I love most aspects of Buddhism but I can't agree that animals have a "lower" rebirth than us. Dogs for example sometimes have enormous love and compassion for their owners, even if they are being terribly mistreated. I am a vegan because I love animals; animals do not harm us, yet humans routinely kill animals for their own sensual pleasure. The dairy and egg industries are also very cruel -- all those male chickens being killed! And how female dairy cows are always kept pregnant or lactating through artificially insemination. It's human cruelty that keeps them in their difficult position. Saying "It's just their bad karma" is in my opinion a way of weakening your own karma. Many animals are somewhat psychic -- they sense things that humans can't. Personally I would rather come back as an animal than a human. They seem more peaceful, humans are constantly thinking and doing and stressing about things. So can I still be a Buddhist, with these beliefs?

What I think of meditation is sitting with a good posture and concentrating on breathing and thinking about nothing. How does this help a person with anything? The only plus point that I can think of meditation is that, during the time you meditate, you forget all the distractions around you and become calm and stress free. Why do people talk about enlightenment? I saw [this definition of enlightenment](https://www3.nd.edu/~afreddos/courses/439/what-is-enlightenment.htm) on Google: > Enlightenment is man's emergence from his self-incurred immaturity. (Kant, 1784) Doesn't that imply "Enlightenment" equals "being disciplined, mature and independent"? How does meditation achieve this? Don't we become mature through experience and growth, disciplined through hard work and independent by accepting yourself? Hence why do we meditate? Why do we say things like "enlightenment can be achieved through meditation" when it can be achieved without it?

I finished watching two movies on the life of H.H the Dalai Lama (Kundun and Seven years in Tibet ) which also highlight the tragedy of Tibet. Historically Tibet can be said as the only country which has dedicated itself to the attainment of Nibbana (take this with a pinch of salt). A huge amount of cultural heritage and Buddhist documents must have been lost during the cultural revolution. So what do you make out of the tragedy of Tibet? Do we learn any lessons about Karma? Do you think that for protection of Dhamma Tibet should have indulged in dealing with arms? If you are a Vajrayana, do you care for Liberation of Tibet? ***P.S: Not being judgemental towards the Chinese.***

I have heard stories of non-enlightened monks preach dharma to ordinary people and those people would become enlightened (At least a stream-enterer). Can I have any sources on these? Possibly any sutta sources as well?

I have mastered the 1st and wish to move now to the second. But all the books and sources online confuse me. Some say it happen naturally other say it's something you can focus on to bring about the second jhana like thoughts on how unpleasant the 1st is. So how can i summon the second at will?

I am currently jobless. I saw the advertisement of recruitment of government insurance company. So I thought to ask before applying. I am very confused. I don't want to do any wrong livelihood jobs.

It is said that Virtue is the ultimate weapon . It is also said that virtue automatically leads to enlightenment without any volition or desire to achieve enlightenment . Therefore I want to develop 'heightened' virtue but I am unable to find any sutta which explains what constitutes Virtue. In the following quote from AN 3.90 training for heightened virtue is mentioned: > “And what is the training in heightened virtue? There is the case > where a monk is virtuous. He dwells restrained in accordance with the > Patimokkha, consummate in his behavior & sphere of activity. He trains > himself, having undertaken the training rules, seeing danger in the > slightest fault. This is called the training in heightened virtue. My questions are : 1. What constitutes virtue ?(Any reference to Suttas would be great.If there are any books giving short summary of Patimokkha in English then that would also be great.) 2. How to train myself in virtue ? (Are there any training books available?)

Looking for suggestions on an English translation of the Samyutta Nikaya in printed book form other than Bhikkhu Bodhi's version.

Someone told me that Atma is nothing but energy which occupies the whole body. When the energy leaves the body ,the body dies. I guess the argument is wrong. But can anyone point out the flaw in the argument that Atma is energy?

