text:
How to evaluate someone's knowledge?
From Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche teaching I came to understand that non-judgmental observation of situations and aversion of attachments is the way to get rid of sufferings. Then how would a teacher evaluate a student's knowledge on anything?
In traditional schools and colleges there are grading systems. Students are assigned grades according to their exam results. How are students evaluated in Buddhist monasteries?

I believe (based soley on what you've written) that Mingyur Rinpoche is talking about our first reaction to new stimuli: in the first moment of perception there's an unlanguaged, felt sense (vedana) that whatever we are perceiving favors or threatens us which gives rise to attachment or aversion. Simultaneously, there's an awareness of what we perceive (samjna) followed by a host of associations that go with it (prapanca) which leads to further kleshas and conceptualizations (anusaya) which incline (cetana) us (anusaya) toward action (karma). This process is what keeps us trapped in samsara.
On the other hand, determining whether someone understands the lesson they've been given on the five skandhas, or the Utarratantra Shastra - while entailing the same processes - inclines the mind toward liberation. That is, what drives the process is the wish that whomever is receiving the teaching may understand it and benefit from it.
Having been a monk, and having been in both the role of student and teacher in a monastic college (and Mingyur Rinpoche visited my monastery twice while I was there), I can tell you that the point of a Buddhist education is to sharpen one's prajna in order to recognize the constituents of experience and to recognize reality for what it is. Seeing things as they are - as opposed to how we think they are makes us much less reactionary, and much more content.
So, in the end, there is absolutely no contradiction between assessing whether or not a student grocks the meaning of a text, and striving to meet whatever one encounters with equanimity.

Hi @Gyatso Lodro, Thank you very much for the write up. Just wanted to ask if you could futher explain the sentence " Simultaneously, there's an awareness of what we perceive (samjna) followed by a host of associationsthat go with it (prapanca) which leads to further kleshas and conceptualizations which incline us (anusaya) toward action (karma)". I am having a little difficulty understanding what you meant by that line. I would really appreciate it if you could help. Thank you!

What is your understanding, so far as it goes?  Also, from what text (and page number) are you paraphrasing Mingyur Rinpoche?

I have heard this numerous times from Mingyur Rinpoche from the video clippings of his YouTube channel. You are right in saying that Mingyur Rinpoche talking about our first reaction to new stimuli.

What I described is the process that mind undergoes in each moment of awareness. Samjna is often translated as perception - although aperception, in my opinion is a superior translation, given that  sam + jna = collected knowledge - i.e. mental associations (like associating summer with trips to the beach). In the first moment of aperception we identify/name what we perceive (i.e. we re-cognize it). In subsequent moments concepts that we associate with that term arise, and grow in complexity, forming a narrative about what we percieve. This conceptualizing is called prapanca in Sanskrit.

Thank you very much for your write up. Your explanation makes perfect sense to me now. I was not raised as a Buddhist. I came to appreciate Buddhism latter in life. Now I am a graduate student of Physics. Many a times I have thoughts like what's the point in studying (In fact, not so long ago, I was tormented by thoughts like what's the point of living). Today I think my studies as a tool on which I rest my awareness and try to experience everything as they are, just like meditation. Is this the right way of doing it? I would love to hear your thoughts.

My original question stems from the fact that exams at my university focus on memorizing texts rather than understanding the concepts. Also many concepts have developed over thousands of years. It's not possible to master all of them in 3-4 months (a semester). Therefore I started thinking that standard tests are probably not good at evaluating a student's knowledge. From your original answer I quote "determining whether someone understands the lesson they've been given on...WHILE ENTAILLING THE SAME PROCESSES - inclines the mind toward liberation".

(cont.) Here, the phrase highlighted in capitals is my main concern. I don't think my university exams entails the processes required for evaluation of my knowledge. I would love to hear your comments on this.

Re. your school's evaluation of your knowledge - I'm not really in a position to address that question except, possibly, to suggest you talk to your professors and ask them what you need to understand. They really appreciate it when students approach them.

Re. meditation and study - yes, you absolutely will benefit if you read and listen with mindfulness and awareness. Additionally, you can regard study as a sort of anuüasyana (contemplative meditation), a component of the three prajnas (hearing, contemplation and meditation [where 'meditation' means 'familiarization].  Good luck!

In Tibetan Buddhism, there appears to be the concept of Tibetan Buddhist academic degrees for monks and nuns called Geshe or Geshema, which includes exams. There's also the tradition of Tibetan monastic debates.
Similarly there are Myanmarese monastic exams and also Thai monastic exams in Theravada Buddhism.
Please also see "The gruelling tests of a monk’s knowledge" (Myanmar), "German-born Buddhist Monk Passes 1,000-year-old Monastic Exam in Japan" and "50 Tibetan Buddhist nuns take their Geshema exams".

Oh, I see! Thanks @ruben2020

@incrediblesulk Updated answer with more useful articles on monastic exams.

By “knowledge” I assume you mean direct meditative insights, rather than simply conceptual knowledge, foreign names for linguistic streams of blah blah, or as Mingyur Rinpoche likes to phrase it: “bal-a bal-a bal-a.” If that is the case only a realized being can evaluate your progress. There’s this pertinent story about Padmasambhava that is  exemplary:

“While demonstrating some of the extraordinary signs of his realization near the Mahabodhi Stupa in Bodhgaya, an old lady asked him, "Who is your teacher? To which lineage do you belong?" Guru Rinpoche replied, "I have no teacher and have no need of one. Neither do I belong to any particular lineage. I am a totally enlightened being, primordially aware." The old woman immediately responded by saying, "Oh, that's not right. Without the blessings of a teacher, you cannot be enlightened. You must have a connection with a master. Lacking that, no one will accept your words." He quickly understood the import of the old woman's statement in relation to making the teaching available to others. To demonstrate the supreme means of approaching the Dharma, "the Supreme Knowledge Holder" (Padmasambhava) began to seek out lineage masters and followed teachings according to their instructions. This indicates that even if you are already a highly enlightened being, it is still necessary to have lineage connections.” (“The Eight Manifestations Of Gurupadmasambhava,” by Khenchen Palden Sherab)

I should add that there are many, many Maras in this world who will jump on you if you utter anything smacking of a claim to having accomplished much of anything with your practice, no matter how sincere, dedicated, and long term it may have been. Ignore them. But if you feel that you have accomplished some stage or other on the path to enlightenment, evaluate your understanding against relevant sutras or tantras. If your understanding exactly matches what you read, then you are most likely fooling yourself, confusing a conceptual understanding for an immediate (not filtered by conceptual thought) meditative (actual meditation, not day-dreaming, or listening to someone droning on about something or other spiritual) insight. These insights do not map cleanly into concepts. Instead, evaluate how your practice affects your actions, thoughts, and affections. That’s where the rubber meets the road. But if you want to be officially recognized ♂ then follow Guru Rinpoche’s example.

Hey James, Thanks for that. The last paragraph makes a lot of sense to me. Do you know how students are taught in Tibetan monasteries and how they are evaluated?


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all EBT sutta references to thina middha / sloth & torpor & drowsiness
I'm looking to collect all the major sutta references on the 3rd hindrance.
Help me complete the collection:
http://lucid24.org/sted/5niv/5niv3/index.html
What I have so far:
AN 5.78 5 future dangers
AN 5.193 saṅgārava: similes of looking at reflection in bowl of water, 3. Sloth-torpor like water with moss and aquatic plants
AN 7.46 seeing suffering in impermanence
AN 7.61 Pacalāyana: Buddha advises Moggallana with 7 ways to cope: You should have 7 memorized and recite daily.
MN 62 mudita to counter listlessness
MN 70 let only my skin and bones remain... : using vigor to counteract sloth
MN 131 today the effort must be made...: using maraṇa-s-sati
SN 46.51 Nourishment and starving of Sloth and Torpor
SN 46.53 balancing 7sb☀ factors
SN 46.55 simile of water covered with moss
Let's restrict the discussion to EBT (early buddhist text, pali, chinese agama, sanskrit, etc.) for now. I'll open up a thread later for Non EBT strategies to deal with sloth later.
Suttas with similes of the 5 hindrances
AN 3.101 simile of 3 levels of gold impurities preventing samadhi and 6ab ⚡☸. 5niv are the 2nd level moderate impurities.
AN 5.23 simile of gold impurities (instead of 'nivarana' calls 5niv 'cittassa upakkilesā') preventing samadhi and 6ab ⚡☸. Also uses keywords from j4 āneñja⚡.
AN 5.51 simile of river split into 5.
DN 2 similes 1. in debt, 2. ill, 3. imprisoned, 4. slave, 5. crossing desert
MN 140 references goldsmith removing impurities, similar to AN 3.101 and AN 3.102, but doesn't call out 5 elements of 5niv by names.
SN 46.33 5 impurities of gold (copper, tin, silver...) make gold (samadhi mind) brittle and unworkable.
SN 46.55 similes for not seeing one's reflection in bowl of water: 1. water is colored with dyes, 2. heated by fire, boiling and bubbling, 3. overgrown with moss, 4. stirred by the wind, 5. murky, muddy

Using scv-bilara, I was able to find 131 instances of "thinamiddh (128)" or "thina middh (4)" in the EBTs translated by Ven. Sujato.  Scv-bilara searches EBTs in Pali, Romanized Pali, English and German. It accepts commands such as:

scripts/search -om1 -d 100 thinamiddh
scripts/search -om1 -d 100 thina middh

Here are the results sorted in descending relevance. Relevance is computed by density of references per document. This search took about 3 seconds. Scv-bilara is great for generating formal lists. For everyday searches, I find voice.suttacentral.net easier to use.  Voice is a web application built around scv-bilara.

