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Brahma Viharas Without Visualizing
I have a fairly straightforward question. When I visualize without aim, or even sometimes with aim, disturbing or aggressive images sometimes arise in consciousness. Can I practice meditations on the brahma viharas without visualizing?

To practice Brahma Viharas you should have at least one living being.
So it is not possible to practice without an object.

The subject of your meditation should be a subject which is a live being or some category or grouping of real living beings (loved ones, same part of the country, humans, some animals, northerners, neighbours,  etc.). You can use any visualization or verbalisations. But when you try to visualise X some other unrelated things happens. In this case do not react with despair and anger. When things are not in your control know that it is not / non self.
Also objective of Brahma Vihara is to:

develop these qualities
break the tendency to classify into favorable, unfavorable and neutral categories and  react to the sensations and feelings due to the perception creating unwholesome roots
break the tendency to classify into superior, inferior and neutral and and to react to them creating sensations and feelings due to the perception creating unwholesome roots

Is this the same for any visualization? Simply be aware that the visualizations  are not part of a permanent self and not reflective of motivation? For example, aggressive urges arise and, without identifying with them, observe them without linking them to actual intentions?

What you visualise is never reality but what you put together in your mental model. In you mental model there will be sence of being permanent entity view of people, but in reality they are changing, aging, etc. Also you have no control over your visualisation.

There is a Zen story that goes something like this, a Zen student ask the master if in the state of no thoughts, are there any sins left. The Master replied: "Sumeru!". Sumeru being the mythical World Mountain at the center of the world, a metaphor for immense afflictions.
The fact is that we have a great deal of suffering buried deep within our mind. And it is during the calm state of meditation that many start to surface. I once watched a documentary "Dhamma Brothers" about these prisoners who underwent an intensive 10 days meditation retreat. One of the things that stood out was that some of these murderers interviewed said they start to relive and become aware their horrible crimes. For them it was like coming out of a haze, and making realizations that they have hurt their victims unjustly.
This is why it is Ethics that is the foundation for a successful meditation practice, because we will be reliving a lot of our karma and negative mental habits. According to traditional Buddhist views, this buried afflictions are so deeply embedded all the way from our past lives.
So the question is what to do when these memories/thoughts/visual imaginations resurface? We should apply the antidote to these poisons in our mind. If we have deep anger and resentment for a person, we need apply compassion and forgiveness towards that person. The feelings of loving kindness and good will are the tool needed to overcome these negative mental states. ("Love" very much in the Christian sense). Repentance likewise is very helpful.

The practice of the brahma vihara meditation is given in the suttas as follows:

[One] dwells pervading one quarter with a mind imbued with [brahma-vihara quality], likewise the second quarter, the third quarter, and the fourth quarter. Thus above, below, across, and everywhere, and to all as to himself, he dwells pervading the entire world with a mind imbued with [brahma-vihara quality], vast, exalted, measureless, without enmity, without ill will.

Where the quality in brackets stands for one of the four immeasurables: mettā, karuṇā, muditā, upekkhā ("loving-kindness", "compassion", "empathetic joy", "equanimity").
If we regard this practice description as complete, we can follow it as is. In this case, it doesn't seem to emphasize specific visualizations. Instead, it seems to instruct us to do an active immersion of the mind in a certain quality, say, spreading it and filling every corner of one's mind with it.
Using mettā as example, one immerses the mind in this quality gradually:

[...] one quarter with a mind imbued with mettā, likewise the second quarter, the third quarter, and the fourth quarter [...]

One makes it pervasive, ubiquitous:

Thus above, below, across, and everywhere [...] vast, exalted, measureless

One directs it and applies it to every being, to the entire world:

[...] to all as to himself, he dwells pervading the entire world with a mind imbued with mettā.

When this practice is undertaken, unwholesome qualities diminish:

[...] without enmity, without ill will.

They diminish because if these are effectively practiced, the mind becomes interested in these qualities; it grabs the interest of the mind once it finds them pleasurable. As result, the mind incorporates them.
They also diminish because of "incompatibility". For example, it's not possible for a mind immersed in compassion to have cruelty taking hold of it. Cruel thoughts appear distant, tasteless, sterile and weak in a mind soaked in compassion.

With the brief practice contextualized, let's talk the specifics:
You said: disturbing or aggressive images sometimes arise in consciousness.
If the aggressive images that arise (e.g. towards another or towards oneself) are born out of anger or are enticing, metta and/or karuna can be ideal primary practices. If the aggressive images are born out of envy,  jealous or discontent sentiments, it might be interesting to focus more on mudita (see AN 6.13 and also DN 34). All these can be complemented and calibrated by upekkhā, which is also one of the recommended practices for dealing with disgust and passion.
On the other hand, if the disturbing thoughts have as origin remorse or, generally, non-virtuous past behaviors, it might be fruitful to focus more on reestablishing the precepts, making amends to past mistakes and strengthening virtuous behavior.
Naturally, all the above are not mutually exclusive, meaning one benefits from doing them all, but certain difficulties might be approached better with a focused/dedicated effort.

Those are perfect appearances, Eggman. Developing, for example metta means to hold on an attitude of goodwill (metta) "like a mother holds on here only son", even so hold on a mindstate of metta. Special perfect, because those phenomenas cause you to fall into aversion. That's a perfect working place. So when such things arise, put more effort into keeping up goodwill and don't tend to aversion if it arises. Itks good when you also observe how mind reacts, phenomenas arising and decay. When you use metta as object for your concentration (thats actually the dhammic purpose of it), also obsere the comming and going of phenomenas. It's good to become aware of such, much better then to dwell dull in the Brahma Vihara realm.

I read once (in a modern, non-Buddhist psychology book) that some people are more visual, some more auditory, some more tactile (or haptic):

Most people are visual so you show them something.
Most of the rest are auditory (by which I mean, prefer to learn by hearing) so you tell them something.
The minority are haptic so they learn by doing something.

I guess it's possible that most people practice Bhavana by visual imagination, but that some people could do it via other forms of imagination. For example is it easier for you to identify people by sound instead of sight?
You're supposed to pervade kindness and so on in various directions -- maybe that means you can use your sense of proprioception.

What I mean is within thought saying, for example: "May X be happy, healthy, safe and live with ease." Repeating this multiple times for example. Or reason about the qualities of the person, etc. Would these be defined as metta?

Yes. This is a meditation involving words ("May X be happy"); and this is a chant not a visualization (I suppose someone might visualize as well as or while chanting, but perhaps you understand words without trying to visualize objects which the words describe).

Visualizing is just one of the way to trigger happy feeling to arise, but not all of us could visualize thing. So, visualizing is not compulsory to practice brahmavihara.
Verbalizing too is one of the way to trigger happy feeling but if you chant "may you be happy" all the time, you won't get deeper in your meditation.
The problem with practicing brahmavihara is that there's only a few teachers who could teach this practice.
Bhante Vimalaramsi from Dhammasukha.org [My Teacher | Highly Recommended] [easy to practice without too much theory] [Free Online Retreat | Guidance]
Pa-Auk Sayadaw from paaukforestmonastery.org [Someone that i Recommend too] [Burmese Tradition, Theorical and Too much Abhidhammic and Commentaries]


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What is the basis of Lotus Sutta with respect to original Tipitaka?
I would like to know the basis of Lotus sutra and it's relationship with the original teachings of Buddha mentioned in the Tipitaka. I would like to also know where Lotus Sutra contradicts with things mentioned in the Tipitaka.
A detailed and referenced answer would be really appreciated.

The are serial answer, not that bad, but deleted by the means of censure of Maras followers, servants.

@SamanaJohann I deleted at least three answers because the rules of this site require that answers (about e.g. the Lotus sutta or anything else) should be posted from inside a perspective of that sutta or tradition -- and so e.g. "the sutra is inauthentic" or "Mahayana is a fake sect" etc. isn't allowable. For details see the topic "Minimizing controversy" in the FAQ index (summary of site policies).

I have been watching this question for sometime, because the original poster posted this question in response to a comment I made earlier. I have refrained from replying because I didn't feel I could do justice to the Lotus Sutra, especially without coming across as attacking Theravada Buddhism.
However, given that Saptha Visuddhi above have decided to attack the Lotus Sutra and Mahayana Buddhism, I feel I must correct these erroneous views.
First of all, I must state that, in contrary to common Theravada claims about being the 'Pure Tradition' handed down by the Elders, Theravada is not the same as the Buddhism taught during the time of the Sakyamuni Buddha. Indeed while it is the most conservative, but it is not 'pure'. A common narrative asserted by the Theravada was that they maintained all the teachings handed down since the Early Buddhist Council, and maintained that they are descended from the Sthavira sect, while Mahayana are Mahāsāṃghika. Theravada narrative assert that the Mahāsāṃghika split off from the elders because they want to modify the Vinaya. While historical evidence and the narrative of other schools indicate that it was in fact the Sthavira who wanted to add more rules to the Vinaya. Never the less, the current surviving Vinaya of the Mahayana traditions (East Asian and Tibetan) are in fact also descended from the Sthavira, and has more monastic rules than what is scholarly accepted to be the oldest the Mahāsāṃghika.
Further more, the Abhidhamma according to Theravada narrative asserts that it was taught by the Sakyamuni Buddha to his mother in heaven. This should have indicated that skillful means was being employed on the origins of this teaching.  Historical scholars indicate that the Abhidhamma as a synthesis of the Buddha's teachings, and has a checkered history and was not accepted by all Buddhist schools, and were actually one of the reason for the Early Buddhist schisms as each schools reject or accepted the metaphysical doctrines of other schools. Indeed some Buddhist sect did not consider Abhidhamma to be canonical at all as originally the teachings were called Dharmavinaya, containing only two 'baskets'.
The Abhidhamma made a lot of metaphysical assertions, as the teachings of the Buddha were analyzed and compiled. Prophetic predictions were made about the coming of the Future Buddha Maitreya, the disappearance of the Dharma and so forth. The differences between Buddhas and Arahants, and indeed the Four Stages of Enlightenment were analytically described. These four stages would have originally correspond to having attained Right View to practice the Noble Eightfold Path (stream entry), Ethics (Once Returner), Concentration (Non Returner), culminating in the Wisdom of a perfect Arahant. The differences between a Buddha, an Arahant, an a Pratyekabuddha were further described. In fact, many of these metaphysical doctrines made their way back into the Sutta Pitaka.

