I am familiar with the simile of the two arrows, i.e. an unenlightened being experiencing physical pain (first arrow that hits) will grasp for the release from that pain and thus be hit by a second arrow. Since feelings are conditioned (anicca) like the body, there must be a "first arrow" made of feelings/vedana. So i guess, even the buddha himself had to experience sadness. But there was no grasping towards the a different state of feeling. That also goes for painful mind objects like "the concept of your mother's death", which might give rise to suffering. In the past I thought that an arahant has to be free from bad feelings, but i guess now that this is not the case at all. This did not come out as a question, which this site is for. Anyways, what do you think?

Does Buddha refer Consciousness as emptiness? Consciousness, Emptiness and Self are the same things. Self can't exist independently hence it's an illusion. That is that which doesn't exist is identical to emptiness.

It seems customary to share merit in certain Buddhist traditions. However, I've recently heard merit can't really be shared. What did the Buddha say about this?

I've seen Master Lu live, i noticed this but not all agreed and their services are everywhere in the town So, i visited few temples and many of their members to understand more about this and the culture. Some feedbacks as below from the Temple lead and senior members (including high wisdom and high compassion Doctor). They knew exactly what are they doing (can and cannot). 1. There are many critical illness been cured including Doctor himself 2. There are too many free thinkers here and difficult to access or understand Buddhism. This concept can be easily accepted and easily spread Buddhism. To get a good and genuine Monastery/Temple in town is really difficult Limited of Buddhism Sharing . 3. Doc asked me, If you are diagnosed with critical illness then do you still have time to practice Four Noble Truths ? Q) Can this teaching accepted as something "like" prescribed pain killer/drugs in Medical practices. One must told what Buddhism allowed and disallowed then should practice the right path upon almost recovery? One should not addicted with this prescribed drugs ?

I am a total outsider not well-versed in the Buddhist tradition, and apologize in advance if some of the terms/names I'll write are placed out of context or misused. To cut the story short, I am looking for a transcription (and possibly translation into English) of a certain Tantric overtone singing (Rgyud Skad) [fragment](https://www.dropbox.com/s/hg7c1ty973k403o/fragment.wav?dl=0) , used as a sound effect at the end of each level in Painkiller 2004 videogame. According to my research, I believe it to be a sample from Yamāntaka mantra as performed by Gyütö Monks on [this](https://www.discogs.com/en/Tibetan-Institute-Of-Performing-Arts-Dhama-Suna-%E0%BD%96%E0%BD%A2%E0%BD%98%E0%BD%A6%E0%BD%A6/release/1327226) album, [4th track](https://www.dropbox.com/s/s1av0jtonl5epo2/mantra.mp3?dl=0) , starting at 0:32 time mark. I tried to make sense of the chanting by reading [Meditation on Vajrabhairava](http://lit.lib.ru/img/i/irhin_w_j/vadjrabhajrava/victory-over-evil.pdf) and attempting to "sync" the text by looking at the places where performers play the bell — obviously, I have little to no idea of what I am doing and that didn't ring any bells (pun intended) :)

I have heard that Buddha was eating similar to one meal a day. Is this true? Would this not lead to severe constipation? Was it common for ascetics to take medicines to help purge the food waste from their bodies?

When reading Zen Master Dogen's Shobogenzo it attracted my attention that one of the fascicle postscripts said "Presented to the assembly at the hour of the Rat (midnight)". Given that this was happening during Dogen's time in the 13th century, this late dharma talk would have necessitated the burning of lamp oil and the whole monastic assembly being awake to hear the dharma being expounded. I have also heard from other sangha members that some Zen monasteries have a dinner in the early evening (16-17) which would contrast with the Theravada and Tibetan approaches of not having any meals after noon. Are those aspects of the time schedule considered traditional in Zen monastic life? Is there more material on the subject of the practical everyday aspects of Zen monastic conduct that I could read? Both Soto and Rinzai historical as well as contemporary accounts welcome.

To my understanding, Buddhism teaches humility, humbleness. I am trying to practice this quality. But I have started to feel that no matter what I do, I am not good enough. How do you know whether you are competent in your job or not? Where is the root of this confusion?

