I remember reading many years ago about Buddhist deities who help their devotees transmute their bad qualities into good ones. In particular, I remember reading that one of the Buddhas (possibly the Amitabha Buddha) helps transform envy into achievement. Is there any Buddhist literature/practice on these lines?

If someone enters the stream and becomes a sotapanna (stream winner), then he would have at most, seven lifetimes left. What the stream is, is defined in this answer as: > This noble eightfold path — right view, right resolve, right speech, > right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right > concentration — is the stream. (SN 55.5) Thanissaro Bhikku further comments here that: > The coming-together of these factors is called the stream because it > leads inevitably to two things, just as the current of a tributary > will lead inevitably to a major river and then to the sea. In the > immediate present, the stream leads directly to the arising of the > Dhamma eye, the vision that actually constitutes this first awakening. > Over time, the stream ensures that — in no more than seven lifetimes — > one will be totally unbound. The Dhamma eye is explained as the ability to see firsthand and experientially, the impermanence of the five aggregates and dependent origination. My questions are (for rebirths as a human): 1. How does a reborn stream-winner know that he or she is one? 2. Does being a stream-winner in a previous lifetime, mean that one would be reborn into a devout Buddhist family in this lifetime or would definitely be led to the Dhamma eventually? 3. Is the reborn stream-winner's Dhamma eye open immediately at birth, or only after he or she encounters the Dhamma and returns back to the Noble Eightfold Path? 4. How is it guaranteed that the reborn stream-winner would not choose another path or another teacher, and drop out of the stream, considering that we do not remember previous lifetimes? 5. Please provide any info from the canon regarding this.

I come from a culture where marriage is seen as a must. Both of my parents are good parents, they never harm me in anyway, took a very good care of me. I am now almost 30 and they really want me to get married and have a kid, they love children. I can't blame them because it's all they've ever known in their life -- once you become an adult, marriage and having a kid is a must. I am also the first child and have always been single in all my life. However I don't see marriage as a necessity. I'm not very interested in sex nor having a kid. In my mind, I just want to live a single life so I can achieve financial freedom faster (no kids and wife) then I will donate to charities and spend my time doing things I enjoy instead of always chasing more money (it's tiring), I want to do more charity work than working for money. I take care of my parents but to take care a wife and kids I'm not very interested. Let's be realistic... kids are not cheap. What's the Buddhism view on this..? am I egotistical?

Are hungry ghosts in Buddhism believed to be "alive" or at least "undead" since hungry ghost is one of the options of rebirth?

Just wondering, since enlightenment is the cessation of all suffering, were there other people or beings that had achieved that and were contemporary to buddha. One such candidate may be the Jain leader Mahavira - he is said to have achieved not only freedom from suffering but also omniscience after that. This is just one person, there could have been many others who were fully enlightened but not teaching maybe sitting in a cave or something; especially when one thinks that Buddha himself after his liberation was considering that. So it seems to me a little bit surprising that buddhas have such long waiting period In between them appearing on earth. Did buddha himself resolve this, or comment on anything like this? On the same theme, where did the prophecy of Maitreya-buddha come from - was it shakyamuni-buddha himself who foresaw that? Thanks

Do Arahants or Buddhas still enjoy music they liked as lay people? Can anyone share their thoughts on why enlightened beings would or would not enjoy the music they used to listen to when they were laypeople? What if the lyrics contained defiled language but the music was appreciated before the process of enlightenment? What can we learn from the appreciation or lack of appreciation that an enlightened being has for music? If the lyrics contain defiled language, would an enlightened one wish to consider the impact it may have on their mind, could there be an impact and if so what is that impact? Can enlightened beings appreciate music without clinging to the music? What if the music and lyrics were in harmony with the Dhamma?

I have some hunch that when rising from the deep meditative states / jhanas, the mind becomes so slow that the world is perceived in frames. Is this true? My guess is that the speed of human brain perception is proportionate to how much craving there is, the lesser the craving the slower the mind due to disenchantment. Experienced ones please shed some light on this.

