Defilements or misperceptions that arise because of correct insight attainment

Defilements or misperceptions do not arise because of correct insight attainment. There might be some left. Maybe defiled insights, or "Gecko - Samadhi [vipassanupakkilesa]"

  ...To practice concentration without correct understanding may lead to wrong concentration, from which the person develops abnormal perceptions, the so-called vipassanupakkilesa... You may have heard that samádhi can cause mental abnormality. When it happens, all perceptions arising from the wrong samádhi are abnormal. This is the case when the practice is without wisdom, bringing about misunderstanding in the mind. ...[have you heard?]

was meant.

And! Be clear that the question and previous perception is act-ually exactly a case-sample for such.

[Note: this is a gift of Dhamma, not thought for trade, stakes, exchanges or other gains subject toward decay and should be deleted if it's not giften to give in Dhammic conditions]


There's no mention on the future buddhas except Metteyya buddha in the pali canon. However, there's a book, Dasabodhisattuppattikatha which was written much later than the compilation of the pali cannon, possibly influenced by Mahayana bodhisattva ideals. Here's a list of the 10 buddhas in that book.

Metteyya
Rāma
Dhammarāja
Abhibhū
Dīghasonī
Cankī
Subha
Todeyya
Tissa
Sumangala

Source: https://what-buddha-said.net/drops/III/The_10_Future_Buddhas.htm


The "Comprehensive Manual of Abhidhamma" is an excellent translation of the Abhidhammattha Sangaha with extensive explanation / charts by Bhikkhu Bodhi. It can be legally downloaded from:

CMA

There are scanned copies of some of the Abhidhamma Pitaka available at:

Dhammasangani Pali English

Vibhanga Pali English

The Pali versions appear to be legal, the legality of the English versions is questionable.

My strong advice to you is to start with the CMA. Only once you have truly mastered this text should you even consider looking at the original Abhidhamma Pitaka texts.


How do you know if you have bad/good karma?

I'm going to add a pragmatic answer, because while I think many of the other answers touched on this problem correctly, I don't find some of the explanations completely clear.

In the most basic terms 'karma' is the idea that every action you make has a reaction. If you do something, something else will happen in response. There is nothing supernatural about it, there is nothing about past lives involved, it's just a matter of what happens in response to your behaviour.

And so some of the fundamental tenets of buddhism are aimed at controlling your behaviour. This is important because it helps to control the responses to your behaviour. In other words, if you live a good life and do good things, take responsibility for yourself, treat people well, good things will tend to, but not always, happen to you. Conversely, if you do bad things and don't take responsibility for yourself, then bad things will happen to you.

So as far as karma is concerned this is pretty much all you need to know: that what I put out to the world, I get back in return.


Are any of the three poisons considered stronger or more difficult to break than the others?

As per Buddha of Pali Canon (AN 3.68, thanks to @Unrul3r for the reference):

Aversion (aka anger, aka hatred) has much blame, but is quick to fade away;
Obsessive desire (aka greed, aka lust) has little blame, but is slow to fade away;
Confusion (aka delusion) both has much blame, and is slow to fade away.

As explained in commentary on dharmafarer.org:

  The Anguttara Commentary to AN 3.68 explains that “has little blame” means “both by way of worldly blame and by way of its (karmic) results”, that is, both in the worldly and the spiritual senses. It goes on to show that lust (lobha) “has little blame”by the fact that there is no social stigma to marriage, although it is rooted in sexual desire (that is, if lust remains within the moral limits). Such lust would not in itself lead to a painful rebirth in lower states. As such, it is less blameworthy in regard to karmic consequences.

  This statement may appear strange in
  view of the fact that greed (lobha) is one of the roots of the unwholesome or evil and that it also falls under the wider-ranging term of Craving, the fundamental cause of suffering. Yet greed is “less blameworthy” than hate in all those instances where the gratification
  of lust does not violate basic morality and is not harmful to others, as, for instance, the enjoyment
  of delicious food, sex gratification within the bounds of the Third Precept, and so forth.

  Lust, however, is “hard to remove” as it has deep roots in human nature, and is “as hard to remove as oily soot, and a particular attachment might follow a person even through two or three lives”. In a single moment the roots of lust can sink deeply into man’s heart; its fine hair roots of
  subtle attachments are as difficult to remove as the great passions, or even more so.

  The Anguttara Commentary similarly says that “much blame” means “both by way of worldly blame and by way of its (karmic) results,” that is, both in the worldly and the spiritual senses.

  Hate (dosa) is more blameworthy than lust and delusions because the results of a hateful act are often
  immediate apparently, widespread and protracted. Hate is almost always behind killing, acts of violence
  and life-threatening deeds. As such, hate is greatly blameworthy. However, people often quickly forget
  such violent acts when they are distracted by other pursuits, especially those concerning living needs,
  comfort and pleasure: in other words, they are more easily distracted by the drive of lust.

  Delusion (moha) is both greatly blameworthy and hard to abandon. It is always at the root of the
  motivation in the breaking of the precepts, indeed in any evil unskillful act.

  Both hate and delusion are regarded as blameworthy in society and have negative karmic results, as both may lead one to rebirth in painful states. Hate, however, is an unpleasant state of mind, and as beings naturally desire happiness, they will generally wish to abandon it. Moreover, by asking for forgiveness from those one has wronged through anger, it is easier to nullify the negative effects of anger in oneself and in others. Delusion, however, is usually deeply rooted in craving, wrong view and conceit, and as such will be as hard to remove as lust.


How can we view the statement that “life must be understood backwards but must be lived forwards" from a Buddhist perspective?

I feel that the answer that is most akin to Buddhism comes from the Buddha's instruction to his son to determine what caused the action by reflecting back, and then take responsibility for the action as one moves forward, stated as follows:

  The Buddha: How do you construe this, Rahula: What is a mirror for?

  Rahula: For reflection, sir.

  The Buddha: In the same way, Rahula, bodily acts, verbal acts, and
  mental acts are to be done with repeated reflection.

  Whenever you want to perform a bodily act, you should reflect on it:
  'This bodily act I want to perform-would it lead to self-affliction,
  to the affliction of others, or to both? Is it an unskillful bodily
  act, with painful consequences, painful results?' If, on reflection,
  you know that it would lead to self-affliction, to the affliction of
  others, or to both; it would be an unskillful bodily act with painful
  consequences, painful results, then any bodily act of that sort is
  absolutely unfit for you to do. But if on reflection you know that it
  would not cause affliction...it would be a skillful bodily act with
  happy consequences, happy results, then any bodily act of that sort is
  fit for you to do.   (Similarly with verbal acts and mental acts.)

  While you are performing a bodily act, you should reflect on it: 'This
  bodily act I am doing-is it leading to self-affliction, to the
  affliction of others, or to both? Is it an unskillful bodily act, with
  painful consequences, painful results?' If, on reflection, you know
  that it is leading to self-affliction, to affliction of others, or
  both...you should give it up. But if on reflection you know that it is
  not...you may continue with it.   (Similarly with verbal acts and
  mental acts.)

  Having performed a bodily act, you should reflect on it....If, on
  reflection, you know that it led to self-affliction, to the affliction
  of others, or to both; it was an unskillful bodily act with painful
  consequences, painful results, then you should confess it, reveal it,
  lay it open to the Teacher or to a knowledgeable companion in the holy
  life. Having confessed it...you should exercise restraint in the
  future. But if on reflection you know that it did not lead to
  affliction...it was a skillful bodily act with happy consequences,
  happy results, then you should stay mentally refreshed and joyful,
  training day and night in skillful mental qualities.   (Similarly with
  verbal acts.)

  Having performed a mental act, you should reflect on it....If, on
  reflection, you know that it led to self-affliction, to the affliction
  of others, or to both; it was an unskillful mental act with painful
  consequences, painful results, then you should feel horrified,
  humiliated, and disgusted with it. Feeling horrified... you should
  exercise restraint in the future. But if on reflection you know that
  it did not lead to affliction...it was a skillful mental act with
  happy consequences, happy results, then you should stay mentally
  refreshed and joyful, training day and night in skillful mental
  qualities.

  Rahula, all the priests and contemplatives in the course of the past
  who purified their bodily acts, verbal acts, and mental acts, did it
  through repeated reflection on their bodily acts, verbal acts, and
  mental acts in just this way.

  All the priests and contemplatives in the course of the future...All
  the priests and contemplatives at present who purify their bodily
  acts, verbal acts, and mental acts, do it through repeated reflection
  on their bodily acts, verbal acts, and mental acts in just this way.
  Therefore, Rahula, you should train yourself: 'I will purify my bodily
  acts through repeated reflection. I will purify my verbal acts through
  repeated reflection. I will purify my mental acts through repeated
  reflection.' Thus you should train yourself.   That is what the
  Blessed One said. Pleased, Ven. Rahula delighted in the Blessed One's
  words.

M.61


Should Buddhists avoid Amazon and Starbucks out of concerns about tax avoidance?

