and not weakness & insecurity. It will essentially be perceived as just another Buddhist sect or an organization.

Agree with you in a lot of context .Ordain where no-one cares :: Correct. Get your own funding :: FALSE .Be Homeless :: Correct. Funding is not required , funding increases EGO. Cave is of nature & for everyone ,so no right of occupying cave otherwise it would not be homelessness .I know few such places but people from other sect residing there beacomes greatest distraction.

Monks are allowed to live in a cave or under a cliff, latter is considered a dhutanga. If you think you can do without then power to you but talk is cheap.

Oh! I never said that I wanna/going to do this. Also , What I meant was :: One can live in cave or under a cliff but can never be owner or claimer of that cave/cliff through an organization or by self.

In the mahavagga Ven Pilindavakkha has a cave cleared out to make a dwelling place ie https://books.google.no/books?id=1Uv8AQAAQBAJ&pg=PA61&lpg=PA61&dq=vinaya+cave&source=bl&ots=SkptrjeQKr&sig=ACfU3U3asIbVMz4Bwdj2ZnJmpinO1s3LGQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjN3YGjudPlAhWN0KYKHSdJDrkQ6AEwD3oECAkQAQ#v=onepage&q=vinaya%20cave&f=false

Ok i get it but for practical purposes you should make sure one legally occupies a dwelling. Not self argumentation doesn t work very well with law enforcement.

Hmm , thanks for advice.

Someone always teaches us. It could be from a book, from online videos or from Buddhist forum Q&A but I suppose you mean a one on one teacher that guides you in person.
It's possible to practice in harmony with a monk without a one on one teacher but a good teacher is likely to pinpoint certain subtle problems you are having far more effectively than a book generalized at a group of readers.
Monks aren't the only ones who can beg in a society although there are norms, traditions and beliefs between lay supporters and monks  that may  cause adversity for the ascetic that hasn't ordained but adversity handled wisely can be a teaching in itself.

Saint/Sanyasi/Mahatma/Mahapurush/Monk/Bhikkhu/Anagaami... are Noble words , not meant for anyone following any tradition. Hmm, Thanks for your ideology.

What do you mean? One doesn't have to follow any idea  nessasarily to become an anagami? People can enter stream entry and attain nirvana without ever hearing the ideas of the Buddha? I agree with that.

That's What India is famous for : Self-Enlightenment , even Gautama The Buddha was a Samyak Sambuddha , a Self-Enlightened one without any teacher. What I meant was ,"noble words aren't for just anyone following any belief/tradition without noble behaviour/karma ".

I'm sorry I am just trying to understand, Are you saying,  "noble words are meant for  noble behavior"? I am really confused at how  following beliefs and traditions fits in there.

Yup! Noble words like saint/Arhant  are meant for noble behaviour only.Even if person coming from any tradition/belief. Like Mahaveera Jain , Lord Buddha :: Both might had some different teaching method ,still same behaviour ;even their appearence(physical outlook) was same after they claimed enlightenment.

If "it is easily detectable", then you must be able to know what's  wrong in their livelihood, in this case just try to live without doing those mistakes.
If by 'ascetic' you mean to live like how gautama lived after leaving both his teachers, then whichever country you are in whether india or nepal or whatever,  you don't  need to ask anyone cause wherever you are,  I hope your country would've  lot of villages,  forests,  mountains etc.
Pin-drop silent place is within, not outside.
Life is not so easy-going.  If you would've  been matured enough for independent meditation, you wouldn't  be here on internet asking strangers.
Sticking to questions only,  be matured enough to live alone and not to look back,  live like an old, weak man to ignore every distraction and remain focused on meditation, don't  look for food, clothes etc.
From Google maps,  India/Nepal is a vast land of forests,  mountains,  himalayas etc. If you are truely at a level of gautama,  don't  fear from this initial Mara which is pushing you to seek for a Silent&Helping place outside.

Answer to Q1:
No need to move to India / Nepal. The place you are right now is the best place to start the journey. There are two things

Move to a forest, thinking it will help to focus
Move to forest or temple after realising that there's no meaning in this life. He moves to forest to increase the speed of getting enlightenment but not to run from the current life.

Majority of the people do the first thing, it's like driving in a play ground, which will cause many accidents when you drive it in the high way. So just to practice you may find a calm place, but running away from day to day life doesn't make sense.
Leaving the current life to a place where you can attend more on attaining Nibbana is the second point. But to do that you might first need to understand one thing. At least you must understand the problem of life.
So my advise is first find the correct dhamma. Don't try to follow a teacher. Keep in mind Dhamma is the only teacher. But today's dhamma is misinterpreted by many people who says that they are teachers. There are few in this forum as well.
With Metta..!


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what separates us from our identity to another person
I am indian.
You are Americans .
Our identity  divide human beings?
I am hindu.
You are muslim.
Our identity divide human beings?
I am buddhist monk.
I am ordinary human.
I am hindu.
I am muslim.
Hindu  hates Muslim  beacuse   i am hindu .
Muslim hate hindu  beacuse you are muslim.
Indian hate pakistan beacuse I am indian.
Pakistan hate indian beacuse he is pakistan.
Every one carry identity.
Identity create conflict
Conflict create war

Untill Enlightenment ,we all are same ,i.e., "Children of Thirst & Ego , Served by Crave , having Nationality of 12 Sense-Bases & having Delusions of Permanence & Annihilation ". Can be said ,till enlightenment ,only Ignorance is our identity in various Combinations .Post enlightenment ,no-self ,no-identity ... ,no-ignorance.

Book answer..No need ..buddhism answer no need....Only need your experience

Hindu hates Muslim beacuse i am hindu .
Muslim hate hindu beacuse you are muslim.
Indian hate pakistan beacuse I am indian.
Pakistan hate indian beacuse he is pakistan.
Every one carry identity.
Identity create conflict

Identity doesn't create conflict, clinging to a sense of self-identity does. It's a subtle difference, but it's an important difference nonetheless. If it was true that "identity creates conflict", there would be absolutely zero Hindu who loves Muslims, zero Muslim who loves Hindus, zero Indian who loves Pakistanis, etc. But quite the contrary, any "self-identified" Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, Taoist, etc. who sincerely and honestly practices their faith would treat one another like brothers and sisters in the same family.

I think. No need any identity.

What separates us from identifying with another person?

The fear of the unknown, dosa(fear) and avija(not knowing).
The jealous comparing mind that is  lobha(greed).
Nothing in actuality admits that anything is separate.
What separates us is our belief and perception that we are separate.

You are right. Our belief and perception separate human beings

The scriptures teach conflict comes from craving, as follows:

Craving is a cause of seeking. Seeking is a cause of gaining material
  possessions. Gaining material possessions is a cause of assessing. Assessing is a cause of desire and lust. Desire and lust is a cause of
  attachment. Attachment is a cause of possessiveness. Possessiveness is
  a cause of stinginess. Stinginess is a cause of safeguarding. Owing to
  safeguarding, many bad, unskillful things come to be: taking up the
  rod and the sword, quarrels, arguments, and fights, accusations,
  divisive speech and lies.

Therefore, it is immoral craving or, occasionally, wholesome desire, that separates people. For example:

Indians struggle to understand Buddhism (because the the celibate Buddha & his Arahant disciples probably drained India of enlightenment genetics) so Buddhists must be patient with Indians. This gives rise to identity due to hope.
Americans engage in imperialism, destroy many nations & murder many people so humane people don't appreciate them. This gives rise to identity due to hoping.
Muslims can be fundamentalists & imperialists so Hindus are apprehensive of them. This gives rise to identity due to worry.
Buddhist monks have to twist the Dhamma into mundane dhamma so ordinary person (puthujjana) feels they are a Buddhist. This gives rise to identity due to hoping.
Hindu hates Muslim because (Turkic covert) Muslim has history of violence & conquering. This gives rise to identity due to wishing.
Indian hate Pakistan because Wasim Akram was better at cricket than Sourav Ganguly and because Benazir Bhutto was better looking than Indira Gandhi. This gives rise to identity due to craving.

Therefore conflict & division comes from craving & desire, both wholesome & unwholesome. And then craving & desire gives rise to identity.

No india,No pakistan,No america , no earth
No hindu, no Muslim,No buddhism ,No  human beings
No identity!
No division!
No conflict!
No war
Now question  is
How to make identity

No earth , no planet , no human being .Earth ,planet ,human being is also an identity & taken from book not experience. Experience :::::: We all are just animals feeding each other ,including earth too(it eats dead ones, ashes).