MN128:18.3: ‘Dullness and drowsiness arose in me …
MN128:18.5: I’ll make sure that neither doubt nor loss of focus nor dullness and drowsiness will arise in me again.’
MN128:19.8: I’ll make sure that neither doubt nor loss of focus nor dullness and drowsiness nor terror will arise in me again.’
MN128:20.8: I’ll make sure that neither doubt nor loss of focus nor dullness and drowsiness nor terror nor excitement will arise in me again.’
MN128:21.5: I’ll make sure that neither doubt nor loss of focus nor dullness and drowsiness nor terror nor excitement nor discomfort will arise in me again.’
MN128:22.8: I’ll make sure that neither doubt nor loss of focus nor dullness and drowsiness nor terror nor excitement nor discomfort nor excessive energy will arise in me again.’
MN128:23.8: I’ll make sure that neither doubt nor loss of focus nor dullness and drowsiness nor terror nor excitement nor discomfort nor excessive energy nor overly lax energy will arise in me again.’
MN128:24.5: I’ll make sure that neither doubt nor loss of focus nor dullness and drowsiness nor terror nor excitement nor discomfort nor excessive energy nor overly lax energy nor longing will arise in me again.’
MN128:25.5: I’ll make sure that neither doubt nor loss of focus nor dullness and drowsiness nor terror nor excitement nor discomfort nor excessive energy nor overly lax energy nor longing nor perception of diversity will arise in me again.’
MN128:26.8: I’ll make sure that neither doubt nor loss of focus nor dullness and drowsiness nor terror nor excitement nor discomfort nor excessive energy nor overly lax energy nor longing nor perception of diversity nor excessive concentration on forms will arise in me again.’
MN128:27.3: dullness and drowsiness,
MN128:30.3: dullness and drowsiness,
AN5.56:1.2: “Now, sir, my body feels like it’s drugged. I’m disorientated, the teachings don’t spring to mind, and dullness and drowsiness fill my mind. I lead the spiritual life dissatisfied, and have doubts about the teachings.”
AN5.56:2.3: ‘Now, sir, my body feels like it’s drugged. I’m disorientated, the teachings don’t spring to mind, and dullness and drowsiness fill my mind. I lead the spiritual life dissatisfied, and have doubts about the teachings.’”
AN5.56:3.1: “That’s how it is, mendicant, when your sense doors are unguarded, you eat too much, you’re not dedicated to wakefulness, you’re unable to discern skillful qualities, and you don’t pursue the development of the qualities that lead to awakening in the evening and toward dawn. Your body feels like it’s drugged. You’re disorientated, the teachings don’t spring to mind, and dullness and drowsiness fill your mind. You lead the spiritual life dissatisfied, and have doubts about the teachings.
AN5.56:5.2: “Now, sir, my body doesn’t feel like it’s drugged. I’m not disorientated, the teachings spring to mind, and dullness and drowsiness don’t fill my mind. I lead the spiritual life satisfied, and have no doubts about the teachings.”
AN5.56:5.5: ‘Now, sir, my body doesn’t feel like it’s drugged. I’m not disorientated, the teachings spring to mind, and dullness and drowsiness don’t fill my mind. I lead the spiritual life satisfied, and have no doubts about the teachings.’”
AN5.56:6.1: “That’s how it is, mendicant, when your sense doors are guarded, you’re moderate in eating, you’re dedicated to wakefulness, you’re able to discern skillful qualities, and you pursue the development of the qualities that lead to awakening in the evening and toward dawn. Your body doesn’t feel like it’s drugged. You’re not disorientated, the teachings spring to mind, and dullness and drowsiness don’t fill your mind. You lead the spiritual life satisfied, and have no doubts about the teachings.
AN4.12:2.1: Suppose a mendicant has got rid of desire and ill will while walking, and has given up dullness and drowsiness, restlessness and remorse, and doubt. Their energy is roused up and unflagging, their mindfulness is established and lucid, their body is tranquil and undisturbed, and their mind is immersed in samādhi. Such a mendicant is said to be ‘keen and prudent, always energetic and determined’ when walking.
AN4.12:3.1: Suppose a mendicant has got rid of desire and ill will while standing …
AN4.12:4.1: sitting …
AN4.12:5.1: and when lying down while awake, and has given up dullness and drowsiness, restlessness and remorse, and doubt. Their energy is roused up and unflagging, their mindfulness is established and lucid, their body is tranquil and undisturbed, and their mind is immersed in samādhi. Such a mendicant is said to be ‘keen and prudent, always energetic and determined’ when lying down while awake.
iti111:4.1: Suppose a mendicant has got rid of desire and ill will while walking, and has given up dullness and drowsiness, restlessness and remorse, and doubt. Their energy is roused up and unflagging, their mindfulness is established and lucid, their body is tranquil and undisturbed, and their mind is immersed in samādhi.
iti111:5.1: Suppose a mendicant has got rid of desire and ill will while standing …
iti111:6.1: sitting …
iti111:7.1: or when lying down while awake.
AN6.27:4.1: Furthermore, there’s a time when a mendicant’s heart is overcome and mired in dullness and drowsiness …
AN1.13:1.1: “Mendicants, I do not see a single thing that gives rise to dullness and drowsiness, or, when they have arisen, makes them increase and grow like discontent, sloth, yawning, sleepiness after eating, and mental sluggishness.
AN1.13:1.2: When you have a sluggish mind, dullness and drowsiness arise, and once arisen they increase and grow.”
AN1.18:1.1: “Mendicants, I do not see a single thing that prevents dullness and drowsiness from arising, or, when they have arisen, gives them up like the elements of initiative, persistence, and vigor.
AN1.18:1.2: When you’re energetic, dullness and drowsiness do not arise, or, if they’ve already arisen, they’re given up.”
AN5.193:4.1: Furthermore, when your heart is overcome and mired in dullness and drowsiness … Even hymns that are long-practiced don’t spring to mind, let alone those that are not practiced.
AN5.193:4.4: In the same way, when your heart is overcome and mired in dullness and drowsiness … Even hymns that are long-practiced don’t spring to mind, let alone those that are not practiced.
AN5.193:9.1: Furthermore, when your heart is not overcome and mired in dullness and drowsiness … Even hymns that are long-unpracticed spring to mind, let alone those that are practiced.
AN5.193:9.4: In the same way, when your heart is not overcome and mired in dullness and drowsiness … Even hymns that are long-unpracticed spring to mind, let alone those that are practiced.
SN46.55:7.1: Furthermore, when your heart is overcome and mired in dullness and drowsiness … Even hymns that are long-practiced don’t spring to mind, let alone those that are not practiced.
SN46.55:8.3: In the same way, when your heart is overcome and mired in dullness and drowsiness … Even hymns that are long-practiced don’t spring to mind, let alone those that are not practiced.
SN46.55:17.1: Furthermore, when your heart is not overcome and mired in dullness and drowsiness … Even hymns that are long-unpracticed spring to mind, let alone those that are practiced.
SN46.55:18.3: In the same way, when your heart is not overcome and mired in dullness and drowsiness … Even hymns that are long-unpracticed spring to mind, let alone those that are practiced.
SN51.20:5.2: It’s when enthusiasm is combined with dullness and drowsiness.
SN51.20:22.2: It’s when inquiry is combined with dullness and drowsiness.
SN46.51:3.1: And what fuels the arising of dullness and drowsiness, or, when they have arisen, makes them increase and grow?
SN46.51:3.4: fuels the arising of dullness and drowsiness, or, when they have arisen, makes them increase and grow.
SN46.51:15.1: And what starves the arising of dullness and drowsiness, or, when they have arisen, starves their increase and growth?
SN46.51:15.4: starves the arising of dullness and drowsiness, or, when they have arisen, starves their increase and growth.
MN127:16.7: Their physical discomfort is not completely settled, their dullness and drowsiness is not completely eradicated, and their restlessness and remorse is not completely eliminated.
MN127:16.8: Because of this they practice absorption dimly, as it were.
MN127:16.13: Their physical discomfort is completely settled, their dullness and drowsiness is completely eradicated, and their restlessness and remorse is completely eliminated.
MN127:16.14: Because of this they don’t practice absorption dimly, as it were.
AN10.86:12.1: dullness and drowsiness …
AN4.61:10.6: dullness and drowsiness …
AN4.61:11.3: ‘dullness and drowsiness …’ …
MN8:12.22: ‘Others will be overcome with dullness and drowsiness, but here we will be rid of dullness and drowsiness.’
MN8:14.5: An individual who is attached to their own views, holding them tight, and refusing to let go, gets around it by not being attached to their own views, not holding them tight, but letting them go easily.
SN46.8:3.1: As a mendicant rouses up the awakening factor of mindfulness, they understand: ‘My mind is well freed. I’ve eradicated dullness and drowsiness, and eliminated restlessness and remorse. My energy is roused up, and my mind is sharply focused, not sluggish.’ …
SN46.8:3.2: As they rouse up the awakening factor of equanimity, they understand: ‘My mind is well freed. I’ve eradicated dullness and drowsiness, and eliminated restlessness and remorse. My energy is roused up, and my mind is sharply focused, not sluggish.’
AN6.73:1.3: Desire for sensual pleasures, ill will, dullness and drowsiness, restlessness and remorse, and doubt.
AN6.73:2.3: Desire for sensual pleasures, ill will, dullness and drowsiness, restlessness and remorse, and doubt.
SN46.24:1.3: dullness and drowsiness,
SN46.24:2.3: dullness and drowsiness,
ud4.2:4.3: overcome with dullness and drowsiness,
ud4.2:5.5: a mendicant who has overcome dullness and drowsiness
AN10.51:3.6: ‘Am I often covetous or not? Am I often malicious or not? Am I often overcome with dullness and drowsiness or not? Am I often restless or not? Am I often doubtful or not? Am I often irritable or not? Am I often corrupted in mind or not? Am I often disturbed in body or not? Am I often energetic or not? Am I often immersed in samādhi or not?’
AN10.51:4.2: ‘I am often covetous, malicious, overcome with dullness and drowsiness, restless, doubtful, irritable, defiled in mind, disturbed in body, lazy, and not immersed in samādhi.’ In order to give up those bad, unskillful qualities, they should apply intense enthusiasm, effort, zeal, vigor, perseverance, mindfulness, and situational awareness.
AN10.12:1.3: It’s when a mendicant has given up sensual desire, ill will, dullness and drowsiness, restlessness and remorse, and doubt.
AN10.12:4.2: dullness and drowsiness,
AN10.53:6.6: ‘Am I often covetous or not? Am I often malicious or not? Am I often overcome with dullness and drowsiness or not? Am I often restless or not? Am I often doubtful or not? Am I often irritable or not? Am I often defiled in mind or not? Am I often disturbed in body or not? Am I often energetic or not? Am I often immersed in samādhi or not?’
AN10.53:7.2: ‘I am often covetous, malicious, overcome with dullness and drowsiness, restless, doubtful, irritable, defiled in mind, disturbed in body, lazy, and not immersed in samādhi.’ In order to give up those bad, unskillful qualities, they should apply intense enthusiasm, effort, zeal, vigor, perseverance, mindfulness, and situational awareness.
SN54.12:2.6: dullness and drowsiness,
SN54.12:4.5: dullness and drowsiness,
AN11.9:2.12: dullness and drowsiness …
AN11.9:3.10: dullness and drowsiness …
SN46.2:4.1: And what fuels the arising of dullness and drowsiness, or, when they have arisen, makes them increase and grow?
SN46.2:4.4: fuels the arising of dullness and drowsiness, or, when they have arisen, makes them increase and grow.
MN108:26.7: dullness and drowsiness …
MN4:10.2: ‘There are ascetics and brahmins overcome with dullness and drowsiness …
MN68:6.2: Take someone who doesn’t achieve the rapture and bliss that are secluded from sensual pleasures and unskillful qualities, or something even more peaceful than that. Their mind is still occupied by desire, ill will, dullness and drowsiness, restlessness and remorse, doubt, discontent, and sloth.
MN68:6.4: Take someone who does achieve the rapture and bliss that are secluded from sensual pleasures and unskillful qualities, or something even more peaceful than that. Their mind is not occupied by desire, ill will, dullness and drowsiness, restlessness and remorse, doubt, discontent, and sloth.
DN33:2.1.19: sensual desire, ill will, dullness and drowsiness, restlessness and remorse, and doubt.
DN33:3.3.53: It’s when a mendicant has given up sensual desire, ill will, dullness and drowsiness, restlessness and remorse, and doubt.
DN34:1.6.21: sensual desire, ill will, dullness and drowsiness, restlessness and remorse, and doubt.
DN34:2.3.68: It’s when a mendicant has given up sensual desire, ill will, dullness and drowsiness, restlessness and remorse, and doubt.
SN46.35:1.1: “Mendicants, when you attend improperly, sensual desire, ill will, dullness and drowsiness, restlessness and remorse, and doubt arise, and once arisen they increase and grow.”
SN45.177:1.3: The hindrances of sensual desire, ill will, dullness and drowsiness, restlessness and remorse, and doubt.
Thag1.74:1.2: dullness and drowsiness,
AN5.52:1.4: The hindrances of sensual desire, ill will, dullness and drowsiness, restlessness and remorse, and doubt.
SN46.23:1.3: When you frequently attend improperly to things that are grounds for dullness and drowsiness, dullness and drowsiness arise, and once arisen they increase and grow.
SN46.38:2.2: Sensual desire, ill will, dullness and drowsiness, restlessness and remorse, and doubt.
AN9.64:1.3: Sensual desire, ill will, dullness and drowsiness, restlessness and remorse, and doubt.
SN46.37:1.5: dullness and drowsiness,
iti34:3.3: full of dullness and drowsiness,
SN46.39:2.5: dullness and drowsiness,
SN47.5:1.6: The hindrances of sensual desire, ill will, dullness and drowsiness, restlessness and remorse, and doubt.
AN10.52:4.2: ‘Am I often covetous or not? Am I often malicious or not? Am I often overcome with dullness and drowsiness or not? Am I often restless or not? Am I often doubtful or not? Am I often irritable or not? Am I often defiled in mind or not? Am I often disturbed in body or not? Am I often energetic or not? Am I often immersed in samādhi or not?’
AN3.121:3.4: When they have dullness and drowsiness in them they understand ‘I have dullness and drowsiness in me’; and when they don’t have dullness and drowsiness in them they understand ‘I don’t have dullness and drowsiness in me’. They understand how dullness and drowsiness arise; how, when they’ve already arisen, they’re given up; and how, once they’re given up, they don’t arise again in the future.
AN5.51:2.5: Dullness and drowsiness …
AN9.40:5.3: Giving up dullness and drowsiness, they meditate with a mind free of dullness and drowsiness, perceiving light, mindful and aware, cleansing the mind of dullness and drowsiness.
AN5.23:2.3: Sensual desire, ill will, dullness and drowsiness, restlessness and remorse, and doubt.
AN6.28:9.1: dullness and drowsiness …
AN10.20:3.2: It’s when a mendicant has given up sensual desire, ill will, dullness and drowsiness, restlessness and remorse, and doubt.
SN46.56:3.2: dullness and drowsiness …
SN46.52:9.7: That’s how what is concisely referred to as ‘the hindrance of dullness and drowsiness’ becomes twofold.
SN3.24:3.3: Sensual desire, ill will, dullness and drowsiness, restlessness and remorse, and doubt.
AN3.57:4.2: Sensual desire, ill will, dullness and drowsiness, restlessness and remorse, and doubt.
Thag16.3:13.4: and dullness and drowsiness.
AN5.75:15.4: Giving up dullness and drowsiness, he meditates with a mind rid of dullness and drowsiness, perceiving light, mindful and aware, cleansing the mind of dullness and drowsiness.
MN23:4.20: the hindrances of sensual desire, ill will, dullness and drowsiness, restlessness and remorse, and doubt.
MN107:9.5: Giving up dullness and drowsiness, they meditate with a mind rid of dullness and drowsiness, perceiving light, mindful and aware, cleansing the mind of dullness and drowsiness.
SNp3.2:13.1: Your fifth is dullness and drowsiness,
AN4.198:13.6: Giving up dullness and drowsiness, they meditate with a mind rid of dullness and drowsiness, perceiving light, mindful and aware, cleansing the mind of dullness and drowsiness.
MN48:8.6: dullness and drowsiness,
AN10.99:23.3: Giving up dullness and drowsiness, they meditate with a mind rid of dullness and drowsiness, perceiving light, mindful and aware, cleansing the mind of dullness and drowsiness.
MN112:17.3: Giving up dullness and drowsiness, I meditated with a mind rid of dullness and drowsiness, perceiving light, mindful and aware, cleansing the mind of dullness and drowsiness.
Thag17.2:30.2: dullness and drowsiness,
MN27:18.4: Giving up dullness and drowsiness, they meditate with a mind rid of dullness and drowsiness, perceiving light, mindful and aware, cleansing the mind of dullness and drowsiness.
MN39:13.4: Giving up dullness and drowsiness, they meditate with a mind rid of dullness and drowsiness, perceiving light, mindful and aware, cleansing the mind of dullness and drowsiness.
MN43:20.3: When a mendicant has entered the first absorption, sensual desire, ill will, dullness and drowsiness, restlessness and remorse, and doubt are given up.
MN51:19.4: Giving up dullness and drowsiness, they meditate with a mind rid of dullness and drowsiness, perceiving light, mindful and aware, cleansing the mind of dullness and drowsiness.
MN94:21.4: Giving up dullness and drowsiness, they meditate with a mind rid of dullness and drowsiness, perceiving light, mindful and aware, cleansing the mind of dullness and drowsiness.
DN10:2.6.3: Giving up dullness and drowsiness, they meditate with a mind rid of dullness and drowsiness, perceiving light, mindful and aware, cleansing the mind of dullness and drowsiness.
DN13:30.3: The hindrances of sensual desire, ill will, dullness and drowsiness, restlessness and remorse, and doubt.
MN10:36.6: When they have dullness and drowsiness in them, they understand: ‘I have dullness and drowsiness in me.’ When they don’t have dullness and drowsiness in them, they understand: ‘I don’t have dullness and drowsiness in me.’ They understand how dullness and drowsiness arise; how, when they’ve already arisen, they’re given up; and how, once they’re given up, they don’t arise again in the future.
MN99:15.3: The hindrances of sensual desire, ill will, dullness and drowsiness, restlessness and remorse, and doubt.
DN25:16.16: Giving up dullness and drowsiness, they meditate with a mind rid of dullness and drowsiness, perceiving light, mindful and aware, cleansing the mind of dullness and drowsiness.
MN101:37.3: Giving up dullness and drowsiness, they meditate with a mind rid of dullness and drowsiness, perceiving light, mindful and aware, cleansing the mind of dullness and drowsiness.
DN2:68.3: Giving up dullness and drowsiness, they meditate with a mind rid of dullness and drowsiness, perceiving light, mindful and aware, cleansing the mind of dullness and drowsiness.
DN22:13.6: When they have dullness and drowsiness in them, they understand: ‘I have dullness and drowsiness in me.’ When they don’t have dullness and drowsiness in them, they understand: ‘I don’t have dullness and drowsiness in me.’ They understand how dullness and drowsiness arise; how, when they’ve already arisen, they’re given up; and how, once they’re given up, they don’t arise again in the future.
MN38:38.4: Giving up dullness and drowsiness, they meditate with a mind rid of dullness and drowsiness, perceiving light, mindful and aware, cleansing the mind of dullness and drowsiness.
AN6.66:1.3: Dullness, drowsiness, restlessness, remorse, lack of faith, and negligence.
AN6.66:2.3: Dullness, drowsiness, restlessness, remorse, lack of faith, and negligence.
SN46.52:9.6: Dullness is a hindrance; and drowsiness is also a hindrance.

