text:
Caught in a bind; what to do?
I would imagine the following may be a bit odd to be asking here outright and dare I say it, a little egoic to do so, but I was referred to this place to ask questions, and I have some questions. But first, some background on myself, what I know, and the finally the problem.
Firstly, my experience with Buddhism is a bit all over the place. Mostly it's the domain of Zen Buddhism, and primarily it's from Alan Watts. This man was really my first gateway to dropping the illusion of ego, of separation from what is, and a better understanding that one goes with existence as it is. I largely come from a Wattsian perspective, but other influences that stand out are the works of Jiddu Krishnamurti, Jon Kabat-Zinn, Sam Harris, Thich Nhat Hanh, Eckhart Tolle, Moojiji, Sadhguru, Ram Dass, and Terrence McKenna, to name a few. The general themes on ego are especially topics I have absorbed, and have tried to take myself as something simply being, with as little subjective imposition as possible: to simply be instead of constantly caught up in games of past, of future, of being something of status or image, seeing through the various illusions of it all. All things are change in a society that infers constants. Regarding the experience of ego death, all I've done is meditation, such as vipassana, but mostly my views on the reality of no ego and embracing the "eternal now" as Alan put it mostly come from intellect: there's no thinker of thoughts, feeler of feelings. No constant caricature, for that ghost is mostly gone.
Now, all of this is great because one really gets a point of view more in line with the world in an objective sense, more in line with what is instead of what's inferred upon, judged upon, and the like. One may ask "gosh, you have a vast amount of resources and you get the basic jist of the illusion of ego, so what's the problem?" The problem actually comes from a perspective of ego, actually; What do I do with my life upon the realization of no self? I've mostly realized what I've wanted to do with my life always came from the point of ego: to make money, to have status, to be a person of substance, and I want none of that anymore. I got into hospice care and nursing with my realization of going with the world, so I'd rather help those alive to be comfortable in what their state is in, but I now realize I am doing this from the view of forcing. To force myself to do this because of what I know, even if that's from the domain of the self illusion, that I am somewhat "holier than thou" with information and act in such a manner. In a sense, I would be using my ego against other egos, and that quite literally is egocentric doing.
It's dawned on me I realize I have no interest in any of this line of work of itself any longer, and that actually kills it all for me. I'm doing it for ends, for goals, but reality has no ends or goals. I feel caught between subjective impositions of society and what we say we must do, against objective understanding of what world and what just is. Why should I continue to do this? For money? Who cares when my heart really isn't in it? I feel constantly pushed around in a social context, that I am literally a skin-encapsulated ego that must do X and live like Y, but I see nothing of substance there. I literally feel my life is one where I am pushed around by others, and all of the reasons I am being pushed don't stand to any level of pressure, to be compatible with life in its most basic, naturalistic sense. I hold the view all I can do is offer my time for others, for that's the currency of all life, but I feel however sincere I care for others and their sorrows, it's not time I feel fully utilized for I feel I am pigeonholing it into the things I do as a vocation, as a back layer, instead of being the forefront, for it is a forefront to my life. I grasp the pain of others and understand that most of their pain comes from their point of reference mostly, and all I can do about that is reason in my head how their ego creates it. How do I help them see that? I know it, but it's like I have some information, but I lack a language to speak it in for others to get it. It feels as if I'm trying to hammer a square peg into a circle hole; something goes into the hole, clearly, but it's not what I have on offer. I'm looking to put the square peg into a square hole, and here comes the problem.
I feel a different course is in order. It's been in the back of my mind as I have been on this journey, but I feel with my understanding and taste of this is to perhaps delve deeper into Buddhism, Zen or otherwise, in a much more profound manner. Not as intellectually listening to hours of lectures on Youtube, to inquire in just my room, but to cultivate a life and a realm of being where this is the whole game of the show, perhaps not for just myself, but for others. Having more tools and especially other living people beside me to show me the way can help me have more ammunition to aid others, to potentially teach and help people be more at ease with the world that way. I know the central themes are that nothing is supposed to be done, that nothing has to be done, to improve oneself, but there's just something in my experience of ego death that makes the way I live like an odd filter, that I know far more of life than how I live it.
My bind is I feel stuck: there's no places near me that appear to teach these concepts and how to apply them, there's no weekend retreats or ways I can ever imagining learning this stuff and finding a way to truly live it, to teach it and be with it not as a level of intellectual awareness in the back of the mind, but as the forefront and core to the goings on, for it matches the facts of life we can observe. I live in the Poconos in Pennsylvania, and the only thing here that is anything remotely spiritual is a church. I don't adhere to Christian canon, for it argues that a self/soul/ego must exist, and that's something that isn't true. I feel like all I know is thanks to the internet but am in such a specific social context that there's no place to really apply this as a way of life; it literally just stays in the back of the mind and not the forefront. Perhaps I'd be able to offer myself more by living and having a life where the tenants of no self, of one always being in a now-state would be helpful to teach and cultivate in others instead of having it merely in the back of my mind with what I do. I can avoid the pain of attachment to health, to status, to such ideas as constants, but what good am I trying to help others understand that too? I have the understanding of it for myself, but I truly lack the depth of it to teach this, to help people out.
I want to apologize for rambling, and I have very clearly written a novel, and I bet a lot of this looks like a job application of "how can I live a career as a Buddhist" or something, but the truth is what I feel about my relation to everything else is just so profound that I constantly feel I am in a Truman Show-like experience when I am around others. I cannot adhere to their views and ideas for I see them as affronts, and ultimately I cannot live a way that in my heart of hearts seems more truly to reality. I feel trapped and being forced to live as an ego, and I for one find it puzzling to be in that state, for the ego is an illusion! I guess I'm mostly asking for resources, for something, anything, to help make these types of understanding of the world something more applicable to living in it instead of high-level contemplation in my room at home. What good does no self and realizing the unity with everything else that there is only to have it beaten out of you and being forced to assimilate to a society and way of living that treats that reality as not practical? Ultimately, how can I make the experience and understanding of no self as a fabric to living a full life with that understanding as the heart of it, not something that is often treated as an extra, an aside, to daily living?

Welcome to the site. As was mentioned in, for example, Answers vs Advice this site exists primarily to try to answer questions; and so I highlighted the various specific questions which you asked, in case that helps people to answer any or all of them.

Have you tried listening to Ajahn Brahm? Listen to one of his videos and see if it helps. If his talk doesn't help lighten the weight, than I'll try writing a response to your questions < youtube.com/user/BuddhistSocietyWA/videos

This is SO relevant. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b784rKhEWaE Alan Watts. You'll listen to what he says about ego here.

You don't need to do anything special to live mindfully. Your present situation is irrelevant. You can be mindful at work, and spend all the rest of your free time doing formal meditation. All things are the same, arising and passing away. If you feel you need more time for formal meditation and wish to do some real good teaching others what you learn, then ordain as a monk.
I would suggest you attend an extended meditation course. Doing this will give you a much better feel of what the practice actually is than just doing it by yourself, and will equip you to seriously implement it into your life.
You say there's nothing around you to do this, but a google search of "Pennsylvania Vipassana retreats" yielded this immediately :
SN Goenka Retreats
This mid-atlantic site lists retreat locations in several states near Pennsylvania.
Even if the Vipassana taught there isn't exactly the practice you'd prefer to do, its a good starting point and a great exposure to what practice really is to go and do a 10 day retreat. If you're able to travel even farther, then you could do a longer one somewhere else. What you're able to do depends only on how serious you are about it and how far you're willing to take it.

It's amazing when you go from living a "normal" life of seeking pleasure,  comforts, possessions, status, etc. to recognizing that none of those things brings lasting happiness and seeking spiritual truths instead. It's also disorienting. What previously motivated you, may no longer do so.

What do I do with my life upon the realization of no self?

You can begin a serious program of Buddhist practice and study to see where it leads you. The authors you mentioned are mostly modern authors. There is a world of ancient wisdom of the Buddha's teachings to be explored and more importantly, experienced both through formal meditation and by applying what you learn in daily life.

Why should I continue to do this? For money? Who cares when my heart really isn't in it?

Money is useful for being charitable which is one of the first Perfections or virtues in Buddhism. It's an extraordinarily useful thing for a compassionate being to have to help where there is need. There is nothing wrong with seeking a job that's more in line with your new perspective; but don't think that money is worthless. In Buddhism, money is not considered evil. Attachment to money is the problem; hence the virtue of Dāna.

I grasp the pain of others and understand that most of their pain comes from their point of reference mostly, and all I can do about that is reason in my head how their ego creates it. How do I help them see that?

