Are there visual representations of the Tripitaka? Its threefold division suggests a correspondence of vinaya to "body", sutta to "soul", abhidhamma to "mind", a rather broad correspondence that could be linked to many "threefold divisions" of symbolic language.
So I am asking for artistic works that focus explicitly on the Tripitaka, especially in Tibetan art.

This is the mother who carries: Sankha, Chakra, and Gada. I am confused whether she is Mahalaxmi, Kamakhaya, Tripura Sundari, or some Buddhist Goddess.

[Sense consciousness and pure consciousness | Ajahn Sumedho | 21.10.2020](https://youtu.be/lNZV6z0UO3g?si=4jzUizukuHSJpp0m) My understanding of Sense Consciousness becomes clearer after listening to this Dhamma talk by Ajahn Sumedho. As a meditator this is very helpful. Just pure awareness without judgment and grasping. I would like to hear comments from other meditators.

It seems while cetanā concerns having a goal, vāyāma is what carries this goal out. My understanding is neither vāyāma nor cetanā *should* involve upādāna; however, vāyāma is outside of and cultivates the ālaya. If any of this is wrong feedback would be welcome, but my question is does sati require vāyāma, or can it be the result of bountiful ālaya? Does sammā-vāyāma become less significant with cultivation?

Owen Flanagan in this podcast argued while Buddhism has an extremely well developed notion of compassion, it doesn't have a significant notion of justice. He contrasts this with ancient Greek philosophies which he states have a strong notion of justice and weak or absent notion of compassion. So is this correct? Does Buddhism really not have decent (or any) notion of justice. Can anyone perhaps provide examples of justice from the texts (Pali Canon, Mayahana etc..). Or is Owen right - no justice in Buddhism?

In the trisvabhava theory, is the consummate nature inflected by past present and future conditions? Or is it always the same and independent of causal conditions?

In many Buddhist explanations, pratītyasamutpāda (dependent origination) states that all phenomena arise dependent on causes and conditions. However, a common philosophical objection is that if every phenomenon depends on a prior cause, this seems to imply an infinite regress of causes, with no ultimate grounding. If every conditioned phenomenon requires another conditioned phenomenon to give rise to it, how does Buddhism avoid either: an infinite regress of causes, or the need for some first, unconditioned cause (which most schools reject)?

Growing up, I had a general understanding—based on lay textbooks and common interpretations that the dharmic religions like Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism all believe in reincarnation: the idea that an individual is reborn into a new body, either human or animal, after physical death of the body. As I became more interested in Buddhism and tried exploring it more deeply, I noticed that different Buddhists seem to explain this concept in very different ways. Some use the word "reincarnation" and appear to mean it quite literally, while others insist that "rebirth" in Buddhism is not the same as reincarnation, especially since Buddhism denies the existence of a permanent self. This has left me quite confused. Is rebirth just another term for reincarnation, or does Buddhism teach something fundamentally different? What is the correct way to understand the concept of rebirth in Buddhist teachings?

