Does enlightenment always comes with compassion so that all enlightened beings aspire to save sentient beings from sufferings? Or is the question 'why' only showing that I am using my discriminating mind to try to understand things? Another part of my question is that I think most of the people on this earth would not say they are 'suffering', there might be obstacles and negative feelings from time to time, but most people enjoy getting attached to the experience of pleasure, longing, love, etc. Most of them enjoy this worldly life so much that they wouldn't even thinking of standing back out and look at this kind of life that everyone is living from an 'outside' perspective. So my question is that why would all these sentient beings forgo this mostly pleasurable life (with net happiness larger than unhappiness, and all sorts of biological/neurological signals from their bodies guiding and incentivizing them to continue living and reproducing for the continuity and advancement of the species) to practice Buddhist teachings, to let go of things and pursue the state of nothingness? For most of them, it would be giving up net positive happiness to attain a state of nothingness and tranquility. Is that what everyone wants and needs? How do you convince them to do this? How do we save ALL sentient beings? Should we do this? Why do enlightened beings do this? These questions have been tormenting me for some time. Would be great help if someone can help me understand them. Thank you!

A while back I heard something about the 'Great Doubt'. I think it is a Zen thing? Does anyone know what it is and how it might compare to the doubt that all human beings feel from time to time? Many Thanks

As a computer scientist interested in the origin of the universe and the mind, I finally have found some ancient stuff of the type of substance and depth I am looking for, the [Abhidhamma](http://www.abhidhamma.com/Vibhanga_Scan.pdf) . The first part of the Vibhanga (one of the sections of the Abhidhamma) talks about "aggregates" or "heaps" or "groups", [Skandha](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skandha) . This to me seems like it is near the foundation of what a computational model of consciousness would need to consider, as consciousness is one of the types of heaps or skandha. My question at this point in learning about this is, how exactly is consciousness structured in this model? _Where_ does consciousness exist exactly. As a human being, I _feel_ my body, but my conscious awareness feels like it is in the center of my brain, literally at a pin point. I can understand and model how a consciousness can use sensory organs to perceive information, but I don't understand how the consciousness itself can form. If everything is information in the end, or bundles of flowing information like these heaps/skandha, how does it aggregate and flow in a bundle in such a way to generate consciousness which you can feel? I can even go so far as to imagine something like a biological cell with its complicated machinery going so far as to gain control over its environment, so that as a machine it is so complex and highly functional that it acts like a conscious being. This isn't too hard to imagine. But what is hard to imagine is how the consciousness is _stored_, or _where it is_! How can I perceive and feel the perception is in the center of my brain? What does skandha and the Abhidhamma have to say about this, it's structure?

Venerable sir, Lately I have been wondering if there is a proper technique that can be used in order to attain stream entry rather than meditating. I have a few experiences with loving kindness meditation though it did not go very well. Actually, I am not good at meditating therefore it is hard for me to walk in the path. It might be easier if there is a proper technique to follow instead of meditating. Also even though I am in a Buddhist country it is not very popular among the Buddhist to meditate here, so if there is a technique please let me know. Thank you

Question is in the title. Thank you for your time.

Now there is no bodily sensation on sitting posture of meditation. Only thoughts are coming. Always close the eyes can see a oil lamp in the Middle. When the lamp not appeared in the front negative thoughts were coming. When experience breath slowly body disappears. Sometimes thinking loose and mindfulness appears. Can anyone tell is it sankaraupeksha ?

I have noticed that sometimes, almost unconsciously, my body begins to sway forward and backward ever so slightly when I'm sitting in meditation (actually, kneeling - I sit zazen on a bench). It does not seem to be in phase with any of my rhythmic body functions (e.g. heartbeat, breathing). There are times when I consciously cease the swaying, but other times when I allow it to continue. Or even help it a little bit. It seems to add somewhat to the depth of my meditative state and is mildly pleasant. My question is thus: should I just let it be (after noting it)? Should I help it? Should I put a stop to it? I do not have enough familiarity with The Official Rules & Regulations Of Practicing Buddhists to know, and I do not have an instructor/advisor to pose this question to. Hence my post here. I found this related question, but this person seems to be doing it intentionally and in response to physical pain. One of the answers here also notes that it may be in response to conditioning, but I don't feel that's the case here. https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/questions/3937/a-question-about-sitting-movement-and-mindfulness

Having seen that anger disappears after noticing attraction and aversion of the mind towards thoughts, attraction and aversion have disappeared. Feel like there is no core on mind objects. Is that anatta?

