Can you say that *Yatha bhuta* (= seeing things as they really are) and Dhamma are synonyms?

While other religions seem to have a definition position on abortion I've never come across the Buddhist view on this. From a naive perspective I would imagine that Buddhists would be prolife rather then prochoice - the abstain from killing precept seems to be the relevant one. But I would imagine it would also depend on when Buddhist believe that life begins or becomes sentient. Is there any pointers to the ethics of abortion in the scriptures (pali canon, mahayana etc..) or perhaps guidance/opinions from more contemporary teachers. I feel that the real position could be quite nuanced. Many thanks for any/all thoughts

Since popular, one thinking compassionate, what might be it's effect, thought that's actually, after assisting ones benefactors, giving, the undertaking most praised by wise? So only foolish, or of much harm for others, oneself? The same like if encouraging one to leave the holly life? What are the roots, mind qualities, giving one such deeds set? How should association with people not praising and seeking the full holly life be seen? *[Note that this isn't given for stacks, exchange, other world-binding trades, but for escape from this wheel]*

With certain antihistamines I get very drowsy and confuse. I seem to get clingy in these sensations and then when I’m aware of the clinginess, I try to detach the sensations. I just somehow do the opposite of detaching by forcing the detaching and hook up with mind talk. How to keep mindfulness in these situation? And how to be mindful in difficult situations in general? What would be the Buddhism direction on these situation?

Sorry for what I want seek help from someone. The matter is most serious. I belong to middle class family of Indian village. My father died when I was 7 years old. My mother took very pain to raise me up to higher education and then I was seeking a job. That time is very hard for me, for I failed at every interview. Life is full of sorrow and pocket barely have any money to cope with any difficulties which I received from my mother time to time. Then I nearly broke and felt the pain when my sister's husband beat her in one instance. I literally cried and pain was dual as I am even jobless. It was year 2012 then, my time almost lost in loneliness and solitude. I started praying and reading Buddha's word and found something to come from pain. I heartily followed Buddha's path of purity upto my level and when I eat, I eat a little with my attention verily focus when I eat. Suddenly a light came, that was year 2012. The light goes on expanding year on year till 2013 and my mind attained full of bliss. I could stand on my terrace like a lamb immersed in the bliss for nearly 8 months. Its like I am at the feet of Lord. Afterwards when the bliss fades away, there comes the insight. The word started appearing on my fore and I concentrated it day by day. But, suddenly when the word appears, I felt heavenly sound like beating of drum or flute playing, I move to that with my focus from where this sound coming. Then there appear 2nd word and I felt very joy, like I have found someone. Its like my Teacher is appeared before me. I concentrated day and night to be with that word. I surprisingly got the job in Bank as a officer, even in interview I gave silly answers as my mind want to be monk at that time. 2013-2017 I work in the bank, but I feel I am going back towards the painful world. In 2017 I left that job,as people scolded me as I left the Government job, including my mother. My foot turn back to home, to tell my story and path to my mother. How I got it and it's the path choose me to leave the job. I felt before leaving my 62 year mother alone, I have to tell the way. In that period, something flashed in closed eye and I attained vision, like union with teacher. Then in 2019 I got covid19 like symptoms all over my body, even before China declared the outbreak. Nothing happened to me except same symptoms of covid19 for days. After some time even that symptoms vanished and I felt amaze the very people on earth suffering the same. I felt again dejected, would I be the epicenter and responsible person to death of many. Now I am lost and I desperately want to leave home. Can't do with my 62 year old mother. She will be alone. No one to care for her. I sometimes felt, somebody attacked me, like Mara. Or someone is taking the pain of this humanity by giving me Covid19. I felt sometime that I am sacrificial person. Sometime, the words of Buddha comes to me, 'Only few saints and sages can't revive the pain of mankind, king asks: so what you would do then? Buddha replied: I don't know'. May be he was searching to relieve the pain of mankind with heavenly help. May be he sacrificed himself, just like what is happening to me. I need a guide now. What shall I do? Should I leave home right away leaving my mother behind alone? Sorry for the personal matter to bother everyone. But, may be someone can help! May all being happy!

Mahayana or Theravada, or any other offshoot. Is a Buddha an exception? Or a personification?

A lot of Buddhist texts come from Sanskrit or Chinese. I am looking at the Kangyur and Tengyur, and a few scattered others. But a lot of those are from Sanskrit and Chinese as well (or other languages, Pali, etc.). What books or groups of books/works can only be found in Tibetan script? _Whether or not it has been translated to other languages isn't important, the original language should be Tibetan though._ I am trying to mentally gather an image of how much reading would be required to gain the knowledge unique to Tibetan Buddhism.