Scholars, however, generally date the Abhidhamma works to originating some time around the third century BCE, 100 to 200 years after the death of the Buddha. Therefore, the seven Abhidhamma works are generally claimed by scholars not to represent the words of the Buddha himself, but those of disciples and scholars.
Anguttara Nikāya
According to Keown, "there is considerable disparity between the Pāli and the Sarvāstivādin versions, with more than two-thirds of the sūtras found in one but not the other compilation, which suggests that much of this portion of the Sūtra Piṭaka was not formed until a fairly late date."
Khuddaka Nikāya
  This is a heterogeneous mix of sermons, doctrines, and poetry attributed to the Buddha and his disciples. The contents vary somewhat between editions. The Thai edition includes 1-15 below, the Sinhalese edition 1-17 and the Burmese edition 1-18.

However we can begin to see some common controversies and problems that exist to this day. For example, the nature of Nirvana, the nature of the discrete states of enlightenment. And the nature of prophecies. The role of women. The role of Arahants. How many times have you seen Buddhists passively accept the decline of the Dharma because it was already foretold by the prophecies. I have even seen Theravada Buddhists stated that in this Degenerated Dharma age, no one can attain Arahantship and that the best bet is to hope for rebirth in the time of the Maitreya and become enlightened then. The passive fatalistic world view was threatening the survival of Buddhism itself. Indeed even Sri Lanka, the very heart of Thervada Buddhism has demonstrated, they have actually lost the Dharma transmission at least 3 times in their history and had to be revitalized from else where.
Further more, certain schools such as the Madhyamaka led by Nagarjuna utilizing the doctrine of dependent origination, logically show that because all phenomena are dependently originated, they are ultimately empty, that is impermanent and selfless. Hence in Nirvana there is no actually leaving to go anywhere. As the Buddha would say the five aggregates are impermanent and not self.

Eight Negations Of Nagarjuna

no elimination
no production
no destruction
no eternity
no unity
no manifoldness
no arriving
no departing

This probably imply in my own opinion to mean that there is no permanent cessation of birth and death. The cessation of suffering and sankhara are impermanent.
Hence, the ideal of the Bodhisattva was born, instead of desiring to be free from all worldly attachments as soon as possible, Buddhist monks and laymen alike were exhorted to remain engaged with the larger society. If escape from Samsara was in some sense impossible, what then is the goal of the Buddhist life?
The Lotus Sutra is one of those text which laid out the purpose of Buddhism. It points out that ultimately there is only One Vehicle, not three distinct vehicles, The Savakas, Pratyekabuddhas, Bodhisattvas are ultimately on the same path - the Noble Eightfold Path. While there are differences in relative abilities, they are not ultimately irreversibly separated from one another. The teachings are only different because the abilities of people to understand something is different. Skillful means was emphasized as the manifold ways which a Buddha can teach sentient beings the Dharma. This was demonstrated with the parable of a rich man with the burning house who attracted his children out of the house by promising the rewards of different carts, but when they ultimately leave the house, the real cart "the one vehicle" they received is even more beautiful than the promises. The Lotus Sutra overturn the metaphysics described in the Suttas and emphasized that they are only skillful means, that is metaphors for the holy life.
Further more, Nirvana is compared to a phantom city magically conjured in the desert, allowing weary travelers searching for treasures to rest. Because the spiritual life is so difficult and demanding, nirvana allowed them to rest, before being exhorted to go further to the true purpose of the practice, to attain enlightenment. That is the Lotus Sutra state the goal of Buddhist practice is not to merely attain the state of no suffering, but to attain the full wisdom of a Buddha. This was compared to another parable where a runaway son returned home but did not recognize his own father, and the father set him out to do simple tasks at first to instill confidence until he can fully take on the inheritance of his father himself. Hence all beings have the potential to become a fully enlightened Buddha, regardless whether they are women, non humans or even sinners like Devadatta.
Further more, the Buddhas themselves are described as immortal because the True Dharma is immortal, unconditional and always present, the Noble Eightfold Path will always be the universal gate to experiencing Awakening.
This is reemphasized in the Universal Gate Chapter of the Lotus Sutra, said to be the very heart of the Lotus Sutra and a focus of many Mahayana Buddhist school. In it, it is stated that Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva can save beings who call upon him from the dangers fire, flood and storm, knives, demons, chains and demons. The dangers are of course the fire of anger, flood of cravings, storm of delusion, the knives of conceit, the demons of temptations, the chains of attachments and the robbers of afflictions, and we will indeed be saved as long as we apply the Dharma compassionately. The Avalokiteshvara is further stated to be able to transform to whatever beings as needed to teach the Dharma, reminding us that the Dharma is present everywhere if we knew how to look. The finger is not the moon, the raft is to ferry us across, not to be carried after we have arrived.
If you are attached to the metaphysics of Theravada Buddhism, you will be unable to see the wisdom within the Lotus Sutra.
I recommend reading this as a good introduction:
http://www.wisdompubs.org/sites/default/files/preview/Lotus%20Sutra%20Book%20Preview.pdf

Does that mean there is proper basis of Lotus Sutra with respect to original Tipitaka? Yes or no please :-)

Fundamentals of the Dharma is the same, the purpose of the Dharma is interpreted differently.

@Yinxu your answer is lengthy and detailed without citations. Neither does it properly address the question. I will append "citation needed" and "references needed" in all heresay sentences unless you can update your answer accordingly. The initial question was specific about what is expected in the answer. If we can't back facts up even in a methodical forum like Stack Exchange, we are shooting in the blind. Unfortunately, a PDF link isn't a proper reference format, especially in a question encouraging references.

As I said hunting down all the references will take much more effort than I am available to give at this time. You didn't exactly put much effort into the question did you?

You can give suggestions to where you would like me to focus my efforts.

Thanks for the suggestion to obtain citations, I am working on researching the relevant materials and is learning quite a bit in the process. I will add additional references as I come across them.

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What is Metta-Bhavana and how does one practice it?
I can't find much information on Metta-Bhavana and I want to know:

what it is. What is the purpose of this type of meditation?
details concerning its practice. How does one practice this meditation?

You may have been misspelling it when you searched: it's spelled bhavana not bhanava, so metta-bhavana.

'Metta' is good-will & non-hatred. It is wanting other people to be happy. This does not mean to "save" or transform other people into inherently happy people but to abide with non-conflict with other people. The meditation method is below:

Whatever living beings there may be;  Whether they are weak or strong,
  omitting none, The great or the mighty, medium, short or small,   The
  seen and the unseen, Those living near and far away,  Those born and
  to-be-born. Wishing: In gladness and in safety — May all beings be at ease/be happy! (sabbe sattā bhavantu sukhitattā)
Let none deceive another,     Or despise any being in any state. Let none
  through anger or ill-will     Wish harm upon another. Even as a mother
  protects with her life    Her child, her only child, So with a boundless
  heart     Should one cherish all living beings.
Radiating kindness over the entire world:     Spreading upwards to the
  skies, And downwards to the depths;   Outwards and unbounded, Freed
  from hatred and ill-will.     Whether standing or walking, seated or
  lying down Free from drowsiness,  One should sustain this
  recollection. This is said to be the sublime abiding.     By not holding
  to fixed views, The pure-hearted one, having clarity of vision, freed from all sense desires.
Karaniya Metta Sutta

