text:
Is it wrong to wish you could die?
I'm so over life. I'm nearly 50 and I feel worn down by everything. The struggle to make sense of it, to find purpose and meaning, to make lasting friendships, to feel I belong somewhere, to survive in a capitalist society that puts money first and pits people against one another. The vacuous shallow emptiness of it all. To witness the awful violence and destruction that goes on relentlessly everyday.The heartbreak of it all and my own personal heartbreak of a very long relationship breaking down and changing and feeling unable to move on from it like a drug addiction.The conflicting, confusing feelings of both hating and loving ones parents for the hurt they caused and the lack of remorse they feel. The battle with my own dark side and the twisted comfort of lashing out and causing more chaos and hurt for others because of my own pain.   I just want to go to sleep and never wake up. It feels like a nice option. I've thought about going to Mexico and getting some nambutal, going to a hotel room and ingesting it.

If you haven't already, it probably couldn't hurt to see a psychologist or therapist.  It sounds like you have some unresolved issues.  Also some kind of group therapy might help.

If you are seriously considering this "I've thought about going to Mexico and getting some nambutal, going to a hotel room and ingesting it.", please seek medical attention as well. This is a site about Buddhism, this is not a site about suicide, psychology og psychiatric help. For that you need to see a doctor. I'm not saying you should not post here, please do, but for those suicidal thoughts medical attention should also be sought, ie. if you are serious about commiting to them.

Look. You basically keep asking the same question. So my answer from last time still applies. But I suppose it's very hard to break through this mood, so let me re-emphasize a few things:

You are not alone to feel this way. I feel this way. Buddha felt this way. There is nothing fundamentally "wrong" about your situation. Feeling that everything is empty, is what some people would call a great realization. Hurray, you already have it, congrats. Yes, it feels shitty - they didn't tell you in the books?
The Buddha struggled with friendships too. You did not know? Yes, he did. Read the Mara chapter in Chinese Samyukta Agama. He thought something was wrong with him because of that. Then he came up with the trick to identify such negative thoughts as "Mara" and counter-act them with self-affirmative arguments. This was post-Enlightenment! If Buddha had to do it, guess what? You must learn to self-affirm!
Relationships are addicting. I know, I've been through some. Intimacy generates tons of dopamine or serotonine or whatever. Your brain gets addicted to that. Then you no longer get it. Then you feel like shit. This is THE drug addiction. Guess what, this is the way humans work. Every move, thought, impulse, perception is always accompanied by dopamine changes, plus or minus. So everything always hurts or delights - and then hurts when it ends. This is how life works, for everyone. Pain. So the only way out is to learn to trick the mechanism, by changing your definition of "good" in such a way as to be rewarded all the time. Makes sense? This is what Buddha taught.
Let go of your past karma. Meaning, stop feeling bad about the circumstances of your childhood and your parents, that led you to be what you are. It's not your fault, it's not their fault, it's not anybody's fault. It is just a sequence of causes and results, like the billiard balls. Everyone gets their share of this mess. Even Buddha did (putting aside the legend). His relationship with his father was awful. Father was ashamed of him, said he was a failure. And they  never reconciled all the way until father's death. His mother died, and his maternal aunt who was his stepmother begged him to come back, and when he did not, she shaved her head and became first female Buddhist, just to be with her son. There was lots of drama in Buddha's life.

Buddha struggled with doubts all the time, he just learned to overcome them. You think it was easy when his students committed suicide? He thought, gosh what kind of teacher am I, if my students commit suicide! But then for the sake of other students who were still alive he put on a smile and said: this guy who killed himself has reached Nirvana, but you should practice breathing meditation and teach yourself to feel good, if you ever hope to achieve what I achieved. Makes sense?
Now, please stop beating yourself with negativity, I know it's hard, because I'm just like you - but please learn to be yourself, to assert your right to be in this world, and even to praise yourself. Killing yourself is a cop out. Buddha did not kill himself when he "awakened" to emptiness of it all, did he?

Is it wrong to wish you could die?
I think it's an example of craving (i.e. a craving for something to not be, or to be other than it is), as described in the first noble truth.
I'm so over life. I'm nearly 50 and I feel worn down by everything
I'm so over 50 ... sometimes "worn down" can be good. The expression reminds me of this phrase:

Early this spring I met a musician, the composer Pauline Oliveros, a beautiful woman like a grey rock in a streambed; and [etc.]

Life's strange, isn't it.
There are a lot of words in your OP, "struggle", "confusing", "hating and loving", "battle" ... these seem pretty classically to be "the three poisons".
IMO these are characteristics of how we see the world, of how we relate to it.
For example, and I don't want to condemn your views but if you're asking how I live with mine, a kinder way to view a capitalist society (kinder than "puts money first and pits people against one another") is that it provides a mechanism or system for people to cooperate with each other (work with each other, trade with each other, give to each other) for their mutual benefit.
Whether you hate it is a matter of how you view it.
It seems to me wrong to kill yourself as a result of having, or of attaching to, "wrong views".
At school I learned that people (scientists) should select their views, according to whether those views are beneficial.
The battle with my own dark side and the twisted comfort of lashing out and causing more chaos and hurt for others because of my own pain.
Two things.
You might find that more tolerable to think of it as "a dark side" rather than "my dark side". Whatever it is -- anger, hurt, tit-for-tat -- it might be easier to view it as some phenomenon but not as "mine" nor "me". It's presumably "conditioned", so, learn to avoid the circumstances and views in which it arises?
Also, on the subject of suicide, I was told that suicide causes pain to other people (and so should be avoided even with "secular" views).
Also I recommend you re-read the verses in Chapter 10 of the Dhammapada. I find it's applicable as a statement about violence including self-violence.
I just want to go to sleep and never wake up. It feels like a nice option. I've thought about going to Mexico and getting some nambutal, going to a hotel room and ingesting it.
Thoughts come and go.
Maybe don't "go to Mexico", while you're feeling that way.
If you just want to go to sleep though ... I'd say "go ahead" and do that, go to sleep. I think it's better to be "self-indulgent" on the topic of sleep: if I find I feel sleepy then I take a nap or go to bed for the night. I'm not sure that kind of pandering to the body is approved of in Buddhism, but I think it's necessary (or at least helpful) for my mood and mental capacity. The Dalai Lama recommends sleep, e.g.

Then evening meditation for about one hour and at 8:30, sleep. Most important meditation! Sleep is the common meditation for everyone-even for birds. The most important meditation. Not for nirvana, but for survival!

Elsewhere, I think he recommended sleep as necessary for sanity?
So if I want a nap in the afternoon, or whenever, I do that.
Dreams can be remarkable, but that's another topic.
Every sentence in your OP except the first was related to socializing, somehow: parents, society, relationship and so on. I actually spend time cycling, 10 hours/week alone: it is an activity that gives me no occasion to complain about other people. As a bonus it's physically healthy and informative, and Western medicine recommends exercise as something you can do to help alleviate depression.

And the Dalai Lama is so over 80, but he's very happy.

Some very concrete tips...

The struggle to make sense of it, to find purpose and meaning,

Try to end that struggle by firmly convincing yourself that there is no, can be no purpose and meaning. I assume you subscribe to secular buddhism. So then, life can by definition have exactly one purpose, and that is to make more life (make children). That's literally what life is about. So at 50 I daresay you already have children or it is too late anyways. And if you don't have some, don't feel too bad about it, we have too many humans on earth anyways, already.
But even getting children is not really sense/purpose/meaning, it's just what life (as a machine) "does" for a living. Since you probably don't believe in gods, there simply is no sense/purpose/meaning, and that is 100% OK!

to make lasting friendships,

You, as buddhist, should know that there is nothing that lasts. Losing my first friend was what brought me to this, and the realization that human relationships are as ephemereal as anything else is a great help in being more relaxed.

to feel I belong somewhere,

As "belonging" is probably based on being together with other humans, there can be no eternal, safe, belonging to anything. Everything can change at the blink of a moment. Try to be able to "belong" to the present moment, that should help. And I mean that literally, not in some religious sense. Find something that you can do in any single moment, at any place and time, to just shut yourself off. Maybe meditation, or just closing your eyes, or just standing there with eyes open and letting the world flow past you. That works (without great religious effort) if you really open yourself up to it, and gives great peace of mind.

to survive in a capitalist society that puts money first and pits people against one another.

As long as you don't take part in it (i.e. don't use money for evil, and don't actively pit people against another), just ignore it? If you feel money/items rule your life, then get less of them. Less items, less "stuff". Simplify whatever you can. Throw stuff away, old photos, whatever reminds you of anything. Instead of planning big vacations, spend your free days on meditation retreats where the main purpose is to be still, not to talk/listen all the time.

[...]

The answer is getting too long already. Be advised that everything you lament about is true and you can and should do nothing about it but to learn to see it as it is, accept it, and let it pass through. That is possible, it is healthy, it does not require you to catch religion, only to work on it yourself (where "work" probably is more "non-work" i.e. keeping your mind from going in endless loops over and over again...).

No doubt life is painful. That is why Buddha instigated us to go beyond birth, and old age and disease and death by the realization of the final end of that succession of rebirths.
However suicide is not the answer to the problems.
Buddha had said that "A brother is not , O Bhikkhus , to commit suicide.Whosoever does so shall be dealt according to law."

From a Buddhist perspective, it is not wrong 'to wish' you could die. However, Buddhist principles would encourage you to be cognisant of that wish and view it merely as a wish & passing emotion (rather than act upon that wish).
Endure the wish, be cognisant of the wish, embrace the wish, let those emotions flow out. Personally, I feel much empathy towards the honesty expressed in the question because, although I am personally not suffering, I view life a lot like in the question. While I do not wish to negate or belittle your suffering, what you are going through is very common. I have spent the last two years helping a lady through this. I have been through similar existential disillusionment.
The Buddha expressed enlightenment & liberation in many ways, including as: "revulsion towards the entire world" (somewhere). However, it takes a fair amount of existential endurance & lengthy practice to reach such composure.

