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When is 'dependent origination' broken, in meditation?
At which stage of enlightenment (or of meditation) will Dependent Origination break?
In my meditation practice, now there are no clinging to the thoughts and no self view. Can notice once it appears.
At this stage, is dependent origination still functioning?

You have to see impermanence, suffering and non-self with direct knowledge. Not by intellectual thinking.  That realization should be all encompassing. In other words, you should attain absolute certainty that all condition realities come under the three characteristics. At this moment the mind should have the concentration level comparable to the first Jhana, even though it is not the first Samatha Jhana. Read more here

Yes puthujjanas claim that good mediation means not clinging to thoughts and lack of ''doer'', of ''agency'', of ''knower'' especially the intellectual puthujjanas who invented the dry insights. That's cute but it is not the discriminant between good and bad meditation.
As usual the discriminant between a successful ''meditation'' and a failure is about kama, sensuality, but philosophers always try to switch the topic towards thoughts and mental masturbation, and they never judge through kama and lack of kama, through Virāgā, and even less through knowing the conditions of what is conditioned.
SO at the very best your are like this bikkhu

"Having abandoned sensual desire for past sensual pleasures, lord,
  having done away with sensual desire for future sensual pleasures, and
  having thoroughly subdued perceptions of irritation with regard to
  internal & external events, I breathe in mindfully and breathe out
  mindfully."[1]

which is better than being a mindless, lustful puthujjana, but the vipassana are the next steps, which is as usual knowing the origin of whatever is conditioned, knowing what is conditioned and knowing the cessation of what is conditioned, typically the origin of lust, raga, the cessation of lust, Virāgā, relinquishment and so on.
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn54/sn54.006.than.html
so once you want the vipassanas, you first superficially calm the body, the citta and the mano, which just mean casually being relaxed, then you need as usual the joy to deeply calm whatever is still agitated,  to switch between rupa and citta. Once the focus is on the citta, you can become sensitive to any sankhara left and as usual, the goal is to calm these sankharas (with sati and wisdom of course) because sankharas are always bad, then as always joy, pleasure remain and right samadhi is established, and then to see how those sankaharas and 5 aggregates and dukkha arise and under what condition they are destroyed, to focus on dispassion, on fading away, on relinquishment, on cessation, on rejection.
Trying to get the vipassanas without right samadhi is too difficult for most puthujjanas, since most puthujjanas are just too lustful, too mindless.

Good answer, would be even better if you could give your advice without making fun of 99.9% of humans by calling them "puthujjanas". Do you think your teaching will receive more attention if you constantly humiliate the students? I don't think so.

When I am going thru this answer   I felt your anger you haven't  let go and still disturb by your self  view.  Good  night.

For what my opinion's worth, I think I've become used to Veiculo's prose style and I didn't read this answer as being especially "angry", I thought it was primarily "descriptive" or "technical". You could try to soften the language by saying "some people" instead of "puthujjanas" (e.g. "Yes some people mistakenly say that etc.") -- and maybe stop objectifying people (e.g. say "which is better than being lustful" or "better than experiencing lust" instead of saying "better than being a mindless, lustful puthujjana"). But, yes, if the prose style stops people especially the OP from reading it...

in my meditation practice now there Are No clinging to the thoughts and self view .

The self-view is clinging. Thoughts are (usually) clinging. To quote:

And what is clinging? These four are clingings: sensuality clinging, view clinging, precept & practice clinging, and doctrine of
  self clinging. This is called clinging
SN 12.2

When the mind has no thoughts, no clinging, no self-view, the Dependent Origination will be stopped. When ignorance ends, the Dependent Origination will be broken.

What is the different between mana and self view?

DD, when the mind is empty of thoughts it is equated with genuine vipassana, where detachment occurs? Thx

Empty of thoughts is samadhi. However, the DO cycle will be (temporarily) stopped at the sankhara (2nd) link.

I realised that .small amount of sankhara still forms .


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"Take joy! I am your guarantor for getting 500 dove-footed nymphs."
The Nanda sutta seems contrary to what the Buddha teaches with regard to sensual desire. Therefore, I don't understand how this was a wise approach in the case of Nanda even though Nanda acquired arahantship afterwards.
Perhaps I'm missing something obvious (it's still morning here!) but how did the Buddha's promise become a catalyst for Nanda's ultimate realization?

Imagine you are going to a car shop to buy a station wagon only because that's the best car you know and then your wise relative comes to you and shows you ferraris and lamborghinis, saying that if you give up the station wagon and follow his advice, you will soon be able to afford these much superior cars, what would you do? You would take his advice, especially if you trust him and have the ultimate respect for him.
That worked for venerable Nanda. It may not work for everyone. But then the Buddha knows what a person needs to hear to get him inclined towards the practice. The Buddha redirected his craving towards a woman by altering his goal to something superior to get him to follow the path that actually eliminates craving. Even parents do this with their kids. They promise to buy a gift the kid likes very much if he passes the exam well. So the kid studies hard to get the gift and as a result passes the exam.

But Nanda never got the ferrari.

@OyaMist he didn't need it anymore :)

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Why is Nanavira considered controversial?
Why is Nanavira considered controversial?
I've overheard conversations about Nanavira Thera, and people seem to be in three groups:
1) He's a heretic.
2) He's a genius sotapanna.
3) Nyana-who?
But I've never heard why group 1 consider him to be a heretic. I know he claimed to be a stream-enterer in a letter after he committed suicide... Super controversial, but there has to be more to it than that?

The link to Notes on Dhamma. http://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/ctp_book_v1.pdf

Thanks SarathW, I've got that book but I'm not sure I want to start on 580 pages! It's a little intimidating.

Agree I tried few times to read it but never got to finish it. It is more of a reference manual than a book I suppose.

Hi dude. I started a question which relates to Nanavira's interpretation of sankhara, here: https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/questions/30162/why-is-the-pali-word-sa%E1%B9%85kh%C4%81r%C4%81-in-dependent-origination-plural  I am not sure if you have heard of the monks Ajahn Brahm and Ajahn Sujato but it seems my topic might support Nanavira and oppose Brahm and Sujato.

If I had to speculate I would suggest that he was very intellectual.
That can be intimidating.
From the site Nanavira.org:

Notes on Dhamma has been variously described as "arrogant, scathing, and condescending", as "a fantastic system", and as "the most important book to be written in this century". The Ven. Ñānavīra Thera himself remarked of the book that "it is vain to hope that it is going to win general approval... but I do allow myself to hope that a few individuals... will have private transformations of their way of thinking as a result of reading them".

Why was this downvoted without comment? A downvote without comment is Wrong Action and helps nobody.

I down voted this answer because it has little substance to it. Its just a bunch of "name-calling" from all sides. Its like a bunch of old wives squabbling & gossiping. Also, I do not regard Nanavira as "very intellectual". Instead, I regard Nanavira as often "confused". Ajahn Buddhadasa wrote similar views to Nanavira but Ajahn Buddhadasa is easy to understand, which is why Ajahn Buddhadasa was a very famous teacher in Thailand and even internationally.

I up-voted this answer because I thought it was on-topic, and helped to answer the question, i.e. "why is Nanavira considered controversial?" Whether we agree with that controversy and/or agree with Nanavira would be a different question (and not necessarily one which an answer needs to address here).

1) He's a heretic.

He viewed 'birth' & 'death' in Dependent Origination as the self-views of 'my birth' and 'my death' (which makes him a heretic to the cultural Buddhism of the world; which believes in Buddhaghosa's three-life-time idea).
He also questioned the common intepretation of the sankhara link, below:

5. Let us now consider sankhārā, which we shall make no attempt to translate for the moment so as not to beg the question. We may turn to Nidāna/Abhisamaya Samy. i,2  for a definition of sankhārā in the context of the paticcasamuppāda formulation. Katame ca bhikkhave sankhārā. Tayo'me bhikkhave sankhārā, kāyasankhāro vacīsankhāro cittasankhāro. Ime vuccanti bhikkhave sankhārā. ('And which, monks, are determinations? There are, monks, these three determinations: body-determination, speech-determination, mind-determination. These, monks, are called determinations.') But what are kāyasankhāra, vacīsankhāra, and cittasankhāra? The Cūlavedallasutta (Majjhima v,4  & cf. Citta Samy. 6 ) will tell us. Kati pan'ayye sankhārā ti. Tayo'me āvuso Visākha sankhārā, kāyasankhāro vacīsankhāro cittasankhāro ti. Katamo pan'ayye kāyasankhāro, katamo vacīsankhāro, katamo cittasankhāro ti. Assāsapassāsā kho āvuso Visākha kāyasankhāro, vitakkavicārā vacīsankhāro, saññā ca vedanā ca cittasankhāro ti. Kasmā pan'ayye assāsapassāsā kāyasankhāro, kasmā vitakkavicārā vacīsankhāro, kasmā saññā ca vedanā ca cittasankhāro ti. Assāsapassāsā kho āvuso Visākha kāyikā, ete dhammā kāyapatibaddhā, tasmā assāsapassāsā kāyasankhāro. Pubbe kho āvuso Visākha vitakketvā vicāretvā pacchā vācam bhindati, tasmā vitakkavicārā vacīsankhāro. Saññā ca vedanā ca cetasikā, ete dhammā cittapatibaddhā, tasmā saññā ca vedanā ca cittasankhāro ti. ('But, lady, how many determinations are there?—There are, friend Vis&aacuutekha, these three determinations: body-determination, speech-determination, mind-determination.—But which, lady, is body-determination, which is speech-determination, which is mind-determination?—The in-&-out-breaths, friend Visākha, are body-determination, thinking-&-pondering are speech-determination, perception and feeling are mind-determination.—But why, lady, are the in-&-out-breaths body-determination, why are thinking-&-pondering speech-determination, why are perception and feeling mind-determination?—The in-&-out-breaths, friend Visākha, are bodily, these things are bound up with the body; that is why the in-&-out-breaths are body-determination. First, friend Visākha, having thought and pondered, afterwards one breaks into speech; that is why thinking-&-pondering are speech-determination. Perception and feeling are mental, these things are bound up with the mind; that is why perception and feeling are mind-determination.') Now the traditional interpretation says that sankhārā in the paticcasamuppāda context are kamma, being cetanā. Are we therefore obliged to understand in-&-out-breaths, thinking-&-pondering, and perception and feeling, respectively, as bodily, verbal, and mental kamma (or cetanā)? Is my present existence the result of my breathing in the preceding existence? Is thinking-&-pondering verbal action? Must we regard perception and feeling as intention, when the Suttas distinguish between them (Phuttho bhikkhave vedeti, phuttho ceteti, phuttho sañjānāti... ('Contacted, monks, one feels; contacted, one intends; contacted, one perceives;...') [Salāyatana Samy. ix,10 ])? Certainly, sankhārā may, upon occasion, be cetanā (e.g. Khandha Samy. vi,4 [3]); but this is by no means always so. The Cūlavedallasutta tells us clearly in what sense in-&-out-breaths, thinking-&-pondering, and perception and feeling, are sankhārā (i.e. in that body, speech, and mind [citta], are intimately connected with them, and do not occur without them); and it would do violence to the Sutta to interpret sankhārā here as cetanā.
6. Nevertheless, it would be a mistake to suppose from the foregoing that sankhārā in the paticcasamuppāda context cannot mean cetanā. One Sutta (Nidāna/Abhisamaya Samy. vi,1 ) gives sankhārā in this context as puññābhisankhāra, apuññābhisankhāra, and āneñjābhisankhāra, and it is clear enough that we must understand sankhārā here as some kind of cetanā. Indeed, it is upon this very Sutta that the traditional interpretation relies to justify its conception of sankhārā in the context of the paticcasamuppāda formulation. It might be wondered how the traditional interpretation gets round the difficulty of explaining assāsapassāsā, vitakkavicārā, and saññā and vedanā, as cetanā, in defiance of the Cūlavedallasutta passage. The answer is simple: the traditional interpretation, choosing to identify cittasankhāra with manosankhāra, roundly asserts (in the Visuddhimagga) that kāyasankhāra, vacīsankhāra, and cittasankhāra, are kāyasañcetanā, vacīsañcetanā, and manosañcetanā,—see §16 --, and altogether ignores the Cūlavedallasutta. The difficulty is thus, discreetly, not permitted to arise.

