My partner committed suicide 2 weeks ago. I have managed to visit him when I'm sleeping (dreaming) and when I see him everything is normal until I have to wake up and we are both saying how much we are going to miss each other because we know when I wake up he won't be there anymore. This isn't every night I have lucid dreams about a lot of places. I would really love to see him more and possibly just cross over if I can to be with him all the time.

I used to think that the beauty of Buddhism laid within the absence of rules and restrictions. That you won’t be condemned for foing what you think is right. That there is more to see than just “here” and now. But seeing it as a quest also makes me sad that if it doesn’t make sense to my senses and comprehension anymore. I’m the kind of person who cannot obey as wanted blindly, there must always be a reason when it comes to rules rather than spirit. I don’t really stay if this is what is required of me. I don’t need rules, I need companionship, wherever they are or are not. But I’m 35 this year and already I fear the setting sun. I too will haggle more poorly because I am beginning to know that my questing days will become shorter and shorter. I know that I too will need a house of my own, made of rules and rituals and security. How can I say anything against that, though I can’t muzzle my dread? I am beginning to understand why older people don’t change much, though I wish I can be their gentle mare.

What i want to ask is what is the life before the Devil King of the Sixth Heaven create Samsara (know as wheel-of-life,cycle-of-birth) and law of causation

I can't seem to find resources that tell me the role of karma within the wheel itself rather than the nature of karma. Any suggestions?

Wikipedia's [Bhavacakra (Within the Theravada tradition)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhavacakra#Within_the_Theravada_tradition) article includes [this picture](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhavacakra#/media/File:Paticca-Samuppada.JPG) of the wheel: From inner to outer, it has four rings: 1. Past, Present, Future 2. Active and Passive 3. ? 4. Twelve Nidanas My question is, what's the third ring? Assuming I know approximately what each word in the third ring means, why are those words in particular placed in those segment of the third ring? What's the relation between the third ring and the other rings? What is the lesson or advice, how is understanding this ring useful/usable towards enlightenment?

Considering the 12 nidanas as represented on the Tibetan wheel of life. I can understand how the previous links cause (or condition) the subsequent ones for instance sensation is a condition for craving. However as the wheel turns it does birth -> conditions -> death -> conditions -> ignorance In what way is death a condition for ignorance? I can't see a casual link there.

As a follower of Buddha I believe in sansara, a never ending cycle of death and birth which only ceases by cessation of desire. I have many friends who are of different faiths that don't believe in this. They strictly believe in one life and thereafter a judgement day where god holds accountable everyone for what they have done during there lifetime.

The point that I use to support my claim is that we are all born different, some poor some rich, some healthy some sick and so on. But they counter argue by saying that it is all God's test. If you are rich they it is either a reward or a test to check if that privilege is used live a good life and consent to the will of god. If one is poor that is also a test by god. While I have some points to counter argue I have never been able to give a convincing answer.

My intention is not to convert them or to undermine their faith in god. But it would be nice if I could rid them of some of the delusional thinking that they got going so that some day they would realize life for it really is. How can I do this?

I am a being. So are you. According to Buddhism there is not soul and maybe there is nothing called myself which makes this a very tough question to ask. I am living my sansara. A never ending thought processes taking different forms (Human, Deva etc). This thought process or sansara does not overlap with any others or does not branch out. My theory is that the total number of beings (may not be the best word to use) or sansaras of different thought processes (again maybe wrong use of terminology but I hope you get the picture) does not change unless someone attains nibbhana/ becomes an arahath. Is this correct? or can it reduce without it being due to the passing of an arahath? Can it by any chance increase?

Problem ------- In discussions on Buddhist term *consciousness* (viññāna) with non-Buddhists, it's imperative to start with talking about life in general because---to my understanding---life after all is the physical body we possess with consciousness, i.e., we wouldn't call a physical body without consciousness a life form. Some non-Buddhists I talked with define life as simply an arbitrary biological phenomena. For example, we humans have sensors, sensor signals are interpreted by a complicated neural network in the brain, decisions and interpretations made as a result are conveyed around the body accordingly, and the motor actions take care of the rest. That's with regard to actions. Thinking is simply a neurological decision process made in the brain. Also, according to them the birth is a result of a sperm and an egg and death 'cos the heart stops. All fair explanations. But, before even introducing the concept of this continuous consciousness that continues from one life form to another, all is *understood* biologically. Life is birth + (actions + thinking) + death. All done. The continuous consciousness that I'm addressing here (that I want to explain to others) is what I have learnt to be what continues whatever the life form we take till Nibbana. Question -------- How would you initiate one to step out of the above box of reasoning and get 'em to think of consciousness? What would be your line of reasoning to counter the above biological reasoning? Note: 1. Feel free to change the question if you think its wording is not exact or not understandable. 2. The *counter arguments* I requested are purely for the sake of explanation. I've no personal interest in engaging in word-fights! 3. Consider all sub questions in Question above as one question.

Considering the 12 nidanas 1. Ignorance 2. Mental Volitions 3. Consciousness 4. "Name" and "Form" 5. The six senses 6. Contact 7. Feelings 8. Craving 9. Clinging 10. Becoming 11. Birth 12. Suffering and Death What is the difference between craving and clinging? They seem very similar to me. It would be helpful if someone could reference the original Pali and draw out the nuances of these terms. Many Thanks

If the Buddha wasn't a prince would his outlook on life been different? If he was a farmer looking after his land, feeding his family for example, would he have simply left his responsibilities behind to attain Nirvana? If he was the father or husband of a family that needed him, would he have left them? The purpose of the question is to understand that the Buddha left his family who had all the comforts in life. He didn't need to be concerned with their welfare since they would be provided for. How does one relate this lives of those who do not have these safety nets?

In a lot of images of the wheel of life there are Buddha figures in each of the realms. You can see them in the image below of the full wheel of life and I've also put in a close up of the hell realm with the Buddha figure clearly visible. So a Buddha is in hell, animal, hungry ghosts, human, heaven and titan realms. Who are these Buddhas and what are they doing in each of the realms. What is their significance? **Wheel of Life** **Hell Realm with Buddha on the right**