You are right bro.. I edit my answer  no human and no earth..

Thanks  for "no earth " and "human"

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In the doctrine of no arising does the past and future still exist?
In the doctrine of no arising does the past and future still exist, and if so do they exist in the same way as the present does?
And if not, why?
From Dogen's Genjo-koan:

Firewood becomes ash. Ash cannot turn back into firewood again. However, we should not view ash as after and firewood as before. We should know that firewood dwells in the dharma position of firewood and it has its own before and after. Although there is before and after, past and future are cut off. Ash stays at the position of ash and it has its own before and after. As firewood never becomes firewood again after it is burned and becomes ash, after person dies, there is no return to living. However, in buddha dharma, it is a never-changing tradition not to say that life becomes death. Therefore we call it no-arising. It is the laid-down way of buddha's turning the dharma wheel not to say that death becomes life. Therefore, we call it no-perishing. Life is a position at one time; death is also a position at one time. For instance, this is like winter and spring. We don't think that winter becomes spring, and we don't say that spring becomes summer.

I wondered whether Dogen is saying that there is a before and after and these are the same as the past and future that are cut off -- from the present: so that anything that occurs only does so in the past or future.

The Sarvastivadins were the main school that thought the past and future exist in some sense. But even here the past and future do so differently from the present: as causality is what makes something real.
Most other Buddhists, while agreeing on the Sarvastivadins about causality, claimed that, since the past and future are not presently causing anything, they are unreal and imaginary.

I do not know of any school that claimed or claims that this imaginary existence in particular -- of the past and future -- is all that is, so that the present is nothing whatsoever.

Dogen is saying that from Buddhist perspective, a dharma does not "become" another dharma. Each dharma is a "presence" at its time, static in its own quality, followed by another "presence-quality" and so on.
So wood is wood and ash is ash, it's not the same "thing" changing while moving from point A in time to point B.
To this I can add that the temporal succession of dharmas is similar to a set of real numbers - each individual dharma is a generalization, and we can infinitely "zoom in" on a particular moment between "wood" and "ash" to see a some-level-of-burning-in-progress-dharma.
Wood and ash are connected as cause and effect. Ash exists due to wood (among other things).
Similarly, it's not like a living person dies. They exist in succession, first life, then death. Life and death are connected like cause and effect. Death exists due to life (among other things). Therefore, there is no perishing of the living.
Correspondingly, there is no arising. It's not like the newborn was dead before it was born. Nor is it like the mother turned into the newborn, nor mother's egg, nor the sperm. Instead, these dharmas exist in causal succession.
Now, if you think about it, it's not like any given dharma has exactly one dharma as its predecessor - not at all. Instead, most if not all dharmas have many, many "causing" or "conditioning" dharmas. Which one we consider "the main" cause is entirely up to us.
In this sense, someone who lives now is a "dharma" that has quadrillions of other dharmas as its "inputs" - going up the infinitely forking chains of physical ancestry, informational ancestry, circumstantial conditionality and who knows what else.
This is why there is no arising, because it's an infinitely spanning network of static  non-discrete dharmas causing and conditioning each other. The whole thing is like a multidimensional vector space, without one global time dimension.

So, to answer your question,
Past and future are something observed relative to a particular dharma. Past is the transitive closure of all its causes, and future is the superset of dharmas directly or indirectly conditioned by a given dharma.
Ontologically, there is no becoming, no objects moving through time, nor one global time dimension.

The knowledge of non-arising is referenced in the following two Early Buddhist Texts:

dn34: knowledge of ending, and knowledge of non-arising.
dn33: Knowledge of ending and knowledge of non-arising.

The knowledge of ending is the knowledge of the ending of defilements, the end of even the conceit "I am". With that knowledge comes, in parallel, the knowledge that the perceived continuity of existence (i.e., "firewood becomes ash") is just an illusion. Firewood is just firewood and ash is just ash. Although they may be conditionally related via combustion, there is no common identity that joins them. Firewood does not seek to be ash. Ash does not miss being firewood. Firewood is firewood. And ash is ash.

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What puts together composites according to Buddhism?
I believe that the word for composite or compounded dharma is sankhara. What puts sankhara together, according to Theravada or Mahayana Buddhism?
I'd especially like an explanation that contrasts the answer to Hinduism.

The word 'sankhara' has many different meanings. It can mean:

"conditioned thing' (something made from causes & conditions; AN 3.134; Dhp 277; SN 22.90)
"conditioner' (a condition that conditions/creates another conditioned thing; SN 41.6; MN 44).
"conditioning" (the process of conditioning; SN 22.79)
aggregate of mental formations (sankhara khandha; SN 22.79; SN 22.48)
mental conditioning (i.e., mental proliferation, psychobabble or papanca; Dhp 203; SN 38.14).

Therefore what puts together a conditioned thing (sankhara; sankhata) is the conditioning (saṅkharonti) of other conditioned things (sankhara).
In the context of mental formations (sankhara khandha), SN 22.79 says:

Kiñca, bhikkhave, saṅkhāre [plural] vadetha?
And why do you call them 'fabrications'?
Saṅkhatamabhisaṅkharontīti kho, bhikkhave, tasmā ‘saṅkhārā’ti vuccati.
Because they fabricate [saṅkharontī; verb] fabricated things
  [saṅkhatam], thus they are called 'fabrications'[saṅkhārā]
Kiñca saṅkhatamabhisaṅkharonti?
What do they fabricate [saṅkharonti] as fabricated thing [saṅkhatam]?
Rūpaṃ rūpattāya saṅkhatamabhisaṅkharonti, vedanaṃ vedanattāya
  saṅkhatamabhisaṅkharonti, saññaṃ saññattāya saṅkhatamabhisaṅkharonti,
  saṅkhāre saṅkhārattāya saṅkhatamabhisaṅkharonti, viññāṇaṃ viññāṇattāya
  saṅkhatamabhisaṅkharonti.
For the sake of form-ness, they fabricate form as a fabricated thing.
  For the sake of feeling-ness, they fabricate feeling as a fabricated
  thing. For the sake of perception-hood... For the sake of
  fabrication-hood... For the sake of consciousness-hood, they fabricate
  consciousness as a fabricated thing.
Saṅkhatamabhisaṅkharontīti kho, bhikkhave, tasmā ‘saṅkhārā’ti vuccati.
Because they fabricate fabricated things, they are called
  fabrications.

In the context of intentional kamma (action), AN 3.23 says:

A certain person makes/generates/puts together
  (abhisaṅkharoti) hurtful (sabyābajjhaṃ) body
  choices/intentions/activities (kaya-sankhara), speech
  choices/intentions/activities (vaci-sankhara) and mental
  choices/intentions/activities (mano-sankhara).
Saṅkhāra Sutta

good theravadin answer, thanks

In theravada it is that element which creates that which is created; it creates, therefore it is called the element which creates. As it is thus objectified, it is know as a requisite for other elements so that which forms the formations is classified as formation element forming consciousness as consciousness, formation element forming form as form etc
The classes of past, present & future creating elements are called sankhara aggregate. Sankhara (aggregate) is translated as mental formations or fabrications. Pali discourses explain that fabrications there are intentions, the six classes of intention.
In the Pali texts mind preceeds all created things, it creates them and that which is called mind, consciousness or intellect arises as one thing and ceases as another. Many of the discernable elements are named and known as their coming into play is understood and are named as to their particular function, therefore even tho it is possible to delineate the difference between some elements it would not be possible to take them apart as they are conjoined.