2) He's a genius sotapanna.

It seems he still believed in reincarnation (which appeared to influence his suicide) thus unlikely was a sotapanna. He appeared to believe "I" have seven more lifetimes; which most bona fide sotapanna would consider to be sakkaya ditthi.
Also, he seemed to express doubt about whether his interpretation of the 'sankhara' link was correct. If he was a sotapanna, he would have no doubts at all that his interpretation was correct and the interpretation of the establishment was wrong. As the Buddha taught (MN 56), as a sotapanna, he would be completely independent in his understanding of the Dhamma.
An individual with a keen intellect can read the suttas and conclude 'birth' & 'death' in Dependent Origination are the arising of the self-views of 'my birth' and 'my death'. However, such a keen intellect does not mean this individual has had the clear inner experience of Emptiness (Sunnata) to destroy sakkaya ditthi.

3) Nyana-who?

Yes. I only learned about him from the internet. I think for serious students and practitioners, Nanavira was too confused, despite his excellent attempt at understanding the Buddha-Dhamma. His "notes" are like a "search" rather than a conclusive view. Admirably, he had many insightful views about Dependent Origination but the incompleteness of his search would invalidate him as an authoritative guide or object of veneration in the mind of most Noble Practitioners.

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Does an Arahant accumulate kamma in his/her life?

Cetana (Intention) is a universal mental factor which can be seen in every consciousness even in Arahants'.
Kamma is the intention in one's consciousness.

I have thought about the below statements based on the above mentioned two factors. But couldn't come to a conclusion. My questions are,

"An Arahant accumulates kamma in his/her life and has kammic fruit for that kamma in the same life." Is this statement true?
"An Arahant accumulates kamma in his/her life but has no kammic fruit for that kamma." Is this statement true?
"Intention (The mental factor, Cetana) is not kamma in Arahants' consciousness" Is this statement true?

Cittas are classified in various ways. One such classification is according to their nature. In this classification we have:

Cittas which are resultant states of consciousness, vipaaka, the effects of previous kamma.
Cittas which are causes for action (kamma) through body, speech, or mind. We may call these "causative cittas." A wholesome citta (kusala citta) will issue in wholesome action and an unwholesome one (akusala citta) in unwholesome action.
Cittas which are neither kamma nor its result. These are called kiriya cittas. They are kammically ineffective, being merely functional. Some kiriya cittas perform simple functions in the process of consciousness, others represent the actions and thoughts of arahants, who no longer generate fresh kamma. Read more here

Therefore,

Statement 1: False
Statement 2: False
Statement 3: True, but they are called kiriya cittas. The term is indicative of the functional nature which is different from the intention of a worldly person.

Sir, when we talk about cetana, we can say, its characteristic is the state of willing, its function is to accumulate (kamma), and its manifestation is coordination. Its proximate cause is the associated states. (link) Then what is the function of Cetana in a Kriya citta?

The function of Kiriya citta is not to accumulate kamma, but to merely carry out a function. Ex:  Avajjana citta just performs the function of advertence

Sir, when we study mental factors we study their caracteristic (Lakkhana), their function (Rasa), their manifestation (Paccupatthana), and their proximate cause (Padatthana). I'd like to know the function of Cetana mental factor which appears in a Kiriya citta. It should be definitely different from the Cetana which appears in 81 mundane cittas.

@Damith you are repeating the same question :)

Sir, Sorry I repeated the question because I didn't get an answer. You've mentioned the function of Kiriya citta. But I asked the function of Cetana appeared in Kiriya Citta. I suppose Cetana and Citta are different from each other.

Cetana is part of every Citta. But Cetana becomes Karma only in Javana Cittas of worldlings. When it comes to Arahaths, Cetana in Javanas do not become Karma as they are indeterminate. In other words, neither wholesome nor unwholesome. So you could say the function of Cetana in Kiriya Cittas is to be non-accumulative(karmically ineffective).

The consciousness of an Arahant is ethically indeterminate so he does not accumulate Kamma.
From The Abhidhamma in Practice --

For the Arahant, the liberated one, the cittas that
  arise in him can no longer be associated with any unwholesome roots. The cittas that the
  Arahant experiences are neither wholesome nor unwholesome, as he does not generate any
  further kamma; his cittas are exclusively indeterminate.

and:

The universals and particulars are, in themselves, ethically indeterminate but become
  wholesome, unwholesome, or neither, depending on the state of consciousness in which they
  occur.

Sir, Then the third statement of my question is correct. This leads me to come to a conclusion that, not all cetana (intension) is kamma but depends on the state of consciousness. Am I correct?

Agree. I see your point. I do not have a satisfactory answer to your question at his stage. -) Perhaps Budha wanted to describe Kamma, not Cetana. Perhaps all Kamma is Cetana but all Cetana is not Kamma.

@Damith Not every kamma bears fruit. Kamma can be so light or ethically neutral that it doesn't lead to anything. Think of putting on your shoes, for instance. It's kamma, but clearly not fruit bearing or ethically relevant.

@Medhini Millions of consciousness have been originated and dissolved while we are doing a certain thing like putting on our shoes. Do you mean those consciousness altogether is kamma and bears no fruit?


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Noble Eightfold Path - applicable by lay practitioners?
To my understanding, the 8 factors are of course something that require cultivation (practise/training). However, noble right view, for example, is an experiential part, and not an intellectual one.

And what is right view? Knowledge with regard to stress, knowledge with regard to the origination of stress, knowledge with regard to the cessation of stress, knowledge with regard to the way of practice leading to the cessation of stress: This is called right view."

When exactly is this seen? At stream entry level?
Furthermore, Right Intention and Right Effort both require one to abandon anger and desire. While anger can be let go much easier, most lay people cling to the five senses (which among them includes the desire for sex).
So there again I see no applicability for lay practitioners.
"Right Speech" is a difficult one, because if we take the arya vacca then we basically only speak about the dhamma, particularly the cessation of dukkha.
Right Samadhi is also unlikely for lay because it is basically Jhana, and Jhana itself requires a lot of letting go of attachments and absolute no sensuality in the mind.
So what is your response to this?

Are you asking if it's possible for a lay practitioner to develop the eightfold path?

No, to practise it. Lay people are not celibate. They engage in sex. So the 2nd & 8th factor cannot be cultivated/practised

'Develop' seems quite apt (advance, grow) which occurs through practise.

Ven. Bodhi's excellent "Noble Eightfold Path" actually addresses some of your questions above. Strongly recommend you check it out if you have not: https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/bodhi/waytoend.html

A lay practitioner is not different from any other practitioner. The Buddha was a lay practitioner at the start, as is everybody. The distinction is made because lay practitioners may often not follow the precepts and life-style guidance but there's nothing stopping them doing so and then, many non-lay practitioners often stray.

PeterJ, your beginning is in my opinion wrong. I define lay practitioners who at least adhere to the five precepts. 'Any other' practitioner must therefore be above the precepts or just practising dhamma here and there to be somemehat happy but still lies from time to time or gossips, and thus breaches the precepts (or doesn't undertake them in the first place). Now, of course people can undertake 8 or 10 precepts because of superstitious reasons, but if we assume for a moment that they don't, they should practise with much more vigor.

The Noble Eightfold path is a path of celibacy. Sexual misconduct in the Noble Path is defined as "unchastity" ("abrahmacariyā"). In the 1st sermon, the Buddha taught the Middle Way, which avoids sensuality, is for those who have left the household life.

yes any human who wants to stop dukkha practice the ''right practice''. IT does not matter if the human is a puthujjana or not a puthujjana. it does not matter is the human is a bikkhu or not a bikkhu. Non-puthujjanas just go by mostly knowledge and a bit by faith, and puthujjanas just go by faith until they get the knowledge.
https://suttacentral.net/sn45.24/en/bodhi

2“Bhikkhus, whether for a layperson or one gone forth, I praise the
  right way. Whether it is a layperson or one gone forth who is
  practising rightly, because of undertaking the right way of practice
  he attains the method, the Dhamma that is wholesome. And what,
  bhikkhus, is the right way? It is: right view … right concentration.
  This is called the right way. Whether it is a layperson or one gone
  forth who is practising rightly, because of undertaking the right way
  of practice he attains the method, the Dhamma that is wholesome.”