That's nice. I currently use DPR (digital pali reader), but search results only take me to pali (instead of pali + eng as you do above). How do you get that script working on windows pc without linux?

Without linux it would be difficult. However both Mac and WIndows have unix support for free. MacOS is based on FreeBSD, so it should work, but I haven't tried it. I have tried WIndows Linux and it works fine. We've been talking about providing the scv-bilara capability on the web, but that's a big project that hasn't happened yet.  DPR and SuttaCentral.net are also great, but have different search paradigms.

Here is the WIndows Linux documentation: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/about  Scv-bilara has been tested on Debian and Ubuntu Linux.

The commentaries follow the Dhammasaṅgaṇī in treating both as mental: thīna as sluggishness of citta, middha as sluggishness of cetasikas. But this is in the context of bhāvanā, in connection with the hindrances. Where the terms are used in non-technical everyday contexts the state may be physical, mental, both or unspecified. I think unspecified is probably the most common.
The word "hīna" is a past participle that's been made into a noun. The rules for forming past participles would allow both thīna and thina as the pp. of the verb thīyati.
As for vīriya vs viriya, it's not that they were once two different words that are now taken to be the same, but that they've always been variant forms of the past participle of the same verb, just as 'dreamed' and 'dreamt' have always been variant past participles of 'dream'.
Note that the sutta doesn't identify the nutriment of thīnamiddha with the five items themselves, but rather with frequent unwise attention (ayonisomanasikāra-bahulīkāro) to them. And so the immediate cause is wholly mental.
But as to the five, this is how the Vibhaṅga defines them:

Tattha katamā arati? Pantesu vā senāsanesu aññataraññataresu vā adhikusalesu dhammesu arati aratitā anabhirati anabhiramaṇā ukkaṇṭhitā
paritassitā: ayaṃ vuccati “arati”. Therein what is “tedium”? Tedium,
having tedium, displeasure, being displeased, dissatisfaction, dread
of remote abodes or certain higher skilful dhammas. This is called
tedium.

Tattha katamā tandī? Yā tandī tandiyanā tandimanakatā ālasyaṃ ālasyāyanā ālasyāyitattaṃ: ayaṃ vuccati “tandī”. Therein what is
“apathy”? That which is apathy, being apathetic, mental lethargy,
idleness, being idle, state of being idle. This is called apathy.