Normally Chinese funeral ritual combined with Taoism and Buddhism and there is something call break the hell ritual. Break the Hell Ritual I had noticed the ritual Sifu before recited the Original Vows of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Sutra so i did ask him some of the basic like first statement below and he is unable to answer means likely the ritual being non effective so i dont plan to hire any of them and it's very expensive too. 無 上 甚 深 微 妙 法 - The unexcelled, most profound, and exquisitely wondrous Dharma Q) If a proper ritual being done as per link here , then Dharma is being shared to 10 highly influential people then it multiples to 10k people in a few years time then a hell is possibly being broke theoretically ? I plan to request a monk to have some basic Buddhism sharing as many free thinkers and wrong livelihood/confuse of Buddhists here. But one suffering still applicable afterlife until enough merits accumulated from the funeral itself? Well, heavy crime punishment cant be avoided I believe. Guess, this would something like a appeal and reduce no of years like in the prisons. Iti 100-112 > "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.

I don't know if nirvana is a permanent or impermanent state, but is it true that after nirvana, no new intentions will be formed by the individual? And what is left-over is only a karmic residual of previous living? from the wiki : >> When preliminary nibbana with substrate occurs (that is, nibbana of a living being), constructive consciousness, that is, the house-builder, is completely destroyed and no new formations will be constructed.

Is it possible to reconcile the evolution theory with Buddhism, or they are 2 things that simply cannot go along? In other words you have to choose one.

I've started my practice as a Buddhist. Currently, I've read a few books about Buddhism particularly the Theravāda lineage for myself it seems more appropriate. While reading about kamma one thing started to bug me. It is said rebirth is conditioned by kamma. Which implies my good deeds may lead me to be born as human for example, while bad ones as mosquito. Homo Sapiens are on Earth for circa 200 000 years. Does that mean more than 1 million years ago no one could reach Nibbana, since there were no modern humans?

Can anything wholesome, helpful, wise and skillful be mentioned about the (Chinese and/or nearby regions) origin(s) of tobacco and how it may and/or may not relate to tobacco use among Native American people — especially the types of tobacco Native Americans approve of now and throughout the known past? Context from https://bodhiactivity.wordpress.com/2010/01/22/the-defects-of-tobacco-and-smoking-dudjom-rinpoche/ on this topic: Approximately a hundred years after Buddha Shakyamuni’s parinirvana, a Chinese demon, maddened with obsession, spoke these dying words: “Through my body I wish to lead the beings of this earth to lower realms. Bury my body intact and eventually a plant, different from all others, will grow out of my remains. Merely by smelling it, people will experience pleasure in body and mind, far more joyful than the union of male and female. It will spread far and wide until most of the beings on this earth will enjoy it.” And a description from a talk https://www.pathgate.org/index.php/audio-teachings-by-lama-dondrup-dorje/18-old-audio-teachings/104-old-the-buddhist-perspective-on-tobacco on the topic: Lama Dondrup Dorje gives a teaching based on the Terma and prediction of Chogyal Ratna, Sangay Lingpa, Rinzin Godem, Dundul Dorje and other great masters. The teaching explains the origin of tobacco and other drugs, the negative influences of the Four Maras, and the harm caused by tobacco, which brings war, famine, disease and chaos to the world, and separates those who are users of tobacco from ever attaining any understanding of the Dharma, leading them to take rebirth in the lower realms.

This post is relevant to Buddhist Funeral Process Can i do it online like playing the recorded video as below with nice TV and nice sound system ? Funeral Chanting - Theravada Buddhism - Pali - Abhayagiri Monastics (+ chanting text) Q) Effect would be same? Guess it's much better and safe especially in this Pandemic to avoid crowd and putting the monks into risk?

Refer to the link below, the Buddha was poisoned in his last meal. Where can i find more information about this? Why was Buddha poisoned? > The Buddha died after eating a meal often called “pig’s delight” (Skt. > sukaramaddava, lit. “soft” or “mild pig”) offered to him by the > metalworker, Cunda Kammāraputta, in his mango grove in Pava, between > November and January, en route to Kapilavastu, the place of his birth. > The nature of this meal is uncertain. It might have been pork (the > Buddha was not vegetarian) or mushrooms There are many version of the cause of death. Which one found to be truth and supporting facts?