You cannot hand someone else wisdom. You can develop your own mind and your own understandings. This can make you a good role model (for lack of a better word) for those in your daily life who are suffering. People don't always notice or welcome the words you want to say to them. But they notice your actions and the manner in which you live your life. You might inspire some of them to consider practicing meditation too, by your example. This can help them to reduce their suffering by seeing the causes of greed, hatred, and delusion in their lives.

I can avoid the pain of attachment to health, to status, to such ideas as constants, but what good am I trying to help others understand that too? I have the understanding of it for myself, but I truly lack the depth of it to teach this, to help people out.

Same as above. Developing your own wisdom and compassion spills over onto those around you. They may see the good changes in you and be inspired by those changes.

how can I make the experience and understanding of no self as a fabric to living a full life with that understanding as the heart of it, not something that is often treated as an extra, an aside, to daily living?

This goes back to your first question. Beginning a serious program of Buddhist practice and study can easily become the meaningful focus of your days, leading to changes in you which can both directly and indirectly help those around you. Spending time studying and practicing meditation is not a selfish pursuit, it's actually a great act of kindness and compassion to develop yourself in this way as it benefits both yourself and others.
edit:
This World Buddhist Directory may be helpful to you to find places within traveling distance that could serve as local support to your practice.

Altruism is best when it is a natural calling. Some are more inclined to solitute. Regardless, time living with like-minded peole (spiritual friends or Kalynamitta) is the general Buddhist approach for getting through the 'adjustment period' from world alientation to a spiritual social intregration. I would suggest to spend some time in a monastic environment, to investigate the lifestyle. In the monastary is learned a unique way of intregrating egoless with interaction. It might be like going 'home'. It may not. A domestic plane, bus or train ride won't hurt. Try this link: https://forestsangha.org/community/monasteries/continents/north-america

What do I do with my life upon the realization of no self?
Who is asking this? :) Who is "I" and what is "my" in that sentence? :)
What do I do with my life upon the realization of no self?
Why should I continue to do this? For money? Who cares when my heart really isn't in it?

A monk said to Joshu, “I have entered this monastery. I beg you to teach me” Joshu asked.
“Have you eaten your rice- gruel?” “I have,” replied the monk.
“Then”, said Joshu, “go and wash your bowl(s).”
The monk was enlightened.

I grasp the pain of others and understand that most of their pain comes from their point of reference mostly, and all I can do about that is reason in my head how their ego creates it. How do I help them see that?
I can avoid the pain of attachment to health, to status, to such ideas as constants, but what good am I trying to help others understand that too? I have the understanding of it for myself, but I truly lack the depth of it to teach this, to help people out.
Can you avoid the pain of not being able to help people out? It is easy to fall into the trap of messiah illusion, that your enlightenment is somehow a beacon for others or that it can somehow be forced against the will of the people and relieve them of the pain to which we often cling so strongly. There is only pain and frustration there.
Remember to wash your bowl. And I forgot it as I wrote it ^_^
For me, it helps me to get drunk. It helps me remember how stupid I am, and how good it feels, it's far too easy to get trapped in self-importance of no-self.
Many "enlightened" people I met get involved into a super-tricky subtle ego, squaking like a buddha, walking like a buddha, but not a buddha. Getting drunk and stupid sometimes relieves them of their self-importance and their pain.
I guess buddhism in the Balkans can take specific and funny culturally-relevant shapes ^_^
Check out a book called "Nirvana, The Last Nightmare" by Osho, watch a 1987 cartoon called "Man Who Planted Trees" (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093488/)

What do I do with my life upon the realization of no self?
I'm sorry but I'm going to try to reply using 'received wisdom'.
You presumably know, a famous 'zen proverb': "Before Enlightenment chop wood, carry water.  After enlightenment chop wood, carry water."
Perhaps you'll be looking at the ninth and tenth of the Ten Bulls.
Have you met the "brahma viharas"? For example do you know there is such a thing as "metta"?
The "realization of no self" might be an opportunity to practice mudita.
Why should I continue to do this? For money? Who cares when my heart really isn't in it?
Some people recommend, not acting out of "desire", but acting out of "responsibility".
For example there's this answer (the following advice is from the Pali canon rather than Zen):

In brief, duty and responsibility should be what dictate our worldly affairs, not concern or care.

See also this answer:

For a monk:

In an absolute sense, we only have two responsibilities:

"Bhante, in this religion, how many duties are there?"
"The duty of study and the duty of insight. These are the only two duties, bhikkhu."
-- Dhp-A 1

For a lay person:

In a practical sense, a lay person has duties towards six groups of people:

"And how, young householder, does a noble disciple cover the six quarters?
"The following should be looked upon as the six quarters. The parents should be looked upon as the East, teachers as the South, wife and children as the West, friends and associates as the North, servants and employees as the Nadir, ascetics and brahmans as the Zenith.
-- DN 31 (Narada, trans)

I grasp the pain of others and understand that most of their pain comes from their point of reference mostly, and all I can do about that is reason in my head how their ego creates it. How do I help them see that?
People say that, of the Threefold Training, it's the first (i.e. "virtue", i.e. relating with others) that's the most difficult to perfect.
I can avoid the pain of attachment to health, to status, to such ideas as constants, but what good am I trying to help others understand that too? I have the understanding of it for myself, but I truly lack the depth of it to teach this, to help people out.
Some people are helpful, friendly, compassionate, loving, kind, and good to know.
Perhaps you can find work with someone like this. Perhaps you can become friends with someone like this. Perhaps you can find people who do have the depth to teach this.
The Upaddha Sutta mentions,

As he was sitting there, Ven. Ananda said to the Blessed One, "This is half of the holy life, lord: admirable friendship, admirable companionship, admirable camaraderie."
"Don't say that, Ananda. Don't say that. Admirable friendship, admirable companionship, admirable camaraderie is actually the whole of the holy life. When a monk has admirable people as friends, companions, & comrades, he can be expected to develop & pursue the noble eightfold path.

The footnote says,

As AN 8.54 points out, this means not only associating with good people, but also learning from them and emulating their good qualities.

I guess I'm mostly asking for resources
People have suggested some "useful resources", which are listed on this page. Please feel free to ask for anything more specific.
A few more random ideas:

There are, I don't know, other things you can do as a hobby. Hobbies are a way to connect. In the Zen tradition there's calligraphy (see for example here or here).
I don't know the States but you seem to be about two hours' drive from New York. Maybe there's someone to meet in or near New York. :-)
Maybe you can create a resource in your home/town: advertise that you're practising Buddhism (study, discussion, meditation, charity) and invite people to join you.

What good does no self and realizing the unity with everything else that there is only to have it beaten out of you
I'll try to answer this literally:

What good does no self ...
The good of "no self" is that things (including sensory experiences) are impermanent and unsatisfactory: and so you would risk feeling dissatisfaction if you took (mistook) these things to be yourself.
People cause trouble (for themselves and others) by being greedy and angry i.e. "selfish". If you can avoid contributing to that then so much the better.
... only to have it beaten out of you
That sounds quite violent.
It also reminds me of the Zen story Nothing Exists.
I imagine that, things being impermanent, anything "beaten out" can re-enter.

