Isn't this a kind of "opposite to empathy, compassion, metta"? Nowdays, householders(not all) have cruel behaviour towards handicapped ones. If monk also declines to help, would that be called as compassion?

Whenever I go for meditation retreat(self-exploration or in group), my brain remains calm, body remains healthy, digestive system becomes good. When I try to go for household life or even think about it, my tension increases, digestive system corrupts(whereas it remains better during retreat), can't maintain percept of not eating after midday because of stomach. Morning workout (physical) makes me more lazy(sleepy), laziness decreases meditation. Metta-meditation makes me to worry about others whereas, if I don't do metta it, makes me feel like selfish? Should I consult psychologist or should I go for monk-life? How to stop worrying about others or why do I feel like worrying about others during metta?

Buddhists talk about discontinuity > ordinary consciousness consists of the ***discrete*** cetas and illusion > all is illusion and the external objects are nothing but the creations > of our mind 1. In Yogacara, are all moments discontinuous -- the idea that nothing is ever the same thing twice and no two times meet -- and an illusion? 2. Does that mean that durations -- even-though consisting of impermanent events -- only *seem* to arise persist decay or cease? Why? I can intuitively see a link between 1 and 2, and I am in effect asking about that. Put another way: is the flow of time we psychologically experience itself permanent?

When I feel dullness in meditation, I tend to move about on the chair, e.g. tilt forwards or backwards, change position to prod myself to wakefulness. **Would such a method be detrimental?** Should one aspire to remain completely still during meditation?

Can anyone recommend a practice to overcome disturbing sounds. Many times when I meditate or turn inwards I am disturbed by a neighbors loud barking dogs or other loud sounds. I've tried doing visualization, clearing the space energy, Feng Shui mirrors, ear plugs (help to some degree), even talking to the neighbor but I seem to be often in irritation by this. The external disturbance is affecting my inner-commune. I also find my attention goes to that external sound and I feel tense/disturbed by the energy of it. I'd appreciate any ideas / thoughts on how to stay centered and undisturbed in the face of external disturbance / inconsiderate neighbors. Thanks in advance. Rich

To my knowledge, Bodhicaryāvatāra expressed the Nothing new will be said here, nor have I any skill in composition. Therefore I do not imagine that I can benefit others. I have done this to perfume my own mind.. In my limited understanding, it refers to the negative thoughts although I do not have complete comprehension of it. What does it refer to, what is the intention and what is to be practiced?

Simple question -- how to tackle cold feeling during winter **through meditation** other than clothes or anything? Asking for specific meditation details with insight for tackling cold without any tantra or mantra or yantra. - **What** will be sensations in various parts of body? - **What** will be various body-parts movement during meditation(other than shaking)? - **What** will be the thoughts? - **Will** one have to maintain some pressure within body? - **What** will be the side effects or hindrances, if any? All the **minute details** which can be **generalized to everyone**. Don't write answers with advice like, "think to be born in cold countries..."... **Here coldness/enviornment refers to the point where meditator will have the need to wear woolen clothes...!** If you have any authoritative (**gautama the buddha's only**) source for **meditation** on such, can give that -- but otherwise looking for **specific practical experience**. **Theorist may consider it a challenge, if they haven't experienced** Be Happy, Metta

Is suchness, tathata, as a concept always something in addition to phenomena? If not, when we talk about the suchness of phenomena we could mean what they are like, the qualitative experience of a taste e.g.. But if, conceptually, they are different, then no experience of taste amounts to its "true state" -- the meaning of suchness. I'm asking because I've seen it said that tathata *means* qualia. And, while I never agreed, I wasn't sure what's wrong with that. I suspect, today, that it's wrong because they are in fact opposites -- opposites that need to be harmonized

Does kamma bind or work with the physical realm? Such as a tsunami will kill you, but you will also die in such a way due to past kamma?

On http://media.sbinstitute.com/courses/spring2016/91/ , there is an Awareness-based meditation where we are invited to observe the various objects that we are aware off : thoughts, sounds, sensations, etc... Question 1 : a/ do these objects appear IN Awareness ? (like clouds appearing IN the sky) ? OR b/ do these objects appear FROM Awareness (and in this case my analogy with the sky is not correct; because clouds are not made of sky) question 2 : I more and more come across the statement that objects (thoughts, sounds, sensations) are in fact MADE OF Awareness; and hence are not distinct from Awareness. But my mind can't understand that... Has anybody analogies or explanations so that I can understand this (apparently) paradox ? Thank you all for your replies :) Namaste

what to do with these sensations,these happens all day,why i have to resist to itch i am wondering when i can simply itch that move on.

