is it possible to send merit for a future action ? may the merit i do donating the 100$ - help this old lady cross the street etc go to X person ? what about may the merit i do today go to X what about the merit i do tomorrow go to X

I'm currently reading the book "Happiness - a guide to developing life's most important skill" by Matthieu Ricard (my first real contact with buddhism/buddhist philosophy). I found the argument he makes in the beginning of the book rather interesting - that we draw "happiness" from the physical state of the world, e.g. a dinner in a fine restaurant, spending quality time with friends, etc., but that this happiness also vanishes as soon as the life situation changes - the dinner is at some point over, the friends have to leave, ..., and our happiness level decreases. Instead, he proposes to pursue happiness from within, irrespective of our current situation (as well as by helping others). While I find this thought intriguing, as he tells tales of concentration camp survivors or people being tortured that are nevertheless light-hearted and seemingly happy despite great calamities in their life, the more I think about it the more I doubt the practicality of this approach. As per Kant, the maxim of your actions must be generalizable into the basis of a new set of laws (sorry for the bad translation here) - but I feel like human lust for short-term pleasure has advanced mankind in incredible ways throughout human history. We want to go somewhere far, but we are lazy, so we invented cars and planes to take us there without any effort in a fraction of the time it would take us to walk. We want to eat delicious meals, so we advanced the art of cooking, we want to be in contact with our family and friends, so we invented the phone and other media, the list goes on and on. My question is: Is it really desirable to completely erase this natural laziness and "hedonic treadmill" that makes humans pursue money and fame? Of course there are also bad sides to technology or extreme egoism, but I'm not convinced this calls for a complete erasure of this "primal urge". The book is of course written from a (presumably) Tibetan perspective, my insight into the different schools of thought is very limited, apologies if this is not the right place.

According to the gentleman in this video ... > Enlightenment, DP/DR & Falling Into the Pit of the Void ~ Shinzen Young > > Shinzen talks about the empowering facets of enlightenment and compares this to "enlightenments evil twin" DP/DR. He talks about the rare occasions that he's encountered a meditator moving in the direction of DP/DR and the strategy he used to "cure" it using mindfulness methods. ... the phenomenon of "depersonalization" is described in the Pali Canon. Could anyone provide the source(s) of this? As a secondary question- could anyone share their personal experience with/knowledge of depersonalization occurring as a result of meditation? Thank you

>Are there any Artificial Intelligence applications that can teach the Dhamma that are already out there or are still being developed? > >What can these AI apps do with Buddhism? > >How can they facilitate practice? > >What will AI in development possibly be able to do in relation to Buddhism in the future? ___ Here are some examples of what I mean. Could AI: ___ ...have a conversation with the Tipitaka as it's database? ___ ...understand all the arguments and controversies and debate certain topics? ___ ...help guide someone in their meditation. ___ Metta.

Absolute, true and mathematical time, of itself, and from its own nature flows equably without regard to anything external, and by another name is called duration: relative, apparent and common time, is some sensible and external (whether accurate or unequable) measure of duration by the means of motion, which is commonly used instead of true time ... According to Newton, absolute time exists independently of any perceiver and progresses at a consistent pace throughout the universe. Unlike relative time, Newton believed absolute time was imperceptible and could only be understood mathematically. According to Newton, humans are only capable of perceiving relative time, which is a measurement of perceivable objects in motion (like the Moon or Sun). From these movements, we infer the passage of time. After analyze above text by Isaac Newton and state; The "Absolute time" is just a concept rooted from "Anatta"(impermanence) the one of three characteristic of nature in Buddhist teaching. Anatta is everlasting process without end or start and is very helpful to eliminate the wrong view of "creation". So this is one vital explanation that Buddhism ahead of scientific theories. So if I say the fabricated absolute time concept not genuine and the declaration of "Anatta" is the fact and genuine invention,is it acceptable?

Can anyone please explain the meaning of the word Dhamma in the sentence "Sabbe Dhamma Anatta"? Since Anatta is Truth; Am I an instance of Dhamma?

There are discussions about previous life recall and it is can't be scientifically proven. According to modern science memory are electrical traces on neuron cells in brain and that is scientific fact and modern scientist have recreate memory artificially as it is. So memory has physical aspect rather than mysterious spiritual aspect. My specific question is how do it prove that recall of previous lives which does't cope with facts?