I think the answer is No. You can, but due to your personal views and believes, it has nothing to do with Buddhism, from a Buddhist's perspective you should take care of your actions, they will receive the results of their kamma (if any). Focus on what you do and left undone as the Buddha taught.

Another thing is that these days almost 99% of the companies do some kind of tax planning that involves similar practices, you just don't know it.

In an extreme example imagine if someone says: I will not pay taxes because the government is corrupt, that is wrong, as a citizen you should pay taxes and the politicians will face, sooner or later, the consequences of their actions.


How to let go of something the other person involved won't acknowledge

In the West, we tend to affirm protest, intervention, resentment, and even revenge. In contrast, the Buddha tells us to let it go. That's quite a contrast to deal with.

AN5.162:6.10: In the same way, at that time you should ignore that person’s impure behavior by way of speech and body, and the fact that they don’t get an openness and clarity of heart from time to time, and think of them with nothing but compassion, kindness, and sympathy:  ‘Oh, may this person give up bad conduct by way of body, speech, and mind, and develop good conduct by way of body, speech, and mind.  Why is that?  So that, when their body breaks up, after death, they’re not reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell.’

When the behavior of others disturbs us, we must first acknowledge that the perception of disturbance is within us--we see ugliness to which feel aversion and experience a desire to "make it right". Propelled by this aversion and desire, our resulting actions are corrupted by our own aversion and desire. Because of this, we generate suffering for ourselves with delusions of righteousness.
So our first action is to deal with the mess inside, clean it up and let it go. If our feelings are hurt, we let that go. If we feel resentment, we let that go. If we feel anger, we let that go. We have to let all the clinging go. Because if we don't let go, our actions will have an unskillful root. Such actions always lead to more suffering.
Relationships have a beginning. And because they have a beginning, they also have an end. Thoughtless endings, ghosting and worse, hurt both parties. It is sad to treat each other like an Amazon shopping experience. We become each other's dismissable clickbait. Yet perhaps a thoughtless ending was matched by a thoughtless beginning. Perhaps we can consider and nurture relationships that matter.
The Buddha discusses the danger of fake friends, and urges us to be wise in the relationships we start and maintain:

DN31:15.1: “Householder’s son, you should recognize these four enemies disguised as friends: the taker, the talker, the flatterer, the spender.

Fake friends aside, we can look to become a good friend worthy of good friends:

DN31:21.1: “Householder’s son, you should recognize these four good-hearted friends: the helper, the friend in good times and bad, the counselor, and the one who’s compassionate.

Let go of bad relationships. Open your heart to good-hearted relationships. And keep your heart open even to people from bad relationships--there may come a time when such a person comes back to you to make amends. Be open to that.


Can we reach enlightentment with recreational drugs?

From the perspective of the 5th precept then the answer would be no. The fifth precepts states

  I undertake the training rule to abstain from fermented drink that
  causes heedlessness

But I've often seen this rendered as

  I undertake the training rule to abstain from intoxicating substances

While the fact that it breaks the precept might leave you unconvinced these precepts are viewed as training principles i.e. it is the best way to achieve liberation or enlightenment. So in many traditions intoxicants are not seen as an aide to liberation.

Also the point of the Buddhist path is to see things as they really are. It's difficult to see how one might see things as they really are when one's mental processes are been influenced by recreational drugs of any sort. Reality is difficult enough as it is without dulling, altering or confusing the six senses (I'm including mind here as one of the senses).

The founder of the the sangha that I practice with, Sangharakshita, has taken psychedelic drugs on a couple of occasions to see if there are commonalities with the Buddhist path. From his perspective there wasn't though I believe he found the experience interesting. I have to say this was a controversial action by an often controversial figure. I have never heard any recommendations from him to try this approach so this would be another reason that I would personally discount recreational drug use as an insight practice.

As an aside, the beatnik guru Alan Watts (another contraversial figure) had a more sympathetic attitude to this approach. The most famous quote (which I will include with a little context) is

  Psychedelic experience is only a glimpse of genuine mystical insight,
  but a glimpse which can be matured and deepened by the various ways of
  meditation in which drugs are no longer necessary or useful. If you
  get the message, hang up the phone. For psychedelic drugs are simply
  instruments, like microscopes, telescopes, and telephones. The
  biologist does not sit with eye permanently glued to the microscope,
  he goes away and works on what he has seen

So even Alan Watts wasn't a whole-hearted proponent of this approach. He saw them as a tool at best and in no way replacing meditation or other traditional insight methods. Just to be clear though - Alan Watts wasn't a traditional Buddhist if he was one at all so this comment though interesting has probably limited relevance to this site. Please see it as a footnote to this answer.


Selling an animal to butcher will break first precept?

With regard to precepts, one should not kill or encourage others to kill. If one is supplying animals to a slaughterhouse one is encouraging others to kill the animal though one is not participating in the act. So this breaks the present.
The conditions for killing are:

i) The being must be alive.
ii) There must be knowledge that it is a living being.
iii) There must be intention to cause its death.
iv) Action must be taken to cause its death
v) Death must result from such action.
If all these conditions are fulfilled, then the precept has been
broken.

FIVE PRECEPTS (PACASILA)
When one is trading in livestock, the animals are alive and one knows the animals are indeed alive. One knows the fate of animals sold to the saluted house. Knowing that if one giving an animal for slaughter, by the act of giving one is condemning the animal to its ultimate fate. By doing so one seals the fate of the animal. In the slaughterhouse, the animals are ultimately killed.
Also, Right Livelihood component of the Noble 8 Fold Path says one should avoid 5 trades:

A lay follower should not engage in 5 types of trades. Which five?
(1) Trading in weapons sattha vaṇijjā,
(2) Trading in humans satta vaṇijjā,
(3) Trading in meat maṁsa vaṇijjā,
(4) Trading in intoxicants majja vaṇijjā, and
(5) Trading in poisons visa vaṇijjā.

I guess trading in livestock may be classified under trading in meat as ultimately this is what happens when you sell animals to a slaughterhouse.
One can accept “available meat” (pavatta,maṁsa) which is per killed not specifically with oneself in mind


Is working for a big corporation invariably wrong livelihood?

It does feel like big corporations are somehow less ethical but I suspect it's related to complexity. In a smaller company it's relatively easy to understand whats going on and where the ethical grey areas may or may not be. I work in a company of 30 people so I've a reasonably good idea what we are up to and if there are any major ethical concerns. However in a bigger company all manner of things can and will be going on. Your department may be perfectly ethical but another department might be selling arms to unsavoury regimes. The office 50 miles away might have real issues about work place bullying. The executive board might be engaging in large scale tax evasion. In a big company there are a lot of conditions in play, lot of things going on, lots of places to hide. There is bound to be good and bad there.

But in reality we are all affected by each other. A small company has suppliers - what are they up to? A small company invests in pensions - is it ethically investing? A small company still has an environmental footprint - is it excessively flying its people to other countries? The more we think about ourselves and others, the more these issues will come up. I think we are living in a golden age for Buddhist practice (controversial I know) but I do think that our livelihood is one of the areas that is more difficult for us in the modern world. But we still need to consider this kind of issue - exactly as you are doing.

I've a personal preference for working for smaller companies but I'm not sure that it's because of right livelihood and general ethical concerns. It might be just my ego playing out - preferring to be a bigger fish in a smaller pond.


How is 'Chanda' (Intention) related to 'Tanha' (Desire)?

Chanda is a reason for Tanha. Ignorance (Avidya) is the cause for Chanda means it's the cause for Tanha. Then Tanha causes to increases the Chanda's density towards something.
Nirvana is understanding Chanda towards something is a useless thing. As nothing in this world is going to satisfy the intention (Chanda) the living beings have. That's why no one can reach ultimate satisfaction. If someone reaches ultimate satisfaction there's nothing he/she needs to do further as he/she is already satisfied. The person who doesn't want anything (as he is ultimately satisfied) is the person who obtained Nirvana.
Someone who obtained Nirvana has limitless metta (loving / kindness) towards the living beans. Due to that reason, they may try to share the path to Nirvana with others.


Asking questions a "childish" way to learn, to teach?

Is asking questions, asking for things childish?

Asking question is something that children do, but adults can do it too.

If I'm working with someone and (for example because I have worked there longer) if I know more about our work than they do, or if I know something about our work that they don't know but should know, then I want them to ask me questions. I want them to have good judgement (skill) too, in deciding how much to ask and how often, I expect us to weigh and find a balance between their spending too long (too much of their own time) trying to figure everything out for themselves, when instead I could have told them easily; or on the other extreme, their asking me too many questions (taking too much of my time), instead of reading the answers for themselves.

I am not a formal teacher, teaching someone else would be a part-time job for me, and the subject (which is, knowledge of the software that I might develop with co-workers) doesn't have a specific curriculum. But in general it's good if someone asks me questions: it's easier for me (and better for everyone) if they tell me they don't know something, than for me to have to supervise them and for me to have to try to guess at what they don't know. Also I distinguish between things they ought to know already compared with things they couldn't know already.

