I have been wanting to ask this question for some time. So basically caught up in the social norms, i used to watch porn videos and masturbate and got a bit attached to it. Kept on doing it for a few years. And 2 years back I met a girlfriend and we were so in love and also did different sexual activity (Apart from sex). But our relationship broke one year back when i got to know that she had cheated with another person as a tool to solve certain problems and not for love. When i got to know about it (She herself revealed it) i asked about her whole life story and i got upset by it and sympathized her. Knowing that my mother would not approve her since she also know what happened, I taught her the path of dhamma. Created a path for her to move on through dhamma.To be a better person. And she is still engaging in that path. So after the break up I was mentally broken down and I somehow needed to satisfy my sexual desire. So i started watching more and more porn and satisfied myself. But it became very upsetting for me due to the breakup. So one day i decided to start meditating every day and i have been continuing since then. After 2 weeks of meditation i realized that i should stop masturbating and watching porn and i just stopped it then and there. But the following few weeks were very hard. My body was rebelling to watch porn or to at least to satisfy myself. But i fought and fought. There was a time where my body was literally shaking. And i continued that for six months. There were times where i saw some sexual dreams and i ejaculated. But i didn't do it intentionally. I meditated different practices and I did a lot of Asuba bawana to control my sexual desire. And I was doing well. But since recently I have been getting flashbacks of my sexual activities with my ex. And i get these strong urges to masturbate and get it over with. I spoke this with my ex (Since we actually understand each other a lot) and she told me to just do it and accept it. I have no intention of being a monk at the moment or to live a celibacy life. Whereas i have expectations to find a girlfriend and marry and move on. But i don't feel like masturbating at the moment cause i feel it's just a waste of time and empty since it would make more meaning if i have a girlfriend. So i won't be continuing the anti-masturbating till i find a girlfriend (Why i mentioned this cause by choosing a normal life you will be engaging in these sort pf sexual activities.) I know for a fact that I will not be watching porn again. Since Stopping it actually made my mind peaceful and to respect women more and to see the beauty in them than to see things perversely. **My question is this** Since I am doing Asuba Bawana if i get an urge to satisfy i would usually try to kill that thought. But there are times where it becomes a big problem in the mind and sometimes my head hurts trying to kill it. Literally. What should i do at such times? Should i just satisfy myself mindfully or just keep killing the thoughts?

The Buddha attained Nirvana at the age of 35. He lived 45 years more after which his Parinirvana occurred. Is it not somewhat contradictory? If Nirvana means the end of rebirth and rebirth means the evolution of consciousness, did the Buddha possess no consciousness during the last 45 years of his life?

Buddha has asked to refrain from killing. However if small insects do not feel any pain then what is the harm in killing them? To simply put : Do insects feel less pain and humans more ?

Good evening everyone. I am a newcomer to buddhism, although i have been reflecting on and practicing many concepts very much ressembling to buddhism for a decade. I understand that monks and nuns need to make a living, however it seems to be a tendency to ask for money during teachings. As someone who grown up around christians, i am used to giving money on a volunteer basis but i might just be totally wrong about this. Of course there are always expenses and it is normal that we participate. I am however very sceptical when people ask for too much money, especially when they are supposed to teach us. In my life, i have encountered greed many times, and i have been acting with greed in my mind on several occasions. It took me a few years to understand it was wrong and i don't consider myself so greedy anymore. Retreats are also extremely expensive in some monasteries. I am however far from a saint and still an outsider to buddhism in general, so my words might be missplaced. It is my belief that money is indeed the root of all evil as some christians like to say. It tooks me years to realize it. So what do you think about paying for teachings, retreats, etc? Is this common practice in buddhism?

I agree I may be impatient here. I am doing Zazen and Anapan sati like breath awareness for quiet a while now. But I get no results, no satori and no Jnana and no present moment breath awareness. This creates frustration after meditation as I dont go into silent spaces. This creates discouragement for sitting for next time. Can someone please point me a way to look at this in a somehow positive way and keep me encouraged.

