I have a friend who recently did Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program as designed by Jon Kabat Zinn . I haven't done it myself but he explained to me that it is based on the Vipassana technique of awareness-based body scans. I have done S.N.Goenkya's ten days meditation courses but I **currently** follow Ajahn Brahmas meditation guide book Mindfulness Bliss and Beyond . When I told my friend who didn't know about Ajahn Brahma, he said 'his teacher said that calming the mind is a wrong technique of meditation'. Now when I look at it, S.N Goenka's Vipassana technique though good for healing the subconscious mind does not talk about reaching higher meditative absorption of Jhanas. Whereas Ajahn Brahm, in his book and in his youtube videos talk about reaching Nimmitas and Jhana through Anapanasati i.e. Breath Awareness Meditation. I want to ask; 1. Which is the right way to go? 2. What is the difference between Vipassana and Anapanasati **goals of attainment**? 3. Can I attain Nirvana without doing Vipassana but by just doing Anapanasati? 4. Is there a difference between Vipassana Jhana and Anapanasati Jhana?

I practised buddhism a lot in holidays given due to Covid-19. I listen to dhamma and meditate each and every day. When my college started, I was not ready for the exam. I got stress. Somehow I found some interesting videos on a video streaming platform and I watched videos such as movies, gaming videos and funny videos. It helped me to forget the problems. At the beggining, I had a **lot of** resistance to watch that kind of useless videos. But at the end, I lost that resistance. Watching a video became nothing. Even after 2 months gone, I still watching videos. I passed days without doing anything related to buddhism. I can't be mindfull as before. What happened to me? How those videos cause me to lost my interest for buddhism? **How I lost that resistance?** Have you any personal experiences like this? How can I get back to that previous state?

This is an altar maintenance question. What are the sort of typical things done with the food, water, flowers and so on that gets put on the altar for altar maintenance?

If there is a puthujjana who has led a life full of the major and minor defilements till about 40 years of age, suddenly turns around, starts leading a totally celibate life and also observes the rest of the major five precepts strictly, maintaining a strict meditation schedule even while still being a householder, does he stand a chance of getting nibbana in this very lifetime? Or, does he have to take rebirth/s and suffer the consequences of his bad kamma before he can aspire to Arahathood?

I am looking for high quality etexts of the Tripitaka and so far after weeks of search, the best place seems to be [tipitaka.org](https://www.tipitaka.org/sinh/) . However, when looking at the texts, the punctuation and writing style is doesn't seem high quality to me, and I wonder how it compares to the "originals". For example, look here: > 358. කතමෙ ධම්‌මා කුසලා? යස්‌මිං සමයෙ ලොකුත්‌තරං ඣානං භාවෙති නිය්‍යානිකං අපචයගාමිං දිට්‌ඨිගතානං පහානාය පඨමාය භූමියා පත්‌තියා විවිච්‌චෙව කාමෙහි…පෙ.… පඨමං ඣානං උපසම්‌පජ්‌ජ විහරති දුක්‌ඛපටිපදං දන්‌ධාභිඤ්‌ඤං ඡන්‌දාධිපතෙය්‍යං…පෙ.… වීරියාධිපතෙය්‍යං…පෙ.… චිත්‌තාධිපතෙය්‍යං…පෙ.… වීමංසාධිපතෙය්‍යං, තස්‌මිං සමයෙ ඵස්‌සො හොති…පෙ.… අවික්‌ඛෙපො හොති…පෙ.… ඉමෙ ධම්‌මා කුසලා. There are ellipses … everywhere, Latin punctuation like the question mark ? and period . everywhere. Some things are centered, some things are in **bold**, and not being a native reader, I am not sure what the significance of all these "features" are. --- --- --- Things are aligned in several different ways as in the last image. Again, why so much random **bold**? And there's quotes ". I am just collecting these texts for later learning, and want to clean them up. What do I really need out of these texts? Do I need to keep the bold and centering and such (i.e., what information does it contain/encode?), or can I get rid of it? Are these ellipses some sort of signifier that the text is incomplete, or is it a list they are iterating over or something? Basically, can I remove the ellipses too?

Chapter 21 of the Dhammapada is titled Miscellaneous or Varied Verses or similar depending on the exact translation. Why do all the other chapters have descriptive headings and themes such as Flowers and Chapter 21 just has this generic title and generic theme?