Anyway for these kinds of reasons (i.e. my experience at work) I think it's normal for adults to ask questions.

Children do sometimes ask questions to avoid work (for example, asking questions instead of putting on their shoes to go to school). It's a bit irksome when an adult asks insincere or unnecessary, unhelpful questions ...
On this site I'm grateful that people are willing to reply to my questions. I usually try not to waste their time, and try to only ask questions which will help to me, and whose answers I can't easily discover by a little work of my own (research and reading already-existing text).
The purpose of this site isn't to be a question-factory, keeping people busy  answering endless unbeneficial questions.

What do you think, is there an adult way that replaces questioning?

At university we had lectures, with hundreds of students in the room. The lecturer would talk, students couldn't ask questions, we had books to read ... and some individual tutors/tuition, perhaps an hour a week, to talk about home-work.

Or sometimes there's learning by following (emulating) other people; or waiting to be told.

Comments on the paper you referenced in the OP.

So there was a neighbour who was hardly ever able to accept a gift, for example some fruits from the garden.

In the society I live in now I've never known anyone refuse such a (small) gift.

The benefactor, "the mother", is little by little devoured

Apparently that can happen in abusive (so-called codependent) relationships.

Everything is easier nowadays

People have been saying this kind of thing since ancient Greek and Roman times, at least: especially, saying that the younger generation is lacking in courtesy.

We cringe, usually, when we hear someone say "Labour makes (you) free"

I was amazed to read "Arbeit macht frei" as the title of the page. Because of the phrase's historical usage I consider it a phrase which "no longer means what you think it means" i.e. it has (historical) "meaning" that's not evident from its overt form. It's not the plain meaning I cringe from but the association with Auschwitz et. al., which makes it difficult for me to even consider the phrase, which evokes horror (or pity for the victims, to whom the phrase was a lie) as soon as I read it.

Anyway this was kind of a vague answer, I'm not sure whether it answered your question (because I don't understand the intent or motive behind your question).

If you refer to the suttas you can see that it's full of questions and answers: students asking question (which teachers answer), and teachers asking Socratic questions.


What is buddhism point of view on money laundering?

Buddhism has no view, but in regard of the Buddha and to possible explain Dhamma, money laundering is usually part of an undertaking of thieving, e.g. taking of what is not given. As how far is one direct, indirect knowingly, indirect unknowingly... adapting an unskillful action (causes eighter birth in an animal womb, as hungy ghost, leads to hell or, if getting human existence, poorness), that is a case by case question.
Taking what is not given is unskilfull, incl. the 1001 ways, in also lying, cheating, betray...
As for "combating", it's worthy to read:
Wisdom over Justice and Justice vs. Skillfulness to get the Blessed Ones understanding and objectives best possible understood.
The Buddha teaches cause and effects and should be not understood as a judge for certain wordly objectives. Best, and if even that much possible, is to combating bad things within one self first.
If taking for example the Buddhas teaching to justify of what is not the Dhammas purpose: Such would be like money laundering. (by making Dhamma as impure so that it can be used outside of the religion, e.g. bond)
How ever, laundering ones view and action and to encourage to do it likewise is always the best engaging in laundering:
No way to clean another ones mind.

Cultivating skillful ways of thought
"And how is one made pure in three ways by mental action? There is the case where a certain person is not covetous. He does not covet the belongings of others, thinking, 'O, that what belongs to others would be mine!' He bears no ill will and is not corrupt in the resolves of his heart. [He thinks,] 'May these beings be free from animosity, free from oppression, free from trouble, and may they look after themselves with ease!' He has right view and is not warped in the way he sees things: 'There is what is given, what is offered, what is sacrificed. There are fruits & results of good & bad actions. There is this world & the next world. There is mother & father. There are spontaneously reborn beings; there are brahmans & contemplatives who, faring rightly & practicing rightly, proclaim this world & the next after having directly known & realized it for themselves.' This is how one is made pure in three ways by mental action."

— AN 10.176
Followed by "Skillful Verbal Action" and "Skillful Bodily Action", eventually keeping then the Uposatha of the Ariyas.
[Note: This is a gift of Dhamma and not meant for commercial purpose or other low wordily gains by means of trade and exchange.]


What do you think would be a good way to explain death to a child, from a Buddhist perspective?

Use a tree as an example. Show the various stages of a tree from seed to plant to fully grown tree to an old leafless tree and explain the ageing and impermanence. Then show a decayed/dead tree that is on the ground to make him understand that everything that begins must end. You can use pictures for this. Then explain the life of an animal in the same way. And then explain how humans are the same way.

Finally, show a seed of the dead tree and show how a new plant comes from it. Use that to explain rebirth.


How did Mahayan, Hinayan,Vajrayana come into Buddhism?

The Buddha lived 2500 or more years ago. That is relevant: humanity has had 2500 years to think about his teachings and disagree about them. Or more kindly put: in trying to live by his teachings, people have thought about them and come at different interpretations.

The main schools are - as you note:

Theravada - the only living 'hinayana' school. It preserved the Pali canon and as the only living representation of early Buddhism, many people consider it the most 'pure' school. However - it is still only one out of about two dozen schools that existed around the time of Christ.

  Mahayana is usually translated as'great vehicle', in opposition to Hinayana 'small vehicle'. This translation is obviously derogatory and offensive to the only early Buddhist school still in existence: Theravada Buddhism. Mahayana can actually also be translated as 'great path', that is: a path for every being. Hinayana would then mean: small path, or path only for monks actively striving to become arhats. source

Mahayana - everything else, including Vajrayana. Mahayana started in India around the time of Christ - not in China as one answer here suggests. It is true though that Chinese and Japanese Buddhism are dominated by the Mahayana approach.
It could be said that the Mahayana approach came about through the need for a more explicit compassion in Buddhist teaching and practice. The Bodhisattva ideal filled that hole.
The Bodhisattva ideal:

  May I attain Buddhahood for the benefit of all sentient beings.

Mahayana Buddhism includes Zen as well as Tibetan Buddhism.

Vajrayana is a form of Mahayana Buddhism, but it takes individual Buddhas as their main object of meditation. One theory about why it became popular is that it is a practice that helps a lot in times of uncertainty. It became the main form of Indian Buddhism in the centuries before Islam came to India - it was a time when Hinduism became prominent again and Buddhists were on the defensive.

Do note that it is difficult to be sure about the history of Vajrayana, because its practitioners are traditionally vowed to secrecy about their practice.

Vajrayana is prominent in Tibetan Buddhism, but it also survives in Japanese Buddhist ritual.


It is said that arahants never dream. What are the textual sources for this claim?

Dreams are not mentioned a lot int he suttas. Perhaps you can search the vinaya instead of the suttas.
THe best there is for the suttas is ''the lack of evil dreams'', from metta

  "Monks, eleven advantages are to be expected from the release
  (deliverance) of heart by familiarizing oneself with thoughts of
  loving-kindness[1], by the cultivation of loving-kindness, by
  constantly increasing these thoughts, by regarding loving-kindness as
  a vehicle (of expression), and also as something to be treasured, by
  living in conformity with these thoughts, by putting these ideas into
  practice, and by establishing them. What are the eleven?

  "He sleeps in comfort. He awakes in comfort He sees no evil dreams.
  http://obo.genaud.net/dhamma-vinaya/ati/an/11_elevens/an11.016.piya.ati.htm

there is the same thing with mindfulness http://obo.genaud.net/dhamma-vinaya/pts/an/05_fives/an05.210.hare.pts.htm

In the suttanipata, the buddha says dreams are worthless, contrary to what puthujjanas believe

  Who has destroyed (belief) in omens, in luck, the occurrence of dreams
  and other signs such, who is rid of the bane of what is auspicious,
  such a one rightly would wander in the world.

https://www.dhammatalks.org/suttas/KN/StNp/StNp2_13.html

  Whoso ’mong them strong efforts made resembling Brahma, best, he never
  did engage in sex not even in a dream.
  https://www.dhammatalks.org/suttas/KN/StNp/StNp2_7.html

  One of my followers would not cast spells, Or interpret dreams, Nor
  would they practice astrology, Prognosticate animal sounds,
  https://www.dhammatalks.org/suttas/KN/StNp/StNp4_14.html


There 3 things interplay here:

Kama Raga - attachment to sensual objects or objects arousing lust
Chanda Raga - attachments to people (lovers, loved one's, family, friends)
Suba Sanna - perception of beauty in the shape of the body

So when you see a person the following can happen:

Pleasure, displeasure, neutral sensation on how you perceive the person based on

Previous interaction and perception formed as friend or not or a person who matters or not or good person or bad person or likable or not
Perception of looks of the person

Relative to one's looks
As an object of desire

So when you see a person of the opposite sex the 1st time, what you get is Kama Raga and Suba Sanna. This is in seeking of pleasure born of such interactions.