Fabrications
  "And what are fabrications? These three are fabrications: bodily fabrications, verbal fabrications, mental fabrications. These are called fabrications.
"In-&-out breaths are bodily; these are things tied up with the body. That's why in-&-out breaths are bodily fabrications.
  Having first directed one's thoughts and made an evaluation, one then breaks out into speech. That's why directed thought & evaluation are verbal fabrications.
  Perceptions & feelings are mental; these are things tied up with the mind. That's why perceptions & feelings are mental fabrications."
‘Whatever fabrications , bhikkhus, has passed, ceased, changed: the term, label, and description ‘was’ applies to it, not the term ‘is’ or the term ‘will be.’
  "And what are fabrications? These six classes of intention — intention with regard to form, intention with regard to sound, intention with regard to smell, intention with regard to taste, intention with regard to tactile sensation, intention with regard to ideas: these are called fabrications. From the origination of contact comes the origination of fabrications. From the cessation of contact comes the cessation of fabrications. And just this noble eightfold path is the path of practice leading to the cessation of fabrications... The fact that pleasure & happiness arises in dependence on fabrications: that is the allure of fabrications. The fact that fabrications are inconstant, stressful, subject to change: that is the drawback of fabrications. The subduing of desire & passion for fabrications, the abandoning of desire & passion for fabrications: that is the escape from fabrications...
“And why, bhikkhus, do you call them fabrications? ‘They fabricate the conditioned,’ bhikkhus, therefore they are called fabrications.
  Mind precedes fabricated things; Mind directs them, they are mind-made.
  And what is the conditioned that they fabrications?
They fabricate conditioned form as form;
  they fabricate conditioned feeling as feeling;
  they fabricate conditioned perception as perception;
  they fabricate conditioned fabrications as fabrications;
  they fabricate conditioned consciousness as consciousness.
‘They fabricate the conditioned,’ bhikkhus, therefore they are called fabrications.
Conditioned Element
  There are, Ānanda, these two elements: the conditioned element and the unconditioned element.
  Bhikkhus, there are these three characteristics that define the conditioned. What three? An arising is seen, a vanishing is seen, and its alteration while it persists is seen. These are the three characteristics that define the conditioned.
  The born, come-to-be, produced,
  The made, the conditioned, the transient,
  Conjoined with decay and death,
  A nest of disease, perishable,
  Sprung from nutriment and craving's cord —
  That is not fit to take delight in.

Excerpts from sutta and abhidhamma


text:
Buddhism and Losing Determination
I noticed that I tend to very well know what I must do, and that I also strive and attempt to do these things, but that often I am filled with a kind of 'defeatism' or 'pessimism'. I know the right way, attempt the right way, but this heavy and saddening discouragement just makes me go: "What's the point? It's all futile anyways."
How would Buddhism describe and remedy such an emotion?
I feel like this is distinct from not knowing the right way, and not attempting the right way. It's more of a temporary emotion dragging me down, a kind of hopelessness or shame or maybe even self-hatred.
This emotion doesn't always occur, but it occurs enough for me to be held back in my practice. What should I do?

Why do you feel it's futile? You don't feel you have already made progress? That emotion will only hold you back if you let it. Meditation while feeling like that is likely to give you insight into why you feel like that.

I sympathise with your problem. It might even be the 'slough of despond'. One thing you could do is remember that if your practice is pointless then so is everything else you do, so you might as well do the practice. Another is to forget all about end-gaining in your practice and just enjoy the moment, and this is good practice anyway. But I have no magic bullet. . . .  .

Sit on the cushion.  You’ve posted scores of variants on this question and still seem to be under the impression that there’s an answer out there somewhere that’s going to get things to click for you - that somehow someone will say something that will miraculously make you committed and motivated to practice.  That answer simply doesn’t exist.  No amount of intellectualizing, sage advice, or sutra is going to change your mind or your circumstances.  Words don’t change behavior; behavior changes behavior.  Suck it up and sit.  It’s not going to be fun, it’s going to take monumental effort, you aren’t going to see any discernible benefit for a long time.  This is what practice looks like.  It’s why it’s called a discipline.  Effort doesn’t come from the outside.  It comes from within.  You have to provide the energy to make it happen.

For those who practice, illusions disappear. One becomes...disillusioned.

sn12.23: Truly knowing and seeing is a vital condition for disillusionment.

Without illusion, craving and aversion fade away, leading to dispassion.

sn12.23: Disillusionment is a vital condition for dispassion.

And with dispassion, there is freedom for right actions, etc.

sn12.23: Dispassion is a vital condition for freedom.

And then perhaps one might encounter:

sn12.23: Freedom is a vital condition for the knowledge of ending.

So if you're struggling with disillusionment, put it to good use. Help someone with their life, clean up something that is dirty, listen to someone who feels ignored.  Extend metta, compassion, rejoicing and inclusive equanimity to all you meet without illusions.

This emotion doesn't always occur, but it occurs enough for me to be held back in my practice. What should I do?

If Samsara is a very very long marathon, then just remember that if the race requires trillions steps to reach the finish line, any effort you make to put 1 step forward would mean that you're 1 step closer toward the finish line. But if you don't move your foot forward at all, you will never reach the finish line.

Defeatism and pessimism are just other activities of the mind; it's the thinking mind getting sulky because it's bored and not being allowed to do what it wants to do. If you sit with it and watch it mope that thread of mental energy will (eventually) settle down and align with the practice.

What should I do?

My advice is to:

Be mindful and guard the sense faculties
Find a good teacher
Do a 10 day (or longer) intensive meditation course
Read the Sabbasava Sutta (MN 2)
Watch Ven. Yuttadhammo's 7 Dhamma discourses on the sutta
Listen to Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi's comprehensive 4 Dhamma discourses on the sutta

In brief, the Sabbasava Sutta is one of the most complete suttas in the Pali Canon. It encompasses the Buddhas entire teaching. Here the Buddha teaches how one should train oneself in order to become free from the root defilements that bind us to Samsara. The sutta is divided into 7 sections and all 7 methods work for all the defilements. The defilements should be removed by: Seeing, Restraining, Using, Enduring, Avoiding, Dispelling and Developing.

This answer might strike a little but pardon me for that in advance. I will try to give one of my friend's experience who went through same .
Currently you are feeling like...
"It's more of a temporary emotion dragging me down, a kind of hopelessness or shame or maybe even self-hatred"
Considering feeling("what's the point ,it's all futile anyways") makes you truly detached  from everything at that time. To know whether it's a detached feeling ,check if you feel satisfied by spiritual meditation of ,'Anaapaana' during those temporary emotions/feelings i.e.  ....
Yes ,then it's detachment
It's not a temporary emotion but beginning of something else.
1.) If you have no responsibilities ::
It's better to become a full time truth-seeker ,time has come to meditate deeply to get rid of Ignorance because nothing can satisfy you other than spiritual path.
2.) If you have responsibilities ,i.e. few are dependent upon you ::
Stand in front of Mirror & Smash it behind that thick skull that , "I have responsibilities left and there are few (remember the relation) Lives who would become living-Dead without me". If this is the right time , I would have been free from any responsibility. Start meditation at point when that emotion arise and declare that to be a hinderance of life like monkey thoughts of lust , Laziness etc. Wait for right time to come and when that time(of no responsibility) comes , be a full-time truth-seeker.
No it's not a detachment
Then it's called as laziness(प्रमाद) in mind.It can be due to a previous shock_of_life or due to too_much_comfortness in life. In this case ,it's Better to do a monitored meditation retreat for around 1-2 months & do some free-service (सेवा)
before returning back to usual life .It will re-track you in right direction.
That friend of mine is waiting for right time and has already started his spiritual journey partially. Actually ,he is waiting for permission of parents i.e. he wants his parents to remain happy while he seeks for truth.


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Awe in Buddhism
Contemporary psychology and neuroscience keep finding benefits to the emotion of awe, which appears as a spiritual emotion given it makes one more prosocial and less attached to material objects.
Does Buddhism talk in any way about this emotion?

Are you saying that mudita and awe are connected?

I can’t find any obvious correspondence to awe among the cetasikas or kleshas, but it could possibly compare to saddha or pasada. Perhaps awe is mentioned elsewhere in the suttas.
Personally I lean towards looking at awe as a type of ignorance, because it seems to me like a somewhat blind faith, as opposed to the investigative approach in buddhism.

I once heard a astronomer responding to someone asking "Doesn't knowing what is in the night sky make you less appreciative of it's beauty?" And they responded that knowing what's up there actually increases their awe because they can fully appreciate the scale of what they're looking at and feel how amazing it is that all of it exists in the first place. Awe and knowledge are not exclusive from each other.

Awe in the Western, Christian worldview corresponds roughly to the Zen concept of satori: a sudden awakening to true nature. The interpretations differ on philosophical and dogmatic grounds, obviously, but the experience — a sudden involution of perspective, with a consequence sense of wholeness, oneness, and 'flow' — is common to all faiths.


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A Problem in Need of an Answer
Through many of Yuttadhammo's videos and accesstoinsight, I have learned a vast amount of knowledge on the Buddha's teachings. But I feel like I am causing myself problems.