The buddha even claims that a puhtujjana who has ''wrong release'' is ''worse'' than the 'bad person'' , meaning worse than the usual puhtujjana who do not have right intention, effort, actions, samadhi.

And what is a bad person? It’s someone who has wrong view, wrong
  thought, wrong speech, wrong action, wrong livelihood, wrong effort,
  wrong mindfulness, and wrong immersion. This is called a bad person.
2And what is a worse person? It’s someone who has wrong view, wrong
  thought, wrong speech, wrong action, wrong livelihood, wrong effort,
  wrong mindfulness, wrong immersion, wrong knowledge, and wrong
  freedom. This is called a worse person.
3And what is a good person? It’s someone who has right view, right
  thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort,
  right mindfulness, and right immersion. This is called a good person.
4And what is a better person? It’s someone who has right view, right
  thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort,
  right mindfulness, right immersion, right knowledge, and right
  freedom. This is called a better person.”

https://suttacentral.net/sn45.26/en/sujato
But of course, puthujjanas :

already struggle to get wrong samadhi
already struggle to get wrong release, then they get stuck on their fantasy of being relased
struggle even more to get right intention
struggle even more to get right samadhi
struggle even more to get right release

THe biggest mistake for a puthujjana who wants to stop dukkha is

not having sati sampajanna
having sati sampajanna, but losing it

and it turns out that what prevents sati sampajanna is the same stuff that make you lose sati sampajanna: lust for kama.
And as usual, the way to do the right practice is to live around people who already do the right practice, which will make you ''mindful'' and keep being ''mindful'', being a ''fortress'', ''guarding the senses'' and so on.

"If wanderers who are members of other sects should ask you, 'What,
  friend, are the prerequisites for the development of the wings to
  self-awakening?' you should answer, 'There is the case where a monk
  has admirable people as friends, companions, & colleagues. This is the
  first prerequisite for the development of the wings to
  self-awakening.'"

https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an09/an09.001.than.html
Puthujjanas are too weak to live the holy life all alone, no matter what puthujjanas say. Puthujjanas always overestimated their skills to avoid lust, and the most toxic puthujjanas always say that some kama is skillful, that ''contact'' is okay, ''it is only lust that is bad'' or ''you can have contact without lust'', like the puthujjanas who invented mahayahna say or even ''lust for kama can be destroyed with kama itself'' like the puthujjanas who invented vajrayana say. THey never forget to add that they are righteous, whereas they spend their life craving kama, with their little tantras and deities, but they claim that they are ''good people'' because they invented the dichotomy ''selfishness-selflessness', they hear that the dhamma is about ''realizing anatta'', and since they cling to kama, like any puthujjana, and they build the fantasy that selfishness = hedonist = enjoying kama for oneself, and selfless = caring about other people and that having lust for kama but only to ''liberate'' others is okay. Of course, those puthujjanas do not have right intentions, right actions,... and even less right samadhi and even less right release.
So be super careful, choose your friends well, based on what they say about what is skillful or not, about lust, about their skills. Puthujjana always love the expression ''ít is matter of life or death'', and this applies well

"And what is meant by admirable friendship? There is the case where a
  lay person, in whatever town or village he may dwell, spends time with
  householders or householders' sons, young or old, who are advanced in
  virtue. He talks with them, engages them in discussions. He emulates
  consummate conviction in those who are consummate in conviction,
  consummate virtue in those who are consummate in virtue, consummate
  generosity in those who are consummate in generosity, and consummate
  discernment in those who are consummate in discernment. This is called
  admirable friendship.
  https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an08/an08.054.than.html

Veiculo, do you live somehow a miserable life or why do you bash on puthujjanas so much? Whether advanced or a beginner, we all make mistakes and started somewhere. Also what is a 'bad person'? Are you doing the whole-part error? Are you over-generalizing ONE act & evaluate the person's entirety on the basis of it? You're also quite disrespectful to Mahayana. Again, people cant help themselves if they haven't experienced anything higher than 'kama'.They're not to blame. ALSO: EVERYONE CAN LIFE HOW THEY WANT. You behave like a basher and an omniscient being who knows all. Unwise. Please stop.

The noble eightfold path is practiced by lay practitioners to the Arahant.
Even the Arahant practice Noble Eightfold Path but with the right knowledge and right release.

Right concentration is attainable in a modern day society and therefore applicable for a lay person.
Reducing sensual desire is attainable in a modern day society and therefore applicable for a lay person.
It all amounts to the right kind of effort one choose to put in. A fair amount of practising Buddhists need some seclusion from modern day life in order to practise and develop spokes of the eightfold path. This hasn't been necessary for me. The teachings are here in the city, the traffic, the buildings and the interaction of people.
The eightfold path is what I refer to as the long slog. In taking a more direct approach much of the eightfold path would organically arise. Therefore, I wouldn't say that it is something over there that one must retrieve.
If you looked hard enough you'll find the eightfold path already happening in you. Those parts just need more of your attention.

It is not as easy as you think. The Buddha said that the forest (environment) was crucial to develop Samadhi. While it is mind that precedes all mental states, it is also mind that is habituated in old tendencies, and it is mind that is affected by whom you engage with. That's why noble friendship is again so crucial because it too molds the mind. That's why often it's said: Prevention is better than cure

My answer wasn't born from thinking but instead direct experience. The opportunity to examine yourself is always there regardless of your location. I recognize that some people benefit from temporary seclusion but any progress is negated by their return to usual life because their right effort is compromised by sense desires. Also, I wouldn't say that the forest environment has any exclusivity with samadhi but I see how finding any kind of seclusion is helpful for sure. Not all monks who lead the homeless life acquired the final realisation.

I wrote 'crucial' to develop samadhi, which should be corrected to 'conducive'. Of course not all monks reach final destination (nibbana), but it's probably all a matter of clining. Just because one lives outside the city doesn't mean one doesn't cling. One is confronted with less stimuli, but if cravings arrive spontaneously and you do not now how to manage them, then sexual craving for example can be the cause for disrobing (which I by no means blame)


text:
How is craving the practice that leads to the origin of feeling?
SN 36.23 translated by Bhikkhu Sujato says:

Then a mendicant went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side,
  and said to him:
Atha kho aññataro bhikkhu yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā
  bhagavantaṃ abhivādetvā ekamantaṃ nisīdi. Ekamantaṃ nisinno kho so
  bhikkhu bhagavantaṃ etadavoca:
“Sir, what is feeling? What’s the origin of feeling? What’s the
  practice that leads to the origin of feeling?
“katamā nu kho, bhante, vedanā, katamo vedanāsamudayo, katamā
  vedanāsamudayagāminī paṭipadā?
What’s the cessation of feeling? What’s the practice that leads to the
  cessation of feeling?
Katamo vedanānirodho, katamā vedanānirodhagāminī paṭipadā?
And what is feeling’s gratification, drawback, and escape?”
Ko vedanāya assādo, ko ādīnavo, kiṃ nissaraṇan”ti?
“Mendicant, there are these three feelings:
“Tisso imā, bhikkhu, vedanā—
pleasant, painful, and neutral.
sukhā vedanā, dukkhā vedanā, adukkhamasukhā vedanā.
These are called feeling.
Imā vuccanti, bhikkhu, vedanā.
Feeling originates from contact.
Phassasamudayā vedanāsamudayo.
Craving is the practice that leads to the origin of feeling.
Taṇhā vedanāsamudayagāminī paṭipadā.
When contact ceases, feeling ceases.
Phassanirodhā vedanānirodho.
The practice that leads to the cessation of feelings is simply this
  noble eightfold path, that is:
Ayameva ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo vedanānirodhagāminī paṭipadā,
  seyyathidaṃ—
right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right
  livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion.
sammādiṭṭhi … pe … sammāsamādhi.
The pleasure and happiness that arise from feeling: this is its
  gratification.
Yaṃ vedanaṃ paṭicca uppajjati sukhaṃ somanassaṃ, ayaṃ vedanāya assādo;
That feeling is impermanent, suffering, and perishable: this is its
  drawback.
yaṃ vedanā aniccā dukkhā vipariṇāmadhammā, ayaṃ vedanāya ādīnavo;
Removing and giving up desire and greed for feeling: this is its
  escape.”
yo vedanāya chandarāgavinayo chandarāgappahānaṃ, idaṃ vedanāya
  nissaraṇan”ti.

Bhikkhu Bodhi's translation is more accurate, here:

There are, bhikkhu, these three feelings: pleasant feeling, painful
  feeling, neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling. This is called feeling.
  With the arising of contact there is the arising of feeling. Craving
  is the way leading to the origination of feeling. With the cessation
  of contact there is the cessation of feeling. This Noble Eightfold
  Path is the way leading to the cessation of feeling; that is, right
  view … right concentration.

In the above sutta and often elsewhere, it is said" "With the arising of contact there is the arising of feeling". Also, other suttas say: "With the arising of feeling there is the arising of craving".
This being so, how is craving the practice that leads to the origin of feeling?

Please see the same question and answers provided on the DW site: Origination of feelings

Thank you. I attempted to read your answer on DW however I could not make sense of it.

Paṭipadā is placing at the same position of upādāna (clinging), so we can find the answer in the sutta that including clinging, craving, and feeling together, such as the four noble truth in Sutta. See Saṃ. Ma. DhammacakkappavattanaSutta:

"Now this, monks, is the noble truth of stress:1 Birth is stressful, aging is stressful, death is stressful; sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair are stressful; association with the unbeloved is stressful, separation from the loved is stressful, not getting what is wanted is stressful. In short, the five clinging-aggregates are stressful.
"And this, monks, is the noble truth of the origination of stress: the craving that makes for further becoming — accompanied by passion & delight, relishing now here & now there — i.e., craving for sensual pleasure, craving for becoming, craving for non-becoming.

