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breathing techniques in buddhism
My name is Prakash Karki. I am from Nepal. . I have just read 1 book on buddhisam and that is biography and philosophy of buddha. I became very serious about this spiritual stuff. I have been researching about spirituality for 2 years now. I want to know about the journey. how to be more serious about it and what should I do at first step as a beginner ?

Is your question about Buddhism in general or about breathing techniques in Buddhism?

I mean both of them. This is my first question I have ever asked so I cannot articulate my thoughts. I am improving day by day.

Where to begin and how to start...
For the sake of being concise, you already are on the path because you're kicking brother. Have you heard of the butterfly effect? Your actions, intentions and responses reflect the dynamic of the environment around you (family, work, etc) and so on and so forth.
That's the beginning to the whole 'spiritual stuff'.
Some breathing techniques that I have found useful (not only buddhist):

Tummo (buddhist)
Freediving
Yoga (breathing into the pressure to release the tension)

Cultivate in Harmony

thank you soo much.

Anytime! Just remember to keep a humble mind during the initial stages of self experimentation and you'll make the most from self discovery.
Understanding the foundations of a technique comes from the memory of the body as well as the thought of mind ;)

You should do a goenka retreat goenka is powerful and it's donation based I know it's powerful because a women did suicide because of going there  becoming the only meditation retreat that did irreversible damage like that so be careful and 1,2 millions people did goenka 10 days retreat till now it's the most popular meditation retreat and the most powerful it exists in 90+ countries  many people did have a good experience there you can just google them
It teachs breathing technique and body scan method I recommend you to download their app  and play the mini anapana/breathing guided meditation ->
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.vipassanameditation just follow the audio instructions there, you can also search and apply the nearest 10 day meditation retreat using the app
But for a breathing theory you can read https://www.dhammatalks.org/books/WithEachAndEveryBreath/Section0007.html this thanissaro bhikku is the one who translated suttas from pali to english you can call him the modern buddha if you want because he knows nearly the entire suttas so you don't need to read that thousands suttas to only understand buddha's meditation/right concentration

The Buddha did not teaching any breathing technique.
In Buddhism, the mind is made empty of craving. When the mind is empty of craving, the breathing becomes the natural automatic object of consciousness.
Breathing techniques is Hinduism rather than Buddhism.

Buddha most probably did not teach breathing techniques. He mentioned breathing and attention to breathing in MN 118, which might be helpful..


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Among 9 jhanas which is deep sleep?
Please provide suttas
I plan to do a meditation until I can achieve the same experience as my deep sleep but I don't know whether it's the first jhana or even cessation of feeling and perception or even nibbana hence my question
After that kind of meditation I won't sleep forever because I think that meditation is enough that meditation itself is deep sleep
I am inspired by dipa ma who did meditation for 2 days non stop and buddha Siddhartha(7 weeks non stop)
I think my meditation should be more sublime than my deep sleep if it's not then it's a shame it just doesn't make sense that my deep sleep gives me more peace than my meditation
Because bhikku thanissaro states that even during 4 rupa jhanas you can still hear sound while during my deep sleep I can't hear any sound I assume the deep sleep experience can be attained after the 4th jhana but I am not sure which
I think it's not cessation of feeling stage either because during cessation your upper brain won't function (flat zero brainwave) while deep sleep still gives you delta brainwave but I am not sure
Thanks
May you all be happy my friends,
Sorry for my bad english I am still learning friends

There are only four jhanas in the suttas. Then there are four immaterial spheres.

So which is deep sleep ?

None of the jhanas are deep sleep my friend.

What about the formless realm ?

Deep sleep term is usually used by vedantist and using  terms/concepts of one philosophy in another can be confusing in most of the cases.

No it's not there are 4 types of sleep according to science

Yes, but I was saying this because you're searching this term in Buddhism.SE but you will find it in Hinduism.SE because this term is usually used by vedantist. Terms/concepts are used in Buddhism are usually based on understanding four noble truths.

Thanks I will look into it

rht is right. You're perhaps confused with the Vedantin concept of suṣupti (deep sleep).

I've got a simple answer for you: Sleep is not a jhāna. The Buddha never says, not in Pāli not in Chinese not in Sanskrit, that sleep is a jhāna. Sleep is also not nibbāna. Sleep is also not nirodha. You just forget your dreams when you wake up and it seems like you were up to "nothing," but your mind was quite active despite you not remembering it.

There are 3 different types of sleep including dream sleep, light sleep and deep sleep there is no sound or sense perception in deep sleep so it can be argued that it's not below the formless realm including below the first jhana I refer to most venerable thanissaro commentary that you can even hear sound during jhana while can not in formless realm and deep sleep https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.dhammatalks.org/Archive/Writings/CrossIndexed/Uncollected/MiscEssays/SilenceIsntMandatory4.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwiujcCM-43uAhUBb30KHZ7iD04QFjACegQICxAB&usg=AOvVaw0c9QlBzjk5b0H

Which page of that book did you want to direct us to?

You can look at The last page

@Caoimhghin - Sleep has a dreamless region. When practice evolves you'll find that you become open to that dreamless region from the stillness that is present throughout all states: physical waking life, sleeping dreams, and the dreamless state.

@user646989, are you sure the last page? I am looking at the last page and this is an unrelated text. It seems not to mention sleep or dreams. Maybe I'm missing the section?

Then connection between sleeping and meditation is well explored in AN7.61. In this sutta, the Buddha advises Venerable Moggallāna on ways to avoid drowsiness, since drowsiness is hard to give up.

AN7.61:2.1: “Are you nodding off, Moggallāna? Are you nodding off?”
AN7.61:2.2: “Yes, sir.”
AN7.61:2.3: “So, Moggallāna, don’t focus on or cultivate the perception that you were meditating on when you fell drowsy. It’s possible that you’ll give up drowsiness in this way.

When you sleep, just sleep. When you meditate, just meditate.
NOTE: Deep meditation can reduce the need for sleep.

Drowsiness is very different from Deep sleep ,a meditation should excel the experience of deep sleep a meditation that don't gives peace like deep sleep is an inferior meditation

Agreed.  It is also important that people not mistake sleep for deep meditation.

Jhana is meditation, not sleep (including deep sleep).
Sleep (including deep sleep) is not jhana.
In meditation (including jhana states), one is conscious and aware.
In sleep (including deep sleep), one is not conscious and not aware.
If you're not conscious and not aware, then you're not in meditation.

This is wrong in  cessation of feeling and perception venerable sariputta is not aware and aware of it only when he emerges from it

@user646989 the truth is the opposite of what you wrote. Sariputta has the perfect powerful perception and mindfulness in the very lite perception. If one has not strong enough perception and mindfulness, he can't ever get this very lite perception as object.

@user646989 Nirodha Samapatti is not jhana. It's also not deep sleep.

Jhanas are 8 distinct states of concentration that build the basis for insight practice and ultimately Enlightenment.
These 8 jhanas/dhyanas/samadhi do not encompass all the different states of concentration possible, just the key ones conducive to Enlightenment.
So yes, sleep is a type of concentration/altered state and even has some factors shared with the factors of jhana (like vicara, vitarka, bliss, joy) but still has present negative hindrances (torpor, unmindfulness).
In fact, this leads teachers to instruct us that if one is feeling extremely sleepy one should just go to sleep and take care of it... instead of struggling to meditate and cultivate jhana.... because the torpor and unmindfulness will intermingle and condition one's jhana training (damaging and hindering one's cultivation).
Interestingly, sleep itself is an altered state and belongs within the 4th skandha as one of the "Four Variable Events". This is more described in Abhidamma and consciousness-school probably but here is an interesting excerpt regarding this from "How to Measure and Deepen Your Spiritual Realization" a book that goes in detail regarding the skandhas.
The 2nd page regarding it may actually address your root question (without the incorrect idea that sleep is a jhana): "why is deep sleep spiritually beneficial"?

You are muslim but you know buddhism very well, why are you interested in buddhism ?

Buddhism is a spiritual science whereas Islam is more of a religion/culture. They can be complementary.

Buddhism is a religion too it has dogma too like rebirth after death and concept of past kamma  affecting present life but if you are talking about meditation then yes you don't need to trust those things to do meditation

most of those "dogma" can be extrapolated from principles of existence (the rise and fall of all things, transmutation of energy) and there is also tons of empirical evidence if you look look at Dr Ian's reincarnation book. Even discussions about the celestial realms are paralleled to microcosms of present existence in hinduism and buddhism...

Alright I will answer this since we have ruled out the jhana that only leaves the realm of infinite space, infinite consciousness, nothingness, neither perception nor non perception and cessation of feeling and perception
But we need to rule out the realm of nothingness and lower because there still exists desire there while in deep sleep none of even desire exists
“

And further, with the complete transcending of the dimension of the
infinitude of consciousness, (perceiving,) ‘There is nothing,’
Sāriputta entered & remained in the dimension of nothingness. Whatever
qualities there are in the dimension of nothingness—the perception of
the dimension of nothingness, singleness of mind, contact, feeling,
perception, intention, consciousness, desire, decision,
persistence, mindfulness, equanimity, & attention—he ferreted them out
one after another. Known to him they arose, known to him they became
established, known to him they subsided. He discerned, ‘So this is how
these qualities, not having been, come into play. Having been, they
vanish.’ He remained unattracted & unrepelled with regard to those
qualities, independent, detached, released, dissociated, with an
awareness rid of barriers. He discerned that ‘There is a further
escape,’ and pursuing it, he confirmed that ‘There is.’
https://www.dhammatalks.org/suttas/MN/MN111.html

We also need to rule out cessation of perception and feeling since a person of no integrity can't enter that while they can still enter deep sleep

And further, a person of no integrity… enters & remains in the
second jhāna… the third jhāna… the fourth jhāna… the dimension of the
infinitude of space… the dimension of the infinitude of consciousness…
the dimension of nothingness… the dimension of neither perception
nor non-perception. He notices, ‘I have gained the attainment of the
dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, but these other
monks have not gained the attainment of the dimension of neither
perception nor non-perception.’ He exalts himself for the attainment
of the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception and
disparages others. This is the quality of a person of no integrity.
“A person of integrity notices, ‘The Blessed One has spoken of
non-fashioning even with regard to the attainment of the dimension of
neither perception nor non-perception, for by whatever means they
suppose it, it becomes otherwise from that.’ So, giving priority to
non-fashioning, he neither exalts himself for the attainment of the
dimension of neither perception nor non-perception nor disparages
others. This is the quality of a person of integrity.
“A person of integrity, completely transcending the dimension of
neither perception nor non-perception, enters & remains in the
cessation of perception & feeling. When he sees with discernment,
his effluents are ended. This is a monk who does not suppose anything,
does not suppose anywhere, does not suppose in any way.”