Tattha katamā vijambhitā? Yā kāyassa jambhanā vijambhanā ānamanā vinamanā sannamanā paṇamanā byādhiyakaṃ: ayaṃ vuccati “vijambhitā”.
Therein what is “stretching”? That which is twitching, stretching,
bending forward, bending backward, twisting, stretching upwards,
fidgeting of the body. This is called stretching.

Tattha katamo bhattasammado? Yā bhuttāvissa bhattamucchā bhattakilamatho bhattapariḷāho kāyaduṭṭhullaṃ: ayaṃ vuccati
“bhattasammado”. Therein what is “after meal drowsiness”? That which
in one who has eaten is dizziness because of food, fatigue because of
food, feverishness because of food, bodily unfitness. This is called
after meal drowsiness.

Tattha katamaṃ cetaso ca līnattaṃ? Yā cittassa akalyatā akammaññatā olīyanā sallīyanā līnaṃ līyanā līyitattaṃ thinaṃ thīyanā thīyitattaṃ
cittassa: idaṃ vuccati “cetaso ca līnattaṃ”. Therein what is “mental
sluggishness”? That which is indisposition of consciousness,
unwieldiness, drooping, sagging, sluggishness, being sluggish, state
of being sluggish, sloth, being slothful, state of consciousness being
slothful. This is called mental sluggishness. (Vibh. 17:10:1. U
Thittila's translation, with 'restlessness' changed to 'stretching' as
the translation of vijambhitā)

https://legacy.suttacentral.net/en/vb17

And from the Dispeller of Delusion:

The arising of stiffness and torpor comes about through unwise
bringing to mind in regard to boredom (arati) and so on. "Boredom" is
a name for dissatisfaction; "languor" (tandi) is a name for bodily
laziness; "stretching" (vijambhitā) is a name for bending of the body;
"faintness after meals" (bhattasammada) is a name for giddiness after
meals and feverishness after meals. And mental lassitude" (cetaso
līnattaṃ) is a name for the sluggish state of the mind.
Because of employing unwise bringing to mind much in regard to these
[states] beginning with boredom, stiffness and torpor arise.
(Dispeller of Delusion I 335)

So, it seems that arati is wholly mental; tandī is both bodily and mental (the Dispeller of Delusion later defines it as "bodily idleness due to defilement"); likewise vijambhitā, which is later defined as "bodily shifting due to defilement"; bhattasammada is wholly bodily; and cetaso līnattaṃ wholly mental.

I'm looking to collect all the major sutta references on the 3rd hindrance.

Google is your friend: https://accesstoinsight.org/search_results.html?cx=006639875531220445029%3A2z3mhfokk-u&ie=UTF-8&q=Sloth+and+Drowsiness&sa=Search

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text:
Brain and heart dualism
I’ve been meditating for sometime now, and it’s apparent that my mind and heart are not in sync.
I’m often in confused stage because my mind says one thing while my heart says something else and my awareness is in total confused mode trying to interpret these two entities.
While meditating of course these dualities do not arise because the focus and attention is in single object unless if I do insight meditation.
I would be really appreciate if anyone could give me an dharma insight on what’s happening here.

Could you be more specific? Do you have more examples of your mind and heart not being in sync?

Welcome to the next 50 years of your practice!  ;-)

Your situation is not unusual and you are not alone. In the terms of this meditation, it is an advanced technique which requires a wealth of self-understanding.
Intentions are the motions, strings of the mind; emotions, of the heart and actions are of the body. When we mix them, the tangle becomes exceptional and control is lost entirely. Seperate and mastery of each individually is the foundation to cultivating their mastery.
In practice:

Observe the connection between intention, emotion and action individually.
This means, when you stub your toe, getting angry at the chair is mixing emotion and body; your internal commentary cursing profanity at that chair is mixing in your intention.

The greatest insight Gautama Buddha left with regards to your question is the five hindrances. By observing one component (mind, heart, body) without the bias of another influence the effects of the the five hindrances are minimised and you can merge the components with success safely.
Cultivate in harmony

Thanks so much for your comment @Beau. I managed to pinpoint things from your comment. This is my understanding as for today. Mind catches the body/mind stimulations > attached to those stimulations > arise of emotions > believe the emotions are true and valid > further attachment to emotions > communicate the emotions to body > body believe those emotions are true and valid > actions... repeating the cycle. Here, mind denote as head and emotions denote as heart

@Explorer anytime, and thank you for communicating your clarity as well! It's a very clear and concise example of the foundation for Karmic lessons. Breaking the cycle is questioning automatic/conditioned 'self-logic' and instead of being a character, being the philosophical narrator acknowledging questions we usually never stop to think or answer and just act on - How does the body perceive the greater world in order for the mind to interpret and connect to the emotion to validate? Where do each emotions arise from? Not a simple thing to change, it has to be conditioned by ourselves.

I’m often in confused stage because my mind says one thing while my heart says something else and my awareness is in total confused mode trying to interpret these two entities.

It'll be difficult to discuss in more details without some concrete examples/instances of the above, for quite oftenly, what one's "heart wants" while one hasn't attained enlightenment ususually is just a romanticized/sanitized way of sayin what one's "desire/lust wants". Just like how many times engaged couples explain away the break-up of their relationship as due to the man/woman simply "following their heart" to cheat on the fiance and had an affair with a different man/woman, etc.

thanks for your explanation. It make sense to think that desire is popping up and may be I’m seeing mind’s projection? It’s bit difficult to explain what exactly is going on.
But it feels like mind chatter starts from heart area and when I’m being mindful about it, the chatter disappears and at the same time, it arises on head.

I think it's less important where it arises, whether from head or heart, than whether there's a sense of self-identity involved, any "I", "mine", or "myself". The latter is what one should be more careful with, and should try his best to dis-associate from. No "I", no "mine", no "myself" and you should be at peace, regardless of any desire, and regardless of whether it's from your head or your heart.

Thanks so much @santa100 as a novice I’m sorry if this is a silly question. But wouldn’t that lead to depersonalisation disorder? I’m bit too confused :(

Don't worry about depersonalization disorder. If any, u should worry more about hyper-personalization disorder, which is a much much more contagious and virulent one than its opposite.

Buddha did not talk about the heart and mind. What he taught was the arising of wholesome thoughts and unwholesome thoughts in the mind. The good news for you is that you are aware of this. (Samma Sati or Satipathana)
Just continue to practice Satipathana.

Buddhist practise is to think in the manner the Buddha taught us to think, such as thoughts of renunciation, good-will and harmlessness.

This answer has absolutely zero relevance to the OP's inquiry.

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text:
What chapter of the Abhidharmartha Pradipika talks about infinite universes?
I've been looking into Buddhist concepts and the topic of infinite universes in existence popped up, and the Buddhist text called the "Abhidharmartha Pradipika" talks about infinite universes? And I was wondering what chapter/verse talks about it so I could look more into it.

By mentioning "Abhidharmartha Pradipika", are you referring to the book written by Dr. Amaradasa Rathnapala?

Yeah that Buddhist text. I've talked to some Buddhists about it and it's pretty popular among them

It is in ...

AN 3.80.
The Path of Purification, Six Recollection, Recollection into
Buddha's Value.(Visuddhimagga ChaAnussatiNiddesa
BuddhanussatiKatha).
AbhidhammatthaVibhavini 5th Chapter.
etc.

Abhidhanappadipika is a Glossary explanation.

Abhidharmarthapradipika can be read here in four volumes, but it is all in Sinhalese. You will need to find a translator or someone who can read it for you. I don't know if it has been translated.
http://m.budaedu.org/ebooks/p6-2-SR.php (search this for "PRADIPIKA")
http://ftp.budaedu.org/ebooks/pdf/SR041.pdf (Vol. 1)
The rest of the volumes are on the first link.

Anguththara Nkaya 3.2.3.10. Ananda wagga 10. chulanika suththa. sahassi loka dhathu, dwi sahassi loka dhathu > Describe galaxies.

This is a low quality answer. Could you add more description in English? Thanks.


text:
How does one deal with the 'fear of rebirth'?
At times when even Stream Entry seems implausible let alone Nirvana how does one deal with the fear of rebirth.
Rebirth would mean over again; disappointment after disappointment and after horrendous ordeal of life coming to understand the Buddhas teaching and learning everything all over again.
I have dealt with the five hindrances to meditation, but this fear of failure in this life has taken its place.
Its not death but rebirth that I have developed aversion towards.
How do I address this? How do I get equianimous towards this idea?

based on the buddhist teachings, what makes you think you will be reborn as a human rather than in hell or as an animal?

@Dhammadhatu whatever way I will be reborn...its not something  I want...

Its not death but rebirth that I have developed aversion towards.

How do I address this? How do I get equianimous towards this idea?

By recognizing a few things:

Unless one's already enlightened, rebirth will happen anyway, regardless of whether one likes it or not. Recognizing that one's dread or favor over it won't help would hopefully gives one some peace of mind and equanimity.

Try to conduct oneself with wholesome deeds thru the 3 gateways: body/speech/mind. If rebirth will happen anyway, it'd be better to have a more peaceful and favorable rebirth due to wholesome kamma than a horrific one due to evil kamma.

You're afraid of being reborn over and over again forever, facing suffering again and again, and of relearning all of this over and over again.
Yet some others are afraid of death, because they don't believe in rebirth and think that they will cease to exist at death. They don't want to stop existing. They are afraid of ceasing to exist.
Both of these appear to be opposite, but they are really two sides of the same coin. They are symptoms of the same disease (dis-ease). The fear arises from clinging to something that is impermanent and unstable.
SN 44.6 explains this in a variety of ways including the following. Although it says Tathagata, it really applies to you too! Do you think you exist after death? Do you think you do not exist after death? Do you think you both exist and do not exist after death? Do you think you neither exist nor do not exist after death?