The five hindrances or obstacles of common buddhism are: 1. worry/restlessness/regret /distraction 2. hate (ill-will) 3. sensual desire 4. skeptical doubt (ignorance?) 5. lazy/lethargy Ignorance is not listed. Do all 5 together imply ignorance? It says: > These are the five obstacles and hindrances, corruptions of the heart > that weaken wisdom. Another theory might be that ignorance (confusion) is the same as doubt. If one doesn’t know any better, the opportunity to gain *access* to concentration (right meditation) are more slim. If one misunderstands that is also ignorance. If one is skeptical that might be ignorance. Perhaps the five hindrances are primarily a technical manual, a means to access concentration or develop tranquility/equanimity/energy (seven factors); in which case ignorance has an indirect role. Why (How) is or isn’t ignorance one of the five hindrances?

I understand that the active seeking of sensual pleasure is not seen as good, but it's not clear to me whether it should be actively avoided. I was preparing some noodles to eat this morning and inside the pack was a sachet of flavouring. I pondered upon this for a moment; should I add it to the food? The following thoughts occurred in favour of adding the flavour: - I am eating the noodles for the purpose of feeding the body, not for the sensual pleasure. Why not add it? - Deliberately depriving oneself of the little sensual pleasure there is in a meal could be regarded as self-mortification. The following thoughts occurred in opposition of adding the flavour: - Does the very notion of considering this only highlight my craving of sensual pleasure? - Why should I feel compelled to add the flavouring for reasons other than nutritional value? I am interested in whether any Buddhist teachings directly address this sensual pleasure in such a situation, and more broadly whether sensual pleasures should be actively avoided in such a manner.

I've listened to many theravada buddhist sermons and something that is always mentioned is how everything that happens, happens for a reason. Does that mean that if we get sick, it's our karma to get sick, but then we get better because of our good karma as well? How does taking medicine fit into this? Does the temporary relief that medicine gives us our good karma as well? What if one never takes medicine thinking that they will get healed according to karma? I've personally found great comfort in the fact that everything happens according to karma. So I feel really confused about the other 'niyamas' as well, which recently came to my mind. How does Utu niyama, Bija niyama relate to the fact that everything happens for a reason? Edit: accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.101.than.html The Devadaha Sutta answered my questions. Thank you so much to everyone who responded

Greetings, a delivery driver crushed my statue with a giant truck. I would like help with identification so that I may replace it.

Is Papanca always unwholesome? The above question is based on MN 18 the honey cake -- https://suttacentral.net/mn18 Ven. Thanissaro has given a detailed explanation in his translation -- https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.018.than.html

In Mahayana Buddhism, what is the difference between abiding nirvana and non-abiding nirvana? Are there official Sanskrit terms for "abiding nirvana" and "non-abiding nirvana"? What are they? When a Buddha has achieved non-abiding nirvana, "his enlightened activities are uninterrupted". What does this mean? This question is based on this answer : > A Hinayana arhat abandoned afflictive obscurations by way of realizing > emptiness, but has not abandoned knowledge obscuration. **He has achieved > abiding nirvana**. Therefore, although they are free from the conception > of true existence, and from true suffering, they are not free from the > imprints of ignorance (i.e. knowledge obscurations). We say that it is > like removing garlic from a container: the smell will still be there. > So, because they still have the imprints of ignorance, (1) they are > not free from the appearance of true existence, and (2) they are > reborn with a mental body, due to the imprints of ignorance (in our > case, we are reborn to due karma and afflictions). > > A bodhisattva is a person who generated effortless bodhicitta (the > wish to achieve enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings). > Since effortless bodhicitta is the entry gate to the Mahayana path, he > entered the Mahayana small path of accumulation. When he cultivates > wisdom, it is conjoined with emptiness and that makes his mind vast > (due to bodhicitta) and profound (due to realizing emptiness). **He > wishes not to abide in individual liberation (abiding nirvana) but to > be free from the extreme of peace (abiding nirvana) as well as from > samsara. Therefore, he wishes to achieve non-abiding nirvana, which is > the attainment of a buddha.** > > A Buddha abandoned both afflictive and knowledge obscuration, having > generated the path perfection of wisdom (the wisdom of emptiness > conjoined with bodhicitta). In his continuum, wisdom and bodhicitta > are the same mind: the omniscient mind of a buddha that realizes all > objects of knowledge directly, past present and future, in an > unmistaken way, etc. **He achieved non-abiding nirvana, abiding neither > in samsara nor in individual liberation. His enlightened activities > are uninterrupted.**