In these video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWcgvxlyrkw how come one part of mind(the first part) is again mind? ### Summary of Video Content: The Four Major Portions of the Mind This video presents an in-depth explanation of the **four major segments of the mind** as described in the language of the Buddha’s time. Understanding these segments and their functions is crucial for recognizing how mental experiences arise and how they influence behavior and suffering. --- ### Core Concepts and Definitions | Term (Original) | English Equivalent | Description | |-----------------|--------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | **Vinyana** | Consciousness | The first part of the mind that cognizes sensory input through the six sense doors (eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind). Each sense has a separate consciousness. | | **Sannya** | Perception | The second part that recognizes and identifies the sensory input, using past experience and memory to evaluate it. | | **Vedana** | Sensation | The third part that experiences sensations on the body as pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral based on the evaluation of the perception. | | **Sankhara** | Volition / Reaction| The fourth part that reacts to the sensations; it represents mental actions or motivations that create karmic "fruits" or consequences. | --- ### Detailed Explanation of the Four Segments 1. **Consciousness (Vinyana)** - Function: To cognize or register sensory inputs from the six sense doors: - Eye → visual consciousness - Ear → auditory consciousness - Nose → olfactory consciousness - Tongue → gustatory consciousness - Body → tactile consciousness - Mind → mental consciousness (thoughts, emotions) - Example: When a sound hits the ear, ear-consciousness arises to register the sound. 2. **Perception (Sannya)** - Function: Recognizes and identifies the nature of the sensory input. - Uses past memories and conditioning to evaluate what the input is (e.g., recognizing words of praise or abuse). - This evaluation assigns meaning and value to the sensory data. 3. **Sensation (Vedana)** - Function: Experiences bodily sensations correlated to the evaluation—pleasant sensations arise from positive evaluations, unpleasant sensations from negative ones. - Example: Words of praise lead to subtle pleasant vibrations in the body, while words of abuse create unpleasant sensations. 4. **Volition / Reaction (Sankhara)** - Function: Reacts to the sensations; it is the **mental action** or motivation that follows cognition, perception, and sensation. - This reaction is **not just a passive feeling** but an active process that leads to karmic consequences or "fruits." - Examples of reactions include craving (from pleasant sensations) and aversion or hatred (from unpleasant sensations). - Sankhara is described as a **heap of actions** that form mental habits and tendencies. --- ### Types and Characteristics of Sankhara (Volitional Formations) - **Sankhara is crucial because it generates karma**; unlike the first three mind functions, sankhara produces consequences that affect future experiences. - There are **three types of sankharas** based on their persistence and impact: | Type | Description | Example / Analogy | |---------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------| | **Transient (like a line on water)** | Very short-lived; eliminated almost immediately after arising. | A line drawn on water that disappears instantly. | | **Temporary (like a line on the beach)** | Lasts for a short period (hours); disappears by the evening if not reinforced. | A line drawn on sand that fades within hours. | | **Deep-rooted (like a line on rock)** | Very persistent; takes years to eliminate, deeply ingrained and difficult to eradicate. | A deeply chiseled line on rock that lasts a very long time. | - The **deep-rooted sankharas are the most dangerous** because they produce powerful and lasting karmic effects. - Negative mental habits like repeated **anger, hatred, passion, fear, worry, anxiety, depression** deepen sankharas, reinforcing suffering and misery. --- ### Key Insights and Conclusions - The mind functions in a **sequential and interdependent manner** starting from simple cognition, moving through recognition and evaluation, experiencing sensations, and finally reacting with volition. - **Consciousness alone does not create karma; it is the volitional reactions (sankhara) that generate karmic results.** - Habitual mental reactions (sankharas) are responsible for deepening suffering and shaping one’s future experiences. - Understanding these four components helps in **recognizing how mental conditioning and repeated reactions lead to persistent defilements or wholesome states**. - The video emphasizes the importance of **mindfulness and awareness** of these processes to intervene before sankhara solidifies negative patterns. --- ### Timeline Table: Mental Process Flow | Step | Segment of Mind | Function | Outcome/Result | |-------|------------------|----------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------| | 1 | Consciousness (Vinyana) | Cognizes sensory input | Awareness that "something has happened" | | 2 | Perception (Sannya) | Recognizes and identifies the input | Assigns meaning (e.g., words of praise or abuse) | | 3 | Sensation (Vedana) | Experiences bodily sensation (pleasant/unpleasant) | Physical/mental feeling arises | | 4 | Volition (Sankhara) | Reacts to sensation; creates mental action | Craving, aversion, or other reactions form karmic seeds | --- ### Summary of Quantitative and Qualitative Data | Aspect | Details | |-----------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Number of Sense Doors | Six (eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind) | | Number of Mind Segments | Four (Consciousness, Perception, Sensation, Volition) | | Types of Sankharas | Three (transient, temporary, deep-rooted) | | Impact of Sankharas | Deep-rooted sankharas produce long-lasting and difficult-to-eradicate karmic results | --- ### Additional Notes - The video repeatedly stresses the **importance of sankhara** as the critical factor in mental conditioning, volition, and karmic consequences. - The speaker uses vivid metaphors (lines on water, sand, rock) to illustrate the persistence and difficulty of eradicating different types of sankharas. - Mental defilements such as anger, hatred, fear, and anxiety are emphasized as examples of negative sankharas that deepen suffering. - The discussion is grounded in the **Buddhist psychological framework** and uses terminology from ancient Buddhist texts. --- ### Keywords and Concepts - **Vinyana (Consciousness)** - **Sannya (Perception)** - **Vedana (Sensation)** - **Sankhara (Volition, Mental Action)** - **Six Sense Doors** - **Karma and Karmic Fruits** - **Mental Conditioning** - **Defilements (Anger, Hatred, Fear, Anxiety)** - **Mindfulness and Awareness** --- This comprehensive explanation of the four major portions of the mind provides a foundation for understanding how sensory input is processed and how mental reactions form the basis for karmic consequences and continued psychological suffering. Recognizing and interrupting the reactive volitional process (sankhara) is key to reducing suffering and fostering wholesome mental states.

I am basically an Undergraduate student in India. Let me tell everyone that I made huge mistakes in my past. When my parents beat me, I also beat them. I never respected my parents and my teachers. Whenever my parents told me to touch the feet of the elders, I always used to get angry at my parents. Whenever my parents suggested me anything good, then I always used to get angry and many times I have even beaten my parents. I have never said "Thank You Sir" to my teachers when they helped me out with my Doubts. I always used to challenge my elders. Many times, I have even shouted at my grandparents. But now at the age of 21, I am able to understand my every mistakes which I already committed in the past. Now I want to rectify myselves. I really want to know that how can I rectify myselves ? How can I control my anger ?