I suffer with Pure obsessive compulsive disorder. I regularly have intrusive thoughts of all different kinds and I can be pretty anxious sometimes. Although I know that thoughts are only just thoughts, I can't help but feel that the thoughts have a negative karmic effect. I never agree with such thoughts and do my best to just maintain awareness of them and letting them go. Although they sometimes do take over my mind, It's generally alright to deal with. However, earlier today, I was in the middle of a crude act. I.e masturbation. During the session, I had intrusive, blasphemous thoughts of a Bodhisattva. My mind had created a thought which involved seeing the bodhisattva in a sexual way. Even just typing this is making me feel extremely uncomfortable but I desperately need advice. It was obviously never my intention to think those thoughts. What are the karmic effects of this? I respect all Buddhas and all Bodhisattvas immensely. I respect all beings immensely. Have these thoughts planted a very negative seed? I have a huge fear right now of a hell rebirth. Although I know that I didn't intend for those thoughts to happen and I know that I don't agree with such thoughts and I know that thoughts are just thoughts, do these kinds of thoughts hold a stronger 'weight' to them? I know that a violent thought is bad. But is a blasphemous thought towards a Buddha or bodhisattva really bad? Please help. I'm grateful for any wise words.

I get fear when I'm trying to choose something over buddhist teaching. 1. Listening to Dhamma instead of studying something else 2. Reject a job offer to get some free time 3. Not having relationship (with a person who have great qualities) because it increases clinging, lust etc. and it causes suffering My doubt is that those opportunities may help my journey to enlightenment. 1. Having a good job may make free time later 2. Good person may help me to understand buddhism more. So, How can I decide what to give up and what not to give up ? Prince Siddhartha gave up lot of great things. (Kindom, Wife, Parents). But I don't have such a great mind like him. I have ignorence. So how to overcome this fear? Did Lord Buddha mention these kind of situations in his teachings?

Buddhist theories all summed up to the point of Nibbana. They have reached the goal, gone there(Tathagat). They conclude holy life is lived and goal attained. Cessation of becoming(No new formation). But, when asked, Do Tathagata exist after death? is absurd question. It is that our individuality arise and ceases. So, why the buddhist assume there is stopping of birth and death? Tathagata is synonym for ocean, where waves are arise and passes away, which we calls individuality. Tathagata is the root of Tree of Samsara. It's branches and leaves are species and karmic stations respectively. So, when one attain to the root, the whole tree(Samsara) appears as mere bubbles or foam, rising and falling, absolute impermanent. So, having so, why do they preach after attaining the Root, one attain freedom form birth and death? They are not. Because from root, a new one is formed and rolled on, in this continuous existence. That's why, its been asked by some of recluse of higher wisdom, Do Tathagata (the one who goes to that, the one who ceases) exist after fall of body and life? Buddha answered: Silence! I feel that doesn't stop the new creation or new forming of individual. Hence I conclude, there is no such freedom from birth again. Why? My assumption is that, the one who arise and ceases, doesn't exist in reality! It's like dream of someone else's and dream can't be true or real. It's only the dreamer tends to be real. Tathagata(gati of the one)literally means to merge in Brahman. The dreamer. And see this universe as mere dream. So,it appears that no new dream arise after cessation of current dream, but not so. You can control the dream but not the dreamer. The Brahman. That's why in Indian village, Saint Chokha says, 'What a miracle! The God of god is gone mad!' He is saying about Brahman. Also in Bhuridatta Jataka, The Arhats said the same thing. ,

Basically I trained my brain to be dependend on porn over the last 10 years(im 21). Is like a crack addiction but I have infinite crack at 3 seconds away from me,on my phone and laptop. I tried to install filters but it takes a few minutes to disable them,even these of them with password. Please help me, it ruins my mental integrity, it makes me feel dirty and filthy. It makes my mind weaker and it causes a lot of brainfog.Also I become obsessed with porn stars and porn scenes. I am not a budhist,neither a religious one per se,but I know that God exists. Also I've been meditating a lot in the last months,but I still fail to abstain,and after one relapse there comes 100 more because of the coolidge effect. I am very open minded to anything. Thank you in advanve, much peace and love.

I'm getting aversion when someone do things that I don't like. This happens when a person do and not on natural things like rain. But It is hard to recorgnise it as aversion because that aversion is not towards a person. I just don't like certain actions that affect me (Only the things that affects me in someway). I don't want to hit someone or to hurt someone. So I always try to avoid such situations. But It is not always possible and that avoiding proccess makes suffering, makes doubts. So, How can I stop avoiding things ? How can I practise more acceptance ? How can I face anything without getting aversion?

Why should we worship Lord Buddha statues with flowers, lights and food, even when we know Lord Buddha is not alive and does not exist? Did Lord Buddha instruct us to do so or is there any other reason?

