our Sangha is trying to find through a lot of ancient books about the story of Arya Nagarjuna reaching a level of direct perception of Emptiness, and we couldn't find anything in the scriptures yet. If someone has information on a following topics with quotes, please let us know. Thank you. EDIT: What I meant is that he reached an Arya level, and we are looking for details about his direct perception of Emptiness.

I want to start observing Uposatha, but I'm a little unclear on what days it is. I'm finding calendars that it is the days of full moons in Sri Lanka or other countries. Should it just be celebrated on full moons then? For example, I'm in the Midwest of the USA, the full moon in September is September 6 but I'm seeing Uposatha to be August 5 on calendars. Which dates should I observe on? Also, am I correct that the eight precepts to be practiced on Uposatha are: 1. Do not take life 2. Celibacy 3. Do not speak false, no lies 4. Do not steal 5. Do not use any intoxicants 6. Only eat one meal between dawn and noon (does this need to be vegetarian to fit in with the first precept?) 7. Do not use a luxurious bed that night, so sleep on a sleeping mat on the ground Are these correct?

Buddhist first precept is abstain from killing animals. Could this also imply that driving a car is unwholesome and not good for a practitioner. --- Would not one agree that by choosing to walk is considered kinder as it would have less chance of accidentally killing animals than driving or riding? The same could go that riding is kinder than driving. By taking these kindfull approaches, one would commit less killing and right intention, which would bring better meditation. Please be careful here, I do not imply that driving is wrong, but it can reduce peace in our mind.

There is a lot of advice about dana and the importance of generosity and giving but is there any advice on how to receive generosity? From a western perspective it can be quite awkward to receive gifts or charity so I wondered if there is any specific Buddhist advice on how should this be done - both the actions and the appropriate mental state. The motivation for this is this you tube video where Yuttadhammo is receiving alms. I found it very striking the manner in which they are received - without any thank you or speech. This could be a cultural phenomena within Sri-Lanka or how alms are received generally - I'm not sure. However it makes me wonder in what spirit generosity should be received from a Buddhist perspective generally.

How to bless someone with special words in Buddhism ? My friends ask me for keep them in my pray but we don't believe in praying. So what should my answer to them ?

Many years ago, a Zen Roshi said in a class that "nobody else is your boss except for you. Only you can make the decision and apply yourself to practice, nobody else can." So, I've heard this many times from various Buddhist traditions. However, Buddhism also has this idea of "taking refuge" in various things. If you are responsible for yourself what is the point of "taking refuge?" What is the proper understanding of "taking refuge" in Buddhism?

When studying the sutras should that be considered a form of meditation, if so what are the guidelines for sutra meditation?

When we have several people with different understanding of Buddhism, how should we decide who is right? Debate is very tempting in Buddhism, but on the other hand, we must respect other people's views and not create conflicts in the Sangha, so what should we do? Sometimes Buddhists cannot agree with each other, especially if these Buddhists come from different schools or traditions. An idea that is considered correct in one linage may be considered wrong in another. Did the Buddha teach how to handle these situations? How were these disagreements handled in the past? (See also: [famous debates in canonical Buddhist texts](https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/questions/8182/what-are-the-famous-debates-in-canonical-buddhist-texts)) ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS by @Yeshe Tenley: Under what conditions is it proper? Under what conditions is it improper? Is it a bad thing? Can it be a good thing? What is the proper motivation to do so? What are improper motivations? What is skillful? What is unskillful? Assuming it is desirable to show respect while debating, how should this respect be manifested? What are examples of disrespectful debate and how can the line be drawn? What's the difference between debate and proselytizing? ... and references to dharma teachings, historical events, or opinions/literature of noted teachers also welcome and encouraged!

Siddhartha Gautama accepted as its close disciples some secular. They had the same chance to gain enlightenment, without practicing rituals, and without believing in everything he said or did. Looking at the big picture can show that Siddhartha's truth doesn't hide behind idealism or practicing specific rituals. By it's nature it is everywhere, and it's findable in everything. The Truth could be in any ritual or practice. **So isn't it out of context to create massive religious groups like we can see in modern Buddhism ?** **Isn't it against the nature itself of the truth, to mass share a specific view of it ?**

I started observing nature as I walked by the street which I take daily to get out of colony. Problem is that I have already observed it throughly. There isn't anything that I haven't observed. Brain gets in auto pilot mode in such situations. I tried to keep my attention on my shoes and thus counting my steps. This has a danger of me getting hit by something because I was looking down. ***Where am I supposed to look and what am I supposed to think while doing mundane routine activities like sitting in an auto and moving on an already known default path? There is no stimulus for brain to do anything new.*** I still have to be on my guards though. I don't want to reach in dreamland where I am totally unaware of what's happening around me. I tried to focus on "Waiting for my thoughts to appear so that I can acknowledge them". This reduced anxiety and made me happy *but this way I had forgotten that I was walking since the brain was on auto-pilot mode*.