Why Brahmas at formless realms are unable to hear/communicate/understand the teachings of the Buddha when they have high intelligence? > Alara Kalama is wise, competent, intelligent. He has long had little > dust in his eyes. What if I were to teach him the Dhamma first? He > will quickly understand this Dhamma. > > [MN 26](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.026.than.html) I mean not just Alara Kalama but other Brahmas still living there? Like the deaf in human realms which much lower intelligence still able to learn? This is relevant to Form in the formless realms and The difference between Arupaloka and Nibbana

Human is subject to very short life span, sickness and death according to Buddhism Cosmology. Suicide is somehow wrong livelihood in Buddhism. If one very old age and with the issues below. 1) Diagnose with late stage of cancer 2) 2 more operations for kidney failure and heart disease 3) Have financial issues and need public donation for the above 2. If under this situation, the patient decided to end the life peacefully by taking pain killer that approved doctor. Patient wants to minimize the suffering and minimize the spread of negativity to surrounding. Does this consider wrong livelihood ? What this patient should do? I saw a Buddhism teaching video before, if one suicide will decent to deepest level of hell. So, does this scenario applicable? I understand only certain monk can do similar kinda suicide. Anagami monk ( 3rd level attained ) or Arhant monk ( 4th level attained )

Does Buddhism believe that karma (action) without intention is forming merit/demerit? Doesn't the term "karma" have merit/demerit built in as an intrinsic quality?

I'm looking for a slightly better theoretical understanding of "crazy wisdom", as if that's possible. I've seen two superficially-sensible mentions of it on this site. - [here](https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/a/25658/254) -- > If you knew what is "Spiritual Snobbism" and "Spiritual Ego" and why they are extremely dangerous, you would appreciate why some teachers go a loooong way towards shedding off any traces of that, even at the expense of hurting their public image (Trungpa) and making fools of themselves (Dalai Lama). Scandalous behavior is part of a longstanding and very respected tradition called "Crazy Wisdom" that aims to "transcend the dualistic view of repulsive and nonrepulsive" in student's mind and melt the spiritual ego. - [here](https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/a/20701/254) (quoting Chogyam Trungpa) -- > The rest of The Hundred Thousand Songs deals with Milarepa's development as a teacher and his relationships with his students. Toward the end of his life he had completely perfected the transmutation process to the point where he could be called the Vidyadhara or "Holder of the Crazy Wisdom." No longer could he be swayed by the winds of hope and fear. The gods and goddesses and demons, his passions and their external projections, had been completely subjugated and transformed. Now his life was a continual dance with the dakinis. > Finally Milarepa reached the "old dog" stage, his highest attainment. People could tread on him, use him as a road, as earth; he would always be there. He transcended his own individual existence so that, as we read his last teachings, there is a sense of the universality of Milarepa, the example of enlightenment. I suspect it's specifically-Tibetan, perhaps there are some pretty eccentric Zen teachers too. So some questions: - Is there a notable difference between "crazy wisdom", "just plain crazy", and, "undisciplined, predatory, sociopathic"? - What's the 'right' way to act or react or view, if any, if you meet with or even are such a one? - Does it have a specific direction (guiding light), or purpose (destination)? - Does it have any limits, precepts, actions that wouldn't do? And why *not* those, to be clear? - If someone appears to be, for example, homeless, drug-addict, alcoholic, prostitute, thief, con-man, bully, rather mad -- are these states distinguishable from crazy wisdom? - Is there any particular reason to call it "long standing and *very respected*" -- is the principal reason, that some people are very respectful of *everyone*? Or is it, not that they teach a new dhamma but that they're willing to bring that to a new unpromising audience? I don't know. If my questions sound insane and horribly rude, it's I must be deeply ignorant of the subject ... sorry! Hoping to learn better. I gathered that Trungpa for example *did* hurt *his* public image -- stories I've read of *him*, presented as an exemplar of crazy wisdom behaviour, are at least a superficial reminder of remarkable or 'anti-social' behaviour of other people one can meet -- social outcasts; 'underdogs'.

Chinese often worship Ji Gong and I m quite confuse here. Buddhism practices should be placed at 1st instead of just worshiping or believing in fortune telling. Some may have possession of Ji Gong and provide fortune telling/healing service which I believe is forbidden in Buddhism. Source of Ji Gong > Unlike traditional Buddhist monks, Daoji did not like following > traditional monastic codes > > Not long after that, Buddhism began to recognise Daoji's compassionate > efforts and he is involved in many classic kōans. Where can I find more information on how Buddhism recognizes/accepts Ji Gong ?  It's giving me the impression Buddhism accepts Ji Gong's teaching? Its giving me impression recognised, drink and teach too in Buddhism ?