Buddhism
Q&A for people practicing or interested in Buddhist philosophy, teaching, and practice
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How to become a monk in Bangladesh?
I've read some texts on Buddhism and I want devote myself to it. I want to learn meditation. How can I do that?
I've read some texts on Buddhism and I want devote myself to it. I want to learn meditation.
How can I do that?
James Petrov
(11 rep)
Jun 4, 2024, 06:35 AM
• Last activity: May 15, 2025, 12:36 PM
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6
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A beginner facing Culadasa
I am a complete beginner who was looking for a good Buddhist guide for meditation. I discovered the book "The Mind Illuminated" by Culadasa and I thought I had found the grail: the shape of the guide seemed perfect to me. It is simple and clear, based on the anapanasati, up to the jhanas, step by st...
I am a complete beginner who was looking for a good Buddhist guide for meditation. I discovered the book "The Mind Illuminated" by Culadasa and I thought I had found the grail: the shape of the guide seemed perfect to me. It is simple and clear, based on the anapanasati, up to the jhanas, step by step.
But I have just discovered the scandals surrounding Culadasa and now I totally doubt the quality of his teaching. I attach great importance to the morality of a teacher of these issues.
Where do I go from here? What do you recommend? Is there another guide as good in its form made by a recognized teacher, without scandals?
Thanks.
Kalapa
(826 rep)
Nov 13, 2019, 07:24 PM
• Last activity: Apr 27, 2025, 07:46 PM
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4
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A Buddhist guide to overcome self sabotage
Does self-sabotaging instincts come from the ego? Where does the urge to self-sabotage come from and how to break free from this cycle? Here is what I found from the internet >*The cause of our suffering is clinging to what we believe to be our “self” or “ego.” When we feel unsafe or uncertain, our...
Does self-sabotaging instincts come from the ego? Where does the urge to self-sabotage come from and how to break free from this cycle?
Here is what I found from the internet
>*The cause of our suffering is clinging to what we believe to be our “self” or “ego.” When we feel unsafe or uncertain, our habitual defenses arise, and we tend to cling even more defensively to our ego. Self-sabotage is a defense mechanism of the ego to protect us from some sort of pain or suffering – it's our own survival instinct working against us.*
Sarah
(112 rep)
Sep 4, 2023, 10:12 PM
• Last activity: Sep 25, 2023, 04:45 PM
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How to create awareness of the present moment
how to control the mind and create awareness of the present moment.
how to control the mind and create awareness of the present moment.
Sarah
(112 rep)
Aug 20, 2023, 09:33 PM
• Last activity: Sep 23, 2023, 01:30 PM
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Relaxation vs Laziness
In karniyametta sutta, Lord Buddha advised us to be relaxed and not to cling to the work. How can I recognise relaxation from laziness ?
In karniyametta sutta, Lord Buddha advised us to be relaxed and not to cling to the work.
How can I recognise relaxation from laziness ?
Dum
(725 rep)
Mar 29, 2020, 05:04 AM
• Last activity: Sep 9, 2023, 09:30 PM
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How do I recognize the attachment to certain things?
How do I know whether I am attached to certain things or not? Examples: 1. When we are attached to a taste, we will try to find more & more tasty foods. We can reduce that by getting a simple meal, cutting the extra meals or only taking 2 meals per day like monks. 2. When we are attached to clothes,...
How do I know whether I am attached to certain things or not?
Examples:
1. When we are attached to a taste, we will try to find more & more tasty foods. We can reduce that by getting a simple meal, cutting the extra meals or only taking 2 meals per day like monks.
2. When we are attached to clothes, we are trying to buy the latest/expensive clothes. We can reduce that desire by wearing simple and charming clothes.
The questions are, **How do I know** whether I am attached to my career, exam results or not? (Now I am in university. I have to work for exams. Sometimes I feel, I am attached to exam results) If I am, how do I **work without attaching** to it?
I read this answer already: [Should I do what I don't want to do?](https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/q/25669/17744)
Dum
(725 rep)
Mar 8, 2020, 10:30 AM
• Last activity: Oct 24, 2022, 02:54 PM
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7
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Do we have to believe that good people exists?