Metta-Bhanava - what is it?
The Buddha said that next to the contemplation of ‘Anicca’, the next most fruitful bhavana is that of metta. The benifits of the metta bhavana far exceed what one gains from all other forms of giving. The Buddha said one could attain the Anagami stage by correctly doing the metta bhavana. But that entails understanding anicca, dukkha, anatta. The impact of the metta bhavana increases gradually with increased understanding of anicca, dukkha, anatta, because then one realizes the dangers and suffering that all living beings face in future lives. There are two ways of cultivating this Bhavana, and how it is done. But what matters is not the particular set of words used, but what is felt in one’s heart. To do that one needs to truly comprehend that there is REAL SUFFERING in this world, not only in the human or animal realms, but in all other realms.
What is the purpose of this meditation?
You and I are still in this unending cycle of rebirths (sansara) that has no beginning due to our innumerable “unskilful kamma vipaka”. There is a very simple recipe to stop many such “past kamma vipaka” from coming to fruition.  Metta-Bhanava is one such that helps to “wear out” and ultimately remove many of the “kamma seeds” associated with past unskilful deeds. Doing metta bhavana and transferring merits gained is an effective way to do this.
All intentions have kammic energy. You may remember that the Buddha said, “Cetana ham bhikkave kamman vadami”, or “Bhikkhus, I say intention is kamma”. And kamma is the fundamental potential energy for everything in this world. When one is “transferring merits” by sincerely saying that “May so and so receive merits from this good deed that I have done”, or doing metta bhavana by saying, “May all beings be free from the suffering in the samsara”, one is transmitting one’s intention.
How does one practice this meditation?
Two ways of cultivating the loving-kindness meditation are mentioned in Anuruddha Sutta in Majjima Nikāya. Arahant Anuruddha Thero has explained those two ways of cultivating the loving-kindness meditation. These two methods are Appamānha Chētō Vimukkti and Mahaggata Chētō Vimukkti.
The way to cultivate Appamānha Chētō Vimukkti…
May all beings in north direction be free of enmity… May they be free of anger… May they be free of jealousy… May they be free of suffering, harm… May they live well and happy… May they become peaceful…
May all beings in northeast direction…      May all beings in east direction…May all beings in southeast direction…   May all beings in south direction…   May all beings in southwest direction…
May all beings in west direction…   May all beings in northwest direction…   May all beings in up direction…   May all beings in down direction…
The way to cultivate Mahaggata Chētō Vimukkti…
In Mahaggata Chētō Vimukkti, loving-kindness meditation is cultivated by expanding the area of focus progressively. That is, one cultivates loving-kindness to oneself first. Then to beings in the immediate environment, village, in town, in province/state, in the country, and in this earth, to other worlds…. Ones who prefer  Mahaggata Chētō Vimukkti method can remember the following …  to practice the loving-kindness meditation.
May I be free of enmity… May I be free of anger… May I be free of jealousy… May I be free of suffering, harm… May I live well and happy… May I be peaceful…
I and all beings in this village…   I and all beings in this town…   I and all beings in this province/state…   I and all beings in this country…   I and all beings in this world…   I and all beings…
What are the benefits of this meditation?
Benefits of practicing the loving-kindness meditation are clearly shown in the Mettānisansa Sutta in Anguttara Nikāya. Those benefits are:
A person who cultivates the loving-kindness meditation: Sleeps well; Wakes up well; Does not have nightmares; Becomes likable to humans; Becomes likable to ghost / ‘Pretha’ beings of the lower realms; Gets the protection of divine beings of higher realms; Does not come to any harm from poisons, weapons etc. Can attain concentration with ease; Gets a colorful/brighter complexion; at the time of death will have a clear mind; Will be born in the Deva / Brahma planes of existence upon death.

Do to Metta Bhavana you should wish everyone well from Bottom of your heart.
The objective of this is to:

develop loving kindness as a quality
break you tendency to classify people into loved ones, neutral and unloved ones and react to the perception of them with clinging, hatred or neutral feeling creating the unwholesome roots

If you include the other Brahmavihara:
 - break you tendency to classify people into better off, same level and worse off and react to the perception of them with clinging, hatred or neutral feeling creating the unwholesome roots

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Do we need to cheat the mind to escape thoughts which would lead to bad habits?
Do we need to cheat the mind?
For example:

A thought came: "Why not get Drunk tonight?" (I don't drink & smoke)
Next Thought: "No I am not supposed to do it" (is this 'mind' talking again?)
Next Thought: "Oh Come on, Don't be a child."
Next Thought: "No my room mates are good people, I can not."

When I think about it, I came to know that my friends are also a major fact in helping me in making good habits.
But what if someday I am with some guys, who are always drinking, and there is no pressure of insult?
How to control mind?
Is observing the feeling of lust actually helping me to know more about it?
Is it true that we can never control the mind, and that we just have to cheat it by either focusing on some other thing (which is just to avoid the feeling, but it will come back), or to observe it? What exactly happens when I observe a feeling or sensation in the body?
What is the best way to change a bad habit? Someone told me to know the reason why I want to change it, but would that be enough?

Personally, I prefer to be attracted towards positive consequences and results I like. And so I imagine a future where this habit is no longer a habit and I imagine it pulling me to it, like a magnet. But the key is definitely in first recognizing that a different future is possible and constant vigilance in keeping this possible future at the forefront of my thoughts.

@TeacherKSHuang You're welcome to post that as an answer instead of a comment, even when the answer is short.

@TeacherKSHuang Sir I request you to kindly explain it in very simple language, it seems you are an writer author or poet, Which for me is difficult to understand.

What I mean is that instead of focusing on the bad habit, I focus on a good habit I want to maintain and let myself be pulled to that good habit. I think, "Being healthy feels good" instead of thinking "Smoking is bad for me." And then I think about the things I can do when I'm healthy, such as going for walks, being able to play outdoors or even getting a good night's sleep.

For example, a bad habit I'm currently working on is not slouching anymore so I always think about how much better I sleep when my back isn't so sore anymore, how much better and taller I look standing up straight, etc.

Thanks, @ChrisW. But do answers need to be related to Buddhist scripture? Cus I'm actually not Buddhist....

Essentially, this is just the "Law of Attraction." Or if that's too pseudo-sciency for you, you could call it goal-setting :).

@TeacherKSHuang if Lust arises Buddhist says to observe the sensation, what would you suggest?, because i can't control my thoughts and suddenly found myself in you know.

As I am not Buddhist, I could not answer you as a Buddhist. What do you mean by "observing the sensation"? If you mean acknowledging it, then moving on, I would say, that's what I would do. If you mean acting upon it, then I would say that you should probably get a hobby. I glanced at the link and it looks like it has some religious roots, so it might work for you as well.

@TeacherKSHuang Thanks for asking. I'm inclined to say that (in order to avoid mere opinion/speculation) answers should be based on references or on personal experience (or both). Very occasionally though, when I've answered from experience without references, somebody complained that it was insufficiently obvious how that answer was related to Buddhism. FWIW I think various forms of Buddhism do teach both methods (for example this topic): one, "decreasing the bad habits", and the other, "learning to act as if bad habits are non-existant".

But what if someday I am with some guys, who are always drinking, and there is no pressure of insult?
I agree that friends (the company you keep) are important.
I think that doctrine is found in several suttas:

Upaddha Sutta:

And through this line of reasoning one may know how admirable friendship, admirable companionship, admirable camaraderie is actually the whole of the holy life

Bhikkhuni Sutta

'This body comes into being through conceit. And yet it is by relying on conceit that conceit is to be abandoned.' Thus was it said. And in reference to what was it said? There is the case, sister, where a monk hears, 'The monk named such-and-such, they say, through the ending of the fermentations, has entered & remains in the fermentation-free awareness-release & discernment-release, having known & realized them for himself in the here & now.' The thought occurs to him, 'The monk named such-and-such, they say, through the ending of the fermentations, has entered & remains in the fermentation-free awareness-release & discernment-release, having known & realized them for himself in the here & now. Then why not me?' Then he eventually abandons conceit, having relied on conceit. 'This body comes into being through conceit. And yet it is by relying on conceit that conceit is to be abandoned.' Thus was it said, and in reference to this was it said.

Sigalovada Sutta  (read the whole sutta, not only this quote):

Young man, be aware of these four enemies disguised as friends: the taker, the talker, the flatterer, and the reckless companion.

Dhammapada;

If one finds a sagacious friend, who is a virtuous and steadfast companion, one should live with him joyfully and mindfully, overcoming all dangers.
If one cannot find a sagacious friend, who is a virtuous and steadfast companion, one should live alone like the king who gave up and left the country he had won, and like the elephant Matanga roaming alone in the forest.
It is better to live alone; there is no fellowship with a fool. So one should live alone, do no evil, and be carefree like the elephant Matanga roaming alone in the forest.

Is observing the feeling of lust actually helping me to know more about it?
If I tell you to jump off a tall building I think there are two things you could do:

Jump off the building, because I told you to, without thinking about it
Hear the sound of my words but without obeying them (without making them your intentional action)

I think that "observation" is a bit like the second scenario -- it helps you to detach from the impulse ... and/or to experience the sensation (the sound or thought) without that forming much impulse to act.
What is the best way to change a bad habit? Someone told me to know the reason why I want to change it, but would that be enough?
Various ways include:

Avoid the bad habit in the first place. For example if you've reason to believe that smoking is harmful and addictive, don't start smoking (never try smoking) -- if you do you might say, afterwards, "Well once was OK (I survived it), it was new, interesting ... maybe try it again now!"
If you acquire a bad habit, try to stop it as soon as possible. Allowing yourself to continue to practice the bad habit for longer doesn't make it easier to stop!
Change your situation (e.g. avoid living with harmful people)
Understand the harm and the unsatisfying nature of the bad habit -- sometimes it's a habit because it's not satisfying (because "doing it once isn't satisfying" is the reason why you're tempted to do it again)
Consider or search for wholesome alternatives (e.g. if a bad habit is a choice, an option, there may be other other choices, better options)
Beware the "I am special" temptation, i.e. conceit: for example, thinking "drinking is harmful for other people ... but it's OK for me!" -- or the opposite, e.g. "may everyone else be happy ... but I just want to drink myself to death!".
Consider the future: "If I continue to do this, what is the likely consequence?"
Confess (admit) the fault.

For example, in the Vinaya (the monks' rules), many transgressions are labelled "faults of confession". I don't know details but I think that if a monk transgresses they're supposed to confess that (to another monk), "I did such-and-such", and that there are reasons why that's prescribed.
Another example, from secular life, people who are habitual alcoholics might go to a meeting for alcoholics, to discuss and share experiences about what the various problems are, and maybe how and what it's like to overcome them. You can't really do that unless you're willing to say, "Alcoholism is a problem (is one of my problems) and it would be appropriate for me to attend these meetings".
If you don't want to admit you have a problem then avoid committing problematic actions -- that's one of the ways in which social pressure or peer pressure might help you to stay out of trouble. Conversely if you do have a problem then admit it.

Also FYI the thought "Oh Come on, Don't be a child" sounds to me like it has some implicit/unstated assumptions or views: for example that, "Being a child is bad", and that, "Adults drink alcohol". Beware these implicit assumptions or arguments (and others) are not necessarily true -- it may be quite a common line of "reasoning" (argument) among teenagers or young adults, though.