Though Kama Raga heavily influences Chanda Raga, the main thing is that the person is influential in you life / perceived world. As the "puppet master" of the perceived world you get pleasure from the "puppets" in the show when they seem to go according to your expectations.

Chanda Raga is what might keep a relationship going even when Kama Raga subsides with time and into old age when Suba Sanna wanes off.

Though in seeking pleasure we get the above 3, in fact these give diverse sensations: pleasure, displeasure, neutral due to impermanent nature and non self nature of existance. All the experience you can derive from it is Dukkha (pain - Dukkha Dukkha, pleasure - Viparinama Dukkha, neutral - Sankhara Dukkha). So to understand the 4 Noble Truths contemplate on the arising and passing of sensations.


What did Santideva, the authour of the Bodhicaryāvatāra, say about the realisabaility of Buddhahood?

In general, the following positions are accepted by Mahayana tenets:

We can achieve Buddhahood because we can separate mind from afflictive obscurations and knowledge obscurations since neither is in the nature of the mind.
The way to abandon the two is ultimate bodhicitta: the wisdom directly realizing emptiness in the continuum of a bodhisattva. Since we can (a) cultivate bodhicitta and (b) see things the way they are (empty of inherent existence) then we can abandon the two obscurations and actualize the four kayas. There is the following analogy: wisdom is like an ax while bodhicitta is like a strong arm. Having developed both the ax and the strong arm – wisdom and method – one can cut off the tree, the two obscurations.
The mind is empty of inherent existence, therefore it is not inherently one with afflictions (from which it can be separated).

With regard to this, the fourth chapter of the Bodhisattvacharyāvatāra, verses 3 – 4 says:

  But how can I ever withdraw From what has been examined by the great
  wisdom Of the buddhas and their children, And has been examined and
  examined by myself?

  If, having made such a promise,
  I do not accomplish it through action,
  Then by deceiving all those sentient beings
  What kind of rebirth will I take?

Gyaltsab Je says that Shantideva speaks here of "The reasons why it is inappropriate to discard bodhicitta". In addition, Geshe Jamphel Gyaltsen explains that:

  We increase the capacity of the mind by investigating and
  understanding. [The mind] has the capacity to develop into anything
  possible. The capacity of the mind is limitless like the mind of a
  buddha.

Apart from these verses, Shantideva does not establish that Buddhahood is feasible. He does not expand on any of the previous (three) arguments. Taking them as a given, he shows how to achieve Buddhahood. He does so in a didactic manner. This might be because he addresses people that are already convinced (i.e. in the Mahayana lineage).  The Bodhisattvacharyāvatāra belongs to the genre of Mind Training (Lo Jong). Lojong texts include instructions aimed at cultivating bodhicitta, the cause of perfect enlightenment. This is because according to Mahayana, (1) bodhicitta is the entry door to the Mahayana path, (2) bodhicitta is the main cause of Buddhahood, and (3) Buddhahood is the ultimate result of the Mahayana path. As Geshe Jamphel Gyaltsen said:

  The Mahayana lineage refers to great compassion, the substantial cause
  of bodhicitta. [And] The ultimate benefit [of bodhicitta] is the
  state of complete enlightenment or Buddhahood.

These notions and these arguments are accepted by most Mahayana texts. Therefore, they do not bother establishing that Buddhahood is feasible. However, if you attend teachings on the Bodhisattvacharyāvatāra, or on a Lam Rim text, or on Asanga’s Ornament of Clear Realization, you will probably hear about these arguments (that the two obscurations are not in the nature of the mind, they can be abandoned, that bodhicitta is the cause of Buddhahood, that you need the accumulations of method and wisdom, etc.)

If you want to know more about systematic arguments on the feasibility of Buddhahood, I suggest you investigate other texts. For instance, you could study Tathāgatagarbha (Buddha Nature) by reading:

When the Clouds Part: The Uttaratantra and Its Meditative Tradition as a Bridge between Sutra and Tantra. Tsadra Collection.
Great Vehicle Treatise on the Sublime Continuum differentiating the Lineage of the Three Jewels (mahayanottaratantra-ratnagotravibhanga) by Maitreya
Gyaltsap Darma Rinchen's commentary to Maitreya.

As my teacher says “The ninth chapter is on wisdom and it all leads up to the result we search, Buddhahood.” In chapter 9 of the Bodhisattvacharyāvatāra, you find systematic refutations of non-Prasangika systems (some Mahayana, some Hinayana, some non-Buddhist). Shantideva explains that one could not achieve even arhatship without realizing emptiness of both persons and phenomena. He dismisses so-called Hinayana tenets such as Vaïbashikas and Sautrantikas. It is as close as you will get to finding explanation of the feasibility of Buddhahood in Shantideva’s Bodhisattvacharyāvatāra, but it does not really answer your question.

Concerning “how to achieve Buddhahood”, Gyaltsab Je’s commentary explains that “Buddhahood will not be accomplished by practicing only method or wisdom." The meaning is indeed: one achieves Buddhahood by way of method (bodhicitta and the six perfections) and wisdom (directly realizing emptiness of all phenomena). That is what Shantideva explains.

In terms of view, it is the wisdom realizing the two emptinesses (as presented by Mahayana tenets, namely Prasangika Madhyamika). In terms of method, it is generating the mind of enlightenment as to enter the Mahayana path, cultivate the six perfections, etc. In terms of views, he explains one can not attain liberation is not possible without realizing emptiness of both person and phenomena. Thus, he says that achieving even individual liberation without having directly realized emptiness of phenomena is not feasible. In terms of method, he explains that a Mahayana path is a “virtuous mind conjoined with renunciation and bodhicitta” and that is the cause of buddhahood.

All in all, positing “Buddhahood is not feasible” would imply that we are unable to generate bodhicitta or that bodhicitta is not the cause of Buddhahood (neither is accepted by Shantideva). Or it would imply that we can not accumulate the two collections or that they do not cause Buddhahood (and neither is accepted by Shantideva). Or it would imply that our minds do not have the capacity to abandon all obscurations (that is not accepted by Shantideva). Or it would imply that the mind exists inherently and therefore it is inherently one with the afflicted side (it is not accepted either).


I am a Theravada Buddhist and as far as predictions go here's what i was able to find...

  The coming of Maitreya will be characterized by a number of physical
  events. The oceans are predicted to decrease in size, allowing
  Maitreya to traverse them freely. Maitreya will then reintroduce true
  dharma to the world.

  His arrival will signify the end of the middle time, the time between
  the fourth Buddha, Gautama Buddha, and the fifth Buddha, Maitreya,
  which is viewed as a low point of human existence. According to the
  Cakkavatti Sutta: The Wheel-turning Emperor, Digha Nikaya 26 of the
  Sutta Pitaka of the Pāli Canon), Maitreya Buddha will be born in a
  time when humans will live to an age of eighty thousand years, in the
  city of Ketumatī (present Varanasi), whose king will be the Cakkavattī
  Sankha. Sankha will live in the palace where once dwelt King
  Mahāpanadā, but later he will give the palace away and will himself
  become a follower of Maitreya Buddha.[15]

  The scriptures say that Maitreya will attain bodhi in seven days
  (which is the minimum period), by virtue of his many lives of
  preparation for buddhahood similar to those reported in the Jataka
  tales.

  At this time a notable teaching he will start giving is that of the
  ten non-virtuous deeds (killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying,
  divisive speech, abusive speech, idle speech, covetousness, harmful
  intent and wrong views) and the ten virtuous deeds (the abandonment
  of: killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, divisive speech,
  abusive speech, idle speech, covetousness, harmful intent and wrong
  views).

  The Arya Maitreya Mandala, founded by Anagarika Govinda is based on
  the idea of the future coming of Maitreya.

  Pali sources say that beings in Maitreya's time will be much bigger
  than during the time of Sakyamuni. In one prophecy his disciples are
  contemptuous of Mahakasyapa, whose head is no larger than an insect to
  them. Buddhas robe barely covers two fingers making them wonder how
  tiny Buddha was. Mahākāśyapa is said to be small enough in comparison
  to cremate in the palm of Maitreya's hand.[16]

~Source - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maitreya

Here's the thing about the periods of time in different Sasanas of Buddhas. It is a matter of how long the humans live.In the time of our Lord Buddha maximum human life expectancy was 120-125 years.But in next Lord Buddha's era it will be way longer, Therefore that Lord Buddha's Sasana will hold on for a long time.


There are 40 meditation objects are prescribed in Visuudhimagga.

https://dhammawiki.com/index.php/40_meditation_subjects


In Zen we are not taught to abandon things. Instead we are taught to let go of our attachment to things. The key here is that it is not the things themselves that make us suffer, but it is our attachment to these things that make us suffer. Eliminating the things themselves is different than learning to liberate yourself from your own attachment to these things.