The feeling is an aggregate, and the craving origins clinging-aggregates, so the practicing of craving origin the feeling aggregate. See Sutta. Ma. U. Mahāpuṇṇamasuttaṃ:

"Monk, these are the five clinging-aggregates, i.e., form as a clinging-aggregate, feeling... perception... fabrications... consciousness as a clinging-aggregate."

Therefore, the last question in SN 36.23 is about the noble eightfold path of the four noble truth:

Q:What’s the origin of feeling? katamā nu kho, bhante, vedanā?
...
A: Feeling originates from contact. Phassasamudayā vedanāsamudayo.
...
Q: What’s the practice that leads to the origin of feeling? katamo vedanāsamudayo, katamā vedanāsamudayagāminī paṭipadā?
...
A: Craving is the practice that leads to the origin of feeling. Taṇhā vedanāsamudayagāminī paṭipadā.
...
Q: What’s the cessation of feeling? Katamo vedanānirodho?
...
A: When contact ceases, feeling ceases. Phassanirodhā vedanānirodho.
...
Q: What’s the practice that leads to the cessation of feeling? katamā vedanānirodhagāminī paṭipadā?
...
A: The practice that leads to the cessation of feelings is simply this
noble eightfold path, that is:
Ayameva ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo vedanānirodhagāminī paṭipadā,
seyyathidaṃ—
right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right
livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion.
sammādiṭṭhi … pe … sammāsamādhi.
...

Contact is the condition for the arising of feeling. Feeling is the condition for the arising of craving. Craving is the condition for the arising of clinging.
So, how is craving the way that leads to the origin of feeling?
Well, craving is also a latent tendency (raganusaya).
In this way, craving as a latent tendency is the way that leads to the origin of suffering (which is actually the second noble truth, SN 56.11), and feeling is part of this suffering (as stated in SN 36.23).
Ven. Bodhi wrote as commentary (quoted by Piya Tan) on the Cetana Sutta (SN 12.38-40):

sankhārā are referred to elliptically by the expressions yaṁ ceteti,
"what one will," and yaṁ pakappeti, "what one plans" (pakappeti is a
rare term, apparently synonymous with ceteti). The expression yaṁ
anuseti, 'what lies latent within,' points to the anusaya, the latent
tendencies, which other texts tell us include the latent tendency of
ignorance (avijjânusaya) and the latent tendency of lust or craving
(rāgânusaya) [M 1:190 f, 1:303 etc]. Thus, this sutta is stating that
when one forms volitions on the basis of ignorance and craving, these
volitions become a support which grounds consciousness and establishes
it in a new existence. Once consciousness becomes so established, it
sets in motion the entire production of the new existence, beginning
with birth and ending with death, accompanied by all the attendant
suffering.

Interesting question I read on DW; which I considered worthy of sharing & consideration. I think SN 36.23 might indicate the word "samudhaya" relates to the arising of suffering (rather than to the arising of non-suffering or neutral phenomena). The use of "samudhaya" in SN 36.23 is similar to the use of "samudhaya" in relation to the Four Nutriments (in MN 9, MN 38, etc). Of course, any suttas showing otherwise would invalidate my theory.
MN 148, for example, refers to two cases where the arising of feeling is based on sense contact. The 1st case is leading to suffering and the 2nd case is not leading to suffering. Therefore, the arising of feeling in MN 148 is "neutral" (because the arising of suffering depends on the arising of craving). In MN 148, the word used for the neutral arising of feeling is uppajjati, as follows:

mind consciousness arises dependent on the mind and thoughts. The meeting of the three is contact. Contact is a condition for the
  arising of what is felt as pleasant, painful, or neutral.
manañca, bhikkhave, paṭicca dhamme ca uppajjati manoviññāṇaṃ, tiṇṇaṃ saṅgati phasso, phassapaccayā uppajjati vedayitaṃ sukhaṃ vā dukkhaṃ vā
  adukkhamasukhaṃ vā.

Similarly, SN 35.43, which is about knowing the impermanence of feelings without craving leading to Nibbana, uses the word uppajjati:

And the pleasant, painful, or neutral feeling that arises conditioned by eye contact is also impermanent.
Yampidaṃ cakkhusamphassapaccayā uppajjati vedayitaṃ sukhaṃ vā dukkhaṃ vā adukkhamasukhaṃ vā tampi aniccaṃ … pe …

Returning to MN 148, whenever it uses the word "samudhaya", it refers to it in relation to evil defiling suffering things, such as:

When you experience a neutral feeling, if you don’t truly understand that feeling’s origin, ending, gratification, drawback, and escape,
Adukkhamasukhāya vedanāya phuṭṭho samāno tassā vedanāya samudayañca atthaṅgamañca assādañca ādīnavañca nissaraṇañca yathābhūtaṃ
  nappajānāti.
Now, mendicants, this is the way that leads to the origin of identity.
Ayaṃ kho pana, bhikkhave, sakkāyasamudayagāminī paṭipadā—
You regard the eye like this: ‘This is mine, I am this, this is my self.’
cakkhuṃ ‘etaṃ mama, esohamasmi, eso me attā’ti samanupassati;

Similarly, SN 22.5 says the "arising" ("samudhaya") of the aggregates is attachment. Naturally, attachment is suffering.

And what is the origin of form, feeling, perception, choices, and consciousness?
Ko ca, bhikkhave, rūpassa (sing; gen) samudayo (sing; nom), ko vedanāya samudayo, ko saññāya samudayo, ko saṅkhārānaṃ samudayo, ko viññāṇassa samudayo?
It’s when a mendicant approves, welcomes and keeps clinging.
Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu abhinandati abhivadati ajjhosāya tiṭṭhati.

Therefore, in SN 36.23, it appears vedanā samudaya refers to when feeling is arising dependent on ignorance or craving in the stream of dependent origination that ultimately leads to suffering (rather than mere feeling arising dependent on mere sense contact).

In SN 36.23  buddha says

Taṇhā vedanāsamudayagāminī

And In DN 15 buddha expands this clarification likes this

vedanaṃ paṭicca taṇhā, taṇhaṃ paṭicca
pariyesanā, pariyesanaṃ paṭicca lābho, lābhaṃ paṭicca vinicchayo,
vinicchayaṃ paṭicca chandarāgo, chandarāgaṃ paṭicca ajjhosānaṃ,
ajjhosānaṃ paṭicca pariggaho, pariggahaṃ paṭicca macchariyaṃ,
macchariyaṃ paṭicca ārakkho

IN AN 8.83 buddha precisely says that chandamulaka sabbe dhamma.

chandamūlakā, āvuso, sabbe dhammā, manasikārasambhavā sabbe dhammā,
phassasamudayā sabbe dhammā, vedanāsamosaraṇā sabbe dhammā,
samādhippamukhā sabbe dhammā, satādhipateyyā sabbe dhammā, paññuttarā
sabbe dhammā, vimuttisārā sabbe dhammā’ti, ‘Reverends, all things are
rooted in desire. Attention produces them. Contact is their origin.
Feeling is their meeting place. undistractible-lucidity is their
chief. rememberfulness is their ruler. Wisdom is their overseer.
Freedom is their core.’

Thus chanda is root cause of everything, which itself is triggered by tanha.
The secreate of PS
Paticca samupada, is not linear. its a whirlpool. each PS triggers next PS. so fast that what you experience is not a cycle but a huge whirlpool. In that sense every node is feeding back to its origin. in that sense you can see reversal is also true. i.e.
if X causes Y then Y also causes X

In DN 15 there is another place where it clearly says viññāṇapaccayā nāmarūpan and in next line he says  nāmarūpapaccayā viññāṇa.
Thus it is evident that  all node are also causing backward.


text:
Can we cancel out a kamma by doing a strong opposite kamma?
Can a bad kamma be cancelled out by doing a strong good kamma?
If the answer is no, at-least can we reduce the effect of that bad kamma by doing so?
If the answers are no for the above two questions, can we postpone the time which kamma gives its result by doing a strong opposite kamma?

Bad kamma once sown cannot be erased completely, but by cultivating Sila, Samadhi, Panna, the suttas say it's possible to lessen the intensity/severity of it. See the case of Ven. Angulimala in MN 86 and the Buddha's famous quote:

Bear with it, brahman! Bear with it! The fruit of the kamma that would have burned you in hell for many years, many hundreds of years, many thousands of years, you are now experiencing in the here-&-now.

Also see the Lonaphala Sutta - AN 3.99

i marked this answer down because the suttas say the noble path ends kamma (AN 6.63) . If kamma cannot be erased then Buddhism is completely pointless & futile and Gotama never attained Buddhahood.

Then answer this simple question: if what you claim was true, why did Ven. Angulimala and Ven. Moggallana still experienced their bad kamma, Ven. A got beaten up quite badly, and Ven. M got killed?

Let us continue this discussion in chat.

I agree with Dhammadhatu: . If kamma cannot be erased then Buddhism is completely pointless & futile and Gotama never attained Buddhahood

Morally, kamma is cancelled by learning evil deeds are evil deeds and thus no longer having any inclination to perform evil deeds and only inclination to perform good deeds, as follows:

But because you see your transgression as such and make amends in accordance with the Dhamma, we accept your confession. For it is a
  cause of growth in the Dhamma & Discipline of the noble ones when,
  seeing a transgression as such, one makes amends in accordance with
  the Dhamma and exercises restraint in the future.
DN 2

172. He who having been heedless is heedless no more, illuminates this world like the moon freed from clouds.
173. He, who by good deeds covers the evil he has done, illuminates this world like the moon freed from clouds.
Dhammapada

Ultimately, kamma is cancelled by the realisation of not-self (anatta); that the doer of kamma was not a self but was ignorance, as follows:

"Master Gotama, is stress self-made?"
"Don't say that, Kassapa."
"Then is it other-made?"
"Don't say that, Kassapa."
"Then is it both self-made and other-made?"
"Don't say that, Kassapa.
SN 12.17

And what is the cessation of kamma? From the cessation of contact is
  the cessation of kamma; and just this noble eightfold path — right
  view, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood,
  right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration — is the path of
  practice leading to the cessation of kamma
AN 6.63


text:
Tirokudda Kanda: Do the dead really benefit from the gift given by the living?
Tirokudda Kanda briefly out line the benefits the dead receive from the gifts given by the living.. and there are many more injection in the Pali Cannon with similar tone. My question is are we to read these as alogorical or literally? Do the dead benefit from the offering given by their relations?
I have seen these practices in Cambodia, but never had a chance to ask why and how these are done.
Many thanks.

