At first I want to say sorry for my English, as it is my second language. My questions: 1. Can non-sentient beings reach nirvana? 2. Can non-sentient beings be reborn? 3. Can sentient beings be reborn as non-sentient beings? 4. Will all beings eventually reach nirvana? Thanks in advance for an answer.

Does enlightenment always comes with compassion so that all enlightened beings aspire to save sentient beings from sufferings? Or is the question 'why' only showing that I am using my discriminating mind to try to understand things? Another part of my question is that I think most of the people on this earth would not say they are 'suffering', there might be obstacles and negative feelings from time to time, but most people enjoy getting attached to the experience of pleasure, longing, love, etc. Most of them enjoy this worldly life so much that they wouldn't even thinking of standing back out and look at this kind of life that everyone is living from an 'outside' perspective. So my question is that why would all these sentient beings forgo this mostly pleasurable life (with net happiness larger than unhappiness, and all sorts of biological/neurological signals from their bodies guiding and incentivizing them to continue living and reproducing for the continuity and advancement of the species) to practice Buddhist teachings, to let go of things and pursue the state of nothingness? For most of them, it would be giving up net positive happiness to attain a state of nothingness and tranquility. Is that what everyone wants and needs? How do you convince them to do this? How do we save ALL sentient beings? Should we do this? Why do enlightened beings do this? These questions have been tormenting me for some time. Would be great help if someone can help me understand them. Thank you!

I jog everyday and teach children how to play basketball. There are some insects on the path where I jog and on the basketball court, and I’m sure we unintentionally kill a few of them. We live in a place where there are lots of trees and forests so it would be difficult to get rid of bugs. Am I violating the first precep?

The Buddha always said killing, no matter the circumstance, is always unskillful & leads to negative Rebirths. > In no recorded instance did he approve of killing any living being at > all. When one of his monks went to an executioner and told the man to > kill his victims compassionately, with one blow, rather than torturing > them, the Buddha expelled the monk from the Sangha, on the grounds > that even the recommendation to kill compassionately is still a > recommendation to kill — something he would never condone. If a monk > was physically attacked, the Buddha allowed him to strike back in > self-defense, but never with the intention to kill. As he told the > monks, > > "Even if bandits were to carve you up savagely, limb by limb, with a > two-handled saw, he among you who let his heart get angered even at > that would not be doing my bidding. Even then you should train > yourselves: 'Our minds will be unaffected and we will say no evil > words. We will remain sympathetic, with a mind of good will, and with > no inner hate. We will keep pervading these people with an awareness > imbued with good will and, beginning with them, we will keep pervading > the all-encompassing world with an awareness imbued with good will — > abundant, expansive, immeasurable, free from hostility, free from ill > will.' That's how you should train yourselves." > > — MN 21 > http://zugangzureinsicht.org/html/lib/authors/thanissaro/gettingmessage_en.html Three questions: **- What determines an animal's sentience?** **- If killing is never allowed, how would one deal with a parasite infesting their body, or any other animal as so?** **- Would not killing the parasite mean it is self-mortification, & thus an extreme, breaking the Middle Way (as it can hinder the practice of the Dhamma too)?** Please help! Metta to all!

Which consciousness/es are involved in meta-congnition (thinking about thinking)? And can the skandhas exist without them? I'm asking because I'm interested in whether animals without metacognition have skandhas.

I got pigeon eggs in my big balcony - in different places - some of them get abandoned by the pigeons. At what time by Buddhism are the eggs considered a sentient being ?