I often see the first noble truth (*duḥkha*) stated as "life is suffering". I have yet to come across a passage in a Buddhist text which phrases it like this - mostly they don't talk about "life" in this sense. So where does the idea that "*life is suffering*" come from? There's been some discussion about the definition and translation of the word "*dukkha*" also. Is there a definitive definition?

I was wondering if for example an obsession or craving that someone has for attaining Nirvana would be considered something unwholesome. On one hand it seems to me like it would, since that person would be reinforcing the habit of craving, but on the other hand how else could they actually achieve the goal? Like for example how could they decide to become a monk and devote themselves fully to the practice etc. I don't think the Buddha would have left his palace if he wasn't motivated by *some* sort of craving, at least in the beginning.

When asking around, I've never heard anyone agree that a young, healthy person should end their life by suicide. But I also don't know what reason there is for that consensus. Did Buddha teach anything regarding what makes life worth living?

One word in Pali Canon seems to be especially challenging for translators to convey. This word is "*papañca*" (e.g. MN18 , DN21 , Sn 4.11 , AN4.173 ). Some attempts at translating *papañca* include "exaggeration", "proliferation ", "association ", "conceptualization ", "objectification ", and "reification ". What is *papañca* and what is it's significance in Buddhism? How is it used in Pali Canon and what is it's referent in real life? How is *papañca* (*prapañca* in Sanskrit) explained by Mahayana philosophers such as Nagarjuna, Asanga, and Tsongkhapa?

I hope this finds you well and happy. Over the last 25 years I have been trying to apply the instructions from the Buddha on how to study his teaching to keep it pure, found in the Pali Early Buddhist Texts. In my documents linked below, I try to resolve glaring inconsistencies in the Pali text, from the perspective that the Buddha is the unexcelled teacher and does not need help from disciples to teach. You will need a google account to view them: My comparison of up to 54 possible variations in the gradual Path (the Fourth Noble Truth) found in the Pali Texts: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1acDIhERcjDfGYof2v45tqdXOipIh09_OYUfHwXWpVTY/edit?usp=sharing My theory of early and late Buddhist Teachings (covering all Four Noble Truths): https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1CE8ycGuHdOBI96wzOiZt2Da1QWHclb2BCR-b1BwZEGs/edit?usp=sharing I'd be interested to hear of other similar work, because I'd like to associate and discuss with people who show at least the easiest to recognise Fruit of Stream Entry, taking the Buddha as their only teacher. That is, I'm seeking the Noble Community. Bhikkhu Sujato et al's 2014 study: Authenticity of the Early Buddhist Texts https://ocbs.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/authenticity.pdf only wants to present the case, there is NO evidence of **major** doctrinal change in the EBTs. I'm not interested in people preaching or 'soap boxing' to me, the standard interpretations of doctrines, which I would call dogma. I was a Theravada monk for 20 years. So I am very familiar with them. This pushing of dogma is usually done in the style: 'this is the truth style'/'the Buddha taught this' etc. I'm interested in authentic discussion where people apply the training for his disciples ascribed to the Buddha of 'do not say this is the truth' but rather 'I believe this is the truth', called 'safeguarding the truth' MN 95 and is expressing one's view as one's view, as it really is. I understand this to be an insight practice and found it eradicates arrogance. The difference might better be understood by the difference in: 'the world is flat' - pushed by some organisations and 'I believe the world is flat' - someone expressing their belief realistically. I appreciate facts such as, the Noble Eightfold Path appears x times in the EBTs, but not quoting scripture to push the standard view, as my research shows there are likely many corrupted ideas in the EBTs. For me, agreement with the large body of consistent words of the Buddha, is a higher standard than the number of times an idea occurs. best wishes Joe

Are there consequences for actions that are made Are there rewards for the actions that are made

Which scriptures describe the jhanas of Buddhism?

Does anyone know of a good summary of the Visuddhimagga? Is "Loosening the Tangle" A meditator’s guide to the Visuddhimagga by Ian Rose a good summary?

Although my reality is confined to sensory experience, I believe that there are beings that exist in the subtle realm beyond. But how did *asuras* get there? Wasn't heaven only for the good, *sukhumataraṁ*? And without them, what battle could take shape? Is it just dormant tendencies [fantasies] that pop-up there? Any account of *asura* in jhana? Also, does the Hermetic text, 'As above, so below', register within Buddhist circles? From Sakka's Questions comes this: > ‘When a Realized One arises in the world, perfected and fully > awakened, the heavenly hosts swell, while the titan hosts dwindle.’ > ‘yadā tathāgatā loke uppajjanti arahanto sammāsambuddhā, dibbā kāyā > paripūrenti, hāyanti asurakāyā’ti. From Dialogues of the Buddha Vol 2.

I've watched on t.v that a monk had dreamt that Lama told him a lady will come to monastery and will request him let her with them when this was only for monks though he going to let her with them and teach Dhamma. Next day it happens what he had dreamt about; first he disagreed but later on he remembered his dream last night he had and then she became nun. So does dreams making sense ? I had one on full moon day that I'm crying next Buddha's statue in vihara saying give me power and peace.

