There are a lot of people practicing their religion at home (to some extent). But how practical is that for a Buddhist? My question came boiling up when a family-member said that I ultimately have to choose between 'my western life' or becoming a Monk because they think they aren't compatible and to be honest, I don't really know. I feel myself to become quite less social when I practice Buddhism which is by my knowledge a common reaction when you get to see things as they are. The Vinaya Pitika describes 227 rules to ordained Monks for the sake of becoming enlightened. There are many distractions which keeps you from the right path and you will break 220 on average each day.

*Note: Originally I wrote "unintentionally" and not just "accidentally" but I have realized that even the "accidental" action described in the example below involves the person's intentions of their movements and thus even if the person's intention wasn't to break the vase they still broke the vase through their intentional action and I believe they would necessarily suffer for breaking the vase.* Example: 1. A person is walking through a friend's house and accidentally knocks a vase and causes it to fall and break. The friend asks for the person to buy them a new vase, but the person refuses. Does the person necessarily suffer for refusing to buy their friend a new vase?

I want to devote my life to Buddhist way of meditation, I want to know more of Buddha teaching but my main interest is for go day and night actual meditation practices. I accidentally come across Sri S. N. Goyenka Vipassana retreats and attended one 10 day retreat at Dhamma Sota-New Delhi, after that from one year i'm practicing Vipassana meditation 2-4 hours daily at home. Now i'm very clear i want to devote my life for this.Its be very helpful if anyone can guide me into this.

I was planning to visit a centre, so first I checked their webpage, I thought they are a lit too pushy when it comes to donations, asking for money in a very explicit way to pay their bills. OK, let me be fair, they have bills to pay and utilities can be expensive sometimes. I have more experience with Mahayana (eventhough I follow Theravada now) and in the two centres I have been to, I have never seen similar thing, so it makes me wonder, why? Maybe their funding structures are different, more robust, I dont know... Is there anything in the Vinaya that can help? What are the limits when it comes to asking for money?

According to a precept it is forbidden to integrate a person under 20 years of age into the Sangha. Is that correct? So are the young monks, not monks, but something different?

Is the experience of jhana considered dukkha because of its impermanence? If yes, is it still considered dukkha after attaining Nibbana? Is the experience of jhana conditioned? Is it still considered conditioned after attaining Nibbana? Thanks in advance for your time and patience. Kind regards!

Are only stream-entrants destined to attain Nibbana? I don't know whether it is possible to be destined to attain Nibbana more than 7 lives beforehand. Is it not possible to be destined to attain Nibbana more than 7 lives beforehand ?

What do you think? I believe the experience of suffering or enjoyment is not equivalent and is not reducible to physics e.g. things like "repulsion", "attraction" etc. I cannot see "suffering" or "enjoyment" arising out of or being equivalent to forces, force,energy, waves, atoms etc. no matter how one configures it. It seems suffering cannot be reduced to "energy", waves etc. in the same way that hearing cannot be reduced to seeing.

I have recently managed to restrict my eating period to about 8h per day, which is supposed to help circadian rhythm. Yet, to further promote sleep and circadian rhythm, I should also cut out blue light from a computer a few hours before bed (and go to bed at the same time each day). Since I get *bored* when I cut the computer at this hour, I always revert to using the computer, delaying bedtime in the process. **What would Buddhism suggest as solution towards such a computer use?** In the evening, I'm unable to find activities interesting enough, I always revert to using the computer. Would avoiding the computer at *other* times decrease my attachment to it overall? What might help?

Why is Nibbana referred to as "The destination and the path leading to the destination" ? What does this mean? Is it referring to the cessation of defilements? Is it referring to anything other than the cessation of defilements? In what way is Nibbana "...the path leading to the destination" ? reference: https://dhammawiki.com/index.php/Nibbana#33_synonyms_for_Nibbana

If ritual is repetition outside of what can be justified through direct experience, can ideas and opinions, as well as words and actions, be ritualistic? Would a belief in God - given the axiomatic impossibility to verify the entity directly - classify as ritual?