1) I keep on questioning everything I learn in the Dhamma & expanding
  on my questions through my answers and so on, how can I stop this from
  happening? How can I limit my questions or is there anything taught by
  the Buddha or in Yuttadhammo's tradition to help me?
2) As I have learned a lot (but definitely not all) from the Buddha's
  Dhamma, I keep on wanting to write down all that I learn but to keep
  it for myself on remembering the teaching, and I keep on writing long
  essays then rewriting and editing and adding and shrinking and adding
  and so on. I continue to do so and I feel like this is a problem, how
  can I cope with only knowing the teaching in my head than writing it
  all I learn down or is this not really a problem?

Please help!   Metta

Btw., giving the questions a traceable titel is helpful for tracing.

People learn in different ways, some by watching, some by doing, I have found that I personally, and I suspect you as well, learn by teaching. When I write essays like you're describing I am teaching the student within myself and it often allows me to gain a deeper understanding than I had before.

You probably know, you have to practice.
  You haven't watched Bhante Yuttadhammo's videos on how to meditate? Bhante Yuttadhammo is always talking about how it takes moment by moment experiencial practice to understand the enefable Dhamma.
  We can't read about insights into our own personal habits and beliefs that are below the surface of consciousness,  we have to witness them.

Here are some specific Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu videos concerning this issue:
Intellectual Knowledge of  Insight Knowledge
https://youtu.be/_qw0qRro2es
Intelligence, Wisdom, and Stupidity
https://youtu.be/gBTOOI1bk-o
Overdosing on Study
https://youtu.be/SfG1Dk6yUKE
Study of the Dhamma Vs. Practice
https://youtu.be/T2CodNAHzf0
Conceptual Truth vs. Ultimate Truth
https://youtu.be/jg48H8VtN9E
Why Practice Meditation
https://youtu.be/0rbspa_39EY
Basics of Vipassana
https://youtu.be/YmcE3TlCDYE
One Who Lives By The Dhamma
https://youtu.be/aVWCyaAmgSc
How I Became a Buddhist Monk
https://youtu.be/5PajaN34xK8

Good and useful answer, +1.

Dhamma is something to be practised. If it is practised it is remembered. This is what mindfulness means. Mindfulness means to remember to practise the teachings.

A Problem in Need of an Answer

Since you already seem to be following Ven. Yuttadhammo's teachings I would advice doing the online meditation course with Bhante. I'm doing that right now and I highly recommend it. You will have a weekly video session (via Discord or Google Hangouts) with Bhante and he will teach you the Mahasi Sayadaw technique.
May you have a fruitful practice.


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Compassion Meditation's Efficiency
In compassion meditation (metta-bhavana), does the strength of the effect depend mainly on concentration? Or are there other factors involved as well?
Thank you.

I depend on concentration and sincerity of on thoughts.
If one can keep out other distracting thoughts one's concentration increase thus increasing the effectiveness.
If one just repeating words than sincere this decreases the effectiveness.
Ultimately what is needed is:

one generates compassionate thoughts
develop compassion as a quality
break barriers where one classify beings as favourable and unfavourable


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The Complex Abhidhamma
I have been having trouble analyzing the Abhidhamma.

Can someone explain all or the main points of the Abhidhamma, but
  simply, just so I can understand it better as I continue my studies?

Thanks!

The best starting point is to read the following summary.The Abhidhamma deals with realities existing in an ultimate sense, called in Pali paramattha
dhammā. There are four such realities:

Citta, mind or consciousness, defined as that which knows or experiences an object.
Citta occurs as distinct momentary states of consciousness.

2) Cetasikas, the mental factors that arise and occur along with the cittas.
3) Rūpa, physical phenomena, or material form.
4) Nibbāna.
http://103.242.110.22/theravadins/English-articles/abhidhamma-in-practice.pdf

Abhidhamma deals with ultimate realities (Citta, Cetasika, Rupa & Nibbana). There are 121/89 Citta, 52 Cetesika, 28 Rupa. Each Citta contain a combination of Cetesika. Since these lists are long drilling down into the specifics are pretty long, but you can locate more detail resources here: http://www.abhidhamma.com/

Abhidharma is just a compilation of all the technical concepts from suttas.
Buddha spoke about conditioned and unconditioned dharmas - let's create a list. Buddha spoke about five skandhas, let's compile everything he said about each. Buddha spoke about six doors and six bases etc. - let's get those lists.
Like that. It's an extraction and summary of all these ideas.

Jhana master has very fast and powerful mind more than people who still addict 5 strings, coulor sound smell taste touching.
Jhana produces the paññā light which can let the master see the reality easily. However, they can't understand the dependent origination themself without the Buddha.
In Buddha's time, there are many Jhana master's who become Arahanta, especially the Buddha and his genius follower, Sariputta.
This two masters realize how is it important to the understanding in reality for the insight meditation.
So, the core of Abhidhammma is "it is the key of insight meditation." No one can enlighten Nibbana without understand enough the reality in the dependent origination even the Jhana masters because no one can understand Anatta without the dependent origination knowledge.
And Abhidhamma can help about it perfectly. However, it's easier if the student meditate Jhāna to get the paññā light to see the "real" reality, atom and mind process, arising and vanishing trillion times in a second. Then the student can study Abhidhamma easily.

Do you have personal experience of jnana?

Shy >///< I know many Jhana masters, but I still not attain Appana-Jhana. I've started to focus on concentration meditation this year, however I've studied Tipitaka for more than 15 years and I trust Pa-Auk Tawya, Jhana master, for more than 8 years. The first time I read his book 8 years ago, I interjected "This is Tipitaka Memorizer's book. He is the Jhana master and he may be enlightened already". However, my karma blinded to practice myself Jhana, but this year. Lucky karma, at least I understood Tipitaka concept already at that time, so I trust in him without the concentration meditation.

Puthujjanas are obsessed with objects and their fantasy that objects have  ''a nature'' (and then that objects have ''a true nature'' hidden from humans) and that when they know this ''hidden nature'' that objects,they will know ''the nature'' of ''reality'', so they try to express what they hear about the dhamma through their cravings for objects and their fantasy that cars, houses, thoughts,  the past, the future, videos, paintings, humans, plants, whatever they see in their life have ''a nature''. Their creation is the various Abhidhammas.
All the people who create schools do this and they base their views on ''the true nature'' of things, phenomena, objects and of course when they move on to humans, they love to talk about the self and they even managed to create the wrong view called Pudgalavada. Even the westerns are infatuated with phenomenology and they claim that this close to the dhamma. This is why people love the Abhidhammas and the speculations on the Abhidhammas and hate the dhamma, since the dhamma does not focuses much on anything that is ''Mara's territory'' ( and instead on the citta iteself, sanna, vedana, like here https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn47/sn47.006.than.html),  for those people to be pleased by the dhamma and its lack of statements about the usual obsessions on which people will ways speculate :''why there is samsara in the first place'' and what is ''the nature of a things'' and ofc the biggest question for them ''what is the nature of a buddha''.
Since different people always invent different theories, there were plenty of Abhidhammas. Fortunately most of those books have disappeared so you do not have to worry about all the speculations by various people about the nature of ''things''.
For the Abhidhamma by the Mahavihara, ie the theravada today, you can check Bikkhu bodhi courses Abhidhamma Study Retreat'''which he holds each year
https://www.youtube.com/user/venbodhi/playlists
https://www.youtube.com/user/bauscym/search?query=Abhidhamma
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPztefkY778&list=PLIIDc2zUth8RWXXsOAHqB6WiSmZZuQdCx
https://www.baus.org/en/activities/bhikkhu-bodhi/abhidhamma-study-retreat-with-ven-bhikkhu-bodhi-cym-831-932018/


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Relying on the Laity, monastics
I had questions regarding the laity, monastic relationship.

1) How exactly (the step by step or explained) does the process work
  in which the monastics rely solely on the laity?
2) How do monks publish works (such as books) and not deal with the
  money involved in their lives?

Metta!

At it's core it works out as if a person went to mountains to meditate, his friend then brings him food & clothing. Eventually the amount of people interested in supporting this project grows. Then for some reason the supporters build something and invite the meditator to stay there. At some point there might be willingness and resources for others to become full time meditators. The supporters may equip the monastery with starlink and invite monks to publish books or monks might do so on their own initiative.