Forgive me as I am late. But I thought I would put my thoughts here. This question actually came as a suggestion when I was typing out my own question. I decided to "let go" of my question which is very similar to this and go out on a hunch and answer this instead, which may seem weird, but here goes. Also, I will say what I perceive as The Buddha's teaching as purely common sense in my answers as I like to speak out of my own experiences and observations. I think Gautama Buddha is a very common sense person, when it comes to affairs as a psychologist. He speaks very simple things if I am to believe the texts. I am not an enlightened being nor do I wish to be one. I honestly don't care about enlightenment or Nirvana, no matter how much people say that it is the highest goal.
Now, I totally understand what you're going through and your background in understanding the ego. After listening to all those people, Watts, Sadhguru, Ram Dass, you name it, what helps and doesn't help at the same time is the moment we get back to our self. Those quiet moments we have to ourselves bring back our issues because, the ego doesn't let go so easily. We do think back to what all those realized masters have to say as a consolation. What I'd suggest is letting go of those people's teachings. Take the crux of the matter as you know it AHEAD. Don't go BACKWARD. I have a hunch you're stuck with the thoughts and feelings those teachings gave you and then since the feeling of peace was impermanent, you lost it and consequently there is a feeling of loss. It wrecks that peace which didn't last too long. And of course, you feel lost.
Consider this. We are stuck anyway in this Samsara as the Buddha puts it. Let's strive to get unstuck from our "oh-my-god, what-am-I-doing?" moments, to just being, doing and living. Let's move ahead, moment by moment. Use your breath as an anchor to help you get back to the current moment. Just living it. Yes it is really hard. But I'd suggest taking all moments at face value and just saying "Its okay.". About the thoughts that have cropped up I'd suggest giving them up as they are only thoughts. Why I say this is that, full acceptance of the situation, whatever that maybe, is necessary to make our next rational choice in talking to someone, or in carrying out our next activity, and in living life as it is. Also, don't get stuck in the feeling that you lost your ego because you realized it intellectually. Its hiding ;) Its a creepy little guy backing up on you when you least expect it.
Your loss of interest in any activity is most probably because you suddenly see no point in anything FOR YOURSELF (the ego playing back here). Might I come to a very similar question? What is the point of life? Or why are we here? It is to live. Whatever the situation maybe. Experience it for what it is. You can't really quit life, that'll just be nonsensical suicide. This life is precious for its moments. When you live it fully and truly let go of seeking anything, you'll start gaining more peace. Mindfulness may be a thing but that's all just hype nowadays. Just fashionable terms being thrown about in the hope that someone falls into that trap or propaganda. Let it be. Let everything be. All your opinions included. They will arise. They will pass. Don't try to hold the cup on your head, take it and keep it down on the table or something and let it be.
I'd suggest a healthy mix of rationality, questioning and peaceful acceptance is what you need, to live, in your situation. By peaceful acceptance, I mean to say, take everything you see/read with a pinch of salt and try to live simply or try doing activities just as an experience, without judging. Like a child, if I may say. This is because everything changes. Don't cling to moments. Keep dancing with them and move ahead. Take what life has to give you and breathe. Be grateful that you are given so many breathing moments.
You've observed little kids of course. They just go about joyfully onto the next activity, the next moment and hardly bear any grudges or are not really stuck in any moment. Of course we can laugh our way through life, its not a problem. What I mean to say is accept all sorrows and joy equally in life as you experience it.
This is what I experienced. I am also partly stuck like you. It is frustrating that the solution is so subtle. But I'd like to say that by relaxing and breathing and being meditative as I do everyday activities, I allow a certain calm to pervade me. I don't know if I made sense there.

What do I do with my life upon the realization of no self?

What stops is I-making, mine-making or self conceiving. (Anusaya) Ānanda Sutta, (Anusaya) Sāriputta Sutta Also everything conceivable is not self, non self or not worthy of being identified as self. Saying there is no self is an extreme view.

Why should I continue to do this? For money? Who cares when my heart really isn't in it?

There is nothing wrong in earning a living as long as it is Right Livelihood.

I can avoid the pain of attachment to health, to status, to such ideas as constants, but what good am I trying to help others understand that too? I have the understanding of it for myself, but I truly lack the depth of it to teach this, to help people out.

If you are attached you do not make the right decision. You might make a decision out of fear or without taking all into account. The best if to use Bhavana / Vipassanā to reduce this attachments.

What good does no self

Well as mentioned above it is not self. If I am to rephrase this as what good is realisting not self. I-making leads to craving and future misery due to conditioning.


text:
Then where did the concept of "rebirth" come from?
This blew, and is still kinda blowing, my mind:

"The Buddha never, afaik, used a term that could be translated as
  "rebirth". In fact, the idea of anything being reborn goes against
  orthodox early Buddhist teachings." (from this comment by
  Yuttadhammo)

So... I have always thought of "rebirth" as being a fundamental concept of Buddhism. Sure, it's "real" meaning is debated, but the fact that there is something to it has, in my studies thus far, never been brought into question.
My real question might be something like, "What the heck?!".... But in terms of presenting something here more formal, I ask: If this is the case (and if not, perhaps you can explain why you disagree with Yuttadhammo's assertion), then where did the concept of "rebirth" come from? Why is it a topic of discussion?

And I'm confused about how this video fits into the idea of "rebirth" not being anything the Buddha mentioned. Isn't that exactly what bhante is speaking of in the video? Coming back as an animal because of our kamma....

Do you mean the origin of the distinction between reincarnation & rebirth? Or the origin of reincarnation, which seems less controversial-- it was a part of Indian belief for up to 1700 BC, ref. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reincarnation#Early_Jainism.2C_Hinduism_and_Buddhism There is a good argument to be made that early Buddhism deemphasized the afterlife but the idea was rapidly re-absorbed back into Buddhism, imho.

there is no coming back. there is only constant change. moments of experience being born, and then dying.

Bhikkhu Bodhi writes:

The Buddhist term for rebirth in Pali is "punabbhava" which means "again existence". Buddhism sees rebirth not as the transmigration of a conscious entity but as the repeated occurrence of the process of existence. There is a continuity, a transmission of influence, a causal connection between one life and another. But there is no soul, no permanent entity which transmigrates from one life to another.

The word "rebirth" might be inappropriate since it implies something that borns again (and that's unlikely the meaning of what the Buddha meant). I understand this is what yutthadammo was saying. But, for better or worse, it is this english word that has been used to describe the process of "continuous becoming" in buddhism in english.
"With the break up of the body, after death, he/she reappears at ...", that's what we read. As ven. Bodhi said, The difficulty with this is the doctrine of anatta: if no part of our constitution is fixed, we can't talk about something that transmigrates or is reborn.
But at the same time, we can't say the being that died and the one that reappeared are completely unrelated. What has been said is that the "relation" (or, perhaps better, continuity) is the kamma.

"Student, beings are owners of kammas, heirs of kammas, they have kammas as their progenitor, kammas as their kin, kammas a as their homing place. It is kammas that differentiate beings according to inferiority and superiority."
  -- MN 135

FWIW this Pali dictionary gives punabbhava as "renewed existence, new birth" rather than "rebirth". See also yuttadhammo's comment, the pali word is "upapajjati", which means something like "he arises". No sense of "re-" at all.

I have long had difficulty with this question. This answer is the clearest statement of the resolution of the question I have come across. Thank you for the clarity of wording.

When you plant a mango seed and a mango plant comes out of it, what do you call it? Rebirth or the resurrection of the parents mango tree? Certainly not! The term 'rebirth' can be used at a conceptual level to tell a story, when we are not really focusing on whether or not there's a self or a soul. But it's inappropriate to use it when you are discussing ultimate realities.
ex: "Julia went to sleep last night. Julia woke up this morning".
That's how we tell a story. But there's no 'Julia' in reality. Julia is just a concept. In reality, it is just the five aggregates which is always changing. So the Julia who woke up this morning is not the same Julia who went to sleep last night.

the idea of anything being reborn goes against orthodox early Buddhist teachings
In this later comment, yuttadhammo wrote,

the pali word is "upapajjati", which means something like "he arises". No sense of "re-" at all

So that's the distinction that he's trying to make, in the context of that question:

OP is implying that something that has ceased might arise again. This doesn't happen. Talking about rebirth as a theory is fine, as long as we understand that in reality nothing is actually "reborn". It's a poor name for what really happens.

If I look in the Pali dictionary for the word punabbhava cited in Thiago's answer, the dictionary definition is "renewed existence, new birth" rather than "rebirth".
Looking at the root of the word Puna it suggests meanings like "again" but also "tail", "poop", "behind".
That reminds me of this definition of the word akalika (which means 'timeless'), which includes the following paragraph:

It is probably most useful here to go to the ultimate roots: a = no; ka = shit; li = line; ka = shit. The track of scat left by an animal. The hunter sees: This is the track a week old, this is only two days old, this is from yesterday, and here it is now, eating. That would point to the original meaning of the term to be closer to successive than to simultaneity.

So by analogy, "born again" or "living again" might be like "pooping again": i.e. it is "again", "re-pooping", but let's be clear that they're two different poops.
where did the concept of "rebirth" come from
Here are a couple of articles from accesstoinsight:

The Truth of Rebirth starts with,

Rebirth has always been a central teaching in the Buddhist tradition.

This article includes hyperlinks to the suttas.
Does Rebirth Make Sense? doesn't include specific hyperlinks but does say things like,

The teaching of rebirth crops up almost everywhere in the Canon, and is so closely bound to a host of other doctrines that to remove it would virtually reduce the Dhamma to tatters. Moreover, when the suttas speak about rebirth into the five realms — the hells, the animal world, the spirit realm, the human world, and the heavens — they never hint that these terms are meant symbolically. To the contrary, they even say that rebirth occurs "with the breakup of the body, after death," which clearly implies they intend the idea of rebirth to be taken quite literally.