In the Milindapañha the benefit of dedicating the merit of a gift to one's deceased relatives is limited to those who have been reborn as just one of the four sub-species of peta. It's explicitly denied that there can be any benefit to those reborn in hell, heaven, as animals or in the other three peta sub-species. Curiously nothing is stated one way or the other about those reborn as humans.
Rhys Davids' translation:
https://legacy.suttacentral.net/en/mil6.3.4
I.B. Horner's:
Pubba-peta-panha.pdf
Above post appeared in Dhamma Wheel.
https://dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=32595&hilit=Merit+transfer


text:
Did Angulimala end kamma?
AN 6.63 says the Noble Eightfold Path ends kamma, as follows:

And what is the cessation of kamma? From the cessation of contact is
  the cessation of kamma; and just this noble eightfold path — right
  view, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood,
  right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration — is the path of
  practice leading to the cessation of kamma
AN 6.63

MN 117 says "kamma" is something with effluents and results in acquisitions (of "self"), as follows:

And what is the right view with effluents, siding with merit, resulting in acquisitions? 'There is what is given, what is offered,
  what is sacrificed. There are fruits & results of good & bad
  actions...

The term "acquisitions" ("upadhi") is described in MN 26 as follows:

Subject to birth are these acquisitions, and one who is tied to them, infatuated with them, who has totally fallen for them, being subject
  to birth, seeks what is likewise subject to birth.

SN 12.66 describes "acquisitions" as follows:

Acquisition has craving as its source, craving as its origin; it is born and produced from craving. When there is craving, acquisition
  comes to be; when there is no craving, acquisition does not come to
  be.

In the Angulimala Sutta, before attaining arahantship, Angulimala (the former mass murderer) was pardoned by King Pasenadi Kosala after learning Angulimala was rendered harmless by the Buddha. If he chose to, King Pasenadi Kosala could have had Angulimala executed for his former crimes. King Pasenadi Kosala obviously possessed this power of volition; to execute criminals.
However, after attaining Arahantship (which includes the ending of the effluents and all self-views), Angulimala was stoned by certain people who knew of Angulimala's past murderous deeds, after which Angulimala declared the following:

Who once was heedless,  but later is not,    brightens the world     like the moon set free from a cloud.
His evil-done deed  is replaced with skillfulness:   he brightens the world  like the moon set free from a cloud.
Having done the type of kamma that would lead to many bad destinations, touched by the fruit of kamma, unindebted, I eat
  my food.
The three knowledges     have been attained;     the Buddha's bidding,
           done.

Did Angulimala's attainment of arahantship end "kamma"? Or was it the stones thrown by unforgiving people that ended the kamma of Angulimala? If the later, are these stones thrown by unforgiving people more powerful in extinguishing kamma & suffering than the Noble Eightfold Path?

Hi Dhammadhatu. I am surprised you ask this question. However, I gave an answer.-)

@SarathW I think it was a result of this discussion. I guess that discussion was whether "kamma is ended" even when the "fruits of kamma" still happen.

A person ends making Kamma when he becomes an Arahant.
The Vipaka of his Kamma continues until he attains Parinibbana.

I marked this answer down because it is not comprehensively supported by any suttas; nor does it define what kamma & vipaka are. For example, when Gotama lived in the palace, he pondered about the inevitability of death (AN 3.38). This pondering was "kamma". The result of this pondering was Gotama became despondent (causing him to leave home). Or when Gotama was a child; surely, Gotama made some kamma, such as becoming attached to his favourite food, which would result in him being upset if he did not get his favourite food. When attaining enlightenment, this despondency & getting upset ended.

I will attempt to answer my questions about this sutta; where the Buddha tells an arahant to "bear it", which might sound illogical, because since an arahant is free from craving & becoming, why would an arahant need to be instructed to "bear it"?
In the sutta, Angulimala says:

Having done the type of kamma that would lead to many bad destinations, touched (phuṭṭha) by the fruit of [that] kamma, unindebted, I eat my food.

It seems some Buddhists take the above verse to mean somehow, because stones were thrown at Angulimala, that "justice" occurred in respect to his past kamma and his kamma was resolved.
However, in the suttas, the word "phuttha" generally refers to being "touched" by a mere vedana (feeling) rather than afflicted by the ordinary vipaka of suffering, as follows:

When an educated noble disciple experiences painful physical feelings they don’t sorrow or pine or lament, beating their breast and
  falling into confusion.
Sutavā ca kho, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako sārīrikāya dukkhāya vedanāya phuṭṭho samāno neva socati, na kilamati, na paridevati, na urattāḷiṃ kandati, na sammohaṃ āpajjati.
SN 36.4

The sutta also says the following about the "enemies" of Angulimala:

May even my enemies  hear talk of the Dhamma. May even my enemies    devote themselves   to the Buddha's bidding. May even my enemies
    associate with those people     who — peaceful, good —  get others to
  accept the Dhamma. May even my enemies    hear the Dhamma time & again
    from those who advise  endurance,
                   forbearance,     who praise non-opposition & may they follow it.

The sutta also says about the Arahantship of Angulimala:

Uprooted is [craving], the guide to becoming.

About "becoming", it is often defined as "kamma", as follows:

Thus kamma is the field, consciousness the seed, and craving the moisture. The consciousness of living beings hindered by ignorance &
  fettered by craving is established in/tuned to a... property. Thus
  there is the production of renewed becoming in the future. This is how
  there is becoming.
AN 3.76

About "kamma", it is defined as new actions of body, speech & mind, as follows:

Intention, I tell you, is kamma. Intending, one does kamma by way of body, speech, and intellect.
AN 6.63
And what is new kamma? Whatever kamma one does now with the body, with speech, or with the intellect: This is called new kamma.
SN 35.145

My conclusion here is Angulimala obviously ended kamma because his mind was free from becoming and free from craving & attachment towards the painful feelings from stoning. Angulimala did not react to the stones thrown at him with new actions (of becoming) of body, speech & mind. Instead, his mind only manifested metta towards his enemies.
The sutta says Angulimala still had "enemies", who were unable to forgive him for his past kamma. Therefore, in my opinion, Angulimala ended kamma but his enemies did not end kamma. Ultimately, Angulimala was stoned because his enemies did not end kamma. Angulimala's enemies made kamma (new actions of body, speech & mind) by stoning him but Angulimala made no new kamma (because Angulimala followed the Arahant practise of bearing painful feelings).

Angulimala still has bad karma that he did before becoming an arahant that’s why he got hit in the head. That is resultant karma

Angulimala got stoned because another people could not forgive him. Angulimala only felt a feeling from the stoning but created no kamma from the stoning.

(fyi I edited Dhammadhatu's reply, and deleted TheDBSGuy's replies to it. If you want to post more comments, I can move them to chat.)


text:
Meditation practise methods/techniques
I used to meditate before a few years.During meditation I used to focus my attention by imagining a candle flame in front of the eyes.Now, one of my friends suggested that a better way is to focus on the breath.Should I switch the method? i.e is the second method better than the first one.

I'm not sure I'd see these as different methods. The 'best' method for you may not be the best for others so it is difficult to provide an answer.   .

There are four main ways to get the citta into samadhi:
http://www.buddha-vacana.org/sutta/anguttara/04/an04-041.html
THe most famous is the jhana, but today  Puthujjanas prefer to speculate whether there are sounds in the jhana and they talk about access concentration and other concepts they have invented.
Since most puthujjanas cling too much to kama, they do not know what ''being secluded form the senses'' mean, what ''renunciation'' means
The samadhi about light is the least detailed. he says tHis one is the one to get to know karma and rebirth.
THe samadhi form sati sampajanna is the most clear and easiest: clear directions and a puthujjana knows whether the training to get sati sampjana is correct or not.
http://www.buddha-vacana.org/sutta/anguttara/08/an08-009.html
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn47/sn47.035.than.html
THe samadhi about finding out the conditions of dukkha is of course the hardest.
THe buddha first get the citta into samadhi through sati sampjanna where he spend his time discriminating between 'thoughts of ill will and craving for kama'' and ''thoughts of good will and renunciation'', between pleasure of the 5 senses'' and ''pleasure of the citta''.
That leads to samasamadhi, meaning the jhanas, once the citta in samadhi, he ''turned the citta'' to the knowledge of karma and rebirth.
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.019.than.html
THen he turned his citta to the ''arising & falling away with reference to the five clinging-aggregates'', ie yoniso manisakra, meaning the cessation of the asavas.
SO do just like him, discriminate between sensual pleasures and pleasures of seclusion, between thoughts of ill-will and thoughts of good will, and avoid lust for kama and thoughts of ill-will. Once you get good at knowing vedana, sanna and thoughts, and rejecting thoughts of ill will and craving for kama, you will get the samasamadhi and then you can ''turn your citta'' to the samadhis to end dukkha.
you can alternate the training to get the citta into samadhi with various contemplation, typically developing the perception of anatta, anicca, disgust and so on
https://suttacentral.net/an4.169
If you want to do ''breath mediation'', then the task is to calm the 3 sankharas first, then destroy them with perception of anicca and so on
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.062.than.html
if you struggle already with sati and sampajanna, you must live around good people first, and avoid bad people
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/snp/snp.2.11.irel.html
so that you will spend most your tie doing good actions https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.061.than.html

Iam sorry sir, I couldnt understand your answer, it was a bit too complicated for me.But thanks for answering.

