Dhamma makes one dispassionate then how can one be compassionate? Namo Buddhaya. After practicing Dhamma one becomes dispassionate. However Buddha says one should cultivate and practice Compassion. So am I not killing my own profit of dispassion by compassion?

My question is: how can I remain compassionate if Dhamma makes me dispassionate? Or how can I remain dispassionate if Buddha asks me to remain compassionate?

Maybe this article will be useful: Detachment and Compassion in Early Buddhism

Viraaga literally means the absence of raaga: the absence of lust, desire, and craving for existence. Hence, it denotes indifference or non-attachment to the usual objects of raaga, such as material goods or sense pleasures. Non-attachment is an important term here if the Pali is to be meaningful to speakers of English. It is far more appropriate than "detachment" because of the negative connotations "detachment" possesses in English.

The word which Thanissaro Bhikkhu translated as "dispassion", e.g. starting this sutta, is virāgā.
And,

In fact, at least three strands of meaning in the term "compassion" can be detected in the texts: a prerequisite for a just and harmonious society; an essential attitude for progress along the path towards wisdom; and the liberative action within society of those who have become enlightened or who are sincerely following the path towards it. All these strands need to be looked at if the term is to be understood and if those who accuse Buddhist compassion of being too passive are to be answered correctly.

IMO a simple analogy might be that a doctor doesn't need to be ill in order to help their patients -- it's better if they're not.

I also recommend this article on the Brahmaviharas in general (including compassion and equanimity): The Four Sublime States by Nyanaponika Thera.

There's also for example this essay, Toward a Threshold of Understanding, which says that it's a mistake to see Buddhism as "indifference" toward the world:

he Pontiff describes Nibbana as "a state of perfect indifference with regard to the world," adding that in Buddhism salvation means "above all, to free oneself from evil by becoming indifferent to the world, which is the source of evil" (p.86). By such statements he represents Buddhism to his readers as a quietistic doctrine of withdrawal which can address the momentous problems that face humanity today only by politely turning its back on them. This is hardly a satisfactory depiction of Early Buddhism, in which transcendence of the world is stressed, let alone of Mahayana Buddhism, in which the bodhisattva's compassionate activity on behalf of the world becomes the guiding ideal.
The Pali word that the Pope interprets as "indifference" is presumably upekkha. The real meaning of this word is equanimity, not indifference in the sense of unconcern for others. As a spiritual virtue, upekkha means equanimity in the face of the fluctuations of worldly fortune. It is evenness of mind, unshakeable freedom of mind, a state of inner equipoise that cannot be upset by gain and loss, honor and dishonor, praise and blame, pleasure and pain. Upekkha is freedom from all points of self-reference; it is indifference only to the demands of the ego-self with its craving for pleasure and position, not to the well-being of one's fellow human beings. True equanimity is the pinnacle of the four social attitudes that the Buddhist texts call the "divine abodes": boundless loving-kindness, compassion, altruistic joy, and equanimity. The last does not override and negate the preceding three, but perfects and consummates them.
If Buddhism in practice has not always lived up to the high ideals posited by the original Teaching, this is to be understood as a result of the downward gravitational pull of human nature, not as a consequence of any emphasis on apathy and indifference in the pristine Dhamma. The Buddhist texts provide ample evidence that the attainment of Nibbana does not issue in a stolid indifference to the world. The Buddha himself, the ideal model for his followers, led an active life of 45 years after his enlightenment dedicated to the uplift of humanity. Throughout Buddhist history, the great spiritual masters of the Dhamma have emulated the Awakened One's example, heeding his injunction to wander forth "for the welfare and happiness of many, out of compassion for the world, for the good, welfare, and happiness of devas and humans."


Why the Buddha didn't originally allow ordination of women Is it true that the Buddha didn't allow women in the Sangha? If this is true then why is that?

Interesting, this is the first question answered in this month's Buddhism.SE Book-of-the-Month Women in Buddhism - Questions & Answers.

  It was the right time for Maha Pajapati (the Buddha's step mother) to consider following
  the teaching and the practice of the Buddha seriously. But
  when she approached and asked for permission the Buddha
  simply said, “Please do not ask so.” The Tripitaka, which
  is the most important primary source, did not provide any
  reason for not allowing women to join the Order.

Maha Pajapati and 500 other women shaved their heads, donned yellow robes, and walked to where the Buddha was. Ananda went to the Buddha on their behalf to ask for their permission to join the sangha, but the Buddha's response was "“Ananda, please do not ask so.”.

Some of the considerations and concerns that might have been present include the fact that:

  According to
  Indian social mores, to lead a religious life is not the path
  for women. ibid

There may also have been practical concerns as these women had lived in comfort before and the reality of living a reclusive life outdoors might be difficult. The current sangha did not have enough teachers who would have been suitable to teach this large group of women. There could have been criticism that having women join the sangha was breaking up families. These may have been some of the reasons behind the Buddha's hesitation to allow women to join the sangha.

When Ananda asked the Buddha if women were capable of attaining spiritual enlightenment; the Buddha's answer was yes. The book notes:

  We have to mark this statement, as this is the first time
  in the history of religion that a religious leader declared
  openly that men and women are equal on spiritual grounds.
  Previously in the Hindu context, the Vedas, the most sacred
  religious texts, were available only to men. Buddhism has
  transcended race, nation, caste and gender differences to
  declare that the highest spiritual achievement transcends
  obstacles or discrimination of gender. With this important
  reason, the Buddha allowed women to join his Order. ibid

So while women weren't allowed to join the sangha immediately, eventually they were.


Is Yiguandao teachings part of buddhism? I've recently been invited to a Maitreya Buddha's Temple. They are required to held a ceremony if you want to join. So I do a little research and found out the name of their teaching is actually "Yiguandao".
They stated that this world/earth is created by Eternal Venerable Mother (Wusheng Laomu) source which I find contradicting to Gautama Buddha's teaching where there is no supreme creator source.  And some other factors I find even more contradicting to Buddhism as what I know.
All I need to know is whether this teachings is something different from true Buddhism Teachings and where did this teachings come from?
And If they are not the same, why do the use Maitreya Buddha in their teaching?

Based on the wikipedia page on Yiguandao, I would say that this is not Buddhism. It seems to be a Chinese folk religion.
Why do they use Maitreya Buddha in their teaching? Well, Chinese folk religion tends to integrate elements of Taoism, Confucianism and Buddhism.
That's not surprising. Even Hinduism has the Buddha as an incarnation of Vishnu. So, it's no surprise if Chinese folk religion includes Maitreya Buddha.
But as a whole, it doesn't appear to be a Buddhist sub-school or tradition, unlike say Nichiren Buddhism.


Tantric self generation as a deity Why does self-generation as a deity (yidam) require annutarayogatantra empowerment (wang, abhiṣeka), while visualizing it as a separate image doesn't?

Lighting a lamp, you need another lamp. Because during self generation you are the Buddha, and in order to have 100% conviction that you are the Buddha, you must be told(initiated) by the Buddha himself. That is why it is said that seeing/recognising the guru as the Buddha himself is important in Tantra. Further the guru himself must have an unbroken lineage starting from the Buddha himself.


Why do beings, even in lower/hell realms, like their lives? As to Lord Buddha beings suffer because they were born:

Jaathi pachchaya jara marana soka paridewa dukka domanassa upayasa sambhawanthi
From birth as a requisite condition, then aging & death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair come into play.

It is understandable why beings in the higher realms like their lives; but is there an explanation for why beings in very lower realms (like hell) like their lives?

Yayam tanha ponobbhavika nandiragasahagata tatratatrabhinandini, seyyathidam, kamatanha bhavatanha vibhavatanha

It is this craving(tanha) which produces re-existence and re-becoming (Punobbhava) and which is bound up with passionate greed’ (Nandi raga sahagatha) and which finds fresh desire now here and there (tatratatrabhinandini) namely (1) thirst for sense-pleasures (kama tanha) (2) craving for existence and becoming (bhava-tanha) and (3) craving for nonexistence, self annihilation (Vibhava tanha)


Where is the story of the non-returner who "sold" pots on the side of the road? I'm trying to find a specific story in the Pali canon (or commentaries, probably), where an anagami who looks after his mother makes a living by firing pots and putting them out by the side of the road. When people go by, he says "take what you like, just leave some beans or rice, or whatever you think it's worth."

Anyone know where this story is found, or what the name of the anagami was?

Here is the story you refer to
http://www.yellowrobe.com/practice/general/247-money-rules-for-buddhist-monks-and-nuns-by-dhamminda-bhikkhu.html

  It is taught that even a layperson who is an anagami (non-returner)
  keeps the ten precepts naturally and does not accept or use money. For
  example the anagami Ghatikara was without gems, gold, silver, or
  money, and made his living by taking earth that had eroded from the
  river bank and making it into pots. These pots he left at the side of
  the road and anyone who wished could leave a suitable amount of rice
  or food and take the pots. In this way Ghatikara supported himself and
  his blind parents. (See Ghatikara Sutta of Majjhima Nikaya.)

  This demonstrates how money is an impediment to enlightenment and how
  the truly enlightened do not use money. The above quotes all prove
  that the acceptance of money by monks is not a small fault, and that
  it can render a monk incapable of attaining Nibbana .


Buddhism and the so called "hard" problem of consciousness Hello Buddhists namaste!

Would it be wrong of me to suppose the anatta means at least partly, the following two theses?

No explanation of a conscious thought is complete: mind is not absolutely transparent to itself.
Consciousness is only explicable by way of an explanation of some particular conscious thought.

IMHO that would make the "hard" problem, disappear :)

A good question. But hampered, as are many such discussions by mismatched terminology. There is no Buddhist concept that quite matches the idea of "consciousness". We don't really notice this because the early translators used quite imprecise terminology and we're stuck with it. If there is one thing that vijñāna is not, it is "consciousness".

Another factor that one must take into account is that what ancient Buddhists meant by "mind" and what modern philosophers, like David "The Hard problem Chalmers mean by it are two different things. Buddhists for example make no categorical distinction between thought and emotion. There is no word for emotion in either Pāḷi or Sanskrit. See Emotions in Buddhism. Emotion is a kind of citta, as it thought, or perception. And yet the distinction between thoughts and emotions is critical to modern philosophy.

Nor is there any notion of the mind as a container for experience. The metaphor of the "theatre of consciousness" is entirely absent from Buddhist thought. See The 'Mind as Container' Metaphor.