Is there a difference between ego and conceit?
I think that English isn't the "native language" of Buddhist Dharma, and "conceit" is an English translation.
For longer explanations of what the word "conceit" means, see for example the answers to this question, How are 'conceit' and 'identity-view' not the same?

and does Bhikkhuni Sutta's Essence means to abandon conceit
I think that conceit includes comparing yourself to others, for example the following are both called forms of conceit:

"I am better than he is"
"He is better than I am"

I think the essence of the Bhikkhuni Sutta is that although conceit is to be abandoned finally, it can be a useful tool, a useful stage on the path.
For example the following is conceit:

"That monk was able to achieve a stage of enlightened. If he could do it then so can I: and if I do what he does then I too will reach that stage!"

That's conceit because it's comparing yourself; but it's useful because it gives you confidence or faith, and gives you a good example (and doesn't give you a bad example).

I also do not understand the impulse thing (Does impulse means the action one takes after sensation)
I'm not sure I do either.
See for example this page:

Intention, I tell you, is kamma. Intending, one does kamma by way of body, speech, & intellect.
And what is the cause by which kamma comes into play? Contact is the cause by which kamma comes into play.

I think that two examples of that are:

I see an apple. The thought occurs, "Supposing I were to eat the apple?" I decide (or accept the impulse) to eat it.
I look over the edge of a tall building. The thought occurs, "Supposing I were to jump off this building?" I decide not to (or refuse or ignore the impulse) to jump.

When the sutta says "Contact is the cause" perhaps that means for example "Seeing the apple" and "Being aware of the thought".
The "intentional action" is when I eat the apple and do so intentionally (knowing that it's an apple, having decided to eat it for some good or bad reason).

Many people say by smoking they are not harming anyone, so they do not have reason to quit, (even spiritual people say that)
I have observed there are people who say that, yes.

What I need to understand of this?
I think that these are people who are less likely to change that habit: because they say it isn't harmful.

Thanks for answering May i know a bit more about 4 enemies.
 Is there a **difference between ego and conceit?** and does Bhikkhuni Sutta's Essence means to abonden conceit?

 Sir I also do not understand the impulse thing (Does impulse means the action one takes after sensation)

 Point 6: Many people say by smoking they are not harming anyone, so they do not have reason to quit, (even spiritual people say that) What I need to understand of point 6 ?

I added to the answer.

Buddha, in one sutta (I don't recall the name) suggests four ways to discard bad thoughts:

Think of some other meritorious thought
Think of the repercussions of the bad thought
Think of Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha
Stick your tongue up your upper mouth and clench your teeth with determination not to think of it

I'll include the sutta when I recall it.


text:
Questions about the “Tatiyavitthārasutta”
SuttaCentral's
Pāli text of SN 48.17, “Tatiyavitthārasutta” is,

“Pañcimāni, bhikkhave, indriyāni. Katamāni pañca? Saddhindriyaṃ … pe … paññindriyaṃ—imāni kho, bhikkhave, pañcindriyāni. Imesaṃ kho, bhikkhave, pañcannaṃ indriyānaṃ samattā paripūrattā arahaṃ hoti, tato mudutarehi antarāparinibbāyī hoti, tato
  mudutarehi sasaṅkhāraparinibbāyī hoti, tato mudutarehi uddhaṃsoto hoti akaniṭṭhagāmī, tato mudutarehi sakadāgāmī hoti, tato mudutarehi sotāpanno hoti, tato mudutarehi dhammānusārī hoti, tato mudutarehi saddhānusārī hoti. Iti kho, bhikkhave, paripūraṃ paripūrakārī ārādheti, padesaṃ padesakārī ārādheti. ‘Avañjhāni tvevāhaṃ, bhikkhave, pañcindriyānī’ti vadāmī”ti.

In this Sutta:

What are asaṅkhāraparinibbāyī and sasaṅkhāraparinibbāyī ?
What is the meaning of vadāmī?
Do dhammānusārī and saddhānusārī mean Cula Sotapanna?
Is the maximum of seven lives applicable to Cula Sotapanna?

Thanks.

Where did you come accross this term "Cula Sotapanna"? or did you coin it? This is the first time that I heard of such.

Please include an english translation

I am sorry I do not have the English translation. I will include it if I find it.

This thread says that Cula Sotapanna means "Lesser Sotapanna" and includes "truth followers" and "faith-followers".

What are asaṅkhāraparinibbāyī and sasaṅkhāraparinibbāyī ?

In SN 46.3, Bhikkhu Bodhi translates these terms as:

'Nibbāna without exertion'
'Nibbāna with exertion'.

This translation appears inaccurate to me, since 'sankhara' here probably means 'thinking' rather than 'exertion' (although the practical meaning is the same).
The terms 'asaṅkhāraparinibbāyī' & 'sasaṅkhāraparinibbāyī' are described in AN 4.169, which states per the translation below:

Cattāromecattārome?, bhikkhave, puggalā santo saṃvijjamānā lokasmiṃ.
  Katame cattāro?
017.09. Bhikkhus, these four persons are evident in the world. What four?
Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo diṭṭheva dhamme
  sasaṅkhāraparinibbāyī hoti. Idha pana, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo
  kāyassa bhedā sasaṅkhāraparinibbāyī hoti. Idha pana, bhikkhave,
  ekacco puggalo diṭṭheva dhamme asaṅkhāraparinibbāyī hoti. Idha
  pana, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo kāyassa bhedā
  asaṅkhāraparinibbāyī hoti.
Here, bhikkhus, a certain person extinguishes here and now with
  substratum. A certain person extinguishes with substratum at death, a
  certain person extinguishes here and now without substratum. A certain
  person extinguishes without substratum at death,
Bhikkhus, which person extinguishes here and now with substratum?
Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo diṭṭheva dhamme
  sasaṅkhāraparinibbāyī hoti? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu
  asubhānupassī kāye viharati, āhāre paṭikūlasaññī, sabbaloke
  anabhiratisaññī, sabbasaṅkhāresu aniccānupassī. Maraṇasaññā kho
  panassa ajjhattaṃ sūpaṭṭhitā hoti. So imāni pañca sekhabalāni
  upanissāya viharati— saddhābalaṃ, hiribalaṃ, ottappabalaṃ,
  vīriyabalaṃ, paññābalaṃ. Tassimāni pañcindriyāni adhimattāni
  pātubhavanti—saddhindriyaṃ, vīriyindriyaṃ, satindriyaṃ,
  samādhindriyaṃ, paññindriyaṃ. So imesaṃ pañcannaṃ indriyānaṃ
  adhimattattā diṭṭheva dhamme sasaṅkhāraparinibbāyī hoti. Evaṃ
  kho, bhikkhave, puggalo diṭṭheva dhamme sasaṅkhāraparinibbāyī
  hoti.
Here, bhikkhus, the bhikkhu abides reflecting loathsomeness in the
  body, loathsomeness in food, detachment from all the world, seeing
  impermanence in all determinations and the perception of death is
  thoroughly established in him. He abides relying on these five powers
  of a trainer- Such as the powers of faith, shame remorse, effort and
  wisdom. The five faculties of faith, effort, mindfulness,
  concentration and wisdom are sharp in him as a result he extinguishes
  here and now with substratum.
Bhikkhus, which person extinguishes with substratum after death?
Here, bhikkhus, the bhikkhu abides reflecting loathsomeness in the
  body, loathsomeness in food, detachment from all the world, seeing
  impermanence in all determinations and the perception of death is
  thoroughly established in him. He abides relying on these five powers
  of a trainer- Such as the powers of faith, shame remorse, effort and
  wisdom. The five faculties of faith, effort, mindfulness,
  concentration and wisdom are blunt in him as a result he extinguishes
  with substratum after death.
Bhikkhus, which person extinguishes here and now without substratum?
Here, bhikkhus, the bhikkhu secluded from sensual thoughts, angry
  thoughts, hurting thoughts and evil thoughts ... re ... and abides in
  the first higher state of mind. Overcoming thoughts and thought
  processes ... re ... abides in the second higher state of mind.
  Developing equanimity to joy and detachment ... re ... experiences
  pleasantness with the body too and abides in the third higher state of
  mind. To this the noble ones say abiding in pleasantness with
  equanimity. Dispelling pleasantness and unpleasantness and earlier
  having dispelled pleasure and displeasure, purifying mindfulness, so
  that unpleasantness or pleasantness does not enter the mind, he abides
  in the fourth higher state of mind. He abides relying on these five
  powers of a trainer- Such as the powers of faith, shame remorse,
  effort and wisdom. The five faculties of faith, effort, mindfulness,
  concentration and wisdom are sharp in him as a result he extinguishes
  without substratum here and now.
Bhikkhus, which person extinguishes without substratum after death?
Here, bhikkhus, the bhikkhu secluded from sensual thoughts, angry
  thoughts, hurting thoughts and evil thoughts ... re ... and abides in
  the first higher state of mind. Overcoming thoughts and thought
  processes ... re ... abides in the second higher state of mind.
  Developing equanimity to joy and detachment ... re ... experiences
  pleasantness with the body too and abides in the third higher state of
  mind. To this the noble ones say abiding in pleasantness with
  equanimity. Dispelling pleasantness and unpleasantness and earlier
  having dispelled pleasure and displeasure, purifying mindfulness, so
  that unpleasantness or pleasantness does not enter the mind, he abides
  in the fourth higher state of mind. He abides relying on these five
  powers of a trainer- Such as the powers of faith, shame remorse,
  effort and wisdom. The five faculties of faith, effort, mindfulness,
  concentration and wisdom are blunt in him as a result he extinguishes
  without substratum after death.
Bhikkhus, these four persons are evident in the world.

The sutta is unambiguous. 'Asaṅkhāraparinibbāyī' appears to mean 'extinguishing without using the sankhara aggregate', namely, the development of jhana, which is the stilling of thought. 'Sasaṅkhāraparinibbāyī' appears to mean 'extinguishing with using the sankhara aggregate', namely, the development of wisdom or right view.