What additional ethics you find in Buddhism which are not found in other religions? Other religions mean Abrahamic religions, Hinduism, Taoism or any other religion you know. I also like to know whether other religions have any ethics you do not find in Buddhism. To start with concentrate on five, eight precepts compare them to other religions.

Is there any way we can know that all these rules are from the Buddha and not made up after him, based on cultural and/or persons agendas?

What is reincarnated? Does reincarnation occur in the realm of conventional reality? Well I had to put in some superfluous words because the website wouldn't accept just a simple question.

Are there Sanghas(in the more broad meaning of the word) of those who practice like monks but aren't officially monks and have not been ordained as monks by monks? If they could call themselves "Bunks" or something besides "monks", would this be problematic? Are there any scriptures related to this?

Can I assume that Theravada monks are to eat any kinds of food given to them during alms round? What if they are given food with seafood or any meat? Is it considered breaking the 1st precept? Cos in order to have the seafood, somebody has to do the dirty job of catching them then make them dishes, same applies to meat.

I read the following on the internet: > Birth as a human is extremely rare the majority of humans most likely > came from hellish worlds, the animal realm, or the realm of ghosts > prior to this human existence..... Is it true or false according to the Pali suttas?

Avidyā and moha which can be translated as confusion or ignorance are sources of suffering. The western term for the study of reality and knowledge is called "philosophy" which an be translated from the Greek as "the love of wisdom". Rāga is also a term for attachment which is another source of suffering that is to say Buddhism tells you not to attach yourself to material or mental objects (including Buddhism) otherwise you will suffer and won't attain enlightenment. If knowledge gives you a deeper understanding of reality and existence and makes you understand other beings and their need to escape suffering and knowledge makes you attain compassion, why would nature be so cruel to remove your memories and wisdom reincarnation after reincarnation to make you step on the same stones again? Christian Gnostics believed that it's because this world is controlled by Satan and only holy knowledge can give you salvation. Is karma (which is a religious belief) the only answer Buddhism has to this matter?

I have personal problems with the metta practice. I would say may I/you be happy and I would go in this wish fulfilment mode. Imagining myself and others happy would create a jinni in the bottle attitude. It would become this deluded practice. 1. How can I wish people to be happy when I know this wish wont come true? 2. How can I wish people to be happy whithout going into this prayer mode? Can I use words like "I hope you be happy"? Or maybe I find joy" Is metta hoping? Or attitude of maybes?

A friend asked this mind-bending question on social media: > when you’re talking to yourself in your head (or out loud) do you refer to yourself as we, I, you, or they/she/he/other pronoun? This got me thinking that the difference between addressing myself as "I" and "you" seems trivial but really has some implications when it comes to ego, self, non-self and letting go. So I'm wondering if anyone has any opinions on whether the Dhamma implies we should "talk to ourselves" in certain ways? E.g. Should I tell myself > I forgive that person, I will follow the eight-fold path, I will meditate for 20 minutes or > You forgive that person, you will follow the eight-fold path, you will meditate for 20 minutes Alternately, do you think we should really try to use the third-person for addressing ourselves? I know that some Buddhists like to say things like "the body" rather than "your body" or "my body", but it seems like saying "Jer will meditate for 20 minutes" is too weird, but if that's the answer you think is right I'm interested in your thinking too :) --- *Here's an example answer that shows what I am asking with this question, but I don't know if it's very wise or not, so obviously still looking for perspectives of others.* When I address myself in the first person, I implicitly emphasize my identity, and stay wrapped up in subjectivity. When I address myself in the second person, I confess that my consciousness is separate from my identity, I gain a more objective position in relation to my thoughts, feelings and experiences.

I want to know what the right age for a child to learn meditation, for example if I do anapana with a toddler, can it stop the development or it will help the child to stay into panya later. Vipassana courses starts from 8 year old, but that may be due to other reasons, but personally I think I can teach my daughter as soon as possible. At the time she is less than 3 months old, and she had started making sounds, I know it doesn't make any sense, but this is the age when infants start to learn and copy things right? I think if I act like I am breathing my daughter will stop copying me in coming months, so could doing anapana be good or bad for her?