Three men sit in a lions den waiting to be eaten by a hungry lion. The first man hides in the corner trembling in fear of the lion. The second man stands strong ready to face the lion and kill it. The third man is liberated from attachments and is not in fear of the lion, nor does he want to kill the lion. In the present moment the third man is filled with joy and happiness for he is alive.

Abandoning things, is like the man trying to get rid of the lion. At first it may seem like the best choice, but there is a middle way between the first two men.


Very good question. :)

The answer is: Yes and no.
Yes, seeing intention before the doing is a great way of getting to see anatta in action (so to speak).

No, because I fear you won't be able to keep this up. Plus it's not necessary to go into that much detail.
Don't forget that every single action is preceded by intention. You really can't keep this up. Also, the mind is way, way faster than the body. You will miss a lot which is not a problem, but it could discourage you.

Here is a proposal of what you could do:

Day 1: Pay attention to the intention related to the change of posture. So, see if you can catch the intention to stand, to sit, to lie down or to walk.
This goes for daily life as well as walking meditation.

Day 2: Pay attention to the rising and falling of the abdomen in daily life.

Day 3: Pay attention to the four elements throughout the day.

You can create your own 'trainings schedule'. Point is that it should be doable for you, challenging but not too overwhelming so that it would be discouraging.
You can play with what you want to keep an eye on any given day. As long as it is in the realms of the four satipatthana. Then the mind will pick up the right knowledge and wisdom along the way.

In addition:
Don't forget to remind yourself. "Intention to sit, intention to sit, intention to sit"; "intention to walk, intention to walk, intention to walk"; "hard, hard, hard"; "soft, soft, soft"; "rising, falling; rising, falling"... and so on.
That reminding yourself is the sati-part of the practice (mindfulness).

Have fun! :)


Did Lord Buddha gain enlightenment by inquiring into death?

While living in the palace, Prince Gotama realised he would die (read Sukhamala Sutta), which resulted in him losing intoxication with the ordinary life of pursuing transient pleasures, which he also saw caused anguish & addiction in people and brought little happiness & much disappointment (read Magandiya Sutta).

In other words, Gotama did not directly or actively inquire into death to gain enlightenment because death was an established fact to him. The 'morbidity' referred to is 'suffering' & Gautama's inquiry was always into suffering.

Therefore, when inquiring into suffering, Gotama inquired into Dependent Origination (read Maha Sakyamuni Gotamo Sutta). Gotama asked: "Why do beings suffer?" and answered: "Beings suffer due to aging & death", i.e, "loss'. Then Gotama asked: "Why do beings suffer due to aging & death?". His answer was "birth". Why does birth occur? Due to becoming & attachment, etc.

As for his countless "past lives" and also the word "reborn" (in  SN 12.10, above), these are just mistranslations of the respective Pali words "pubbe nivāsa" and "uppajjati". For example, this translation of SN 22.79 correctly does not use the words "past lives". Instead, it uses "past abodes".

Everything above points to something called "birth" ("jati") as being the main problem the Buddha identified. After his enlightenment, the Buddha's 1st words were:

  153. Through many a birth (jati) in samsara have I wandered in vain, seeking the builder of this house (gaha). Repeated birth is indeed
  suffering!

  154. O house-builder, you are seen! You will not build this house again. For your rafters are broken and your ridgepole shattered. My
  mind has reached the Unconditioned; I have attained the destruction of
  craving

  Dhammapada

What "birth" ('jati') actually means will depend on your personal study, practise & realisation.

The Haliddakani Sutta may possibly provide some insight into what the Buddha meant by "abodes/homes/fixations" ('nivāsa'/nivesā) and "house/home" ('gaha').


Concept of Panchang Pranam in Buddhist culture

I found the term "panchanga pranama" on the wikipedia page for Praṇāma. In Indian culture and Hinduism, this simply means prostration with five parts of the body touching the ground.

In the image above, the left person is doing ashtanga pranama (eight parts touching the ground - also known as full prostration) and the right person is doing panchanga pranama (five parts touching the ground - also known as half prostration).
This is common in Buddhism and is known to be practised since the time of the Buddha, for e.g. from SN 22.1:

Then the householder Nakulapita went to the Blessed One and on
arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side. As he was sitting
there he said to the Blessed One, "Lord, I am a feeble old man, aged,
advanced in years, having come to the last stage of life. I am
afflicted in body & ailing with every moment. And it is only rarely
that I get to see the Blessed One & the monks who nourish the heart.
May the Blessed One teach me, may the Blessed One instruct me, for my
long-term benefit & happiness."

Both ashtanga pranama and panchanga pranama appear to be common in Tibetan Buddhism, as seen in this YouTube video, meanwhile panchanga pranama is common in Theravada Buddhism.
Apparently, in Pali, this is called pañcanga-vandana, which I found in the essay by Ven. Khantipalo entitled "Lay Buddhist Practice: The Shrine Room, Uposatha Day, Rains Residence".
An example of reverentially reciting Pali incantations and prostrating respectfully before a Buddha image as described below, can be found in this YouTube video.
Ven. Khantipalo explained here:

Dhamma is the way for training mind, speech and body. But the Buddha
dhamma is sometimes regarded in a way which is too intellectual and
theoretical so that there is a danger that it is not practiced as a
way of training. To help with the training of the body there are
various gestures which are expressions of one's confidence in and
reverence for the three Treasures. These actions when performed with
due mindfulness are wholesome kamma made by way of the body. Repeated
frequently they become habitual bodily kamma and it is good to have
the habit of reverence as part of one's character. The Buddha, soon
after his Enlightenment, thought that to live without reverence was
not suitable, so he looked around with the divine eye to find some
teacher under whom he could live, revering him and his teachings. But
he found no teacher superior to himself, nor any teaching superior to
the Dhamma which he had discovered. But out of reverence for that
Dhamma he decided to make the Dhamma his Teacher and to live revering
Dhamma. We who are his followers should follow in his footsteps and
live with reverence for those three aspects of Enlightenment: Buddha,
Dhamma and Sangha.
The gestures used for this are mainly two: respectful salutation with
the hands (añjalikamma), and the five-limb prostration
(pañc'anga-vandana).
The first of these, which may be remembered as "añjali" as there is
no satisfactory English equivalent, is made by bringing the palms of
the hands together, and raising them to the region of the heart or
higher, according to circumstances. For instance, in the shrine room
after kneeling down in front of the Buddha image, one makes añjali
before offering flowers, lights and incense. And as the Teacher was
the highest in the world and one to go beyond the world, so one
respects him by placing one's hand in añjali to the forehead. But
while chanting, the hands are held in añjali at heart level. This
action and others described here, should be done with mindfulness and
therefore gracefully. And one should be careful to see that
exaggerated and impetuous movements are avoided. As we remarked
before, the Dhamma does not encourage unrestrained expressions of
emotion, rather with its aid one endeavors to calm one's heart.
After all these preliminary remarks, we have just got into our shrine
room, knelt down, made añjali and offered the three offerings. Now
there are flowers placed in their vases or upon some offering tray,
candles or lamps burning brightly and a blue column of incense smoke
rising to the ceiling. It is time to pay one's respects with the whole
body to the Teacher. When afterwards one says "Namo tassa..." that
word "namo" (homage) comes from the root nam meaning "to bend." So
now one bends oneself, one's mind and body, down and acknowledges that
the Buddha was indeed the Perfectly Enlightened One that one's own
understanding of Dhamma is insignificant. In the kneeling position,
one's hand in añjali are raised to the forehead and then lowered to
the floor so that the whole forearm to the elbow is on the ground, the
elbow touching the knee. The hands, palm down, are four to six inches
apart with just enough room for the forehead to be brought to the
ground between them. Feet are still as for the kneeling position and
the knees are about a foot apart. This is called the prostration with
the five limbs, that is the forehead, the forearms, and the knees.
This prostration is made three times, the first time to the Buddha,
the second to the Dhamma, and the third to the Noble Sangha.
An ancient tradition from Thailand makes this more explicit as it adds
a Pali formula to be chanted before each of the prostrations. Before
the first one may chant:
Araham sammasambuddho bhagava
Buddham bhagavantam abhivademi.
The Arahant, the Buddha perfected by himself, the Exalted One
I bow low before the Exalted Buddha.
Before the second prostration:
Svakkhato bhagavata dhammo
Dhammam namassami.
The Dhamma well-expounded by the Exalted One
I bow low before the Dhamma.
And before the last one:
Supatipanno bhagavato savakasangho
sangham namami.
The Sangha of the Exalted One's disciples who have practiced well
I bow low before the Sangha.


Apparently stream-entrants are destined to attain Nibbana but what about non-stream-entrants?

Say, you wanted to lose weight and stay healthy. If you have no idea about Calories, Carbs, Fat, and Exercise - you may spend years randomly trying all types of foods, fasting, etc. - your weight going up and down endlessly. But once you get a clear idea of the science behind the body weight, you start eating healthy and exercising. Then you can draw a burn-down chart of weight by day and see how fast you're moving. At this point you can more or less precisely predict how long it will take you to reach your target weight. So it gets rather "deterministic" for you (wrong use of the word but I will go with you here). While for the people who are on a random diet based on their cravings and dislikes, the weight loss is pretty much never going to happen, because they don't have a methodical system in place that creates rational causes leading in the right direction.