That leaves on the realm of neither perception nor non perception as deep sleep which means every single day we enter the realm of neither perception nor non perception without we even realize every single day we do deep samatha meditation without we even realize
https://www.dhammatalks.org/suttas/MN/MN113.html

Neither perception nor non-perception is characterized by the absence of particulate name & form. There still remains 'a' perception but one that is so subtle to the mind that the mind can barely register sensory information through the medium of conditionality. Deep sleep is the absence of all things, everything - entirely. However, in deep sleep it can be said that one remains aware - not the conditioned you, but the unconditioned you.

Well there is no you in buddhism even nibbana is not you

I don't understand why you all downvote the suttas friends that's a big kamma indeed especially if you can't refute the suttas or present your own evidence based on suttas

The state of deep sleep isn't related to the four rupa jhanas or the four arupa ayatanas. However, the inclusion of the suttas shows a healthy investigation, but you're barking into a house where there are no burglars. Hence, there is no substance to your investigation.

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Being more spiritual
I have been practicing different kinds of meditation for a year and more. But I don't know where I am and what my next step is. What should I do ?

It can be helpful to define a context. Perhaps study various traditions, see which ones you warm towards.

There are five opportunties for spiritual freedom:

AN5.26:1.1: “Mendicants, there are these five opportunities for freedom. If a mendicant stays diligent, keen, and resolute at these times, their mind is freed, their defilements are ended, and they arrive at the supreme sanctuary.
AN5.26:2.1: What five? Firstly, the Teacher or a respected spiritual companion teaches Dhamma to a mendicant. That mendicant feels inspired by the meaning and the teaching in that Dhamma, no matter how the Teacher or a respected spiritual companion teaches it. Feeling inspired, joy springs up. Being joyful, rapture springs up. When the mind is full of rapture, the body becomes tranquil. When the body is tranquil, one feels bliss. And when blissful, the mind becomes immersed in samādhi. This is the first opportunity for freedom. If a mendicant stays diligent, keen, and resolute at this time, their mind is freed, their defilements are ended, and they arrive at the supreme sanctuary.
AN5.26:3.1: Furthermore, it may be that neither the Teacher nor a respected spiritual companion teaches Dhamma to a mendicant. But the mendicant teaches Dhamma in detail to others as they learned and memorized it. That mendicant feels inspired by the meaning and the teaching in that Dhamma, no matter how they teach it in detail to others as they learned and memorized it. Feeling inspired, joy springs up. Being joyful, rapture springs up. When the mind is full of rapture, the body becomes tranquil. When the body is tranquil, one feels bliss. And when blissful, the mind becomes immersed in samādhi. This is the second opportunity for freedom. …
AN5.26:4.1: Furthermore, it may be that neither the Teacher nor … the mendicant teaches Dhamma. But the mendicant recites the teaching in detail as they learned and memorized it. That mendicant feels inspired by the meaning and the teaching in that Dhamma, no matter how they recite it in detail as they learned and memorized it. Feeling inspired, joy springs up. Being joyful, rapture springs up. When the mind is full of rapture, the body becomes tranquil. When the body is tranquil, one feels bliss. And when blissful, the mind becomes immersed in samādhi. This is the third opportunity for freedom. …
AN5.26:5.1: Furthermore, it may be that neither the Teacher nor … the mendicant teaches Dhamma … nor does the mendicant recite the teaching. But the mendicant thinks about and considers the teaching in their heart, examining it with the mind as they learned and memorized it. That mendicant feels inspired by the meaning and the teaching in that Dhamma, no matter how they think about and consider it in their heart, examining it with the mind as they learned and memorized it. Feeling inspired, joy springs up. Being joyful, rapture springs up. When the mind is full of rapture, the body becomes tranquil. When the body is tranquil, one feels bliss. And when blissful, the mind becomes immersed in samādhi. This is the fourth opportunity for freedom. …
AN5.26:6.1: Furthermore, it may be that neither the Teacher nor … the mendicant teaches Dhamma … nor does the mendicant recite the teaching … or think about it. But a meditation subject as a foundation of immersion is properly grasped, attended, borne in mind, and comprehended with wisdom. That mendicant feels inspired by the meaning and the teaching in that Dhamma, no matter how a meditation subject as a foundation of immersion is properly grasped, attended, borne in mind, and comprehended with wisdom. Feeling inspired, joy springs up. Being joyful, rapture springs up. When the mind is full of rapture, the body becomes tranquil. When the body is tranquil, one feels bliss. And when blissful, the mind becomes immersed in samādhi. This is the fifth opportunity for freedom. …

Although meditation alone is mentioned in the fifth opportunity, be sure to investigate the other four. Importantly, the teachings are mentioned again and again.
Study the suttas. Find a teacher and good spiritual companions. You will need all three to help develop meditation, wisdom and ethics together.

AN2.126:1.1: “There are two conditions for the arising of right view.
AN2.126:1.2: What two?
AN2.126:1.3: The words of another and proper attention.

This answer is based on Theravada Buddhism.
Before doing anything else, you should get at least a basic understanding of Buddhism.
The following reading material can help you with that:

ATI's A Path to Freedom: A Self-guided Tour of the Buddha's Teachings.
The book "What the Buddha Taught" by Ven. Walpola Rahula. You can find the PDF version here.
The ebook "Without and Within" by Ven. Ajahn Jayasaro.

In Buddhism, you first start with taking refuge in the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha, and taking up the the five precepts.
The five precepts:

I undertake the precept to refrain from destroying living creatures.
I undertake the precept to refrain from taking that which is not given.
I undertake the precept to refrain from sexual misconduct.
I undertake the precept to refrain from incorrect speech.
I undertake the precept to refrain from intoxicating drinks and drugs which lead to carelessness.

Please read "Going for Refuge & Taking the Precepts" by Ven. Bodhi for more details.
What are the next steps? Meditation?
No. Not yet.
Next would be deepening one's virtues (sila) by learning about and practising Right Speech, Right Action and Right Livelihood.
OK. So, can we start meditation now?
Sure. Please read Ven. Yuttadhammo's "How to Meditate" ebook and watch his video series on this.

I have been practicing different kinds of meditation for a year and more. But I don't know where am I and what is my next step. what should I do ?

You could find a teacher within a tradition that seems agreeable to you. A teacher can guide you on the path. It's like walking through the woods. The teacher has walked the path or part of it and can guide the student through it.
You could also do a meditation retreat and get a real taste of the practice. The Goenka 10 day silent meditation retreat is a popular retreat for both newcomers and advanced practitioners. It can be found worldwide and is totally free and donation based.

Each individual has their own understanding, their own Dharma and therefore their own foundations.
Following the precepts of the Noble Path will guide you and your intuition will inform what is relevant for your Dharma.
A few possible suggestions that I have found useful:

Connecting your intentions to your actions (does your internal commentary match your outwards demeanour?).
Inspecting your environmental influences (do they promote your cultivation?).
Tummo practice for connecting your mind, energy and body (google voluntary piloerection for direction; where does the shivers slow or get blocked?).
Other physical meditations could include understanding the position of where you hold your breath (chest, belly, etc) and how and where your held breath reflects on your actions; calisthenics, arts, intakes and fasts.
Keep an active journal of what practices work for you and insights (it doesn't need to be dated).

Meditations are art techniques borne and refined through insight.
Cultivate in harmony.

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Does any other sect of Buddhism have the stages of insight?
The primary source for the 16 stages of insight (aka 7 stages of insight) is the Theravadan text, the Visuddhimagga. But do other, unrelated, sects of Buddhism have similar stages? (ie. Do other sects mention things that could be compared to the dukkha nanas?)
You would think that separate sects of Buddhism, performing the same practices of meditation, would have encountered the same things, and so would have formed their own "maps". Did they? Or is it unique to the Theravadan tradition. And if that's the case, why?

Other sects definitely have plenty of "stages", just not necessarily the same ones.
For example in Tibetan Buddhism there's not just one text but a whole genre of texts called "Stages of the path" (usually shortened to Lamrim in Tibetan). These are not stages of meditation, rather it is the overall stages of insight and realization of the practice of buddha-dharma. You can see a sample of titles in this genre on the corresponding Wikipedia page: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamrim
Zen has the stages of taming the bull, as described in the other answer. Again, these are overall maturity not specifically meditation.
Although if you ask me, Visuddhimagga's stages don't read like in-meditation stages either, by that I mean they look more like (slightly obscured) stages of the realization of Emptiness than stages of progression of one's meditation skills. This gets more obvious when we see similar lists from other early schools, each of them having a slightly different description of the stages all clearly pointing to the same overall sequence of investigation => realization => denial => acceptance => liberation.
When it comes to meditation stages proper, Mahayana ones actually seem to be more to the point. For example in Tibetan tradition one traditional list is known as the "stages of taming the elephant" and counts anywhere from 10 to 30+ stages. Another one is called "The Nine Stages of Settling the Mind" etc. These actually describe one's meditation skills at each level of maturity - unlike Visuddhimagga's that mentions more generic things such as disenchantment, conformity, and knowledge of how the overall path works.
To summarize, indeed "separate sects of Buddhism ... have formed their own "maps" - just not necessarily by walking the same exact trail, though the overall landscape is undeniably recognizable to anyone who has walked it.

I would add that I disagree with your assessment of the 16 stages not being about the progress of insight. They are absolutely written about as the steps of a meditators progress. In fact I can't think of one book about them which doesn't explicitly view them in that way.

Stages of insight gained from meditation, sure. Not stages of mastery of meditation.

I see what you mean. I guess I got a bit tripped up with "progression of one's meditation skills", as I guess progress of insight could be interpreted as getting "better" at meditation, but I understand what you mean now. The actual skill of meditation improving is something different. Thanks.