As for the "twisted comfort of lashing out and causing more chaos and hurt for others", let this thought go very quickly by discerning the futility & ignorance of this. However, as I mentioned, the existential crisis, this is the common path of many walkers, who are going through this or who have walked through this. The existential emotions & crisis take time to get through because they are related to the strong instinct of 'self'.

If you wish to talk by phone, my email is dhammadhatu@bigpond.com
Or there are monks willing to chat, such as Ajahn Brahm's monastery between 6 & 7pm Perth time (08) 9525 2420 or Ajahn Jag is cool: Daily 8.30 am - 10.30 am and 6 pm - 6.45 pm (03) 5424 1812

From how you employed words I can see that you got fine mind, so is fine sense - sensibility. From your other post you talked about trying in vain for already 6 years. I just want to tell you, 7 is usually a completion of cycle, ancient Chinese knowledge. Maybe the ancients were coming from one source, we see trail of sameness: 7 days a week, 7 colours of rainbow, 7 continents for planet earth. So think about it, maybe this is the darkest of the night, just one second before daybreak, if you give up, you give up all your efforts of your past hard works, enduring already those sufferings, but in vain. Many people, when they experienced the greatest transformation of their lives, they went through grave suffering, nothing gained without pain. Even the Buddha spent time in Naraka, due to wrong-doing, recounted in other Sutras.
How can you be sured, ending life is ending suffering? If after we fell asleep, the next day we could awake, how could you know by death, there's not another birthing? If awaken the next day, the problem left there just like yesterday; with such vivid experience, is it wise to neglect the factual but to test the incomprehensible?
For the clever minds, they rely much on cleverness; when cleverness failed, the intellect. Yet if exhausted all the juices of the brian can't comprehend, the heart is the final lodging. How big is the heart - citta - 心, how big is your world, a powerful heart can initiate change. Little is known that normally we are living negating from our true nature, only .1% of our capacity is functioning, due to acadamic education, social taming, false knowledge labelled science... etc. The ancients using their own set of etymology they called asking for divine intervention, or the Buddhist called seeking refuge from the Buddha/Bodhisattva. If all your intellects fail, maybe its time to seek for your heart, which is the immediate channel, connecting to the immense source that belongs to all. Avalokiteshvara is the source of compassion and refuge for anyone who facing an insurmountable obstacle, chanting his name, connecting with this source, is very simple. May you be well and soon, claiming victory.

First of all, you don't have to take your life, even if you didn't cure your suffering. There are many escapes available from pointless suffering in this world. You can travel, spend time online or even spend time playing video games etc...
But do you want to do that? probably not. And why not ? probably because there is a better alternative available. The possibility of ending suffering. All the issues you have mentioned are solvable. All of these are conditioned and all conditioned things can be ended, the Buddha himself said so. If things are not working for you in your current meditation practice, try to make some alterations (like picking a (different) teacher, changing the method to see what works better for you etc) but continue to practice, as that is the only way to end suffering in this life.
May you find peace, May you find your inner happiness!

When the young Buddha realized that he was surrounded by everything that looked to him all  wretched, he stealthily left the royal palace. In tranquility but in a different unknown place/s and company he slowly understood enough to remove wretchedness of many others... To fell a giant tree start cutting from another side. Do something to escape, but not from life itself.  Nothing gets you to another nothing. Good luck in new adventures to break out  loose..

Wishing to die is Vibhava Tanha. In other words, craving to not experience unpleasant things. It is bad Karma. This yearning is caused by the ignorant view that life is going to be better after death. After your death you can be born again in the same society you dislike so much or it could be in  a worst place since your near death Karmas are unwholesome.
The smarter thing to do is to live and work on letting go of all types of desires, including the desire to die.

But how do you know that the idea of being born again is not a false belief?  You don't remember your past lives so you have nothing to go by except blind faith in religious teachings. I don't  buy it. Secular Buddhists don't believe in what you're  saying at all. For secular Buddhists rebirth is in this lifetime not in some non existent imagined one. Also if I have no self - Annatta, then there is nothing to be reborn anyway.   I think that what you're saying is typical of religion in the sense that they use fear of after life  to manipulate people in the present.  I don't believe it at all.

Ps - it's not a belief that "life will be better after death" it's a belief that there is no life after death. Non existence seems more appealing than this shit fight.

Secular Buddhism isn't what the Buddha taught. It's a customized set of beliefs created by western materialists. This answer is based on Theravada Buddhism. There are many questions here that discuss about rebirth. This answer is not meant to repeat those arguments.

You have skirted around  my questions. How do you know?  You don't. You have blind faith. I don't have that and never will. The Buddha didn't teach buddhism period. He taught the end of suffering.

If you are genuinely interested in finding out about rebirth, research on the experiments by Dr. Ian Stevenson.  Otherwise good luck with materialism :)

I'm not genuinely interested. I'm not interested at all. My post says nothing about being interested. I don't believe in some imagined non existent future. I only believe in the present moment.

you believe in imagined annihilationism :)

You believe in imagined rebirth. There's nothing to be reborn anyway

You believe in imagined non-rebirth. Rebirth in the Buddhist context means the continuation of the mental and physical causes and effect process.

But it's kind of annoying that you just make a statement like that, don't explain what it means, why you're saying it or if there's something you think I need to do. It's unhelpful in my situation.

I looked up this Ian Stevenson person and his pseudo science videos are unconvincing and offer no concrete  evidence about anything. i have zero interest or tolerance for such relgious dogma rubbish,

Besides the fact that this Ian Stevenson person researches reincarnation. That's not even the same thing as rebirth in the Buddhist context so you clearly have no idea what you're talking about

Practice Metta meditation if it's annoying. Also, being disrespectful and arrogant is not the best way to get help. At least you have realized that you need help, which is good. As you can see your materialist views are affecting your peace of mind. Be humble and open minded, then I might be able to help you.

Um no I do not see that at all. That is nothing more than your own distorted opinion which I'm not buying into. You're being very judgemental labelling me in this way. Believe what you wish but don't push your dogma onto me.  i don't appreciate it.

Good luck with your plans :)

In the Vesali Sutta, you can find the story of some monks who committed suicide due to misunderstanding the teachings, then the Buddha gathered the remaining monks at Vesali and taught them to use the mindfulness of breathing (anapanasati) to dispel negative thoughts.
In this answer, you can find info on the adaptation of the mindfulness of breathing, into a medical therapy, called Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), which could successfully treat depression and chronic unhappiness, to the point that patients, in concert with their physicians, are able to eventually go off their medication for depression.
Then, there is another medical therapy based on MBSR, called Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), that can treat repeated bouts of depression and chronic unhappiness. Dr. Zindel Segal shows MRI scans and other research evidence in this TEDx Talk YouTube video, proving that recurrence of depression can be treated using MBCT, by allowing patients to establish a new relationship with the emotional triggers that cause them to become depressed again later. Please watch this video to understand how it works and how it could help you.
With that, as a Secular Buddhist who believes in science, I think you will find that MBSR and MBCT could help alleviate your chronic unhappiness. You should be able to find clinics or therapy sources that can provide these.

The other Buddhist practice that can help you is Metta. Please find some info on it in this answer. Metta can help you sleep and awake in comfort, and be peaceful.
All you have to do to practise Metta, is contemplate on this: "Happy, at rest, may all beings be happy at heart. Whatever beings there may be, weak or strong, without exception, long, large, middling, short, subtle, blatant, seen & unseen, near & far, born & seeking birth: May all beings be happy at heart."

And there's one more thing. You can try watching Ajahn Brahm's talks on YouTube here. I find his talks very humourous and very healing. Here are some: This Too Will Pass, Relax! Everything's Out of Control, Understanding Suicide, Depression, Self Esteem and Happiness, Love Your Sufferings, Peace is The Highest Happiness, Does Life Suck? and How to Be Positive.
Ajahn Brahm himself had been through a failed relationship before he became a monk, he was once very severely ill from malaria in Thailand and he went through being ex-communicated by his original monastery in Thailand because he ordained nuns.

Im not new to this .I've been practicing insight for 6 years. I know what all 3 of those are and I've tried.

Sometimes, we cannot see problems in our practice or lives by ourselves because our vision is clouded. We need to seek help from others, by seeking a teacher, talking to others or signing up for therapy.

I updated my answer with another suggestion: Watch Ajahn Brahm's talks on YouTube.

Better question is, is it wrong to exist? If so why?
Yes there are hardships in life one cannot deny that, but seems odd that through all the thick and thin we put ourselves through. We are ready to simply submit or surrender to an idea, that it is all meaningless. That somehow the end might give us meaning.
Perhaps it's not about the destination but rather the journey, if all you have come to is the realization there is meaning in death. Why prolong the suffering, why tell us at all about your problems? It would be simple and easy to take that pill right now.
However realize that if you do take that easy way out, you are essentially letting the world win, 'there is meaning' if you exist. Perhaps that is the closest humanly possible answer anyone can give.
I don't know too much about death, but if I could choose my life I would choose to live forever. Suffering or not, nothing to me justifies the end of oneself simply because their upset or bored.