Why is it a topic of discussion?
It's a topic of discussion because if a doctrine of "rebirth" implies there's something (perhaps a permanent self or soul) that "is reborn", then that seems to contradict other Buddhist doctrines.

source: Stack Exchange

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

sort: votes


text:
Did the Buddha have more advice for the lay follower than is typically supposed?
In the book The Buddha's Teachings to Laypeople: Practical Advice for Prosperity and Lasting Happiness the author Bhikkhu Rahula Basnagoda claims that the Buddha actually had a lot of advice for the lay follower but that advice was most likely lost. A possible reason was that the first council emphasised the monastic content of the Buddha's teaching as this was of greatest concern to the council.

From the bhikkus point of view such a partial preservation is
  understandable. [...] senior bhikkus found that the most urgent need
  was to retain unity and discipline amongst themselves

(quoted from pp 10 of The Buddha's Teachings to Laypeople)
I'm intrigued by this claim and I would like it to be true. I like the idea that the Buddha had a lot of teachings for the lay community that perhaps we don't have now. But is this a common opinion. Is this claim made elsewhere by anyone or is it just a really way out opinion put forward by this author. Is there even any evidence of any kind for it - admittedly I find it difficult to see what kind of evidence there could be but you never know.
I guess I'm after an indication of the validity of this claim either by other reputable teachers or academics making the claim or by some kind of evidence.
Thank you.

I've seen this listing of The Buddha's Daily Routine where it is said the Buddha slept only one hour each night. He divided his days into a morning session and an afternoon session and his nights into 3 "watches".
It's said the monks would usually go to the Buddha to ask him questions during the afternoon session. The followers (which I assume means lay followers) would go to listen or ask questions in the first watch of the night (6 pm - 10 pm) and then the angels would do the same in the middle watch of the night from 10 pm - 2 am.
I don't know the origin of this information, but I can't help but be inspired by both the orderliness of it and the kindness of it, for the Buddha to devote so much time to helping beings find their wisdom. We've had a good question here on the site about asking questions. It's interesting that we here are still asking questions in this same spirit of seeking support for finding our own wisdom.
So with all that time devoted to answering the lay followers questions, one can imagine that there was plenty of advice given over the 45 years that the Buddha taught. How could there not have been? I think the monks who had to recite all the suttas orally for those many years before they were written down must have had their hands full. It seems logical that they would have focused on that which would bring the most benefit to those most dedicated to the goal of enlightenment.
Edit
One sutta from the Pali Canon which is full of advice to lay people is
Sigalovada Sutta: The Discourse to Sigala.

all_licenses: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/


text:
How to scan your body in 3d?
In S. N. Goyenka Vipassana meditation you have to scan your body from head to foot and foot to head. Now I take my attention or [ध्यान dhyaan] at top point of my head, so it’s a 2d point now I move from this point in 2d on surface of my body and I can either go from my front side or from back toward my foot. I'm not getting how to scan my body in 3d? And if I scan in 2d its take too much time to scan whole body if I go inch by inch. People working in this mediation may get my point what I’m trying to ask.

With sufficient practice one can develop the ability to very quickly and accurately observe several points in the body in very quick succession.
In a single mind moment only one point in the body is observed, however since mind moments are so fleetingly small, with good concentration intermediate meditators can pass attention to several points in quick succession such that it can appear as a single observation.
With good concentration one can pass the attention from top-down in a ray trace fashion, or left-right, and observe all points in between.
There is no reason to be in a hurry, or be impatient - the quality of meditation does not depend on the number of times the body scanned, but on the quality of the observation. If it takes a lot of time to go inch by inch, that is valuable practice too, since it develops patience and perseverance.


text:
Interference from another meditation technique in my vipassana meditation
In my 20's(I am now 55) I practiced light and sound meditation for 7 years. When I am doing vipassana which I started in March this year (having not meditated for 25 years) I get the 'sound' mainly engulfing me and it is very blissful I must say. I might also get a huge gushing out of the top of my head and that draws me in to. These moments can feel very blissful.
I made a conscious effort to ignore these events and have mainly succeeded but sometimes I still get sucked in because I want to or as a 'treat'.
What effect will this have on my vipassana? Is it safe to allot some time for that meditation outside of the vipassana meditation? Is it ok toward the end of a sitting to let myself focus on the sound instead? Should I let the sound buzz through me at the same time I focus on my body parts?

You do not go into any detail about what vipassana you are practicing but with the information on hand the following advice:
In insight meditation (vipassana) ALL phenomena have the following qualities:

Anicca - they are impermanent.
Anatta - they are not-self.
Dukkha - that if we cling or have aversion to these impermanent phenomena this creates suffereing.

You 'sound' experience is fairly common, I have it as a constant meditation companion in some form or other, but it falls into the same category of any other phenomena.

These moments can feel very blissful. I made a conscious effort to ignore these events and have mainly succeeded but sometimes I still get sucked in because I want to or as a 'treat'.

There is both clinging and aversion here. Do neither (push away or hold onto) - just view both the bliss and the sound with equanimity. Equanimity is a core skill you are learning in any vipassana practice. So let go of the need to 'control' any of this and just try to see that all these phenomena have the same intrinsic nature as a 'thought', a body sensation, a physical sound. They are all phenomena with the same above three characteristics.

It's not particularly a problem to indulge in pleasant energy sensations, could even be a good thing if it gives you a sense of rest and support - but could also keep you away from doing "the real work" of Vipassana - which at this stage is to identify and release emotional blockages elsewhere in your body.

I get the 'sound' mainly engulfing me and it is very blissful I must say. I might also get a huge gushing out of the top of my head and that draws me in to. These moments can feel very blissful.

Accept a sound / gushing sensation is there
Any mind state and / or metal factor create some sensation or the other. Look what sensation are there in the body equanimous attention to its arising and passing until it your body is tranquil.

I made a conscious effort to ignore these events and have mainly succeeded but sometimes I still get sucked in because I want to or as a 'treat'.

Do not ignore. Just accept it being equanimous, realising its arising and passing, then put effort to bring your mind to a chosen meditation object, frequently reviewing if it is with the object. In breath meditation you can review at the end of each in and out breath.

What effect will this have on my vipassana? Is it safe to allot some time for that meditation outside of the vipassana meditation?

Vipassana aims to calm the fabrication and help you understand the process that fabrications are created (see things as they are - contact, perception, sensation coming together and you reaction to sensations)
As long as the technique does not create any fabrications then it is fine

Is it ok toward the end of a sitting to let myself focus on the sound instead? Should I let the sound buzz through me at the same time I focus on my body parts?

At the end of a session it is always good to focus on thee sounds around you, the touch of your cloths and ground, etc spreading your awareness gradually than being fully concentrated and then leaving it.

Although you want to practise vipassana, but it seems like you show more progress in samatha instead and are on the verge of entering the first jhana.
If this is the case, why don't you try to enter the first jhana and beyond?
Please read "Instruction for Entering Jhana" and "Entering the Jhanas" by Leigh Brasington.
The first article teaches you to use the pleasant sensation on the top of your head (or anywhere else), to access the first jhana. So, it would appear that you are very close to it.
Mastering the jhanas can help you with vipassana later, because the five hindrances are subdued in the jhana states.


text:
What are some ways to improve my practice?
I meditate for 30 minutes each day, focusing on the feeling of my breath moving through my throat. When I am not meditating, I try to mentally "say" whatever it is I am doing (e.g. if I am angry, I say "angry" in my head). I also adhere to the five precepts. I have been following this routine for about six months now, and at this point I feel like I am seeing fewer results than ever before. I often am unable to maintain focus for the full 30 minutes or even a substantial part of the meditation time; I still find myself becoming irrationally angry towards people...it is discouraging.
How can I augment or change my practice to find peace and be less angry?
Thx!

It is hard to offer concrete suggestions or even precisely guess what's happening without more information about your practice and your background;  that said, it looks like your practice is sincere, and it is working. Often when the practice begins to bite, irritability and impatience may increase - it is a learning moment, and a teacher. Find the three characteristics of impermanence, non-self and suffering in each of those moments of irritability, dullness and anger.
Without getting into too many technical details, I'd say, think of it as the next level in a game, your opponents are tougher, and that is what makes it more interesting.
The most important thing is not to abandon practice at this point, but to continue, this is exactly when you need faith and perseverance.
I assume you practice insight meditation (also called Vipassana), if you do, it is not about indulging in the pleasant moments, or treating ourselves to some peace and calm - it is about understanding reality - which means one encounters the good and bad mind moments, and learns to remain equanimous.
Everything is impermanent - even the good and calm times in meditation will go away, and be replaced with difficult times - this is the moment of wisdom, that reveals the suffering in being attached to any feeling.
You might want to take a look at another question where I've offered more advanced help - Working with cycles in meditation . Stop reading it if it gets confusing.