The early Buddhists never claimed to fully explain conscious thought. The project would not have interested them. They were trying to understand dukkha - unenlightened experience. They were interested in the intoxication (pamāda) of ordinary people with sense experience and how to sober up. However as I understand it they would probably have agreed that because experience arises in dependence on sense object, sense faculty and sense cognition, and that most of us proceed without pause to proliferation, that a complete explanation of a conscious thought would be difficult. But I don't think anattā has anything to do with this.

On the other hand experience of samādhi changes the ball game. One can get a kind of insight into the arising of cittas that are as yet not incorporated into the modern theories of mind.

  Consciousness is only explicable by way of an explanation of some particular conscious thought.

The trouble is that what you are calling "consciousness" is almost certainly ruled out in Buddhist thought by anattā. From the early Buddhist point of view there is no such thing as "consciousness" in the sense that, say, David Chalmers uses it. There's just conscious experience. Chalmers own solution that "consciousness" must be different from matter is also ruled out - if something is not accessible to the senses then we can have no knowledge of it. And this is the most important implication of anattā.

It does leave open the question of the Hard Problem though, because there is still something that it is like to have an experience. It's just that solving this problem would not tell us anything interesting about why we suffer. We suffer because we have an aberrant relationship to pleasure/pain.

So it seems to me that you're barking up the wrong philosophical tree with this question. However, it's worth asking because it helps to clarify the distinctions between Buddhism and philosophy.


Is the only way to deal with the effects of your bad karma endurance? Do you just have to endure these bad effects no matter how long they may  last? I feel like I'm dealing  with some bad karma.

Try to make good Karma - it will help you for sure. The Buddha once gave a simile.

He said that bad karma was like salt and good karma like water. If you put some salt in a glass of water it will taste bad, but if you put the same amount of salt in a river, the taste of the water will not change, so doing good karma is a very good way to handle this situation.

Of course, one can get rid of all past karma by becoming enlighten or a Buddha, ordaining would be great, but I assumed you wanted a "quick" and "wordy" answer.


Is there an English translation of the Abhidhamma? I wonder if there is an English version of the Abhidhamma, in its entirety?

As far as I know, there is no single compiled translation of all the volumes of the Abhidhamma but they are separately translated by several people.

You can find an index of these translations in ATI's Abhidhamma Page.

Note that, although no English translation of the "The Book of Pairs" (Yamaka) is mentioned in the above link, there is one. You can find Vol.1 here.

Abhidhamma.com also has useful material available for download, including "The Book of Pairs Vol.2".


How to cultivate good q:

  1) How do you cultivate good?

  2) what is good?

Elsewhere in the Dhammapada it suggests to cultivate good "drop by drop":

Think not lightly of evil, saying, "It will not come to me." Drop by drop is the water pot filled. Likewise, the fool, gathering it little by little, fills himself with evil.

Think not lightly of good, saying, "It will not come to me." Drop by drop is the water pot filled. Likewise, the wise man, gathering it little by little, fills himself with good.

Buddhism is called a "gradual training" -- and I think that's because it's taught gradually, step by step -- but I also think it's practised gradually, e.g. you might learn from moments of kindness or moments of suffering.
As for "what is good" one hint might be found in MN 61

Having done a bodily action, you should reflect on it:

'This bodily action I have done — did it lead to self-affliction, to the affliction of others, or to both? Was it an unskillful bodily action, with painful consequences, painful results?'

If, on reflection, you know that it led to self-affliction, to the affliction of others, or to both; it was an unskillful bodily action with painful consequences, painful results, then you should confess it, reveal it, lay it open to the Teacher or to a knowledgeable companion in the holy life. Having confessed it... you should exercise restraint in the future. But if on reflection you know that it did not lead to affliction... it was a skillful bodily action with pleasant consequences, pleasant results, then you should stay mentally refreshed & joyful, training day & night in skillful mental qualities.

There are different Pali words being used in different verses, for example puñña
, kusala, and sampadā


Can phala be experienced too often? If a person enters phala(nibbana) too frequently can they develop a tolerance to the peacefulness of it?

There's no question of tolerance or intolerance. Nibbana is non-experiential(Avedeita) peace.


Is the world inherently good or is it something to be shunned? Reading most of the responses given here related to my question and also reading many suttas it seems to me that there are two contradictory views. I don't want to name any school of thought, I don't think I'm qualified to do so, however, when one read, for example, Puttamansa Sutta: A Son's Flesh it seems clear that this world is to be abandoned, and everything we do is inherently gross and scary to say the list, but there are many responses given in this platform and I may even cite some suttas that view this world as a in harmony and perfect.

In short, according to this latter view, the world is perfect it's the mind which is f**kedup ; a worldview akin to Taoism or Stoicism in the west where everything is perfect except the deluded mind.

My question is how do these two seemingly incompatible view work in Buddhism or should these be viewed as ideas propounded by different schools of thought?

I have got three response up-to now; @ruben2020 think the world to be indifferent, @Andrei Volkov believe that the world is good and for @ ChrisW the question is wrong and to be avoided as an extreme view.

However, when one read most of the Suttas such as the Adittapariyaya Sutta and many more the teaching seems to gravitate towards negative view of the world or at list the Suttas instruct us to sail very close to the view of seeing the world as bad. So, i'm going to live the question open as unanswered.

In Buddhism, there is the notion that we can use a skillful technique or theme of thinking, which is the best technique or theme of thinking that it is suited for a particular situation, for a particular purpose, to cater for a particular need. Some of these techniques may be mutually exclusive or contradictory to each other.

It is just like how a master chef uses various techniques to craft the best results based on the needs. Sometimes you need to boil, sometimes you need to bake, sometimes you need to fry, sometimes you need to broil, sometimes you need to grill and sometimes you need to sautee. These techniques may appear to contradict each other, but are used at different times to achieve different results.

First example:

For overcoming lust (as a hindrance of sensual desire), you can use the contemplation on unattractiveness (see this question). But too much of it may lead to negative thoughts of suicide, in which case, use the mindfulness of breathing (see this answer) to counter it.

Second example:

The Buddha taught that not everything we experience is caused by what we did in this answer. This is the Buddha teaching anatta, so that we can let go of the self-view.

  Again, when the Buddha was asked by the naked ascetic Kassapa whether
  suffering was of one's own making or of another's or both or neither,
  the Buddha replied "Do not put it like that." ...  He then said
  "Kassapa, if one asserts that 'He who makes (it) feels (it): being one
  existent from the beginning, his suffering is of his own making,' then
  one arrives at eternalism. But if one asserts that one makes (it),
  another feels (it); being one existent crushed out by feeling, his
  suffering is of another's making,' then one arrives at
  annihilationism. Instead of resorting to either extreme a Tathaagata
  teaches the Dhamma by the middle way (by dependent origination)".

But in some cases, for other practitioners, it might be useful to think that we are the creators, owners and heirs of our kamma. The Themes Sutta has many examples of different themes of thinking and what problems can be resolved by such ways of thinking. One of those is to think that what we experience is caused by what we did, in order to eradicate unvirtuous habits.

  “And for the sake of what benefit should a woman or a man, a
  householder or one gone forth, often reflect thus: ‘I am the owner of
  my kamma, the heir of my kamma; I have kamma as my origin, kamma as my
  relative, kamma as my resort; I will be the heir of whatever kamma,
  good or bad, that I do’? People engage in misconduct by body, speech,
  and mind. But when one often reflects upon this theme, such misconduct
  is either completely abandoned or diminished.

Now back to your question ...

Based on this, I would say that thinking of the world as disgusting and to be abandoned is a technique to be used if you're addicted to the pleasures of the world. But if you're depressed and negative about the world, then its useful to think about the world as being beautiful and harmonious but it's only your thinking that's the problem.

What is the inherent nature of the world? It is neither good or bad, or ugly or beautiful. It simply is conditioned (sankhara) and impermanent (anicca) i.e. everything in the world is always changing being influenced by other things.

This is also corroborated by physics - everything in the universe changes, influenced by everything else, including space, time, matter and energy. These can be seen in the consequences of General Relativity and Special Relativity, e.g. curvature of space-time, time dilation, gravitational waves and, equivalence of matter and energy.

In most Mahayana Buddhism schools, the inherent nature of the world is emptiness. See this answer for details.


Meaning of "Body is emptiness, emptiness is body" In the Heart Sutra, Avalokiteshvara says to Sariputra

  this Body itself is Emptiness and Emptiness itself is this Body. This
  Body is not other than Emptiness and Emptiness is not other than this
  Body. (translation by Thich Nhat Hanh)

What does it mean to say that Body itself is Emptiness and Emptiness itself is this Body?

In my understanding, this basically speaks to the following Buddha's expression (SN 22.90):

  By & large, Kaccayana, this world is supported by a polarity, that of existence & non-existence. But when one sees the origination ... as it actually is with right discernment, "non-existence" ... does not occur to one. When one sees the cessation ... as it actually is with right discernment, "existence" ... does not occur to one. ... "Everything exists": That is one extreme. "Everything doesn't exist": That is a second extreme. Avoiding these two extremes, the Tathagata teaches the Dhamma via the middle.

The way an untrained run-off-the-mill person sees things and talks about things, is that anything, any object or phenomena - be that physical or social or economical etc. - either exists or it does not exist. Everything is very cut and dry. But in a wise one's perspective, things are not so simple, not so flat. The wise one sees infinite nuances. This is why the wise one avoids taking extreme simplistic positions about things being or not being a certain way.

Any form - meaning any object of our attention and discussion - is necessarily an abstraction, a subset, a vast simplification of reality. To assume that it actually "exists" would be to commit (succumb to?) the reification fallacy. Instead, a form is a phantom, a fiction, a conceptual overlay. Therefore a form is empty of existence in-and-off-itself. Form is empty. That includes any and all dharmas (phenomena, objects of mind) that some of the late Abhidharmists mistakenly reified. Like the five skandhas (the form/body, feelings etc). Or the Five Great Elements. Or the dharmas. Or even Nirvana itself. From Madhyamaka perspective, these are all abstractions, simplifications, generalizations.

At the same time, to say that things don't really exist - would be to fall into another extreme. Even though form is empty, we appreciate it for its explanatory value. The way we delineate the world into forms, into discrete phenomena, is not entirely arbitrary. It came from our real experience dealing with real things. So the forms we experience, however subjective, conventional, faulty, and incomplete, are rooted in the real nature. The forms do exist, at least in our subjective experience. They only exist as conceptual overlays, but these overlays themselves are not non-existent as overlays. Just like rainbow - there is no actual arch-shaped object in the sky, but you can't say that rainbow does not exist. It exists as a phenomenon. And that phenomenon - however illusory - has its basis in reality, in how things work. This is the "Emptiness is Form" part.