I would recommend going with the latter. Here are couple of reasons why and how it should help. But before I answer your question directly, I would like to share a little background on meditation.
Meditation is an act of allowing the mind-body to relax naturally. When the system relaxes, the prana/chi in the system rises, taking the mind to an even deeper state of rest. Raised Prana or Chi is quintessential for oneself to enter into a deep state of meditation.
Now when someone brings their attention on the breath following happens

Attention of the mind moves from the outer world (Candle) to inner world (Which Patanjali, the propounder of Yoga describes as a precursor to meditation)
Attention on breath leads to mind being in the present moment as the breath in always in the present moment
Breath is a tangible tool in the system that is directly related to the state of mind. Breath affects the level of prana in the body which affects the state of mind (thoughts & emotions). When we take attention on breath allow it to settle down it actually settles the mind down as well leading to deeper meditation experience.

So in nutshell, having attention on the breath so much more powerful than on the candle


text:
Are we born on this Earth because of our personal kamma?
I read the following words on the internet:

A person ends making Kamma when he becomes an Arahant. The Vipaka of his Kamma continues until he attains Parinibbana.

These words appear to say it was a personal act of kamma of a person that resulted in life or the five aggregates to come into being; similar to how the Bible describes an act of God that lead to the creation of the physical world, life & the social world.
Why were we physically born? Was it our personal kamma? Did we personally choose this? If so, how did this self or person who makes a choice come into being before there was kamma? Does kamma create the self (person)? Or does self (the person) create kamma? Did the Buddha teach it cannot be determined whether the chicken comes before the egg or the egg comes before the chicken? Is this why many Buddhists are vegetarians?

I think the answer to those questions lies in the assumptions behind the questions, so perhaps asking why you want these questions answered will prove to be more insightful.

In case you're interested the way I see it is that something is born -- something physical, biological -- e.g. starting at conception with sperm and ovum etc.
That causes a blastocyst and so on -- which I doubt is a "sentient" being yet, though what do I know?
After (physical) birth the infant develops (psychologically), maybe acquires a sense of "Mum" and "Me" and "Dad" and "Food" and "Cold" and "wet" and so on and so on.
I suspect that ability to distinguish "self" results of acting semi-autonomously (e.g. "if 'I' start to cry, then Mum arrives") -- eventually the whole DO cycle, e.g. "I've learned I prefer the feelings associated with Mum being here, maybe feelings of needs (and eventually "cravings") satisfied, therefore I want Mum to arrive, therefore I intend to cry".
People (on this site) interpret "birth" and bhava and so in different ways, but I think that this (above) is at least one or two of those ways (i.e. physical birth plus the arising of a self-view or conceit, plus kamma as an intentional action, resulting from previously acquired/stored/interpreted/associative experience).
This is further complicated by two factors:

This answer associates a self (i.e. "I" or "we") e.g. with physical form, a body (which anatta may suggest is a wrong view and/or well worth unlearning)
There's more to a person (and a person receives more from their parents) than just DNA -- also food, a formal education, all informal experiences -- and not only from "parents" but from teachers, friends, the world -- and from "themselves" i.e. people are shaped by "their own intentions/actions"

Why were we physically born?
That's biology, isn't it? So e.g. "ask your Mum and Dad" about that?
Or do you mean, "why do 'we' associate 'me' with 'this body' or 'our body'"? In which case, I don't know, I think there was a metaphor in a sutta of "a dog, tied to a stake"...
Was it our personal kamma? Did we personally choose this?
I think it's better not to blame other people -- e.g. "you made me like this, you made me do this, it's your fault that I exist" and so on.
Does kamma create the self (person)? Or does self (the person) create kamma?
So far as I know, the text says that "people inherit their own kamma".
Also I think the Dependent Origination is taught as a (repeating) cycle, a.k.a. "the wheel of life".
Did the Buddha teach it cannot be determined whether the chicken comes before the egg or the egg comes before the chicken?
It's "a beginning is not evident", isn't it?
Is this why many Buddhists are vegetarians?
Well ... indirectly? Perhaps?
There are personal reasons, but I don't know that I can attribute those (project them onto) "many Buddhists".
That kind of doctrine (vegetarian) is more a feature of some schools than others.
I think the Buddha in the suttas says more about e.g. "gratitude and parents" than about "chickens and eggs" (though "not killing" and "metta" and so on is also, I think, clearly mentioned).

The answer comes in DN 15:

"Thus, Ananda, from name-and-form as a requisite condition comes
  consciousness. From consciousness as a requisite condition comes
  name-and-form. From name-and-form as a requisite condition comes
  contact. From contact as a requisite condition comes feeling. From
  feeling as a requisite condition comes craving. From craving as a
  requisite condition comes clinging. From clinging as a requisite
  condition comes becoming. From becoming as a requisite condition comes
  birth. From birth as a requisite condition, aging, death, sorrow,
  lamentation, pain, distress, and despair come into play. Such is the
  origination of this entire mass of stress.

It's not because of kamma that we're born.
The cyclic link between name-and-form and consciousness, may be the clue to why a beginning is not evident, just like the chicken and egg.

Thanks but i read nothing you are alluding to in this answer. All this quote appears to say is consciousness of the mind-body (nama-rupa) occurs due to mind-body.

In ultimate reality, there is no man or woman. There is only Nama and Rupa. Nama is feeling, perception, intention, contact, & attention. The four great elements, and the form dependent on the four great elements: This is called Rupa. It is Nama and Rupa that sends one to hell and Nama and Rupa that prevents one from going to hell. There is a belief in the world that there is the killer and the killed. There is another belief that there is no killer and none that is killed. Both those views are wrong views because there is only Nama and Rupa. If one believed that Nama and Rupa do exist in reality then it is right view. Karma is intention. Intention is part of Nama.
According to SN 15.3, the beginning point of samsara is not evident.

At Savatthi. There the Blessed One said: "From an inconstruable beginning comes transmigration. A beginning point is not evident, though beings hindered by ignorance and fettered by craving are transmigrating & wandering on. What do you think, monks: Which is greater, the tears you have shed while transmigrating & wandering this long, long time — crying & weeping from being joined with what is displeasing, being separated from what is pleasing — or the water in the four great oceans?"
"As we understand the Dhamma taught to us by the Blessed One, this is the greater: the tears we have shed while transmigrating & wandering this long, long time — crying & weeping from being joined with what is displeasing, being separated from what is pleasing — not the water in the four great oceans."

I suggest you practice vipassana instead of thinking about such things. The time is ripe for insight-development leading to Nibbana. You should also check out the biography of Sunlun Sayadaw.
http://www.sunlun-meditation.net/ebooks/BIOENG.pdf

Comments are not for extended discussion; this conversation has been moved to chat.

The buddha says that sankharas are linked to the kamma of actions and that kamma is linked to various realms.
 those sankharas, kamma and rebirths can be generated by others or youself
http://obo.genaud.net/dhamma-vinaya/bd/an/04_fours/an04.171.olds.bd.htm#p1
http://obo.genaud.net/dhamma-vinaya/pts/an/04_fours/an04.172.wood.pts.htm#p1
but what matters is ending the sankaras and since puthujjanas are easily influenced by other puthujjanas and non-puthujjanas, puthujjanas should be careful about the humans they associate with.

I marked this answer down because it is a wrong understanding of the links. The suttas posted are about the "acquisition of self becoming" (attabhāvapaṭilābhe) or "personality".


text:
In AN 4.171, what is "reincarnation where the intention of others is effective"?
Bhikkhu Sujato's translation of AN 4.171 says:

Mendicants, there are four kinds of reincarnation. Cattārome,
  bhikkhave, attabhāvapaṭilābhā.
What four? Katame cattāro?
There is a reincarnation where one’s own intention is effective, not
  that of others. Atthi, bhikkhave, attabhāvapaṭilābho, yasmiṃ
  attabhāvapaṭilābhe attasañcetanā kamati, no parasañcetanā.
There is a reincarnation where the intention of others is effective,
  not one’s own. Atthi, bhikkhave, attabhāvapaṭilābho, yasmiṃ
  attabhāvapaṭilābhe parasañcetanā kamati, no attasañcetanā.
There is a reincarnation where both one’s own and others’ intentions
  are effective. Atthi, bhikkhave, attabhāvapaṭilābho, yasmiṃ
  attabhāvapaṭilābhe attasañcetanā ca kamati parasañcetanā ca.
There is a reincarnation where neither one’s own nor others’
  intentions are effective. Atthi, bhikkhave, attabhāvapaṭilābho, yasmiṃ
  attabhāvapaṭilābhe nevattasañcetanā kamati, no parasañcetanā.
These are the four kinds of reincarnation.” Ime kho, bhikkhave,
  cattāro attabhāvapaṭilābhā”ti.

What is "reincarnation where the intention of others is effective"?

Perhaps this is what refers to in Abhidhamma as prompted and unprompted.
For instance, a person can kill someone with his own intention or intention of another person (prompted by someone else). One can influence another to kill.
I may be wrong.

Per commentary, this passage refers to "devas corrupted by the mind" (Manopadosika-deva), living in the world of the Four Great Kings. When they get angry with one another their mutual anger leads to their mutual deaths.
Here are descriptions of Manopadosika-deva from different sources:
Buddhist Dictionary. Manual of Buddhist Terms & Doctrines (4th Edition) by Ven. Nyanatiloka:

Manopadosika-deva: ‘the celestial beings corruptible
  by temper’, are a class of devas (q.v.) of the sensuous
  sphere. “They spend their time in becoming annoyed
  with one another, and getting into a temper, and thus
  by being bodily and mentally exhausted, they pass
  from that world” (D. 1; 24).