(i. The aggregates)
"For one who loves form, who is fond of form, who cherishes form, who
does not know or see, as it actually is present, the cessation of
form, there occurs the thought, 'The Tathagata exists after death' or
'The Tathagata does not exist after death' or 'The Tathagata both
exists and does not exist after death' or 'The Tathagata neither
exists nor does not exist after death.'
"For one who loves feeling...
"For one who loves perception...
"For one who loves fabrications...
"For one who loves consciousness, who is fond of consciousness, who
cherishes consciousness, who does not know or see, as it actually is
present, the cessation of consciousness, there occurs the thought,
'The Tathagata exists after death' or 'The Tathagata does not exist
after death' or 'The Tathagata both exists and does not exist after
death' or 'The Tathagata neither exists nor does not exist after
death.'
"But for one who doesn't love form, who isn't fond of form, who
doesn't cherish form, who knows & sees, as it actually is present, the
cessation of form, the thought, 'The Tathagata exists after death' or
'The Tathagata does not exist after death' or 'The Tathagata both
exists and does not exist after death' or 'The Tathagata neither
exists nor does not exist after death' doesn't occur.
"For one who doesn't love feeling...
"For one who doesn't love perception...
"For one who doesn't love fabrication...
"For one who doesn't love consciousness, who isn't fond of
consciousness, who doesn't cherish consciousness, who knows & sees, as
it actually is present, the cessation of consciousness, the thought,
'The Tathagata exists after death' or 'The Tathagata does not exist
after death' or 'The Tathagata both exists and does not exist after
death' or 'The Tathagata neither exists nor does not exist after
death' doesn't occur.
"This is the cause, this is the reason, why that has not been declared
by the Blessed One."
(ii. Becoming)
"But, my friend, would there another line of reasoning, in line with
which that has not been declared by the Blessed One?"
"There would, my friend. "For one who loves becoming, who is fond of
becoming, who cherishes becoming, who does not know or see, as it
actually is present, the cessation of becoming, there occurs the
thought, 'The Tathagata exists after death' or 'The Tathagata does not
exist after death' or 'The Tathagata both exists and does not exist
after death' or 'The Tathagata neither exists nor does not exist after
death.'
"But for one who doesn't love becoming, who isn't fond of becoming,
who doesn't cherish becoming, who knows & sees, as it actually is
present, the cessation of becoming, the thought, 'The Tathagata exists
after death' or 'The Tathagata does not exist after death' or 'The
Tathagata both exists and does not exist after death' or 'The
Tathagata neither exists nor does not exist after death' doesn't
occur.
"This, too, is a line of reasoning in line with which that has not
been declared by the Blessed One."

In Mahayana we make the vow to keep getting reborn so we can keep relearning and then spreading the Dharma until there are no more beings left in samsara.
You may consider that.

Sentient beings are numberless - we vow to save them
Desires are inexhaustible - we vow to end them
The Dharmas are boundless - we vow to master them
The Buddha's Way is inconceivable - we vow to attain it.

But seriously, I don't think you're afraid of rebirth - I think you're afraid of failure. That's what you should be working on. Why is it so frightening for you to be a failure? Whose judgment do you need to satisfy?

Thank you for the answer. Personally I consider myself a Theravada for the very reason that the Bodhisatva vow of Mahayana seems impractical to achieve. The total number of beings are infinite. I dont think that there will ever be time that there will be no more beings in Samsara. Relearning is fine, but the idea of going through suffering is fearsome. I think an arahant will have more to offer to this world than a bodhisatva. This I am saying knowing many enlightened beings from my country India.

Sure, it's your choice. To some of us, the infinite challenge is fine. Others want to quit asap. It's up to you, I guess.


text:
Implementing the Satipatthana Sutta IRL [HELP]
I want to put this book to practise and use in real life. I want to be able to apply this book in three ways: (Reading Analayo's version)
a. How can I practise a specific part of the SS when I'm meditating on the cushion?
OR
Which meditations align with sharpening a specific skill from the SS?
b. How can I practise a specific part of the SS when I'm meditating off the cushion?ORWhat actions can I perform in everyday life to practise these skills from the SS?
c. How can I reflect over a specific part of the SS each day/week/month?ORWhat questions can I answer each day/week/month to reflect over my practise from the SS?
How can I get in touch with someone who can help me to this? :)
Metta. :) Thank you. :)

Get back to Breath at one of nose holes in every posture whole life.
This is the  basement of MahaSatipatthanaSutta.
When you can control your mind by Jhana and it's photographic memory, then the Tipitaka memorizer will give you next lesson.

Where you got this instruction of breathi at one hole in every posture whole life. Can you elaborate more your post.

In pali-memorizing-culture, Viharati (living) means Iriyapatha (Living by 4 postures). In DN22, especially MN 119, IriyapathaPabba is put follow AnapanaPabba because AnapanaPabba is for the beginner in sitting posture. After Jhana-Attainment at matery level in sitting posture, the practitioner need to practice the same meditation in all other chances, 3 left postures, to get the mastery level, too. It's same in all section of DN22 MN119 and all other meditations, except some meditation could be reached Jhana level some could just access concentration level.

But what about one nose hole. Why not both hole? And where itis mentioned?

No need mention because the practitioner try to get one-pointedness, so it's hard to get one-pointedness for the beginner if there are many point to see breath. This technique is from ven.Pa-Auk Tawya (and I think he take it from some sub-commentary) who has thousand monks in hand. His monks can meditate  entire day for 2+ years, and some memorize tipitaka-pali. And don't let doubt inside. Meditation is not for doubt, more doubt more hindrance. Notice how can you keep mind on breath better and better longer and longer. Even  light happens, get back to breath it will merge with breath itself.

Since you seem interested in what Bhikkhu Analayo has to offer in regards to the Satipatthana sutta I would suggest you maybe consider looking into his
practice guide.

The Satipatthana and Mahasatipatthana Suttas strongly informed Mahasi Sayadaw's noting style of insight meditation, which is very specific about how to practice in accordance with the instructions in the sutta both on the cushion and off. An excerpt from the "Basic Practice" section of Practical Insight Meditation:

When you look at the tap or water-pot on arriving at the place where you are to take a drink, be sure to make a mental note, looking, seeing.
When you stop walking, stopping.
When you stretch out the hand, stretching.
When you touch the cup, touching.
When you take the cup, taking.
When dipping the cup into the water, dipping.
When bringing the cup to the lips, bringing.
When the cup touches the lips, touching.
When you swallow, swallowing.
etc.

From how I understand this tradition's teachings, the way to correctly practice according to the Satipatthana Sutta is not to specifically try to practice what's in one section or the other, but to continuously mentally note everything that occurs at one of the six sense doors, until you're able to see not just the thing that happened at the moment it was sensed but also when it arose and when it perished, while always returning to the rising and falling of the breath at the abdomen (or in and out of the breath and the nostrils, if you prefer) as an object when there's nothing else going on to note.
That's in contrast to your questions, which ask about practicing specific parts or sections at a time — even if you try to only note the breath, thoughts will arise, sounds will arise, etc., so this method recommends noting them all and then returning to the breath, rather than trying to exclude them.

Mahasi Sayadaw made a compromise to the thinking mind with this internal noting method. The actual instruction is to 'know' that which is observed. This is quite different from what Mahasi Sayadaw suggests, but his hope was that some practitioners were wise enough to eventually form that disparity. In some cases, some practitioners can hit this 'knowing' straight off the bat. That is why the Kuru people were given this teaching. They already possessed the uniformity of wisdom in discernment.

@NeuroMax thank you, I learned something today :)

Thank you Zac, this helps me make some choices based on the Vipassana style of doing this, that I've learnt recently. :)


text:
The One With the Brahmin Heckler
Does there exist such a sutta in which a brahmin pays a visit to the Buddha at his dwelling at Jeta's Grove with the sole intent to heckle, only to be met with silence and then brought to his senses when he asks, "Why aren't you delivering your sermon? I would like to hear it." The Buddha tells him that only anger and rage are in his mind and that if he can distance himself from all the anguish, hurt, and jealousy, he will deliver a sermon to him. The brahmin sees that the Buddha saw through him and repents.
This is a story from the fourth book of the Korean version of the Saṃyutta Nikāya called 별역잡아함경. From what I gather, the suttas do not correspond one-for-one with the Saṃyutta Nikāya, and for the life of me, I cannot find the above story in any English version available online. Does such a story exist in the Saṃyutta Nikāya or anywhere else in the Pāli Canon, for that matter? Or is it only in the Korean edition for some reason? If it helps, the brahmin's name is 반려(返淚), but of course it's impossible to figure out what the original Pāli name is.

From SN 7.16 - Paccanīka Sutta:

At S›vatthı. Now on that occasion a brahmin named Paccanıkas›ta, Relisher of Contradiction, was residing at S›vatthı. Then it occurred to the brahmin Paccanıkas›ta: “Let me approach the ascetic Gotama and contradict whatever he says.” Now on that occasion the Blessed One was walking back and forth in the open. Then the brahmin Paccanıkas›ta approached the Blessed One and said to him while he was walking back and forth: “Speak Dhamma, ascetic!”

[The Blessed One:]
693 “Well-spoken counsel is hard to understand By one who relishes contradiction, By one with a corrupt mind <386> Who is engrossed in aggression.
694 “But if one has removed aggression And the distrust of one’s heart, If one has cast away aversion, One can understand well-spoken counsel.”

When this was said, the brahmin Paccanıkas›ta said to the Blessed One: “Magnificent, Master Gotama! Magnificent, Master Gotama!… Let Master Gotama remember me as a lay follower who from today has gone for refuge for life.”

From suttacentral: SN 7.16 translated by Ven. Sujato

Actually I was using Ven. Bodhi's version, which's not available on suttacentral.net, hence no hyperlink provided. But Sujato's version is not too bad, so thanks for pointing to his link.

Thank you so much. The Korean version is quite different, and that's curious, but that is a research topic for another day.

Ur welcome. Yeah, words might vary, but the gist is pretty much  the same. /\


text:
What's is the Buddhist view on persistence or grit?
We are always taught to have grit, show resilience and never to give up in difficult situations. In the lights of my knowledge in Buddhism, I think of these as a manifestation of strong attachment to objects and emotions. Am I right? Should these qualities be valued? What is the Buddhist viewpoint? Thanks!