Is thinking that there are no good people / followers of five precepts in this world a wrong view? I read this in some where but I forgotten it. It is hard to see that kind of people other than Buddhist monks. This is a reason for some people to not to follow buddhism. Some times I feel the same way...
Is thinking that there are no good people / followers of five precepts in this world a wrong view? I read this in some where but I forgotten it.
It is hard to see that kind of people other than Buddhist monks. This is a reason for some people to not to follow buddhism. Some times I feel the same way. Is this a wrong view? Do you meet real Buddhists in real life other than monks?
I always try to remember that the metaphor of lotus pond.
Kind regards.
Random guy
(131 rep)
Dec 16, 2020, 04:56 PM
• Last activity: Jul 5, 2021, 11:05 AM
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3
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Does regret help us to correct our faults?
Does regret / guilt help us to correct our faults? Doesn't the pain from our faults push us to the correct path?
Does regret / guilt help us to correct our faults? Doesn't the pain from our faults push us to the correct path?
Random guy
(131 rep)
Mar 3, 2021, 02:15 AM
• Last activity: Jul 1, 2021, 04:52 PM
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5
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Trying to find causes of everything
Is trying to find causes of everything not a good practise? Isn't having rational mind a good thing? I know that the Lord Buddha advised us to not to think about beginning of life. Because it make us crazy. There may be some other things like this. I realize that this thinking causes me to loose sat...
Is trying to find causes of everything not a good practise? Isn't having rational mind a good thing?
I know that the Lord Buddha advised us to not to think about beginning of life. Because it make us crazy. There may be some other things like this.
I realize that this thinking causes me to loose sati. Why that thing happen? How long does it exists? etc. Most of these thinking causes to stuck at a loop. It feels like it wastes lot of energy for nonsense.
But I have fear of stopping this. Do I have to just stop thinking and let it go? Do I have to forget things without knowing causes of it? How do I select what to think and what not to think? How this affects sati? What Lord Buddha said about this? How should I handle this rationality?
Random guy
(131 rep)
Feb 24, 2021, 03:39 PM
• Last activity: Jun 19, 2021, 01:08 PM
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Thinking vs Talking in mind
Sometimes, I caught me on talking in mind. Sometimes my tongue moves according to it. Sometimes I talk to myself. This feels very fast and hard to control. There also intuition like thinking. For a example, to move a hand we don't have to say to move. Also I can read a book without moving the tongue...
Sometimes, I caught me on talking in mind. Sometimes my tongue moves according to it. Sometimes I talk to myself. This feels very fast and hard to control.
There also intuition like thinking. For a example, to move a hand we don't have to say to move. Also I can read a book without moving the tongue. (mind talking) This feels very calm. I like to be in this state. When I want start a work, I need to make my mind silent.
What is going on here?
Random guy
(131 rep)
Mar 1, 2021, 11:47 AM
• Last activity: Mar 1, 2021, 12:23 PM
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2
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What to focus on in the practise of sati?
Recently, I started to be aware of my actions as stated in Sathipattana sutta. Today, I was aware about my movements when I moving a object. And I placed it in a wrong place. This happened multiple times. Before this practise, I aware about where to put the object but not movements. But today, the o...
Recently, I started to be aware of my actions as stated in Sathipattana sutta.
Today, I was aware about my movements when I moving a object. And I placed it in a wrong place. This happened multiple times.
Before this practise, I aware about where to put the object but not movements. But today, the opposite.
What am I doing wrong here?
Random guy
(131 rep)
Feb 27, 2021, 12:47 PM
• Last activity: Feb 28, 2021, 09:01 AM
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Does speed of body movements affect the calmness of mind?
Does speed of body movements affects the mind? Do we have to slow down our actions to have a better sati? It feels it does affects. But are there any sutta about this? How that works?
Does speed of body movements affects the mind? Do we have to slow down our actions to have a better sati? It feels it does affects. But are there any sutta about this? How that works?