My understanding is that, although we are practicing five precepts in this life, there is no guarantee we will not be reborn in lower realm, it is possible to take rebirth in lower realm in the next life or many lives after. But according some sources, when one practices five precepts that person will not be reborn in one of the lower realms (in the next life). Which one is the correct one?

The first paragraph of the Lonaphala Sutta , translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu, states: > "Monks, for anyone who says, 'In whatever way a person makes kamma, > that is how it is experienced,' there is no living of the holy life, > there is no opportunity for the right ending of stress. But for anyone > who says, 'When a person makes kamma to be felt in such & such a way, > that is how its result is experienced,' there is the living of the > holy life, there is the opportunity for the right ending of stress. I feel that this is not the best possible translation for this paragraph of the sutta. Please explain what it really means.

In this site participators draw statements from "Buddhist scriptures" (Suttas), considering them pure and directly from Buddha's words. Some of these statements [seem] closer to fantasy, supernaturals, assumptions and speculations; and few are false statements (e.g "thoughts are generated in heart" is mentioned in Abhidharma). Also information extracted from Buddhist scriptures are mixed with Hindu concepts as milk and water (most of original Buddhist scriptures were destroyed in Thakshila). In the kalama sutta it mentions that to completely depend on scriptures is useless. So how it can be verified statements exactly from Buddha himself (not as a label or maintain faith) just to get progress of right learning and confidence? Buddhism has history of 2500 years, and scriptures were produced around 300 years after death of Buddha. So how do we guarantee the accuracy and validity of thousands of Buddhist scriptures? --- Here's another example: > Then Ānanda, listen and attend carefully, I will tell. > > The Blessed One said: Ānanda, as long as the moon and sun illuminate the directions, till then the thousandfold world systems will prevail, with a thousand, moons, suns, Mahameru mountains, Indian peninsulars, Aparagoyanas, Uttarakurus, Pubhavidehas, fourfold oceans, fourfold rulers, fourfold guardian kings, heavens of the thirty-three, heavens of Titan gods, heavens of happiness, heavens of the gods of creation, heavens of the gods who create others, worlds of Brahma. Ānanda, to this is called the thousandfold Cūlanika world system. Ānanda, as long as the thousandfold Cūlanika world system prevails till then the thousandfold world system, calls this the two thousandfold middle world system. Ānanda, as long as the two thousandfold middle world element prevails till then the thousandfold world system calls this the three thousandfold and the great thousandfold world system. Ānanda, if the Thus Gone One desires, he announces to the three thousandfold and the great thousandfold world system. These statements in suttas are closer to fantasy and speculations. How do you explain these with modern cosmology?

Since kamacchanda is one of the five hindrances, it seems to be something to overcome. Does that mean then that there is no more place for art and beauty in the life of a practitioner after the first jhana, according to Buddhist teaching? Or can you have a healthy relationship with kama? Is taking pleasure in a tree or a conversation with a friend kamacchanda?

The five hindrances consist of sensual desires. ill-will, sloth and torpor, restlessness and doubt. I have often wondered why the first hindrance are limited to sensual desires as this is leaving out the desires/attachment that one can have to other things, like desires for power/control, to be loved or approved of, to achieve, to feel secure. I have always wondered why these are not included as obstacles to spiritual freedom in the dhamma, as they are often much more in the foreground than sensual desires when trying to obtain concentration. Thoughts like "I should have done otherwise", "why did she say so to me", "I need to find a solution", "I must improve" are coming from such needs or attachments. I cannot understand why the first hindrance only talks about sensual desires when there are all these other desires?

