Following are the stages **Ajahn Brahm** mentions in his book **Mindfulness, Bliss and Beyond**, to enter in to Jhana. 1. Present moment awareness 2. Silent present moment awareness 3. Silent present moment awareness on the breath 4. Fully sustained awareness on the breath 5. Fully sustained attention on beautiful breath 6. Experiencing the beautiful Nimmita 7. Jhana I am looking for sutta reference for the same. Additional question- do progression through all these stages compulsary to experiencing the Jhana? Specifically Pitisukha and Nimmitta. Can one dodge the stages and enter the meditative absorption of Jhana?

Is there a correlation between vedanta (non-dualism) and Dhamma? Are there references in the Pali-canon to vedanta?

This phrase '**I establish mindfulness in front of me**' appears many times in Suttas (https://suttacentral.net/an3.63/en/bodhi) . What does '**in front of me**' mean here. I can understand if it would have said within me as in mindful of body or breath. But its not clear to me, what '**infront of me mean**'

Buddha has encouraged the practisioners to abide in the four Brahmaviharas.(Metta, Karuna, Mudita and Upeksha) I have experience of Upeksha or Equianimity. After doing sitting meditation both Zazen and Anapana Sati my mind automatically enters into feeling of Equanimity albeit for small duration of 10-15 minutes, I feel calm and tranquil. However, when I feel Equanimity it seems like its impermenant, the mind changes after sometime. So how do I prolong this feeling of Equanimity?

I am reading Majjhima Nikaya from the translation by Bhikkhu Nanamoli and Bhikkhu Bodhi. In this book, each sutta is divided into several numerical sections. Each section consists of one or a few paragraphs. Now Bhikkhu Bodhi writes in the Preface that the numerical sections were introduced by Ven. Nanamoli and are not found in the original Pali manuscripts. I wonder whether the paragraphs also are modern creations or are actually found in the Pali manuscripts. In the case of collections of verses like Dhammapada or Udana, it is easy to separate them in old palm-leaf manuscripts. But in case of prose treatises like Majjhima Nikaya or Digha Nikaya, how the paragraphs were separated traditionally?

In quite a few depictions of the Buddha in artwork, he appears androgynous. Does this represent something significant in terms of a Buddhist message or ideal, or is this just an artistic style?

In MN:44 it is said, > Visākha, the Buddha said that these five grasping aggregates are > identity. That is: form, feeling, perception, choices, and > consciousness. The Buddha said that these five grasping aggregates are > identity.” If feelings are included in identity forming aggregates why 'thoughts' and 'memories' are not included. Afterall, what I think, like, what I feel, makes my self-identity. To quote Rene Decartus, **'I think therefore I am**'. Isn't the constant chattering of mind generate a sense of self. Also, memory of things I did have a powerful effect on sense of self. So, why not included them?

Subject refers, any short good answer here with an article supports? This is for in case somebody asks me this?

It happened to me during dinner, yesterday: I wanted to move a mosquito that was in my plate and accidentally killed it :( What's the appropriate thing to do in such cases? Is there any mantra to recite in order to have some benefit for the insect? I'm asking this because I read about a mantra to be recited "in front of your shoes" so that, in case of walking on top of an animal, then it would be "less bad". But probably I'm totally wrong :) In any case, I don't think my question is a duplicate of the guy who killed a mosquito on purpose because it was suffering. I killed it because my intention was to move it from my plate, but I didn't pay much attention and did it wrongly.

I was taught that studying and practices in Buddhism should not keep a mindset that a good deed action to expect a good return of credit points to be used afterlife. Anyone has article explaining more on this. These are my personal thought why should not have such a mindset 1. Buddhism is not a bank afterlife 2. That is a trading mindset which i believe contradict or mislead the rule of thumb of Buddhism 3. Should focus on why a good deed "cause and action" and how to do it better on the good deed?

If I have zero feelings won't I be a dead robot? And how would I have love and compassion for beings without feeling?