Random guy
(131 rep)
Feb 15, 2021, 09:44 AM
• Last activity: Feb 16, 2021, 05:13 AM
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3
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Always analysing deeds: sati and samadhi
In daily Life, I always trying to focus on single good thought so no space for bad. When I did something, I tend to analyse it wether it is good or bad. It is deep most of the time because I am trying to follow five precepts. It seems like I am doing nothing wrong. So I trying to understand deeper c...
In daily Life, I always trying to focus on single good thought so no space for bad. When I did something, I tend to analyse it wether it is good or bad. It is deep most of the time because I am trying to follow five precepts. It seems like I am doing nothing wrong. So I trying to understand deeper clingings (klesha) that are not visible to outside. Most of the time, I am stuck in a loop.
But,
I recently realize that I'm living in a different world. I am far away from the real world. I was trying to improve samadhi but it weaken the sati. Trying to have a single thought feels heavy to mind. Focus on environment feels calm/less heavy/simple.
So How am I improve the situation? I think I have some kind of fear of doing something wrong. Focusing on something good prevent coming wrong thoughts to mind. I heard these kind of advices from monks. But this prevent having sati.
Should I have a general idea of good/bad deeds and stop trying to have a single thought always so I can be aware about the environment (have sati)? Have a specific time for a day to reflect about deeds did during the day.
Are there any sutta which contrast sati and samadhi?
Random guy
(131 rep)
Feb 7, 2021, 05:38 AM
• Last activity: Feb 7, 2021, 11:30 PM
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Understanding uncertainty of thoughts and the mind
It's quite easy to see the changing behaviour of the things we see, hear and feel. 1. Appearence between a child and an old man. 2. Good smell and bad smell 3. Having a wound and not Those things are quite easy to see. But it is hard to see the changing behaviour of mind and thoughts. I'm aware of 1...
It's quite easy to see the changing behaviour of the things we see, hear and feel.
1. Appearence between a child and an old man.
2. Good smell and bad smell
3. Having a wound and not
Those things are quite easy to see. But it is hard to see the changing behaviour of mind and thoughts.
I'm aware of
1. I may angry now. But I will be grateful in next five minutes. (Changing thoughts). (But I'm also getting repitative thoughts)
2. I have different prespective than in my childhood.
3. Knowledge that I have is changing.
4. If cut down the body into pieces, we can not find any "I"
5. I and I in the previous life shoud be totaly different (Can see this clearly if I was an animal.)
Even thoughts are changing, It feels like source of it remains unchanged. How to understand this clearly? What are the practises that I should do? What meditation practises help to understand this?
Dum
(725 rep)
Dec 5, 2020, 05:56 AM
• Last activity: Dec 5, 2020, 06:22 AM
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How come movies/video games decrease the motivation to do buddhist practises?
I practised buddhism a lot in holidays given due to Covid-19. I listen to dhamma and meditate each and every day. When my college started, I was not ready for the exam. I got stress. Somehow I found some interesting videos on a video streaming platform and I watched videos such as movies, gaming vid...
I practised buddhism a lot in holidays given due to Covid-19. I listen to dhamma and meditate each and every day. When my college started, I was not ready for the exam. I got stress. Somehow I found some interesting videos on a video streaming platform and I watched videos such as movies, gaming videos and funny videos. It helped me to forget the problems. At the beggining, I had a **lot of** resistance to watch that kind of useless videos. But at the end, I lost that resistance. Watching a video became nothing. Even after 2 months gone, I still watching videos. I passed days without doing anything related to buddhism. I can't be mindfull as before.
What happened to me? How those videos cause me to lost my interest for buddhism? **How I lost that resistance?** Have you any personal experiences like this? How can I get back to that previous state?
Dum
(725 rep)
Nov 10, 2020, 04:32 PM
• Last activity: Nov 20, 2020, 06:44 AM
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3
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How to overcome fear for lost of opportunity?
I get fear when I'm trying to choose something over buddhist teaching. 1. Listening to Dhamma instead of studying something else 2. Reject a job offer to get some free time 3. Not having relationship (with a person who have great qualities) because it increases clinging, lust etc. and it causes suff...
I get fear when I'm trying to choose something over buddhist teaching.