I remember reading in a sutta that the Buddha said not engaging in the sexual act is considered right action. Does anybody know the place where that is written? I don’t remember where I read it.

I noticed that I usually think in a very abstract manner, without images, just words and ideas. When I try intentionally to think visually, only then does lustful or worry-related images pop up. And, only then can I seemingly redirect my attention from these images. **If a person thinks very abstractly, is it possible that cravings or worries don't arise in consciousness? What is going on here?**

Is there a difference, in terms of mental fabrication, between creativity and imagination (which seem to rely on imagining what's not there) and empathy and mentalizing (which understand how someone's mind/mental affinities are)? Are empathy and mentalizing more *'mindful'* and produce less mental fabrication?

I recall there is a sutta where the Buddha said he "kills" some monks, that is, completely ignores them or something similar. Is this contrary to metta (unconditonal love)?

Where is ignorance, and why does it not end with death? Can we experience it? Does it have to be actively conditioning formations for us to experience it, or can we know this nidana even when freed from it? I'm interested in an answer from any tradition.

I have this misunderstanding about love and attachment as they relate to one another. It's hard to put in words, so I'll try with some examples first. My understanding is that love is something you give away without expecting anything in return. While love where you need or want something from the other person (like for example, expect that other person to make you happy, or you want to control the other person in some way, or try to change them to be more of how you would want them to be, etc) is actually attachment. One example of true love I can think of is love for your children. You love them unconditionally. You understand they are their own person, with their own dreams, aspiration, thoughts, etc, so whatever they do, good or bad, you support them, help them, etc. You don't try to change them, or influence them, or impose your ideas on them, or have them accomplish the things you couldn't (e.g. I couldn't go to med school, but my child will), etc. No matter what happens, you love them because they are your children, and you love them no matter what they do. Taking that further, even in the presence of death, I still can understand love (at least I think I do). Everyone dies. Your children might die. And even if you love them and will miss them if they are gone, or suffer after they are gone, that suffering doesn't linger. You continue to love your children even after they are gone (or at least the idea of them or the memory of them). But here is another example. You love your partner. You think you love them like in the example above. But then they cheat on you with some other person. If you loved your partner unconditionally, you would be OK with that... I think. If being with someone else makes them happy, you should be happy for them, right? But in most relationships, you expect from your partner that they don't cheat on you, or to behave in a certain way. When that expectation is broken, you suffer. Arguments start, resentment, maybe violence towards that person. Is this because of attachment to the person and not love? Because we expect them, and demand, that they behave in a way that doesn't hurt us or make us suffer, that we are attached to the idea that your partner is only ours to have? So I guess, my question is this: What is love and what is attachment in a relation with your partner? What happens to love and attachment when they cheat with someone else? (for most of the people I know, death is less painful than being cheated upon; suffering caused by death eventually heals, but being cheated upon lingers for much longer). Can you truly love someone with no attachment so that no matter what they do, you do not end up suffering?

Whenever an unbeliever starts inquiring regarding Buddhism or the Buddha's teaching, do Buddhists see this as providence leading the unbeliever to Buddha's faith or something else? Does Buddhism's notion of providence extend beyond karma?

In Christianity monks and nuns practice works of mercy which include caring for the terminally ill or doing what St. Teresa of Calcutta did. What works analogous to what St. Teresa of Calcutta did do Buddhist monks practice?

After a deep contemplation of why I couldn't move on from a relationship I found that it was because I am not getting admiration from anyone else. Actually, in past she admired me when no one else did. I was in great need of admiration and she showed me that just then. She filled a hole in me that time, made me feel good about myself. Now that we are not together, I am depressed, demotivated and not a man anymore. I am craving that admiration so much. I do not have any contact with any other girl in my life. I also realised why she admired me. But now I'd be foolish to seek the same admiration from someone else while I am not having those qualities that make people admire me anymore. Also she was my first love and soon I had developed sexual interest in her. So, admiration + first love + sexual interest made me feel on top of the world. I was teen back then. Now I can't move on. What do i do?