In your case it is wrong.
Why?
Because you would not escape from suffering.
You would be reborn again as a human on Earth, but this Earth would not be the same as this one. There would be many wars, diseases, famine, anger, violence. You would be without shelter, thirsty and hungry. You would be in immense fear. You would cry and be in physical pain. Then a disease would strike you and you would die.
This would happen over and over again. You would hear not even a word about the Dhamma. Meditation would be unknown to you for a very very long time.
After many rebirths in a world permeated with suffering, you would once again be reborn in this same world, same body, same problems, same everyhing ... once again you would need to face the same problems you're facing now. This time, you would not kill yourself. Instead, you would suffer until a disease would kill you.
Then you would be reborn and die again and again and again, faced with the same problems you're facing right now, until you would finally solve the same problems you're facing RIGHT NOW.
So what will you do? Will you take a shorter route or a longer route? It's your decision.

Oh please, you're full of it. What a load of religious bollocks. You don't know that anymore than Christians know that heaven exists or Muslims know they will get 50 virgins if they blow themselves up.  You don't have a clue.   You have absolutely no evidence of anything you just said. You're just some anonymous delusional person on the Internet who thinks they know everything but knows nothing. What you are saying is actually very cruel. To try use fear like that against someone who is suffering.  I'm not so naive to fall for it but Simeon else could be. It's just wrong to talk such rubbish

I understand you don't like what I said. If you don't believe in future rebirths, verify it with what the Buddha said about future rebirths.

I would call this answer "religious" in the negative sense in that you work simply through fear. You give no indication to the OP of what he should actually do right now. Somewhere between useless and harmful.

No use of fear was intended. OP received indications what to do in this question and previous questions.

When Buddha used the word 'jati' ('birth'), he was referring to the birth of egoism in the mind. If Arturia can dwell with a clear luminous mind, free from strong egoistic thoughts, the suffering will end by ending 're-birth' of self-centred-thinking. Also, the Buddha did not teach people ending their life would be reborn again as a human on Earth. You are making this up. This is your own ideas and not the teaching of Buddha.

Yes. You are correct that with the end of self-centred-thinking comes the end of suffering. Buddha did teach people that after death they would be reborn again on Earth. Example: Buddha said a sotapana would take up to seven rebirths in human or heavenly realms before attaining liberation. If a sotapana is destined to up to seven rebirths in human or heavenly realms, just imagine how many more rebirths would a non-sotapana, or any other being who is very much suffering due to wrong views, need in human, heavenly, animal, ghosts, etc. realms before attaining liberation?

Your answers might be better if you used quotes/references more. We don't require references (see e.g. Scripture references - from memory or “search engine”? and What about providing sources?); and I can see that parts of your answer are based on scripture; but I think they may be inaccurate in details, and a reference to original scripture would be clearer. See also How to deal with personal opinions in contrary to the doctrine

Yes, I agree with you. I can see how my answer needs more details and references. Nonetheless, when somebody very much clings on the idea "this is the only life, there is nothing but this one life", giving more details and/or references about this matter would not be beneficial. Metta to you and everybody. I wish you all happiness and peace.


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Removing sankharas
Can someone please explain to me in clear laymans terms exactly the steps to working with and removing sankharas because I think I have a lot. I have been meditating for 6 years and basically just using the breath as my anchor. When my mind wonders I note thinking thinking or seeing seeing etc then I come back to the breath.  I'm not sure am I meant to do anything else?   I don't really have any strong emotion arise in formal practice. It only happens in my daily life.  To rewire the brain and remove sankharas am I meant to just notice sensation and not react?  So someone cuts in front of me on the road and I feel a strong sensation of anger begin to arise. So I just watch it and know that it's anicca, Dukha , Annatta?  And wait for it to pass?  I must do this with all sensory inputs when I feel triggered?  And then sankharas will be removed eventually?  Is this correct?

See also How to get over anger at inconsiderate drivers

You can't really remove sankharas, but you can have them wither and fade, as you build new ones. How? By not feeding them with obsessive thinking. The less you think certain thoughts, the more the corresponding sankharas wither and fade.
Now, not thinking thoughts is not a matter of suppression, that's too hard. A more practical way is to find a different perspective, a different system of interpretation, that will change your focus and your attention away from your typical thoughts and onto completely different thoughts.
This is called meditation with discursive support, when you pick a theme for meditation, like a musician picks a theme for improvisation, and then you play by making mental statements within the new frame of reference you're practicing, and letting free associations flow, then making another statement and so forth.
For example, instead of your typical capitalism theme, you think how many people in fact try to help others in most basic ways, and try to come up with some real examples and then think what could motivate people helping others. Just an example.

The first step of removing Sankhara start when you become a Sotapanna.
This is achieved by removing personality view. (Sakkaya Dithi)
This processed has layers.
Root condition. Buddhist training is directed towards eliminating the defilements (kilesaa). The foremost defilements are the three unwholesome roots — greed, hate, and delusion. From these spring others: conceit (maana), speculative views (di.t.thi), skeptical doubt (vicikicchaa), mental torpor (thiina), restlessness (uddhacca), shamelessness (ahirika), lack of moral fear or conscience (anottappa). These defilements function at three levels:
Transgression (viitikkama) leading to evil bodily and verbal acts. This is checked by the practice of morality, observing the five precepts.
Obsession (pariyu.t.thaana) when the defilements come to the conscious level and threaten to lead to transgression if not restrained by the practice of mindfulness.
Latency (anusaya) where they remain as tendencies ready to surface through the impact of sensory stimuli. Security from the defilements can be obtained only by destroying the three roots — greed, hate and delusion — at the level of latency. This requires insight-wisdom (vipassanaa-paññaa), the decisive liberating factor in Buddhism.
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/mendis/wheel322.html#causality

I think instead of asking how to remove sankharas, we should ask how to purify the mind and develop the mind, which is a gradual process that includes not only meditation but also other aspects of the Noble Eightfold Path.
In this answer, I quoted the Lonaphala Sutta, which teaches that similar to salt crystals placed in a cup of water being salty, compared to the River Ganges, one who performs unwholesome actions would barely experience the effects of it, if he is "developed in the body, developed in virtue, developed in mind [i.e., painful feelings cannot invade the mind and stay there], developed in discernment: unrestricted, large-hearted, dwelling with the immeasurable".
So, it is this kind of development in body, virtue, mind and discernment that is needed.
Ven. Yuttadhammo in Chapter Six of his How to Meditate booklet, states:

As I explained in the first chapter, “meditation” is the mental
  equivalent to “medicine”. When taking medicine, there are certain
  substances one must avoid; substances that will either nullify the
  positive effects of the medicine or, worse, combine with the medicine
  to create poison. Likewise, with meditation there are certain
  activities that, due to their tendency to cloud the mind, have the
  potential to nullify the effects of the meditation or, worse, pervert
  one’s understanding of the meditation, causing one to cultivate
  unwholesome mind states instead of wholesome ones.
Meditation is meant to cultivate clarity and understanding, free from
  addiction, aversion, and delusion, and therefore free from suffering.
  Since certain bodily and verbal acts are intrinsically tied to
  negative qualities of mind, they are considered ‘contraindicative’ to
  the meditation practice; they have an effect opposite to what is
  desired, cultivating defilement instead of purity. Meditators who
  insist on engaging in such behaviour will face great difficulty in
  their practice, developing habits that are detrimental to both
  meditation practice and personal well-being. To ensure the mind is
  perfectly clear and capable of understanding reality, certain
  behaviours must be taken out of one’s “diet”, so to speak.

Further on, he recommends development of virtues starting with the five precepts, and also moderation in eating, sleeping and entertainment. Beyond the five precepts, virtue (sila) also includes Right Speech, Right Action and Right Livelihood. This answer would also be helpful with regards to the cultivation of virtue.
He continues:

Once one has put aside activities that interfere with clarity of mind,
  one can begin to incorporate meditative awareness into ordinary life.
  There are two ways in which one can meditate on ordinary experience,
  and they should be practiced together, as follows.

You can read further in his booklet on how to incorporate meditative awareness into ordinary life. There is some information in this answer.
Concerning removing of thoughts - well, the Buddha did not teach to remove all thoughts, but rather remove negative thoughts. In this answer, you can find scriptural quotes recommending to remove thoughts which are based on the three poisons (greed/ addiction, delusion/ confusion and aversion/ ill-will). This applies both during meditation and in ordinary life.
Concerning meditation - I think you already know how it works, but you can refer to Ven. Yuttadhammo's How to Meditate booklet for basic information. If you need advanced information, I think we have other meditation experts here in Buddhism SE, or you can consult a teacher.
Finally, this great answer, tells about Appamada (heedfulness), which is the most important ingredient to all of this. It applies to development in body, virtue, mind and discernment - everything. The Appamada Sutta says "heedfulness is the one quality that keeps both kinds of benefit secure — benefits in this life & benefits in lives to come."
Bringing the mind back to the breath once you recognize that it has wandered away, is part of the practice of heedfulness.
Recognizing negative thoughts or triggers in ordinary life, and dispelling them, before they make you consumed with anger, anxiety or depression, is also part of the practice of heedfulness.
Ensuring that your house doors are locked before you leave your home, is also being heedful, but that's not part of Buddhism.

It seems your mind is calm during meditation. Is it or is it not?
Now listen carefully my friend.
The truth about sankharas is very deep. Only those whose mind is totally calm, can penetrate enough into it to grasp it.
So pay attention my friend.

"When my mind wonders I note thinking thinking or seeing seeing etc
  then I come back to the breath."

First obstacle: mind should not wonder.
First, you need to establish enough concentration, so that your mind is EASILY and WITHOUT ANY EFFORT anchored to the breath.
Once your mind is easily and without ANY effort whatsoever anchored to the breath, your mind will not wonder.
You must master this "easy and effortless no wondering of the mind" first, before moving forward into removing sankharas.
So, I tell you. The path to removing sankharas is to first achieve this extraordinary level of concentration that I explained.
Can you do that? If yes, you're ready for the next steps.