What is the meaning of vadāmī?

'Vadami' simply means 'speak' or 'I say' (it seems).

Do dhammānusārī and saddhānusārī mean Cula Sotapanna?

Dhamma-follower & faith-follower appear to not be sotapanna (stream-enterer) but headed for sotappana (stream-entry).

Bhikkhus, the Dhamma well proclaimed by me thus is clear…free of patchwork. In the Dhamma well proclaimed by me thus, which is
  clear…free of patchwork, those bhikkhus who are Dhamma-followers or
  faith-followers are all headed for enlightenment. MN 22

Is the maximum of seven lives applicable to Cula Sotapanna?

No. The suttas do not mention "seven more lives". The suttas only mention: "seven more", which obviously means "seven more fetters to breakthrough", as indicted by SN 13.1:

In the same way, monks, for a disciple of the noble ones who is consummate in view, an individual who has broken through [to
  stream-entry], the suffering & stress that is totally ended &
  extinguished is far greater. That which remains in the state of having
  at most seven remaining [fetters] is next to nothing: it's not a
  hundredth, a thousandth, a one hundred-thousandth, when compared with
  the previous mass of suffering. That's how great the benefit is of
  breaking through to the Dhamma, monks. That's how great the benefit is
  of obtaining the Dhamma eye."

Can someone who can read pali looking to the following Sutta for my fourth question. https://suttacentral.net/pi/sn48.24

I have never come across a Sutta which mention seven lives means seven fetters.

sn48.24 contains the word "sattakkhattuparamo". The PTS dictionary says that this means (literally) "seven times at most" and interprets that to mean, "one who will not be reborn more than seven times" ... but Dhammadhatu has a different interpretation in his answer (consistent with his saying, elsewhere, that the suttas don't talk about rebirth), which is that this phrase is referring to seven remaining fetters.

Can you give me a Sutta where it says seven lives refer to seven fetters.Thanks.

I'm saying that the Pali word sattakkhattuparamo literally says "seven at most" or something like that. Now whether that refers to "lives" or "fetters" is apparently a matter of interpretation. Like you I've read "seven lives" (in translations) so I guess that's the common translation/interpretation; and hadn't previously heard Dhammadhatu's interpretation of it as "seven fetters".

The sutta does not mention seven lives. The word "lives" is not in the Pali. The inclusion of "lives" is a mistranslation. The Pali is satta (seven) kkhattuṃ (times) paramatā (at most).

What are asaṅkhāraparinibbāyī and sasaṅkhāraparinibbāyī ?

sasaṅkhāraparinibbāyī - 'one who reaches Nibbāna with exertion', is a name of one of the 5 kinds of Non-returners (anāgāmī).
asaṅkhāraparinibbāyī - 'one who reaches Nibbāna with exertion', is a name of one of the 5 kinds of Non-returners (anāgāmī).

Do dhammānusārī and saddhānusārī mean Cula Sotapanna?

Yes

Is the maximum of seven lives applicable to Cula Sotapanna?

I do not think so. I think maximum of 7 lives is only applicable if you achieve Sotapanna.

I suggest to examine AN 4.169 to check of the terms asaṅkhāraparinibbāyī and sasaṅkhāraparinibbāyī are explained in detail there. I am travelling now therefore do not have my Pali suttas with me. Regards

Thank you it was very helpful. -). In nut shell Sasankhara means Vipassana practitioner and Asankhara means Samatha practitioner.

Interesting discussion now you find here.https://discourse.suttacentral.net/t/question-re-tatiya-vittha-ra-sutta/4774/15

Sasankharika - prompted; Asankharika - unprompted or spontaneous.


text:
Did I get into a Jhana state?
I was meditating. I was using classical music as my object of meditation.
I know some don't approve of that but it's REALLY relaxing, especially while meditating. Anyway, as I was meditating the music became... so much more clear. I really can't explain it. It's like I had cheap headphones and all of sudden they switched to top brand headphones. That's how clear it became. Then my breath became very shallow almost as if it was disappearing.
Now I have anxiety attacks, such as I had during my previous attempt at meditation. And that makes my breath feel shallow. But this was different I felt it slowly disappearing. And this very unusual feeling overcame me. My whole body was blissful. I never had that experience before.
So was that a Jhana state?

I have to say, I am very dismayed by this threads consistent attempts to tell you that you didn't attain jhana. Honestly we can't know. The problem today is there any many Buddhist scholars out there who do not have a clear understanding of jhana. By your description it possible you entered the first, even the description of the clear music suggest the hypersensitivity of the second. Typically when one approaches the third great shifts can happen in yourself which bring about difficult times experientially. Familiarise yourself with descriptions of jhana in the Sutta Pitaka

It felt like, base on the all books and everything. I was beginning to enter it. I even had the issue of panicking cause even though it was a happy blissful feeling. It was scary as even the awarness of my breath faded away which im told happens

Breath will fade toward the fourth. But don't worry about that for now. The breath will be the thread running the entire experience. With regard to the panic in response to bliss. We need to build a relationship with bliss. Often it can be so ecstatic that it is disruptive and alien to us. Try just letting go, even smile a little and be with the pleasant feeling, explore it, let it grow and recognise fear is the product of ego and wanting to control your experience. It may well be you are beginning to acclimatise yourself to the first jhana. I'm not surprised you felt anxious afterwards.

you may have popped into all of them momentarily, an experience I had when beginning jhana practice, but you need to focus on developing or 'mastering' one at a time. Allow the first to cultivate itself and then practice it when your out and about.

I wouldn't worry about what it is or isn't and dont listen to what other people have to say about it either as everyone will have varying opinions and really they cannot know what you experience. You will end up feeling confused. The main thing to remember is that it was just a pleasant experience and like all experiences it arose and then passed. It's like a small reward for making progress. Try not to think about it or recreate it as it may hinder your progress. It does not need a label.
If you go into meditation expecting, hoping or craving to have the same experience again or for another pleasant experience you are missing the point so don't fall into that trap. However, when you do have a pleasant experience, enjoy it for what it is then let it go.

Now i have anxiety attacks and at first was i was having an anxiety attack during the meditation.

This does not look like Jhana. Jhana is blissful. Sometimes you might experience Piti and Sukkha. These may be intense.

No what i mean at first i was but then it kind of all disappeared. I broke the meditation cause it was blissful but as my breath faded away i panicked

It is hard to say but, do not give any importance to it. Just continue with what you were doing!

No, it was not jhana. Feelings of bliss are not necessarily always 'jhana'. However, the bliss arose due to the cessation of anxiety. It was not jhana bliss however it was certainly a kind of bliss.

Not sure how you could definitively conclude it wasn't jhana, not being inside OP's mind and body at that moment.

Definitely not jhana, which shows your mind has also not experienced jhana.

Achieving even śamatha by focusing on a sense object is impossible.

One has to concentrate on a mental image. For instance, it is said that when one achieves śamatha by focusing on the breath, he focuses on a mental image of the breath from the fourth abiding (far before śamatha itself). So, when you speak of meditating while listening to music, this is the first thing that comes to mind.

Actual bliss (Skt. prīti) does not occur before one has achieved śamatha, a mind of the form realm.

Therefore, you were not abiding in śamatha (much less the jhanas) you could not possibly experience actual bliss. You could very well have experienced a fact simile of bliss, a somewhat blissful experience. Geshe Gedun Lodro explains it well in Calm Abiding and Special Insight: Achieving Spiritual Transformation Through Meditation.

Once you achieved śamatha, achieving it again becomes easy.

This is also something to consider. If you can not experience whatever you experienced again and easily, it is a sign that it is not a jhana.

Leah Zahler wrote a comprehensive book on the topic: Study And Practice Of Meditation: Tibetan Interpretations Of The Concentrations And Formless Absorptions.

This part sounds like jhana to me: "My whole body was blissful." The fact that the music became more clear doesn't sound typical of jhana but rather one of those unusual sort of experiences that happen every now and then during meditation.
As many are saying, it's hard to say definitively if it was jhana, but at the very least, it sounds like you're on the right track. I would encourage you to repeat whatever you did that led to that feeling (e.g. focus on whatever you were focusing on) and see if it happens again, and then continue doing it and see what happens.
One of the purposes of jhana is to create a pleasant feeling so you enjoy keeping the mind inward and still, and since it sounds like this experience accomplished that, it's probably worth continuing with. [As a side note, if after experiencing it you feel it "slipping away," don't feel like you have to struggle to get it back. After the first-third jhanas, the mind naturally settles more into a state of equanimity as opposed to bliss and rapture.]

Thank you for your help. I have repeated and if i relax and not try to obtain jhana.. I get close.. Not fully enter it but i feel its cause i break thought an noticed how clam i am. If i didn't do that i think i would have entered into jhana again

I'm probably going to get a lot of flak for this, but I think the "if you try to get jhana, you won't" thing is overrated, and possibly incorrect for some people. In the suttas, Buddha is always talking about directed effort. Why would you have directed effort if you weren't trying to achieve something in particular? Also, sometimes different instructions have different effects on different people depending on how they understand the words. Maybe try actually trying to obtain jhana. Really lean into the feeling and see what happens.

Also, jhana, unlike nibbana, is fabricated: it's something we deliberately create for ourselves. That's why you don't have to worry about the paradoxical "if you want it you don't get it" stuff.

Yeah i am with you. The traditional way never worked for me. But when i found my own meaning to the buddhas words it works.