Because panna (wisdom) is the understanding of anicca, dukkha and anatta, it leads to the cessation of ignorance, greed and aversion and therefore to Nirvana. Now Nirvana or the state of being enlightened is permanent, so panna must be too, mustn't it? The cessation of ignorance alone is not enough, because it could rise again, couldn't it? I mean it already happened one time... So to hinder ignorance from rising again, panna must be permanent. This is how I always understood it. I always thought of it as an aspect of Nirvana, and therefore not a part of the impermanent (?) skandhas. Now I read a text which says that panna is a sankhara. Aren't sankharas as the 4th skandha impermanent and cease to exist when entering Paranirvana? So what is panna? Thank you.

...and why? Is the a case where one would neither need nor want? What's (or would be) a "trade" purified on one or both sides and it's quality, effect, if given into? That of one pulling one out, not in. *[Note that this isn't given for stacks, exchange, or other world-binding earning but for a pull out of the wheel.]*

I often read about monks have little free time in their schedules but aside from teaching other monks I am not sure what they do with all their time. I have seen monks in Tibet working in an orphanage and monks in Thailand giving public talks. Aside from this what involvement with the community do monks have (excluding dana)?

I am finding it very difficult to cultivate mudita for people who are happier and have it all. I am finding it easy to have empathy for those who are suffering. But my ego feels threatened when I encounter happy people who are not even practicing dhamma or meditation. How do I train my mind? How to look at such situation when people are in better situation than me?

I am working on wearable tech for meditation. I need to conduct a market research survey for the same. I understand that I cannot conduct a survey on the BSE site. I want to ask that what are good Buddhist portals or other social sites of Buddhist meditation where I can conduct a survey on meditation.

Name and expound on the methods meant for Samma-Dithi. Is it Right view or Right understanding?

I was listening to a buddhist monk talking about masturbation addiction and his advice about it: > When you see the human body or these sexual acts on a screen or > magazine page you are not actually seeing **these things. You are > simply seeing light touching your eyes.** And when you can come to > this realization, where seeing is simply seeing, then you will have no > thought of the person's hair, teeth, beasts, etc. There is only > seeing. So you are able to see anything and see it simply for what it > is. Thus there is no connection made. Seeing is seeing, because that's > what it is. You don't see a human body and say that it is beautiful, > because you realize it's ridiculous to say that, because this is > simply light touching my eyes I have difficulty to understand what the monk means by that, what is the difference between seeing a screen and the "seeing light touching your eyes" Could you give me some pointers ?

Did the Buddha give specific advice around circular thought patterns and perhaps an antidote. I'm aware that there is a lot around mental proliferation but this seems more general. Many Thanks

Right view is the first step in noble eight-fold path as mentioned in many answers here . 1. Right view 2. Right resolve 3. Right speech 4. Right action 5. Right livelihood 6. Right effort 7. Right mindfulness 8. Right concentration Noble eight-fold path is three-folded as moral virtue (sīla), concentration (samādhi), and wisdom (paññā). It's mentioned in many suttas that these three are sequential. But when considering this three-fold categorization, right view comes at the end. 1. Moral virtue (sīla) 3. Right speech 4. Right action 5. Right livelihood 2. Concentration (samādhi) 6. Right effort 7. Right mindfulness 8. Right concentration 3. Wisdom (paññā) 1. Right view 2. Right resolve For more information: Noble Eightfold Path My questions are: 1. Which is the correct sequence out of the above two? 2. Which sequence to follow?

I read the following in the internet: > All feelings are categorically classed as unpleasant in the > Dhamma...'Three feelings have been spoken of by the Blessed One: a > feeling of pleasure, a feeling of pain & a feeling of neither pleasure > nor pain.,,,Now in what connection was this stated by the Blessed One: > "Whatever is felt comes under stress (yaṃ kiñci vedayitaṃ taṃ dukkhasmin)" > Why are pleasant feelings "stressful" & "unpleasant"? If all feelings are unpleasant, why are some feelings called "pleasant"?

I am a beginner and I stumbled upon the sentence in a video given by a monk. > There is no benefit and there is no intrinsic positive nature in a > pleasant sensation I will give you the context > We have to remove this idea that there is something beneficial about > the happiness. This is probably mind blowing for most people if > they've never studied things like Buddhism. But really what objective > and what answer can you give if I ask objectively or intrinsically > "What benefit do you gain from pleasure ? From physical pleasure ? > What is positive about it ?" And you know you can simply you can give > a tautology and say "it's good because it's pleasant" or "pleasant > sensations are good because they're pleasant" which are both > meaningless of course. > > And this isn't simply a tricky sort of argument, it's not an > intellectual trick of sorts. **It's actually true that there is no > benefit and there is no intrinsic positive nature in a pleasant > sensation**. (...) The issue is this clinging, this craving for > pleasant sensations and the idea that pleasure is somehow positive. As the monk said, it is a bit mind blowing for me. If I take an example, when I am hungry, I am in pain, which is the nature way to tell me "Time to have a meal" and when I am full, the nature is telling me I have eaten enough and I do not need to eat more. And when I am listening to pleasant music or when I am with people I like/I love, I feel my mind at ease and I am happy. So my question is: what does the monk really mean ?