"To rewire the brain and remove sankharas am I meant to just notice
  sensation and not react? So someone cuts in front of me on the road
  and I feel a strong sensation of anger begin to arise. So I just watch
  it and know that it's anicca, Dukha , Annatta? And wait for it to
  pass? I must do this with all sensory inputs when I feel triggered?
  And then sankharas will be removed eventually? Is this correct?"

No, not correct. It's much easier than you think.
Once sankharas are understood, seen, penetrated, explored, seen their cause, it is much much easier than you wrote above. It's like moving a finger. So if someone cuts in front of you, you "move a finger", and no anger will arise in you. Your anger will depend solely on your decision. Any feeling that will not be welcome in your mind, will depend solely on your decision. This is the power of wisdom. This is the liberation from suffering the Buddha taught.

But I have meditated for 6 years and no sign of my mind not wondering yet.   I have no faith that this is even possible.  I have been told by other people including teachers that it is normal for the mind to wonder and just to notice when it happens and come back to the breath. so what you're staying contradicts everything others have said.

I'll tell you why your mind is still wondering. Listen carefully. In order for your mind not to wonder, one needs to live a SIMPLE LIFE. Now listen carefully again and remember my words: you have extraordinary meditation capabilities. I know it. How? Despite the fact that you're living a complicated life, you are meditating for 6 years and achieving in meditation what many could not not even dream of if living such a complicated life as you're living. I bow to you, my friend! Think about what you could achieve if living a simple life? I say liberation for you would be just mere steps ahead.

What does this even mean? Do you always talk in mystical riddles?

What does it mean to you?

Sankkharas are very deep and take lots of meditation to uproot or remove.
For example (contrary to common ideas), jhana is a sign of a very deep level of purifying sankharas. I just mention this to point out how deep sankharas are and the lengthy process of removal (as described in SN 36.11).
I think without lengthy dedicated full-time practise, it is difficult to manage sankharas.

Ok so basically no hope ever being as I'm stuck in the city having to work my entire life.  so buddhism is a bit pointless then unless you're a monk

I am not saying one needs to be a monk but rather some significant time practising & associating with more practised Buddhists. Get away from the world for a while. Regards. Good night.

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text:
Can anyone briefly explain what is Dhamma?
Can anyone please explain what is Dhamma in few paragraphs if possible?
A similar question was asked by Rahula in Samyukta Nikaya but what I have is English translation of the conversation which leaves me with doubts. Also I want to establish meaning of Dhamma before asking few more questions based on it.

This question seems very broad because dhamma can mean many things.

In Samyukta Nikaya Buddha answers the question of Rahula thus put :"Then
the Venerable Rahula approached the Blessed One, paid homage
to him, sat down to one side, and said to him:
"Venerable sir, it would be good if the Blessed One would
teach me the Dhamma in brief, so that, having heard the
Dhamma from the Blessed One, I might dwell alone, withdrawn,
diligent, ardent, and resolute."" Then Buddha goes on to explain Dhamma.

@DheerajVerma Could you quote the exact sutta that you are referring to? Perhaps providing a link to it as well?

I have a book "A translation of Samyutta Nikaya by Bhikku Bodhi" in which on page 694 the above conversation between Rahula and Buddha is reported. Online it can be found here

In this answer I summarized nearly all the suttas which Dhammadhatu's comment says are the handful of sufficient core suttas. And the other answers to that topic might interest you.

The term dhamma has multiple meanings in Buddhism. Dhamma is defined in the accesstoinsight.org glossary page as:

dhamma [Skt. dharma]:(1) Event; a phenomenon in and of itself; (2)
  mental quality; (3) doctrine, teaching; (4) nibbāna. Also, principles
  of behavior that human beings ought to follow so as to fit in with the
  right natural order of things; qualities of mind they should develop
  so as to realize the inherent quality of the mind in and of itself. By
  extension, "Dhamma" (usu. capitalized) is used also to denote any
  doctrine that teaches such things. Thus the Dhamma of the Buddha
  denotes both his teachings and the direct experience of nibbāna, the
  quality at which those teachings are aimed.

If you want to know more about Dhamma, the doctrine and teachings of the Buddha, see this page.
If you want to know more about dhamma (mental quality or mental object), the fourth foundation of mindfulness, see this page, this page and the Satipatthana Sutta.

I want to know Dhamma as understood by Buddha when he was asked "Could you please explain Dhamma in brief?"...

In the Rahula Samyutta, the word 'Dhamma' refers the teachings of 'ultimate or higher truth' (lokuttara dhamma), which lead to developing the Noble Eightfold Path & enlightenment. As stated:

Venerable sir, it would be good if the Blessed One would teach me the Dhamma in brief, so that, having heard the Dhamma from the Blessed
  One, I might dwell alone, withdrawn, diligent, ardent and resolute.

In response, the Buddha teaches Rahula about impermanence, unsatisfactoriness & not-self, which is a teaching leading to Nibbana (rather than mere mundane teachings about kamma & 'rebirth', which are not 'Dhamma' with a capital 'D').

The Pali is: "bhagavā saṃkhittena dhammaṃ desetu"; if searched at:  https://suttacentral.net/, will probably find wherever this phrase is used, the outcome of the suttas found (see link) is Nibbana or enlightenment. This shows the word 'Dhamma' in the contexts means 'higher truth' rather than 'phenomena' or 'mind object'.
This is the right or proper way to study Buddhism, namely, examining how a word is used in the context of the various suttas.
Using dictionaries & ordinary scholar explanations is the wrong way to study Buddhism, causing lifelong confusion. Dictionaries & commentators is 2,400 years of the blind leading the blind.

Buddha answers 3 characterizes of 6 āyanana to rāhala to go to dwell alone, withdrawn, diligent, ardent and resolute, so dhamma that asked by rāhula definitely is not lokuttara dhamma (4 magga 4 phala 1 nibbāna). He asking for an object of kammaṭṭhāna (6 āyanana).

Your comment is wrong. Anatta-Ayatana is lokuttara. Please stop commenting on my posts with unless Abhidhamma. MN 117 & SN 20.7 define what lokuttara dhamma is. The sutta to Rahula ends with a teaching about Nibbana. Thanks

It is end with nibbāna, but the end is not answer of sutta. The answer id before the end. And the topic owner ask for Dhamma word that buddha answered before the end of sutta. Reference of lokuttara: Suttanta K.N. Paṭi (by sāriputta-mahāsāvaka)-- katamo lokuttaro vimokkho? cattāro ca ariyamaggā, cattāri ca sāmaññaphalāni, nibbānañca – ayaṃ lokuttaro vimokkhoฯ (What is lokuttara-vimokkha? They are 4 ariya-magga, 4 phala, and nibbāna.)

I follow the Buddha (and not scholars who have never practised). Your comments are wrong. Your method of study leads only to blind faith & repeated recitation of magical words. It is like the Prophet Mohamed (PBUH) who wrapped himself in blankets and recited endless words. Regards

You lying everybody by using theravāda-tipitaka, but you never faith any theravāda-methods. I am a theravāda. I can claim to make the listener see the truth, that you try to hide from them. because I use theravāda-tipitaka without a bad faith to lie the listener by cutting tipitaka off. You trying to cutting off tipitaka, dhammadhātu. I see it in every post of you. I always straightforward by tipitaka, commentary, sub-commentary, bh. pa-auk word by word. So I just make people see your lying by making them see the truth that appear in tipitaka. I'm sorry, for your vippaṭisara.

theravāda-tipitaka is rubbish. only Buddha-Vaca is dhamma.

So you why don't you avoid theravāda tipitaka anymore, even just a part of it, to avoid the rubbish?

To take refuge in Tripitaka is to dishonor the Buddha because the Buddha said his dhamma is perfectly spoken (Svakkhato Bhagavata dhammo). Taking refuge in Tripitaka means believing the core sutta is imperfectly spoken; believing Buddha was not a perfect teacher. Core sutta is good. Some sutta is rubbish, later addition. Abdhidhamma is unnecessary. Only a handful of core sutta is enough for enlightenment. MN 117; SN 56.11; SN 22.59; SN 22.79; SN 23.2; SN 5.10; MN 9; MN 61; DN 31; SN 55.7; AN 4.55; MN 118; MN 38; MN 37; Iti 44; Iti 49; MN 149; SN 22.53; MN 115; SN 22.81; SN 22.48 is enough.

Dhamma has many meanings in context. "Teachings" is too broad for me. By "his or Buddha's teachings", it is mean "lokuttara teachings", the same as my answer. Regards

I used your list of suttas to create this answer.

Dhamma is truth. Dhamma is wisdom. Dhamma is the path to liberation of suffering. Dhamma is the teaching about truth to attain wisdom.

What is the Truth ?

I would need to talk for innumerable amount of years to tell you what is the Truth. You would not realize it because of the wisdom I communicated to you, but because of you being bored of me communicating it to you. What I'm telling you is that nobody can tell you what is the Truth, but you. Only by yourself you can realize the Truth. I cannot realize it for you. I can guide you towards realization of the Truth, but cannot tell you what it is, because realization of what the Truth is depends solely on you.

The saṃyuttanikāya cakkhusutta that was quoted by the topic owner, already answered by buddha.
Rāhula asked for an object (dhamma) for contemplating (insight meditation), so buddha answered 6 āyatana (dhamma) that have 3 characterizes (dhamma's property) for contemplating, to him.

1.

(1) Cakkhu - The Eye

I heard thus. At one time the Blessed One was living in the monastery offered by Anāthapiṇḍika in Jeta's grove in Sāvatthi.
Then venerable Rāhula approached the Blessed One worshipped and sat on a side.
Sitting on a side venerable Rāhula said to the Blessed One: “Venerable sir, Blessed One, may I be taught (dhamma) so that I would withdraw
  and seclude and abide diligent and zealous to dispel.”
“Rāhula, is the eye (dhamma) permanent or impermanent?”