If I do meditation just before and after sleep, will the whole sleep will be counted as a meditation session ? I don't have time, how to make sleep as meditation ? Is afternoon nap permissible according to buddha ?

In my quest to develop virtue, sometimes, I get distracted and entangled in thoughts. When I am in thoughts, virtuous conduct is halted. The reason why I get entangled in thoughts, is usually because of attachment. For example, attachment to what someone thinks about me. My head starts ruminating and I am not being mindful or diligent or metta in the present moment. One way to phrase this came to mind, inspired by a sutta describing enlightenment. To paraphrase the relevant part of the sutta: > Picking up the aggregates is a burden, laying them down is blissful Inspired by this, **when I become distracted, I think of it like this:** > **Instead of having practiced the eightfold path, I picked up the aggregates** **Since I still don't grasp enlightenment or anatta, I am unsure if this is a helpful application of that phrase.** What do you think?

Years ago I came across a Sanskrit term that described the exchange or interaction of a buddhist and art. I am desperate to remember that term. It described engaging with art work in the present moment as though the piece was alive in you and you were alive in the piece. The term defined a mutual exchange of presence. Can anyone help me with recalling this term?

The wikipedia page for [Buddhist Cosmology](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhist_cosmology#Origins) has a section titled "Origins" in which the following sentence occurs: >No single sūtra sets out the entire structure of the universe, but in several sūtras the Buddha describes other worlds and states of being, and other sūtras describe the origin and destruction of the universe. I am interested in reading these sūtras, in which the Buddha describes other worlds and states of being, but I am not sure what they are. Does anyone know what sūtras the author of the article is referring to?

I recently received a Impermanence Mala for Christmas. I have read The Heart of Buddha's teaching and I couldn't find anything in there. Thank you in advance for any information.

What is the acceptability of the Jataka literature across various Buddhist traditions? Please answer with references from both traditional and modern perspectives if possible.

Buddhist scriptures describe numerous supranormal phenomena such as the existence of devas (gods), multiple cosmological realms such as heaven and hell, and the continuity of consciousness or reincarnation that are inaccessible to ordinary sensory perception and cannot be established through conventional inference. This raises a question about the nature of scriptural authority across Buddhist traditions. Do schools such as Theravāda, Mahāyāna, or Vajrayāna treat scripture or scriptural revelations as independent, authoritative proof of such phenomena, in a manner analogous to how śruti functions in Hindu Vedānta, where the text itself serves as an epistemic source? Or are these teachings primarily seen only as guiding principles for ethical conduct, meditative practice, and direct experiential verification, rather than as conclusive evidence of supranormal realities? References to classical texts, commentaries, or doctrinal discussions that clarify whether the status of scriptural proof in Buddhism is regarded as epistemically authoritative for realities beyond perception and inference would be especially illuminating.

Four Parts of the Mind 1. Vinnyana or Consciousness – 6 Vinnyanas. These include the consciousness that arises from the Eye, Ear, Tongue, Nose, Mind and Body. 2. Sanya or Perception – Function of this part of the mind is to recognize and evaluate. 3. Vedhana or Sensation – Function is to realize the sensation. 4. Sankhara or Reaction – Function is to react, to give fruit to the sensation. This is the volition of the mind. The 3 types of Sankharas include a) like line drawn on water b) like line drawn on sand on beach c) like line drawn on rock, deep line. My question which part of mind observes 3.Vedana/Sensation in VIPASSANA ? Is it 1.Vinnyana ? And how come one part of **mind**(the first part) is again **mind**?

**Today I momentarily fell back to identifying with old thinking patterns, and as a result, old habits and sluggishness emerged.** It caused some trouble, mainly that I delayed departure to a casual meeting with my parents. I called and said as an explanation that I don't feel so good today, and the way I said it left open interpretation that I may call things off entirely. **But then, I remembered the virtue of diligence amongst others, and turned things around.** While I told my parents that "I didn't feel so good", to myself, now, **I think of it as me having "forgotten who I am, for a moment".** This was a phrase that came to me when I was being diligent and discarding of wrong thought again. **But since I still don't grasp anatta, I am unsure if this is a helpful phrase.** What do you think?

On several occasions I have encountered the term "red boddhicitta" in scholarly literature on Indian tantra, but am having trouble locating the Sanskrit term for this concept. I tried googling रक्त बोधिचित्त but nothing comes up; then again, I don't reckon google is indexing Sanskrit all that carefully. I'm not very familiar with the primary sources at the moment, but I gather there are Sanskrit texts that may mention red boddhicitta. I seem to recall one piece known as the Nectar Tantras but I couldn't find a text or translation of it.

Question

Are there any Sanskrit sources that explicitly used the term "red boddhicitta"? (any text from Indian tantra tradition would be sufficient)