The "Dictionary of Pali Proper Names" by G. P. Malalasekera:

A class of devas living in the Cātummahārājika world (DA.i.114; AA.ii.544; MNid.108). They burn continually with envy one against another (Buddhaghosa relates a story illustrating this in DA.i.114) and their hearts become ill disposed and debauched. Their bodies thus become feeble and their minds imbecile, and, as a consequence, they fall from their state (D.i.20; iii.32). The Manopadosikā were among those present at the preaching of the Mahāsamaya Sutta (D.ii.260). They are so called because their minds are debauched by envy (dosassa anudahanatāya) (VibhA.498).

Brahmajāla Sutta (DN 1) translated from the Pali by Bhikkhu Bodhi:

There are, bhikkhus, certain gods called 'corrupted by mind.' These gods contemplate one another with excessive envy. As a consequence their minds becomes corrupted by anger towards one another. When their minds are corrupted by anger, their bodies and minds become exhausted and consequently, they pass away from that plane.

Brahmajāla Sutta (DN 1) translated by Bhikkhu Sujato:

There are gods named ‘malevolent’. They spend too much time gazing at each other, so they grow angry with each other, and their bodies and minds get tired. They pass away from that group of gods.

So, one deva's hatred towards another deva provokes hatred in that deva towards the first, causing a vicious circle, and this very hatred exhausts their spirits until they fall from their godly state.
One deva's hatred is not his own deliberate intention but is merely a reaction to another deva's hatred. Therefore the deva falls from his state and comes to a different state through an "intention of other".
It's interesting how the vicious circle of judgement starts not through one of the devas performing some unwelcomed act to another, but rather through both spending too much time wondering about the other's attitude to oneself.
I suppose this basically means that not all karma is strictly personal. While in the simplest cases sentient beings inherit their own karma, there are cases when they create (bad) karma for one another, and there are cases when a karmic pattern emerges spontaneously from a background of ignorance - not through anyone's fault.
On a side note, per my (Russian) dictionary, attabhāvapaṭilābhe is not "reincarnation" but "a state of personal existence".

For the last paragraph, it is reincarnation because of it's previous topic is about reincarnation. See [264] of this link  http://www.84000.org/tipitaka/read/roman_item.php?book=11&item=264&items=2

I agree with Andrei Volkov explanation, which follows to it's atthakathā. However, for the perfect understood by sutta, not only atthakathā, I write this answer.

There is a reincarnation where one’s own intention is effective, not that of others. Atthi, bhikkhave, attabhāvapaṭilābho, yasmiṃ attabhāvapaṭilābhe attasañcetanā kamati, no parasañcetanā.

By atthakathā, above text refers to DN Brahmajālasuttaṃ:

‘And what is the second?

‘There are, brethren, certain gods called the “Debauched by Pleasure”
[155]. ‘For ages they pass their time in the pursuit of the laughter
and sport of sensual lusts. In consequence thereof their
self-possession is corrupted, and through the loss of their
self-control they fall from that state [156].

‘Now it might well be, brethren, that some being, on his
falling from that state, should come hither. And having come hither he
should, as in the last case, become a recluse, and acquire the power
of recollecting his last birth, but only his last one.

‘And he would say to himself: “Those gods who are not debauched by pleasure are stedfast, immutable, eternal, of a nature that knows no
change, and they will remain so forever and ever. [20] But we-who fell
from that state, having lost our self-control through being debauched
by pleasure-we have come hither as being impermanent, mutable, limited
in duration of life.”

By atthakathā, above text refers to MN kandarakasuttaṃ:

There is a reincarnation where the intention of others is effective, not one’s own. Atthi, bhikkhave, attabhāvapaṭilābho, yasmiṃ attabhāvapaṭilābhe parasañcetanā kamati, no attasañcetanā.

Bhikkhus, which person torments others yoked to it? Bhikkhus, here a certain person is a killer of pigs, goats, birds, a hunter of wild animals, a fisherman, a robber, a highway robber, one who keeps a prison, or engaged in any other vicious activity. This person torments others yoked to tormenting others.

There is a reincarnation where both one’s own and others’ intentions are effective. Atthi, bhikkhave, attabhāvapaṭilābho, yasmiṃ attabhāvapaṭilābhe attasañcetanā ca kamati parasañcetanā ca.

By atthakathā, above text refers to DN Brahmajālasuttaṃ:

‘And what is the third?

‘There are, brethren, certain gods called "the Debauched in Mind
[157].” They burn continually with envy [158] one against another, and
being thus irritated, their hearts become ill-disposed towards each
other, and being thus debauched, their bodies become feeble, and their
minds imbecile. And those gods fall from that state.

‘Now it might well be, brethren, that some [\q 034/] being, on his falling from that state, should come hither; and having become a
recluse should ‘as in the other cases, acquire the power of
recollecting his last birth, but only his last one.

‘And lie would say to himself: “Those gods who are not debauched in mind do not continually burn with envy against each other, so their
hearts do not become evil disposed one towards another, nor their
bodies feeble and their minds imbecile. Therefore they fall not from
that state; they are stedfast, immutable, eternal, of a nature that
knows no change, and they will remain so forever and ever. [21] But we
were corrupted in mind, being constantly excited by envy against one
another. And being thus envious and corrupt our bodies became feeble,
and our minds imbecile, and we fell from that state, and have come
hither as Being impermanent, mutable, limited in duration of life.”

‘This, brethren, is the third case.

There is a reincarnation where neither one’s own nor others’ intentions are effective. Atthi, bhikkhave, attabhāvapaṭilābho, yasmiṃ attabhāvapaṭilābhe nevattasañcetanā kamati, no parasañcetanā.

By atthakathā, above text refers to DN Dānamahapphalasutta:

"Having given this gift seeking his own profit — with a mind attached [to the reward], seeking to store up for himself, [with the thought], 'I'll enjoy this after death' — on the break-up of the body, after death, he reappears in the company of the Devas of the Four Great Kings. Then, having exhausted that action, that power, that status, that sovereignty, he is a returner, coming back to this world.
"Having given this gift with the thought, 'Giving is good,' on the break-up of the body, after death, he reappears in the company of the Devas of the Thirty-three. Then, having exhausted that action, that power, that status, that sovereignty, he is a returner, coming back to this world.
...

Why I have to link? Theravāda tradition never allow to explain tipitaka without reference, linking. It's weird and not professional. If buddhaghosa wrote something without the reference, he wouldn't be allowed to translate atthakathā back to pāli. So, the link, which I have given, show tipitaka memorizer's thought.

Why I have to link? Theravāda tradition never allow to explain tipitaka without reference, linking. It's weird and not professional. If buddhaghosa wrote something without the reference, he wouldn't be allowed to translate atthakathā back to pāli. So, the link, which I have given, show tipitaka memorizer's thought.

It seems the compound "attabhāvapaṭilābhe" means "acquisition of self becoming" or, as often translated, "acquisition of personality".
For example, if parents, for example, allow their children to make their own decisions in life, the children will develop a personality based on their own decisions.
But if parents, for example, are very domineering & even abusive, their children will develop personalities reflective of the violence of the parents.
Or when people are brainwashed by political rulers, such as Mao, Stalin, Hitler or Obama; or by the corporate or pornographic mass-media, the acquired personalty will be reflective of brainwashing.
In other words, it appears the translation of "reincarnation" is very imaginative.


text:
Considering other traditions than Goenka Vipassana for better Right Effort, Right Concentration and Right Mindfullness
I have been on three 10-day Goenka Vipassana retreats in the past four years. I continue to meditate every day, although I question my technique, my progress, and eventually if this is the right tradition for me. Hence, I am naturally caught up in doubt as a primary hindrance.
Goenka Vipassana being my only real exposure to any type of Buddhist meditation, I am trying to learn more about tradition because, for one, I feel like I still haven't gotten a handle on my samadhi. By that, I mean I still haven't achieved a quiet mind or a fully absorbed mind.

I am wondering if I should pursue a tradition that doesn't dismiss the dhyanas the way that Goenka Vipassana does? I like that there ares stages. I do better with structure in general, and could be more intent and directed in my practice if I have had more defined path with clear markers along the way. However, I do keenly sense my bodily sensations and can achieve a free flow of energy. Still, even as I experience awareness of subtle sensations and a free flow, my mind is not clear of thought.
Which brings me to another question -- am I supposed to observe thoughts as they arise, or keep my focus on my breathe (if pracaticing anapana) or sensations when doing Vipassana?
A final question: is bhanganana a type of dhyana? I have not reached bhanga, and I am not even sure that I have reached the first dhyana, but the definitions of each that I have read seem to correspond. How does one skip the dhyanas but then achieve bhanga?

Forgive my relative ignorance of these matters. I live in a urban area that has a lot of different meditation centers in the vicinity, including a Shambhala (Tibetan) Center. I am curious to explore, although I am a bit hesitant about the more ritual-based Mahayana traditions as they seem too much like organized religion to me. Essentially, my goal, if I admit that I have one, is to make progress, is to deepen my practice, to achieve profound states of peace and clarity, to experience impermanence directly, to gain this ultimate wisdom. I am not attached Goenka Vipassana, and open to different approaches that will help me to improve my concentration (samadhi) that will, in tern, allow for panna (wisdom). Thank you.

I still haven't achieved a quiet mind or a fully absorbed mind. I am wondering if I should pursue a tradition that
  doesn't dismiss the dhyanas the way that Goenka Vipassana does.... different approaches that will help me to improve my concentration (samadhi) that will, in turn, allow for panna (wisdom).

The above has the path backwards; which is a common misunderstanding in Theravada Buddhism, due to the common preaching about 'sila, samadhi, panna'.
The Noble Eightfold Path starts with wisdom (called Right Understanding or Right View). It is wisdom that achieves a quiet mind (rather than samadhi). If the mind is not quiet it cannot achieve jhana therefore it is incorrect to believe jhana is required to make the mind quiet. Jhana itself is the quiet mind and what is required to reach jhana is wisdom. How the Buddha-To-Be used wisdom to make his mind quiet and reach jhana is described in MN 19 (the Dvedhāvitakka Sutta).

am I supposed to observe thoughts as they arise, or keep my focus on my breathe (if pracaticing anapana) or sensations when doing
  Vipassana?

Per MN 19, the practise is using wisdom or wise reflection to remove thoughts.