Similarly, with stream entry. You understand "wrongness" (dukkha), the way it arises from conflict between "is" and "should", and the behaviors leading to conflict. You also understand "peace", the way it arises from the cessation of conflict, and the behaviors leading to no-conflict. Once you clearly see that, you can act accordingly. Once you act accordingly, it can be known that you will finish the process in finite time (seven lives being a figure of speech).

It's really simple, no need to over-complicate it.


Where is the suttas is 'sati' defined as present moment awareness?

Sutta does not define that 'sati' as present moment awareness.
Mindfulness in Buddhist teaching is much more than the english meaning of mindfulness and the the general mindfulness taught in the west.
To understand the meaning of 'Sati' we should have a good understanding of the following two Suttas.

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.010.than.html

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.118.than.html


The New Age Philosophy of Evolution stating that working towards Thoughtlessness and Nothingness is fundamentally Flawed

"The freedom of my swinging arms ends at your nose."
This video promotes the value of developing consciousness beyond personal concerns into a consciousness that embraces the world around us.  In the suttas, one reads the equivalent:

AN9.33:6.2: If someone should say, ‘I do not know or see where the perception of the dimension of infinite space ceases’,  they should be told:  ‘It’s when a mendicant, going totally beyond the dimension of infinite space, aware that “consciousness is infinite”, enters and remains in the dimension of infinite consciousness.  That’s where the perception of the dimension of infinite space ceases.’

Infinite space is unsatisfactory when one's swinging arm hits another's nose. Infinite consciousness is aware of noses and arms and also aware of the time for swinging arms or stepping forward with noses.
Notably, the suttas continue beyond the dimension of infinite consciousness. With increasing consciousness we discover that costs and benefits are mixed. Hunting skills lead to obsession with video games that produce no actual food. Huntington's disease leads to lower risk of cancer. Consciousness mitigates some suffering but doesn't end it. The suttas go on to describe what lies beyond infinite consciousness.

AN9.33:7.2: If someone should say, ‘I do not know or see where the perception of the dimension of infinite consciousness ceases’, they should be told: ‘It’s when a mendicant, going totally beyond the dimension of infinite consciousness, aware that “there is nothing at all”, enters and remains in the dimension of nothingness. That’s where the perception of the dimension of infinite consciousness ceases.’

The dimension of nothingness should not be experienced as life-ending nihilistic apathy.

SN54.9:3.3: Becoming horrified, repelled, and disgusted with this body, they looked for someone to slit their wrists.

Instead, the Buddha taught:

SN54.9:7.2: In the same way, when this immersion due to mindfulness of breathing is developed and cultivated it’s peaceful and sublime, a deliciously pleasant meditation. And it disperses and settles unskillful qualities on the spot whenever they arise.

So the Buddha might agree with the video in that fiercely grasping at nothingness is silly (i.e., "bulls**t" in the video). But the Buddha also noted that infinite consciousness itself is ultimately impermanent and unsatisfactory, and certainly not an end to suffering.


Does a monk wearing a samue break a prātimokṣa vow?

As others have pointed out, Japanese Zen buddhists (and virtually all other buddhist traditions in Japan) do not take the vinaya precepts when they ordain. In the Soto Zen tradition, we receive 16 precepts: the three treasures, the thee pure precepts (embracing moral codes, embracing beneficial action, and helping all beings achieve awakening), and the 10 major precepts (no killing, stealing, lying, sexual misconduct, intoxicants, slandering, self-praise, stinginess with the teachings, or insulting the three treasures). These are based on the Brahma Net Sutra, but are just a subset. Therefore, no vows about clothing are made.

Nonetheless, in Japan samu-e are understood to be priest's clothes and not lay clothes, although some lay people do wear them. If your vow was not to wear lay clothing, I would say wearing samu-e would not be a violation.

Also, my understanding of the Theravada vinaya is that only the three robes may be worn, and thus both Japanese and Tibetan buddhists are usually in violation of this rule.


Nirvana isn't an experience, or a state. Nirvana is just stopping. Can you see, directly, now, that everything stops? That everything is always stopping?

When you do see that directly, that is, when your mindstream turns for one moment towards the stopping that's always happening, and you get a glimpse of Nirvana, "you" won't be there. But there will be an aftershock in your body.

That aftershock may be pleasant, and feel like wisdom- it may even feel like being a "supreme seer". But it's an experience in your body, in time, and is not itself "being in Nirvana".

Nirvana is in you because your mindstream, your experience, is always stopping. It's always going over the edge of a waterfall.

All of that might not make much sense :)


How do you understand the Cakkavatti Sutta?

I have never read the sutta. Bhikkhu Sujato wrote:

The Dīgha contains truly mythic texts in DN 26 Cakkavattisīhanāda and DN 27 Aggañña. These set forth a myth of origins, replacing conventional creation mythology with an evolutionary account of how the world came to be the way it is. In these stories, human choices play a critical role in how the environment evolves, and in how it will all fall apart. The Aggañña depicts climate change quite explicitly, showing how human activity affects the plants, the weather, and the natural ecosystem of which we are a part (see also AN 3.56).
The mythology is essentially cyclic. There is no absolute beginning; just another turning of the wheel. Thus even when the world falls apart and civilization collapses, there will be a new renaissance, far in the future, and ultimately another Buddha will arise. He is named as Metteyya (Sanskrit: Maitreya) who in the early texts appears only in DN 26 Cakkavattisīhanāda. He went on to become one of the most important figures in Mahāyāna Buddhism, and many Buddhists even today still await his coming with hope. Yet DN 26 is not taught in order to encourage devotees to dedicate themselves to Metteyya, but to illustrate the impermanence and uncertainty of our lives. The Buddha always taught that we should practice as best we can to understand the Dhamma in this life.
The Long Discourses: Dhamma as literature and compilation


If I download illegal material for my education and if the material is not in my reach in my country, is it still bad karma?

Legally, unlawful downloads would probably be more akin to trespassing than stealing, as nothing was taken, but the legal rights to control property was infringed upon.

Considering the precepts, however, the issue isn't really about theft but about "undertaking the training to avoid taking things not given". Thus, it's a little more broad than theft. Instead, one should avoid even the perception of theft. Think of it like in a store where the "free samples" box is behind the counter and not easy to reach. To follow the precept, one should ask first and take if allowed.


Vajrayana VS theravada - after death theories - do they contradict each other?

From Wikipedia on the Tibetan bardos:

  Kyenay bardo (skye gnas bar do): is the first bardo of birth and life. This bardo commences from conception until the last breath, when
  the mindstream withdraws from the body.
  Milam bardo (rmi lam bar do): is the second bardo of the dream state. The Milam Bardo is a subset of the first Bardo. Dream Yoga
  develops practices to integrate the dream state into Buddhist sadhana.
  Samten bardo (bsam gtan bar do) is the third bardo of meditation. This bardo is generally only experienced by meditators, though
  individuals may have spontaneous experience of it. Samten Bardo is a
  subset of the Shinay Bardo.
  Chikhai bardo ('chi kha'i bar do): is the fourth bardo of the moment of death. According to tradition, this bardo is held to
  commence when the outer and inner signs presage that the onset of
  death is nigh, and continues through the dissolution or transmutation
  of the Mahabhuta until the external and internal breath has completed.
  Chönyi bardo (chos nyid bar do): is the fifth bardo of the luminosity of the true nature which commences after the final 'inner
  breath' (Sanskrit: prana, vayu; Tibetan: rlung). It is within this
  Bardo that visions and auditory phenomena occur. In the Dzogchen
  teachings, these are known as the spontaneously manifesting Thödgal
  (Tibetan: thod-rgyal) visions. Concomitant to these visions, there is
  a welling of profound peace and pristine awareness. Sentient beings
  who have not practiced during their lived experience and/or who do not
  recognize the clear light (Tibetan: od gsal) at the moment of death
  are usually deluded throughout the fifth bardo of luminosity.
  Sidpa bardo (srid pa bar do): is the sixth bardo of becoming or transmigration. This bardo endures until the inner-breath commences in
  the new transmigrating form determined by the "karmic seeds" within
  the storehouse consciousness.

Above, you can see that the fifth and sixth bardos are located between death and rebirth.

However, the Theravada view according to Ven. Narada Mahathera from his book The Buddha and His Teachings, chapter 28:

  In the foregoing case, the thought experienced before death being a
  moral one, the resultant rebirth-consciousness takes for its material
  an appropriate sperm and ovum cell of human parents. The
  rebirth-consciousness (patisandhi vi?āna) then lapses into the
  Bhavanga state.

  The continuity of the flux, at death, is unbroken in point of time,
  and there is no breach in the stream of consciousness.