> Last year I experienced samadhi, full state of awareness. Mind's > thoughts stopped for days and I can't describe with feelings and words > the complete experience. It was like the wheels of my mind stopped. I was living the present moment very loud. It was like I was standing on top of my head and my conscioussness was dramatically expanding. I wasn't practicing anything and I had no idea what it was until someone who was in the same state since his birth explained to me. > Before come to this, a few days ago I had some scary lucid dreams > with dream paralisis. > > Then 11:11 synchronicities on my clock I've seen light in the dark. And it was not coming through my eyes. The experience of samadhi lasted a few days and it had a curve and a peak. I felt like the third eye was openned. And I still can't believe that I'm talking about all these things. > In it's peak I felt like I was living in the moment for first time in > my life. There was no past or future, it was just now. And everything was so calmful and alive... and there was nothing to worry about. And I knew that I could be whoever I wanted to be no matter what. Like I was in deep sleep since I was a kid and I finally woke up. I knew that I could change and improve and manipulate my body and my mind like a toy. No skills, no title, nothing was impossible, it was just a matter of choice. I felt like everything including me were connected. It is difficult to describe exactly how I felt... but It was like i could feel the vibrations of everything around me from a distance. I could hear high frequencies when someone was focusing in me. I could see green auras orbiting in the air. I was looking the world outside and everybody was like zombies of their own minds. And I realized that I used to be like them too. Everything was so clear and easy to understand without thinking at all, like in Limitless movie. It was like I was sleeping in my entire life and I finally woke up in the real world. Everything was so real... I had no good or bad feelings, no thoughts, just consciousness in an epic level I didn't know that ever existed. I was looking the trees, the birds and the fountain like I had never seen anything like this before. And they were stunning. No word was coming in my mind, no thought, nothing. But I could easily participate in a high quality conversation without using my mind at all. But I didn't want to talk, I just wanted to listen. For first time in my life I wanted to listen... ONLY! But I had my senses increased at 100000% and I felt my body and my mind like a cheap version of my real self. I felt my body like a human avatar for my soul. I was not sure about god etc... till then. I realized that everything is much more than we understand. My body and my mind was like a toy. On top of my head with a distance of the physical body was my new self that could easily manipulate my physical mind and body just by desire. > So... what was it, where it came from and why? and last but not > least... what's next?

During walking meditation it happens automatically,without any initiation.understanding of dependent origin lead to fear of sansara. Is it the doer of the mind cause upadana?

I like the way this site tries to focus on practical advice so I have a specific question concerning compassion. I have a close person that used to be closer in the past. Mainly I distanced somewhat because I can not really avoid to feel annoyed by some of their behaviour. I often describe them as a 'loud' person, but it is not only a problem of noise but of noticable behaviour. Things like walking, eating and laughing loudly, taking as much room as possible if standing or sitting somewhere, excessive gestures while talking and so on. Also they spend a probably unhealthy amount of time with consuming and producing social media. I feel like the person has a hole inside them to fill somehow but I don't know the specific origin of their suffering. And I believe giving attention won't solve the problem. Advice on compassion seems to focus on mostly revenge-relevant extreme themes like violent pirates. This person has not harmed me in any form, still I can not really sympathize with their position. Do you have any advice on how to develop compassion instead of annoyance? How come people can take what is considered 'mine' without me getting angry at them or frustrated about the loss but I can not bear somebody seeking my and the worlds attention?

I read on the internet Martin Luther said: > No sin can separate us from Him (Christ), even if we were to kill or commit > adultery thousands of times each day. > > the Law shows us our inability to contribute anything to > [justification](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lutheranism#Justification) . Is there a Buddhist equivalent to Lutheranism (Christian Protestantism), namely, a Buddhist doctrine of salvation by faith alone? Would this qualify as true dharma?

In Jāṇussoṇi sutta (AN 10.177) the brahmin asks the Buddha whether offers to departed relatives and family members benefit them. The Buddha says that **"on the right occasion, brahmin, it can be of benefit not on a wrong occasion"**, and later on, he says about someone who is reborn in the deva's world that **"this is a wrong occasion, when the gift is not of benefit to one living there"**. At the same time, we find in suttas such as Ratana Sutta and quite a few others, references not only to devas desiring offerings, humans making offerings to them, and even sharing merits with them. Of course, it's a fact known that the many (if not all?) traditions, specially in the Theravada countries support the practice of offerings and merit sharing with devas. My questions then are: a) Does any literature (eg. commentaries) deal with this seemingly conflict? b) Are there any known explanations by elders of any tradition commenting on this sutta?

I have just started a PhD in Mathematics. Can serious mindfulness practice (i.e. vipassana meditation at least 2 hours a day) help improve academic performance? If so, can you attach any reliable studies on this?

How did Buddha fully understood the world and proclaimed it without the knowledge of all experiments of science? Was his knowledge about the properties and the behavior of matter limited? Thanks.