Some of the practical implications of "form is emptiness", is that we no longer get hung up on any one truth, any one method, any philosophical position. We see that they are all ultimately false. On the other hand, because "emptiness is form", we do realize that our choices have effects, and these effects often fruit as experience, and this experience will be rather very real for someone experiencing it! This realization of form-is-emptiness as the ultimate truth is known as the root of prajna or (special) wisdom. And this realization of emptiness-is-form as undeniable reality of experience or the conventional truth, is known as the root of maha-karuna or great (enlightened) compassion.

So at the end of the day we get very practical. Given that form is emptiness and emptiness is form, we do the best thing possible using the best tool for the job. If we need to cut through we cut through, if we need to skip over, we skip over. We don't get stuck beating our head on the wall.


Is there a middle way between working towards personal liberation and liberation for all sentient beings? I may be a little off-mark here, but if I understand correctly there are two broad opinions on liberation. The first where a practitioner works towards her own liberation (the way of the Sravaka or Pratyek-Buddha) and the second where they work towards the liberation of all sentient being (the way of the Boddhisattva).

Is there a middle way between these two? Perhaps surrendering a specific desire and to work towards removing one's defilements and allow liberation to come when it does and as many sentient beings be helped as possible.

There is no conflict, the dichotomy is false and is based on incorrect understanding. As Buddha said in Sedaka Sutta:

When watching after yourself, you watch after others. When watching after others, you watch after yourself.
And how do you watch after others when watching after yourself? Through cultivating, through developing, through pursuing. This is how you watch after others when watching after yourself.
"And how do you watch after yourself when watching after others? Through endurance, through harmlessness, through a mind of goodwill, & through sympathy. This is how you watch after yourself when watching after others.


What, precisely, is kamma/karma? In Buddhist doctrine there is always the problem, that for the sake of understandability, certain concepts are being presented in a solid, substantial way, while actually, one has to keep in the back of one's mind, that by the central tenet of anattā/anātman these concepts are actually not like that. The same applies to kamma/karma, which can be presented as something that a being accumulates and carries with itself in this life and to the next and the ones following.

Now, actually, there is nothing substantial that transmigrates from one life to the next, as is clear from the similes that are used to explain rebirth without soul: a candle that lights another, an echo, a mirror image, the imprint in wax of seal. In these cases, though there is some link between the two sides, nothing actually goes from one to the other (the case with the echo should maybe be reconsidered according to the old Indian theories of sound and the echo). So, what is kamma/karma? How does it stick to the individual?

To take this question one step further, if we admit now that kamma/karma is near-identical with the concept of saṃskāra/saṃkhāra, and therefore with volitions and cetanā, as in this quote from AN 6.63:

  cetanāhaṃ bhikkave kammaṃ vadāmi

  Intention, I tell you, is kamma

and that by karmic unwholesome action the consciousness "leans towards" unwholesomeness, then how are these leanings supposed to look, how are they thought to be transported from one conscious moment to the next?

Karma is not something one accumulates; this question gets asked so often because, as you say, there is a misconception of it being a 'a solid, substantial' entity.

Karma is volition (intention is a bad translation, IMO), or in abhidhamma, the seven javana citta present in an ordinary mind process (i.e. every moment of experience).

All this means is that every experience you have has the potential to affect future experience in some way; the fact that karma produces a result in kind is indicative of how natural the process is - karma is simply the law of causality that moulds our lives according to our actions. That this should continue after death is not a problem for Buddhism since, as I've noted several places here already, death according to Buddhism is just a concept. The mind states continue to arise and cease according to the law of causality.

As to how one mind can affect the next, I really have no answer besides that through the practice of meditation you can verify for yourself that it is indeed the nature of reality; why it is this way is somewhat irrelevant.


Mindfulness, conciousness and directing attention Often as part of mindfulness meditation (at least the Westernized form with which I am familiar) we can practice awareness of breath, parts of the breath, arising thoughts etc.

However, if the aim of mindfulness is to be in pure consciousness, how can we at the same time be directing attention to something? Wouldn't this constitute a 'doing' which arises from thought rather than from consciousness?

EDIT: I have accepted an answer that seems to be the most useful for me right now, but I can see that this a complex subject and I will certainly not ignore the content of the other answers.

From a traditional Buddhist perspective, the purpose of mindfulness is threefold:

At a superficial level, the level of mere beginner or layperson, we pay attention to what we do and how we do it, evaluating it against the basic Buddhist guidelines, in order to overcome our basic unwholesome habits.
On a deeper level, the level of dedicated practitioner, mindfulness is viewing everything through the prism of Dharma, which means our basic frame of reference we use to interpret all of our experience is superseded with the Buddhist system.
On the deepest level, mindfulness is practiced as a way to cultivate tathata or suchness. This is when we learn to observe phenomena with no judgment or taking sides. In the absence of taking sides our experience becomes pure reflection of whatever is happening, with no conflict of interest generated when experience mismatches the expectations of the side we took.

As you can see, nowhere on this ladder do we try to "be in pure consciousness" without directing or doing. What we try to do is change our frame of reference and indeed our identification to free ourselves from all traces of existential conflict.

This means that "doing" and "thinking" is not your enemy, it's not your goal to stop them or to go without them - not at all. Your goal is "cessation of craving & attachment", meaning to not take sides or boundaries in any way that would lead to experience of suffering.

Your entire mental machine - including thoughts, emotions, and impulses - should keep functioning, it's only your attitude that must undergo purification and "liberation" (from mind-made boundaries).

Among other things this means that at some point you even stop judging your own thoughts and taking sides wrt them. But of course, there is a fine line here between allowing your mind go unbounded vs letting the pathological urges and neuroses drag you around. The standard Buddhist approach is, first you liberate yourself from crude types of conflict, then gradually move onto more and more subtle kinds.

In general my advice is, as you go around your day, your mindfulness should be in how you don't get involved in maintaining drama - not in trying to avoid controlling anything at all. Your level of involvement in drama is something you must control, all the way until this very control remains the only extant drama, at which point you drop it too - but not before that.


What Buddhist Software is there? I'm a programmer who is also interested in Buddhism and right now I'm in the planning stage for creating software inspired by Buddhism.

I would like to know what Buddhism-related (or -inspired) software is already out there (including simple web apps, mobile apps, etc.) since this can help me with my own project.

I'd be grateful if the community can answer this and hope that many others will benefit from software helping to put the teachings into practice.

Kind Regards

Here are some apps that you might find useful:

Meditation and Mindfulness Apps:

Buddhify Mindfulness and meditation app.

"With over 11 hours of custom meditations for 15 different parts of your day including traveling, being online, taking a work break and going to sleep, buddhify 2 gives you a simple but effective way to bring more mindfulness and calm to your busy day".

Bodhi Timer

"Bodhi Timer is an elegant, minimalist countdown timer. It is designed mainly for use as a meditation timer but can easily be used for any similar purpose."

Equanimity - Meditation Timer and Tracker.

"The elegant meditation timer times your sittings, provides a beautiful journal for sitting notes, and displays graphical tracking giving you clear feedback on your meditation practice. It's carefully designed to be the ideal companion for anyone who meditates".

Insight Timer Meditation App.

In general its a meditation app that lets you keep track of sessions. I use it sometimes like when i do not have the possibility to sit in meditation as long as i want. Then the timer is great and it has some nice singing bowl sounds which gently brings you out of meditation. There are also some guided meditations in there but be aware that most of them are non-buddhist as are many of the groups in there, although there are buddhists groups in there that one can join.

Meditation Plus

"This is a companion app for our online meditation community at http://meditation.sirimangalo.org/"

ZenFriend.

"Change your life by starting a daily meditation practice. ZenFriend helps you to build this habit by offering a beautiful timer, a worldwide community and a way to keep a record of how much you meditate all in the one place".

Buddhist Text Apps (tipitaka, commentaries, books):

Access to insight - ATI app.

Portable ATI edition. One can read the sutta translations in the app. I dont know if its easier or "better" than the real deal on the internet. I didnt really use it.

Buddha Thoughts.

"Buddhist Thoughts is a great iPhone application that enables you to follow daily Buddhist readings what are based on the Sacred Literature of Buddhism and Buddha Dharma Education Association".

Buddha Vacana App.

"Buddha Vacana is a daily readings app that automatically bring a verse of the Buddha’s teachings to you daily on your Apple iPhone, iPad, iTouch, facebook, PC and other supported devices".

Dharma and the 5 precepts training.

"This free app enables you to carry enlightenment and spirituality wherever you may be. Aimed to support beginners and intermediate level students of the Buddha in the attainment of knowledge and truth, this app provides quick and easy access to the teachings of Buddha and the Dharma".

Digital Pali Reader

"The Digital Pali Reader (DPR) is a tool in the form of a Mozilla Firefox extension, much like a hard-copy language reader, facilitating study of the Pali language at an advanced level."

Eight Verses app.

It says that this app is composed by Buddhist Master Langri Tangpa and that its a highly- revered text from the Mahayana Lojong (mind training) tradition. "Along with the original text in Tibetan and English, the app contains text commentaries in English and audio commentaries aswell".

Pali Tipitaka iOs Web App.

"This is a work in progress. The Tipiṭaka (Mūla) is available for all the scripts, and the Aṭṭhakathā is available for the Roman script."

Songs by Milarepa app.

"Milarepa was an eleventh-century Buddhist poet and saint, the Greatest Ever to Appear in the History of Tibetan Buddhism. He was a yogi who wandered from village to village, teaching enlightenment and the path to Buddhahood through his spontaneously composed songs".

This comment is from a customer review of the app: "I came across this app whiles searching for any sort of media on Milarepa. I was hoping that the app would contain the audio in addition to the written text, but that was not so. Nonetheless, it is a beautiful App and I thank the developer for his efforts. It would be nice to actually here those amazing poem being sang".

Theravada Buddhist Text App.

"This app is meant to allow the user to read Pali Buddhist texts with side-by-side English translations, including the four main nikayas and the Dhp and Jataka commentaries as well as the Visuddhimagga".

The Ultimate Buddhism Library app

"A Unique Collection of 50 Buddhism Books. This book gives you the complete knowledge of Buddhism, this are the best collected books written on Buddhism. The people who are new to Buddhism or who don't know about the Buddhism. This is the best book for you".

28 Lord Buddha.

"This app lists 28 Lord Buddha described in Theravada Buddhism with details".