“It's impermanent, venerable sir.”
“That which is impermanent is it unpleasant or pleasant?”
“It's unpleasant, venerable sir.”
“That which is impermanent, unpleasant, a changing thing is it
  suitable to be considered `that is mine, I am that, it's my self?'”
“That is not so, venerable sir.”

“Rāhula, is the ear ... re ...
... re ... nose ... re ...
... re ... tongue ... re ...
... re ... the body ... re ...
... re ... the mind permanent or impermanent?”

“It's impermanent, venerable sir.”
“That which is impermanent is it unpleasant or pleasant?”
“It's unpleasant, venerable sir.”
“That which is impermanent, unpleasant, a changing thing is it
  suitable to be considered `that is mine, I am that, it's my self?'”
“That is not so, venerable sir.”

“Rāhula, the noble disciple seeing it thus turns away from the eye, turns away from the ear, turns away from the nose, turns away
  from the tongue, turns away from the body and turns away from the
  mind.
“Turning away detaches himself, is dispassionate and is released. Released, knowledge arises, `Birth is destroyed, the holy life is
  lived, duties are done, there is nothing more to wish'.”

Yes. That is correct but I was looking for a summary. Something like "Sabbe sankhara anicca"
"Sabbe sankhara dukkha"
"Sabbe sankhara anatta"

It is "Sabbe Dhamma Anatta" not "Sabbe sankhara anatta"

Summāry are truth: 121 consciousnesses, 52 mind objects, 28 matters, and 1 nibbāna.  And summary also is imagination: paññtti. This is called abhiññeyyadhamma in sutta. See paṭisambhidāmagga, abhidhamma, and learn pāli for more detail.

You want to know what Dhamma is in briefly, well Dhamma is everything that prince siddhartha understood by himself when he became the lord buddha. Dhamma is everything lord buddha taught to his followers. in very briefly Dhamma is what we learning and following today as Buddhists.

As if you want to know same as Buddha explained to Rahula it is, nothing is eternal. Everything has to cease and that he trying to get from Rahula if he understand suffering at all. And what we desire with sensation of eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind that we have to overcome sensuality with these sixth strings of sensuality and further things he explained are Form, Consciousness, Contact, Feeling, Perception, Volition, Craving, Elements, and Aggregates. Buddha explaining Rahula that all Forms, Consciousness, Contact, Feeling, Perception, Volition, Craving, Elements we get sense with sixth strings of sensuality and those aren't permanent. He explained with Element that after we die body and soul merge in the earth Elements and that elements also aren't eternal. And eventually aggregates that everything Form, Consciousness, Contact, Feeling, Perception, Volition, Craving, Elements (That we could get sense with sixth strings of sensuality are eye, ear, nose, tongue, body and mind) are Impermanent.

Forms : sounds, odors, tastes, tactile objects, mental phenomena      forms we get through sixth sense.
Consciousness: eye-consciousness, ear-consciousness, nose-consciousness , tongue-consciousness, body-consciousness and mind-consciousness.
Contact: eye-contact, ear-contact, nose-contact, tongue-contact, body-contact and
mind-contact.
Feeling: feeling born of eye-contact, feeling born of ear-contact, feeling born of nose-contact, feeling born of tongue-contact, feeling born of body-contact and feeling born of mind-contact.
Perception: perception of sound, perception of odors, perception of tastes, perception of tactile objects, perception of mental phenomena.
Volition: volition regarding form, volition regarding sound, volition regarding odors, volition regarding tastes, volition regarding tactile objects, volition regarding mental phenomena.
Craving: craving for form, craving for sound, craving for odors, craving for tastes, craving for tactile objects, craving for mental phenomena.
Elements: The water element, The heat element, The air element, The space element, The conscious element
Aggregates: form, feeling, perception, volitional formation, consciousness

So see the beginning and the end. I'd say telescopic like if we have to sensuality with sixth strings of sensation we experience(impermanent) everything as Buddha explained so Rahula experiences revulsion towards forms,
revulsion towards consciousness.
Experiencing revulsion, he becomes dispassionate. He understands.
So we have to free from this all and have to achieve peace and Nirvana.
This is Dhamma

The Dhamma is a way of training that prompts intelligence and freedom from torment. One's comprehension of Dhamma turns out to be ever more profound and significant as one advances along the way, old exercises uncovering new certainties as one creates further knowledge and comprehension of Dhamma; "Similarly as the sea has a slow retire, a continuous slant, a steady tendency, with a sudden drop-off simply after an extended length, similarly this Doctrine and Discipline (Dhamma-Vinaya) has a slow preparing, a continuous execution, a slow movement, with an entrance to gnosis simply after an extended length". The fundamental significance of rehearsing Dhamma is to Mindfully hone contemplation, learn and show Dhamma as one has comprehended it, and consolidate it with the ethical standards of Sila , and to utilize these devices to live as indicated by the standards of the Noble Eightfold Path.

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text:
Bad behavior (and therefore bad kamma?) due to physical ailments
In this TEDx Talk Youtube video at timestamp 12m 36s, Dr. Daniel Amen told the story of a nine year old boy named Andrew, who attacked a girl on a field for no particular reason and he had other behavioral problems.
It turns out that he had a cyst in the left temporal lobe of his brain the size of a golf ball. Once it was removed, he returned to being a normal boy with normal behavior.
Questions:

If his cyst was caused by past kamma, and if his bad behavior is caused by the presence of the cyst, then this implies that his present behavior is caused by his past kamma and he has no control of it. Is that true?
If his bad behavior was caused by the presence of the cyst, then would Andrew be creating bad kamma (by attacking the girl) due to bad intention, or would he not be creating bad kamma (by attacking the girl), because it was due to the cyst and not due to his own intention?
What did the Buddha teach about the physical body (including brain) and its ailments or conditions, affecting the mind and kamma?
How do we avoid bad kamma, due to mind-influencing effects caused by physical conditioning?
How could Buddhist teachings help a person like Andrew (before his cyst was removed)?

In abhidhamma.-
There are 4 type of minds:

wholesome-root functional mind, good kamma.
unwholesome-root functional mind, bad kamma.
root's effect functional mind, kamma's fruit.
rootless functional mind, neither kamma nor fruit.

In one's life process:

human born just by wholesome kamma, but some organ, i.e. cyst, can arise
by unwholesome kamma after born.
kamma has making body-sense for touching touch.

each mind's full process at body-sense:

contact of 3  dhātu: 1) touch arise & 2) body-sense arise & 3) 4th mind arise for to decide the kind of 3th mind, wholesome-effect/unwholesome-effect, that compatible with that touch (same time).
then 3rd mind knows that touch at body-sense, both are arose by
kamma-cause.
then another 3rd minds know that touch by kamma-cause 2 times.
then touch is reached by 4th mind again for to decide the kind of
1st, 2nd, or 4th minds should arise to do new kamma in body.
then 7 times arising of 1st or 2nd mind and do new kamma.
then 2 times arising of 3rd minds.
then body vanished.
Above mind process, at body sense, can loop moreover trillion times per second, uncountable. There are more types of mind process than I show in this answer, this is just the example.

You can see that we receive fruit of old kamma and make new kamma in the same process and the same body.
His bad behavior is 1st, 2nd, and 4th mind. Just 3rd mind and a cyst organ are kamma's fruit.
So, the cyst organ is not a main cause of bad behavior. But previous bad behavior is the main cause of present bad behavior.
The cyst organ is just a fruit of the past bad behavior. It maybe one of side cause, but it is not the main cause. A human maybe feel very hurt and hard to decide to make arising of wholesome mind or unwholesome mind because of hurt at body-sense at 4th step but the decision is the 6th step. So, the 7th step is done by his decision in 6th step, not by kamma.
In the other hand: many example in tipitaka and commentary shown that there were many arahanta who were suffered at body-sense, but no one of arahanta have unwholesome-kamma, bad behavior.

If his cyst was caused by past kamma, and if his bad behavior is caused by the presence of the cyst, then this implies that his present
  behavior is caused by his past kamma and he has no control of it. Is
  that true?

Kamma is intention (AN 6.63). The cyst is not caused by past kamma because the boy never intended to have a cyst.

If his bad behavior was caused by the presence of the cyst, then would Andrew be creating bad kamma (by attacking the girl) due to bad
  intention, or would he not be creating bad kamma (by attacking the
  girl), because it was due to the cyst and not due to his own
  intention?

This question is not related to the core lokuttara (supramundane) Buddhist teachings because the core teachings explain ignorance is the creator of intention rather than a self (refer to SN 12.17). This question, about the kamma of a self ('satta') is defiled & mundane (MN 117; two sorts of view).
The pain & irritation caused by the cyst only creates bad kamma when the boy is attached to the kamma & takes the results of the kamma personally (becoming; AN 3.76).
If after the cyst is removed the boy's mind has no recollection of the kamma, it is not bad kamma. Or if the boy remembers the kamma & is completely remorseful, unable to believe he performed such an action & incapable of repeating the action in the future, the kamma is purified & finished.

What did the Buddha teach about the physical body (including brain) and its ailments or conditions, affecting the mind and kamma?