In Hinduism the traditional master-disciple relationship in the transmission is very important, which means that a student can go and learn from a teacher [whose initiatory lineage goes back directly to Adi Shankara](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shankaracharya) for example. I would have liked to know if there was such a thing in Buddhism, and if so, what were the oldest lineages still in place? With the master-disciple initiation chain unbroken. Is there one that can be traced back to the Buddha himself? I hear a lot about the Forest Tradition, [but it only dates back to the 20th century](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai_Forest_Tradition#Formative_period_(around_1900)) .

I feel like I am ruled by my mind and it's illogical behaviour what to do. Thanks

I have visited a local group of Karma Kagyu practitioners once, hearing a Dharma talk and participating in the mantra, rituals, and meditation. At this occasion, the members of the Sangha greeted one another by touching foreheads with each other. I didn't ask why at the time, and haven't been able to find a description of that tradition online. Could someone shed some light on this custom?

My ignorance of Buddhism will show here, so please forgive me, but I've seen many depictions of the Buddha with hair, seemingly after his Bodhisattva form. I've also read that these might actually be snails which represent Buddhist philosophy rather than actual hair. I've seen other posts on here, but none referencing the actual text. What do the texts actually say about the appearance of the Buddha?

I was staying at samye ling Tibetan monastery in Scotland and writing a lot of poetry. I wrote this haiku in one go without any consideration or counting syllables, and did not feel as if I wrote it. It is much better than my usual standard: Palms open fingers spread, Serenity offered, The mind now awake. Does anyone recognise it? I am certain that I have no conscious memory of reading these words or any similar lines and am equally sure that they are not my invention! I would appreciate any insight into how they came to be. I have not subsequently experienced anything like this.

I don't know how many Buddhists actually reckon with loneliness and the (very real) suffering associated with it. It seems to me that a lot of Buddhist teachings emphasize on the value of solitude and deem intimate/personal relationships to be unwholesome karma, which ought to be readily forsaken. So what should an aspiring Buddhist do if he/she feels perpetually alone, constantly challenged with the near-impossible task of building deep, trusting and long-lasting relationships that are emotionally nourishing and fulfilling? Should he/she simply forget about such worldly pursuits and learn to live the life of a recluse in a good forest monastery? Or try to do something about this somewhat-unbearable State of Being? If the latter, what can the Dharma teach us about forging human connections that are increasingly loving, kind and deeply meaningful? ----- # Some Afterthought: From the Samana Johnann's comment and some of the answers below, it does show that Buddhism tend not to view Loneliness as a *problem* per se. We *do* need friends (and Teachers!) to provide consistent spiritual support in each of our paths towards Enlightenment, though. (And people who are lonely often find it hard to express and/or address their need in this respect.) Also, it is natural for humans, as social beings, to yearn for social bonding and some level of intimacy. I know many seasoned Yogi(ni)s can attest to the fact that one can be perfectly equanimous being alone in a meditative state. But are we missing out on something?

There have been some similar questions, but still not quite the same. Whenever I want to (not only during meditation), I can generate an electric current. I sort of have to open up at the third eye, do something in my gut area, and then can direct it, or hold it a short time. I also seem to be able to pass it on to others. What can or should I do with this? Or should I just ignore it? But it feels right, to use and play with it. Thanks for any input

Q: > Did the Buddha copy Hinduism and add his own stuff? Why is Buddhism > connected to thoughts in Hinduism if he didn't do so?

Is there, aside from Secular Buddhism, a sect or tradition of Buddhism that does not include rituals and chanting as a part of it's liturgy?

> “Here a bhikkhu, gone to the forest or to the root of a tree or to an empty hut, sits down; having folded his legs crosswise, set his body erect, and established mindfulness in front of him, ever mindful he breathes in, mindful he breathes out. > > “Breathing in long, he understands: ‘I breathe in long’; or breathing out long, he understands: ‘I breathe out long.’ Breathing in short, he understands: ‘I breathe in short’; or breathing out short, he understands: ‘I breathe out short.’ He trains thus: ‘I shall breathe in experiencing the whole body of breath’; he trains thus: ‘I shall breathe out experiencing the whole body of breath.’ He trains thus: ‘I shall breathe in tranquillising the bodily formation’; he trains thus: ‘I shall breathe out tranquillising the bodily formation.’ This passage is translated with the same words in my native language, but I don't understand what does it mean. The other English translation translates this as "stilling the body’s motion". Does "tranquillising the bodily formation" means the same as "stilling the body’s motion"?