The monks have to rely on lay stewards as described below.
From The Bhikkhus' Rules: A Guide for Laypeople by Ven. Ariyesako:

One can also make an invitation, 'pavarana,' to cover any
circumstances that you might not be aware of — a health problem, need
for a toothbrush, etc., by saying, "Bhante, if you are in need of any
medicine or requisites, please let me know." To avoid misunderstanding
it is better to be quite specific, such as — "Bhante, if you need any
more food...," "If you need a new pair of sandals..." Unless specified
an invitation can only be accepted for up to four months after which
time it lapses unless renewed. Specifying the time limit, or giving
some indication of the scope of the offering is good, in order to
prevent misunderstanding — so that, for instance, when you are
intending to offer some fruit juice, the bhikkhu doesn't get the
impression you want to buy a washing machine for the monastery!...
In practical terms, monasteries are financially controlled by lay
stewards, who then make open invitation for the Sangha to ask for what
they need, under the direction of the Abbot. So junior monks even have
to ask an appointed agent (generally a senior bhikkhu or abbot) if
they may take up the steward's offer — to pay for dental treatment,
obtain footwear or medicines, for example. This means that as far as
is reasonably possible, the donations that are given to the stewards
to support the Sangha are not wasted on unnecessary whims.
If a lay person wishes to give to a particular bhikkhu, but is
uncertain of what he needs, he should make invitation. Any financial
donations should not be made to 'X Bhikkhu' but to the stewards of the
monastery, perhaps mentioning if it's for a particular item or for the
needs of a certain bhikkhu. For items such as traveling expenses,
money can be given to an accompanying anagarika (dressed in white) or
accompanying lay person, who can buy tickets, drinks for the journey,
or anything else that the bhikkhu may need at that time. It is quite a
good training for a lay person to actually consider what items are
necessary, and offer those rather than money...

"For Laypeople: A lay-person should never offer money directly to a
bhikkhu... even if it is placed inside an envelope or together with
other requisites. They should either deposit the money with the
monastery steward, put it in a donation-box or into the monastery bank
account. They may then state their invitation to the bhikkhu(s)
regarding the kind or amount of requisite(s). In Thailand, for
example, knowledgeable lay-people would deposit money with the steward
and offer to the bhikkhu(s) an invitation note mentioning the details
of the offering." (HS ch.14)

"People who have good faith in bhikkhus may entrust money (lit.,
silver and gold) into the hand of a [steward] and order him to
purchase allowable things for bhikkhus. Bhikkhus may be glad at the
allowable things bought by the steward with that money. This is not
regarded as being glad at that money. This is called the [Me.n.daka
Allowance.] Bhikkhus should not request suitable things from the
steward in excess of the money deposited with him." (EV,II,p.135)

"When a fund has been set up with a steward indicated by a bhikkhu:
Obtaining an article from the fund as a result of having prompted the
steward more than the allowable number of times is [an offence of
Confession with Forfeiture.]" (Nis. Paac. 10; BMC p.206)

Good householder,
in regard of 2):
To lead the holly life (use it) and make ones living by publishing books for lay-people, although common, is for the most wrong livelihood (sg 13). The primary task of a monk is to gain the highest fruit, liberation.
To lead the holly live just to become well-known, famous, for honor... is likewise wrong as learning and publish Dhamma to win over others is. Many are just disputer, contribute, like all of them for sensuall pleasures, becoming, to maintain support.
Not seldom, byways of stealing, they even touch Pārājika-faults.
Those many popular provider of food in books (even as sold stuff or for direct trade) usually simply make a living from it, holding money, or take controll over it, and do a lot not proper to Vinaya, starting from fondraising, trade, till encouraging to steal Dhamma. Depending on there "students", customers, the Dhamma grows corrupt. This being the case, monks are actually not allowed to receive something after/in exchange with Dhamma.
To be clear, a Monks task, who has still not arrived at Arahat-ship, is in no way obligated to teach, not to speak of producing entertainments for householder.
How ever, likewise the Buddha dedicated his rest of life for the Dhamma, as it is not pleasing to dwell without dedication, his Arahat disciples had been encouraged to teach. Yet it's somethink total voluntary.
Of what a monk should do is giving an encouragement after having received generosity out of faith.
As there had been cases that other sects got famous by teaching people on Uposatha, while the Buddhas monks remained in seclution, on request of a King, the Buddha allowed his disciples to give talks on Dhamma on this day.
There are, how ever, cases  that books might come into being, but such is exclusively a product of generosity by wise lay people, contributing them as gift. Something very selfdom actually.
It's also usually in traditional lands that lay people would support the share of Dhmma books for the monks, the Sangha, hepling, assisting to maintain their heritage.
It's a modern confusion, with the start of the last Dhamma-Period, that monks started to contribute Dhamma, incl. the Tripitaka, to householder.
Dhamma of which is shared or gained in improper way has no conductive effects at all and for those not understanding the whole issue and the way and economy of the Noble Ones, the demanding or trading common people with grave wrong view and no faith in regard that giving first is the reason for gain more sublime, there is no way to prevent them falling deeper and deeper.
in regard of 1):
Early in the morning a monk would take his bowl and walk for alms in nearby settlement. Wise people, on seei.g him, would give alms, take the seldom change to make merits.
Generally it's a matter of Upanissaya to ever met such. For sure good monks to not run "fire houses" next villages or in towns, and where such as natural generosity has already died of, on places where is actually no condition for Dhamma, good monks would not dwell. Neither having given, give inwardly and outwardly food, relation doesn't grow, dies off.
16.3: Candūpama Sutta — Comparable to the Moon give best answer to 1) and 2), to understand, that there is actually no relation in both ways anymore, no duities for the world.
Here you are, or, and what do you think would be smart to do? You wouldn't either, right? That's the way it goes.
[Note that this isn't given for stacks, exchange, other world-binding trades, but for an escape from corruption, to gain independency]


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Monastics & Hygiene
I had questions on monastic hygiene in Theravada:

Do monks/nuns brush their teeth and put on deodorant etc.?

If monks/nuns are only allowed to bathe every 2 weeks, how do they deal with the health concerns, or are there none?

Do monks/nuns wear the same robes for long periods of time and if so, are there any health concerns to doing such a thing?

Bhante, comment section is not for answering questions. Please post your comment as an answer.

Monks and nuns generally take good care of their bodies so they may be better able to continue to share the dharma with those who may benefit. They keep good hygiene of their robes and living quarters to prevent disease and be healthy.
Here is an excerpt that gives a specific example of personal hygiene:

In the Anguttara Nikaya there is a short sutta in which the Buddha describes the benefits of using a tooth stick (dantakaṭṭha), the ancient Indian equivalent to our tooth brush. The advantages of regular brushing, the Buddha said, include that it is that it is good for the eyes, the breath does not have a bad smell, the taste buds are cleaned, bile and phlegm do not mix with the food, and food becomes more palatable (A.III,250).

Modern monks and nuns adapt the ancient teachings with regards to modern knowledge of hygiene. An example:
pācittiya 57

yo pana bhikkhu orenaddhamāsaṃ nahāyeyya aññatra samayā, pācittiyaṃ. tatthāyaṃ samayo, diyaḍḍho māso seso gimhānanti vassānassa paṭhamo māso iccete aḍḍhateyyamāsā uṇhasamaso, pariḷāhasamayo, gilānasamaso, kammasamayo, addhānagamanasamayo, vātavuṭṭhisamayo, ayaṃ tattha samayo.

Do not wash more than twice a month if the body is not dirty. Except than in exceptional situations, if a bhikkhu washes his body before half a month has elapsed since his previous washing, he commits a pācittiya.
These are the exceptional circumstances that permit a bhikkhu to wash:
during the hot season (period of two and a half months from the May new moon until the August full moon);
in case of illness, fever or any other medical reason.;
after having carried out a physical work that has caused sweating;
after having made a trip of a distance of at least half a yūjanā – between five and six kilometres;
when dirty (dust, mud, sand, excessive transpiration, etc.)
Attention: This rule only applies in the "majjhima desa" region of modern northern India, where the Buddha lived. In fact, bhikkhus living outside this region can freely wash, without committing a fault.

Discipline is for the sake of restraint,
restraint for the sake of freedom from remorse,
freedom from remorse for the sake of joy,
joy for the sake of rapture,
rapture for the sake of tranquillity,
tranquillity for the sake of pleasure,
pleasure for the sake of concentration,
concentration for the sake of knowledge
and vision of things as they are,
knowledge and vision of things as they are
for the sake of disenchantment,
disenchantment for the sake of release,
release for the sake of knowledge and vision of release,
knowledge and vision of release
for the sake of total unbinding without clinging.