Buddhist Dictionaries Apps:

Buddhist Dictionary App

"This dictionary features entries on the history and doctrines of the major Buddhist schools, information on the spread of Buddhism in Asia and the West, and coverage of issues of contemporary concern such as human rights, abortion, euthanasia, engaged Buddhism and the role of women in Buddhist teachings".

Buddhist TV/Radio & Media Apps:

Buddhist Channel.

"This app has many nice Buddhism videos that you will definitely love. They are relaxed meditation music, great Buddhism mantras, Buddhism lessons from great teachers (Thubten Zopa Rinpoche, Gyalwang Drukpa, Thich Nhat Hanh)".

Buddhist Geeks.

"Buddhist Geeks is a weekly audio show that presents groundbreaking interviews and discussions with Buddhist teachers, scholars, and advanced practitioners. Combining ancient wisdom with modern technology, Buddhist Geeks aims to catalyze a community of practitioners committed to awakening. Discover the emerging face of Buddhism".

Buddha Inspirational.

"Get inspired by Buddhist meditation music, songs, wisdom, chants, teachings, images, quotes, history, mantra, compassion, and nirvana".

iShrine.

"Shrine is a realistic and interactive Buddhist altar in the palm of your hand, you can now practice meditation wherever you are even while away from home.
You can choose the way your Buddhist altar is composed by keeping only the items you wish, just go the layout menu and pick up the items you want. All items were scanned from a genuine Buddhist altar.
Real-looking candles and incense are part of your altar, you may choose to light them up when you feel by touching them with your virtual match".

Tibetan Wisdom for Living and Dying - Sogyal Rinpoche.

"With the Tibetan Wisdom for Living and Dying app, Rinpoche presents a grand and transforming vision of life and death, introducing you to Tibetan practices that can help anyone live fully while preparing for the extraordinary adventure that death offers each one of us".

"The Tibetan Wisdom for Living and Dying app features:
- A nine-hour course on core Buddhist teachings that invite us to face death without fear (9 hours, 14 minutes of audio)
- A Good Minute—video selections that offer concentrated wisdom to inspire you anytime
- A relaxing slide show
- An interactive vine garden to enjoy while listening (iPad only)
- Bookmarking to help you easily find your favorite content".

VajraTV Online Radio app.

"VajraTV Online radio was started as a pilot program through VajraTV: Buddhist Television Network".

Buddhist Chanting & Prayer Apps:

Buddhist Chant app.

"buddhist pali sutta chanting app".

Buddhist To Pray Tools.

"This application will provide you with information about Buddhism and Buddha traditions and you can try some religous customs on your mobile virtually. Pro version includes 10 tools such as hand bell, incense, cymbals, damaru, prayer wheel, candle, conch shell trumpet, prayer beads would be available".

Daily Buddhist Prayers App.

"Learn daily Buddhist prayers. This application provides basic daily Buddhist prayers in Wylie transliteration format so anyone can read them, also provided are the English translation/descriptions of the prayers.
Along with the texts, this app also provides audio guide for all the prayers. The audio guide was recited by a former Drepung Gomang Monastery monk and provides word by word audio guidance, like a guru teaching a student".

Buddha Quotes Apps:

Buddha.

"Buddha quotes 500".

Buddhist Meditation.

"App Features: Chants for Meditation, Introduction to Buddhism, Beautiful Image Gallery, Quotes under 11 Categories".

Words of Buddha.

"In this application, we picked  more than 150 Buddha quotes that can change the our view of the world. Besides these thoughts, there are one great bonus: more than 350 Buddhist quotes from various authors".

Buddhist Calendar Apps:

Tibetan Buddhist Calender.

"Tibetan lunar calendar combined with Western calendar, specifically designed for practitioners of Tibetan Buddhism".

Buddhist Game Apps:

Buddhist Memory Game.

"Beautiful Buddha images are used in this game of pairing cards. Very relaxing game for both adults and kids, you get to play this game over and over again because of the calming Buddha smiles as well as getting a quote from the Dhammapada every time you complete a game".

Important note to all Buddhism-SE users:

In this answer all users can add buddhism-related apps.

If you would like to add an app please file it under the appropriate category, add a link so that the app is easily located and a short description of the app or other information that you think other users might find useful.


The four requisites for trade In the Vanijja Sutta Buddha talks about the four requisites for trade. I couldn't find the four anywhere, does anybody know what he refers to?

The requisites for trade are not requirements for trading, they are four objects which are traded.

They are four items which are required for monastic living, namely clothing, food, medicine and shelter.


Missing Dhyana/Jhana Sutras? Are there parallel texts between Pali Canon Jhana Suttas, and Mahayana equivalent? Dhyana Sutras? I now that the theme is picked up again in Tiantai texts, but I'm thinking of between the Pali canon and the Tiantai? Does Asanga touch on this topic or skip over it? Kumarajiva?

Yes some texts of the pali canon have parallels in what people call the (chinese) agamas.
The links for the agamas is here:

Where can I find the Chinese Canon Agama in English translation?

Some people compare the agamas and the nikayas:

The Fundamental Teachings of Early Buddhism --
A comparative study based on the Sutranga
portion of the Pali Sarpyutta-Nikaya
and the Chinese Sarpyuktagama
by Choong Mun-keat (Wei-keat)

... for instance, chapter 7 ...

... with the most famous one about breath mediation here:

Translations from the Taishō Tripiṭaka

bikkhu analayo is the most famous bikkhu for this kind of comparision:

Prof. Dr. Bhikkhu Analayo

Many of the Mahayana and Vajrayana sutras (chinese or tibetan), however, have no parallel in the pali suttas (i.e. they're unique to Mahayana or Vajrayana):

Chart Comparing Pali, Chinese and Tibetan Canons


What are the alternative titles of Thayodhamma Sutta, it's reference number, subsections where it appear in? I am looking Thayodhamma Sutta but could not find it based on the following searchers: accesstoinsight.org search on Google, suttacentral.net search on Google. But references do turn up in a general Google search.

Is it possible to give the Alternative titles of the Sutta, Sutta reference number and link to the Sutta or subsections in which appear in?

I think this Sutta maybe know by a different title on some of these sites which is why it is not found.

Thayodhamma sutta (Abandon three things at a time).  The Discourse on the Three Things (Regarding Incapability)

To abandon…  1. Birth;  2. Old age;  3. Death

You have to abandon…   1. Greed (passion);  2. Hatred;  3. Delusion

To abandon the above three you have to abandon…  1. Personality view;   2. Doubt;   3. Rituals and observances.

To abandon the above three you have to abandon…  1. Drowsiness of the mind;   2. Following the wrong path;   3. Unwise attention

To abandon the above three you have to abandon…   1. Unmindfulness (wrong mindfulness);   2. Unawareness;   3. Mental distraction.

To abandon the above three you have to abandon…  1. Dislike to see the noble ones;   2. Dislike to hear the noble teachings;   3. Fault-finding mind;

To abandon the above three you have to abandon…  1. Conceit;  2. Unrestraint;   3. Immorality

To abandon the above three you have to abandon….  1. Lack of confidence;  2. Dislike to listen to others;   3. Laziness

To abandon the above three you have to abandon…  1. Unfriendliness;  2. Disobedience;   3. Bad Friends (Asathpurisa Sevanaya)

To abandon the above three you have to abandon…  1. Shamelessness;   2. Fearlessness;   3. Non-diligence.

A Sotāpanna (Pali) or "He who entered(āpanna) the stream(sota)." ‘stream” is a metaphor for the third of the Four Noble Truths, Noble Eightfold Path. A stream which rigidly flows will not stop until it enters the sea. A Sotapanna has completely entered in to the Eight fold Noble Dhamma Path(Has gained the first magga-phala). So he will surely achieve Arhathood within seven births that are born in human and heavenly happy realms and his spiritual development will not descend.

Attainment

Sotapanna is a person who has eliminated the first three bondages (sanyojanas) from the mind.

Those are,

Strong ego or Personality view(sakkaya dhitti)
Doubt(Wichikiccha)
Wrong rituals and observances/ Superstitions(Seelabbatha paramasa)

Thayodhamma sutta(Abandon three things at a time) explains the skills that should be developed to achieve this supreme task.


What is a Buddhist approach to reducing envy? Envy is an explicitly unwholesome mind-state, according to Buddhist doctrine. Unfortunately I am experiencing strong envy lately. Can somebody please provide any and all resources to help understand and eliminate envious feelings?

The Pali scriptures say the antidote for envy is to practise 'mudita', which is to be happy for the happiness & success of others. The phrase for the practise/recollection of mudita is: "may all beings not be parted from the good fortune they have attained".


"The not finding (the mind) is the finding" American Buddhist teacher Joseph Goldstein says1 that in order to cut through identification with consciousness, or the knowing mind, that Zen traditions say that in looking for the mind, there is nothing to find.

He gives the following Zen dialogue to further this point:

  Huike said to Bodhidharma, “My mind is anxious. Please pacify it.” To
  which Bodhidharma replied, “Bring me your mind, and I will pacify it.”
  Huike said, “Although I’ve sought it, I cannot find it.” Bodhidharma
  then said, “There, I have pacified your mind.”

I do not have faith in that saying, and in Buddhism, faith comes from clearly seeing, not blind belief. Can someone give a logical argument for why this Zen saying must be valid?

And, if the body can be found, do we identify with it?

1 in his book, Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Awakening

Zen traditions say that in looking for the mind, there is nothing to find.

It's not just Zen traditions. Tibetan Buddhism have the same exercise, usually placed at beginner-to-intermediate level, right after the teaching on six realms and karma and before "real" meditation.

The idea is that most beginners have this unexamined idea that "I" or "mind" is some thing inside our heads. Trying to examine that thing, locate it in space, and describe its shape and characteristics is the first attempt at introspection that the student takes on. Eventually, the student is supposed to realize that what they call "I think" are just thoughts automatically coming from memory in response to a stimulus, and learn to disidentify from the thoughts.

  And, if the body can be found, do we identify with it?

I appreciate your sarcasm. It's not that "not finding"
makes it easier to disidentify, it's seeing that mind is not "one thing" and that "I" is just something we literally imagine.

  Huike said to Bodhidharma, “My mind is anxious. Please pacify it.” To which Bodhidharma replied, “Bring me your mind, and I will pacify it.” Huike said, “Although I’ve sought it, I cannot find it.” Bodhidharma then said, “There, I have pacified your mind.”

The Huike story, although seemingly about the same topic, is actually a reference to another principle of Buddhism, the principle of "immediacy".