  Rebirth takes place immediately, irrespective of the place of birth,
  just as an electromagnetic wave, projected into space, is immediately
  reproduced in a receiving radio set. Rebirth of the mental flux is
  also instantaneous and leaves no room whatever for any intermediate
  state (antarabhava). Pure Buddhism does not support the belief
  that a spirit of the deceased person takes lodgement in some temporary
  state until it finds a suitable place for its "reincarnation."

From the above two excerpts, it appears that the Tibetan and Theravadan views are contradictory.


You can read this sutta about how the Buddha-To-Be overcome obstacles: https://suttacentral.net/mn19/en/bodhi


How are the importance of sutras determined?

In the Indo-Tibetan traditions, questions such as "what are the sutras of definite meaning? in what way are they different from sutras of interpretative, provisional meaning? what makes them sutras of definite meaning?" arise when we investigate the meaning of emptiness. This is because, since the wisdom realizing emptiness is the direct antidote to ignorance, it abandons the obstructions to liberation. Therefore, ascertaining the meaning of emptiness is of utmost importance, and it is why one has to rely on sutras 'of definite meaning' in order to do such ascertainment.

Roughly, a sutra of definite meaning is "more correct" when it comes to ascertaining the meaning of emptiness, but not necessarily with respect to other topics such as the method-side.

Thus, most texts and textual genres that mainly teach emptiness explain what sutras of definite meaning are and why they are taken to be so. They do that to show that they rely on reliable sutras, i.e. sutras of definite meaning, as opposed to sutras of interpretative meaning.

Examples of texts teachings emptiness are:

Candrakirti's Madhyamakavatara and commentaries to it,
Nagarjuna's Karika and commentaries to it,
Maitreya/Asanga's Abhisamayalankara and commentaries to it,
Texts on the Tathagata Essence such as Maitreya's mahayanottaratantra-ratnagotravibhanga,
Presentation of the Special Insight Lam Rim chapter such as Atisha's and so forth.

The introductions to the Kagyu & Nyingma commentaries of Maitreya's Ornament are worth studying in that respect. It explains the three turnings of the wheel and what is definite. (Blue-covered thick books titled Gone Beyond, and Groundless Paths)

Although the Tibetan traditions really are **Indo-**Tibetan, various Buddhist schools did not elaborate on and expanded much on Indian commentaries such as the ones I listed above. For instance, Chan (and later on Zen, Thyen, Seon) does not particularly rely on Indian sources. This means that you will hardly find what Chan masters answer to your question in commentaries to those texts. However, there are aspects of early Madhyamika (and thus Nagarjuna) even in Chan.

Nagarjuna and Maitreya/Asanga are Indian sources that have been elaborated on a great deal by Tibetan Scholars, but also by other traditions such as Tiantai, Pure Land, etc.

The Prasangika-Madyhamika school of Tenets say:

Sutras of the Pali canon are provisional and are the first turning
Perfection of Wisdom Sutras are of definite meaning and are the second turning
Sutras of the third turning are usually of provisional meaning, except those which meaning accord with the Perfection of Wisdom Sutras, such as the Tathagatagarbha Sutra.
Prasangika posit that a sutra which main subject-matter is emptiness is of definite meaning. Sutras of the Pali canon that speak of emptiness are not of definite meaning because they do not teach the final view on emptiness, the lack of inherent existence.

The condensed version of the Pefection of Wisdom sutras is the Heart Sutra.

Chan masters were initially called 'Lankavatara masters'. However, the Lankavatara Sutra was so difficult to understand that, later on, as Chan popularized and became less provincial, the Avatamasaka Sutra (Garland of Flowers Sutra) took over. Thomas Cleary made an amazing translation of this particular sutra, about than 1'600 pages. Furthermore, the introduction of the English translation of the Avatamsaka states that according to Chan:

The Avatamkasa was taught by Buddha in a pure Land, after he showed the aspect of achieving enlightenment and before he taught the sutras of the Pali canon. It is of definite meaning.
Sutras of the Pali canon & Perfection of Wisdom Sutras are the second turning of the wheel, and of interpretative, provisional meaning.
The Lankavatara Sutra, Tathagatagarbha sutra, etc. are the third turning and, like the first turning, of definite meaning.

The third turning of the wheel sutras explain the three natures. It is called 'the turning of correct differentiation (between what is and what is not truly existent)'. The condensed version of the Avatamsaka is the King of Prayers.

Pure Land Buddhism highly regards the following three sutras:

Infinite Life Sutra,
Amitabha Sutra,
Meditation Sutra.

However, I do not know whether they posit them as being 'of definite meaning', and which turning of the wheel they claim these sutras belong to.

My answer is all in all very incomplete.


Are some forms of employment less just to workers, according to Buddhism?

In the book "The Buddha's Teachings on Prosperity" there was an interesting section on the Buddha's advice to employers on how to treat their employees. I will fill in with direct quotes a bit later. But the message to employers was to treat their employees well and to give them benefits including something akin to modern day medical benefits.

I found this very interesting but not surprising. The Buddha was a social champion in compassion and treating people fairly. Many employers today could learn a lot from his teachings.

Edit

From page 16 of "The Buddha's Teachings on Prosperity":

  The Buddha's recommendations for the welfare of employees further clarify an honorable path to prosperity. Specifically he mentioned five ways in which employers should treat workers:

  Assign work and duties in accordance with their skills and abilities.

  Pay salaries befitting their work and service.

  Provide medical assistance.

  Make wholesome food availble.

  Allow for leave and vacations at appropriate times.

  These amazingly modern concepts confirm the Buddha's teaching that people are not entitled to wealth if they fail to follow ethical business practices.

The books original source for this information was listed as DN 31: Sigalovada Sutta, The Long Discourses of the Buddha: 461-469.

And indeed from Sigalovada Sutta:

  "In five ways should a master minister to his servants and employees as the Nadir:

  (i) by assigning them work according to their ability,

  (ii) by supplying them with food and with wages,

  (iii) by tending them in sickness,

  (iv) by sharing with them any delicacies,

  (v) by granting them leave at times.

As far as people doing routine work, that doesn't have to be a negative thing at all. Not being overly stimulated in your work can give you plenty of time for being meditative in daily life, being content with a simple life, and getting out of work on time as compared to executives who are married to their careers and stay occupied with them 24/7.


Did the Buddha teach meditation to lay people?

The Buddha taught people according to what interest them. Maybe, there were few lay people interested in meditation while still enjoying lay lifestyle then.

Though there is no record of such meditation suttas teaching to lay people, I believe a few excellent lay disciples received meditation guidance from the Buddha. For example, there is Uttarā Nandamātā who is described as "the best of women disciples in meditative power (jhāyīnam)". There is also Citta the Householder who is well-versed in meditation. There is a whole fascinating Samyutta about him.


If I launched a Kickstarter campaign, would any of you guys consider pre-ordering a book before it was written?

I will pre-order the book.


Disguised negative emotions and the mindless brawl called an election

Yes friend ...I think what you are referring to is media pollution or media puppetry ...as well as unresolved issues in your practice . the exertion if will power sometimes is not enough power to overcome ingrained emotional intelligence ie, hatred, anger ,fear all three if these go way back to when we were all in caves wondering how we would get the next  meal!! So Buddhism is unique as it allows the practitioner at any level to go further I.nquire a little more and learn through observing our own efforts and inner mind so that we can effect positive change.
Lastly staying away from powerful stimulus like media biast TV is not so bad after all for some its only a distraction from the real picture ...I wish you well..


Someone told me Buddha copied almost everything from Brahmanism, how accurate is that?

Dyana meditation is basically keeping your focus on one object. Various forms of it can be found in many religions. There's nothing exceptional about it. Even christians/muslims praying to a God is a type of concentration meditation that could lead to the first Dyana. In that case, the object of focus is conceptual or fictional.

In Buddhism also you can find types of Dyana meditations as they are useful methods of developing concentration and subduing defilements. But what makes Buddhism exceptional is Vipassana meditation. This meditation is not found in any other religion. Then there are so many unique teachings like the four noble truths, the noble eightfold path, most of the teachings in the sutta, abhidhamma, vinaya pitakas that amount to 84,000 teachings.

So if someone claims that the Buddha copied almost everything from Yoga, it only speaks of his lack of knowledge in Buddhism.


How many types of Buddhism exists in this world?

The world religions tree gives a bird's eye view of the development of all world religions.

https://external-preview.redd.it/e5i27HPcaGrDPApm2lyfRyn3JQlLZV_Ko6mSzmIXa7Y.jpg?auto=webp&s=305e5527d3e7f831b338c26e205840836f26edaf


I'm trying to find a specific sutta I think

Upaddha Sutta: Half (of the Holy Life)

  Don't say that, Ananda. Don't say that. Admirable friendship, admirable companionship, admirable camaraderie is actually the whole
  of the holy life. When a monk has admirable people as friends,
  companions, & comrades, he can be expected to develop & pursue the
  noble eightfold path.