SN 22.59 is the 2nd sermon. Buddha taught each aggregate is subject to disease or illness (ābādhāya).
SN 12.2 & MN 9. The 2nd condition of dependent origination, affected/polluted by ignorance/ asava/ hindrances, is the kaya-sankhara (MN 44; in & out breathing), which in turn conditions the elements of the physical body (rupa). Thus, ignorance includes the anusaya/asava/hindrance (MN 9; AN 10.61) of ill-will (AN 7.11) and this causes the breathing (kaya-sankhara) to be agitated, which causes the nama-rupa (mind-body) to be agitated. Meditators that experience all-kaya (stage 3 in MN 118) understand how the unwholesome mind (nama-kaya) causes the breath-kaya and rupa-kaya to become agitated & stressed. Thus suttas such as SN 12.25 explain how kaya-sankhara (in & out breathing), affected by ignorance, cause kaya-cetana (bodily-intention).
D.O. -> ignorance/asava -> ignorant kaya-sankhara -> ignorant consciousness -> ignorant nama-rupa -> ignorant contact (avijjāsamphassajena) -> ignorant kamma

How do we avoid bad kamma, due to mind-influencing effects caused by physical conditioning?

For the boy, this was not possible, because his mind was too young, too immature & incapable of training. But for us, we can only be mindful that our mind, due to our body, is subject to irritation & short-temperedness (paṭighānusayo) due to painful feelings (vedana).

How could Buddhist teachings help a person like Andrew (before his cyst was removed)?

Very difficult to help Andrew to be aware & sensitive to how his actions might harm others & to be vigilant. If it was an adult who was once normal & had practised then the adult could be helped. But a boy without any prior training or moral sensitivity is difficult to help. It is like trying to help victims of child abuse, which is possible, but difficult. A 9 year old having a physical brain abnormality causing physical pain, pressure, oppression & thus anger in the brain is difficult to train.

I'd guess it's possible there was no physical pain ... the brain doesn't contain sensory nerves ... but maybe cognitive disabilities analogous to Pick's disease.

There must be pain somewhere to give rise to anger & violent behaviour. Regards

Are you sure? I thought it was typical of young pre-schoolers, for example, to have violent tantrums (sometimes called Acting out): not because of physical pain but more some lack of inhibition (emotional self-regulation), and because they haven't learned to use language instead. You can call it "pain" but it's not always physical, or is it?

"If his cyst was caused by past kamma, and if his bad behavior is
  caused by the presence of the cyst, then this implies that his present
  behavior is caused by his past kamma and he has no control of it. Is
  that true?"

He has control of his present behavior, but he doesn't have control due to ignorance. The bigger the ignorance, the less control of behavior he has.
It is not the cyst that is preventing him to have control of his behavior. It is ignorance. Let me put it this way so you can understand:
Suppose a child is born. Suppose this child, due to good kamma, can live a very long life. Suppose this child, due to bad kamma, is born with a cyst. Due to the cyst, he harms others. Suppose every time he harms another being, that being harms him back and causes him immense suffering. Suppose the child is harming others every time he sees a being, no matter what that being is. Suppose his parents take care of him and teach him how to get water, food and shelter. The child grows up into adulthood harming others and feeling immense suffering of his body due to others harming him in retribution to him harming others. The child harms others 10 years and feels immense suffering of his body due to his harming others. He harms others 20 years, 30 years, 40 years, 50 years ... all these years feeling immense suffering of his body due to him harming others. What do you think, would this child harm others more or less, after 50 years of harming others and feeling immense suffering of his body due to others harming him in retribution to him harming others? He would harm less. Why? Because he learned that by harming others he would feel immense suffering of his body, thus he decides not to harm others.
The story above is an extreme example, but this is exactly how beings get rid of ignorance. This same mechanism is at work all the time, be it in a subtle, non visible way (examples are diseases of the body and/or mind, or normal feelings of anger/sadness to disturbing/sad events), or an obvious, visible way (example is criminal behavior, having failed relationships in adulthood, compulsive lying, drug/alcohol/other addictions).

"If his bad behavior was caused by the presence of the cyst, then
  would Andrew be creating bad kamma (by attacking the girl) due to bad
  intention, or would he not be creating bad kamma (by attacking the
  girl), because it was due to the cyst and not due to his own
  intention?"

Andrew was creating kamma.
Was he creating bad kamma? Probably yes. How much bad kamma? We can't know for sure. It all depends why he acted upon his intentions to harm others.
Once the cyst was removed, he stopped harming others. Thus, he could see that he acted harmfully due to wrong views, thus, his bad kamma created while he was still having the cyst, has exhausted.

"What did the Buddha teach about the physical body (including brain)
  and its ailments or conditions, affecting the mind and kamma?"

He taught that from ignorance, there comes birth. From birth there comes diseases (ailments or conditions affecting the mind) and intention (kamma) and all the rest.
Please be aware that "birth" does not mean literal birth as we understand it. Also, "birth of being" does not mean literal being with a physical body as we understand it. It could be any birth, any being, any physical or non-physical body ... what is meant by birth, is merely a birth of self - the 5 aggregates. These 5 aggregates could be in any combination. The combination depends on ignorance.

"How do we avoid bad kamma, due to mind-influencing effects caused by
  physical conditioning?"

There are times when we can't avoid bad kamma, due to ignorance. In such times we have to experience this bad kamma through suffering in order to learn how to avoid it in the future. In this way we are eradicating ignorance and gaining wisdom. When ignorance is eradicated enough, complete liberation from suffering can be attained.

"How could Buddhist teachings help a person like Andrew (before his
  cyst was removed)?"

I think hardly. If he is not able to grasp the teachings, he would not follow the teachings. Sometimes there is nothing that can be done to liberate a being from suffering in his former life. It is not your fault, nor the fault of the being, nor anybody's fault.

The reasons for bad deeds by thoughts, speech and bodily actions are always either not-knowing, desire for pleasure (greed) or desire to avoid pain (aversion). So when ever such is the cause, there is "bad kamma "made", if done in harmful ways. If escaping from pain and gaining pleasure is made based on knowing, such is "good kamma". So in learning and teaching the means of the Eightfold path one could help. Outside of that, there is no real help.
In cases where one is incapable for such, just the reducing of touch which causes him/her pain, would be "helpful" if one is able to do so in rightouse ways.
[Note: This is a gift of Dhamma and not meant for commercial purpose or other low wordily gains by means of trade and exchange.]


text:
Vedana - feelings or sensations?
I understand feelings as feeling happy, sad, elated, down -  more like an emotion.
Sensations I understand as hot, cold, tingly, numb, all kinds of body pains or pleasant sensations in the body.
Which ones does the Buddha refers to in the Suttas?
I believe they are the sensations in the body and not feelings.
For example is I see a beautiful woman, eye and form, contact -> pleasant sensation in the abdomen -> craving(lust) -> clinging -> becoming and at this stage feeling happy with the beautiful woman form and then a bit sad when I dont see her and prompted by craving I start looking for another beautiful form to cling to and then happy, sad, repeating the cycle again and again.
In my understanding sensations are vedana and not feelings.

The dejection of not seeing her again is 'death' ('marana').  Eye and form, contact -> pleasant sensation in the abdomen -> craving(lust) -> clinging -> becoming -> birth as lover -> death of lover -> sorrow, saddness, despair, grief, dukkha. This is the cycle of birth & death; gain & loss; samsara.

This question is about words. The Pali words are 'vedana' ('feelings') & 'sankhara' ('formations').
Happy, sad, elated, down - more like an emotion = sankhara ('formations'). To quote:

When one abides inflamed by lust, fettered, infatuated, contemplating gratification, then the five aggregates affected by clinging are built
  up for oneself in the future; and one’s craving—which brings renewal
  of being, is accompanied by delight and lust, and delights in this and
  that—increases. One’s bodily and mental troubles increase, one’s
  bodily and mental torments increase, one’s bodily and mental fevers
  increase and one experiences bodily and mental suffering (kāyadukkhampi cetodukkhampi paṭisaṃvedeti). MN 149

Hot, cold, tingly, numb, all kinds of body pains or pleasant sensations = 'vedana'. To quote:

And why, bhikkhus, do you call it feeling (vedanaṃ)? ‘It feels (vedayatī),’ bhikkhus, therefore it is called feeling. And what does it feel? It
  feels pleasure, it feels pain, it feels neither-pain-nor-pleasure. ‘It
  feels,’ bhikkhus, therefore it is called feeling. SN 22.79

But some body pains are formations, such as when due to anger, stress, anxiety, etc. To quote:

When one abides inflamed by lust, fettered, infatuated, contemplating gratification, then the five aggregates affected by clinging are built
  up for oneself in the future; and one’s craving—which brings renewal
  of being, is accompanied by delight and lust, and delights in this and
  that—increases. One’s bodily and mental troubles increase, one’s
  bodily and mental torments increase, one’s bodily and mental fevers
  increase and one experiences bodily and mental suffering (kāyadukkhampi cetodukkhampi paṭisaṃvedeti). MN 149

The core feature of 'vedana' ('feelings' or 'sensations') is they arise from sense contact. To quote:

‘The six classes of feeling should be understood.’ So it was said. And with reference to what was this said? Dependent on the eye and
  forms, eye-consciousness arises; the meeting of the three is contact;
  with contact as condition there is feeling. Dependent on the ear and
  sounds, ear-consciousness arises; the meeting of the three is contact;
  with contact as condition there is feeling. Dependent on the nose and
  odours, nose-consciousness arises; the meeting of the three is
  contact; with contact as condition there is feeling. Dependent on the
  tongue and flavours, tongue-consciousness arises; the meeting of the
  three is contact; with contact as condition there is feeling.
  Dependent on the body and tangibles, body-consciousness arises; the
  meeting of the three is contact; with contact as condition there is
  feeling. Dependent on the mind and mind-objects, mind-consciousness
  arises; the meeting of the three is contact; with contact as condition
  there is feeling. So it was with reference to this that it was said:
  ‘The six classes of feeling should be understood. ’ This is the fifth
  set of six. MN 148

Where as formations arise from defilement (craving) & thinking (sankhara). To quote:

What one feels, one perceives (labels in the mind). What one perceives, one thinks about. What one thinks about, one objectifies.
  Based on what a person objectifies, the perceptions & categories of
  objectification assail him/her with regard to past, present & future
  forms cognizable via the eye. MN 18

So I think you're saying that, saying that "That is a tingling feeling" is a vedana. What about saying "That tingling is a nice feeling or a nasty feeling" ... is that vedana too? I'm not sure I've caught the difference between vedana, sanna, and sankhara.