The Jagannath temple of Puri currently is one of the most notable Vaishnava hindu temples, wherein the deity is worshipped as Vishnu or Krishna. Many puranic texts such as brahma purana and skanda purana too mention the site as a Vaishnavite pilgrimage. However it is worth noting that certain authorities, religious or non religious have been at many occasions been pointing out that the jagannatha temple was originally buddhist which was later hinduised and given its present form. Even Swami Vivekananda, A hindu saint admits this in one occasion. Quoting from the Complete works of Swami Vivekananda ---------- Questions - 1. Are there any ancient historical mentions, preferably in buddhist literature that assert that the site was originally a buddhist temple? 2. Are there any archaeological evidences that point out that the site was originally buddhist and was later hinduised as Swami vivekananda says?

Those yoga sutras of Patanjali and have come across called vritti . It's like a whirlpool in the mind not ocean. But what is the equivalent of *vritti* in Buddhism?

Is the samadhi nagi or also called Mushin a state were the mind gets blank and you expirience actions while your mind is blank or unconsciousness? From Suzukis book description your mind gets a known from the non-mind what during that time happend.

Is it more important to develop one's own meditation skills or follow a prescribed method of a teacher? After all I think the Buddha worked it out for himself. And I have noticed in my own practice that following someone else's method can be confusing, if I don't understand properly what they teach. Is discovering it for yourself, such as meditation, the best way? N.B. I don't have any technique, I just sit there and try not to hang onto my thoughts. I think if we make out meditation to be difficult we set up obstacles to it in our minds. When I think its easy I find easy to do.

As a beginning meditator, the techniques I typically use are: - Counting breaths, restarting at 10 (learned in Japan). - Envisioning, with warm feelings, all of my friends and family around me in a large circle (learned in Florida). - Attempting to feel the minute sensations from each different part of my body (learned in Florida). - Focusing on identifying as many distinct sounds as possible, particularly when in nature (my own). Are there any other techniques recommended for beginning meditators?

Why do Buddhists seem to take such a strong anti-thought bias? All I could find regarding this issue is this blog post: Thought is Bad? Enlightenment Means Not Thinking? He provides great examples of this anti-thought bias, and has an attitude that is similar to my own towards it. This is something that has disturbed me for a while, and is leading me away from Buddhism. Although direct/pure awareness allows freedom from compulsive thought, why should I not choose to conceptualize? Is there no place for abstraction nor ideas? What about language and cultivation of the intellect? Creativity?

travellers - I was struck by the term maññassavā in the Dhatuvibhanga Sutta. > They have four foundations, standing on which the streams of > identification don’t flow. And when the streams of identification > don’t flow, they’re called a sage at peace. yattha ṭhitaṃ maññassavā > nappavattanti, maññassave kho pana nappavattamāne muni santoti > vuccati. It is translated as "the currents of construing," by Ven. Thanissaro and as "the streams of identification," on suttacentral.net (Ven. Sujato?). There is an elaboration of maññassavā later in the sutta as, "These are all forms of identifying: ‘I am’, ‘I am this’, ‘I will be’" etc. > ‘Asmī’ti, bhikkhu, maññitametaṃ, ‘ayamahamasmī’ti maññitametaṃ, > ‘bhavissan’ti maññitametaṃ... a) First - I assume the term is made up of "(a form of) maññ/maññati + assavā"? [PTS PED] Maññita (nt.) [pp. of maññati] illusion, imagination M i.486. Nine maññitāni (the same list is applied to the phanditāni, the papañcitāni & sankhatāni) at Vbh 390: asmi, ayam aham asmi, bhavissaŋ, na bhavissaŋ, rūpī bhavissaŋ, arūpī bh., saññī bh., asaññī bh., nevasaññī -- nâsaññī -- bh. Assava (adj.) [ā + sunāti, śru] loyal D i.137; Sn 22, 23, 32; J iv.98; vi.49; Miln 254; an˚ inattentive, not docile DhA i.7. I only sort-of get how the compound is then understood as "streams of identification" (**does the 'streams' derive from 'asava'[ā + sru]? Flow?**)... b) Where is this term "coming from," doctrinally, that is? Is it commonly used in the texts, esp. in the suttas, as a form of "I-consciouness/construction?" Are there any commentarial and/or scholarly discussions on this process of "flow of construing/identification?" Thanks much in advance! ~ananda

Practing meditation I would like to know if i have attained jhana samadhi state. For now i have a feelable state of chi flowing throught air and things and and making movements. But there is a downsite that my anja shows mindless impressions and chi aswell. Maybe someone has same expriencenwith that. What is that all about?

When I meditate I use the breath as my anchor. When I recognise that the mind has wandered it's always in past tense like Im remembering that I was thinking. Its just something I notice a lot. Its like the mind has already gone back to the breath automatically and then I suddenly remember what happened. Should I note this as remembering or thinking? Or does it not matter?

I've been applying Buddhist teachings to my life for the past 6+ years now. I don't meditate often, but I've noticed some extreme and what seem permanent changes in my mindset after constantly challenging and embracing Buddhist concepts. One of the traits my mind currently has, is not seeing people as fixed beings, but rather just playing out factors. I don't believe in good/evil anymore, and think anyone, no matter the disgusting or terrible things they do, deserve empathy. The drawback right now, is that it feels hard to connect to people, because I feel like I'm not on their level in a way... not in an egoistical way, but it just feels like I have a different approach to everything, at the fundamental level. It feels like I'm not real, they are not real, but they have not realised that, so I'm just watching their actions play-out whilst observing both my reactions and theirs, which I know are the result of conditions, and therefore have no real essence? It's really hard to put into words, but my question is basically: How do I reconnect with people at a human level. Is it possible at this level of understanding? Am I being deluded and potentially taking the practices too far?