Thanks for the response, it's a great help. I will take a look at the other question!

You're welcome - take a look at http://www.vipassanadhura.com/sixteen.html and http://www.vipassanadhura.com/ProgressofInsight.html for some technical descriptions of the stages of meditation.

When practicing insight meditation it can happen that latent defilements are being stirred up and surfaced. It can happen that a very calm person suddently experiences strong feelings of anger. One is "cleaning out the closet" in a way and stuff from the bottom can come to the surface. Do not worry too much about where that anger is coming from or what's the reason for it is.
The important thing is to work with it. To try to understand it and learn from it. Turn it into a foundation for cultivation of insights.
Anger is a variation of the second hindrance, i.e. Ill-will. A way to deal with this is to turn the feeling of anger into an object of observation. Try to see the 3 signs of existence in order to understand that this feeling of anger do not belong to anyone. The anger is not a Self, it is not you and it is not yours. It's an impersonal phenomena that has arisen and will cease to exist again.
It might be very intense but it's impermanent so sooner or later it will burn out it's fuel. By observing it and not reacting to it one is robbing it of it's fuel. If one interact with it or has aversion towards it one will provide it with further fuel to burn thereby making it last longer and burn hotter.
Another approach is to do metta meditation and thereby replacing the anger with loving-kindness.
Lastly, here is a video called "Monk Radio: Dealing With Anger in Meditation" by Ven. Yuttadhammo.
Let me know if you have any questions to what i wrote and i will try to answer. May you be well and happy.


text:
What are the teachings in Buddhism for good social Social Health?
Lord Buddha preached about the importance of physical, social, mental and spiritual health. Lord Buddha has taught about the characteristics of the four Good friends and the four evil friends. Apart from that, what are the teachings on Buddhism which help somebody to have a good social health, trustworthy friendships etc.? Thanks for any answer in advance!

Hi Dewmini and welcome to Buddhism SE. We have both a guide and a Ressource page for new users that you might find useful.

Thank you friend, I went through the guide and the resource page! It will help me to answer well and ask more precise questions.

Im glad it was of help to you. Feel free to write to Crab Bucket if you have any links that you think might be useful. He will put them into the Ressource tab. You can write the links in this meta-post.

Thank you for telling me about the Resource Tab. I believe I may have some important links to send to Crab Bucket.

I think the Sangaha Sutta would be helpful here, It gives the following as the basis for the bonds of fellowship

Generosity,  kind words,  beneficial help, & consistency in the face
  of events,

Also the Sigalovada Sutta has a lot of advice concerning ones social relationships. Advice is given to 6 groups corresponding to the six directions of worship. The groups are

North - Friends
East - Parents
South - Teachers
West - Wife
Down - Workers
Up - Ascetics

Advice is given for each direction. I think this gives a good coverage of ones social obligations and interactions even today. The text is not too long and gives specific advice on each categories of interaction. Also wikipedia has a useful summary chart.
There is a lot more advice from the Buddha. The book The Buddha's Teachings to Laypeople: Practical Advice for Prosperity and Lasting Happiness is a useful jumping off point if you want to go into more depth. It goes into social relationships, business relationship, conflict etc... and gives the Buddha advice from the Pali canon. It makes one appreciate the depth of the advice the Buddha gave his lay followers in such matters,

Thank you for the kind answer. I went through the links you provided and now only I came to know about the Sangaha Sutta. The advice in the sutta  broadened my view. And the book also seems to be very useful. Thank you again for the kind and precise answer!


text:
Power Struggles in a Buddhist Group
A good friend emailed me about some troubles in a Buddhist meditation group she belongs to. It's a lay led group. The problems are some apparent power struggles about even routine matters and also an element of cliquishness. It seems to be just a small number of people out of the group that are creating the issues.
I don't really know how this sort of thing should be viewed from a Buddhist point of view. But if anyone has a solution or a correct way of looking at this I'd like to pass it along to her. She likes the group overall and she really didn't expect to find this type of behavior among meditators.
My specific question is "From a Buddhist point of view, how do we view bad behavior specifically in a Buddhist setting? Should we allow for these very unenlightened behaviors as we ourselves are unenlightened too? Or should be expect more and move on as this type of behavior may indicate that the meditation is this group is just not working somehow.?"
In other words, if meditation is sincere and regular, can these types of defilements simply continue with no improvement in an individual?

The initial instinct will be to assign blame, or to approach the issue from a victim perspective.
As meditators, we must know better and let go of these views.
Powerful emotions can be very good teachers if we know how to harness the energy.
The teachers in the Thich Nhat Hanh sangha have a detailed conflict resolution guide for exactly this situation that I suggest you review
http://orderofinterbeing.org/docs/Conflict-Guide.pdf
Background: http://www.orderofinterbeing.org/2013/11/conflict-resolution-guide/
We are often the victims and the attackers, if we can realize this, we can solve anything.
A poem by Thich Nhat Hanh

Please Call Me by My True Names
I have a poem for you. This poem is about three of us. The first is a
  twelve-year-old girl, one of the boat people crossing the Gulf of
  Siam. She was raped by a sea pirate, and after that she threw herself
  into the sea. The second person is the sea pirate, who was born in a
  remote village in Thailand. And the third person is me. I was very
  angry, of course. But I could not take sides against the sea pirate.
  If I could have, it would have been easier, but I couldn’t. I realized
  that if I had been born in his village and had lived a similar life
  - economic, educational, and so on – it is likely that I would now be that sea pirate. So it is not easy to take sides. Out of suffering, I
  wrote this poem. It is called “Please Call Me by My True Names,”
  because I have many names, and when you call me by any of them, I have
  to say, “Yes.”
Don’t say that I will depart tomorrow — even today I am still
  arriving.
Look deeply: every second I am arriving to be a bud on a Spring
  branch, to be a tiny bird, with still-fragile wings, learning to sing
  in my new nest, to be a caterpillar in the heart of a flower, to be a
  jewel hiding itself in a stone.
I still arrive, in order to laugh and to cry, to fear and to hope.
The rhythm of my heart is the birth and death of all that is alive.
I am the mayfly metamorphosing on the surface of the river. And I am
  the bird that swoops down to swallow the mayfly.
I am the frog swimming happily in the clear water of a pond. And I am
  the grass-snake that silently feeds itself on the frog.
I am the child in Uganda, all skin and bones, my legs as thin as
  bamboo sticks. And I am the arms merchant, selling deadly weapons to
  Uganda.
I am the twelve-year-old girl, refugee on a small boat, who throws
  herself into the ocean after being raped by a sea pirate. And I am the
  pirate, my heart not yet capable of seeing and loving.
I am a member of the politburo, with plenty of power in my hands. And
  I am the man who has to pay his “debt of blood” to my people dying
  slowly in a forced-labor camp.
My joy is like Spring, so warm it makes flowers bloom all over the
  Earth. My pain is like a river of tears, so vast it fills the four
  oceans.
Please call me by my true names, so I can hear all my cries and my
  laughter at once, so I can see that my joy and pain are one.
Please call me by my true names, so I can wake up, and so the door of
  my heart can be left open, the door of compassion.
~Thich Nhat Hanh

Thank you Buddho. I believe this group thinks very highly of Thich Nhat Hanh, so this may be well accepted by them.