You did not experience jhana... you experienced pre-jhana a.k.a. ACCESS CONCENTRATION.
Keep in mind that until this (and the other factors) are stable and you do not drop out of meditation before your set period of time... you have not experienced 1st jhana.
I would also suggest to take a more stable meditation object.
Music is very changeable and erratic and having that as a concentration object is not good beginner practice. It can harm your practice.
Just chill out and watch your breath as happily as you did the classical music. :)

I have to say that access concentration is commentary born myth which implies that one must be unaware of the physical senses in the first jhana. With right study of the sutta adjunct with meditative verification one can be certain that one is fully aware of the physical body until the immaterial states. therefore the first four jhanas are mistaken as access concentration, which is quite confusing. First jhana is relatively easy and can arise somewhere between 15-30 mins using the breath.

What you experience called the wrong concentration. It does not lead to liberation and it is short lived.

Could you give the reason for your minus vote? This will help you, me and everyone else.Thank you.

My point is discussed in the following video. It is in the Sinhalese language.https://youtu.be/ma81JD_LNeM?t=1255

Perhaps the downvotes are due to your conclusion having no explanation or supporting statements? You could add more, but I am not sure if people will go back and notice and change votes.

Downvoted because you provide no reasons for your conclusion.


text:
What does the one taste of the dharmadhatu really mean?
What does the one taste of the dharmadhatu really mean? I know no language beside this English, and would be interested in any philosophical, literary, or religious answer on what "taste" means there, so I can best grasp what is being said.

In his commentary to Maitreya’s Mahayanottaratantra-ratnagotravibhanga, Gyaltsab Je says:

Because just as every drop of water is of one taste with the ocean, so every phenomenon is of one taste within natural emptiness.

Geshe Jamphel Gyaltsen's explains:

The absence of inherent existence of the mind of an ordinary sentient being, an arya or buddha is the same [in nature].

And:

The final reality, the tathagata essence, the emptiness of inherent existence of the mind, is inseparable in the sense that all conventional phenomena are of one taste in emptiness. They are all inseparable in emptiness.

It does not mean that all phenomena are one and the same thing, for this would not be a Buddhist tenet. It means that phenomena are identical in that they lack inherent existence. Their lack of inherent existence can not be a basis for distinguishing them. In the same way, we say that sentient beings are identical in that they are subject to suffering while they want happiness. It is important to add “in this or that respect”, for we do not mean that they are one and the same objects.
A phenomenon and its final nature (its emptiness) are one entity. They are inseparable. Just like you can not separate heat from fire, you can not separate emptiness from its basis.
In a commentary to Maitreya's Distinction, it says:

"All phenomena are of one taste in that they are without arising ultimately."

A second interpretation is that it means that, in the perspective of the wisdom directly realizing emptiness, no conventionality appear. A wisdom directly realizing emptiness does so in a non-dualistic manner. Since conventional phenomena are not experienced by that wisdom, we say that such a wisdom does not taste them.
This second interpretation is clearer in the visualization at the end of the Confession Prayer:

Then reflect on emptiness. In emptiness there is no I, the creator of
  negative actions. In emptiness there is no creating of negative
  actions. In emptiness there are no negative actions created. Even
  though there are infinite phenomena, in emptiness nothing exists at
  all. There is no this and that, no me and you, nothing. In emptiness
  everything is one taste. From this emptiness, everything comes into
  existence. Whatever exists is the manifestation of emptiness.

By looking for "phenomena are of one taste", and "in emptiness, everything has one taste", you might find additional material.

I believe you may be referring to the passage in the Kuddhaka Nikaya -- Udana 5:5 The Uposattha Sutta:
Where the Buddha said of his system of teaching and discipline:
“bhikkhave, mahāsamuddo ekaraso loṇaraso.
Evameva kho bhikkhave, ayaṃ dhammavinayo ekaraso vimuttiraso. “
“Just as the ocean has one taste, the taste of salt,
even so, this teaching and training  has one taste too, the taste of
     liberation. “
The Wisdom Library ( https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/rasa) gives one of the Pali definitions  for rasa as: taste; juice; flavour. Derived from the Sanskrit concepts of ancient theatre and literature,  it refers to the over all emotional tone of a piece. The artistic goal was to invoke a mindset which resulted in an emotional response called a rasa.
In classic vedic literary theory, there were said to be 8 rasa. A Work of literary or artistic value should invoke at least one of the first eight of these primary emotional flavors or impacts on the audience:
śṛṅgāra (Erotic), hāsya (Comic), karuṇa (Pathetic), raudra (Furious), vīra (Heroic), bhayānaka (Terrible), bībhatsa (Odious), adbhuta (Wonder),
That being so (no pun intended), The Buddha was creating a play on words in which he compared his teachings to a great work of art, One with an even greater literary value, or artistic merit -- One which invokes a mindset resulting in full emancipation, complete liberation from suffering.

interested in any philosophical, literary, or religious answer on what "taste" means there
The quote in Tenzin Dorje's answer reminds me of one of the Pali suttas, which says,

Just as the great ocean has one taste, the taste of salt, so also this Dhamma and Discipline has one taste, the taste of liberation.

Bikkhu Bodhi wrote an essay on that, The Taste of Freedom, which says,

Just as in the great ocean there is but one taste — the taste of salt — so in this Doctrine and Discipline (dhammavinaya) there is but one taste — the taste of freedom

With these words the Buddha vouches for the emancipating quality of His doctrine.
Whether one samples water taken from the surface of the ocean, or from its middling region, or from its depths, the taste of the water is in every case the same — the taste of salt. And again, whether one drinks but a thimble-full of ocean water, or a glass-full, or a bucket-full, the same salty taste is present throughout. Analogously with the Buddha's Teaching, a single flavor — the flavor of freedom (vimuttirasa) — pervades the entire Doctrine and Discipline, from its beginning to its end, from its gentle surface to its unfathomable depths. Whether one samples the Dhamma at its more elementary level — in the practice of generosity and moral discipline, in acts of devotion and piety, in conduct governed by reverence, courtesy, and loving-kindness; or at its intermediate level — in the taintless supramundane knowledge and deliverance realized by the liberated saint, in every case the taste is the same — the taste of freedom.

The Pali word for that ("taste of freedom") is vimuttirasa.
rasa is literally the word used for flavour -- in the Sabba Sutta for example, the phrase translated "tongue & flavors" is "jivhā ca rasā ca".
I think the word is also used metaphorically to mean "function", for example (from Understanding sense organs):

In addition, the Visuddhimagga describes the sense organs in terms of the following four factors:

characteristic or sign (lakkhaṇa)
function or "taste" (rasa)
manifestation (paccupaṭṭhāna)
proximate cause (padaṭṭhāna)

Thus, for instance, it describes the eye as follows:

Herein, the eye's characteristic is sensitivity of primary elements that is ready for the impact of visible data; or its characteristic is sensitivity of primary elements originated by kamma sourcing from desire to see. Its function is to pick up [an object] among visible data. It is manifested as the footing of eye-consciousness. Its proximate cause is primary elements born of kamma sourcing from desire to see.

According to the PTS dictionary it might, as well as "function", also be translated "property".

All phenomena have One taste.
It's the taste of Making false sense.
Limited sense within limited frame of reference.
Frames of reference and phenomena mutually co-generate and co-maintain each other.
The sentient beings consume them.
Eating them perpetuates Samsara.
Therefore continues delusion and suffering.
Bodhisattva experiences Compassion.
He's beyond frames of reference
Which are Samsara.

A Dharmadhatu means ultimate reality. A taste of this is a taste of ultimate truth,

which achieving 1st dip or experience of Nirvana,
getting magga-phala,
becoming at least a sotāpanna,
achieving any stage of sainthood,
etc.

all_licenses: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/


text:
What was the time gap between the previous Buddha and Gautama Buddha?
We all know our last Lord Buddha Was Gautama Buddha. My question is, before him who was the Buddha? And what was the time gap between that previous Buddha and Gautama Buddha?

It is difficult to give the exact time gap between the previous Buddha and Gautama Buddha. Both Buddhas came to pass in this great aeon.  This is a Special Kalpa – a Maha-Bhadra-Kalpa - largest time unit in Buddhism - unlike the previous ones, where five Buddhas in all will come to pass. Buddha says it's not suitable to count the exact length of the maha-kalpa in number of years. In the Anamatagga-samyutta — The unimaginable beginnings of samsara. In Samyutta ii, Chapter XV, the Buddha used the parables of the hill and mustard-seed for comparison:

Suppose there was a solid mass, of rock or hill, one yojana (eight miles) wide, one yojana across and one yojana high and every hundred years, a man was to stroke it once with a piece of silk. That mass of rock would be worn away and ended sooner than would an aeon.
Suppose there was a city of iron walls, one yojana in length, one yojana (eight miles)  in width, one yojana high and filled with mustard-seeds to the brim. There-from a man was to take out every hundred years a mustard-seed. That great pile of mustard-seed would be emptied and ended sooner than would an aeon.

In the Digha Nikaya in Mahāpadāna sutta, the Discourse of the biography of the Buddha it is said that:

"In the time of the Lord Buddha Vipassi the life-span was eighty-thousand years; in the time of the Lord Buddha Sikhi seventy thousand; in the time of the Lord Buddha Vessabhu sixty thousand; in the time of the Lord Buddha Kakusandha forty thousand; in the time of the Lord Buddha Konagamana thirty thousand; in the time of the Lord Buddha Kassapa it was twenty thousand. In my time the lifespan is short, limited, and quick to pass: it is seldom that anybody lives to be one hundred.”
At the time of the next Buddha, the average lifespan of a human is going to be eighty thousand years. (In the present day it is around 60 -80 years).