**Ques 1) Base on Wiki below, which English translation found to be accurate? D.T. Suzuki or Kazuaki Tanahashi and Joan Halifax** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N%C4%ABlaka%E1%B9%87%E1%B9%ADha_Dh%C4%81ra%E1%B9%87%C4%AB **Ques 2) Refer to some Buddhism Documentaries, Theravada Buddhism disallow reciting of Mantra. Does it a truth?** Personally i found this Mantra translated into positive self-talk which physiologically helping on self healing of decease. i.e. Having better peace of mind simply can cure most of the deceases? https://www.wikihow.com/Think-Positively-About-Yourself It has content of worshiping too so the person too focus on it without understand the basic Buddhism could be lead to superstitious which is inappropriate. I found no issue combination of meditation and of course focus of practices must be Buddhism basic which is Four Noble of Truths.

**The six realms states of mind** This is my graphical interpretation of existence of six realms by Buddha. I have attempted to decode the great concept of Buddhist teaching consider the state of mind as all beings possess the mind: - X axis represent the level of mind or level of happiness and suffering which can’t be measured by scientific apparatus. - Y axis represents time which only feels by mind and time can’t be measured. (Absolute time) White paper represents space. 1. God’s realm Here is it. Gods are always in happy mind and maintain it effortlessly long time and happiness is stable. Time is very fast as they are in happiness and pleasure. Their physical body has been evolved to feel and maintain the happiness and pleasure. Human can’t measure anything on this realm except feel the state of mind just a few seconds or minutes. No 1 represent this in graphical way e.g. poor, financially oppressed human has collected the bundle of 1 million dollar notes. So his happiness suddenly reached his climax and enjoy the pleasure and overflow his happiness for few seconds or few minute etc……. and once he feel the fear of robbers, hesitations of the future and thinking about what to do in future and he is collapsed on human level of human mind again. If he is with cardiac problem then he is dropped down to hell being as suffer cardiac pain or death as can’t control his thought and overflow of happiness. Time is extremely fast on this realm. 2. Demi gods or Asura Normally Demi-gods are below the gods. They are confident on their power of fighting nature. Intelligent and born to fight. Physical body has been designed for it. Muscular, strong body, intelligent and master on weapon usage and create new weapons. They are born to survival and they normally not possess for survival. But someone on craving and try to possess in front of Asuras, they will fight for grab it even though the object is useless for them. Once they possess the object they are in climax of happiness and fade it gradually with time. E.g. this can be experienced with kids some time neglected toy get the attention child the second child also come with desire for same toy and they will fight for it. Time is fast and varies in this realm. 3. Humans realm They can think the middle way. That’s the reason Buddha specially states about Human realm. Any psychiatric can explain the human mind. Time is average in this realm 4. Animal realm Driven by instincts and ever one know range of physical appearance. No spiritual vision, no religion, no art, no science and only they have well adapted to physical environment by evolution of physical body.just big fish eat little fish is the only law. Animals never use apparatus to measure time and they synchronise the time with environment. Animals fight for survival not for possess anything. Animals fight, flight, eat, drink, sleep etc…….are the purpose of their existence. Time is passing slowly in this realm 5. Hungry ghosts. They always overflow with craving and desire. Mind is driven to fulfil craving and desire and they are not fulfilled by achievements. Time is very slow as they are always in overflow by non-satisfaction. 6. Hell being Always suffer from intensive, extreme and unavoidable pain both physically and mentally. But mental pain is the most. (As modern psychiatry says mental suffering is difficult than physical pain) and it is extremely difficult to escape from this realm and time is very very slow in this realm. E.g just imagine a person who is wounded badly and has to suffer intensive pain in hospital ICU units. Is my explanation of the six realms of existence consistent with common Buddhist explanation?

As a kid I used to download a lot of softwares and movies using torrents. Even if something illegal is done, it doesn't necessarily mean that it violates a precept. But can this be considered as stealing in Buddhism? How can this be explained according to the Buddhist view?