1. Listening to Dhamma instead of studying something else
2. Reject a job offer to get some free time
3. Not having relationship (with a person who have great qualities) because it increases clinging, lust etc. and it causes suffering
My doubt is that those opportunities may help my journey to enlightenment.
1. Having a good job may make free time later
2. Good person may help me to understand buddhism more.
So, How can I decide what to give up and what not to give up ? Prince Siddhartha gave up lot of great things. (Kindom, Wife, Parents). But I don't have such a great mind like him. I have ignorence. So how to overcome this fear? Did Lord Buddha mention these kind of situations in his teachings?
Dum
(725 rep)
Nov 8, 2020, 03:06 AM
• Last activity: Nov 8, 2020, 11:07 AM
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How to stop rejecting / avoiding things?
I'm getting aversion when someone do things that I don't like. This happens when a person do and not on natural things like rain. But It is hard to recorgnise it as aversion because that aversion is not towards a person. I just don't like certain actions that affect me (Only the things that affects...
I'm getting aversion when someone do things that I don't like. This happens when a person do and not on natural things like rain. But It is hard to recorgnise it as aversion because that aversion is not towards a person. I just don't like certain actions that affect me (Only the things that affects me in someway). I don't want to hit someone or to hurt someone. So I always try to avoid such situations. But It is not always possible and that avoiding proccess makes suffering, makes doubts. So, How can I stop avoiding things ? How can I practise more acceptance ? How can I face anything without getting aversion?
Dum
(725 rep)
Nov 3, 2020, 01:24 PM
• Last activity: Nov 6, 2020, 09:49 AM
2
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6
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How important is patience in buddhism?
I've heard that patience has a big place in Buddhism. It is especially very important for monks. I can think two ways of patience. 1. When we get angry, we have to have patience to avoid bad consequences. 2. Most of practises in buddhism don't give us a result immediately. So we have to have patienc...
I've heard that patience has a big place in Buddhism. It is especially very important for monks. I can think two ways of patience.
1. When we get angry, we have to have patience to avoid bad consequences.
2. Most of practises in buddhism don't give us a result immediately. So we have to have patience to see a result. (Delayed gratification)
What are the teachings of the Buddha about patience ? I can think of case 1. But I want to know about case 2.
If a person is unable to delay gratification (not only in Buddhist practises), does it means that the person has excessive clinging? (Is it a characteristic of that kind of person ?)
Dum
(725 rep)
Aug 9, 2020, 04:40 PM
• Last activity: Aug 12, 2020, 04:08 AM
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Can anyone do something intentionally?
Consider someone is doing something (for instance eating). I can say that he is eating because of hunger, and his hunger is because his body needs energy. So, **every** action have **external** causes **only**. Can I do something by my own (without **external** causes)? I know that I can't do unwhol...
Consider someone is doing something (for instance eating). I can say that he is eating because of hunger, and his hunger is because his body needs energy. So, **every** action have **external** causes **only**.
Can I do something by my own (without **external** causes)?
I know that I can't do unwholesome things because of anatta. But I can say that I did something because of ignorance, and also that my action has an effect (karma).
This post may not be a question. I'm looking for a way to clear my understanding.
Kind regards.
Dum
(725 rep)
Jun 7, 2020, 02:12 PM
• Last activity: Jun 8, 2020, 04:49 AM
1
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3
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62
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Shouldn't we care only "What I think" instead of "What I + Others think"?
Our own thoughts make something wholesome or unwholesome. Not what other's think. So, is there a need to ***care*** about what others think regarding a certain thing? We can do good for others, but they might think that we do something bad for them. Isn't it their responsibility to think in a wholes...
Our own thoughts make something wholesome or unwholesome. Not what other's think. So, is there a need to ***care*** about what others think regarding a certain thing?
We can do good for others, but they might think that we do something bad for them. Isn't it their responsibility to think in a wholesome manner?
The title of this question should be "Should we care about what others think?", but I found a related question here:
However, it doesn't have any answers regarding this case (karma).
Kind regards
Dum
(725 rep)
May 17, 2020, 08:55 AM
• Last activity: May 17, 2020, 04:07 PM
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