-- Parivaara.XII.2 (BMC p.1)


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Monks, their hospitalization and their medical treatment
I have questions regarding hospitalization and its morals

Are monks/nuns allowed to be hospitalized and can they go to a hospital or doctor if sick? (because aren't they not allowed to request anything according to the vinaya?)

Can a monk/nun take painkillers or will that be a breach of the fifth precept?

If there is a parasite or other being inside of someone, can they take medicine to cure themselves of it, or would that break the first precept, or is it not if the being isn't sentient?

Have you read Vinaya Pitaka?https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/vin/index.html

Exept if biten by snake, they can not ask for it, but if invited, given, yes. 2. They are allowed to accept pain reducing medicine. 3. Difficult. Depends on ones perception.

When I lived in Thailand:

Monks were admitted to hospital.
Monks took painkillers.
Monks used medicine for internal parasites.

Medicine is one of the only possessions a monk can “desire” and can dedicate their time to procuring. Suchly are medical needs to be given priority and utmost attention.

Go and see a doctor.  No amount of pondering or meditation will help you if you are very sick/dead.

That isn't what the Buddha taught, good householder, but the opposite, since sickness and death are actually unavoidable.

Yes, but sickness is curable.  Unless Buddha a against that as well?

His path leads to lasting cure and he wouldn't send one off searching heal in where it can not be found. So saying his path is useless, seek for usual ways is a strange answer under the topic Buddha.

But does it?  Really?  And if so, has it been backed up by lots of medical studies?  The  questioner is asking in regards to the precepts and not about whether any magical healing powers will save him. If someone is ill and you tell them NOT to get treatment you could get into trouble.  Also, every other answer here seems to agree with me.

There isn't any being which will not get old, sick and die, but it pretty normal that beings seek refuge where there is no. Less benefit if answering questions and not familare with the matter at all, yet thinking smart as well. May good householder go on as he feels fine.

I am fairly certain there is a jataka where a monk with worms is given medicine causing him to vomit.
Didn't take note of the reference.


text:
Why Mind is Fickle?
Monkey mind
I don't think.
I live in present.
My mind always thinking.
Past thinking
Future thinking.
Hate thought..
Worry thought..
Pleasure thought..
Lust thought..

The nature of the mind is dominated by attachment (greed), aversion (fear), and ignorance(curiosity). There are six mind doors with millions of objects. So the mind is continual scans (attention) these objects with a short span of time.
If you can keep your attention on only one object, it is called Jhana. Once you eliminated or suppressed attachment, aversion and ignorance then you can keep your attention on a neutral subject without mind fickle.

Bhante Vimalaramasi talks about this in his talk about MN18
2015 Day 4 Easter Retreat 2 "Perceptions" MN18 - Bhante Vimalaramasi
Bhante discusses sutta MN18 from the majjhima nikaya on the subject of Perception. How perception leads to thinking and craving. Proliferations of mind.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1hNpff_JaA

Quoting from Master Junhong Lu's dharma talks -- V 10-9 By Emptying your Mind completely, where do Contaminants settle?:

Don’t let your mind waver, in other words, you mustn’t casually desire for anything you see, as that means you have a wavering mind, and that usually spells trouble. You must understand that if you mind frequently allows itself to get distracted, then it means you don’t have control of it, and it’s easy for you to become defiled. The hardest thing to control is one’s own mind; if you can’t control it, then it’s easy for it to be dragged down by the karmic forces of other sentient beings.

... and ...

Don’t involve yourself too deeply into all matters within the human realm. In other words, don’t be attached to anything in the human realm. If you constantly think that something must be like that, or something must be done by you, then you’ll be contaminated in the world. You must be in a state of emptiness to confront all afflictions. What is the state of emptiness? It’s to empty your mind; it’s not to have any expectations or thoughts about something. It’s to be devoid of hate or love. Nothing is there, and therefore it’s empty. As long as you use the state of emptiness to confront all afflictions, then your afflictions disappear. Your afflictions of today might disappear tomorrow.

Both your answers so far link to sites in a vaguely promotional manner. Please review How not to be a spammer.

Thanks, what do you suggest how to post the quotations origin.

If it really is a quotation, make it clearer through the formatting and add your own commentary to explain why the quotation makes for an answer in this particular situation.

The ideal is, a) include a hyperlimk or reference to what you're quoting b) include a quote from whatever you link to or reference c) format the quote as a quote (using a > as explained here). d) Maybe at least one sentence in your own words to say how the quote answers the OP's question. e) Advertising unrelated to the question (e.g. "Master Junhong Lu is the ambassador for peace in UN and UK in 2014") shouldn't be in the answer but you may include it in your user profile.

Look here too see how I formatted a quote using >, and a hyperlink using [] and (). You can also ulso use a blank/empty line to separate text into paragraphs.

Thanks for the detailed info.

I think he is asking why we have subconscious mind that lead to lust, worry, fear, etc and what is subconscious mind. I m interested to know also .

Fickleness is a disease because the person having this disease will have difficult time understanding Dhamma. It can be cured by strictly following the Nobel eight fold path.
All the different thoughts will converge to love ,compassion and Dhamma.What is required is a commitment. But if fickleness has become a chronic disease then may be some medicines will be required to cure.Doctors can prescribe medicines. Being a monkey is not the disease. Inability to see the suffering is the real disease. Inability to develop a compassionate heart is the real disease.

Why is mind fickle?

Mind is fickle because of past karma which was probably driven by some kind of greed.

If you examine nature, much of nature is fickle -  volcanoes erupting, winds blowing, clouds forming, earthquakes, rain, flood, drought, etc. Then there are animals programmed to look for food & sex. Then there is growing, aging & passing. People are they same. Unless you believe in god and volitional-self-speculations of reincarnation, all life forms are similar. If you believe in Evolution, you understand you are descended from monkeys, gorillas, baboons and chimpanzees.

Nice example bro


text:
When we do any moral act on the basis of greed, we get merit or sin
I am hindu. So
My  mind  say if you Will help anyone .
 you get rewards for example  job,beautiful wife, health,
Rebirth good place and  rebirth in  healthy human beings.
So I do good act for rewards.
This is also my greed .?
This is sin?
This is good deed?

The Buddha speaks of three sorts of kamma:
Deeds done with the intention to create the experience of pleasure,
deeds done with the intention to create the experience of pain,
and deeds done with the intention to end kamma.
Good deeds, your helpful deeds, are deeds done with the intent to create pleasureable experience. Such deeds will create pleasurable experience.
There is no denying that. Good deeds that produce pleasurable experience tend to result in attachment to the things of this world and the things of this world, being ending things, will result in pain to one who is attached to them. But there is no thing in Buddhism like 'sin'. It is a matter only of personal welfare.
In Buddhism the goal is the ending of kamma, and good deeds are kamma, so the advice for one seeking the goal is not only to eliminate bad deeds, but to eliminate good deeds as well.
Deeds that end kamma are those based on the 8-fold Way. They are intentional deeds of not-doing and letting go. For example, Samma Vaca, High Talk, speaks of training yourself to abstain from saying what is not true. Faced with a desire to get something that is thought to be obtainable only through a lie; one intentionally abstains from that lie. By that abstention from reaction to that desire, that old kamma that resulted in the desire is halted, and that potential stream of kamma that would have resulted from the lie is still-born, dead in its tracks. The whole of the 8-fold Way consists of those places and behaviors and ideas which when followed result in the ending of kamma.

when it comes to giving, the buddha says that the expecting  a good rebirth out of giving is not the best view, but at least there is still good rebirth out of it. As usual with the buddha what matters a lot is how the mind is when giving.
He says the best view is to know that dana is part of the path.
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an07/an07.049.than.html
here is a way to give
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an06/an06.037.than.html

You will probably have good material reward, which gives you pleasure on many levels; however, your dukkha (your attachment to pleasures as one of many causes of dukkha) does not subside as intended with respect to true practitioners of the Dharma.

See the world from this view.

When people born they will die someday.
When poison is eaten he killed no matter whether it is purposely eaten or mistakenly eaten.
When baby touches the flame of a candle he get burnt, no matter baby does or doesn't know it.