Tibetan Buddhism illustrates a progressive path through the Bardo Thodol (aka The Tibetan Book of the Dead, an explanation of what happens after we die) but one usually needs to extrapolate and re-interpret the strange symbolic imagery and correlate that with one's worldly experience. It is possible to intuit most of the Bardo Thodol if you have already been exposed to a fair degree of spiritual 'things'. If there has been no such exposure, the Bardo Thodol can be a heavy read. You can read a copy on the Internet Archive.
With respect to the Theravada dukkha nanas, this might be comparable to a section in the Bardo Thodol that reads something like (I'm paraphrasing here): "as soon as you enter the 'kitchen sink' period, the teachings - which have touched you deeply - you are faced with the truth of yourself. Here, the ego is revealed and its 'sore spots' are then touched, and all sorts of problems start arising.
The Nine Deepening Stages of Calm Abiding is an illustrative painting used in various schools of Chinese Buddhism and in Tibetan Buddhism. In this painting there is a path with a monk, an elephant and a monkey. The monk learns, through dhamma, to tame both the monkey and the elephant - which are representations of the troubled and unrestrained mind.
Some Zen schools use a model called the Ten Bulls. Actually, it's not quite a model but more of a creative inspiration that leaves much positive ambiguity for the cultivation of what I call path-autonomy. There are various interpretations. Here is a quick rundown...
The Ten Bulls

In Search of the Bull
Discovery of the Footprints
Perceiving the Bull
Catching the Bull
Taming the Bull
Riding the Bull Home
The Bull Transcended
Both Bull and Self Transcended
Reaching the Source
Return to Society


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How to deal with fixation towards an old relationship?
I broke up with my girlfriend a couple of years ago. We haven't talked to each other since then. A few months back we met at a job interview. We spoke to each other and she was very friendly. I thought she is no longer mad at me. Few days ago I came to know that we both got the job. I texted her to congratulate. She has seen it but hasn't replied. Now I can't stop checking my messages on the phone to see if she has replied. I know this is fixation but just don't know how to deal with it. What could be a way out of this?

I think this question would also be on-topic at [interpersonal.se], if you're also open to non-Buddhist answers to this question.

Is this a dupe of How to forget my old girlfriend?

Also see Can the mind be trained to maintain equanimity in the face of compulsive urges?

@ruben2020, Hi, I am more interested into the Buddhist point of view. Thanks!

@AndreiVolkov, Hi! No, I don't think it's a duplicate question of "How to forget my old girlfriend?". I never think of my ex. It's just that the opportunity of seeing her again made me like this. Checking my phone over and over is just a compulsive urge, I think. So, the 2nd question is closer to my question but mine is more specific and the 2nd question is more general.

Now I can't stop checking my messages on the phone to see if she has replied. I know this is fixation but just don't know how to deal with it. What could be a way out of this?

Not much else to do other than to be mindful of it. You see the mind works in the way of habits. The more time spent on something, e.g. thinking about the past or future, that will incline the mind more towards that direction.
When being mindful of the (compulsive) thinking process it will interrupt it. Instead of enforcing the feed-back loop, mindfulness will momentarily break it.
Since we are working with habits, the mind will soon fall into this way of thinking about past and future again when mindfulness is absent. That's when one must apply mindfulness again. When doing this over and over the mind will slowly begin to incline itself towards that direction - the direction of mindfulness, wakefulness and clarity of mind. When that happens compulsive thinking will stop. It cannot go on since it's not being fed anymore. There's no fuel to burn.
In short, just be mindful of these thoughts when they happen. Do that again and again until you can be free from them. That is the only way one can go about this.
Pinning them down with willpower will only suppress them and cause them to erupt violently later. Shifting attention away from them will only bring temporarily relief.
If you want to become free from them for good, you need to observe them with mindfulness until they change, become exhausted and pass away.
May you be well and happy.

Thank you very much. Makes total sense to me.

Buddhism teaches a lasting relationship has four mutual qualities, here: AN 4.55.
It appears obviously both of you do not share these qualities therefore your fixation with the old relationship is unrealistic or deluded. More here.
In summary, simply reflect you are not meant for each other.
Also, since she was previously mad at you, obviously you did something really bad. Buddhism teaches such evil deeds lead to 'hell' (read here and MN 130) therefore one should acknowledge their evil deeds and vow to never commit them again. Such thinking will remove the heedless smug unrepentant fixation from your mind.

Thanks for the write up!

don't take the last part too seriously


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Are there no Buddhas from other universes that are equal to our Buddha?
Buddha said "nowhere between the lowest of hells below and the highest heaven above, nowhere in all the infinite worlds that stretch right and left, is there the equal, much less the superior, of a Buddha. Incalculable is the excellence which springs from obeying the Precepts and from other virtuous conduct." - Apannaka Jataka

All this passage really says is that attaining buddhahood is the highest ideal one can reach for, in this universe or any other. This isn't about 'our' buddha, or this buddha or that buddha. This is about the state of being awakened.

Are there no Buddhas from other universes that are equal to our Buddha?

There can only ever be one fully enlightened Buddha (Sammasambuddha), like our Buddha Gautama, at a time.
The next fully enlightened Buddha is called Metteyya.

So only our universe got the one fully enlightened Buddha?

Our Buddha was born into the human realm so he lived here but he also visited other realms and taught the beings that lived there. If you are interested in this, I can recommend a really good book on Buddhist Cosmology by Ajahn Punnadhammo. It's called "The Buddhist Cosmos" and is a free of charge.

@Orionixe, - there is an excellent series of talks on Buddhist Cosmology by Ajahn Sona and Ajahn Punnadhammo. I highly recommend this along with the book suggestion by Rain.
Series on Buddhist Cosmology

When the Buddha speaks of worlds he is talking about that in the world by which the world is perceived & conceived because that is what is called a world in that training.
There are many subjective frames of percepience  by which the world is conceived and no two frames of perception are the same.
It is proven that there is no simultaneity of perceived events between observers (physics) and it helps to grasp this to appreciate the semantics of the dhamma and how each world is different from another.


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Is Huayan, Chan, and Pure Land Buddhism the only sects that teach about multiverses?
The Avataṃsaka Sūtra describes a cosmos of infinite universes upon universes, mutually containing one another. I know this scripture is taught in Huayan, Chan, and Pure Land sects, but are there any other Buddhist sects that teach this?
The Avatamsaka Sutra and these sects teach that infinite universes are connected to a jeweled flower garland or net, and universes reflect each other.

Huayan = Pure Land, as answered here. Chan/Zen interprets this sutra as taught that the whole of existence permeating each of its parts.

Theravada teacher 31 planes of existence. Then there are many other (millions) similar planes.
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/dhamma/sagga/loka.html


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Cetana and Karma
Is cetana AKA intention, another word for "karma" or close to it? If not what is it that makes karma different from cetana?

Cetana is the intention that produces the action (karma). In my current understanding, cetana first makes its presence known after the inclusion of sensory perceptions which is interwoven with a feeling tone - either pleasant, unpleasant or neutral - from which one, some, all of these actions occur: more perceptions (thoughts & feelings), speech or physical actions. If we wanted to look at this linearly, cetana occurs right before the karma or action but right after the perceiving. In terms of human perception, centana is largely seen as one element bundled with other important elements often called aggregates in Buddhism.
Therefore, the term 'cetana' is taken quite out of its context. It just means to aim, to have a purpose or a plan, but it is part of a larger chain of events, a chain that binds us to the material world. The key is to see how it functions inside its aggregated ecosystem which is made up of: form, feeling, perception, intention and consciousness. For instance, when forms are perceived through the eye a perception/feeling arises which, in turn, creates a need (cetana) to change that perception using thoughts, speech or actions. The cetana to change what we perceive usually has one of two themes: averting or grasping.

good answer (apart from the whatever about "bind us to the material world"). you might do well to rely on DN 22 to support your answer, starting here: https://suttacentral.net/dn22/en/sujato#18.52

@Dhammadhatu - this is a helpful sutta. Thanks.

AN 6.63 says kamma is intention.
However it appears intention is at most only mental kamma
Kamma is of three types: bodily, verbal & mental

It is intention that I call deeds. Cetanāhaṃ, bhikkhave, kammaṃ
vadāmi.
For after making a choice one acts Cetayitvā kammaṃ karoti—
by way of body, speech and mind. kāyena vācāya manasā.


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Circular logic and Practice
After many years of Buddhist considerations, I finally admit to myself that I fight a constant battle for certainty and self-gratification. I guess those encompass the three aspects of dukka well enough.
So with somewhat of a renewed determination to practice, I have searched this generous website (and elsewhere online) for "my" book and "my" practice, and possibly my path/teacher.
The circularity I mention in the title of this question refers to the acknowledgement that these self-placating enterprises stand in marked contrast to the work that need to be done.
Sometimes i the past, in going to a website I have wondered if the drop-down for "Reading List" might say none. And more farfetched, if the "Meditation Instructions" say: figure it out yourself; no one is coming to save you.
I'm open and appreciative to any comments, admonitions, and advice.
EDIT (In response to @Rain) How to practice? Or better yet, how to find a teacher or some context (book, maybe)? Hence the circularity, so as to be my own teacher and this does not lapse into lip-service.
With kind regards.

What exactly is the question?

@ruben2020 Nice touch, thanks.

If could include how Teacher/ teacher is being considered/ defined, & what is expected of the Teacher/ teacher in your context, and also how certainty is being considered/ defined, could also be helpful. Thank you

Sometimes i the past, in going to a website I have wondered if the
drop-down for "Reading List" might say none. And more farfetched, if
the "Meditation Instructions" say: figure it out yourself; no one is
coming to save you.

You're on to something here. No one is indeed coming to save you. When you truly get that, all hope falls by the wayside, and you are forced into the body where we see feelings and their causes: the mind. These are three of the four foundations of mindfulness: body, mind and feelings. The last one is truth or dhammas which comes about through unflagging persistence with the previous three. Crucially, we take a backwards step and learn to be in the body with all of its contractions, squirms and other whatnots. Our minds can throb and thrash like a fish out of water but various 'higher insights' are revealed along the way giving us encouragement.

“You should therefore cease from practice based on intellectual
understanding, pursuing words and following after speech, and learn
the backward step that turns your light inwardly to illuminate your
self. Body and mind of themselves will drop away, and your original
face will be manifest. If you want to attain suchness you should
practice suchness without delay.”
Zen Master Dogen - Fukanzazengi

Maybe you remember I asked you about Absolute Zen. Perhaps you might be able to suggest a teacher. Thanks,

I've never done teachers at a personal level. I prefer to go with my eclectic ways, choosing to study many forms of Buddhism. If Zen appeals to you, read The Blue Cliff Record. Also, there is a book called Zen Flesh, Zen Bones that might be a little easier on the cognition. These two books will give you a deep taste of Zen. In terms of deceased teachers, Bodhidharma is a good place to start.