Having grit, showing resilience and never giving up in difficult situations, is considered good and wholesome, if it is for wholesome purposes.
For example, it is wholesome to get rid of evil, unskillful thoughts, and you can see below, that the Buddha suggested a few methods and the last one is "with his teeth clenched and his tongue pressed against the roof of his mouth — he is beating down, constraining, and crushing his mind with his awareness, those evil, unskillful thoughts are abandoned and subside".
From MN 20:

The Blessed One said: "When a monk is intent on the heightened mind,
there are five themes he should attend to at the appropriate times.
Which five?
"There is the case where evil, unskillful thoughts — imbued with
desire, aversion, or delusion — arise in a monk while he is referring
to and attending to a particular theme. He should attend to another
theme, apart from that one, connected with what is skillful. When he
is attending to this other theme, apart from that one, connected with
what is skillful, then those evil, unskillful thoughts — imbued with
desire, aversion, or delusion — are abandoned and subside. With their
abandoning, he steadies his mind right within, settles it, unifies it,
and concentrates it. Just as a skilled carpenter or his apprentice
would use a small peg to knock out, drive out, and pull out a large
one; in the same way, if evil, unskillful thoughts — imbued with
desire, aversion, or delusion — arise in a monk while he is referring
to and attending to a particular theme, he should attend to another
theme, apart from that one, connected with what is skillful. When he
is attending to this other theme, apart from that one, connected with
what is skillful, then those evil, unskillful thoughts — imbued with
desire, aversion, or delusion — are abandoned and subside. With their
abandoning, he steadies his mind right within, settles it, unifies it,
and concentrates it.
"If evil, unskillful thoughts — imbued with desire, aversion, or
delusion — still arise in the monk while he is attending to this other
theme, connected with what is skillful, he should scrutinize the
drawbacks of those thoughts: 'Truly, these thoughts of mine are
unskillful, these thoughts of mine are blameworthy, these thoughts of
mine result in stress.' As he is scrutinizing the drawbacks of those
thoughts, those evil, unskillful thoughts — imbued with desire,
aversion, or delusion — are abandoned and subside. With their
abandoning, he steadies his mind right within, settles it, unifies it,
and concentrates it. Just as a young woman — or man — fond of
adornment, would be horrified, humiliated, and disgusted if the
carcass of a snake or a dog or a human being were hung from her neck;
in the same way, if evil, unskillful thoughts — imbued with desire,
aversion, or delusion — still arise in the monk while he is attending
to this other theme, connected with what is skillful, he should
scrutinize the drawbacks of those thoughts: 'Truly, these thoughts of
mine are unskillful, these thoughts of mine are blameworthy, these
thoughts of mine result in stress.' As he is scrutinizing the
drawbacks of those thoughts, those evil, unskillful thoughts — imbued
with desire, aversion, or delusion — are abandoned and subside. With
their abandoning, he steadies his mind right within, settles it,
unifies it, and concentrates it.
"If evil, unskillful thoughts — imbued with desire, aversion or
delusion — still arise in the monk while he is scrutinizing the
drawbacks of those thoughts, he should pay no mind and pay no
attention to those thoughts. As he is paying no mind and paying no
attention to them, those evil, unskillful thoughts are abandoned and
subside. With their abandoning, he steadies his mind right within,
settles it, unifies it, and concentrates it. Just as a man with good
eyes, not wanting to see forms that had come into range, would close
his eyes or look away; in the same way, if evil, unskillful thoughts —
imbued with desire, aversion or delusion — still arise in the monk
while he is scrutinizing the drawbacks of those thoughts, he should
pay no mind and pay no attention to those thoughts. As he is paying no
mind and paying no attention to them, those evil, unskillful thoughts
are abandoned and subside. With their abandoning, he steadies his mind
right within, settles it, unifies it, and concentrates it.
"If evil, unskillful thoughts — imbued with desire, aversion or
delusion — still arise in the monk while he is paying no mind and
paying no attention to those thoughts, he should attend to the
relaxing of thought-fabrication with regard to those thoughts. As he
is attending to the relaxing of thought-fabrication with regard to
those thoughts, those evil, unskillful thoughts are abandoned and
subside. With their abandoning, he steadies his mind right within,
settles it, unifies it, and concentrates it. Just as the thought would
occur to a man walking quickly, 'Why am I walking quickly? Why don't I
walk slowly?' So he walks slowly. The thought occurs to him, 'Why am I
walking slowly? Why don't I stand?' So he stands. The thought occurs
to him, 'Why am I standing? Why don't I sit down?' So he sits down.
The thought occurs to him, 'Why am I sitting? Why don't I lie down?'
So he lies down. In this way, giving up the grosser posture, he takes
up the more refined one. In the same way, if evil, unskillful thoughts
— imbued with desire, aversion or delusion — still arise in the monk
while he is paying no mind and paying no attention to those thoughts,
he should attend to the relaxing of thought-fabrication with regard to
those thoughts. As he is attending to the relaxing of
thought-fabrication with regard to those thoughts, those evil,
unskillful thoughts are abandoned and subside. With their abandoning,
he steadies his mind right within, settles it, unifies it, and
concentrates it.
"If evil, unskillful thoughts — imbued with desire, aversion or
delusion — still arise in the monk while he is attending to the
relaxing of thought-fabrication with regard to those thoughts, then —
with his teeth clenched and his tongue pressed against the roof of his
mouth — he should beat down, constrain, and crush his mind with his
awareness. As — with his teeth clenched and his tongue pressed against
the roof of his mouth — he is beating down, constraining, and crushing
his mind with his awareness, those evil, unskillful thoughts are
abandoned and subside. With their abandoning, he steadies his mind
right within, settles it, unifies it, and concentrates it. Just as a
strong man, seizing a weaker man by the head or the throat or the
shoulders, would beat him down, constrain, and crush him; in the same
way, if evil, unskillful thoughts — imbued with desire, aversion or
delusion — still arise in the monk while he is attending to the
relaxing of thought-fabrication with regard to those thoughts, then —
with his teeth clenched and his tongue pressed against the roof of his
mouth — he should beat down, constrain, and crush his mind with his
awareness. As — with his teeth clenched and his tongue pressed against
the roof of his mouth — he is beating down, constraining, and crushing
his mind with his awareness, those evil, unskillful thoughts are
abandoned and subside. With their abandoning, he steadies his mind
right within, settles it, unifies it, and concentrates it.
"Now when a monk... attending to another theme... scrutinizing the
drawbacks of those thoughts... paying no mind and paying no attention
to those thoughts... attending to the relaxing of thought-fabrication
with regard to those thoughts... beating down, constraining and
crushing his mind with his awareness... steadies his mind right
within, settles it, unifies it and concentrates it: He is then called
a monk with mastery over the ways of thought sequences. He thinks
whatever thought he wants to, and doesn't think whatever thought he
doesn't. He has severed craving, thrown off the fetters, and — through
the right penetration of conceit — has made an end of suffering and
stress."

Thank you very much @ruben2020♦. For providing a detailed explanation.

It's one of the 4 Iddhipadas, namely the second one.:

Four Bases of Power or Success (Iddhipada)

Desire (chanda)
Persistence/Energy/Effort (viriya)
Intention, Mind, Thoughtfulness (citta)
Investigation/Discrimination (vimamsa or panna)

They are all needed in order to progress on the Path. Without them (especially the second one) the mind will not be fit for meditation practice.
One needs energy to apply the mind to the arising and ceasing of phenomena. Constant application of mind leads to concentration and mindfulness which leads to clarity of mind. Seeing clearly leads to freedom from suffering which eventually leads to Nibbana.
So yeah, these qualities should be valued and cultivated.

Thanks Jade for writing! I understand what you meant.

If you are a child holding on to a toy, never giving up - is that grit?
Or a girl holding on to the memory of a boyfriend who abandoned her, hoping and waiting for him to come back. Is that endurance? Determination?
Just like our other actions, being stubborn and resilient to obstacles can be wholesome or it can be unwholesome. It depends on our hidden motives and/or on where it's leading us to.
You can be intent on something because of your ego, your fear, your attachment - or you can be intent on overcoming your ego, your fear, your attachment, your limits.
In Buddhism we practice being mindful of our hidden motives.  Why am I doing this? Is it my ego trying to defend itself? Or is it objectively good?

Thanks Andrei! That makes perfect sense.

Grit requires endurance.

AN5.139:22.1: In the same way, a mendicant with five qualities is worthy of offerings to the gods, worthy of hospitality, worthy of a religious donation, worthy of veneration with joined palms, and is the supreme field of merit for the world.
What five?
It’s when a mendicant can endure sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and touches.

In other words, it takes grit to endure the pull and push of the senses. For example:

AN5.139:23.1: And how is it that a mendicant can endure sights?
It’s when a mendicant, seeing a sight with their eyes, is not aroused by a desirable sight, so is able to still the mind.
That’s how a mendicant can endure sights.

Resolve—which I take “grit” to mean—is one of the necessary conditions needed to succeed on the Buddhist path to enlightenment. Gautama Buddha’s resolve to not get up from his place under the bodhi tree until he reached enlightenment is the best example of this.
Resilience is necessary to overcome obstacles that can arise on the path. It is an unfortunate occurrence when a practitioner’s resolve is broken because of a lack of resilience in their practice. Their mind may be too active, their schedule of things that must be done too full, their meditation too uncomfortable, too much noise in the street, much too attractive diversions luring then away, etc. One needs resilience.
What I feel you are directing your question towards, though, is desiring (what you mean by emotion?) what you may not, or cannot have. Desiring to become an enlightened being is an obvious one. My example of the Buddha’s resolve not to get up until he became enlightened may seem to be a case of desiring something that he might not have obtained, but that isn’t the case here. His resolve was to not desire anything else, because it is in the abandonment of desires and attachments to unattainable and transitory things that one finds the space in one’s life to follow this Buddhist path. You may not succeed to become a Buddha, so as long as you are not attached to that goal, you will not create suffering in your life, but as long as you keep your resolution to not desire any other outcome, and maintain your resilience even when a thought of the hopelessness of it arises, you may very well succeed.
It’s counterintuitive when you are still thinking with our inculcated (and ignorant) understanding of how things truly are. Because we are always already Buddha, and just need to extricate ourselves from all that obstructs our true nature from even our own cognitive functioning (our being able to see ourselves for what we truly are).
Good luck!

Thanks James. Really appreciate it!

Glad to be helpful to you.


text:
Losing mindfulness and peace after three weeks of successful practise
I've been practising mindfulness meditation for about three weeks now. I started with ten minute sessions but soon increased it to a half hour and then either a full hour or two haf hours with a five minute break. I felt that my practise was making me more peaceful, less angry, calmer and generally happier. I would achieve what access concentration quite easily and yesterday I felt an experience that I found rather similar to the descriptions of the Buddhist first jhana.
Immediately after that experience, it seemed to me like my mind had almost, and very suddenly, let go of the progress that I had made and I suddenly returned to my former angry restless self. I am again suddenly consumed by angry thoughts about a trivial event that happened many months ago. I don't feel the peace that meditation used to bring anymore and today I really struggled even to finish a half hour sitting. I don't seem to be able to release distractions or thoughts anymore and can't stay with my object of meditation.
What's going on? What do I have to do to restore my mindfulness?