The problem with most students is that their minds focus on Buddhist theory while ignoring their immediate state of mind, with its deep-lying conflict. Even the quest for Nirvana is a state of conflict, as we identify "this" as "wrong" and Nirvana as right. No amount of theory helps until the student admits this conflict in their own mind. So turning the student's mind to the present moment, to help it see its own conflict is THE core principle of Zen. This is why Zen is called "the school of direct pointing, beyond theory" (or something like that)

That's why Bodhidharma says, "There, I have pacified your mind." - this last phrase is the "pointing directly at mind". At that moment Huike must have turned his attention to his own mind, and saw how grasping (the frustrating and hopeless act of trying to pinpoint the mind) was the very act that created his suffering, and how letting go of that grasping was letting go of that specific instance of suffering -- which was the stream-entry moment for him.

The same principle is at work behind koans, when the act of letting go of the impossible problem leads to realization of the Third Noble Truth.


Vipassana and sleep quality disturbance I tried vipassana meditation and where i used to follow my belly for the inhale exhale. Every time I practised, I found that my sleep quality was disturbed.
I found myself tired next day after the disturbed sleep. Did anyone experience the same?

What happens when you observe the lying position (not focused but more in a relaxed way, as Lanka describes) instead of rising/falling?
Addition:
I thought about it a bit.
What came to mind is that due to vipassana your awareness increases. Which means that it's possible that you can become more aware of all sorts of conditions. For instance: temperature. What I find myself is that when I'm more aware of let's say temperature I can't sleep like when I'm not. My sleep is more disturbed too due to this (as an example).
But sleep is not always disturbed when practising vipassana before sleep. It depends also on the meditation object. You could try to switch to a different object.
Also, you could do metta instead of vipassana right before sleep.
It supposedly brings better sleep.

Eleven benefits to practicing Metta (loving kindness meditation:

You will sleep easily
You will wake easily
You will have pleasant dreams
People will love you
Devas (gods or angels) and animals will love you
Devas will protect you
External dangers, such as poisons, weapons, and fire, will not harm you
Your face will be radiant
Your mind will be serene
You will die unconfused
You will be re-born in happy realms

https://dhammawiki.com/index.php?title=11_benefits_to_practicing_Metta
http://www.vipassana.com/meditation/facets_of_metta.php


How are Buddhists supposed to spread Buddhism? Some religions spread through its followers actively seeking out new followers. Some religions do their own thing and inspire others to join. Some religions preach openly to people and let them decide. Some religions cannot be joined unless you know someone who is already in it. Some religions do not have any agenda when it comes to recruiting.

What is the ideal manner in which Buddhism is to be spread to others?

It varies by sect. These questions generally attract a bunch of people who think you are advocating in-your-face Christian style evangelism.

The patterns I'm going to describe appear to be true for the US, Europe and Russia.

SGI. Works the hardest to gain new members and at least back in the 70s (80s?) was willing to send people out to interact with strangers on the street. It's what makes SGI special, their outreach has reached a broader demographic than just about anyone and what also makes people think SGI is a cult. I'm not SGI, but I think they're far from a cult. They try the hardest to gain members and seem to have had some success.

"Ethnic Buddhist." Some people don't like the word, but it describes communities of recent immigrants who set up Buddhist temples, target recent immigrants, practice in their home language and generally make no effort to involve the "host" community.

State Buddhism. This has been how Buddhism spread in the past. For example in Japan, it used to be that the government assigned you to the local temple. There is some vestigial form of this in modern Japan, most people often don't know what sort of Buddhist temple their family temple is. This means of spread is a nonstarter in the US and Christians are already up in arms about attempts to teach secularized mindfulness in schools.

"(Upper) Middle Class" Buddhism. Generally educated people who are well read and familiar with a variety of world religions and who have chosen Buddhism. This spreads via books and meditation classes.

As for what normatively should be done to spread Buddhism, it's hard to say. On the internet, generally people get bogged down in "respect for autonomy", they have a hypersensitive trigger for seeing someone being forced to do this, or required to do that against their will, or in the case of religion, how teaching religion is some sort of child abuse.

The historical Buddha sent his sangha in every direction to enthusiastically spread the word. Mahayana Buddhism makes teaching (i.e. spreading Buddhist ideas), essentially a requirement, it is mentioned many times in the BNS precepts. Historically Buddhist governments saw no problem with making it a state religion and funding it. I think it would be hard to say Buddhism as a organization, sangha or movement doesn't care about spread, it clearly does. But how to do it, isn't so clear.

Personally, I think Buddhism should be marketed like any other idea and using means that work for a given community in a given time. Some people will buy your book & read it. Some people will go to a book club. Some people read posts on the web. Some people will go to a meditation class if it's advertised in the local community events page.


What happens to one in a locked in syndrome? Most theologies give no perspective on persons who are in "locked-in syndrome", minimal conscious states and persistent vegetative syndrome. Due to my own experiences I've pondered and explored but i would like to know your opinions on a modern age problem, where people survive more traumatic incidents on the body but show no or minimal reaction to their environment, this state is life or death seems almost like a modern to pheonomna but has the topic actually been covered before in the history of Buddhism? If so, which sources please.

Death, in the realm of humans and Devas (for them), where Dhamma can be understood, is defined with "break up of the body", so a "unconscious" human being should not be regarded as no more living as long the body "works", ages.

"And what is aging and death, what is the origin of aging and death, what is the cessation of aging and death, what is the way leading to the cessation of aging and death? The aging of beings in the various orders of beings, their old age, brokenness of teeth, grayness of hair, wrinkling of skin, decline of life, weakness of faculties — this is called aging. The passing of beings out of the various orders of beings, their passing away, dissolution, disappearance, dying, completion of time, dissolution of the aggregates, laying down of the body — this is called death. So this aging and this death are what is called aging and death. With the arising of birth there is the arising of aging and death. With the cessation of birth there is the cessation of aging and death. The way leading to the cessation of aging and death is just this Noble Eightfold Path; that is, right view... right concentration.

"When a noble disciple has thus understood aging and death, the origin of aging and death, the cessation of aging and death, and the way leading to the cessation of aging and death... he here and now makes an end of suffering. In that way too a noble disciple is one of right view... and has arrived at this true Dhamma."

There is the state of (trans.asaññasatta) "Unconscious" - being, a realm of existence not desired and maybe therfore not much talk about.
How ever, even if "really" in an asañña state (lit. "No rememberance, no perception"), there are still the mental factors, consiting with form/object a living being (satta), of cause very subtle [Sadhu for giving the right spelling of this word, N. Chris].
So this asañña state might fit to you question.
There is also, what is called, "caught in concentration" in meditation, one might know such "unconscious" states, often called "daydreaming", when the mind is firm on a mind object concentrated (possible the arupa-realms of existence.
One in such a state is not easy to get to mind again, like "paralyzed", similar maybe with shock.
It's reported that Samadhi sessions can last for extreme long time, of course it has it's limits in regard of physical nurishment, but obiviously, the mind can nurish it self, for a long time, without much external imput. (see the four kinds of nurishment).
It's not so easy to say if this states might be in the sphere of asañña or actually arupa states, which might also explain the attentive discussion under the question, assuming two different phenomenas.
Of cause, in a very materialistic world of thoughts, the "mindless" states of beings will increase, either as general "ignorance" or such as the "medical" recognised phenomenas.
A modern wrong view, present in that what is called "secular Buddhism", is the case, the Buddha told, "when a asaññasatta falls out of its existence and gains a human life, this and that "materialistic" views are hold.

"There are, bhikkhus, certain gods called 'non-percipient beings.' When perception arises in them, those gods pass away from that plane. Now, bhikkhus, this comes to pass, that a certain being, after passing away from that plane, takes rebirth in this world. Having come to this world, he goes forth from home to homelessness. When he has gone forth, by means of ardor, endeavor, application, diligence, and right reflection, he attains to such a degree of mental concentration that with his mind thus concentrated he recollects the arising of perception, but nothing previous to that. He speaks thus: 'The self and the world originate fortuitously. What is the reason? Because previously I did not exist, but now I am. Not having been, I sprang into being.'
Brahmajāla Sutta: The All-embracing Net of Views

So generally this phenomena, in all it's small and larger appearances, not at least by such so guided practice and teachings, will increase. And (provoking), where should all the trees have gone to in this days :-)
Such as classical taught Zen-ways in modern times, put away of all thinking, is a good chance to reach the asanna states by zazen. Not being aware of anything, one might believe "coming and going, from and to emptiness"

Brahma Realm of Perceptionless Beings (Asañña-Satta Brahma-Loka), kindly given by Bhante Paññobhāsa.
--This  Realm presumably is the destination of contemplatives who gain 4th jhāna without any corresponding insight; it is a kind of heavenly dead end. The beings here are virtually unconscious, and remain motionless like statues for many billions of years. After approximately 500 world cycles (the same lifespan as in Realm 21) a thought finally arises in their mind, and they immediately vanish from this strange Heaven and reappear somewhere else. Aside from the fact that they gain no benefit from this, there is the philosophical question of whether Perceptionless  Brahmas are really there at all, as of course they are completely oblivious to their environment, and would experience absolutely no passage of time while in this non-state. They would seem to be inanimate  objects, or at best comatose bodies. At any rate, this is an example of  a high Heaven Realm that is not all that great of a place to go to—skillful meditators may as well avoid it.

Might it help in the desire to get an releasing answer: leading to disenchantment in regard of conditioned things and issues not leading to the unconditioned, by seeing the dangers in this world.
Practical, to prevent from such existences, approaching the wise, and ask
'What is skillful, venerable sir? What is unskillful? What is blameworthy? What is blameless? What should be cultivated? What should not be cultivated? What, having been done by me, will be for my long-term harm & suffering? Or what, having been done by me, will be for my long-term welfare & happiness?'
...makes one being not so much in danger of unbenefical states to gain and then just taken on this, act-ually walk for beyound.
[Note: This is a gift of Dhamma, not meant for commercial use or other lower wordily gains by ways of exchange or trade]


Why there is limited sharing in Buddhism I found there are lacking of Buddhism knowledge sharing in Temple or some close friends. The temple would rather be superstitious like worshiping, or more commercialize or like a tourism place. I was taught by one of my teacher that Buddhist needs certain level of credits or faith to study it. It was written in the Mahayana Sutra opening verse too. "Is difficult to encounter throughout hundreds of thousands of millions of kalpas" https://www.fgsitc.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Ksitigarbha_Sutra_ChiEng.pdf .
My personal findings we are still following the Treravada traditional of teaching where Pali languange was a royalty, the kingdom officer or the rich spoken language so it's not easy to encounter. I think what I was meant by this statement
"Is difficult to encounter throughout hundreds of thousands of millions of kalpas"
Scholars consider it likely that he taught in several closely related dialects of Middle Indo-Aryan, which had a high degree of mutual intelligibility.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pali
Does it a truth or where else Sutra mentioning that sharing of Buddhism shall be limited to certain people?