Thanks for helping a friend Robin, it is a long and difficult journey, and good friends are essential.

nice post! @Buddho

Part 1 - General

Meditation in groups can be both beneficial and tiresome as this might be an example of.
When practicing vipassana meditation one is working with one's defilements. That means that the "filter or suppression" is absent. Everything comes up in the meditation so that one can observe it and learn from it. That goes for all of the group members if they are practicing insight meditation. When a lot of defilements are being stirred up and dealt with it can also affect the behavior of the individuals in the group if they do not know how to handle it. It's easy to fall into the "me too" category and then begin to create small groups within the group creating separation and sabotage.
It could be that the path factor of Sila is being neclected here. When one is practicing the factors of conduct that also means to stay centered in the present - to keep the mind in the present and thereby not following after objects. It seems that some of the meditators from this group is not centered, thereby attaching and clinging to objects, i.e. the pleasant feelings of the company of the other meditators creating the separation group.
The power struggles also indicate that some of the meditators are identifying and taking ownership of objects thereby creating a Self.
It could also be that they are practicing samatha meditation and thereby not working with the defilements but instead keeping them suspended and dormant. The latent defilements can then spring up at any time when they are triggered, e.g. by some of the group members being together in the same room.
As meditators they should work to overcome these behaviors since they are obviously hindrances to progress both for themselves and the other meditators in the group.
Part 2 - Possible Solutions

An idea could be that for a certain duration of time, e.g. 2 months they all practiced silent meditation. They could meet together and meditate together but no talking. They could just say hello to each other in the beginning of the session and goodbye after the session. That could create more solitude in the practice and thereby emphazizing the fact that the practice for ones own liberation can only be done by oneself.
Another method would be to do group sessions in Metta-Bhavana and thereby replacing the separation/sabotage aspect which is based on the root defilement of Hatred with Loving-kindness.
Power struggles are by default tainted with a strong attachment to Self. Another method would be to work on realizing the third sign of existence, i.e. anatta. There are guided meditations that focus on the voidness and emptiness of phenomena. Or they could simply begin practicing vipassana more intensely thereby realizing all of the signs.
A last method would be to open up a civilized discussion about the matter asking people in the group to deal with this in a grown up and "buddhist" way so that they can all benefit from the group meditations.
If everything fails your friend can always go completely solo and practice for herself, thereby not being hindered in her meditative progress. She could also try to find another group or maybe meet only with 1 or 2 from the group that she likes. She could try to find a teacher or come to Buddhism SE and join the community. There are many different options for her.
Most important thing here is her own practice. In the end only she can set herself free.

Thank you Sri Lanka. A lot of good thoughts here. It is appreciated. The metta-bhavana may be especially good. :)

No problem Robin. Be well.

When confronted with a situation of this sort, one has a choice between three equally wise options:

Accept it
Change it
Leave it

Unfortunately, most people choose the fourth or fifth (most unwise) options, that are so artfully depicted by Shakespeare in Hamlet; i.e., either they:

suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or [...] take arms
against a sea of troubles

Neither works. Ever. My apologies on behalf of the natural oder of the universe...
Sanghas occasionally find themselves facing irrational power struggles - humans being humans, and humans being flawed — and the the only proper response to such is to raise one's hand and say "enough" or perhaps "WTF!?!", with a thoroughly pained expression. Power struggles are the epitome of craving, and Buddhists seek to expunge craving, but craving is deeply rooted in the human psyche. People fail, and sometimes the failure of people leads to the failure of sanghas. Such is life.
If one does not wish to leave a sangha, and one does not wish to accept what is happening within a sangha, then there is only one choice available within the moral universe that a sangha represents: embrace the primal tiger, and roar. There is nothing that quells the craving monkey-mind faster than the roar of the indignant tiger, and nothing that will set people back on the path more quickly than the threat that straying from the path has indelible consequences. Do not be ashamed to let indignation show when indignation is called for. Even masters fail at times, but masters are masters because they are capable of seeing their own failures with all due perspective, so don't worry about that.
Those who cannot see with all due perspective are not masters. Don't fool yourself into thinking they are.
Make this roar public or private as you think best, because it's not about that; use all discretion that applies. But make it known to those involved that you are not there to deal with this karmic nonsense. The sangha is not a tribe; no one wins or loses by being leader; no one cares about the politics of it. The sangha has one purpose — to support those walking the path, as they walk through life — and everything outside of that is pure dukkha.
Never forget it, and never let anyone else forget it.
Forgive me if I sound indignant; I am. Buddhists need to step up in the world.

The question is over 5 years old, but I guess the issue described has been around since time immemorial.

@NeuroMax: I was aware how old the question was, but as you say... Gautama himself likely had issues of this sort laid at his feet.  It never hurts to remind people. Whether it helps or not is a different question.

control and power clicques that work witin rigid structures and do not incorpate the views and contributions of others in sanghas re merely a reflection of those people operate in the real world outside of th sangha - inbussiness and so on ..such habit are ifetimes in the making ..its idealistic to expect otherwise..if there is abise ( a common cntrol issue in cprprate or any large orgs, then its reflected in a static sangha leadership over long period calling all the shots @ few new members, many leaving .......watch for the signs and dont allow oneself to be victimised..sangha in sense s just a concept ,,my more trusted freinds arent buddhist at all or part of sangha ..even thugh i suppose a serious buddhist (remeber the story of buddha ws ask of the congrgation present ( ofmr all walks of life -not only buddhist ) who would be enlightned..he said most of the poeple n that congrgation that  were not buddhist ,,attchment ,,is a tricky thing

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


text:
How is walking meditation different than other forms of activity?
I've read that things like aikido, yoga, swimming, running are not meditation. How is walking meditation different?

Welcome to Buddhism SE. We've put together some tips for new users on asking questions on the site. Also we have a page of useful resources that you may also find useful. Best wishes and I hope you have a positive experience on the site.

Generally speaking, you want to stay away from things that have too many moving parts.  In fact, the more movement involved, the less conducive something is to meditation.
There are basically two mental factors that have to be balanced in order to give rise to a meditative mindset.  First, you need applied and sustained thought. Bascially, you have to pay attention to something.  That could be something as simple as breathing or complex as swimming.  The simpler the action, the easier it is to watch and concentrate your mind upon, but as your concentration develops, you can begin to work with more complicated actions.  Obviously, in order to concentrate on something in a sustained manor, the action itself must also be sustained.  It's fairly easy to keep breathing (I hope!) or continue walking.  Martial arts exchanges in aikido tend to be over quickly and asanas can only be held for as long as your body allows.
Second, (and I think this is what the quote you read might have been getting at), effective meditation requires a relaxation of the body-mind.  This is calm and settling (samatha) is a a keystone of all deep meditative practices.  Sitting meditation is ideal for this, but any activity that allows your mind and body to settle will be effective (just not as effective as sitting!).  Walking is a tenable option, but while practices like the martial arts, sports, etc. might give rise to applied and sustained thought, but they are not nearly as effective in allowing for this second aspect of settling.  The sympathetic nervous system is just too engaged.

I've read that things like aikido, yoga, swimming, running are not
  meditation. How is walking meditation different?

Could you cite the source or teacher who says this?
In my experiential understanding, and in general, in Buddhist philosophy, any action done mindfully is meditation. The goal of Buddhism is to be mindful of our actions all the time.
The Buddha goes so far as to say that it is not merely by reciting verses in praise of awakening, that we pay homage to the Buddha, but every moment we are mindful, we pay homage to the Buddha within us.
One can certainly practice running meditation if one's mindfulness is very strong.
Walking meditation is safe for the beginner who can observe the action of raaaaiiiissssssing his feet, and loooowwwwwweeeeering his feet, in many dimensions - the tug of the muscles, the raising of the hem of his garment, the brush of wind under the foot, the weight of the sandal as it hangs loose and so on.
I imagine if one was learning to observe like this in detail with an activity like swimming where rapid strokes are required, it can lead to a dangerous situation. As it is, it is common to see people unused to walking meditation stumble on their first attempt because they are so lost in observation, they forget to balance.
In Akido, and other martial arts, Mushin is a prized quality of mind.

I've learned a complete new type of playing football ("soccer" for the us-americans between us) after applying "mindfulness" in the moves of the feet with the ball, the rhythm of the rise&fall when kicked slightly or powerful, the bending of the back and so on (as Buddho mentions: perhaps the changes are not too fast but just capable by my sensual abilities - and this I've encountered having been >50 already). So I think many more things can be meditative, not only sitting, walking. One requirement is surely that the soul/mind/body is occupied with calmness, peacefulness not with bad stress.

Indeed, one can connect very deeply with the body, and reach various vipassana ñañas using an activity like running or hiking. Perhaps not the highest ñañas, but up to bhanga ñaña is certainly possible in my personal experience. Then of course there are the Shaolin monks, some sects of which only practice kungfu - and no sitting meditation.

Dhamma Greetings Robin,
AFAIK, in Buddhist meditation one is involved with observing how the mind's attention moves from one thing to another. In the beginning of the training, to do so, a quiet, non moving body posture has great benefit. And even later, as an advanced meditator, sitting is the preferred bodily activity while deep meditation. In fact, there are stages of advanced Buddhist meditation, that one is not able to attain while moving around (everything beyond the third Jhana).
Now, if one is very sleepy and is not able to overcome the sleepiness with bringing up more active interest in the object of meditation (pītī), it can be helpful to do walking meditation. Then, you walk to and fro a pre-set path, where you don't have to care about the path and where the walking will be free of disturbance. But the main thing will remain to observe the minds activity.
Maybe now you understand, why activities like aikido, yoga, swimming or running are not suited very well for deep meditation.
In addition, here is an good article on walking meditation: Link
Best Wishes

Welcome to the site! To avoid the answer's being what's called a "one-line-answer" or a  "link-only-answer" (if all answers were like that then this site would be nothing but a directory of hyperlinks) an ideal answer would quote a little bit from the reference, and/or specifically answer the question. For example, assuming that you know what "walking meditation" is and that the OP doesn't know, can you explain in a few sentences (in your answer) what's different about it, i.e. why other activities such as the ones listed are described as "not meditation"?