According to the Buddhism, Our universe begun by cosmic explosion. After,
3kalpa (3x 420,000,000 years)  - Birth of Kakusanda buddha
5kalpa (5x 420,000,000 years)  - Birth of konagamana budhdha
2kalpa (2x 420,000,000 years)  - Birth of Kassapa buddha
2kalpa (2x 420,000,000 years)  - Birth of Gauthama buddha
4kalpa (4x 420,000,000 years)  - Birth of Maithree buddha
2kalpa (2x 420,000,000 years)  - End of our universe due to effect of 7sun Zone
Total life of our universe - 7560 Million years

Could you please provide a a source for this?  I'd like to know which branch of Buddhism this comes from, and what texts lay it out this way. I'll remove the downvote if you clear that up.


text:
To become a Buddha must a person be born in a highest caste in their society?
To become a Buddha must a person be born in a highest caste in their society? Or if someone is born in a low caste, is he unable become a Buddha?

In the Digha Nikaya in Mahāpadāna sutta, the Discourse of the biography of the Buddha, and in Acchariya Abbhutadhamma sutta we get to read about the life stories of the seven Buddhas: Vipassi, Sikkhi, Vessabhu, Kakusanda, Konagamana, Kassapa and Gotama.  The full life story of Vipassi Buddha given in this sutta explains that the incidents discribed are a Rule (Dhammata) for every Buddha.
When a Bodhisatta (Buddha-to-be) fulfils all the Paramitas in the last life of before his birth in human world he will be born in the Tusita Heaven. When the time approaches, various signs appear in the ten thousand world systems. The Devas of all worlds assemble in Tusita heaven and request the Bodhisatta to be born in the human world as a human being to become a Buddha. The Bodhisatta will not reply until he has made the five great investigations. (Panca maha vilokana – divine foresight) regarding time (Kala) continent (Dipa), place of birth (Desa) clan (Kula) and mother (Matha).
Kala- Time: It should be a proper time. It should not be more than one hundred thousand years of human life span and less than one hundred years of life span. If the life span is too short people will have excessive defilements. Because of excessive defilements people to not comply with the advice given by the Buddha.
Dipa- contement: Only in Jambudipa / India the Buddhas & Pacceka Buddhas are borne.
Desa- place: (Madhyadesa) – a region in Jambudipa / India
Kula- clan: Khattiya or Brahmana.  The Buddhas belonged to all the high castes, to the Kshatriyas and Brahmanas. It is another of the Rules (Dhammata). So the question of "if someone is born in a low caste, is he unable become a Buddha?" would not arrise.
Matu- mother:  The Bodhisatta Mata in her last birth must not passionate. She should have to practise five precepts without violating them for her life. She should not have more than (7) days life after the birth of the Bodhisatta.

What does it mean that she should not have more than 7 days life after the birth of the bodhisatta?

https://suttacentral.net/en/dn4 and https://suttacentral.net/en/dn27 would not hold any system of differentiation, other than achievement through the Noble Eightfold Path, as a totally effective system for establishing nobility.

Castes are a discriminatory system created by humans to control others and empower themselves. The entire thing is built on greed, hatred and delusion.  It has absolutely nothing to do with "becoming a Buddha"

I heard everybody IS a buddha. We just need to practice the dharma/teachings to get closer to the buddha.

kate, Kindly advice from you heard that Everybody is Buddha & where it Mentioned?


text:
How to exit meditation?
I am new to meditation (anapana) as a daily practise: I've been to one retreat, some 4 years ago, noticed how meditation helped me, and then never mediated again. I always knew I should get back to meditating, and so I did: I've been meditating for about a week now, at least once a day (sometimes twice), each section lasting between 20 and 30 minutes. In the beginning I couldn't meditate for more than 10 minutes, but that changed after some sections.
I have now a weird problem: I'm not sure about when should I exit my meditation. When I experience thoughts my reaction is to be aware of them and internalise the word "thoughts", "thoughts", until they pass. The thing is that sometimes the thought that comes up is "man, damn, you've been meditating for 45 minutes... Time to stop". I try to put this though in the basket of "thoughts", but at the same time I know I must stop meditating sometime. I then start to wonder if I should stop meditating or if this thought is a product of my anxiety. By that time my practise is already spoiled.
I considered timing my meditation, then. Unfortunately, when I do that, sometimes the alarm rings too soon and I'd like to meditate more, and sometimes I'm already worrying about when is it going to ring.
This might be a senseless question, but is there a way to decide it's time to stop meditating?

Related: How to determine the end of a meditation session without a clock?

I disagree with Sumida and ChrisW, an hour is too long for beginners and experts alike. In Zen monasteries we do zazen for between 30 - 45 minutes followed by about 10 minutes of kinhin (fast or slow walking meditation), then another period of zazen. For a beginner 20 minutes (or even less) is fine. In time you should aim to raise it to around 30 mins. If you want to do more you should break it up with kinhin (or possibly some yoga).
I agree with Chris that you should use a timer (a countdown timer on a digital watch is ideal). When the timer goes off, then get up (some people sway gently from side to side before getting up). You shouldn't be pondering during meditation whether to get up or not, a) you shouldn't be pondering things during meditation and b) if you practise like this you will turn meditation into an aesthetic experience (I'm enjoying this so I'll sit longer/I'm not enjoying this so I'll get up) which is not right meditation.

When they told me to stay for one hour I admit I had no idea of how to do it. This morning I meditated for 30 min and at my stage I must admit that felt ideal - and I'm also using the timer the correct way, now.

That's great :) Reading your original question I'd also suggest making contact with a temple or meditation group - keeping up practice on your own can be extremely difficult, having the support of fellow meditators (like-minded people who understand the challenges you face) is an invaluable aid to your practice.

I am new to meditation (anapana) as a daily practise: I've been to one retreat, some 4 years ago, noticed how meditation helped me, and then never mediated again.

Continuity is the secret of success in meditation. So be continuous in doing it.

each section lasting between 20 and 30 minutes. In the beginning I couldn't meditate for more than 10 minutes, but that changed after some sections.

Try to target 2 session per day about 1 hour in the morning and 1 hour in the evening / night. More on this see these answers.2

When I experience thoughts my reaction is to be aware of them and internalise the word "thoughts", "thoughts", until they pass.

Though some teachers may teach you differently using words like "thinking, thinking, ..." is also thinking and pondering using a conceptual object (pannatti1 - more particularly nama pannatti when using labelling with verbalisation or sub verbalisation). This should strictly not be done according to some teachers. Also meaning (nirutti) of the words, associated with a sound or label, you use are not universal, in all languages, whereas the meditation exercise is to understand the ultimate realities and the universal laws of nature (dhamma), penetrating beyond concepts. So this (self create verbalisation or sub verbalisation) cannot be used for Satipaṭṭhāna meditation, if a concept spontaneously arise let it be, and be aware of the sensations / feeling this bring about; this (Verbalisation, visualisation, conceptualisation, thinking and pondering, etc.) also leads to fabrications (more particularly verbal) and nutriment (Āhāra - more particularly Manosañcetanā Āhāro). Samma Ditthi Sutta mentions the end of fabrication and also nutriment is the right way. More on pannatti on this site see this search. A related concept is nirutti, more this see this search.
I.e. this verbalisation, results in:

verbal fabrication generally based on unwholesome root of ignorance, since concepts are not ultimate realities, which can lead to undesired future experiences
nutriment to keep existance which can lead to future unwholesome experiences
use of concepts than ultimate realities which has the basis of the unwholesome root of ignorance, where as ignorance is displaced when you meditate with ultimate realities as the object of meditation
concept proliferation, though controlled, is not in touch with ultimate realities, but uses a stream of repetitive concepts objects ("thoughts, thoughts, thoughts, ...")

One justification of using the labeling is use of controlled vocabulary which relates or close to the ultimate realities:

4 elements: earth, air, heat, water or equivalent names / labels like motion, highness, etc.
function of 6 sense organs: seeing, smelling, touching, hearing, tasting, thinking
5 aggregates: conscious, perceiving, feeling, etc.

But as iterated before labeling is conceptual and not ultimate realities. If you insist on doing this stick to the controlled vocabulary at least.

Some meditators start with walking, even mentally repeating "walking", "itching", or whatever. There is no paññā: but at least the practice concentrates the mind.

Source: Discourses on Satipatthana Sutta - S. N. Goenka

But you are required to observe bare respiration, as it naturally is, without regulating it; no word or imagined form may be added.
...
Similarly visualization—mentally picturing a shape or form—can become a barrier to progress. The technique leads to the dissolving of apparent truth in order to reach ultimate truth. Apparent, integrated truth is always full of illusions, because at this level saññ± operates, perception, which is distorted by past reactions. This conditioned perception differentiates and discriminates, giving rise to preferences and prejudices, to fresh reactions. But by disintegrating apparent reality, one gradually comes to experience the ultimate reality of the mental-physical-structure: nothing but vibrations arising and passing away every moment. At this stage no differentiation is possible, and therefore no preferences or prejudices can arise, no reactions. The technique gradually weakens the conditioned saññ± and hence weakens reactions, leading to the stage in which perception and sensation cease, that is, the experience of nibb±na. But by deliberately giving attention to a shape, form, or vision, one remains at the level of apparent, composed reality and cannot advance beyond it. For this reason, there should be neither visualization nor verbalization.

Source: The Discourse Summaries by S.N.Goenka
Also see this answer and this answer.

The thing is that sometimes the thought that comes up is "man, damn, you've been meditating for 45 minutes... Time to stop".

When it arises just be aware and bring your attention back to a focal point. This subdues the wondering mind. This is redirecting the mind continuously and periodically to your meditation object and being very vigilant that these thoughts do not come up.

I considered timing my meditation, then. Unfortunately, when I do that, sometimes the alarm rings too soon and I'd like to meditate more, and sometimes I'm already worrying about when is it going to ring.