Teaching of the Dhamma (the teachings of the Buddha) to those who need it, by those who are qualified to do so, is considered the best gift anyone can give to others.
From Iti 100:

"There are these two kinds of gifts: a gift of material things & a
gift of the Dhamma. Of the two, this is supreme: a gift of the Dhamma.
"There are these two kinds of sharing: sharing of material things &
sharing of the Dhamma. Of the two, this is supreme: sharing of the
Dhamma.
"There are these two kinds of assistance: assistance with material
things & assistance with the Dhamma. Of the two, this is supreme: help
with the Dhamma.
"There are these two kinds of mass-donations: a mass-donation of
material things & a mass-donation of the Dhamma. Of the two, this is
supreme: a mass-donation of the Dhamma."

However, only those who can appreciate the Dhamma (teachings) should be taught it. There is no use trying to teach the Dhamma to one who cannot appreciate it.
From SN 9.3:

Now at that time Venerable Kassapagotta, having withdrawn for his
day’s meditation, tried to advise a tribal hunter. Then the deity
haunting that forest approached Kassapagotta wanting to stir him up,
and recited these verses:

“A tribal hunter wandering the rugged hills
is unintelligent, unthinking.
It’s a waste of time to advise him;
this mendicant seems to me like an idiot.
The tribal hunter listens without understanding,
he looks without seeing.
Though the teaching is spoken,
the fool doesn’t get it.
Even if you lit ten lamps
and brought them to him, Kassapa,
he wouldn’t see anything,
for he has no eyes to see.”

Impelled by that deity, Venerable Kassapagotta was struck with a sense
of urgency.

Furthermore, the Patimokkha, the rules for Theravada Buddhist monks and nuns, restricts teaching to only people who are respectful to the teacher - details can be found in this answer.
So, these are the limitations to sharing in Buddhism:

The Dhamma should be taught only by one who is qualified to teach it
The Dhamma should be taught only to those who can appreciate it
The Dhamma should be taught only to those who are respectful to the teacher


Experience of meditation During meditation stop hearing sounds and going into darken space experience.After that  there is a gap between inspiration and expiration.short breaths.what's it ?

In Zen, we'd call that Mu.  It's a state of blankness or voidness.  The aim of emptiness meditation is to widen that gap.  Eventually it will pervade your entire consciousness, the in breath, the out breath, and even your total body will be awash in that emptiness.  Once you've done that, then the real practice begins!


Questions on Attachment, Entertainment and Pleasure Forgive me if I write many questions in a single post, but these all deal with the thematic of attachment. I hope to quit my addictions to pleasures, in major part social media, by gaining insight through these.

What are Buddhist ways to deal with attachment to entertainment? (And in this context, aside from deleting the social media account).
Is it better to tackle this problem as

stemming mainly from attachment to pleasure in itself
or to tackle it as a question of a specific pleasure, i.e. social media?

How does diminution of the activity work best? Namely, should one

quit immediately
or quit in increments? If by increments, how does one proceed?

Does multitasking or combining sources of pleasure -- e.g. listening to music and chatting, or chatting and watching a movie -- intensify the detrimental effect? How so?
Would engaging in a single activity at a time, without multitasking or distractions, deter one from the pleasurable activities? In other words, does mindfulness diminish attachment?
Should one try to engage in replacement activities, or should one actively diminish the addiction? In other words, should one find substitute activities to engage in first, or is abstaining from media more important?

Thank you.

What do we do depends on what we know and feel as meaningful.

If we have meaningful things to do, and some things know and feel as rather meaningless, then the correct choice comes naturally.

Due to habits we might lack awareness and we might dwell in habits. Then by regulating our priorities we can change our activities.

We can think of it as finding our wholeness, or "true self".

An illusory self is entangled in activities, conditions, attachments, submissions etc. "True self" is never there.

Think of it as not a real object, not a theoretical notion. Finding "true self" means the experiential discovery of the freedom.

There is nobody who could be attached. All things and their meanings are here, now.


Can Metta Make you Beautiful? Omg.Is this true.But what do you
mean like inner beauty? Or outer beauty? I'm more interested in outer beauty.Is there any reference in the suttas about being physically beautiful if you practice metta?

Thank you

Metta does make you physicaly beautiful. You don't go from being super ugly, to super gorgeous. But it can improve a lot more than you might think.

Using an analogy, have you ever noticed that when you are in a realy good mood, people are more enthusiastic with you? And have you ever noticed how when you're in a bad mood, the opposite happens? We all react instinctively to other people's moods, because these moods are "written" in the facial expression, even if we're not consciously aware of "reading" these facial expressions. It's just how the human animal reacts through instinct.

Metta cultivates such high spirits of kindness, happiness and love that your facial expression becomes pleasant, loving and happy. The bitterness, anger, frustration, depression, etc, all melt, day by day, with he practice of metta. Through continued practice, that makes you more and more beautiful.

But if you don't believe me, check these photos taken before and after a meditation retreat:

http://www.shambhalamountain.org/dathun-before-and-after-photos/


Why is the Pali word 'saṅkhārā' in Dependent Origination plural? In researching Dependent Origination as described in SN 12.2 and using a basic Pali language guide (page 18), I found the following about each main Pali word:

  jarāmaraṇaṃ singular from maraṇa neuter

  jati singular from jāti feminine

  bhavo singular from bhava masculine

  upādānaṃ singular from upādāna neuter

  taṇhā singular from taṇhā feminine

  vedanā singular from vedanā feminine

  phasso singular from phassa masculine

  saḷāyatanaṃ singular from saḷāyatana neuter

  nāmarūpaṃ singular from nāmarūpa neuter

  viññāṇaṃ singular from viññāṇa neuter

  saṅkhārā plural from saṅkhāra masculine

  avijjā singular from avijjā feminine

The above seems to correlate with every translation I have read. Note: saḷāyatanaṃ may appear to be translated as plural but it appears singular because it includes 'six'.

For example, all translations say: "What is feeling [singular]?" rather than "What are feelings [plural]?"

  And what is feeling? Katamā ca, bhikkhave, vedanā? There are these six
  classes of feeling. Chayime, bhikkhave, vedanākāyā— Feeling born of
  contact through the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind.
  cakkhusamphassajā vedanā, sotasamphassajā vedanā, ghānasamphassajā
  vedanā, jivhāsamphassajā vedanā, kāyasamphassajā vedanā,
  manosamphassajā vedanā. This is called feeling. Ayaṃ vuccati,
  bhikkhave, vedanā.

The saṅkhārā condition is described as follows:

  And what are saṅkhārā [plural]? Katame ca, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā?

  There are three kinds of saṅkhārā. Tayome, bhikkhave,
  saṅkhārā— body saṅkhāro [singular], speech saṅkhāro [singular] and mind saṅkhāro
  [singular] kāyasaṅkhāro, vacīsaṅkhāro, cittasaṅkhāro.

Why is the Pali word 'saṅkhārā' in Dependent Origination plural where all other words are singular?

Dependent origination is the cycle of the happening event. Each event has only one decision. There are 2 saṅkhāra for each decision: wholesome and unwholesome. Wholesome saṅkhāra gives good resultants. Unwholesome saṅkhāra gives bad resultants. So, viññāna to vedanā which are the resultants of saṅkhāra must be singular, because it's just the resultants of one decision. Jāti and jarāmaraṇaṃ are same. Wholesome karmma-bhavo gives good resultants. Unwholesome karmma-bhavo gives bad resultants. So, jāti and jarāmaraṇaṃ must be singular because of the same reason.

Above explanation explained clearly in abhidhamma vibhaṅga paccayākāravibhaṅga and it's atthakathā. It separates each event to singular as "saṅkhāro". That's why no direct explaination in any atthakathā, included path of purification. However, it's used widely in difference context such as in VN.A. Introduction.

And this is the example of what I wrote "it's used widely":

  Kusalattika: kusalā dhammā, akusalā dhammā, abyākatā dhammā.

  The "wholesome" triad: wholesome phenomena, unwholesome phenomena, not
  both phenomena

The Path of Purification detailedly exposited the dependent origination follow to 'the "wholesome" triad':

  jarāmaraṇaṃ = not both phenomena

  jati =  not both phenomena

  bhavo =  not both phenomena

  upādānaṃ = unwholesome phenomena

  taṇhā =  unwholesome phenomena

  vedanā =  not both phenomena

  phasso = not both phenomena

  saḷāyatanaṃ =  not both phenomena

  nāmarūpaṃ = not both phenomena

  viññāṇaṃ = not both phenomena

  saṅkhārā = 1. wholesome phenomena, 2. unwholesome phenomena

  avijjā = unwholesome phenomena

You can see whether saṅkhārā are separated into 2 events.

Above quote is my own conclusion. To read it, the reader needs to understand in advance of chapter XIV, XV, XVI, XVII, and some part of chapter I, III. Also, it requires Abhidhamma knowledge in advance, as well.

Path of Purification, CH. XVII, THE SOIL OF UNDERSTANDING—CONCLUSION, DEPENDENT ORIGINATION, III. Detailed Exposition page 547-608.


Questions to deniers of traditional view on Rebirth 1.

If there's no rebirth, what happens after death of a non-arahant? Does a new life ensue dependent on the one which has just ended?

2.

Rebirth is tightly connected with kamma.

a) Do you observe ripening of all results of wholesome and unwholesome actions in the current life?

b) If you don't, what's in your opinion the fate of those kammas which haven't produced result in the current life?

3.

Current existence is traditionally thought of as being a manifestation of kamma amassed in previous existences.

If there's no rebirth, current life hasn't been preceded by any other existence which would contribute its kamma to it.

How do you then explain differences between people and their experiences, which in MN 135 in particular are explained through kamma?

4.

From experience (one salient example is fate of many Nazi war criminals) it's known that retribution for deeds both evil and good often doesn't occur in the current life (yet the law of kamma somehow needs to operate), it's also unlikely that aranantship will be achieved in the current existence.

Without afterlife and no arahantship in sight, what then should be  incentive to do good and deterrent against doing evil?

5.

If a person doesn't attain nibbana in the current life, isn't there any hope for them?