Do Buddhas have precognition? Do they know what events are going to happen before they do? Obviously, the Buddha knows that he will not be reborn, and he knows what will generate a good rebirth, and what a bad. Are any of these destinies both assured and knowable? According to *Early Buddhism and the Bhagavadgita*, By Kashi Nath Upadhyaya, p84, the Buddha "seems" to have claimed that he does not have "unlimited" knowledge of the future. But I wondered if Buddhas had *any certain* knowledge of the future, aside from their not being reborn. Or perhaps, though the future is not fully predetermined (ibid), they can have certain knowledge of events aside from not being reborn. ---------- Apologies for stating this, because users of the site may have noticed that I ask many similar questions , but, from wikipedia... > Think not of the past but of the future. Constantly maintain the > future thoughts to be good. This is what we call the Sambhogakāya. > > Just one single evil thought could destroy the good karma that has > continued for one thousand years; and just one single good thought in > turn could destroy the evil karma that has lived for one thousand > years. If the future thoughts are always good, you may call this the > Sambhogakāya. The discriminative thinking arising from the Dharmakāya > (法身↔fashen "Truth body") is called the Nirmanakāya (化身↔huashen > "transformation body"). The successive thoughts that forever involve > good are thus the Sambhogakāya. if they don't, and the Buddha-nature is identical to the body, then maye it could be said (likely not) that rebirth has no *phenomena * whatsoever?

What is the difference between the Pali-words *mano* and *citta*

I am sure everybody in this world thinks that 'my religion is the only true religion' etc and its variables. As we live in a diverse society, in today's age of information we invariably bump into people or places, online or offline, with ideologies which totally contradict Buddhist beliefs. What is the best strategy to deal with such situations? Should we keep silence and ignore and let them live in their ignorance or should we confront and try to explain the Dhamma to them? In the latter situation, it always ends up in heated debates about the existence of god and its near impossible to explain a non-Buddhist that soul doesn't exist and that self is an illusion. What do you do?

Is there a thing of pushing oneself too much to practice and doing too much which will cause someone to quit take a break for some time ? what about too little ? how you determine the middle way here ?

Someone had once asked here "Why is Kwan Yin riding a sea turtle?", but what I'm more curious about is why is she seen on a dragon? There are many images or the Bodhisattva riding a dragon, one I posted being but one example. But who/what is the dragon? Is there a story behind it? I've heard the dragon is a symbol of wisdom and purity, others have suggested the dragon represents a wrathful force subdued by Guan Yin underfoot, but really what's the case here? Is it merely symbolic or is the dragon a literal entity (sentient or otherwise)? Any information would be appreciated (not modern "New Age").

I recently read the Discourse to Girimananda Thera . In it, the Venerable Girimananda was "**afflicted with a disease, was suffering there from, and was gravely ill**". The Blessed One was petitioned by another monk who stated: "It were well, bhante, if the Blessed One would visit the Venerable Girimananda out of compassion for him". To this the Blessed one replied: "Should you, Ánanda, visit the monk Girimananda and recite to him the ten contemplations, then that monk Girimananda having heard them, **will be immediately cured of his disease**". **Is this possible**? Has anyone experienced **immediate healing** of some disease first hand? If the answer is yes, then I would be curious to know what the limitations (if any) there are for physical healing and if the effects were permanent. Disclaimer: I am completely new to Buddhism (less than 6 months of practice).

The Second Noble Truth identifies three aspects of craving, one of them being craving for non-being. How does the desire for cessation, to attain final Nibbāna, never to be reborn, differ from the desire for non-existence?

I have strong craving for money and people because I consider them basic for survival. But I know money is not going to stay with me forever and people are not going to stay with me forever. I have developed a fear of loosing people and money. My question is : How should I stop my craving for money and people ?

Can anyone please explain what is Dhamma in few paragraphs if possible? A similar question was asked by Rahula in Samyukta Nikaya but what I have is English translation of the conversation which leaves me with doubts. Also I want to establish meaning of Dhamma before asking few more questions based on it.

I know one teacher who is an ok teacher, as far as he gets people to relax and make a good effort, but he really poo poo's any mention of Miracles in reference to the Buddha. I think that Full and complete awakening leads to mastery of the material world. Please give me your real belief in Miracles or not. Also. This same teacher explains some of the Miraculous activities of Arhants are just an activity of a different body, i.e. astral body, or a subtle body , and not really miracles.

The Pali word for remorse or regret in the definition of the five hindrances (in MN 10 ) is "kukucca". Sometimes, this word is also translated as worry or anxiety. This word usually appears together with "uddhacca". However, the Pali word translated as remorse in Itivuttaka 30 is "tapanīya " (according to this Pali version ). In AN 11.1 , AN 11.2 , AN 5.41 , Thanissaro Bhikkhu's translation has the word "remorse", while Sujato Bhikkhu's translation has the word "regret". The Pali term for this is "vippaṭisāra ". This can also be found in Udana 8.5 . What is the difference between these terms?