A final question: is bhanganana a type of dhyana?

Based on its name, "bhanganana" appears to be a "nana" or "knowledge" ("wisdom"); therefore it is not a type of "jhana" ("concentration"). Regardless, what various "nana" are is unimportant. What is important is to establish a quiet & calm mind.
"Vipassana" means "clear seeing" or "insight". "Vipassana" automatically arises when the mind is clear & quiet therefore it is not necessary to "practise" vipassana. What must be practised is making the mind quiet; which requires using wisdom to prevent & abandon unwholesome thoughts.

And what is right effort? It’s when a mendicant generates enthusiasm, tries, makes an effort, exerts the mind and strives so that bad, unskillful qualities don’t arise. They generate enthusiasm, try, make an effort, exert the mind and strive so that bad, unskillful qualities that have arisen are given up. They generate enthusiasm, try, make an effort, exert the mind and strive so that skillful qualities that have not arisen do arise. They generate enthusiasm, try, make an effort, exert the mind and strive so that skillful qualities that have arisen remain, are not lost, but increase, mature, and are fulfilled by development. This is called right effort.
SN 45.8

One makes an effort for the abandoning of wrong view & for entering into right view: This is one's right effort. One is mindful to abandon
  wrong view & to enter & remain in right view: This is one's right
  mindfulness. Thus these three qualities — right view, right effort &
  right mindfulness — run & circle around right view.
One makes an effort for the abandoning of wrong resolve & for entering right resolve: This is one's right effort. One is mindful to
  abandon wrong resolve & to enter & remain in right resolve: This is
  one's right mindfulness. Thus these three qualities — right view,
  right effort & right mindfulness — run & circle around right resolve.
MN 117

MN 117 also describes how jhana (right concentration) leads to right knowledge (nana):

Of those, right view is the forerunner. And how is right view the forerunner? In one of right view, right resolve comes into being. In
  one of right resolve, right speech comes into being. In one of right
  speech, right action... In one of right action, right livelihood... In
  one of right livelihood, right effort... In one of right effort, right
  mindfulness... In one of right mindfulness, right concentration... In
  one of right concentration, right knowledge... In one of right
  knowledge, right release comes into being

Sometimes a healthy dose of doubt is ok, as it prods us to check and verify if we're doing something correctly or following blindly.
Insight Meditation (Vipassana) is taught in several traditions, each with slightly different approaches or permutations. They all point towards the same end result, like different hiking trails leading to the same mountain peak. So don't worry too much ;)
"[ I like that there are stages. I do better with structure in general ]"
This is good to be mindful of. It can be useful to have a roadmap, but it can become an obstacle as well if we cling to progress and "spiritual materialism", collecting attainments like trophies or merit badges. I too do better with some structure. Insight taught in the Mahasi lineages use the Progression of Insight. It is contained in his Manual of Insight or as a stand-alone book. It is to be used with great caution, typically only given to meditators who have made great progress and deemed by a teacher to be ready for it. If one is likely to become attached to attainments or begin to strive too much or build up expectations, then they aren't yet ready. Better yet is to find a good teacher, one who can guide you down the Path so that you can focus on your mindfulness.
"[ am I supposed to observe thoughts as they arise, or keep my focus on my breathe]"
In Vipassana, the goal is to observe whatever arises as it arises with wise attention. The breath serves as our home base, a tool to develop initial concentration, and a tool to help us learn how to observe. Observe with bare awareness the sensations that happen while breathing. When a thought arises, note it, let it go, relaxing..., and return to the sensations of the breath. Sometimes it is also useful to investigate the arisen thought. What conditioned it's arising? Usually it's a moment where your mindfulness wasn't sharp enough, which tells you to then increase your mindfulness. The quicker you catch the thought the quicker the trace will be.
"[How does one skip the dhyanas but then achieve bhanga?"]
The stages of progress within Insight can't be skipped. They might go by in rapid succession, but they are simply natural stages of realization everyone goes through on the Path. Sometimes they pass by unnoticed, especially if we're not familiar with technical names and theory, etc. and are just practicing well. Don't worry too much about them, they will occur on their own as long as you practice the basics correctly. Maintain your sila. Observe each moment with bare awareness, maintaining continuous unbroken mindfulness, abiding independent, not clinging to anything in the world.
Explore and find what tradition or teacher is most suitable to you. For Insight I recommend the Mahasi Sayadaw, Sayadaw U Pandita, Yuttadhammo Bhikku, or Ajah Chah lineages. In the end however, they can only point out the Path. You're the one who must walk it.

OP: I am wondering if I should pursue a tradition that doesn't dismiss the dhyanas the way that Goenka Vipassana does?

Buddhist training has 3 elements:

morality
mastery over the mind
wisdom

Right Concentration aspect of the path involves Jhana.

"And what is right concentration? There is the case where a monk — quite withdrawn from sensuality, withdrawn from unskillful (mental) qualities — enters & remains in the first jhana: rapture & pleasure born from withdrawal, accompanied by directed thought & evaluation. With the stilling of directed thoughts & evaluations, he enters & remains in the second jhana: rapture & pleasure born of composure, unification of awareness free from directed thought & evaluation — internal assurance. With the fading of rapture, he remains equanimous, mindful, & alert, and senses pleasure with the body. He enters & remains in the third jhana, of which the Noble Ones declare, 'Equanimous & mindful, he has a pleasant abiding.' With the abandoning of pleasure & pain — as with the earlier disappearance of elation & distress — he enters & remains in the fourth jhana: purity of equanimity & mindfulness, neither pleasure nor pain. This is called right concentration."
— SN 45.8

Right Concentration
Also, to realise the path you need at least the 1st Jhana momentarily.
In Goenka's retreats, you spend 1/3 of the time developing Samadhi. Not everyone gets into Jhana but this is the time you can spend trying to deepen your concentration.

OP: Still, even as I experience awareness of subtle sensations and a free flow, my mind is not clear of thought.

Know where your attention is and what object your attention is at. If it is not the chosen object gently know the sensation the distraction created and try to see its impermanence and bring back the mind to the object of focus.
If the thoughts are overwhelming Vitakka-Santhana Sutta gives strategies to overcome them.

OP: am I supposed to observe thoughts as they arise, or keep my focus on my breathe (if pracaticing anapana) or sensations when doing Vipassana

Observe where your attention is. Incase of thoughts your attention is at the mind sense door. If the thoughts were pleasant, unpleasant or neutral have stirred up any sensations which are pleasant, unpleasant or neutral observe them knowing they are impermanent and not worth clinking to. Then move back to the breath.

OP: is bhanganana a type of dhyana?

This is an insight-knowledge.

Bhanga ñana - Knowledge of the dissolution of formations, only the "vanishing," or "passing away" is discernible.

Vipassanā-ñāṇa

OP: but the definitions of each that I have read seem to correspond.

Bhangra is when you see the arising and passing away of materiality in your body in each part of your body. Passing away becomes prominent.
This does share rapture, happiness, tranquillity with that if Jhana but Jhana is not needed for this to arise this is a very preliminary insight-knowledge.
Jhana is born by developing the Jhana factors:

Initial application (vitakka)
Sustained application (vicara)
Joy (píti)
Happiness (sukha)
One-pointedness (ekaggata)

One has to develop the Jhana's as follows:

To enter the 1st Jhana practice initial application and sustained application (Vitarka-vicara). [Paṭhama Jhāna Pañha Sutta]
To enter the 2nd Jhana when one is established in the 1st Jhana drop initial application and sustained application (Vitarka-vicara). [Dutiya Jhāna Pañha Sutta]
To enter into the 3rd Jhana drop zest (Pīti) by being steadying the mind. [Tatiya Jhāna Pañha Sutta]
To enter into the 4th Jhana by dropping happiness (Sukha) with only equanimity (Ekaggata) remaining. [Catuttha Jhāna Pañha Sutta]
To enter into the 5th Jhana one transcends the perceptions of form, with the disappearance the perceptions of sense-reaction, with non-attention to perceptions of diversity, aware that “Space is infinite,”. [Ākāsânañc’āyatana Pañha Sutta]
To enter into the 6th Jhana one transcends the sphere of infinite space, aware that “Consciousness is infinite,”. [Viññāṇañc’āyatana Pañha Sutta]
To enter into the 7th Jhana one transcends the sphere of infinite consciousness, aware that ‘There is nothing,’. [Ākiñcaññ’āyatana Pañha Sutta]
To enter into the 8th Jhana one transcends the sphere of nothingness, one enters and dwells in the sphere of neither-perception-nor-non-perception. [N’eva,saññā,nâsaññ’āyatana Pañha Sutta]
To enter into the cessation one does not attend to any signs of residual perception in the 8th Jhana. [Animitta Ceto,samādhi Pañha Sutta]

OP: How does one skip the dhyanas but then achieve bhanga?

Jhana is not needed to achieve Bhanga. But Jhana is needed to achieve Sotāpanna, Sakadāgāmi, Anāgāmi, and Arahant as the path-consciousness occurs with Jhana. Bhanga is insight-knowledge occurring before becoming Sotāpanna so Jhana is not needed to for Bhanga.

The First Jhàna Sotàpatti Path-consciousness
  together with initial application, sustained application,
  joy, happiness, and one-pointedness,
The second Jhàna Sotàpatti Path-consciousness
  together with sustained application, joy, happiness, and
  one-pointedness,
The Third Jhàna Sotàpatti Path-consciousness
  together with joy, happiness, and one-pointedness,
The Fourth Jhàna Sotàpatti Path-consciousness
  together with happiness and one-pointedness,
The Fifth Jhàna Sotàpatti Path—consciousness
  together with equanimity and one-pointedness.

These are the five types of Sotàpatti Path-consciousness.
So are the Sakadàgàmi Path-consciousness, Anàgàmi Path-consciousness, and Arahatta Path-consciousness, making
  exactly twenty classes of consciousness. Similarly, there are
  twenty classes of Fruit-consciousness. Thus there are forty
  types of supramundane consciousness.

A Manual of Abhidhamma By Nàrada Mahà Thera