All of those things are coming back because you haven't really fixed anything.  So many people use meditation as a vacation.  They run themselves ragged in their day to day lives only to use the cushion as a kind of karmic hospital.  This is palliative practice and just like a vacation from your job or your terrible marriage, spending a week in the zendo or Tahiti isn't going to do a damn thing for your mind.  Meditating this way isn't any different from popping pills or smoking a blunt.  Sure, your problems melt away for a time, but you aren't addressing the crap that made you want to melt them away in the first place.
We sit to prepare our minds for insight.  Anything else that happens - jhana, bliss, IDK talking to devas - all that is wholly ancillary.  Rather than try to preserve those feeling of bliss, wholeness, and peace, instead turn that bright and less blemished mind to your own personal obstacles.  There are entire suites of insight, whole canons of material that you can investigate from Zen koans to vipassana objects, etc.  Gaining direct knowledge into those things are what's going to stop those bad habits from reemerging.  Simply sitting isn't going to cut it.  Bliss doesn't change anything.
And for what it's worth, you're just starting.  Of course you are going to hit a roadblock.  I've been doing this stuff for the better part of two decades and I still have good practice days and bad ones.  Keep at it.  It'll come back.

The root of distraction, anger, and restlessness is attachment to some idea or some value that you assign to something. You identify with this value and think it makes you who you are. This habit of holding to such fragments is called I-making. You need to learn to let go of who you think you are. When you let go of rigid opinions - you let go of the basis of disturbing emotions. You lose shape and become nobody. Then your meditation can be perfect whether you sit or walk.

Some good advice given by Ajaan Fuang in "Awareness Itself":

§ "When the meditation goes well, don't get excited. When it doesn't
go well, don't get depressed. Simply be observant to see why it's
good, why it's bad. If you can be observant like this, it won't be
long before your meditation becomes a skill."
§ "Everything depends on your powers of observation. If they're crude
and sloppy, you'll get nothing but crude and sloppy results. And your
meditation will have no hope of making progress.

And also others:

§ A young nurse practiced meditation with Ajaan Fuang several days
running, and finally asked him one day, "Why wasn't today's session as
good as yesterday's?"
He answered: "Meditating is like wearing clothes. Today you wear
white, tomorrow red, yellow, blue, whatever. You have to keep
changing. You can't wear the same set of clothes all the time. So
whatever color you're wearing, just be aware of it. Don't get
depressed or excited about it."
§ A few months later the same nurse was sitting in meditation when a
sense of peace and clarity in her mind became so intense that she felt
she would never have a bad mood infiltrate her mind again. But sure
enough, bad moods eventually came back as before. When she mentioned
this to Ajaan Fuang, he said, "Looking after the mind is like raising
a child. There will have to be bad days along with the good. If you
want only the good, you're in for trouble. So you have to play
neutral: Don't fall in with the good or the bad."
§ A student came to complain to Ajaan Fuang that she had been
meditating for years, and still hadn't gotten anything out of it. His
immediate response: "You don't meditate to 'get' anything. You
meditate to let go."
§ The seamstress, after practicing meditation with Ajaan Fuang for
several months, told him that her mind seemed more of a mess than it
was before she began meditating. "Of course it does," he told her.
"It's like your house. If you polish the floor every day, you won't be
able to stand the least little bit of dust on it. The cleaner the
house, the more easily you'll see the dirt. If you don't keep
polishing the mind, you can let it go out and sleep in the mud without
any qualms at all. But once you get it to sleep on a polished floor,
then if there's even a speck of dust, you'll have to sweep it away.
You won't be able to stand the mess."
§ "Persistence in the practice is a matter of the mind, and not of
your posture. In other words, whatever you do, keep your mindfulness
constant and don't let it lapse. No matter what your activity, make
sure the mind sticks with its meditation work."
§ "Meditating isn't a
matter of making the mind empty, you know. The mind has to have work
to do. If you make it empty, then anything — good or bad — can pop
into it. It's like leaving the front door to your home open. Anything
at all can come strolling right in."

What do I have to do to restore MY mindfulness?

Maybe the highlighted is the root cause. As long as you still see the "I", "mine", "myself" involved in moments of anger, restlessness, and even peace, there'll never be a state of real peace. Drop the "I", "mine", "myself", simply observe the arising of anger, restlessness, AND of peace, then real peace will come. Sorta like you're trying to chase your own shadow. The harder you try to chase after it, the more it'll run away from you. But the moment you stop and settle down, it'll also stop and stay with you!

It seems the mind did not reach neighborhood concentration, let alone jhana. This being so, what of value was lost? Nothing. Since nothing of value was lost, what is there to restore? Nothing.
In one sutta, the Buddha said to "rely on nothing". Since there was & is nothing, it seems this state of relying on nothing has already been reached.

“Looking to nothingness and being mindful, Upasīva,” said the Gracious One,
“depending on nothing, cross over the flood.
Snp 5.7

The word "mindfulness" ("sati") means "to remember" or "to bring to mind" the Dhamma Teachings (SN 46.3 paragraph 2; MN 117 paragraph 9). Therefore, mindfulness brings to mind different teachings or different wisdoms to use as an antidote for different situations.
The appropriate wisdom or antidote for a specific situation is called "sampajāna". Therefore, in Buddhism, the terms "sati-sampajāna" ("mindfulness-&-clear comprehension") are often found used together because, in reality, one cannot exist without the other.
In your case, when anger or restlessness arise in your mind, if you are unable to return easily to the meditation object of breathing, you should then be mindful of the relevant Buddhist Teachings about how to overcome anger & restlessness.
In summary, "mindfulness" is not used in only one specific way (such as for watching breathing).
More information is here: The Natural Cure of Spiritual Disease.


text:
Are there any sutta references to the way S.N. Goenkaji teaches Vipassana?
I have done 4 10-day vipassana retreats as taught by Goenkaji some 4-5 years back. As of now, from readings online and reading questions and answers on this BSE website I come to understand that vipassana does not mean 'body scanning' for sensations to eradicate samkharas but the word 'vipassana' means 'insight'.
But as Goenkaji teaches it in the retreats he means (if I interpreat him correctly) by vipassana as the 'body scan' technique that he teaches.
Are there any suttas which explain this technique or which tell that by body scan, insight or vipassana will arise?
Is the technique also taught by Buddha somewhere?

There are no suttas that describe the specific technique of Goenka.
However, a natural 'scanning' of the body (including awareness and dissolution of sankharas) will occur when Anapanasati or Kayagatasati are developed.


text:
What does 'passing away of dhamma' mean in Satipatthana sutta?
Considering the definition of dhamma as given in this answer. What does it mean by '...arising and passing away of dhamma...'in the satipatthana sutta?
Also, else where I read, 'all dhamma are also anicca' i.e. impermanent. Does the Buddha here mean that 'after few centuries the Buddha dhamma will be forgotten'?
In what way does impermanence apply in regard to dhamma?

Please see the definition for the word "dhamma" here. Which translation of the Satipatthana Sutta are you referring to? Where did you read "all dhamma are also anicca"?

the suttas never say 'all dhamma are also anicca' because the Laws of Nature & Nibbana is not anicca

this question is an excellent question, displaying discernment by the questioner

@ruben2020 i am reading Analayo book on satipathana....sorry it was 'sabbe sankhara anicca' and not 'sabbe dhamma anicca'...my bad...i mis-remembered it as 'all dhamma are also anicca'...

The materialistic mindset invented language built around the key notion of objects. Objects are represented by nouns.
In contrast to that, the spiritual mindset or the mind-over-matter mindset came up with the concept of dharma as its primary building block. Dharmas are not nouns because they are not objects. Instead, dharmas are adjectives because they represent qualities.
In the mind-first view of existence, the primary building block is an experienced quality, a dharma.
Dharmas arise into existence, stay for some time, and then disappear. Most dharmas don't arise momentarily but gradually form from some combination of previous dharmas. Then they mutate or change, often weakening over time. Eventually they vane away or gradually decompose and become components for other dharmas.
All dharmas, practically speaking, with some rather theoretical  exceptions, are transient. This is because, being nothing but qualities of combinations of other qualities they morph away out of existence as their underlying qualities morph away as their underlying qualities morph away and so on.
When Buddha describes meditation on arising and passing away of dharmas, he is referring to gradual formation, deformation, and eventual morphing out of existence of all qualities observable by the meditator.
This includes so-called external qualities, and so-called internal qualities. "External" qualities include shape, size, color, loudness, pitch, smell, temperature etc. - morphing in and out of existence either quickly or slowly. "Internal" qualities include discursive, emotional, somatic, conceptual, abstract, intuitive etc. characteristics, morphing in and out of existence. Qualities in both groups arise and vane due to forces out of our control (such as the time passing) as well as due to forces in our control (such as us moving our gaze or our attention around).
This is what's called "arising and passing away of dhammas".
Specifically in context of Satipatthana the external dhammas are analyzed by their sensory basis (visible, audible, tactile  etc) and the internal dhammas are analyzed by their effect on one's practice. The most important dhammas to watch are the qualities of mind that help or harm meditation, such as sensuality, negativity, torpor, anxiety, uncertainty, as well as the positive qualities such as mindfulness, determination, enthusiasm, focus, calmness etc.
The most abstract method of contemplating the qualities is by observing the Noble Truths in action, happening in front of one's very eyes. "This is the quality of dukkha (i.e. ~painful aspect of some experience) arising, this is the underlying quality of craving, here the quality of craving has been abandoned, here the dukkha quality is no longer to be found."

The word "dhamma" has many meanings in the Pali Canon, as seen in this SuttaCentral dictionary entry.
The "dhamma" you are referring to from the Satipatthana Sutta is most likely referring to:

a constituent of experience; an aspect or quality of existence; physical sensation; a mental state or quality (good or bad);
(sometimes merely) thing, phenomenon, matter; the nonindependent,
conditioned constituents of processes and events, progressively more
and more minutely analyzed into fundamental types of event or
fundamental regularities.

mental constructs, concepts, ideas, what is to be cognized by the mind, that which is the object of mental activity.

From Ven. Yuttadhammo's book How To Meditate, chapter 1:

The fourth foundation, the “dhammas”, contains many groupings of
mental and physical phenomena. Some of them could be included in the
first three foundations, but they are better discussed in their
respective groups for ease of acknowledgement. The first group of
dhammas is the five hindrances to mental clarity. These are the states
that obstruct one’s practise: desire, aversion, laziness, distraction,
and doubt. They are not only hindrances to attaining clarity of mind,
they are also the cause for all suffering and stress in our lives. It
is in our best interests to work intently to understand and discard
them from our minds, as this is, after all, the true purpose of
meditation

"Passing away" is the Pali "vaya", as found in the Buddha's last words, as follows:

‘Conditions fall apart. Persist with diligence.’
vayadhammā saṅkhārā, appamādena sampādetha.
DN 16

It appears by the content of the Satipatthana Sutta the term "Dhamma" refers to various "teachings", "principles" or "truths" of the Buddha, such as the seven factors of enlightenment and the four noble truths.
Thus, monks such as Bhikkhus Buddhadasa & Sujato translate Dhamma here as Truths or Principles. However, is should noted the common illogical translation here of "dhamma" is "mental objects".
Regardless of the translations, since the development fruition of the seven factors of enlightenment and the realisation of the four noble truths are permanent in the mind of an Arahant, obviously these dhammas cannot be subject to passing away/destruction (vaya).
For example, MN 12 says about an Arahant's realisation:

Sariputta, even if you have to carry me about on a bed, still there
will be no change in the lucidity of the Tathagata's wisdom.