Writing slightly longer answers is one of the minor 'rules' (or more like 'guidelines for writing a good answer') on this site,

Dear Chris, thank you for the info. Be Well,

In walking meditation one tries to be mindful of the walking process, i.e. the movement of the feet (lifting, moving, placing, turning), the sensations of touch, wind and other elements.
In walking meditation the main thing we want to develop is mindfulness of the different phenomena that arises. It's about keeping one's mindfulness throughout the meditation.
This type of meditation is both slower and techniqally more simple than aikido, swimming or running thereby making it easier to keep one's mindfulness.
When one gets really good at it one can turn anything into meditation, e.g. the activities you mention. Brushing teeth, eating, climbing, doing office work, talking, watching a movie can also be turned into meditation. It depends on the skill level of the meditator and the pace and complexity of the activity than one wants to turn into a meditation.
The difference in walking meditation is the slower pace and less complexity in the technique thereby making this method more approachable when developing mindfulness while moving. It's more difficult to be mindful when moving around than when sitting still.
Walking meditation would be easier to begin with than e.g. running meditation or swimming meditation. In here it would be more difficult since the technique is more complex and the pace is quicker.
Lastly, here is an interesting article on walking meditation called "The Benefits of Walking Meditation" by Sayadaw U Silananda.

Here is a great read on the difference between Insight and Calm Abiding (Concentration), notably Insight and Shamatha:
Mindfulness Versus Concentration (by Bhante Gunaratana)
Walking meditation is a form of calming the mind and one-pointedness at the given activity, sensation. You can divide it in multiple phases to focus on, typically, but only initially. So in walking that is:

Standing. Intent to Walk. Right foot moving. Left foot moving. Stopping. Intent to turn. Turning. (Repeat)

One-pointedness of breath splits it in three/four:

Breath in. Pause. Breath out. Pause/Space. (Repeat)

It is only so in the initial stage. Later on breath becomes one (it becomes phaseless), then disappears, then you just see the space of mind, then nimitta arises and then, if you are not afraid of losing Self - Jhana.
Mindfulness (especially in every day activity) on the other hand is close to Insight and therefore what Vipassana accomplishes, and this book explains the difference very well.

Note that there is also Zazen, and Zazen in my opinion a lot of times is a bit of both - insight and calm abiding.
Monks like Thich Nhat Hanh advise mind labelling while in Mindfulness, and that is turning every day activities (and Mindfulness) partially into concentration meditation that calms the monkey mind.


text:
How to breathe?
I might like some advice about breathing.
A doctor implied that I'm not very good at breathing: i.e. that I have "central sleep apnea" which probably means that the part of the brain-stem that controls breathing doesn't breathe/trigger enough, so I go for 30 to (while I'm asleep) 90 seconds between breaths, and don't get enough oxygen.
The existing question that most closely matches this one, that I found, was Breath getting shorter and shorter. I don't understand the answer to that question (especially the answer's saying, "you have to switch to sensations" – what else is there but sensations?). I downloaded the manual about Anapanasati which that answer recommended, and I hope I get a chance to read it, but it might be useful to read some other shorter/different answer of yours here.
So, some specific questions:

An instruction about "how to breathe when meditating" might include "breathe naturally". I find that if I "breathe naturally" then:

My breathing gets shallow and then stops for a few seconds.
I wait a bit, thinking "I'm not breathing. But I shouldn't force my breathing, I'm supposed to wait for it to breathe naturally. So I'll wait until my next breath. Waiting. Waiting."
(My oxygenation depletes, which seems to manifest as a slight loss of consciousness, e.g. I'm no longer aware of what I'm seeing and/or of what I'm thinking)
My next moment of consciousness/lucidity is that I'm aware than I am in the process of taking my next breath.

When I'm awake this period of 'unconsciousness' is probably (I guess) no more than half a second (though the period between breaths may be several seconds), and only happens while I'm physically at rest (not physically exercising) and emotionally dull (I think I keep a relatively lively interest when I'm driving a car for example).
Questions:

Does that sound normal?
Is it abnormal/pathological and e.g. a symptom of "central apnea"?
Am I interpreting "breathe naturally" a bit too literally: should I instead, for example, begin to inhale again as soon as I'm aware that I'm not breathing (i.e. that I am between breaths, or that my previous breath has finished)? Should I be trying to breath continuously not just continually?

I guess the thing with driving is that I'm not concentrated on / conscious of my breathing: instead, what I'm conscious of is my level of alertness and how well I'm seeing (how good my sight is), and so I suppose I unconsciously breathe (regularly enough) in order to maintain that level.
In the comments under this question there are a couple of comments about the diaphragm:

I disagree. There is a reason why diaphragm works better -- it is a gateway to the emotional mind, so-called seventh consciousness.
I also think the diaphragm region is better, but more so because the movement of the abdomen is much easier for a beginner mediator to discern.

Can you tell me something (that I don't already know – you can assume I only/already have high-school-level biology) about the diaphragm, and/or about the "so-called seventh consciousness"?
The 'Anapanasati manual' which I reference above barely mentions "diaphragm" nor even "abdomen".
Watching a video of someone I notice that they appear to 'sniff' occasionally while they're speaking. If I try to do the same, experimentally, do I experience a mild feeling of bliss? Either from the sudden intake of oxygen, or the motion of air through the nose, or from having triggered/activated the diaphragm to implement the sniff?
Is there something I should know about that slightly implosive way of breathing, and/or activating of the diaphragm?
What I called 'bliss' might be increased alertness or awareness (or sensory input).
Is there some written text about 'how to breathe' that you recommend?
FYI some activities that I find relatively pleasurable are bicycling (e.g. fast or up-hill), the Tai Chi "first form", and singing (in a choir), all of which involve continuous and/or controlled breathing.
How should this contrast with some vague instruction to "breathe naturally" which I don't understand and don't seem to enjoy much?
Is it possible (and/or desirable) to learn to breathe more consciously (or regularly) while still using the brain for other purposes?

My oxygenation depletes, which seems to manifest as a slight loss of consciousness

That does not seem common/normal -- I'm not a doctor though.
Maybe it helps if, instead of focusing on breathing instructions (which might be problematic in this case), get enough information about what exactly is to be accomplished (and work your way towards it).
Restricting ourselves to the first stage of anapanasati (samatha), breath should get calmer and calmer. However:

this is done in concert with your entire body and mind.
Breathing patterns and oxygenation changes the behavior of the physical body/brain and mind. As I understand, they get calmer, and allow the breath to get even more calm and so on.
You should not lose consciousness.
Perhaps you might need more conscious intervention in the breath to avoid this.
Your concentration should get stronger
That's a main goal. Your thoughts should get very very calm, your alertness should get very strong, along with the ability to concentrate on a single point for long periods of time without being distracted (even slightly).

Am I interpreting "breathe naturally" a bit too literally [?]

I believe we are taught to "breath naturally" to avoid any creativeness and excess on our part while breathing. In reality, we do need to intervene in the breathing process to make it calmer. Otherwise, it will just be our "everyday breathing" and it won't get calm. But we can't be excessive -- in fact, very little force is usually too much force already. One does not force it into tranquility, but one does apply some control, mostly, avoiding gross in-out breaths and relaxing "micro tensions" wherever one identifies them.
Some people teach students to make a resolution to be calm before meditation (by expecting the mind to "take the inclination hint" and do the calming without conscious intervention). Others teach something like zazen, or an open ended observation of sensations, so one gets familiar with the subtlest things that makes the body and mind a bit calmer or a bit upset. Once one understands how to observe, one can actively drive the breathing, body and mind to a calm state.

The 'Anapanasati manual' which I reference above barely mentions "diaphragm" nor even "abdomen".

Samatha is usually taught on a fixed point -- I'm not sure it would work with the focus moving. A favorite point is the tip of the nose or right below it. I suppose one could try focusing on a fixed point in the diaphragm region, but it might be challenging to localize and stick to that fixed spot.
However, mindfulness/satipathana have been taught using the diaphragm moviment as meditation object.

Is there some written text about 'how to breathe' that you recommend?