On various web pages relating to the Dhamma I have read the claim that arahants never dream. A few examples: * Buddhist scholar Lily de Silva [writes](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/desilva/wheel407.html) : > We may also note the tradition maintaining that arahants never dream, maybe because they have attained such perfect mental health that there is no necessity to release tension through dreams. * The ven. Dhammananda Maha Thera [writes](https://www.budsas.org/ebud/whatbudbeliev/321.htm) : > Buddhas and Arahants never dream. The first three kinds of dream cannot occur in their minds, because their minds have been permanently 'stilled' and cannot be activated to dream. The last kind of dream cannot happen to them because they have eradicated all their craving energy completely, and there is no 'residual' energy of anxiety or unsatisfied desire to activate the mind to produce dreams. * And the Czech monk U Sarana [writes](http://burmadhamma.blogspot.com/2016/05/cremation-and-relics-of-sayadaw-u.html) : > At that time Mahasi Sayadaw told to U Pandita that to his (Mahasi Sayadaw's) surprise, Mahasi Sayadaw had a dream. It is impossible for an Arahant to have a dream - and thus Sayadaw U Pandita knew, that Mahasi Sayadaw was not an Arahant at the time when this was said. Surprisingly, I have not been able to find any Suttas or other textual sources for the claim that arahants never dream. Do any of you guys know of such sources? Is it in the Suttas, the Abhidhamma, the commentaries, or in a later text such as the Visuddhimagga? Thanks in advance for your answers!

I noticed that I almost unconsciously revert to trying to fight cravings via willpower, i.e. resisting them. Let's take the example of food cravings. I usually make an internal commitment to avoid junk food, but the cravings nevertheless arise, and when my mood is low I fail to resist. **Are there alternatives to willpower in fighting cravings?** I had been wondering whether other solutions -- like mindfulness or even seeking healthier sources of pleasure -- might be more effective. More so, I believe I crave more because recently I experience less pleasure from activities or emotional sources. **Does Buddhism have any technique specifically linked to pleasure?**

Is there a fate worse than *oblivion* ? To forget, to be forgotten is there … Chant for anti-*nothingless* ?

I read on the internet: > Arahants have eliminated all Sankhara. So there is no need for > accumulation of memory. Have Arahants really eliminated all Sankhara? Please answer with Pali sutta references.

As an example of what I mean, suppose I want to find Zen Buddhist teachings on diet. How should I go about finding this? Googling anything as it pertains to Buddhism (especially Buddhism) gets a tonne of results from Americanized Yoga types, which is less than authentic teaching.

There is a part of Yuttadhammo's answer at [How to practice Metta without a Benefactor?](https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/questions/7865/how-to-practice-metta-without-a-benefactor?rq=1) that has very confused me: > cultivate metta towards yourself **(useless, but a good example)** Why is metta useless? Are there any specific sources for this statement, or is this based on a determine school?

What is Bodhicitta? I recall reading that the "power" of it is what ends up making someone a Bodhisattva or Buddha. So my specific question is whether it is nirvana, and if it is qualitative, felt etc..

Supposed one has to work, yet comes across the Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha, stops suddenly to follow his duties, and scarifies all (possible his job) to give into the Jewels, what does one think, bad Kamma and violation to be blamed by wise or legitimate "[break of promise](http://sangham.net/index.php/topic,8136.html) ", with high rewards? Whats the different to Sunday questions? *{Other then a [sunday-question](https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/questions/31262/sunday-question-learning-dhamma-at-working-time-on-other-recource) , this might be the proper for Mondays, rlease and yet not for trade and exchanges thought. So what now?}*

I have been practicing mindful breathing for about one or two sittings a day, and done a few retreats. I have a big problem with metta, even directed at myself. after trying to practice metta I often find myself in a very angered state of mind, even rage, especially at friends for various reasons regarding my life. The background to the anger seems to be that they do not really care for me and just want me to be synchronized with their hobbies or lifestyles which are usually high achievement based . the background is that my personal life is much more crisis oriented than theirs , and i am also about 10 years older than them . I have a lot of regret for not leaving these relations and my thoughts are around those regrets , that in fact it is/was my interest to do so, and the 'tug of war' that they would have/will do with me would be based on their own interests ('tug of war' i mean things like 'you should stay in touch' or 'what going on with you?' etc...). Do other people experience such extreme counter reaction to metta? should i continue with it ? a bit at a loss ... thanks.