That is Papanka, but formations can arise without craving and defilement as the Buddha and Arahants speak and think without defilement and craving


text:
Do you experience presence of self now?
Many of us have been trying hard to understand the Dhamma which essentially teaches impermanence,unsatisfactoriness & nonself.
Buddha famously did not give answer to Vacchagotta's direct question "Is there a self ?" However Buddha definitely said that "all phenomenon are nonself".
Suppose I ask you : Do you experience presence of self now?
What would be the honest reply?

All of these questions are like saying, "If I open my hand and stop clutching at something to feel safe, then what is my hand holding on to then? What do I practice non-clinging with in order to feel safe?" Stop feeling that you are in any danger. Repeat as needed.

Nothing. I have recently started learning about Buddhism so if there are any errors then please correct it. I am new to Buddhism.

You seem to be doing fine. Press on!

I think that a Buddhist answer is "There's nothing that should be viewed as self".
For example I experience (or "there is a perception/recognition of") "looking at the computer screen", however "looking at the computer screen" shouldn't be viewed as "self" ... it's not permanent.
The "Anatta-lakkhana Sutta: The Discourse on the Not-self Characteristic (SN 22.59)" is maybe the most famous sutta about "anatta", but my favourite is the "Alagaddupama Sutta -- The Discourse on the Snake Simile (MN 22)" which I mentioned in this answer, i.e.:

there was no view of self that would not lead to suffering

Or in more detail:

Bhikshus, you may well cling to the self-doctrine that would not cause sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and despair to arise in one who clings to it. But do you see any such possession, bhikshus?”
“No, bhante.”
“Good, bhikshus. I, too, do not see any doctrine of self that would not arouse sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and despair in one who clings to it.

See also the topic How are 'conceit' and 'identity-view' not the same?: where people talk about the difference between a fixed/permanent "view", and a temporary/transient "thought, feeling or emotion".

I guess ,if you are finding that there is nothing that can be viewed as your self then essentially you are experiencing nonself.

"Do you experience presence of self now?"

While thinking how to answer your question, I experience presence of self, which I know is no self ... a fabrication ... not truth.
When I completely stopped thinking, there was no experience of presence of self.

You waver between self and nonself. Initially you experienced self ,then you reflected over it and then you experienced nonself.

No, not exactly as you described it. It was like this: Initially I experienced self, then, in the absence of reflection over it (without any reflection, without any thought/fabrication), no experience of self was present.

@beginner And how did you "stop thinking" ? May I know?

Just stop. Let go of everything. I mean really everything/all. The path to letting go is a calm mind. The path to a calm mind is a simple life, without worries, stress, etc. ... a life with food, water, shelter and time to do what you genuinely and spontaneously wish to do. From such life mind is calm. When mind is calm, it can let go of everything. It can stop.

The ocean beach works for me. Music and earphones, sunglasses, hat, naps in the car... Does it get any better than that? Can't live there though, portapotty smells too bad. Cant drink the ocean, or eat sand.

Nobody here essentially has an experience of "non self" unless they have reached high states of enlightenment. It is very very brief otherwise. Just a few seconds, for example when you were at a very intense state of physical activity or totally involved in your work. Which isn't much is it?
Our normal state right now is that our minds are convoluted. So when you are experiencing thoughts and seeing everything as just projections of how you see "yourself", where is there a question of this "non self" you keep mentioning. Is it true in your experience?
This is what I answered even to your previous question. We are all an aggregation of thoughts and karma. Without a sense of self, (that is our mental and physical formations), we can't experience anything here. You only truly know non self, when it is true in your experience that you can be free from your physical and mental afflictions.

I sometimes experience nonself. When I truly follow word by word the meaning of Dhamma I feel totally repelled by form, feelings,perception, discrimination and consciousness. However while interacting now with you my self is present. I get caught into the illusion of self most of the time because of my cravings  and desires. This is my understanding.

I feel totally repelled by form, feelings,perception, discrimination and consciousness. Repelled? Aversion isn't the correct route anyway, my friend. And repelled by consciousness? What are you then, unconscious? True Consciousness is the very ultimate nature we are chasing. Yet we remain distracted forever.

I feel dispassionate when I follow dhamma. Consciousness is impermanent. Consciousness is the cause of suffering. Consciousness is nonself.

The teaching of Buddha's Anatman/無我/Anatta is the most potent medicine, yet grasping it wrongly is the most potent poison. I see so many in the communities wriggling in poisoning, esp. those who don't have the access to the original teaching but feeding on interpretation by 2nd hand toothless academic certified; still some holding onto part of the teaching exclaiming + urshering all to believe, that's the total.
It's better to not start learning then learning the wrong Dharma; wrong understanding propelled wrong view: secular Buddhism? Karma? Rebirth, no self? I don't exist, I'm an aggregation pie, the feelings are not me/mine... Believing in God perhaps is better off, or buying into none of any belief/religion.
Anatman can only be realized in very very high Dhyana, or sudden enlightenment endorsed by Ch'an practice. A very good disposition personnel with perfect mind may grasp a fragment in intellectual contemplating.
The easiest way to examine is, ask, you realized no-Self? Can you then make yourself disappeared - since there, no-Self...?

I am a beginner. I am bound to make some mistakes but if you think I wrongly understood Dhamma then what is correct interpretation. I had asked this question here ... I feel dispassionate when I follow Dhamma as written in english translation of  Samyutta Nikaya...I wonder whether you are saying that Buddha disappeared after realizing no-self? I don't think he disappeared. In fact he suffered during his last days.

@DheerajVerma I wonder whether Mishu's doctrine comes from (or represents) a school of Buddhism that relies on "doubt" -- see for example The role of doubt in Zen Buddhist practice? Conversely I think that the Pali canon wouldn't say "it's better to not start learning" and does (instead) include suttas addressed to beginners -- see for example Where is the Buddha quoted as saying do not believe anything I say until you can prove it by yourself?

@Dheeraj Buddha can appear or disappear at his liking; he can stop feeling pain in Samadhi; all Buddhas are always abiding in Samadhi... My advice to you is, study the - in your case - Suttas, so far good translation is by Thanissaro, and understand the teaching by yourself, don't believe in any intepretators, they don't have the real experiences, except parroting terms digging etymologies and/or something learnt/borrow from somewhere else.

@ChrisW I don't have doctrines, nor am from/representing any school; neither rely on any doubt method/methods etc., most of the reading on others/scholars/book-writers essays are waste of time, all pupils of Buddha Dharma should stop reading those uselessness, those except wasting more papers chopping more trees, or creating more pollutants by consuming electricity to go online and publish. What one should study is only and only the Sutras, directly; and excel in Dhyana, so that your developed mind can discern what is true Dharma.

It would be good to study how to get others to agree, so we need to study what to 'advertise' so that they can decide to seek it and learn it. Because more people are always being born, and because their understanding is inevitably incorrect, we must be teaching forever.

@nocomprende a Bodhisattva applying many skillful means?!

You experience the presence of the self now, because you hold the view of the self.
For e.g. you experience the feeling of love towards your mother, because you hold the view that, that woman, is your mother.
And your mother holds the view that you are her son, and due to that, experience feelings of love towards you. If she were to suffer from dementia, she might not recognize who you are, and then she would not hold the view that you are her son, and thus would not experience feelings of love when she sees you.
There are some people who have extended their view of their self to include the car that they own and drive, so much so, that when their car gets hit by another car, they express feelings of pain and ask the other driver, "why did you hit me?" rather than, "why did you hit my car?".
Please take a look at the research of Prof. Vilayanur S. Ramachandran in this TED Talk YouTube video. From here, you can see that people have deep rooted views of their body that it's possible to experience the feeling of phantom limbs (and pains in them) in patients who have had one of their limbs amputated, and phantom menstrual cramps in some women who have had their uterus removed. Ramachandran has devised some therapies to rid the patients of their phantom limb pains.
Similarly, the Buddha too has given us his "therapy" to remove our wrong self views, but this may take time, because it's very deep-rooted.
But you must understand that both the views of that "I have a self" and "I have no self" are wrong according to the Sabbasava Sutta:

"As he attends inappropriately in this way, one of six kinds of view
  arises in him: The view I have a self arises in him as true &
  established, or the view I have no self... or the view It is precisely
  by means of self that I perceive self... or the view It is precisely
  by means of self that I perceive not-self... or the view It is
  precisely by means of not-self that I perceive self arises in him as
  true & established, or else he has a view like this: This very self of
  mine — the knower that is sensitive here & there to the ripening of
  good & bad actions — is the self of mine that is constant,
  everlasting, eternal, not subject to change, and will stay just as it
  is for eternity. This is called a thicket of views, a wilderness of
  views, a contortion of views, a writhing of views, a fetter of views.
  Bound by a fetter of views, the uninstructed run-of-the-mill person is
  not freed from birth, aging, & death, from sorrow, lamentation, pain,
  distress, & despair. He is not freed, I tell you, from suffering &
  stress.

There are these wrong views of the self in the Nakulapita Sutta:

"He assumes feeling to be the self, or the self as possessing feeling,
  or feeling as in the self, or the self as in feeling. He is seized
  with the idea that 'I am feeling' or 'Feeling is mine.' As he is
  seized with these ideas, his feeling changes & alters, and he falls
  into sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair over its change &
  alteration.