[This answer](https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/a/9318/254) was thought to be Zen-inspired: > Yes it's wrong. Throw away your statues and burn your dharma books. Zen has a reputation for being a bit [iconoclastic](https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/a/11510/254) . But perhaps it is somehow based on dharma or suttas (see e.g. [Publishing the sutras](http://tuvienquangduc.com.au/English/story/01zenstory21-40.html#37.%20Publishing%20the%20Sutras) , and Korea has a [Tripitaka](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tripitaka_Koreana)) ? On the other hand I think I remember one user of this site writing that they had a Zen teacher initially, but didn't understand it so well until later, after they studied the Pali suttas a bit on their own -- as if the Zen were maybe not clear about explaining theory? Some of the famous recorded dialogs (e.g. "Nothing Exists", or the poem contest which Huineng won) seem to be dhamma discussion -- as if they have learned some dhamma to discuss! But the few popular modern English introductions to Zen that I might have read don't seem to mention dhamma much -- they talk about Zen customs or methods, like sitting and giving students a koan -- not the four noble truths, not the gradual or the threefold training, not the hindrances nor fetters nor the factors of enlightenment, perhaps not even the traditional story of the Buddha (i.e. the four messengers and his living home). I think that Thich Nhat Hanh probably talked about the three or four characteristics of existence, at least -- I expect that, impermanence, is maybe a famous item of doctrine in the culture (of traditional Zen countries) at large. What is Zen doctrine, what might be taught to a novice? Does it depend entirely on what the student might have learned already, no fixed curriculum, based on an interview between the student and the teacher? Is the elementary dhamma -- e.g. as outlined in https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/q/1487/254 -- instead a body of knowledge which most laypeople would have learned at home or perhaps in elementary school, in countries where Zen is traditional, therefore something which doesn't need to be taught to adult students?

And even more, that we should embrace it and accept it (while at the same time avoiding the sufferings) ?

I focus now on bigger area from top of the nose to upper lip.When I watch breath my focus goes from upper lip to nasal passage but could not return to upper lip that is my tiny spot of focus .It gets stucked up to nostril or base of nose.So what should I do to focus continuously upper lip to top of nose and return back from top of nose to upper lip.

What could be the purpose of the Buddha teaching AN 2.61 below? Why is this relevant? How is this useful? AN 2.61 states: > “Mendicants, females die without getting enough of two things. > *“Dvinnaṃ dhammānaṃ, bhikkhave, atitto appaṭivāno mātugāmo kālaṃ > karoti.* > > What two? > *Katamesaṃ dvinnaṃ?* > > Sexual intercourse and giving birth. > *Methunasamāpattiyā ca vijāyanassa ca.* > > Females die without getting enough of these two things.” > *Imesaṃ kho, bhikkhave, dvinnaṃ dhammānaṃ atitto appaṭivāno mātugāmo kālaṃ > karotī”ti.*

According to Buddhist teachings, is it possible to continue to reborn and suffer for all eternity? Suppose if a being never attained any merit, never was able to work through its old karma. Would it be possible for that being to never escape suffering? I have heard some people say: > No, nobody can be reborn and suffer forever. For an extremely long time, maybe, but not *forever.* I mean, *forever* is really an astounding concept. Even if you take billions of trillions of gazillions of births it's still *nothing* compared to *forever*. If it's *not* possible to be reborn forever, then it implies that all beings are eventually destined for Enlightenment. Some may have an insanely long way to go, but if they're not gonna be reborn forever, then they have to *eventually* attain Enlightenment? **Do some beings continue to be reborn and suffer forever, or are all beings destined to attain Enlightenment *eventually*?** I prefer answers that give sources and all that. But some nice reasoning is also welcome.