I very much like what @NeuroMax wrote, and only wish to add that there are sources of helpful pointers available for someone willing to do the work involved in actually implementing them. I suggest you ask more questions here and use the combined experience of those that will answer your questions to help you find a path that works for you. I mean, that’s what this site is all about ☺


text:
Niddesa Translations
I've hunted around a bit online but haven't found much besides some vague "probably not" answers. Has anyone ever come across an English (or other western language) translation of both parts of the Niddesa? I have the Pali Text Society's printings thanks to the Internet Archive, and enough resources to get started learning Pali if I need to, but figured I should try asking here before I attempt that.

You can find a Sinhala translation of the Mahaniddesa and a Sinhala translation of the Culaniddesa on SuttaCentral. Both were translated by A. P. de Zoysa.
From there, you can copy and paste the Sinhala texts into Google Translate, and get it translated into English or another western language of your choice.
For example, I managed to translate the first paragraph of Mahaniddesa 6 in Sinhala to:

This life is definitely short. ”Life is the existence of life,
dependence, existence, control, life, sense of life. Again, in two
respects life is short, a little, life is short because it exists,
life is short because it is small in nature. How can life be short in
existence? Lived in the past emotional moment. Not alive. Will not
live. Does not live in the future psyche. Did not live, did not live.
Did not live and did not live in the present time mentality. Will not
live.

Awesome, thank you! That will probably be faster than learning Pali :)

Turns out Sutta Central's data is also publicly available, which means I may be able to automate at least a halfway-readable Google Translate translation all in one go.

@ZacAnger That's perfect!

If anyone happens to come across this later, I'm working on doing exactly that over here.


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The 4 Elements and it’s relation with electricity
I did a guided meditation today on Thich Nhat Hanh’s Plum Village app. It was based on the 4 elements. Fire, Earth, Air and Water. As I was midway through it, I was contemplating the electrical energy that causes my body to interact with my nervous system and brain. I also thought about how it was present in thunder storms in the form of lightning. Clouds would be what I consider part of the water element and electricity can also create fire. I was wondering if there was any writing about electricity in the Buddhist tradition that might shed light on my contemplation?

You could see and comprehension the smallest element yourself by doing this technique. https://youtu.be/imJwamHsiig?t=297 then you can decide by yourself about the electricity. Even tiniest doubt  againsts the meditation.

MN28 discusses the four elements. Electricity would be a manifestation of the fire element. The electricity of your nervous system would be interior fire element.

MN28:16.1: And what is the fire element? The fire element may be interior or exterior. And what is the interior fire element? Anything that’s fire, fiery, and appropriated that’s internal, pertaining to an individual. This includes: that which warms, that which ages, that which heats you up when feverish, that which properly digests food and drink, or anything else that’s fire, fiery, and appropriated that’s internal, pertaining to an individual. This is called the interior fire element. The interior fire element and the exterior fire element are just the fire element. This should be truly seen with right understanding like this: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.’ When you truly see with right understanding, you grow disillusioned with the fire element, detaching the mind from the fire element.

The lighting in the clouds would be the exterior fire element. Notably, all four elements should not be considered self.

MN28:17.1: There comes a time when the exterior fire element flares up. It burns up villages, towns, cities, countries, and regions until it reaches a green field, a roadside, a cliff’s edge, a body of water, or cleared parkland, where it’s extinguished for lack of fuel. There comes a time when they go looking for a fire, taking just chicken feathers and strips of sinew as kindling. So for all its great age, the fire element will be revealed as impermanent, liable to end, vanish, and perish. What then of this ephemeral body appropriated by craving? Rather than take it to be ‘I’ or ‘mine’ or ‘I am’, they still just consider it to be none of these things. …

Observe the elements without wishes.

Thank you very much for your insightful response. It is appreciated highly.

The 'element' or 'essence' of fire expresses the release of potential energy to the 'accumulating', or grounding in case of electricity, earth element.
Water is the essence of 'movement' itself and air represents the repercussive actions of an action (in the case of lightning it would be thunder).
If you were to use the example of entire circuit it would be an exchange of all elements working together to create a continuous cycle which reflects a greater environment.
Although I am not using a reference as such, the insight may help you breach that bottleneck in your contemplation.
Cultivate in harmony

I enjoyed your response. Thank you very much for sharing.


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Buddhist meditation for intrusive thoughts and anxiety
I struggle with anxiety and intrusive thoughts and I've found that meditation helps a lot to calm my restless mind. I am familiar with key concepts of Buddhism. I read a tiny bit about it directly and from Schopenhauer.
I've been thinking about it for a while and I want to incorporate it into my daily lifestyle. Do you have any tips with starting to implement this on daily basis and maybe something more towards anxiety problems?
Thanks in advance

Your question is not an easy one. Anxiety is not a secondary or auxiliary problem, it's a problem that goes to the very heart of Buddhism and indeed to the very heart of what it means to be alive.
To resolve this problem completely and exhaustively requires complete and perfect penetration into the core principle of Buddhism.
To be perfectly without anxiety is to be perfectly at peace. It's not an easy feat, unless we are taking about sedated "peace" or "peace" of a stupid person unaware of issues. To be perfectly at peace while being fully aware of all the existential trials and tribulations is what we Mahayana Buddhists call to be in Nirvana. This unconditional peace regardless of circumstances requires (is enabled by, depends on, comes from) the special level of insight into the basic principles of sentient existence. We call this level of insight Enlightenment.
I just want to set expectations, so you know what you are asking for, a solution to The Fundamental Problem. It's not something you can achieve "by the way", between other things. It takes extraordinary focus and determination.
The principles themselves are simple, I will explain them to you right now. It is fully grasping the implications and integrating them in one's life is what most people find difficult.
Sentient existence is a phenomenon that is 100% subjective. Everything we ever encounter in life is subsumed in our subjective experience. This subjective experience is a flow of shapes our mind takes. In other words, our entire existence is a sequence of mindstates. I'm not saying nothing else exists, I'm saying mindstates is what really matters because nothing in our actual subjective lives can be experienced outside of mindstates.
Mind is an interpreter. Everything we experience has a meaning to us, pointing to some other meanings, each of them pointing to yet other meanings. We follow these chains of meanings leading us to some conclusions and determinations. We follow associations, memories, stereotypes, generalizations, and signs. Our mindstates, the shapes our subjective existence takes, and our very universe (as we see it) are largely defined by these chains of interpretations.
Our categories of "good" and "bad" are right there among these meanings and signs. Our feeling joyful or fearful or satisfied etc. - is nothing but a step in a series of mindstates induced by the interpretation sequences. When we take some of these meanings and categories very seriously, when we identify with them, when we are attached to them - they lead us down certain interpretation chains that end up feeling bad.
I won't tell you that all our interpretations and all our categories are arbitrary and therefore should be abandoned, no. Although that is not far from the truth, it's technically not accurate. Instead I will say this: our categories and understandings are simplistic and superficial. Being simplistic and superficial they are one-sided and unnecessarily polarized. Being onesided and polarized they lead to conflict (whether tangible or abstract). Anticipation of conflict is anxiety.
Are you with me so far? Anxiety, just like most other  discordant mindstates, comes from a clash of interpretations, which comes from attachment to simplistic superficial categories, meanings and signs we have internalized as "the reality". The good news is, it's not the actual reality. The Actual reality is open, multidimensional, and ambiguous in the good sense of the word.
The way to living without anxiety is to let go of the illusory safety and illusory stability of our categories and meanings and values - and to embrace the seeming groundlessness of the truly open mind. This requires undoing one's habitual stereotypes and prejudices not only about life, society, the world - but also about ourselves. When all of these are perfectly open, the process of interpretation has no ground to stand on, leading to indescribable mind no longer terrorized by its content.
To master this Liberation and to get fully confident operating from the perspective of groundlessness, being confidently nobody, undefined - is the only mathematically possible way to absolute and total cessation of anxiety.
In practice the end state looks surprisingly warm and humane. After all, we are born undefined and we die undefined, it's only in the middle that we pretend to be someone we are not. Coming back to being honestly and 100% authentically what you really are feels like putting down an unbearable unnecessary load. Who knew you can simply be your imperfect self and that in itself is the greatest thing in the world and the true Nirvana? It's the simplest thing in the universe but the hardest to grok and master.

Thank you for this much detailed and thoughtful response. I get your point (although not in full detail probably). Yes what you said certainly bothered me, and still does to some extent, however I think the worst is the images that I see in my mind, the "3rd eye" that disturbe me, not the thought himself or the action of having it, but the image. Im trying to do meditation and mindfulness. Thank you again

Those images come from some kind of interpretation process, too. Just saying :)

I find these videos by Ven. Yuttadhammo on anxiety very useful:

Monk Radio: Calming Down, Panic Attack
Monk Radio: Meditation for Anxious People
Q&A: Anxiety and Depression
Monk Radio: Relaxing in Life

If you like to learn more about this type of meditation (Vipassana) practice you can find his introduction video series to the method here.
May you be well and happy.

thank you so much for your time and recommendations. I wish you the same

Someone once approached Venerable Sariputta in agony.

MN143:4.1: “I’m not keeping well, Master Sāriputta, I’m not alright. The pain is terrible and growing, not fading, its growing, not its fading, is evident. The winds piercing my head are so severe, it feels like a strong man drilling into my head with a sharp point.  The pain in my head is so severe, it feels like a strong man tightening a tough leather strap around my head.  The winds piercing my belly are so severe, it feels like a deft butcher or their apprentice is slicing my belly open with a meat cleaver.  The burning in my body is so severe, it feels like two strong men grabbing a weaker man by the arms to burn and scorch him on a pit of glowing coals. That’s how severe the burning is in my body. I’m not keeping well, Master Sāriputta, I’m not alright. The pain is terrible and growing, not fading, its growing, not its fading, is evident.”

Sariputta responded at length. Part of his reply was:

MN143:6.1: You should train like this: ‘I shall not grasp sight, and there shall be no consciousness of mine dependent on sight.’ …   ‘I shall not grasp sound … smell … taste … touch … thought, and there shall be no consciousness of mine dependent on thought.’ That’s how you should train.