Thank you for your time

1.
  If there's no rebirth, what happens after death of a non-arahant? Does a new life ensue dependent on the one which has just ended?

Life continues all the time. New lives inherit some characteristics from previous lives. Information is rarely lost completely. Influences carry on. They are not necessarily linear 1:1, but due to grasping some people may identify with a previous life.

  2.
  Rebirth is tightly connected with kamma.
  a) Do you observe ripening of all results of wholesome and unwholesome actions in the current life?

Nope. Some are latent until a following life or lives. The question is, whose life?

  b) If you don't, what's in your opinion the fate of those kammas which haven't produced result in the current life?

N/A

  3.
  Current existence is traditionally thought of as being a manifestation of kamma amassed in previous existences.

Not correct. This is an eternalistic view. There are influences from the past sure, but the experience of current existence is primarily an interpretation we make in the here and now.

  If there's no rebirth, current life hasn't been preceded by any other existence which would contribute its kamma to it.

Previous lives did contribute. Not necessarily your lives.

  How do you then explain differences between people and their experiences, which in MN 135 in particular are explained through kamma?

N/A

  4.
  If a person doesn't attain Nibbana in the current life, isn't there any hope for them?

For them? Sure there's hope for them. But not for the dead John Smith, right?

To summarize, there are past and future lives, OUR lives. There's karmic influence that carries on. There's identification with a living organism in this life, or with a story from a past life. There's hope for and fear of a future life, due to craving.

There's no entity or identity that carries on from life to life, only disjointed influences. In fact, even in this life it is the same, the assemblage of disjointed influences into a bundle is a magic trick performed by the grasping mind.


What were the source documents of the PTS Sutta Pitaka? The Pali Text Society published editions of the Pali Tipitaka, starting in about 1890.

I assume it was copied (transcribed) from one or more written sources, not from memory, is that so?

From what written documents/sources did the editor[s] of the PTS edition get the text? Were they manuscripts, or printed? And I'm guessing the PTS transcribed the text to Roman script?

Where (in which countries and/or by whom) were those source materials copied? Was it from one source or several?

Would you happen to know whether the source documents still exist today?

This answer says that different editions are more or less the same in every country ...

  With the Pali editions, we inherit a complex manuscript tradition. In each country there are multiple different editions, both modern printed editions and older manuscripts. The ones we have ended up using are more or less random. The problem is that despite the many variations, the reality is that it is a huge amount of work to gather and collate them, and the end result is, “Yep, apart from these few instances, it’s pretty much the same as all the others.”

... still I'm wondering specifically where the text of the PTS edition came from (and where the work was done).

Sources Consulted for the PTS Pali Nikāya Texts

Dīgha Nikāya

Edited by
Vol. 1, 1890: T.W. Rhys Davids and J.E. Carpenter
Vol. 2, 1903: T.W. Rhys Davids and J.E. Carpenter
Vol. 3, 1911: J.E. Carpenter

Ph = M = B - the Phayre MS. of the India Office Library (Burm. ch)
Bm Burmese ms, royal Mandalay Collection, India Office, No. 40
Br Printed Burmese text, Rangoon
Sm A ms in Sinhalese characters in the possession of Professor Rhys Davids
Sc Sinhalese manuscript belonging to J.E. Carpenter
Sd Sinhalese ms. belonging to T.W. Rhys Davids
St Sinhalese ms, Turnour Collection, India Office
Si = K  Printed Siamese text, King of Siam's edition 1893 (Siamese ch)
RhDt Rhys Davids' trnscript

Majjhima Nikāya

Edited by
Vol. 1, 1888, V. Trenckner
Vol. 2, 1896, R. Chalmers
Vol. 3, 1899, R. Chalmers

A = - Sk the Copenhagen MS. No. VI (Singh. ch)
Ph = M = B - the Phayre MS. of the India Office Library (Burm. ch)
St Sinhalese ms, Turnour Collection, India Office
Bm Burmese ms, royal Mandalay Collection, India Office, No. 40
Si = K  Printed Siamese text, King of Siam's edition 1893 (Siamese ch)

Anguttara Nikāya

Edited by
Vol. 1, 1885, R. Morris, 2nd Ed.: A.K. Wrder
Vol. 2, 1888, R. Morris
Vol. 3, 1897, E. Hardy
Vol. 4, 1899, E. Hardy
Vol. 5, 1900, E. Hardy

T = St Sinhalese ms, Turnour Collection, India Office
Ba No. 2276 (in Sinhalese) of the Oriental Mss. in the Library of the British Museum
Bb No. 2412 (in Sinhalese ch)  of the Oriental Mss. in the Library of the British Museum
Ph = M = B - the Phayre MS. of the India Office Library (Burm. ch)
Bm #122, #123 Burmese ms, royal Mandalay Collection, India Office, No. 40
S.M. (Sinhalese ch) Morris collection
B.K. Burmese texts
M. #s 125, 130 of the Mandalay collection (Burmese ch), India Office Lib.
M6 Morris Ms. (Sinhalese ch)
M7 Morris Ms. (Sinhalese ch)
M 8 Morris Ms. (Burmese)
S = Si = K  Printed Siamese text, King of Siam's edition 1893 (Siamese ch)

2nd Ed:
Ke Siamese editionof the text
Ce Sinhalese edition of the text
ChS Chaṭṭha Sangīti Piṭakaɱ

Saɱyutta Nikāya

Edited by
Vol. 1, 1884, M.L. Feer
Vol. 2, 1888, M.L. Feer
Vol. 3, 1890, M.L. Feer
Vol. 4, 1898, M.L. Feer
Vol. 5, 1890, M.L. Feer

B (Burmese ch) ms of the Bibliotheque nationale in Paris
S1 Copenhagen ms
S2 British Museum ms
S3 Morris ms

Composed as an appendix to the article: On the Importance of the Pali Text Society Translations at

http://buddhadust.net/dhammatalk/dhammatalk_forum/give_ear/ge_015.importance_pts.htm


Monks who are not worthy and worthy I have seen certain suttas where the Buddha explains about the qualities of monks who are and who are not worthy of gifts, salutation and etc.

Where can I find the Suttas? References are appreciated.

From the Ajañña Sutta (AN 8.13):

  "In the same way, a monk endowed with eight qualities is worthy of
  gifts, worthy of hospitality, worthy of offerings, worthy of respect,
  an incomparable field of merit for the world. Which eight?

  (1) "There is the case where a monk is virtuous. He dwells restrained
  in accordance with the Patimokkha, consummate in his behavior & sphere
  of activity. He trains himself, having undertaken the training rules,
  seeing danger in the slightest faults.

  (2) "When given food, whether coarse or refined, he eats it carefully,
  without complaining.

  (3) "He feels disgust at bodily misconduct, verbal misconduct, mental
  misconduct, at the development of evil, unskillful [mental] qualities.

  (4) "He is composed & easy to live with, and doesn't harass the other
  monks.

  (5) "Whatever tricks or deceits or wiles or subterfuges he has, he
  shows them as they actually are to the Teacher or to his knowledgeable
  companions in the holy life, so that the Teacher or his knowledgeable
  companions in the holy life can try to straighten them out.

  (6) "When in training he gives rise to the thought, 'Whether the other
  monks want to train or not, I'll train here.'

  (7) "When going, he goes the straight path; here the straight path is
  this: right view, right resolve, right speech, right action, right
  livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration.

  (8) "He dwells with his persistence aroused, [thinking,] 'Gladly would
  I let the flesh & blood in my body dry up, leaving just the skin,
  tendons, & bones, but if I have not attained what can be reached
  through human steadfastness, human persistence, human striving, there
  will be no relaxing my persistence.'"

From the Ajaniya Sutta (AN 3.94) - please read sutta for elaboration:

  "In the same way, a monk endowed with these three qualities is worthy
  of gifts, worthy of hospitality, worthy of offerings, worthy of
  respect, an unexcelled field of merit for the world. Which three?
  There is the case where a monk is consummate in beauty, consummate in
  strength, and consummate in speed.

From the Akkhama Sutta (AN 5.139) - please read sutta for elaboration:

  "In the same way, a monk endowed with five qualities is not deserving
  of gifts, deserving of hospitality, deserving of offerings, deserving
  of respect, nor is he an unexcelled field of merit for the world.
  Which five? There is the case where a monk is not resilient to sights,
  not resilient to sounds, not resilient to aromas, not resilient to
  flavors, not resilient to tactile sensations.

  "In the same way, a monk endowed with five qualities is deserving of
  gifts, deserving of hospitality, deserving of offerings, deserving of
  respect, an unexcelled field of merit for the world. Which five? There
  is the case where a monk is resilient to sights, resilient to sounds,
  resilient to aromas, resilient to flavors, resilient to tactile
  sensations.

From the Sotar Sutta (AN 5.140) - please read sutta for elaboration:

  "In the same way, a monk endowed with five qualities is deserving of
  gifts, deserving of hospitality, deserving of offerings, deserving of
  respect, an unexcelled field of merit for the world. Which five? There
  is the case where a monk is a listener, a destroyer, a protector, an
  endurer, and a goer.

From the Pathama Atthapuggala Sutta (AN 8.59):

  Monks, there are these eight individuals who are worthy of gifts,
  worthy of hospitality, worthy of offerings, worthy of reverential
  salutation, the unsurpassed field of merit for the world. Which eight?

  The one who has entered the stream, the one who has entered upon the
  course for the realization of the fruit of stream-entry, the
  once-returner, the one who has entered upon the course for the
  realization of the fruit of once-returning, the non-returner, the one
  who has entered upon the course for the realization of the fruit of
  non-returning, the arahant, the one who has entered upon the course
  for arahantship.


Question on Dhammapada verse In this verse of the Dhammapada,

  Those who in youth have not led the holy life, or  have failed to
  acquire wealth, languish like old  cranes in the pond without fish.  Dhammapada 155.

Do those who have failed to acquire wealth refer to those who have decided to remain householders and didn't manage to properly earn a living, in order to for example raise a family, or does wealth refer here to spiritual qualities and virtues ?

With metta.

does wealth refer here to spiritual qualities and virtues ?

Wealth here literally means the wealth from householders. The background story to the verse might be helpful here: https://www.tipitaka.net/tipitaka/dhp/verseload.php?verse=155


What is the difference between the path to nibanna and the path to higher planes? From what i understand, moha - loba - dosa - ( greed, hatred, attachment, delusion...) are mind qualities and actions that strengthen samsara and are the path to lower rebirth.
The opposite is also true, selflessness, compassion, non-attachment, non-self are path to higher rebirth but also nibbanna.