Also applies to the other aggregates.
The Buddha clearly states that in the Ananda Sutta that:

If I — being asked by Vacchagotta the wanderer if there is a self —
  were to answer that there is a self, would that be in keeping with the
  arising of knowledge that all phenomena are not-self?"

But at the same time, in the Attakari Sutta, the Buddha also says that the view of "there is no self-doer and there is no other-doer" is also wrong.
So, it's not easy for someone to get precisely the right view of the self.

Yes it is true that I have a self and I have no self are both wrong interpretation of the teaching of nonself. I have a self is obviously wrong as Buddha says all phenomenon are nonself. I have no self is also wrong because I can not say I have no self while clinging to 'I'.

I don't think that's the reason why the Buddha said that "I have no self"is a wrong view. But I created a question on that, so let's see how it would be answered.


text:
Did Buddha ever met Mahavir(Jain GOD)?
Mahavir(Jain GOD) was the contemporary of the Buddha of his time. Buddha did knew some details about Mahavir, Jainism(as its mentioned in the text) & about its own way of enlightenment which he tried only to discover the 'Middle Path'. They even lived & preached in & around the area of 'Vaishali' (ancient city in Indian state Bihar) for certain period of their time.But did they ever met?

There isn't any concept of GOD in Jainism. Mahavir was one of the enlightened being (Tirthankar) who showed path to other beings to attain Nirvana.

No. There is no known record of Gautama Buddha meeting Mahavira (also known as Nigantha Nataputta in the Pali Canon). Jains are known as Niganthas in the Pali Canon.
It appears however that Mahavira was indeed alive but very old at the time of the Buddha according to DN2:

Your majesty, there is Nigantha Nataputta, the leader of a community,
  the leader of a group, the teacher of a group, honored and famous,
  esteemed as holy by the mass of people. He is aged, long gone forth,
  advanced in years, in the last phase of life.

However, there have been examples of the Jains confronting the Buddha and attempting to challenge him.
The teachings of the Buddha and of Jainism are obviously in conflict. You can read about it in this question.
Here is an example from the Devadaha Sutta (MN101):

"When this was said, the Niganthas said to me, 'Friend, the Nigantha
  Nataputta is all-knowing, all-seeing, and claims total knowledge &
  vision thus: "Whether I am walking or standing, sleeping or awake,
  knowledge & vision are continuously & continually established in me."
  He has told us, "Niganthas, there are evil actions that you have done
  in the past. Exhaust them with these painful austerities. When in the
  present you are restrained in body, restrained in speech, and
  restrained in mind, that is the non-doing of evil action for the
  future. Thus, with the destruction of old actions through asceticism,
  and with the non-doing of new actions, there will be no flow into the
  future. With no flow into the future, there is the ending of action.
  With the ending of action, the ending of stress. With the ending of
  stress, the ending of feeling. With the ending of feeling, all
  suffering & stress will be exhausted." We approve of that [teaching],
  prefer it, and are gratified by it.'
"When this was said, I said to the Niganthas, 'Friend Niganthas, there
  are five things that can turn out in two ways in the here-&-now. Which
  five? Conviction, liking, unbroken tradition, reasoning by analogy, &
  an agreement through pondering views. These are the five things that
  can turn out in two ways in the here-&-now. That being the case, what
  kind of conviction do you have for your teacher with regard to the
  past? What kind of liking? What kind of unbroken tradition? What kind
  of reasoning by analogy? What kind of agreement through pondering
  views?' But when I said this, I did not see that the Niganthas had any
  legitimate defense of their teaching.

MN 56 is another great sutta, which shows the Buddha not talking directly with Mahavira (Nigantha Nataputta), but through Mahavira's disciples:

At one time the Buddha was staying near Nālandā in Pāvārika’s mango
  grove. At that time Nigaṇṭha Nāṭaputta was residing at Nāḷandā
  together with a large assembly of Jain ascetics.

A Jain ascetic called Tapassi had a discussion with the Buddha and then went to Mahavira and relayed the conversation. Hearing this, Mahavira and his wealthy lay benefactor disciple Upali praised Tapassi for explaining Mahavira's teaching to the Buddha. Then, Upali offered to go and debate with and embarrass the Buddha. Tapassi warned him and Mahavira that Upali might get converted by the Buddha's magic. Mahavira said that is impossible and that it is more likely that the Buddha would become Upali's disciple rather than the other way round.
Upali went to debate with the Buddha, but ended up becoming his disciple. The Buddha did not gloat, but rather told Upali to consider his decision carefully and not to stop giving alms to the Jain ascetics that he had supported for a long time. Upali was impressed with the Buddha's kindness and humility. The Buddha taught him the Four Noble Truths.
Later, Upali instructed his gatekeeper to not allow Jain ascetics enter his house, but told his gatekeeper to give them alms. The gatekeeper was however instructed to allow Buddhist monks to enter the house. Hearing this, Mahavira and his large assembly of Jain ascetics visited Upali. Upali let them in, but did not give Mahavira the best seat in his house. Rather, Upali took the best seat. Seeing this and hearing that Upali became the Buddha's disciple, Mahavira became offended and scolded him.
Upali then explained to Mahavira that although Jain teachings look good on the surface, they don't stand up to scrutiny unlike the Buddha's teachings.
Mahavira said to Upali that the king knew the famous and rich Upali to be the disciple of Mahavira, and asked him to confirm who he follows now. Upali sang proses in praise of the Buddha and said he has become the Buddha's disciple now.
The sutta ends like this:

“But when did you compose these praises of the ascetic Gotama’s
  beautiful qualities, householder?” “Sir, suppose there was a large
  heap of many different flowers. An expert garland-maker or their
  apprentice could tie them into a colorful garland. In the same way,
  the Buddha has many beautiful qualities to praise, many hundreds of
  such qualities. Who, sir, would not praise the praiseworthy?” Then,
  unable to bear this honor paid to the Buddha, Nigaṇṭha Nātaputta
  spewed hot blood from his mouth there and then.

In the Buddhist scriptures there are references to the Buddha or one of his disciples meeting and debating with Jains. In virtually every instance the Buddha or one of his disciples wins the debate and the Jain converts to Buddhism. A less than favorable light is also portrayed to the founder of Jainism, Mahavira. When we compare the vast amount of similarities between the Buddha and Mahavira and Buddhism and Jainism, it is possible that the differences were even less in early Buddhism. A more drastic change may have occurred when Buddhism placed less emphasis on ahimsa as can be seen in Buddhist writings that tend to justify and allow meat eating, for example. It is possible that the early Buddhists were more insistent on vegetarianism as additionally evidenced by King Ashoka who wanted to gradually phase out the killing of animals for food. King Ashoka ruled and lived before the Pali Canon was put to writing.
There are marked differences in the definitions of kamma and nibbana (karma and nirvana) and the Buddha was practicing asceticism prior to enlightenment. In light of these facts it is possible that both Mahavira and Buddha were practicing some form of Jainism/Shramana/asceticism and the Buddha got it right (and was the actual new enlightened one to teach the masses, not Mahavira) in regard to nibbana and kamma but both were insistent on ahimsa and many other teachings.
https://dhammawiki.com/index.php?title=Buddhism_and_Jainism#Alara_Kalama_and_Udakka_Ramaputa

+1.  But I'd also like to mention that in the Jain scriptures, things are the other way around - Jain ascetics beating the Buddhists in debate, including a nun who beat Sariputta and many other senior monks.

Sariputta is only second to Buddha in Dhamma Knowledge. The Jain scripture could be false

+1 The two have so much in common it seems petty to see them as competitors. In most respects they seem to have been in agreement. .

It appears that Mahavira was a slightly older generation, not quite contemporary.
Wikipedia says,

It is believed that Mahavira was born in early part of the 6th-century BC ... He preached for 30 years, and is believed by Jains to have died in the 6th-century BC. Outside the Jain tradition, scholars such as Karl Potter consider his biographical details as uncertain,[1] with some suggesting he lived in the 5th-century BC contemporaneously with the Buddha.

Other answers on this site suggest that Jainism was already established when the Buddha was teaching, for example,

Well, Buddhism separated itself out as a separate system of thought with the Buddha himself. Jainism must have been a distinct tradition by that time too because the Buddha interacted with the Jains and they are mentioned in the Suttas where they are called the Niganthas.

... and for example,

The Jains were already established and flourishing when the Buddha came on to the scene. There are many places in the suttas where the Buddha debates with Jains and discusses their teachings.

Story of upali or anything for that matter do not appear in any of the Jain texts which are equally relevant and even older, it's insane that such stories exists in Buddhist texts while it's historically proven and accepted worldwide that Mahavira was an older contemporary and quite established by the time Buddha came to know of even basics. Poor Buddha didn't know that the already enlightened master that he reverred while alive left to such derogation by his own followers later to his death.

There is an argument that proposes that Buddha and Mahavira (Jain chief) were not contemporaries at all. The same article suggests that Buddha's lifetime predates Mahavira.  According to the author, the confusion can be attributed to colonial mishandling of key figures and dates during the translation of Pali/Sanskrit texts to English.
Some of the key points included:

the moniker Nigantha Nātaputta was wrongly attributed to Mahavira
Gosala, a companion of Mahavira, was juxtaposed with a similarly named contemporary of Buddha named Makkhali Goshaliputta (possibly a Shaivite, or Ajivika sect)
the ruler Bimbisara (a contemporary of Buddha) was conflated with king Srenika (also known as Bhambhasara), who appeared during Mahavira's time; although both ruled the Magadha kingdom

The historian puts Mahavira's nirvana around 1189 BCE instead of 529 BCE, and Buddha's nirvana at 1864 BCE not 487 BCE.
Although the dissertation is not composed well, it makes an interesting argument.  It can be downloaded here.