In order to attain Nirvana one must be able to understand that his or her self is an illusion , error or is like a dream. This understanding doesn't come naturally. Naturally one finds that there is a self. Naturally one finds that he or she is behind feelings ,thoughts ,perceptions. Most humans and animals (I guess ) would more likely observe and conclude that I am angry, I am coming , I am going , I am doing this or that , I am suffering etc.. He fails to see that he is made up of aggregates. He fails to see that all aggregates dissolve. He fails to see that his self will dissolve too because it is made up of aggregates.He clings to the thought that that was me. Clearly we see that in order to attain Nirvana a sophisticated Teacher is required because Nirvana requires a deep understanding of self. I wonder whether a teacher is always required for Nirvana or nature provides a clue to non-existence of self. So my questions are : Is it possible for humans or animals to attain automatic Nirvana? (Here automatic means without any help from external teacher) If yes , then what is the need of Buddha ? EDIT : For more clarification on the meaning and nature of the word Automatic in the above question I add the following: I say automatic Nirvana in the above question because all aggregates must dissolve automatically and complete dissolution of Self is Nirvana.No amount of Karma or no kind of karma can keep the Self alive forever.Self by nature is liable to pass away as an error , illusion or dream. Here I quote,from the book Buddha by Dr. Hermann Oldenberg ,page 216, about the things which no one can stop from happening: > There are five things which no Samana, and no Brahman, and no god, > neither Mara, nor Brahma, nor any being in the universe, can bring > about. What five things are these ? That what is subject to old age, > should not grow old, that what is subject to sickness, should not be > sick, that what is subject to death, should not die, that what is > subject to decay, should not decay, that what is liable to pass away, > should not pass away—this can no Samana bring about, nor any Brahman, > nor any god, neither Mara, nor Brahma, nor any being in the Universe." If no one can stop the dissolution of Self from happening then we see that eventually everyone will attain Nirvana with or without a great teacher like Buddha.

This Sutra, known in Chinese as 佛说譬喻经, has been translated into English by Charles Patton. The Sutra makes a part of Taisho Tripitaka (Takakusu Junjiro 's edition). The text is known worldwide, also as a part of parables from other than Buddhist tradition. My question is, do Theravada and Mahayana acknowledge this Sutra as words of Buddha as well?

I want to ask who is the devil king of the sixth heaven actually is and i also want to ask what happen to the people who suicide in buddhism ?

I have an unclear thing about *Anisansa* (Rewards). Is it more powerful giving something to more religious person (Buddhist monks) than giving it normal person? Could you please tell me a Sutra which talks about this. Thank you. Theruwan Saranai, Tharindu

Ebay and Amazon have either very large and (prohibitively) expensive ones or those mass-produced in China. Where can I get a bronze or brass figurine that is small in size. Thank you.

I asked, What is the core teachings of the Buddha, ( As I do Know ) There was no modern traditions then. I know that there has been a Buddhist Council gathered to try an reach the core understandings. I Hoped that some may know this, an may even have insight on what they reached an what has been decided on. I find that some traditions and methods tend to confuse and distract away from what little teachings I could find. You can find the core teachings of Jesus by reading the Bible, There is no Buddhist Bible. Im so far unable to find a english Pali Canon to read. To me when people say I must have a tradition to know what the teacher says its like saying you can't explain jesus's teachings cause its to hard with out traditions. You dont have to be catholic, Methodist, Lutheran, Evangelicalism, or even Baptist to simply look up the text an see for your self what he taught, without the dogmas and doctrines to keep you ensnared into a rigid form of the faith an blind to what it means. This examples shows how some traditions an customs keep you from the truth an keep you distracted away from the teachings. So that is why Im asking with out traditions. What Texts can I find that are in english to read, that would help me. Or if a tradition must be needed, then what is the closest to exactly how Siddartha taught would help me get started in that direction. Hopefuly This time I can say what I intended on my own question.

By first precept I shouldn't kill even a mosquito it bite me but when as by 7th precept I can listen music for therapy If things fall into such circumstances like this mosquito biting can lead me to malaria or dengue. Also I've to ask if I can consume yogurt when it's made with help of bacterias they are also living being. I don't mean I'm trying to find breaking precepts,but I stopped killing them really.

I noticed that when I engage in a task I am very able until I reach my limit, namely the point where I had enough, where effort and suffering kicks in. I noticed: - When I reach that point I lose energy, thinking becomes more difficult, confused. With something I enjoy it is the opposite. - When I reach that points demotivating thoughts as "This is worthless," "What's the point of doing this?" occur. Even in meditation I am able to go a long time without effort or difficulty if I feel like it, but when there is resistance I fall asleep or want to do something else. My question is: how can one increase their tolerance to physical pain and effort, suffering, etc. -- all the things linked with aversion to negative states? (Keep in mind that when I meditate at the wrong time I fall asleep or encounter difficulty). Thank you.