I've created an Anki deck (still WIP, link here: https://ankiweb.net/shared/info/414202630) , drawing on the translations available here in SuttaCentral (with direct links to those pages). My thinking is that using spaced-repetition might be a helpful way for beginners and intermediate practitioners to grasp the core Dhamma teachings, based on the Early Buddhist texts and extracts (excluding Abhidhamma, later Mahayana teachings, etc., but focusing on the common core across the different traditions.) Right now, I've just included the Four Truths and the Eightfold Path. This will gradually expand to include the rest of the 37 *bodhipakyadhamma*. I've also included the Chinese Agama counterparts (but without English translation, so maybe less helpful unless one is bilingual in both English and Traditional Chinese). My questions: 1. Do you think such a tool is helpful in learning and practicing the Dhamma? 2. Appreciate if you could try out the deck, and provide any feedback for improvement please! :) With much metta, PJ

I think the conventional, mundane, truth in Tendai is the claim that karma is an illusion, for a number of reasons, such as the identity of the perfect mundane truth with the Madhyamaka ultimate truth. Zhiyi -- importantly -- quotes Nagarjuna's Middle Treatise: > All things that arise through causes and conditions, I explain as > emptiness, Again, this is a conventional designation. Again, this is > the meaning of the Middle Way. ---------- I believe that in Tendai the conventional truth is just a different means of asserting the ultimate truth, that each of the three truths are both one truth, and different > although three [phrases], they are one [in meaning]; although one, > this is three; [they are] not mutually exclusive. means of verbally falsifying reality > The three types are all empty because they are beyond verbalization > and conceptualization. The three types are all conventional because > they merely exist as [provisional] verbal [con- structs]. The three > types are all the Middle, because they are identical to the true > aspects [of reality] ---------- So I wondered if the Buddhist law of cause and effect all there is to Buddhism -- and Buddhahood and reality -- according to Tendai, yet also an illusion. > Things are neither merely nominal, nor merely real Ziporyn, 2012, 60 Inescapable, but unreal.

This is focusing in on one specific aspect of what was asked here: https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/questions/1854/what-are-the-three-marks-of-existence I often hear "anatta" explained as being an expression of the non-existence of the self. However, various places add an adjective first. For example, I've heard it said that anatta refers to the non-existence of a "permanent" self, or a "material" self, or a "separate" self (or some combination of those and others). It seems clear to me that it cannot mean the non-existence of a self *per se*, because such a statement -- "There is no self" -- would be auto-refuting. So exactly what is meant by anatta?

What is the source of the cycle of life/death in the scripture , Does it have references in the Pali canon? Is the cycle itself introduced with Buddhism or came from other sources?

In the Seeds Sutta (SN 22.54) , we find there are five kinds of seeds, which can grow, when they are fertile, undamaged and securely planted on the ground with water to nourish them. Water is delight and lust, or in another translation, relishing and greed. Earth refers to the four stations of consciousness, or in another translation, four standing-spots of consciousness, i.e. form, feeling, perception and volitional formations. But what are the five kinds of seeds? This translation of the sutta says "Consciousness together with its nutriment should be seen as like the five kinds of seeds." What is consciousness together with its nutriment, that forms five kinds of seeds? What five? In other suttas (e.g. MN 148 ), there are six kinds of consciousness - related to the six senses (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind or intellect). But what are the five in this sutta formed by consciousness and its nutriment? And what is the nutriment for consciousness? In another translation, this is fuel.

Is the Mind [essentially] bound to ignorance "not-knowing" or free? If it is bound, then its essential nature of "non-knowing" cannot depart, and, therefore, liberation is not [possible, or] if the essential nature departed, the mind would cease to be a Mind, i,e. it can no longer not-know. If it is free, the meditation and other means enjoined for the sake of liberation are of no use.

In the Mahayana tradition, there is the notion of sudden enlightenment. I am not asking whether sudden enlightenment is possible or not. I would like to know if Mahayanists see acquisition of knowledge of the abhidhamma as part of or as a side effect of sudden enlightenment, or if sudden enlightenment is considered a lighter version of fully fledged englightenment?

How do Buddhists talk about forgiveness and turning the other cheek, for extreme wrong doing? The sorts of things that are not about being offended, not insults, but the exact opposite: are atrociously evil or wrong, so one would feel appalled if it had happened to anyone. On the one hand, one may be happy to let karma do its job, but -- on the other -- bodhisattvas must be impelled to save every sentient being. Is the answer to seek material / earthly justice, and work to enlighten them, within the limits of Buddhist ethics?

Being broad celebrated mothers-day today, my person thought to give this question space so that many might share reflections on it and pissible give others good inspirations: **What role does a day like mothersday play for a blessed life, for a follower of the Buddhas Dhamma, and how would it be good spend by mind words and bodily deeds?** *(Note that this is not asked for trade, exchange, stacks or what ever binds here, but for escape from this wheel)*