Does Buddhism, other than Amidism, describe or explain entities like Amida, or any other "other power," or intra-psychic, in yer mind, other. I did not mean to consider whether Buddhism is theistic or not.

In [DN 16](https://suttacentral.net/dn16/en/sujato) it is written that: "Then the Buddha came to the Ganges River. Now at that time the Ganges was full to the brim so a crow could drink from it. Wanting to cross from the near to the far shore, some people were seeking a boat, some a dinghy, while some were tying up a raft. But, as easily as a strong person would extend or contract their arm, the Buddha, together with the mendicant Saṅgha, vanished from the near shore and landed on the far shore. He saw all those people wanting to cross over. Knowing the meaning of this, on that occasion the Buddha was inspired to exclaim: 'Those who cross a river or stream have built a bridge and left the marshes behind. While some people are still tying a raft, intelligent people have crossed over.'" My only question is how did such teleportation happen? Is it metaphorical? What are your thoughts on it?

Is it possible to be Buddhist and a misanthropist? I've realised I actually despise humanity and sometimes I fantasise about the sun exploding and wiping us all out. I believe that the majority of humans are undeserving of this life. So much stupidity and ignorance that I just cannot bear people most of the time. The other night my neighbours just decided to have a loud party on their balcony at 2:45 am. What kind of self centred stupid people would do that? The people in my apartment block are so lazy and dumb that they just dump their garbage in the recycling bins. It's things like this that I see on a daily basis that lead me to despise people. I've tried and tried metta practice but I just don't feel like people deserve kindness. They're idiots, selfish iPhone addicted idiots. Especially people like Trump. He deserves nothing but suffering in my view. Thanks for the answers but still not sure what I'm supposed to do. I just don't like most people and I can't tolerate them. I don't have friends because of this and I don't see my family because I can't stand them either. People are just insufferable. I can sit there till I'm blue in the face repeating rote metta phrases but it makes not a shred of difference. I don't feel any empathy or sympathy for a species of creatures who behave the way humans do. The Earth would be a much better place without us. Leave the animals to live in harmony instead of raping and pillaging the place for money. I'm sick of it. I don't feel any love for anyone. The USA has a narcissistic bigoted moron as its leader. What does that say about the people? It's says that half the USA are delusional idiots.

I am a Hindu, but I like Buddhism. How does that work? Does one need to convert to practice Buddhism? If so, how does one convert to Buddhism? Can anyone convert to Buddhism? Or can I just practice without converting?

I want to know that what is Buddhism and is it a religion or just a philosophy or a exercise ? I really want to know more about it , is there a book about learning Buddhism?

At some point in life I learned I could focus on some bodily awareness that resulted in the following experience: - Piloerectus; Not once, but it stays throughout the meditation while I keep on focusing. - A smile is slowly coming on my face (slowly as in it could take 20 seconds or so). It intensifies when I focus on that particular bodily feeling. It feels mechanically. When I take a picture of this I genuinely look happy. - Yawning; I cannot suppress this yawning when I focus on that particular bodily feeling. I yawn almost every minute intensely. - Energy swirls through my body. which can even make pains go away. Like pains from stress as facial muscle cramps or so. This all can instantly go away when I have thoughts of doubt, fear, resentment or any other negative thought. The smile and energy swirls I understand. Why piloerectus and yawning occur I do not. I am not feeling tired at all when the yawning happens. And when I stop to focus on this particular bodily feeling, the yawning stops. I do not yawn during a whole day, for instance. To me the yawning is a reproducible sign that indicates whether I am focused or not during meditation. But why does it happen? In this pubmed article it is described that yawning is controlled by dopamine release (amongst other neurotransmitters). I was wondering if there is something written about this yawning during meditation in the teachings of the Buddha.

I'm looking for a sutta wherein the Buddha explains how a person who only for a moment cultivates loving-kindness or mindfulness has not wasted his or her spiritual life. What sutta is that? Thank you for your time.

My person remembers a possible common know story about a Brahman collecting as much as possible cow's leading to sorrows for poor. The Sublime Buddha approached him one day, gave a talk and later he released the cows. It might be that's just a later tale not found in the scripts, my person just does not remember where having been come across aside in an illustrated "Children"-book. Good if one likes to share messages on livelihood. *[Note that this isn't given for stacks, exchange, other world-binding trades but for release from this wheel]*

Let’s say that my face was itchy but just before I scratch it, I just remember that there might be face mites living on my face and I might be killing them. And as I’m scratching my face, I keep thinking that I might be killing the face mites. My original intention was to scratch my face but if I think I might be killing the face mites but continue to scratch my face because it’s itchy then does that count as breaking the first precept?

I want to know how can I develop patience? What Buddha said on this? And also what is the reason of being impatient?

I purchased this beautiful figurine, but actually I have no idea what exactly it represents. Maybe somebody can tell me more about the symbolism in it (including the mudra)?

I wonder if 'Consciousness' is many "Facets Of One Entity" and that in itself all things from Good to Bad are part of this entity, and from this the Entity is itself playful, and that all actions (karma's) are created by itself? Otherwise, are we in purgatory held by another consciousness? Could liberation be the realisation of this?

I want to know more about Gautama Siddharta teachers,
I know only little about their philosophy and practice that are mentioned in suttas. (eg. [Ariyapariyesana Sutta](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.026.than.html)) Is there any other texts which explains little more about them.