In the highest planes of existences, attachment toward body reduce more and more.
Therefore, what is the difference between the path to nibbana and the path to higher realms since you need to practice the same values and mind qualities to reach them?

Practicing Samatha meditations you reach higher realms.
Practicing Vipassana meditation you reach Nibbana.
Samath practice attenuates attachment aversion and ignorance.
Vipassana practice fully eradicates the attachment aversion and ignorance.


Sati • Yonisomanasikara Dearest friends, seeking to clarify my fragmentary understanding of these matters, I would very much appreciate your comments on the distinction between Sati Mindfulness and Yonisomanasikara Attention by way of the Matrix.

Warmhearted, grateful thanks for you taking the time to offer some help.

Samma Sati is a factor of Noble Eightfold Path. Yonisomanasikara is a factor of Sotapanna. Perhaps Yonisomanasikara is the fruit of following the path. (practicing Satipathana)

Further reading:
Association with people of integrity is a factor for stream-entry.
Listening to the true Dhamma is a factor for stream-entry.
Appropriate attention is a factor for stream-entry.
Practice in accordance with the Dhamma is a factor for stream-entry.
— SN 55.5

https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/study/into_the_stream.html

https://dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=31179&hilit=


What language did the Buddha speak? Do we know, or have a good idea, what language the historical Buddha (Siddhārtha Gautama) spoke. I've just assumed it is Pali but a moment's thought tells me this is probably wrong since the Pali canon was written hundreds of years after the Buddha died. If we know what language he spoke do we know if this language had a wide geographical area and if it is likely that he would have preached in this language or would he have used one more associated with religious practice.

The Buddha is believed to have spoken Magahi. The relationship to Pali is discussed articles relating to Prakrit and Magadhi Prakrit.


How do you help or take on the sufferings of others? In the past month or so, a number of people i know are suffering in a number of ways e.g. cancer, allergies, etc. Especially when a child is concerned, i am inclined to 'take on' their suffering. Despite everything i do to help, i am compelled to take more on for them as i would like their suffering to reduce or end.

How does one help or take on the sufferings of others? This is especially so when in the company of children under the age of 4.

Lay practitioner here. I expect more educated answers will follow. But for me, I don't think a person can exactly "take on" the suffering of another. It is up to each of us to work our way through the mental delusions that permit our own suffering. Having said that, the peace we exude has, I believe, an effect on those around us. Just as when we act with anger in our hearts, our actions are likely to reflect this mental state, when we act with peace in our hearts, our actions will reflect that, and will have a positive effect on those with whom we interact.

One way to look at it is that instead of the view that "this person is suffering," think that, "there is suffering." The fact that it's "their" suffering or "your" suffering is illusion. There is simply suffering, and the work "you" do to reduce the causes of suffering has an effect on all suffering.


If Buddha is able to predict the future of other sentient beings how can freewill be possible as its very nature is that of unpredictability? It seems to me that prophecy could only be used to predict the most likely outcomes based on the mental states of the beings whose future is being predicted at the time of the prophecy. For instance, there is a scripture I just read in which the Buddha allowed Devadatta to become a monk because if he wasn't allowed to that he would be sent to a rebirth of torment after torment for Aeons but if he entered the Sangha he could considerably cut down on this negative Karma and would eventually become a Buddha whose name the Buddha even predicted. I know freewill is limited based on past karma and the number of choices one has available at any given moment but does the power of prophecy somehow still allow for freewill or is it just a sign of pre-determined fate?

The Buddhist view is beyond the extremes of either absolute free will or absolute determinism. Our future depends on our acts and our choices now. However, our acts and choices, and indeed even our thoughts are constrained by the circumstances as well as our own habits, both of which are fruits of our own karma.

Now, regarding the prophecy, you can think of most sentient beings as rolling in a wide track (a wide furrow, like a river bed) -- unless they encounter some external force that will push them out, or make an extraordinary effort themselves, all their movements despite their freedom to choose will stay within the bounds of the track.

So in case with Devadatta, Buddha has seen that his cousin did not have enough force of his own to get off track. This is how he was able to make the prediction.


How can I keep from feeling dishearted while trying to live mindfully I find it very difficult. I get bored sometimes and other times simply struggle to stay focused on the breath and the body. Does my attention span improve over time? I'm ADHD so it's very difficult to keep thinking out. Is it ok to think?

Thoughts are generally wholesome and unwholesome, so yes, everything might be a tool for achieving your happiness. Just be mindful that this is a wholesome thought when it arises.

In the same way, achieving bliss cannot be done without utilising Self in the "desirous" (but not thrisna here) way to let go of Selfishness. In a way that confidence should trump doubt. Such is the way.

Also, what does it actually mean right mindfulness:

  "One is mindful to abandon wrong view & to enter & remain in right
  view: This is one's right mindfulness...

  "One is mindful to abandon wrong resolve & to enter & remain in right
  resolve: This is one's right mindfulness...

  "One is mindful to abandon wrong speech & to enter & remain in right
  speech: This is one's right mindfulness...

  "One is mindful to abandon wrong action & to enter & remain in right
  action: This is one's right mindfulness...

  "One is mindful to abandon wrong livelihood & to enter & remain in
  right livelihood: This is one's right mindfulness..."

From Right Mindfulness: samma sati

You are simply aware of the body and breath in order to recollect you to keep the right view and refrain from cultivating the wrong view. It is a "reminder" that is always available at hand (breath). It also calms the mind giving clarity.

You also probably try too hard since Middle way should mean Right effort as described above. It should bring joy and peace. I agree, it is not easy to keep balance but you know when you find it.


Was the historical Buddha infallible? Could he have erred, even as the enlightened one?

Yes, a Sammasambuddha does not make mistakes as they are omniscient and do not have any Vāsanā remainders.


Relics/ dhathu have supernatural powers? I have heard and read that relics of Buddha have certain supernatural powers. I was reading a book once that said that it is not the relic alone that performs these supernatural acts but the deities that protect the relic. Can anyone help me understand this. thanks!

The supernormal acts can happen in 2 ways:

The Person has Jhanic powers and made a strong determination that so and so should happen with the relicts
A deva or being which the power influence matter in the human realm influences the relicts

Generally in my opinion the latter is happens when relicts mysteriously appear in shrine rooms and places of worship. If the relicts do not get veneration in where they are a deva may bring them to another place where they might get the veneration.

The former case may be associated with crystallizing of the relicts. E.g.: http://www.bdcu.org.au/bddronline/bddr12no7/Mun168.htm


Taking Refuge in the Dhamma Friends, having heard in many a Dhamma talk references being made to the permanence of the Dhamma as refuge, I am looking for suttas in the Pali Canon evoking that very theme of permanence of the Dhamma.

Thank you for your much appreciated help.

The Dhamma is described as timeless (akāliko).

From the Pali glossary:

  akāliko:
      Timeless; unconditioned by time or season.

From SN 55.22:

  "He/she is endowed with verified confidence in the Dhamma: 'The Dhamma
  is well-expounded by the Blessed One, to be seen here & now, timeless,
  inviting verification, pertinent, to be realized by the wise for
  themselves.'

From AN 6.47:

  "... the Dhamma is visible in the here-&-now, timeless, inviting
  verification, pertinent, to be realized by the wise for themselves."

From AN 3.40:

  Now, the Dhamma is well-taught by the Blessed One, to be seen here &
  now, timeless, inviting all to come & see, pertinent, to be seen
  by the wise for themselves. There are fellow practitioners of the
  chaste life who dwell knowing & seeing it.

You can also find this in AN 11.11, AN 11.12, AN 5.179, AN 10.92 and AN 3.70.

From this essay by Ajahn Sumedo:

  The second refuge is in the Dhamma, in ultimate truth or ultimate
  reality. Dhamma is impersonal; we don’t in any way try to personify it
  to make it any kind of personal deity. When we chant in Pali the verse
  on Dhamma, we say it is ‘sanditthiko akaliko ehipassiko opanayiko
  paccattam veditabbo vinnuhi’. As Dhamma has no personal attributes, we
  can’t even say it is good or bad or anything that has any superlative
  or comparative quality; it is beyond the dualistic conceptions of
  mind.

  So when we describe Dhamma or give an impression of it, we do it
  through words such as ‘sanditthiko’, which means immanent,
  here-and-now. That brings us back into the present; we feel a sense of
  immediacy, of now. You may think that Dhamma is some kind of thing
  that is ‘out there’, something you have to find elsewhere, but
  sanditthikodhamma means that it is immanent, here-and-now.

  Akalikadhamma means that Dhamma is not bound by any time condition.
  The word akala means timeless. Our conceptual mind can’t conceive of
  anything that is timeless, because our conceptions and perceptions are
  time-based conditions, but what we can say is that Dhamma is akala,
  not bound by time.

  Ehipassikadhamma means to come and see, to turn towards or go to the
  Dhamma. It means to look, to be aware. It is not that we pray to the
  Dhamma to come, or wait for it to tap us on the shoulder; we have to
  put forth effort. It is like Christ’s saying, ‘Knock on the door and
  it shall be opened.’ Ehipassiko means that we have to put forward that
  effort, to turn towards that truth.

  Opanayiko means leading inwards, towards the peace within the mind.
  Dhamma doesn’t take us into fascination, into excitement, romance and
  adventure, but leads to Nibbana, to calm, to silence.

  Paccattam veditabbo vinnuhi means that we can only know Dhamma through
  direct experience. It is like the taste of honey — if someone else
  tastes it, we still don’t know its flavour. We may know the chemical
  formula or be able to recite all the great poetry ever written about
  honey, but only when we taste it for ourselves do we really know what
  it is like. It is the same with Dhamma: we have to taste it, we have
  to know it directly.

  Taking refuge in Dhamma is taking another safe refuge. It is not
  taking refuge in philosophy or intellectual concepts, in theories, in
  ideas, in doctrines or beliefs of any sort. It is not taking refuge in
  a belief in Dhamma, or a belief in God or in some kind of force in
  outer space or something beyond or something separate, something that
  we have to find sometime later. The descriptions of the Dhamma keep us
  in the present, in the here-and-now, unbound by time. Taking refuge is
  an immediate immanent reflection in the mind, it is not just repeating
  ‘Dhammam Saranam gacchami’ like a parrot, thinking, ‘Buddhists say
  this so I have to say it.’ We turn towards the Dhamma, we are aware
  now, take refuge in Dhamma, now as an immediate action, an immediate
  reflection of being the Dhamma, being that very truth.