This is the world, it behaves in a way that it supposed to be. Sometimes we can control it (we think we can but it is not how it should be understood) sometimes we can't.
In that world there's something called karma which explains the variations of living beings in tge world. If you do a good you will get back a good one day. If you do a bad you will get back a bad one day.
If you look more deeper;

Imagine you take a stone from the ground and you place it on a table
  Now what have you done? you have made change (make it unstable) to a balanced and a stable system by changing the location of a stone. Now when the system get a chance to be stable again it tries to get the stone back to they where it was. (Imagine someone accidentally hits the stone and it directly goes to the ground level)
  You may think its gravity. Yes of course ots gravity. But what happened the system always tries to keep its stable position by using all those forces. That's the nature!

Now when we apply this to sin and good deed, by doing good or sin you are unstabling the system. When ever the system get a chance it does stable the system. If you do good you will be given good. If you do bad you will be given bad.
Now to answer your question, doing bad while doing good, your results should be the same.
If we take some examples on this, you may have seen very rich people who they can't enjoy the life because they are busy or they don't like to enjoy. Tha's because they have done the good but in a bad way
So do good but do not expect rewards for that. You will get it definetly. Just try to be happy on what you did but not on what you are supposed to get..!

Great bro  last paragraph great

@BhupendraRajput, upvoting the answer would be also a good way of appreciation :) :)

When I feel  anger.
My speech and body and mind are both rude...
Every one knowing these experience...
When I feel fear
My speech and body and mind are  scared .
When I do any act base on greed .
My body speech and mind are ....
No experience now

Experience of greed:: pressure increases within body -can be felt easily as tension in head , voice either becomes decompressed or becomes too high or comes with a small pressure above stomach & below chest, thoughts behind thoughts runs too fast.


text:
Different lyings
Here are my questions:

Can lying be nonverbal? like in action?
Is cheating lying?
Is writing the wrong answer when you know the correct answer lying?
Is skipping the line cheating, and in a sense lying?
If I break a promise, is that lying or in anyway kammically bad?

Can lying be nonverbal? like in action? Strict Buddhist sense "Yes" But there are conditioned to be fulfilled.
Is cheating lying?I would say yes.
Is writing the wrong answer when you know the correct answer lying?I would say yes
Is skipping the line cheating, and in a sense lying?I would say yes
If I break a promise, is that lying or in anyway kammically bad? I would say yes


text:
Awkwardness in the world
Here is my question:

How does a lay Buddhist respond to awkwardness and how does a monk
  respond to awkwardness such as dropping something while ordaining or
  falling on the floor?

I suppose the buddhist way to deal with awkwardness is similar to any emotion: Accept it, don't act on it, and go on with life.
Unless it's awkward in a precept-breaking way. If so, refer to the vinaya.


text:
Not doing anything
q:

Is not doing anything in a situation and just being mindful breaking
  any of the precepts?

In addition, to observe the five precepts Buddha also recommends doing.
Do not kill = Practice loving-kindness
Do not steal = Giving or generosity
Do not indulge in sensual pleasures = Celibacy
Do no lie = Tell the truth
Do not consume alcohol = Practice mindfulness.


text:
Sources for the Whole Tipitaka
q:

Can someone name the books in the shelf of Yuttadhammo in his videos
  or all the books in the Tipitaka and sources to get them in English?
  or at least what has been  translated to english?

English (or other European) translations of Pali Canon

Please visit:
http://buddhadust.net/backmatter/indexes/sutta/sutta_toc.htm
This is the index page to all the suttas contained on the site.
This site is focused on the 4 Nikayas, and has:
All the Nikayas in the original Pali: both the PTS version and the BJT version, and a version that combines both;
All the Pali Text Society translations: one version in the html format, one a PDF of the originals (likely what you see in the bookshelf).
All the translations of Bhikkhu Thanissaro.
All the freely released translations of Bhikkhu Bodhi.
A great collection of very early translations as well as quite a few from 'lesser-known' translators, including myself.
All the translations are linked to the Pali and to all the other translations available.
The PTS translations and the Pali are mostly (not entirely) unabridged.
The PTS translations and the Pali are mostly (not entirely) broken down to their phrasing for clarity of meaning.
PS: For a good deal in purchasing the hard-cover books (recommended) join the Pali Text Society. Members get a free book every year and a 20% discount on purchases.

You can read all the Sutta in Sutta Central.
https://suttacentral.net/
You can by the Tipitaka from Wisdom publication. Be aware they quote prices from USD.


text:
Arahants and exersise
Q:
Would an arahant get physically exausted if he/she was to exersise, like if they were to run 5 miles? Would this in anyway shake their mind?

Buddha's mind is unshakable. But they still get tired and has to rest.
"Ananda, speak to the Kapilavatthu Sakyans about the person who follows the practice for one in training. [2] My backaches. I will rest it."
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.053.than.html

Arahants don't run. But they walk long distances.


text:
Sociality and meditation
I had a question.
I have been getting deeper into the Buddha's teaching and meditation & I feel awkward to be around or to talk to people, specifically those who do not meditate.

How do I overcome this or is this OK?

This is actually a good sign. It means you are advancing. Everyone who makes spiritual advancement will no longer be interested in material life and will feel repulsive towards ordinary sinful materialistic people wh don't meditate.

Talking to people, even if they are not meditators, shouldn't feel awkward if this talk has some meaning and is not mere chit-chat. Therefore, use conversation as another form of your practice, trying to be aware of what are you talking about, with what intention. Also, try to stay away of not so uncommon tendency among people who meditate to look upon to people who don't. This is another way of practice, developing compassion and understanding for all people, all beings, even when they behave differently. Since we are all in the same boat, we can't separate ourselves from them and we really shouldn't. Instead, just trying to look at them with more compassionate, more loving eyes. And sometimes that's not so easy. :)


text:
Walking bare foot?
q:

Why is it some monks (Yuttadhammo specifically) walks barefoot in his
  alms rounds as well as while doing walking meditation?

Is there a purpose to it?

Walking meditation barefoot has taught me how to be gentle, mindful and adaptable. So I just keep doing it.

The Ancient Greeks used to think the Romans 'bourgousie' for wearing shoes everywhere. Try it, very freeing, and makes you much more mindful of each step!

Good householder, Monks, who follow the Buddha, don't wear shoes generally. If they make exceptions accourding to allowances by the Buddha to wear on rocky roads, in their mnastery (to keep the floor of buildings clean) or if foot sickness, and some other, they (inmost cases) are to bag them bag some meters before a settlement. Almsround is a case where less allowances to wear world fit. (Details see under footware here )

"One should not enter a village while wearing leather footwear. Whoever should enter: an offense of wrong doing." ... "I allow that an ill bhikkhu enter a village while wearing leather footwear." — Mv.V.12

and so on...
On why a "beggar" does not wear shoes should be general clear, a matter of humble and modesty of a simple live, at least on alms and a matter of respect and staying mindful, not turning the eyes orher than some meters before one on the ground. People generally are used to put off the shoes when enter others homes...
The way of a Buddhas disciple: Bhante makes that very exemplary, at least to be seen on alms in Sri Lanka on video.

As a bee — without harming
      the blossom,
      its color,
      its fragrance —
  takes its nectar & flies away:
  so should the sage
  go through a village.
*and it's dhp-story

Btw., it's good and a sign of respect, to put of ones shoes as well and try to settle oneself a little lower so that ones almsgiving is a higher and dedicated for upwardly and beyound.
A more refined possibility to step forward to understand, might be to step on this without taking ones shoes inbetween the reality of effects of touch.
(Note: this is not given for stacks exchange and trade or commercial purpose, binding in this wheel of bonds, but for liberation from it.)

Buddha walked barefoot.
There are some accounts that walking barefoot is good for your health but there are no Vinaya rules to address this issue.
Ven Yuttadhaammo injured his foot be walking barefoot so you have to be very mindful if you walk barefoot.

While attending a retreat at a Burmese monastery (here in the States), I was instructed by the monk there to walk without my socks, because if provided better ability to get sensation in the feet.

Barefoot used to be normal -- and wearing shoes was disrespectful and/or a sign of feeling superior.
The Vinaya used to explicitly allow footwear in outlying areas -- and not in public.
Lay society has changed, so wearing shoes is now seen as polite, and the custom has adapted accordingly -- i.e. you might see monks with footwear now - similarly there are times and places where the climate isn't appropriate for bare feet.
But I don't think of bare feet as remarkable. I used to walk barefoot as a teen (not for those same reasons), obviously enough it's feasible.