From this we can understand that it is critical to acknowledge the pain without attachment. Indeed, this is an important point emphasized in many suttas:

AN3.133:2.3: They truly see any kind of feeling at all—past, future, or present; internal or external; coarse or fine; inferior or superior; far or near: all feeling—with right understanding: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.’

Understanding that "This is not mine..." can also help in daily life. Please also see a doctor. There may be an underlying medical condition for constant anxiety.

Thank you for your thoughtful and kind response. I am already having medical care but the results arent really what I hoped for so Im complementing it with Buddhist meditation and its getting better.

There are methods to help with anxiety, although not necessarily buddhist.
Here is a meditation which may help. It's called Infinite Bloom; something I have been practicing since I was little.
The three main steps broken which have been broken down the sake of simplicity. To make the most out of this technique, once you have completed reading the components of each main step, have a go before continuing.
Getting someone to read it out this first time can help even more.
Growing the bloom:

Get comfortable and close your eyes.
Think of all the qualities that make you you, an individual.
Hold those characteristics together and think what kind of flower matches those characteristics. You could think of that flower as a symbol of yourself.
Imagine just the bud of 'that' flower, one that glows from within.
Gather energy for the bud to bloom, but make it grow as many petals as you can possibly imagine.

Assessing the bloom:

Is it a happy flower?
Are there individual petals that are not doing so well?
Is a petal smaller than they should be?
Is there any festering petals?
If there is a festering petal, is the fester coming from inside or outside?
When you are focusing on a particular petal remind you of a connection; something or someone?
The petals don't just reach out, they connect with petals from other blooms and if a petal has been compromised then the connected bloom is in some way responsible or at least a participant in the result.

Cultivating the bloom:

If a petal is festering and causing the flower to become ill, there is nothing wrong with letting that petal drop away from the flower. If that doesn't settle your mind, when the petal drops away, it returns to the mud and becomes nutrients for another petal to grow.
By dropping the petal, it is dropping the last connection with the individual that comes to mind. This is is an important process because if we don't let a subject drop we will subconsciously continually brew.
If there is a wound left by the festered flowers, applying something along the lines of pure liquid silver to the wound will create a bandaid of sorts.

This technique is designed for assessing and managing emotional connections - something people just don't do. When we go about our day we may have  to focus on what we are doing but how much energy is spent thinking about our kids (if we have them), our worries, all that stuff cluttering our brains?
Unfortunately when there is too much going on in the background it all distracts us; from our performance, what we want to think about and prevents us from seeing the opportunities we are looking for - which in turn gives us more worries to clutter our brain.
The beauty of the Infinite Bloom is it's catered for the individual by being 'your' flower and can be done in a matter of a few seconds when you get good at it.
Cultivate in harmony

thank you for your answer and time, I will definetly try and research this more. I think your recommendations are really what I needed, I relate to all you said. My intrusive thoughts really disrupt my daily activities, specially demading "intelectual" like learning or reading, even the way I enjoy life. I was wondering about buddhism philosophy because of that too, new perspetive of looking at thing. Now just out of genuine curiosity, and excuse me because I'm new to this, isn't associating "myself" with an object against the "letting go" of the "self" in buddhism?

Thank You for the response and feedback brother. Gathering conscious energy to focus on a task is one of the main goals of meditation. Understanding where it all goes is the best (personal bias) way to getting the control we require. As this technique is 'management', you could think of it as setting the foundation for reprogramming the mind so when you practice a gathering technique there is less of a rebound effect.

Very good question, this would come down to individual perception. No need to apologise!
My perception in a nutshell? If one had to truly define the self, there would have to be a level of mastery over oneself - before even attempting the concept of "letting go".
Symbols are a language just like any other, except the meaning are individualistic to ourselves as a general rule (through the process of association and perception).
The flower is simpler way to envision something that would otherwise be difficult to describe - like a circuit diagram as opposed to a complicated system.

thank you for all this information, I will try my best and research it. Thank you very much


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Did the Buddha endorse a cyclical cosmology?
One of my physics professors implied that Buddhism is false because, unlike the Abrahamic religions, Buddhism claims a cyclical cosmology. He argued that since the universe is expanding and its expansion is speeding up, the universe cannot be cyclical.
I was under the impression that the idea of a cyclical universe was carried over from Hinduism into Buddhism implicitly and that the Buddha never made any claims regarding cosmology.
Did the Buddha suggest a cyclical universe?

We still don't know much about what happened before Big-Bang. The cyclical universe can very well be a valid model of cosmology. Current Nobel Prize-winning Physicist Roger Penrose is in favor of the Cyclical universe and has proposed a model for this. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conformal_cyclic_cosmology

DN 1 states:

There comes a time, monks, when after the lapse of a long period
this world contracts (disintegrates) ...
But sooner or later, monks, after the lapse of a long period, there
comes a time when this world begins to expand once again.

This may or may not correspond to the Big Bounce model of physics.
For more info, please read the 2020 Wired article "What If the Big Bang Was Actually a Big Bounce?", by Charlie Wood.
Despite this, if you look at the whole body of the Buddha's teachings, the Buddha discouraged such speculation.
He preferred the seeker to focus on the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path, the path that leads to the permanent cessation of suffering (dukkha).
Speculating on the origin of the universe is totally unimportant in Buddhism. Whether it was a Big Bang or Big Bounce or an infinitely existing universe, the validity of the Four Noble Truths does not change in any way.
Please read the wikipedia article on the Parable of the Poisoned Arrow.
In AN 4.77, he taught:

"Conjecture about [the origin, etc., of] the world is an
unconjecturable that is not to be conjectured about, that would bring
madness & vexation to anyone who conjectured about it.

In AN 10.70, he taught:

As he was sitting there, he addressed the monks: "For
what topic of conversation are you gathered together here? In the
midst of what topic of conversation have you been interrupted?"
"Just now, lord, after the meal, on returning from our alms round, we
gathered at the meeting hall and got engaged in many kinds of bestial
topics of conversation: conversation about kings, robbers, & ministers
of state; armies, alarms, & battles; food & drink; clothing,
furniture, garlands, & scents; relatives; vehicles; villages, towns,
cities, the countryside; women & heroes; the gossip of the street &
the well; tales of the dead; tales of diversity, the creation of the
world & of the sea; talk of whether things exist or not."
"It isn't right, monks, that sons of good families, on having gone
forth out of faith from home to the homeless life, should get engaged
in such topics of conversation, i.e., conversation about kings,
robbers, & ministers of state... talk of whether things exist or not.

The renowned 20th century Thai monk Bhikkhu Buddhadasa once said:

People language is used by the ordinary people who don't
understand Dhamma very well and by those worldly people who are so
dense that they are blind to everything but material things.  Then,
there is the language which is spoken by those who understand reality
(Dhamma), especially those who know and understand reality in the
ultimate sense.  This is another kind of language.
No Religion

About the term "the world" ("loka"), Bhikkhu Buddhadasa said:

Now we shall say something about the word "world" (loka). In everyday
language, the word "world" refers to the Earth, this physical world,
flat or round or however you conceive it. The "world" as the physical
Earth is everyday language. In Dhamma language, however, the word
"world" refers to worldly (lokiya) mental states [SN 3.23], the worldly stages
in the scale of mental development-that is to say, dukkha. The
condition that is impermanent, changing, unsatisfactory-this is the
worldly condition of the mind [SN 35.82]. And this is what is meant by the
"world" in Dhamma language. Hence it is said that the world   is
dukkha, dukkha is the world [SN 12.44]. When the Buddha taught the Four Noble
Truths (ariya-sacca), he sometimes used the term "world" and sometimes
the term "dukkha" [AN 4.45]. They are one and the same. For instance, he spoke
of:

the world;

the cause of the arising of the world;

the extinction of the world;

the path that brings about the extinction of the world.

What he meant was:

dukkha;

the cause of dukkha;

the extinction of dukkha;

the path that brings about the extinction of dukkha.

So in the language of the Buddha, the language of Dhamma, the word
"world" refers to dukkha; suffering and the world are one and the
same.
Taken another way, the word "world" refers to things that are low,
shallow, not profound, and fall short of their highest potential. For
instance, we speak of such and such a thing as worldly, meaning that
it is not Dhamma. This is another meaning of the word "world" in
Dhamma language. "World" does not always refer simply to this Earth,
as in everyday language.
Two Kinds Of Language

The idea the Buddha taught the physical universe is expanding and contracting is an entire misunderstanding of the Buddha's teachings.
This materialistic misunderstanding comes from the following stock passage in the suttas:

So evaṃ samāhite citte parisuddhe pariyodāte anaṅgaṇe vigatūpakkilese
mudubhūte kammaniye ṭhite āneñjappatte pubbenivāsānussatiñāṇāya cittaṃ
abhininnāmesiṃ. So anekavihitaṃ pubbenivāsaṃ anussarāmi,
seyyathidaṃ—ekampi jātiṃ dvepi jātiyo tissopi jātiyo catassopi jātiyo
pañcapi jātiyo dasapi jātiyo vīsampi jātiyo tiṃsampi jātiyo
cattālīsampi jātiyo paññāsampi jātiyo jātisatampi jātisahassampi
jātisatasahassampi anekepi saṃvaṭṭakappe anekepi vivaṭṭakappe anekepi
saṃvaṭṭavivaṭṭakappe: ‘amutrāsiṃ evaṃnāmo evaṅgotto evaṃvaṇṇo
evamāhāro evaṃsukhadukkhappaṭisaṃvedī evamāyupariyanto, so tato cuto
amutra udapādiṃ; tatrāpāsiṃ evaṃnāmo evaṅgotto evaṃvaṇṇo evamāhāro
evaṃsukhadukkhappaṭisaṃvedī evamāyupariyanto, so tato cuto
idhūpapanno’ti. Iti sākāraṃ sauddesaṃ anekavihitaṃ pubbenivāsaṃ
anussarāmi
https://suttacentral.net/mn4/pli/ms

The lineage of materialistic blind scholars in worldly Buddhism (who are the same as how the Buddha described the lineage of blind Brahmins in MN 95) misunderstand and mistranslate the following words from the above:

nivāsa, which means "settling place" or "abode" rather than "life". SN 22.79 explains a "nivāsa" is each time the mind clings to one or more of the five aggregates as "self". for example, SN 35.114 refers to Mara's dwelling place or home:

Mendicants, there are sights known by the eye that are likable,
desirable, agreeable, pleasant, sensual, and arousing. If a mendicant
approves, welcomes, and keeps clinging to them, they’re called a
mendicant trapped in Māra’s lair, fallen under Māra’s sway and caught
in Māra’s snare (āvāsagato mārassa, mārassa vasaṃ gato,
paṭimukkassa mārapāso).

for example, AN 10.20 refers to the "vāsā/āvāsā" of Noble Ones:

There are these ten noble abodes in which the noble ones of the
past, present, and future abide. Dasayime, bhikkhave, ariyāvāsā,
ye ariyā āvasiṃsu vā āvasanti vā āvasissanti vā. What ten? A mendicant
has given up five factors, possesses six factors, has a single guard,
has four supports, has eliminated idiosyncratic interpretations of the
truth, has totally given up searching, has unsullied intentions, has
stilled the physical process, and is well freed in mind and well freed
by wisdom....

jāti/jātiyo, which refers to a "category or class of beings", which as "farmer", "doctor", "mother", "father", etc. SN 23.2, SN 5.10, MN 98 say such "beings" are mere "views", "conventions" or "verbal designations".

kappa, which can mean a "period of time" rather than an "aeon". For example, in DN 16, the Buddha said whoever has developed and cultivated the four bases of psychic power, if they wish, can live on for a "kappa" ("longer period of time").

ahara, which per SN 12.63 is four types of "food" (rather than merely physical food), namely, physical food, contact, volition & consciousness

cuta, which means to "shift/move" rather than "pass away/die"

ūpapanno, which means to "follow from" rather than "rebirth/reincarnation". For example, MN 148, in discussing the matter of logic, says: "Because the eye is seen to arise & pass, it cannot follow (ūpapanna/upapajjati) the eye can be a self/cakkhu attā’ti yo vadeyya taṃ na upapajjati. Cakkhussa uppādopi vayopi paññāyati"

vaṭṭa, which means "cycle" or "circle", as described in SN 22.99:

Suppose a dog on a leash was tethered to a strong post or pillar. It
would just keep running and circling around that post or pillar.
Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, sā gaddulabaddho daḷhe khīle vā thambhe vā
upanibaddho tameva khīlaṃ vā thambhaṃ vā anuparidhāvati
anuparivattati;
In the same way, take an uneducated ordinary person who has not seen
the noble ones, and is neither skilled nor trained in their teaching.
They’ve not seen good persons, and are neither skilled nor trained in
their teaching.They regard form … feeling … perception … choices …
consciousness as self, self as having consciousness, consciousness in
self, or self in consciousness.They just keep running and circling
around form, feeling, perception, choices, and consciousness. So
rūpaññeva anuparidhāvati anuparivattati, vedanaññeva … pe … saññaññeva
… saṅkhāreyeva … viññāṇaññeva anuparidhāvati anuparivattati.

In summary, its all fake news. Probably since King Ashoka attempted to convert India to Buddhism, its been 2,300 years of fake news about Buddhism.

In SN 22.94, the Buddha makes the claim that he doesn't "argue with the world."

“Mendicants, I don’t argue with the world; it’s the world that
argues with me. When your speech is in line with the teaching you
don’t argue with anyone in the world. What the astute agree on as not
existing, I too say does not exist. What the astute agree on as
existing, I too say exists. [...]"

The Buddha believes and/or concedes and/or just "doesn't dispute" ancient cosmology because it is something that the Pandits ("paṇḍitā," translated in the above as "the astute") of his time are teaching and he "doesn't argue" with them. Why doesn't he argue with them? What doesn't he "argue with the world" concerning? That is an entirely different question and how we read that will colour how we interpret the entire sutta. If we understand "arguing with the world" and "what the astute agree on" as "contesting ancient cosmology," the Buddha doesn't often do that. If we read "arguing with the world" more generally, we can conclude that some things are irrelevant to the Path and that the Buddha couldn't be bothered disagreeing with them. There is also the Siṃsapa Grove Sermon at SN 56.31:

“In the same way, there is much more that I have directly known but
have not explained to you. What I have explained is a tiny amount. And
why haven’t I explained it? Because it’s not beneficial or relevant to
the fundamentals of the spiritual life. It doesn’t lead to
disillusionment, dispassion, cessation, peace, insight, awakening, and
extinguishment. That’s why I haven’t explained it [...]"

Buddha's teachings about karma and rebirth require a cyclic universe.  Only then do they have ample time to take place.  Buddha spoke about us being stuck in samsara going round and round for aeons of time, kalpas and kalpas.  Our universe isn't even quite 14 billion years old yet.  Humans are around only 200,000 years.  Even if our universe did come back to a Big Crunch I doubt it would reform exactly as before.  Your teacher's religious take on the universe is also wrong.


text:
Did Gautama Buddha know his path?
When Siddhartha Gautama started his path, before acknowledging the possibility of achieving and passing on the path to enlightenment, is there reference of his thoughts before making the decision to influence the world and ease its suffering?

The unawakened Bodhisatta had dreams foretelling his future path as the Buddha in the Supina Sutta, quoted below.

"Now, when the Tathagata — worthy & rightly self-awakened — was still
just an unawakened bodhisatta, and this great earth was his great bed,
the Himalayas, king of mountains, was his pillow, his left hand rested
in the eastern sea, his right hand in the western sea, and both feet
in the southern sea: this first great dream appeared to let him know
that he would awaken to the unexcelled right self-awakening.
"When the Tathagata — worthy & rightly self-awakened — was still just
an unawakened bodhisatta, and a woody vine growing out of his navel
stood reaching to the sky: this second great dream appeared to let him
know that when he had awakened to the noble eightfold path, he would
proclaim it well as far as there are human & celestial beings.
"When the Tathagata — worthy & rightly self-awakened — was still just
an unawakened bodhisatta, and white worms with black heads crawling up
from his feet covered him as far as his knees: this third great dream
appeared to let him know that many white-clothed householders would go
for life-long refuge to the Tathagata.
"When the Tathagata — worthy & rightly self-awakened — was still just
an unawakened bodhisatta, and four different-colored birds coming from
the four directions fell at his feet and turned entirely white: this
fourth great dream appeared to let him know that people from the four
castes — brahmans, noble-warriors, merchants, and laborers — having
gone forth from the home life into homelessness in the Dhamma & Vinaya
taught by the Tathagata, would realize unexcelled release.
"When the Tathagata — worthy & rightly self-awakened — was still just
an unawakened bodhisatta, and he walked back & forth on top of a giant
mountain of excrement but was not soiled by the excrement: this fifth
great dream appeared to let him know that the Tathagata would receive
gifts of robes, alms food, lodgings, & medicinal requisites to cure
the sick, but he would use them unattached to them, uninfatuated,
guiltless, seeing the drawbacks [of attachment to them], and
discerning the escape from them.
"When the Tathagata — worthy & rightly self-awakened — was still just
an unawakened bodhisatta, these five great dreams appeared to him."

Thank you Ruben, was there any mention of dreams regarding future consequences if he chose to not take the path?

@Beau.D No. It was always his destiny, apparently.

Good answer and reference. I would like to ask: did those dreams occur in the very life where the unawakened bodhisatta achieved Enlightenment? Also, did those dreams occur in one night or were they spread over days/weeks?

@Rain Yes. It was in the life of former prince and ascetic Gautama before his awakening. When did the dreams occur? That's unknown.

@ruben2020. Thank you.

Possibly. For example, MN 4:

Before my Awakening, when I was still an unawakened Bodhisatta, the
thought occurred to me ... If anyone, when speaking rightly, were to say: 'a being not subject to delusion has appeared in the world for the benefit & happiness of many, out of
sympathy for the world, for the welfare, benefit & happiness of human
& divine beings,' he would rightly be speaking of me.

Thank you for that information, a perfect answer.

Great and precise answer.


text:
Is their any books where the collection quotation of Milarepa are available?
Is their any books  where the  collection quotation of Milarepa are available ?

The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa
I have a copy and it is a pretty awesome collection of traditional poems ascribed to the historical Milarepa. Most are very insightful, if you know how to interpret them.

thanks  a lots  @Andrei Volkov

In French: “Milarépa - Oeuvres complètes, La vie, Les cent mille chants” translated from Tibetan by Marie-José Lamothe, Fayard, ISBN 978-2-213-62897-4
As far as I know, it’s not available in English.

oks thanks for this @still Just james but i didn't know french

I thought that would be the case, but I was only able to find his complete works in French when I was looking for it myself.


text:
What is the meaning of "a ray of light which illuminates thousands of buddha fields in the east" in the Mahayana Lotus Sutra?
The Lotus Sutra implies light came from Gautama Buddha, which connected to " illuminating thousands of buddha fields"; can anyone enlighten me as to what that could mean?

It is simply a depiction of luminosity that one may encounter along the path. It seems that Mahayana may overemphasize certain qualities of the near-radiant mind in such ways. There are other similarities in others religions regarding the emanation of light but that is beyond the scope of this forum.