Do not fret on time just do the task at hand. If any distraction like this arises just bring back you attention to the task at hand.
If you want to meditate more in many consecutive days increase the timer.

This might be a senseless question, but is there a way to decide it's time to stop meditating?

Set a stopwatch for 1 hour initially. This is a good time for a beginner. As you get comfortable with this time period increase it. But keep the time what you are comfortable with but minimally 1 hour.
Also as you advance stop using a timer and try determination (Adhiṭṭhāna). Think I will stay only for 1 hour. See if the notion to come out happens exactly in 1 hour. More on adhiṭṭhāna see this search. Also related: How to determine the end of a meditation session without a clock?

1

The Atthasalini uses different synonyms for nama pannatti (concepts that are names). It is an interpretation, an expression that renders the meaning of something in language (nirutti). A name is a distinctive sign that shows the meaning of something (vyancana). There are sounds which people utter, letters combined as words which express the meaning of something (abhilapa). These synonyms explain the meaning of nama pannatti, a name or term. A term makes the meaning of something known. The idea or notion that is made known can also be called a concept. Thus, there are, generally speaking, two kinds of pannatti:

That which is made known (pannapiyatta or atthapannatti).
That which makes known (pannapanato), the name or term (sadda pannatti or namapannatti) which makes known the meaning of things. If we remember these two classes of concepts it will be easier to understand what a concept is. There are many kinds of concepts and they can be classified in different ways. One way of classifying them is the following (see Abhidhammattha Sangaha Ch. VIII, section 4, on pannattis):

i) concept of continuity: (santana pannatti), corresponding to the continuity of things, such as land, mountain or tree, which concept is based on the rapid succession of the elements.
ii) collective concept: (samuha pannatti), corresponding to modes of construction of materials, to a collection of things, such as a vehicle or a chariot.
iii) conventional concept: (sammutti pannatti), such as person or individual, which is derived from the five khandhas.
iv) local concept: (disa pannatti), a notion or idea derived from the revolving of the moon, such as the directions of east or west.
v) concept of time: (kala pannatti), such as morning, evening.
vi) concept of season: (masa pannatti), notions corresponding to seasons and months. The months are designated by names, such as Vesakha.
vii) concept of space: (akasa), such as a well or a cave. It is derived from space that is not contacted by the four Great Elements.
viii) nimitta pannatti: the mental image which is acquired through the development of samatha, such as the nimitta of a kasina.
We read in the Abhidhammattha Sangaha:

All such different things, although they do not exist in the ultimate sense,
become objects of thought in the form of shadows of ultimate things.
They are called pannatti
because they are thought of, reckoned, understood, expressed,
and made known on account of, in consideration of,
and with respect to, this or that mode.
This 'pannatti' is so called because it is made known.
As it makes known, it is called 'pannatti'.
It is described as 'name', 'name-made', etc.

Source: Concepts II - Pannatti

Question: When there is seeing through the eyes and we know that it is a pen, it shows that we know the word pen through the mind-door. Is that right?
Sujin: Before we can think of the word pen, we already know a concept. A pannatti is not merely sadda pannatti (a concept of sound) a word or name.
Question: After seeing I remember what was seen. Is the object then already a concept?
Sujin: The Pali term pannatti means: it makes something known (derived from pannapeti).
Question: Must each of the sense-door processes be followed by a mind-door process so that the meaning of things can be known?
Sujin: The five sense objects which are visible object, sound, odour, flavour, and tangible object appear through two door-ways. Thus, visible object appears through the eye-door and then, after there have been bhavanga-cittas in between, it appears through the mind- door. In the same way, sound, odour, flavour, and tangible object appear through the corresponding sense-doors and then through the mind-door.

Source: Concepts II - It makes something known

Question: You said that concepts could be known through the mind-door. Therefore, I am inclined to think that if there is awareness through the mind-door, concepts can be the object of satipatthana.
Sujin: In order to have more understanding of satipatthana we should begin with this very moment. Is there a concept while you hear sound now? Sound is a paramattha dhamma. When citta knows the meaning of the sounds it knows a concept and it knows this through the mind-door. Citta thinks about different words. Sati can follow and be aware of that citta, so that it can be realised as just a type of citta that thinks of words.
Question: Thus, satipatthana can know the reality that is thinking, but it cannot know concepts. As far as I understand, each of the sense-door processes has to be followed by a mind-door process, it cannot be otherwise. When there is seeing there is an eye- door process, and after there have been bhavanga-cittas in between, there is a mind-door process of cittas which experience visible object. Is that right?
Sujin: The víthi-cittas of the mind-door process, which follow víthi-cittas of a sense-door process, have to experience the same rupa. If the javana-cittas of the sense-door process are lobha-mula-cittas (cittas rooted in attachment), the javana-cittas of the first mind-door process after that sense-door process have to be the same types of lobha-mula-citta. The mind-door process follows extremely rapidly upon the sense-door process. With respect to this there is a simile of a bird perching on a branch. As soon as the bird perches on the branch its shadow appears on the ground. Even so, when the object has been experienced through the sense-door and there have been many bhavanga-cittas in between, arising and falling away very rapidly, it is immediately afterwards experienced through the mind-door. Since cittas succeed one another so rapidly one does not know that visible object which is experienced through the eyes is only a paramattha dhamma that can appear because it has impinged on the eyesense.

Source: Concepts II - Can a concept be an object of satipatthana? II
Also see: The Dhamma Theory Philosophical Cornerstone of the Abhidhamma by Y. Karunadasa
2

This little plant of Dhamma requires service now. Protect it from the criticism of others by making a distinction between the theory, to which some might object, and the practice, which is acceptable to all. Don’t allow such criticism to stop your practice. Meditate one hour in the morning and one hour in the evening. This regular, daily practice is essential. At first it may seem a heavy burden to devote two hours a day to meditation, but you will soon find that much time will be saved that was wasted in the past. Firstly, you will need less time for sleep. Secondly, you will be able to complete your work more quickly, because your capacity for work will increase. When a problem arises you will remain balanced, and will be able immediately to find the correct solution. As you become established in the technique, you will find that having meditated in the morning, you are full of energy throughout the day, without any agitation.
...
When you go to bed at night, for five minutes be aware of sensations anywhere in the body before you fall asleep. Next morning, as soon as you wake up, again observe sensations within for five minutes. These few minutes of meditation immediately before falling asleep and after waking up will prove very helpful.
...
Daily meditation of two hours and yearly retreats of ten days are only the minimum necessary to maintain the practice. If you have more free time, you should use it for meditation. You may do short courses of a week, or a few days, even one day. In such short courses, devote the first one third of your time to the practice of Anapana, and the rest to Vipassana.

Source: The Discourse Summaries by S.N.Goenka

Thanks for this great answer. I'll take me days to read all references, but it already made a lot of sense.

Updates with a few more reference. Also this might be of help: http://www.vridhamma.org/Research, http://www.vridhamma.org/Online-Books-and-Pamphlets, http://www.vridhamma.org/Research-Index. Also to be practical you might want to do a retreat: http://www.internationalmeditationcentre.org/global/index.html, https://www.dhamma.org/en/index, http://www.buddhanet.info/wbd/, if you have not already done so.

In addition: http://dharmafarer.org/wordpress/, http://www.accesstoinsight.org/, https://suttacentral.net/ has many translations and reading material.

If you'e doing it with a group other people, or schedule it as a regular part of your busy day, then it's timed.
Instead of "the alarm rings", a usual sound is of a small bell, e.g. like this: Bell Meditation.mp3
The sound fades away, decays.
In real life i.e. physically, such a sound is produced by two little disks/bells, each suspended, which the meditation leader tings together. The leader has a clock within their field of view.
Or it's a simple application for an electronic device.
Apart from "timed" meditation, like that, I guess another way might be to continue until you have reached a goal? But timing is the obvious method.
The point of timing isn't what some people call "spiritual materialism" (e.g. being proud of how spiritual you are, based on how long you meditate), of course; instead I think it's to free you from having to worry about whether the session is supposed to have ended and whether it's time to stop.
I agree that Suminda's advice, i.e. "one hour is a good time for a beginner" and "increase the timer", is feasible. A way to do that is to set the timer for 20 or 25 minutes; decide that you're still alright, and that a period like that isn't harmful ... and that if you could do that, then you can do a bit more; and reset the clock for slightly longer, 30 or 35 minutes.

Your practice is never "spoiled".  It is what it is and it doesn't ever get any better than that. It does not progress in a linear way.
It becomes easier to sit for longer but the meditation itself will be different every time. Some days it will feel hard, you will feel restless, anxious, bored etc then other days you will feel the opposite. That's just how it is.
Try not to see it as good meditation and bad meditation. It's just meditation and you are learning to be equanimous with whatever occurs.
You sound like you're over thinking it. Just sit with a timer and when the bell rings you can choose to get up or you can continue sitting.
The bell does not ruin anything. It's just 'hearing hearing'.  If you feel good and want to stay sitting, then stay and enjoy the pleasant feelings. Notice how you want more of them and want them to last longer. Are you craving? and notice how certain feelings your mind translates as "spoiled" and you want to get rid of them - aversion. If you can try to notice how the mind reacts rather than if you feel good or bad then you will be progressing.

Ideally, based on what Buddha states in Satipattana Sutta, your meditative state doesn't end.
I would suggest acknowledgement of certain interruptions in a meditative manner.
For example, if you suddenly have a thought within the time period of meditation, then you can note the characteristics of the thought (anicca, dukkha, anatta) and let go.
For example, if you suddenly have a thought while exceeding your meditation time (which maybe you can use an alarm to end), you should transition it into Kayanupassana meditation while you get up and move onto your daily activities.
The whole purpose of meditation is to improve your basis of the Noble Eightfold Path and fully understand the Four Noble Truths.