In ancient India , most of sages used to walk barefoot like tirthankar jains , buddha , their best students. Walking barefoot was also among poor locals. Nowdays too , few forest tribals of North-East India , Chhattisgarh & M.P. live barefoot.
Among sages , barefoot living was an indication to :

Simple life (like common man)
Egolessness
Vairagya (no interest in pleasures)
Energy tranfer occurs through foot
To not kill small beings ,even unwillingly(slight chance) cause barefoot increases sensations.
Truth-Seeker has stopped too much travelling and gone forth for deep meditation within a small area.
No anger.

Moreover ,as Meditator becomes strong in meditation , tendency towards barefoot increases, without any enforcement of sheel(Vinaya) .

It is also very practical because one needs not dry out shoes or socks, going barefoot or wearing sandals of some kind solves this. The staying dry comes into play a lot as it gets cold andor wet, it takes a lot of maintenance and winter shoes are weighty.
Afaik people can comfortably walk thus partially exposed to cold even in low temperatures like -20C but it requires some conditioning.
Basically It solves the problem of having more requisites than one can carry, in particular the 2-3 pairs of footwear & socks. One is saving ~3kg of weight there which is a lot considering that it's probably going to make up for ~20% of the total weight of requisites which can be comfortably carried.

benefits of walking barefoot, some scientific study (small study)
https://www.google.com/books/edition/Earthing/DtQVwPcBrr4C?hl=en&gbpv=1&printsec=frontcover
edit: (this was too long to add as a comment)
To the people who downvoted my answer, You should add an explanatory comment to explain why so everyone can understand why they should be avoiding the type of answer I gave. This anonymous downvoting  creates a culture of distrust and discourages experts from responding because they're trying to protect their 'reputation' and 'credit rating'.  Now my answer has nothing to do with Buddhism, which is why I assume it was downvoted. But I qualified my answer stating it was so, and I have no affiliation with the author of the book, I simply found it to be very useful and interesting and worth sharing. So go ahead and keep downvoting me people, I'm going to share what I feel to be useful information whenever it's relevant, I care not about your opinion of me and your reputation badges and what not.

I down-voted this answer for three reasons: 1) unrelated to Buddhism; 2) I'm suspicious/skeptical of "alternative medicine" doctrines; 3) the answer wasn't well-formatted, it should e.g. include a quote and/or summary of what's being referenced (I don't want to read the  whole book in order to guess which bit of it was the "scientific study" that you intended to reference).

My person never votes, since it makes no sense at all (since anonymous) and for the most used as a pulling tool and for the site benefitor a tool to save stuff investment and for lazy people to avoid generosity. (just for the case if wishibg to know why neither).

The "reputation" mostly reflects how often a user have posted on the site. A high reputation -- i.e. above a few hundred -- implies you've seen enough of how people use the site to understand what its conventions are. You won't "lose credit" as the result of one or two downvotes. Voting is a simple way to comment on the quality of a post (it's not meant as a comment on the qualities of the author). I should probably have deleted this (it's off-topic if answers should be based on Buddhist doctrine) instead of downvoting, but sometimes I don't like to delete a post unless other users complain.

Thanks, I understand where you're coming from Chris. It comes down to a trade off. I recommended an excellent book, but I don't have the time and interest to justify it with a quote from the book and a short summary. But too much laxity from moderators then threads become flooded with tangents and make it hard to read and sift through like most internet forums in general.

My frustration also stems from the fact that several times on answers I've given, I've been downvoted or had my post response removed by moderators for what I believe are very good answers that at first didn't appear to be Buddhist or relevant to the question, but I just didn't have the time, energy, and interest to justify and contest it.


text:
Pleasure in Shower
Q:
I follow Yuttadhammo's tradition and I wanted to know how to prevent the pleasure I get in taking showers. Everytime I take them, I have a clinging to the warmth of the water and the feeling of it.

How do I prevent this or come to disattach from the experiences I
  have in showering and getting pleasure from it?

The idea isn't to prevent pleasure nessasarily.
The only way  that you can really go, is to be mindful of the pleasure and the other experiences that arise and fall in your field of attention as they are occurring. That is the way to detach from what is being clung to. If you're asking yourself "how can I prevent or detach from X then that is another thing that can be clung to.
However you also can investigate on an intellectual level. With the previous experience of being mindful it is more than your usual intellectual endeavor. While being mindful(ideally) You can ask things like:
Why do I cling to the pleasure?
What is the pleasure?
What is it that clings to the pleasure?
What triggered the clinging?
Also, you might want to set a time limit for the shower that would set boundaries and help balance consentration.

We have an on-demand water heater. That is essentially the infinite hot shower. At some point one realizes that too much of anything is undesirable and one turns off the shower.
Therefore the point to consider is when to turn off the shower, not how to dis-attach from shower craving. If one is always mindful of personal, societal and environmental considerations, then one sees the hand moving automatically to turn off the shower.
For example, since I don't eat after lunch, sometimes I am careless in clothing and get quite chilled. So I take a warm shower and resolve to be more careful in keeping my body warm by staying properly clothed. And in taking that warm shower, I apologize to those whom I have deprived of water and electricity and gas for my lack of mindfulness, offering gratitude and a resolve to be more skillful.

you may be under dressed, insufficiently warm all the times you're not in a comfortable hot shower. Wear more layers, keep your body warm, do enough cardiovascular and other physical exercises everyday (at least 30min)  to improve your base body temperature and overall physical health. Then when you step in a hot shower, it won't feel like anything especially comfortable. When your reserve energy is strong, you feel like you could eat or not eat, sleep or not sleep, get a massage or a hot shower and it will just feel neutral, nothing special. But if you lack nutrients, you will be ravenously hungry, you lack body heat, hot showers will feel great, if you lack good circulation, a massage and hot shower will feel great, etc.
On the mental cultivation side of things, develop kusala habits to replace akusala habits. Before I take a shower, I resolve to not waste water, get in and out quickly just to get the job done. Probably that's less than 1 minute of water running, 3-4 minutes of rubbing, drying, etc. Also, there's no need to lather a thick layer of soap everywhere on the body, or even a thin layer. You just need to make sure to use enough soap on the areas that actually need it, and this way you don't dry out your skin and nutrients in the skin. Once you form good habits, it just becomes automatic and you don't even have to think or fight temptation. And if you take care of the physical health aspect as described above, your health will be robust enough where you don't even feel temptation of the pleasure of hot showers.

How do I prevent this or come to disattach from the experiences Ihave in showering and getting pleasure from it?

Try to note the different experiences when taking a shower. Note the warm water as "warm, warm, warm" and if any liking arises, change object and note the liking as "liking, liking, liking". Keep noting it until it goes away. If it doesn't go away after a long time you can change the object back to rising and falling of the abdomen or any other object that arises, e.g. the sound of water or the feeling of feet touching the ground.

I think the important thing is to stay mindful, and not become distracted by the sensations of a warm shower. The purpose of a shower is to clean my body: Once my body is clean, I get out of the shower.
On most days, I find it helpful to set the shower to the lowest comfortable temperature. The goal is to maintain a neutral sense of temperature, setting the water neither too hot nor too cold. This tends to make it easier to avoid the distraction.
Also, don't worry too much if you feel yourself being drawn to the warmth, as it is only natural. Just acknowledge it, watch it fall dissolve, and continue on your way.
From the Satipatthana Sutta:

And further, monks, a monk lives contemplating mental objects of the five aggregates of clinging.
How, monks, does a monk live contemplating mental objects of the five aggregates of clinging?
...Thus is feeling; thus is the arising of feeling; and thus is the disappearance of feeling...
Thus he lives contemplating mental objects internally, or he lives contemplating mental objects externally, or he lives contemplating mental objects internally and externally. He lives contemplating origination factors in mental objects, or he lives contemplating dissolution factors in mental objects, or he lives contemplating origination-and-dissolution factors in mental objects. Or his mindfulness is established with the thought, "Mental objects exist," to the extent necessary just for knowledge and mindfulness, and he lives detached, and clings to nothing in the world. Thus also, monks, a monk lives contemplating mental objects in the mental objects of the five aggregates of clinging.

If you are able to, you may want to consider bathing with a bucket and glass. It uses a lot less water and is a much simpler approach. Try to make your necessities into luxuries.