When the Buddha of the Mahayana illuminates the sāhasracūḍikalokadhātu (thousandfold world-system), it is not the first time that he does this. He did this before when he preached the first of the sūtras that comprise the Mahāprajñāpāramitā vaipulya, also before when he preached the Buddhāvataṃsakasūtra. I hope this is not too long, moderation can inform me if it is, but this is from the publicly-available Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa translated by Venerable Migme Chödrön. In it, the commentary discusses why the Buddha is said to have emitted light when he taught the Prajñāpāramitā. He similarly lit the world in the depiction in the Lotus Sūtra:

Sūtra: From these rays (raśmi) came a great light (avabhāsa) that
illuminated (parisphoṭati) the trisāhasramahāsāhasralokadhātu. From
the trisāhasramahāsāhasralokadhātu, it went to illuminate universes in
the east (pūrvasyāṃ diśi) as numerous as the sands of the Ganges
(gaṅgānudīvālukopamā lokadhātavaḥ). And it was the same in the south
(dakṣiṇasyaṃ diśi), in the west (paścimāyāṃ diśi) and in the north
(uttarasyāṃ diśi), in the four intermediate directions (vidikṣu), at
the zenith (upariṣṭhād diśi) and at the nadir (adhastād diśi). (see
notes on the Ten Directions) And all the beings touched by this light
were settled into supreme perfect enlightenment (ye ca sattvās tena
mahatā raśmyavabhāsena sphutā avabhāsitās te sarve niyatā abhūvan
anuttarāyāṃ samyaksaṃbodhau). [113c]
Question. – The nature of fire (tejas) is flame which rises upward
(ūrdhvajvāla), that of water (āpas) is moisture which tends to go
downward (adhaḥsnigdhatā), that of wind (vāyu) is sinuous movement
(tiryaggamana). Therefore the vapor ignited by the rays [of the
Buddha] will necessarily go upwards. Why does the sūtra say that that
it illuminates everywhere (parisphoṭati) the
trisāhasramahāsāsralokadhātu and the universes of the ten directions?
Answer. – The rays are twofold: vapor of fire and vapor of water; such
are the vapor of fire of the sun-stone (sūryakānta) and the vapor of
water of the moon-stone (candrakānta).1 Although the nature of fire
(tejolakṣaṇa) is to blaze upward, the fire in the human body rises,
descends and penetrates everywhere. It is the same for the solar fire
and it is in this way that the waters of the earth dry up in the
summer months. Thus we know that fire does not always rise upward.
Furthermore, by the power of the Buddha, these rays penetrate the ten
directions like an arrow (iṣu) shot by a bow (dhaṇus) goes straight to
the target.
Question. – Why do these rays first light up the east and only after
that the south, the west and the north?
Answer. – Since the sun rises in the east, the east is first; the
Buddha, who is in harmony with people’s ideas (sattvacittānuvartanāt),
lights up the east first. Furthermore, we will always come up with the
same difficulty: if he first illuminated the south, we would wonder
why he did not first illuminate the east, the west and the north; if
he illuminated first the west or the north, the difficulty would be
the same.
Question. – When do the rays disappear?
Answer. – The Buddha uses his miraculous power (ṛddhibala); as long as
he maintains it, the rays persist; when he lets it go, the rays
disappear. The Buddha’s rays are like a lamp (dīpa) and his miraculous
power is like the oil (meda); as long as the Buddha does not abandon
his miraculous power, the rays do not disappear.
[...]
Sūtra: Then by means of his usual light (prakṛtiprabhā) the Bhagavat
illumined the trisāhasramahāsāhasralokadhātu; this brilliance extended
to all the universes of the east as numerous as the sands of the
Ganges, and it was the same in the ten directions. All the beings who
were touched by this light were destined to supreme complete
enlightenment (Atha khalu Bhagavān prakṛtiprabhayā
trisāhasramahāsāhasraṃ lokadhātum avabhāsayāmāsa. yāvat pūrvasyāṃ diśi
gaṅgānadīvālukopamā lokadhātavas tayā prabhayā avabhāsitā abhūvan.
yāvat daśasu dikṣu gaṅgānadīvālukopamā lokadhātvas tayā prabhayā
avabhāsitā abhūvan. ye ca sattvas tayā prabhayā spṛṣṭās te sarve
niyatā abhūvan anuttarāyāṃ samyaksaṃbodhau).
Śāstra: First the Buddha smiled with his entire body (sarvakāyāti)
then he emitted rays from the pores of his skin (romakūpebhyaḥ); why
now does he exhibit his usual light (prakṛtiprabhā) to light up the
ten directions?
Answer. – Some people who have seen the different rays [shooting out
from the body and the pores of the Buddha] believed that this was not
the light of the Buddha. [Now] seeing the great development of the
usual light of the Buddha, they are filled with joy (muditā) and,
recognizing the true light of the Buddha, they finally reach
anuttarasamyaksaṃbodhi.
Question. – What is the usual light (prakṛtiprabhā) of the Buddha?
Answer. – It is a light one armspan in width (vyāmaprabhā) surrounding
the body of the Buddha on all sides; the Bodhisattva possessed it
since his birth and it is one of the thirty-two marks (lakṣaṇa) called
vyāmaprabhālakṣaṇa. (see Appendix 3)
Question. – Why is the usual light of the Buddha one armspan in width
(vyāma) and not larger?
Answer. – The usual light of the Buddha is immense (apramāṇa) and
lights up the universes of the ten directions. The miraculous bodily
light of the Buddha Śākyamuni is immense; it is the width of one
armspan, a hundred armspans, a thousand prabhedakoṭi of armspans and
fills up the trisāhasramahāsāhasralokadhātu and the ten directions.
However, the Buddhas’ custom is to manifest in the world of the five
corruptions (pañcakaṣāyaloka), where beings are of middling qualities
(guṇa) and knowledge (jñāna), a brilliance of only one armspan
(vyāmaprabhā). If he showed a larger brilliance, the people today, of
little merit (alpapuṇya) and weak faculties (mṛdvindriya), would be
unable to tolerate the light. When a person sees a god, his eyes are
blinded because the greater the [outer] light, the more the eye
contracts. It is to people of keen faculties (tīkṣnendriya) and
eminent merit (gurupuṇya) that the Buddha shows his immense brilliance
(apamāṇaprabhā).
Besides, there are people who, seeing the usual light of the Buddha,
rejoice (pramodante) and find salvation.

In the commentary, the light is described as related to the halo/aura of the Buddha. The halo of the Buddha appears in even the "Early Buddhist Texts." It appears in Saṃyuktāgama Sūtra No. 197 and in Venerable Buddhaghosa's commentary on the Dhammasaṅgaṇī, a Pāli Abhidharma text, and in Pi Tv Kd 1 in the Pāli vinaya.

In the Lotus Sūtra, the halo of the Buddha, the rays of light, illuminate the pure lands of the Buddhas. This is related to the idea in the Lotus Sūtra that world-systems are also kinds of pure lands ruled by their Buddha. In the Brahmājālabodhisattvaśīlasūtra, Vairocana Buddha dwells in the pure land of the Lotus Vault surrounded by world-systems, each replete with an emanated Śākyamuni Buddha with his pure land. In Chapter 16 of the Lotus Sūtra, Śākyamuni Buddha enigmatically declares "this land" as his pure land, and declares that it is always tranquil, even when living beings witness it destroyed by fire at the end of the world.

The Buddha first poses 56 stanzas to Manjushri in the beginning of the Lotus Sutra, some of the last stanzas mention fields:

(49). O how powerful is the Leader of men! how extensive and bright is his knowledge! that a single beam darted by him over the world renders visible so many thousands of fields!
(53). That one ray extending from him all over the world makes visible many thousands of fields. It must be for some purpose that this great ray has been emitted.
(55). There must be a weighty reason why so many thousands of fields have been rendered visible, variegated, splendid, and shining with gems, while Buddhas of infinite sight are appearing.

Stanza 55 in Chinese renders:
示諸佛土，
眾寶嚴淨，
及見諸佛，
此非小緣
So 佛土 (Literally: Buddha-soil or Buddha-earth) is rendered literally English as "field" (the same characters are used in stanzas 49 and 53).
However, in Buddhist literature, these are the characters used for buddhakṣetra which is equivalent with Pure Land in East-Asian Buddhism. In the Mahayana sutras, there are many buddhakṣetras.Bodhisattvas such as Avalokiteśvara and Manjushri would obtain pure lands after they attained buddhahood.
In the Lotus Sutra, Buddha's close followers such as Śāriputra, Mahākāśyapa, Subhuti, Maudgalyāyana and Buddha's son Rāhula would also have pure lands.
The literal meaning of "field" is not lost in the Lotus Sutra though. Manjushri answers a bit below the stanzas:
The aforesaid Lord Kandrasûryapradîpa, the Tathâgata, &c., when a young prince and not yet having left home (to embrace the ascetic life), had eight sons, viz. the young princes Sumati, Anantamati, Ratnamati, Viseshamati, Vimatisamudghâtin, Ghoshamati, and Dharmamati. These eight young princes, Agita, sons to the Lord Kandrasûryapradîpa, the Tathâgata, had an immense fortune. Each of them was in possession of four great continents, where they exercised the kingly sway. When they saw that the Lord had left his home to become an ascetic, and heard that he had attained supreme, perfect enlightenment, they forsook all of them the pleasures of royalty and followed the example of the Lord by resigning the world; all of them strove to reach superior enlightenment and became preachers of the law. While constantly leading a holy life, those young princes planted roots of goodness under many thousands of Buddhas.
So reading this as either:

allegorical, light shining on a field symbolizing the basic agricultural ingredients for seeds (of attainment) to grow
"Pure Land interpretation" of countless Buddha-realms, granted on attainment

is possible.


text:
I want to pray and meditate like a Buddhist, but I do not know how because I am Arab and I have not found sources in Arabic so can you guide me
I want to pray and meditate like a Buddhist, but I do not know how because I am Arab and I have not found sources in Arabic so can you guide me

Where are you from, friend? I also live in
Arabia.

I found this PDF copy of the Dhammapada in Arabic online. I don't read Arabic, so I cannot guarantee the authenticity of this copy.
The Metta Sutta (خطبة البودا عن المحبه) in Arabic translated by Ven. Dhammarakkhita and hosted on SuttaCentral.
You can read AccessToInsight.org in Arabic through Google Translate. This contains a large collection of the Pali Canon. For e.g. the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta in Arabic translated using Google Translate. This is the discourse where the Buddha declared his teachings just after his enlightenment, and set the wheel of the Dhamma in motion.
I have found and used Google Translate to translate some important prayers/ chants/ statements here.
This is the undertaking of the five precepts (قواعد التدريب الخمسة):

أتعهد بمبدأ الامتناع عن تدمير الكائنات الحية.
أتعهد بالامتناع عن أخذ ما لم يؤخذ.
أتعهد بمبدأ الامتناع عن سوء السلوك الجنسي.
أتعهد بالامتناع عن الكلام غير الصحيح.
أتعهد بالامتناع عن المسكرات والمخدرات التي تؤدي إلى الإهمال.