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

I have often wondered about one particular riddle regarding the stages of the path. If Sakkāyadiṭṭhi, a view of the self, is one of the first fetters conquered at stream- entry, why is it that Māna, that is a consequence of subtle ‘I-am-ness’, is one of the last to go at Arahanthood? In what form does the ‘I’ sustain itself till the last?

It's 刹那 in Chinese, is the smallest unit of time, from Sanskrit. My question: How to pronounce Ksana in Sanskrit ? Please leave phonetic symbol or click here .

The allegory of a rope being mistaken for a snake to explain subtle metaphysical points is widespread in Buddhist literature. In particular, Je Tsongkhapa uses this allegory many times in his works to explain subtle distinctions of his formulation of Prasangika Madhyamaka. I am looking to track down the earliest usage of this rope or snake allegory in Buddhist literature. I have not been able to identify any sutra where this allegory is mentioned, but it occurs many times in later commentarial literature on the perfection of wisdom sutra's as well as in explanations of Nagarjuna's writing. The earliest usage I have been able to discover is from Chandrakirti's explanation of Aryadeva's Four Hundred Stanzas on the Middle Way (Chatuhshataka). Here is Aryadeva's stanza 178: > Apart from concepuality, Desire and so forth have no existence, Who with intelligence would hold [that there are] Real things [imputed by] conceptuality? > [Aryadeva's Four Hundred Stanzas on the Middle Way](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001ULC8NK/) To which ChandraKirti apparently gives this explanation: > Those which exist only when the conceptuality [apprehending] exists and do not exist when conceptuality does not are without question definite as not established by way of their own nature, like a snake imputed to a coiled rope. > [Tsong-kha-pa's Final Exposition of Wisdom](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IN9OVJ6/) Does anyone know of any earlier or contemporary usages of this allegory in Buddhist literature? Anything that can be traced back to Nagarjuna, Aryadeva, Chandrakirti, Buddhapalita, or Bhaviveka would certainly apply. Of course, if it can be found in sutra that would definitely count as an answer. Thanks!

My question is about supreme peace that is received from renunciation. When people renounce a major portion of their possession and title, they are believed to get supreme peace. Where I can get a detailed discussion about renunciation and a little logical discussion too that makes a person renounce? The ASIAN continent is filled with Buddhist, and Muslim countries. Many users of Buddhist countries can sufficiently address my concern. my concern is the risk associated with renunciation.

Are Buddha nature and Original enlightenment different, or identical? So, when a sastra says "Since the essence of Mind is grounded on the Dharmakaya, it is to be called the original enlightenment", is the exact same the case for Buddha nature? When a Soto monk says "manifest buddha nature", do they mean "manifest original enlightenment"?

The Lotus Sutra implies light came from Gautama Buddha, which connected to " illuminating thousands of buddha fields"; can anyone enlighten me as to what that could mean?

Please help with these questions! :) > What is the most skillful way to handle someone who is angry? > > What is the most skillful way to handle someone who is deluded? > > What is the most skillful way to handle someone who is greedy? > > And what is the most skillful way to handle the Poisons within me as > well? Metta to all!

I want to pray and meditate like a Buddhist, but I do not know how because I am Arab and I have not found sources in Arabic so can you guide me

I read up on B. Analayo's Agama comparative notes between the passage in question in various EBT schools (pali, more than one agama lineage, sanskrit...). But he didn't have the part I'm interested in. He talks about how one recension talks about Buddha as a boy experiencing all 4 jhanas instead of just first jhana for example. Does anyone have quote and references for the passages in question? In the pali version, all it says is while his father was working, buddha sat down in the cool shade of a tree and spontaneously entered first jhana. I'm especially interested in one of the Agamas, which says the same thing, but adds that right before he entered jhana, he had been observing the dukkha of watching earthworms getting eaten by birds.

I know there are three vehicles in Buddhism: Therevada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana. It seems there are so many sects of buddhism. Each of these three vehicles has sub-sects, (Zen, Pureland). Do the majority of Buddhist study each in depth in order to choose which fits them best in order to study the sutras accordingly? I find comfort in reading small pieces of sutras from each sect, though I've always loved Vajrayana and Zen. Is there a large difference? On a side note: is the eightfold path is acknowledged by all three sects?

I’ve been meditating for sometime now, and it’s apparent that my mind and heart are not in sync. I’m often in confused stage because my mind says one thing while my heart says something else and my awareness is in total confused mode trying to interpret these two entities. While meditating of course these dualities do not arise because the focus and attention is in single object unless if I do insight meditation. I would be really appreciate if anyone could give me an dharma insight on what’s happening here.