Here's a short pdf on breathing. This is what I read that made me look for authoritative resources (as I realized I know nothing about breathing). I ended up buying Breath Well, Be Well by  Robert Fried, Ph.D, which I'm still reading.

Well, it's one of two things.  It could be related to your apnea.  Like Mr. Silva says, I also am no doctor, so I can't comment on that.
However, when you wrote this - "I'm no longer aware of what I'm seeing and/or of what I'm thinking", you got me thinking.  If you didn't have sleep apnea, and you wrote that line, I'd be shaking your hand and saying congratulations - you've stumbled upon a major milestone in your meditation.  That is the opening of no mind - what we Zen folk call mushin.  Obi wan would have called this your "first step in to a larger world."  That blankness is where all the fun happens.  It's the boundary between yourself and your bigger mind.  It's ultimately what you are aiming for.

When I'm awake this period of 'unconsciousness' is probably (I guess)
  no more than half a second (though the period between breaths may be
  several seconds), and only happens while I'm physically at rest (not
  physically exercising) and emotionally dull (I think I keep a
  relatively lively interest when I'm driving a car for example).

For most people during waking consciousness, this period of no-mind is only a second or two.  As your meditation develops, the period begins to last a bit longer.  Eventually, this will grow into minutes.  As you say, it may appear as dullness at first.  A common misconception people have is that meditative concentration is always marked by lucid clarity and the kind of alertness you might have when reading an engrossing book or playing and absorbing game.  It's not.  Don't let that get you discouraged.  Meditation is a totally different way of using your mind.  There is an adaption period that you are going to have to go through.
To tie this back to breathing...  I think where a lot of people run into problems is when they try to breath naturally.  "Try" and "naturally" are antagonistic.  A better way to go about it is to simply watch your breathing.  Don't worry about the length of the breath or even [for now] what part of your body is rising or falling.  Follow the breath all the way out.  I mean allll the way out.  Don't short change it!  A habit that a lot of people develop is that they drop their attention about 3/4 into the exhalation.  Next, keep that attention applied during that blank space between breaths.  There is a space there and you need to keep your attention on it.  Lastly, don't let that concentration break as the air starts to come back in.  Another habit that people have is that they let their concentration go lax once the outgoing breath and blankness switch back to rising.  Don't do that.  Keep you attention fixed.
It sometimes helps if you anchor that watch point.  Some people use their nostrils, others might pay attention to the belly, personally I use the tip of my nose.  That's mostly a matter of personal preference.  The ideal here is unbroken, fixed attention.
Frankly, it sounds like you are doing better than you're giving yourself credit for.  Don't worry about breathing right; just let the breath be!

Apnea is a serious medical condition. I had an otherwise healthy colleague who had to be plugged to a machine overnight, to monitor his breathing cycles and supply oxygen when needed. This is no joke and requires professional medical attention.
That said, some of it may come from your deeper emotional blockages. What I would try if I were you is tapping of abdomen, diaphragm, and chest. Just tap one of those three spots, for 5-10 minutes at a time, with your two fists like King-Kong, or with your fingers if you are very sensitive. Chances are, you will discover layers and layers of blockages. Try to relax muscles of the area you tap. The more you let go, the less painful it becomes, but then you get to the next layer and it may get more painful again etc. Just try it gently. Ask your doctor before doing this, just in case.
Tai-chi and singing are good too. I encourage you to do more of those :)
As for your experience during meditation, there is no hard boundary between "watching" and "controlling". To the extent that you are watching your breathing, you are already interfering. The periods of no-thought between the breaths are fine, but they should not be associated with dullness. Breathing and discursive mind are related, so your inner monologue may pause or stop, but the rest of your mind should go on fresh and vibrant. When things go well you will fall into access consciousness, when you get to "see" directly what normally is your subconscious. It is a rather peculiar experience, akin to a drug trip.
I don't know to what extent you are similar to me, so not all of my experience may even apply, but in your meditation try not to worry about breathing so much and focus on the feelings in and around your body instead, same areas I suggested you tap can be used as doors into the subconscious.

you have to switch to sensations

Anapanasati is broken into 4 tetrads out of which the 2nd tetrad is Contemplation of the Feeling. Once you are in step 4 and moving to step 5 you are moving from Contemplation of the Body to Contemplation of the Feeling.
When your breathing stops next is to keep experiencing the itching, perspiration, heat / cold, irritation feeling at the centre of the upper lips  continuously. At 1st these are the types of sensations you feel but after sometime it becomes pleasant. This is when you really are in step 5 and before that is more a transitionary phase. If there is any tension you have to release it by keeping pasing you attention though these areas.

I downloaded the manual about Anapanasati which that answer recommended, and I hope I get a chance to read it, but it might be useful to read some other shorter/different answer of yours here.

You should already have a teacher to hold hands and guide you or you should do your homework properly. Read through many relevant Suttas as possible. I have given many references below but also following maybe a good initial read: Samma,ditthi Sutta. It is dangerous to do without guidance or doing your homework properly as Breath Meditation done wrongly can have lead to complication.

how to breathe when meditating

You do not have to breath in any particular way. You take a step aside and look at the process of breathing. Now the breath starts, now it accelerates, nor it has peaked, now it is slowing, not it has stopped, now there is a gap, now it has started in the opposite direction, .... Then at end of each in breath and out breath where you with the breath or did you mind wander away. If so this it create any tension, relax them by passing you attention though these areas in a zigzag way if large of is small, keeping your attention for a small time on the area. Then get you attention back to the process smilingly without any agitation or worry. Continue doing this.
When you start choose the rest your attention in the triangle from the top of your nose and base of the upper lip. As you become skillful narrow it down from the tip of the nose to the base of the upper lip. Then just the upper lip and finally the centre of the upper lip.
Also 1st start with the process of breathing then followed by, touch sensation of the breath, and then finally keep the breath on a spot at the centre of the upper lip.

My breathing gets shallow and then stops

Keep watching you bodily sensations, the sensations will initially be unpleasant, than pleasant and finally neutral.
Q1) Initially you breathing will be deep but as you go on it will become shorter and stop. When it stops it can be a few minutes or even the rest of the whole session. When this happens at 1st you become restless and sometimes wonder what to do next. When you worry and think this actually means you need oxygen. The natural response of the body is that you start breathing again. Clearly this is not happening or you have intentionally stopped breaking or holding you breath even perhaps for psychological reasons because you want it to stop. You should not in any way manipulate the breath, though when calming the breath you can indirectly doing by increasing your focus and actively reviewing if the mind is with the breath and actively redirecting your mind to the breath. When driving generally is is better to concentrate on expansion and contation of the body than focus on the tip of your nose as it is less prone to create drowsiness. If the activity is not hazardous (there will be no accident if there is a lapse) continue with the sensation around the mouth or if possible the centre of the upper lip also being mindful of the breathing process.
Q2) This is coming from Yoga and Buddhist sects influenced by it so I am not an expert. But having said that for it the be insight meditation you focus should be in the 4 elements (hardness, expansion contraction, etc) or the feeling you have around this area.
Q3) This again is more like Pranayama though you are not intentionally doing it. This creates some nice feelings but again this is not insight meditation. Sun Lun Sayadaw teachers something like this but when doing this without guidance is not advisable. Also the method of Thanissaro Bhikkhu and Ajahn Lee does take a more active approach in manipulating the breath.
Q4) Anapanasati: Mindfulness with Breathing - Unveiling the Secrets of Life, Ānâpāna,sati Sutta, Ānâpāna,sati Sutta, Anapana Sati Meditation on Breathing by Ven. Mahathera Nauyane Ariyadhamma, Mindfulness of Breathing & Four Elements Meditation by Ven. Pa Auk Sayadaw, Knowing and Seeing by Ven. Pa Auk Sayadaw, Mindful of the Body: A Study Guide, Right Mindfulness: Memory & Ardency on the Buddhist Path, Keeping the Breath in Mind & Lessons in Samadhi, Inner Strength & Parting Gifts, With Each & Every Breath: A Guide to Meditation, though not strictly related the following answer also has many references which are relavent to making your breath meditaion sucessful also: https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/a/13210/295, I have quite a few other answers in this are also which I am having a hard time re locating.
Q5) If you do not enjoy breathing normally maybe you are building up tensions. You should do this releasing body and mind by being aware of tensions in the body and mind and passing your attention to them. Also you might be having Restless Worry when doing breath meditation. When you are doing other activities perhaps you can do contemplation of the Wind Element (expansion and contraction)
Also with your medical problem I am not sure if Breath meditation is the best thing, but unless you try you will not know for sure.