I would not be writing this if I had another way of knowing the answer. Unfortunately, I cannot talk to anyone due to quarantine. Even though I have thought a lot about it, I am still unsure. My question is this: **"Is art bad karma?"** To preface, I am a Theravadin woman. As you know, women cannot be ordained. So, I try my best to follow the monastic rules but stay outside of a monastery. I would like to follow the strictest Buddhist teachings. Now, I will write what I have thought about art. Firstly, the Buddha does not speak much about householders in comparison to monks. However, the popular consensus seems to be that he allows laypeople to have their cultures. Yet, different countries also seem to have different monastic cultures, too, despite being ordained. Secondly, part of this culture is Buddhist art like sculptures and narrative tapestries. Thirdly, since the Buddha allows written works, narrative art may be permitted as a form of visual communication like writing and the Buddha's own speech can be poetic. Recently, I have promised myself that I would finish an art project and then move onto a fully religious life. However, I have repeatedly been stopped from progressing by a great pain in my heart at the prospect of never doing art again. Music is meant to seduce people with melodies. Likewise, acting is lying to arouse extreme, perhaps negative, emotions in people. Dance is the most lustful artistic field. I took the same attitude to visual art, seeing it as being influenced by lust and anger. However, in my art (which I have felt guilt for doing due to my opinions of it), I have slowly realised that I do not have lustful or wrathful intentions. My art depicts my culture (Japanese): marriage, funerals, temples, mythological figures, daily life, mountains, etc. I wanted to preserve the cultural narrative for my own peace of mind, rememberance, meditation, and future generations. Considering all that I have said and seen about culture and art and Buddhism and karma, is art bad karma? If someone has a specific quotation on this, please let me know. Any comments, I appreciate.

I came across this section by chance, and read another question by a person with misanthropic feelings. I read all the answers because I feel the same as her. I've always been spiritual with an interest in Buddhism and Taoism, but it seems to slip away. I too suffered a lot because of others, but what really got me into this misanthropic state is the suffering of so many animals at the hands of humans. It saddens me so much and I begin hating people because of it. Not all people, just a lot. It also saddens me a lot to see children suffering but because they turn possibly into cruel people themselves. The plight of animals gets me more. I find them more special and innocent than people yet they have to suffer so much. A lot anyway. Now, the responses to that other persons question helped me realize some things, but I'm still struggling with the suffering of animals. Why can't they be spared if suffering is a tool to evolve? Studying psychology, biology, anthropology and neuroscience I can't help thinking that humans are acting based on chemical, biological or psychological reactions of the brain. There is no enlightenment, just another religious promise - like heaven, enlightenment or the 11 virgins - depending on the belief. I feel like I have no more answers, only confusion and questions, and i also feel like I've reached a point where I'm so fed up with the suffering of animals, children or good people. I'm so tired of it all. Not in a sense that i want to hurt those cruel people, but in a sense of wanting to leave it all behind. But if i did, then I wouldn't be around anymore to help loved ones or some of the animals. Emotionally I suffer because I can't make even a dent and physically because I work hard to help out as many as I can.

One of the absorption is of Infinite Space. Did the dimension of Infinite Space had a beginning and therefore it is impermanent and non-self? If yes then how much time did it took for this 'plane of existence' of infinite space to begin from 0 to infinity? Was it instantaneous? (I will explain my second question in greater detail : suppose you leave planet Earth completely and all forms vanish then you enter dimension of infinite space ....my question is :this dimension of infinite space was always there and you just entered it or does it have a beginning and you entered it?)

In Tibetan Buddhist teaching it is stated that we will be in bardo state for 49 days before rebirth. So during this period we can still communicate with the dead? What is the Buddhist view on this? Can the dead communicate with the living, for example via chimes (making sound notes that only the family member will know)? Is it possible or just a joke? In Tibetan Buddhism it's still possible, because i read their system on how to find the dead Dalai lama via a dream. But based on my research, all experiment to communicate with the living one, which done by many famous people is failed. For example: - Ian Stevenson promised will tell a code of the safebox to all the worker colleagues. Failed! - Houdini promise to do everything possible to communicate with his wife Bess Houdini. Also failed! - The Beatles also doing this experiment: they promise whoever die first will contact the living one. Also failed. - And many others

I was reading these two suttas and at the the end of both the monks seem to leave although Citta has offered to care for them. Is this a rejection of his Dana? Did Ven. Mahaka do something wrong by his display of concentration?

I think Buddhists agree that the past cannot return, look at e.g. Dogen on firewood, or perhaps the Awakening of Faith > all that had been conceived in the past was as > hazy as a dream, that all that is being conceived in the present is > like a flash of lightning, and that all that will be conceived in the > future will be like clouds that rise up suddenly. There are no "wholes" in Buddhism. But are there, conventionally speaking? > Vasubandhu rejects both wholes and combined sets (whether cohesive or > merely contiguous). Wholes are rejected by appealing to the Buddhist > reductionist principle which says that only the component parts of an > entity are real (aggregated wholes, on this view, are not). https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/mind-indian-buddhism/ I was merely some things may be of the sort that could *potentially* be wholes, but never are: and so they are never complete. Is that the case, why, and if so, so what? ---------- Take the canonical example of a chariot. Does anyone say that the chariot is not ultimately real, but you can conventionally find the chariot in among its parts - that it has then itself as a part - meaning the chariot appears to be a whole: it is potentially but not actually as there is always more.

Is it way of Arhat, who does not cling to dhamma? By non-clinging even to dhamma, he set free? Dhammas are diad, 1) Samudaya Dhamma and 2) Nirodha Dhamma. I feel lost I think due to these: 1)view clinging: such as eternalism (e.g., "The world and self are eternal") 2)self-doctrine clinging: self-identification with self-less entities. Can only monks attain Nirvana? Have I to renounce for cessation of clinging? Please guide us. Thanks in advance!