I am a Buddhist from Thailand. I have a question about pali meaning. In ceremony, we swore to follow the five rules of pancasila. Monk told us what pancasila consist of. Then monk said in pali; Imani panca sikha patani. Silana sukating yanti Silana poka sumpata Silana nipputing yanti Tusama silang wiso ta ye I'm not quit sure whether I translate the above to English word correctly. Do you have this chants in your country? What are these chants called? Any reference to this chant? How to spell it in English and what is the meaning of it. I already searched in Thai language but I want to expand to English as well. It's quit hard to write Pali in English. Here is the meaning I found in Thai. As you follow these five rules, you will have good place to go(next life). You will become wealthy. And you may go to nirvana. I want to compare its meaning from many source especially "ni-pu-ting" in last sentence that referred to nirvana. I don't quit agree that it is the same thing.

I am not asking about depression or suicidal thoughts but the actual aspiration for this life/human experience to end. So of course the desire for material and immaterial existence (rebirths) are themselves two of the ten fetters. I may be incorrect but I take this as a desire to be reborn in either a material or immaterial form in the form or formless realms, not specifically a desire to be reborn in samsara or a desire to NOT be reborn at all. There is the sutta of the monk who took the knife and was blameless, meaning he did not desire another form/rebirth so the Buddha did not say that his suicide was unvirtue, (I forgot the sutta name and number) which would lead me to assume that the desire to want to die itself is not unvirtuous. So what I am actually asking is if this mindstate, the desire to want this life and human experience to end, is it a mindstate of renunciation, or a mindstate of desire for life/suffering to cease. Realistically the end goal of the dharma is to not be reborn in existence.

Cant find a translation online anywhere, just a quote. Samanattata ' ti samanasukhadukkhabhavo. Ekacco hi danadisu ekam ' pi na paccasimsati. Ekasane nisajjam ekapallanke sayanam ekato bhojanan ' ti evam samanasukhadukkham paccasimsati. So sace gahatthassa jatiya pabbajitassa silena sadiso hoti tass ' ayam samanattata katabba.

The Abhidhamma Commentary says: - Anicca-characteristic is hidden due to "Non-contemplation of the **Rising and falling**." - Dukkha-characteristic is hidden due to "Shifting of the **Postures**." - Anatta-characteristic is hidden due to "Non-contemplation of the **Analysis of Different Elements**." Where does the causality fit in this? Which characteristic is (mainly) uncovered by the "Contemplation of Dependent-origination?" Obviously it uncovers all the three in some way. I'm here asking about it's main contribution.

I read the following on the internet, where a person either claimed to be a Noble One or, otherwise, was exhorting with a Lion's Roar the path to stream-entry or possibly Full Enlightenment. The hairs and goose bumps stood up upon my skin as I read with awe the following Lion's Roar: > A worldling without a knowledge of past lives would not see that as > "incest". > > [SN 15.14](https://suttacentral.net/sn15.14/en/sujato) > > > At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, transmigration has no known beginning. It’s not easy to find a sentient being who in all this long time has > not previously been your mother. Why is that? Transmigration has > no known beginning. This is quite enough for you to become > disillusioned, dispassionate, and freed regarding all conditions.” My question is how does believing "*It’s not easy to find a sentient being who in all this long time has not previously been your mother*" result in becoming disillusioned, dispassionate and freed regarding all conditions?

The [Dasaratha Jātaka](https://suttacentral.net/ja461/en/rouse?reference=none&highlight=false) says Gotama (our current Buddha) was Rama in a past life and his wife (Gotama's son's Rahula's mother Yaśodharā) was his sister Sita in the same past life. In this past life, Rama appeared to marry his sister Sita (who, according to the translation, became Rama's queen-consort). Then later Rama was reborn as Gotama and Sita was reborn as Yaśodharā (Rahula's mother). Was Gotama's marriage to Yaśodharā an example of 'incest'?

I have seen so many people till now who are very miserable because they were born ugly, poor, with less intelligence. And this world is cruel to ugly, poor and dumb people and there is no doubt about that, it's a fact. And I'm also one of those people who got treated badly for being ugly and unintelligent. I neither have good looks nor I've intelligence and good memory and because of that I couldn't excel in my academics as our academic success is measured by exams that test our memory. I am disgusted with this miserable life and want to get rid of this misery. There is no hope in present life but I want a good life in my next birth where I'll be blessed with beauty, intellect and good traits and devotion. What should I do in this life to get such good rebirth in my next life? Or it would be better if I didn't have to take birth in this world.