For meditation, I'm again putting through Google Translate, the pages from Ven. Yuttadhammo's e-book How to Meditate:

Chapter One: What Is Meditation (الفصل الأول: ما هو التأمل)
Chapter Two: Sitting Meditation (الفصل الثاني: جلوس التأمل)
Chapter Three: Walking Meditation (الفصل الثالث: المشي التأمل)
Chapter Four: Fundamentals (الفصل الرابع: الأساسيات)
Chapter Five: Mindful Prostration (الفصل الخامس: السجود اليقظ)
Chapter Six: Daily Life (الفصل السادس: الحياة اليومية)
Appendix: Illustrations (الملحق: الرسوم التوضيحية)

real Buddhist meditation is meditation upon/development of the clear light luminous mind, free from impure emotions, thoughts and desires, as follows:

Luminous, monks, is the mind. And it is freed from incoming
defilements. The well-instructed disciple of the noble ones discerns
that as it actually is present, which is why I tell you that — for the
well-instructed disciple of the noble ones — there is development of
the mind.
Pabhassara
Sutta: Luminous

Again:

Endowed with this noble aggregate of virtue, this noble restraint over
the sense faculties, this noble mindfulness & alertness, he seeks out
a secluded dwelling: a wilderness, the shade of a tree, a mountain, a
glen, a hillside cave, a charnel ground, a forest grove, the open air,
a heap of straw. After his meal, returning from his alms round, he
sits down, crosses his legs, holds his body erect, and brings
mindfulness to the fore. Abandoning covetousness with regard to the
world, he dwells with an awareness devoid of covetousness. He cleanses
his mind of covetousness. Abandoning ill will & anger, he dwells with
an awareness devoid of ill will, sympathetic with the welfare of all
living beings. He cleanses his mind of ill will & anger. Abandoning
sloth & drowsiness, he dwells with an awareness devoid of sloth &
drowsiness, mindful, alert, percipient of light. He cleanses his mind
of sloth & drowsiness. Abandoning restlessness & anxiety, he dwells
undisturbed, his mind inwardly stilled. He cleanses his mind of
restlessness & anxiety. Abandoning uncertainty, he dwells having
crossed over uncertainty, with no perplexity with regard to skillful
mental qualities. He cleanses his mind of uncertainty.
Mahatanhasankhaya
Sutta

Again:

And what is the faculty of concentration? There is the case where a
monk, a disciple of the noble ones, making it his object to let go,
attains concentration, attains singleness of mind.
Indriya-vibhanga
Sutta

This can be found in Arabic, in Surah Al-Falaq.
If you wish to serve Budddhism, you can translate the above Buddha quotes into Arabic and publish them on an internet blog.


text:
Would 10 days Vipassana a waste of time, if not practised afterwards?
People who have done 10 Days of Vipassana Meditation retreat 5 to 100 times often say that from 5th day the Mind becomes very subtle & remains 24 * 7 like that.
However when they're back to their families & life an average normal lifestyle.
The Mind becomes similar to what it was before (in most cases, as per my experience).
Is our Mind is similar to any other muscle of the body, The bodybuilders can come back in shape quicker than someone who has never achieved it before.
If someone is doing the vipassana 1st time & someone else has a good experience.
Would a 10 days vipassana a waste of time if not practiced after?

Anything we strive to attain in life takes practice. Mastery signifies being able to perform not only in ideal circumstances, but amidst the chaos of everyday life. Ironically, one can become attached to the feeling of being (or striving to be) detached. This can become a serious obstacle if we start dividing practice opportunities into preferences.
How do we counter this? Though from another tradition, I can think of no better quote than one of Dogen Zenji:

we do not sit in order to become enlightened; we sit as an expression of enlightenment.

What he meant was the Buddha did not require any external factors for his enlightenment. Once he realized that trying to force his mind and body into attainment was not the way, he found the Middle Way, a balance between discipline and natural flowing.
Thus, Attainment is not something we can forcibly will or strive into existence. Like mastery in any art, it needs to flow naturally from practice. The mind being subtle is still just the mind. The mind being rigid is still just the mind. Learning to see within those two states is equally worthwhile and necessary.

Thanks for the wonderful answer, I still would request you share more information on "the middle way" & practically what exactly one have to practice in daily life chaos?
They asked me to look at things as it is

The Middle Way s the term that Gautama Buddha used to describe the character of the Noble Eightfold Path. The Eightfold Path consists of eight practices: right view, resolve, speech, conduct, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and samadhi ('meditative absorption or union'). Any of these practices must be balanced between self-discipline and self-moderation.

As for practicing in everyday chaos, once you feel comfortable moving into the meditative state and observe the mind in a controlled environment, gradually start doing this in daily life, like on a bus ride, a waiting room, etc. Gradually you will learn to look at the mind in even the most loaded situations.

It's not a waste of time.
The Buddha, prior to his enlightenment, recalled entering and abiding in the first jhana as a little boy in his father's garden, under a rose-apple tree. The memory of that, inspired him many years later.
No good practice is wasted.
From MN 36:

“I considered: ‘I recall that when my father the Sakyan was occupied,
while I was sitting in the cool shade of a rose-apple tree, quite
secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, I
entered upon and abided in the first jhāna, which is accompanied by
applied and sustained thought, with rapture and pleasure born of
seclusion. Could that be the path to enlightenment?’ Then, following
on that memory, came the realisation: ‘That is indeed the path to
enlightenment.’

Summarised in a phrase of this generation - "If you don't use it you lose it."
In terms of this situation, 10 days of intense meditation will be beneficial for setting up a foundation for sporadic use in the future. When it comes to yourself, it would have to be in line with your cultivation goals, usage and path.
Put it into the perspective of learning to ride a bike:
Takes a lot of effort at first, but once you do learn it's difficult to forget for a while. If you want to be a BMX professional it will take a lot of continued effort; if you enjoy it, continued practice becomes more of a past time; and if you want to use it for a particular agenda (in the case of vipassana, it would be application of greater insight) then conditioning your use for your purposes is the appropriate path.
Considering vipassana is a technique of introspection of one's 'cultivation'; this implies continual conditioning for the growth you are working towards (mastery of self) through means of insightful cultivation, so practice is encouraged.
When one masters a technique, are they the master of the technique? Even if we have got something out of it, is there more we can learn from or apply the technique to? Is there a higher peak of mastery we have yet to become aware of?
When we reach a point where we are not gathering more insight following one method and practice becomes stagnant, that is called a bottleneck in cultivation, like a puzzle missing a piece. When we reach a point like that, we tend to become complacent with continued practice.
To breach these bottlenecks we have yet to learn some relevant insight, when that insight is applied it results in a 'lightbulb' moment which could be considered some level of enlightenment.
Instead of using a singularly faceted approach to the technique, finding alternative methods of application encourages continued use of good time spent learning an invaluable technique.
Cultivate in harmony

Did is did, 10 days or years is did. Karma was complete and waiting for giving resultant.  Its' resultant  is going to be finish in some day certainly because it's karma is finished.
Doing is doing, karma is collecting and waiting for giving resultant. Its' resultant  is going on  because it is doing karma, not just "did".
Both, did and doing, are good, not wasted karma, but "did" is not going to meditate or develop. Only doing is developing to get the goal.

Would a 10 days vipassana a waste of time if not practiced after?

It will never be a waste of time. In fact undertaking such a retreat is one of the most wholesome things one can do in life. I did the 10-day Goenka retreat in 2015 and it really sparked my practice. The thing is, you have to continue practicing when you get home in daily life. It's not like a button you just push when you want to. Taking breaks is not possible since the defilements in the mind also does not take breaks.
A retreat can be a way of deepening ones practice and many will experience that it solidifies their own practice in daily life even further. The external conditions found at the retreat is usually not easy to replicate in daily life which is another reason why attending a retreat is so valuable.
No matter if one does a retreat or not, meditation is not meant to be practiced only on the cushion - it should be integrated into daily life and eventually until one can be mindful 24/7.

When I went to my first Vipassana retreat I could attain to a much more subtle level of mind/jhanas than I usually was able to sitting at home, but when I went back home to practice I could no longer get jhana or even reach access concentration. I don't even practice that style of Vipassana now.
Did I find it a waste of time? Certainly not. The mind goes back to its usual frenetic state, yes, but the experience would stay with me forever, as well as the technique & insight I picked up from the Vipassana instructor. It gave me a very solid experiential backing to the theory I learnt from books. Without the experience, I don't think I could have really understood what was meant by impermanence, dukkha, arising & passing away, karma etc.


text:
Renouncing property and wealth
My question is about supreme peace that is received from renunciation.
When people renounce a major portion of their possession and title, they are believed to get supreme peace.
Where I can get a detailed discussion about renunciation and a little logical discussion too that makes a person renounce?
 The ASIAN continent is filled with Buddhist, and Muslim countries. Many users of Buddhist countries can sufficiently address my concern. my concern is the risk associated with renunciation.

Renunciation in Buddhism is related to going forth from the lay or householder life to life as a monk or nun.
It doesn't apply to lay people renouncing property or inheritance.
In fact, lay people are advised to manage their finances well.
There is good discussion in this article, this article and this article. You can read those for much advice.
For canonical advice:
The Sigalovada Sutta states:

The wise endowed with virtue Shine forth like a burning fire,
Gathering wealth as bees do honey And heaping it up like an ant hill.
Once wealth is accumulated, Family and household life may follow. By
dividing wealth into four parts, True friendships are bound; One part
should be enjoyed; Two parts invested in business; And the fourth set
aside Against future misfortunes."

The Dighajanu Sutta states:

"And what does it mean to maintain one's livelihood in tune? There is
the case where a lay person, knowing the income and outflow of his
wealth, maintains a livelihood in tune, neither a spendthrift nor a
penny-pincher, [thinking], 'Thus will my income exceed my outflow, and
my outflow will not exceed my income.' Just as when a weigher or his
apprentice, when holding the scales, knows, 'It has tipped down so
much or has tipped up so much,' in the same way, the lay person,
knowing the income and outflow of his wealth, maintains a livelihood
in tune, neither a spendthrift nor a penny-pincher, [thinking], 'Thus
will my income exceed my outflow, and my outflow will not exceed my
income.'
"These are the four drains on one's store of wealth: debauchery in
sex; debauchery in drink; debauchery in gambling; and evil friendship,
evil companionship, evil camaraderie. Just as if there were a great
reservoir with four inlets and four drains, and a man were to close
the inlets and open the drains, and the sky were not to pour down
proper showers, the depletion of that great reservoir could be
expected, not its increase.

The Adiya Sutta discusses the 5 benefits obtained from one's wealth. The fifth is charity.
And don't forget that income should come from Right Livelihood, as stated in the Vanijja Sutta:

"Monks, a lay follower should not engage in five types of business.
Which five? Business in weapons, business in human beings, business in
meat, business in intoxicants, and business in poison.

excellent answer (at least the few sentences i read)