SN 12.20 (about Dependent Origination) and AN 3.136 (about the Three Characteristics) say about the Dhammas an Arahant realises:

Whether Realized Ones arise or not, this law of nature persists, this regularity of natural principles, this invariance of natural principles.

Also, the term "arising" ("samudaya") is explained in SN 22.5 as when a monk "approves, welcomes and keeps clinging" to the aggregates. It follows, for one that has entered the Path, clinging to the seven factors of enlightenment and the realisation of the four noble truths is as equally ridiculous as these dhammas passing away.
These obvious points shows how questionable the Satipatthana Sutta is. Bhikkhu Sujato called the Satipatthana Sutta the "Piltdown Sutta". "Piltdown" was a term used in a certain scientific fraud. Yet my answer will probably receive lots of down votes by those who worship ink & paper and who worship the Burmese gurus who worship the (fraudulent) Satipatthana Suttas.


text:
Is it acceptable for Buddhists to celebrate Santa Claus at Chistmas?
I'm a lay Buddhist and it's almost Christmas, and I would like to know if it is acceptable for Buddhists to celebrate Santa Claus. I have children and want them to be happy. Does anyone know the answer to this question? Thanks! P.S. My question is somewhat related to this one.

To quote the eminent Rev. Lovejoy - "Santa doesn't leave presents under the Bodhi Tree!"  ;-)
https://www.getyarn.io/yarn-clip/1dfa24e6-d8cf-48c2-9f6d-2f5eaef9209e
Of course it's acceptable!  If Buddha isn't merriment, then what good is it?

I don't disagree with the overall message. I only want to encourage to keep the fourth prescrept in mind to not lie. My advice would be to handle it like you would theater or movies. Play and act your role but don't get caught up in lies.

@user19838 Thanks for the advice!

@user20010 Why are you talking about an anti-Buddhist TV show? This is a serious Buddhism Q&A. Please refrain from talking about this kind of stuff. Note: I accepted the answer at first since I didn't know that what you were talking about was an anti-Buddhist TV show. "Rev. Lovejoy" is not a real person, he's just a dude from a TV show.

An old woman built a hermitage for a monk and supported him for twenty years. One day, to test the extent of the monk’s enlightenment and understanding, she sent a young, beautiful, girl to the hut with orders to embrace him. When the girl embraced the monk and asked, “How is this?” He replied stiffly, “A withered tree among frozen rocks; not a trace of warmth for three winters.” Hearing of the monk’s response, the old woman grabbed a stick, went to the hermitage, beat him and chased him out of the hut. She then put the hermitage to the torch and burned it to the ground.

Now step aside.  I've got a torch for that thatched roof over your head.  X-D

Um, what do you mean? (Sorry if I've offended you; I didn't mean to do that. :)

Its a koan.  What's represented in the story is a monk who is super serious about his practice.  So serious, in fact, that he basically becomes a dead hunk of stone.  Someone sitting with this koan would say "no warmth" on their out breath and investigate those places in their lives where the burdensome seriousness of their practice is keeping "the warmth" of life from reaching them.

I just moved this conversation to chat. Thanks!

The original text makes no mention of the woman instructing the young girl to embrace the monk to test him, nor about the girl being attractive. She instructs the girl to - the closest approximate translation is "to wait on him" as in "to serve him food and drink". The koan is as much about the old woman's reaction as it is about the monk's. The monk's answer is in the form and includes the mandated seasonal theme of a Haiku. It symbolizes by contrast the summer (of life) now long passed. From that perspective there is warmth and wisdom in the hermit's response, but not in the old woman's.

I'd be curious to see that version if you could provide it. Mine is from Entangling Vines c. 1689 and its that one that my line of Rizai works with.  Frankly, I'm not sure how the version you're talking about is particularly useful.  But again, without seeing the text, I can't really comment.

Interesting.  It's in my copy of the Record of the Transmission of the Lamp too.  That dates to about 1007 CE.  Same basic text though.

So basically your version is the monk saying that his dick doesn't work anymore??

@000 If you want to continue the discussion, please use the chat link I provided above. Thank you.


text:
To ordain in the west or in Asia?
Dhamma greetings to you,
Considering the possible advantages and disadvantages of where one is being ordained, I wish to have your understanding on whether it'd be more conducive to ordain in Asia or in Europe ?
Thank you for reading me,
May you be well,
With metta.

When I think of Western ordination, I only think of the Ajahn Chah tradition because it is highly disciplined.
If you are European, it may be convenient to be a novice & take ordination in Europe, so you can undertake the transition in a familiar language & possibly a less challenging environment.
However, once you settle into the life of a bhikkhu (say after two or three years), I think living the Holy Life in Asia is more advantageous because you will live in what is historically a Buddhist society & culture; which is based in the relationship between monks & laypeople and the cultural norms of both benefaction & social morality.
The strongest impressions I had when I lived in Thailand was the traditional culture.
To the contrary, in my opinion, what has become "Western Buddhism", particularly in the USA, has little relationship to orthodox Buddhism.

Thank you very much Dhammadhatu for your answer.


text:
Looking for a reference about the significance of The Buddha being a teacher
I'm looking for some help in finding a reference. It's from a contemporary writer -- probably in the last ten years -- not from anything ancient or canonical. The context is as follows.
The word “Buddha” -- i.e. the title-cased version -- is typically used to refer to The Buddha, Siddartha Gautama. Also, but less frequently, it can refer to a relatively small bunch of others, such as Maitreya; any of the Saptatathāgata; and the like.
By contrast, and contrary to popular opinion (although familiar to most of us here), the lower-cased version of the word, “buddha" actually applies to anyone who has attained a particular degree of awakening. Please excuse that very imprecise definition on my part, but for the purposes of my question the operative word there is simply the “anyone”.
In other words, while only a few are acknowledged as being a Buddha, in theory anyone can (and perhaps gazillions already have) become a buddha.
So to my reference. The writer was offering an explanation as to the difference between the two; i.e. what distinguishes the rare, named Buddhas from the relatively common, (lower-cased) buddhas. And he (I'm pretty sure it was a dude) said that one difference was the place of the Buddha as a major teacher of humanity.
But in fact, the writer was more emphatic than that. If I'm remembering right, he was arguing that being a teacher of extreme significance was The defining characteristic that distinguishes a major Buddha from a mere buddha.
One more clue. I have a strong hunch that the writer was Shinzen Young, but I have not been able to track down what I'm after. And, knowing how I've encountered most of Shinzen's stuff, that might be because I heard him say it, in a video presentation, rather than read it.
Is this ringing any bells to anyone?
A follow-up question. I don't know the extent to which Shinzen (or whomever it was) was expounding his own theory, versus merely explaining what is a well-established view. If it sounds like it was the latter, then just as useful to me would be a reference to any reliable source, ancient and canonical would then be ideal, that makes the same point; i.e. the point that The key characteristic distinguishing a buddha from a Buddha is that the latter teaches the world how to become the former.

No idea who the author you are talking about is, but what he/she's referring to is a samyaksambuddha.  It's canonical at least from a Mahayana perspective.  A samyaksambuddha is a once in a kalpa being.  He (and it's always been a "he" in this world system) is a Buddha without karmic remainder.  He is fully awakened in terms of his own existential obstacles and his investigation into reality.  He's also perfected all of the paramitas, mastered all of the dhyanas, and so on and so forth.  And yes, like you indicate his ability to teach is of paramount importance.
All being a lowercase "buddha" means is someone who has awakened.  If you want to bring the Theravada into this, a buddha is anyone from a sotapanna to an arhat.  The title capital B Buddha explicitly refers to someone who is a perfected Bodhisattva who has mastered all aspects of the path.  He is the person who restarts the sasana after it has been lost.

Excellent, thanks. Your answer gave me a lead on some further digging from which I learned that “teaching” actually provides one way of classifying awakened beings. Does the following match your understanding? If we have two parameters — TAUGHT and TEACHES— and using tilde (~) for negation, then we get:
Samyaksambuddha = ~TAUGHT & TEACHES;
Pratyekabuddha = ~TAUGHT & ~TEACHES;
Aarhat (or Sāvakabuddha?) = TAUGHT;
(The programmer in me wishes that Arhat could be further subdivided into those who teach and those who don’t :-) )


text:
Zazen for metta reasons
Is it OK to use zazen for the purposes one would use metta meditation? Because I don't want to do any meditation except zazen.

Generally, zazen has no content - only emptiness.  That said, I'm not sure why you'd limit yourself like that.  If you feel you need to do metta meditation, do metta meditation.  If you feel you need to say amitabhas, say amitabhas.  Zen training has no boundaries.  Adherence to a strict set of practice rules isn't the point.


text:
The method in the Noble Eightfold Path in right speech for persuasion and influence
What does the Noble Eightfold Path say about right speech when it comes to persuasion and influence?

While persuading and influencing are not part of the standard definition of Right Speech, it certainly is considered inappropriate for monks and not part of Right Speech for monks, in the context of monetary gain or politics or other worldly endeavours not suited to the holy life, as seen below.
From DN 2:

"Whereas some brahmans and contemplatives, living off food given in
faith, are addicted to running messages and errands for people such as
these — kings, ministers of state, noble warriors, brahmans,
householders, or youths [who say], 'Go here, go there, take this
there, fetch that here' — he abstains from running messages and
errands for people such as these. This, too, is part of his virtue.

"Whereas some brahmans and contemplatives, living off food given in
faith, engage in scheming, persuading, hinting, belittling, and
pursuing gain with gain, he abstains from forms of scheming and
persuading [improper ways of trying to gain material support from
donors] such as these. This, too, is part of his virtue.

Right Speech is abstinence from Lying, Harsh Speech, Empty Speech and Divisive Speech. If one is ordained then abstaining from 32 types of talk are also required.
If one persuades someone to the Dhamma one does an immense meritorious act. If one uses one's influence in order to make people listen and practice the Dhamma (Eg: A boss making his employees follow a Buddhist meditation or listen to Dhamma Talks) one again does a immense meritorious act. So it will be in accordance to right speech to use persuasion and influence in order to bring one towards the Buddha's Teachings.
But if one uses persuasion and influence in order to increase his own standing (even among Bhikkhus) or to anything that is not conducive to one's elimination of suffering, one is not following "Right Speech".