Can you explain "Wishlessness" (one of the Three Doors of Liberation)?

The three doors of liberation -- by Vietnamese / French zen master Thich Nhat Hanh

I'm sure he says it a lot better than we could.

If we look at the three as identical and mutually supportive, we may see that with no self, and no form, the aspirants wishlessness is not for others.

What zen master has nothing to teach their students?

Put another way, your nirvana is not my liberation -- so keep on practicing!


Are the formless jhanas without any consciouness of form at all?

Formless meditations exist. The eight attainments (atthasamapatti) in meditation (attaining Adhicitta) broadly has two parts - namely, the first four rupa jhanas and the four arupa jhanas. These last four are higher stages of mental concentration – the formless states - enable one to gain super-normal powers.

Even though we see the mind as normally inter-dependent with body, there are levels of existence where only mental phenomena exist, with nothing whatever of rupa.  The four 'formless' (arupa) meditative states are attainable from the fourth jhana onwards:

The sphere of infinite space (Akasanañcayatana);
This is attained by transcending any cognition of rupa, by abandoning the metal image that was previously the object of concentration, and seeing that space is infinite.

The sphere of infinite consciousness (Viññaaañcayatana);
In this second state, the focus is on the consciousness that had been aware of infinite space.

The sphere of nothingness (Akiñcaññayatana);
In the third, this object (Viññaaañcayatana) is dropped, and the focus is on the apparent nothingness remaining.

The sphere of neither-cognition-nor-non-cognition (Nevasaññanâsaññayatana).
In the fourth, this object (Akiñcaññayatana) is dropped and the mind is in an attenuated state where it is hardly functioning.

SD 24.11 _ Pathama Jhana Pañha Sutta or (Savitakka) Pathama Jhana Sutta. Progressing in the 1st dhyana.
SD24.12a _ Dutiya Jhana Pañha Sutta or (Avitakka) Dutiya Jhana Sutta. Progressing in 2nd dhyana.
SD 24.13 _ Tatiya Jhana Pañha Sutta or (Sukhena) Tatiya Jhana Sutta. Progressing in the 3rd dhyana.
SD 24.14 _ Catuttha Jhana Pañha Sutta or (Upekkhaka) Catuttha Jhana Sutta. How to progress in the 4th dhyana.
SD 24.15 _ Akasanañcayatana Pañha Sutta. Progressing in the sphere of infinite space.

SD 24.16 _ Viññaaañcayatana Pañha Sutta. Progressing in the sphere of infinite consciousness.
SD 24.17 _ Akiñcaññayatana Pañha Sutta. Progressing in the sphere of nothingness.
SD 24.18 _ Nevasaññanâsaññayatana Pañha Sutta. Progressing in the sphere of neither-perception-nor-non-perception.


Stream-entry is to have verified confidence in the Dhamma, which is seen here & now, timeless, inviting verification, pertinent, to be realized by the wise for themselves.

What this means is to fully realise the abandoning of craving, attachment & self-view brings peace (and the opposite brings suffering & disturbance).


What does the Pali canon, and other respected work, teach about parenting?

It teaches that birth is suffering for the reason that it is like entering into a binding contract:

  One goes through all these sufferings simply because one happens to take a new existence. Accordingly, jāti, re-birth, being the foundation of all the miseries of the whole existence, is defined as dukkha by the Buddha. A careful consideration will confirm the accuracy of this definition. Re-birth is really dreadful like signing a document which later will give rise to complications. Thus jāti is dukkha because of its dreadfulness. To summarise, the physical and mental afflictions are occasioned (arise) because of jāti in each existence. Only when there is no more re-birth will there be total release from these inflections. Thus the Blessed One had taught that the very origination of new existence, jāti is suffering.

  -- Mahasi Sayadaw, Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta

It teaches that children have power over their parents:

  Bhikkhus, there are these eight powers. What eight? (1) The power of children is weeping; (2) the power of women is anger; (3) the power of thieves is a weapon; (4) the power of kings is sovereignty; (5) the power of fools is to complain; (6) the power of the wise is to deliberate;"" (7) the power of the learned is reflection; (8) the power of ascetics and brahmins is patience. These are the eight powers.”

  AN 8.27 (Bodhi, trans)

It teaches that a parent has responsibilities towards their children:

  "In five ways, young householder, a child should minister to his parents as the East:

  (i) Having supported me I shall support them,
  (ii) I shall do their duties,
  (iii) I shall keep the family tradition,
  (iv) I shall make myself worthy of my inheritance,
  (v) furthermore I shall offer alms in honor of my departed
  relatives.[9]

  "In five ways, young householder, the parents thus ministered to as the East by their children, show their compassion:

  (i) they restrain them from evil,
  (ii) they encourage them to do good,
  (iii) they train them for a profession,
  (iv) they arrange a suitable marriage,
  (v) at the proper time they hand over their inheritance to them.

  "In these five ways do children minister to their parents as the East and the parents show their compassion to their children. Thus is the East covered by them and made safe and secure.

  http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/dn/dn.31.0.nara.html

It teaches that parents are meant to be helpful to their children:

  “‘Brahmā,’ bhikkhus, is a designation for mother and father. ‘First teachers’ is a designation for mother and father. ‘Giftworthy’ is a designation for mother and father. For what reason? Mother and father are helpful to their children: they raise them, nurture them, and show them the world.”

  AN 3 (Bodhi, trans)

It seems to suggest that children might are an impediment to attainments higher than stream-entry:

  Sitting to one side, the lay follower Dhammadinna then said to the Blessed One: “Let the Blessed One, venerable sir, exhort us and instruct us in a way that may lead to our welfare and happiness for a long time.”

  “Therefore, Dhammadinna, you should train yourselves thus: ‘From time to time we will enter and dwell upon those discourses spoken by the Tathāgata that are deep, deep in meaning, supramundane, dealing with emptiness.’ It is in such a way that you should train yourselves.”

  “Venerable sir, it is not easy for us—dwelling in a home crowded with children, enjoying Kāsian sandalwood, wearing garlands, scents, and unguents, receiving gold and silver—from time to time to enter and dwell upon those discourses spoken by the Tathāgata that are deep, deep in meaning, supramundane, dealing with emptiness. As we are established in the five training rules, let the Blessed One teach us the Dhamma further.”

  “Therefore, Dhammadinna, you should train yourselves thus: ‘We will possess confirmed confidence in the Buddha … in the Dhamma … in the Saṅgha.… We will possess the virtues dear to the noble ones, unbroken … leading to concentration.’ It is in such a way that you should train yourselves.”

  (Bodhi, trans)


Generally, "a phenomenological perspective" refers to phenomenology as expounded by Husserl, and so forth. It is a way of speaking that is typical of contemporary students. It refers to a perspective that underlies the manner in which phenomena appear to one's consciousness, or (a step further) the aspects one's consciousness take.

Therefore, in relation to 'lower rebirth', a so-called phenomenological perspective would approach the way one experiences suffering. The aspect one's consciousness takes when it is subject to this or that suffering.

Generally, such a perspective entails suspending facts and factual inquiries (as in "let us not take rebirth altogether as a fact or a non-fact, and let us not bother with determining whether there is indeed rebirth"). When one suspends all judgments about the supposedly external world (or its quality of being external), that suspension is called epokhē, an ancient Greek term.

From that viewpoint, a phenomenological perspective relates to a form of skepticism.

Some people take another stand by even negating (not just suspending) such or such a phenomena as a fact, as in: "there is no such thing as rebirth and hells, but that doesn't matter because we might very well experience the world in a hellish way". This amounts to a form of criticism.


"In the original Mindfulness Sutra, The Buddha described what he called the Four Foundations of Mindfulness. These teachings remind us to be aware of our bodies; aware of our feelings and emotions; aware of our thoughts; and aware of events, as they occur, moment by moment." Lama Surya Das, Awakening the Buddha From Within, pg 301-302. (Italics are mine.)

Obviously, mindfulness does not mean that we should not think, rather that we do not dwell on the past, and stay in the present moment. If the present moment means that you need to think about future plans, that is acceptable. Just realize that those future plans are not set in stone, are subject to change, and will be in the present moment when they are implemented in the future.

As for meditation, it sounds like you are describing Samatha, or Calm Abiding Meditation. This does indeed call for training the mind to not have as many conceptual thoughts during the meditation. If one arises, we are aware, and dismiss the thought by returning to the object of focus, such as mindful breathing. The following link may be of assistance to you.

Contemplation and meditation and thinking


What is the attitude toward homosexuality in Buddhism?

I think that the reason you only find references to homosexual activity in the vinaya is BECAUSE the vinaya is the only place where there is a need to be specific regarding sexual acts... Oral sex is still oral sex whether it's performed by a man or a woman, an animal or even yourself.

In the Suttas, the teachings, it doesn't matter if you are attracted to the opposite sex, same sex, etc. it's all about craving,clinging, desire, attachment, and aversion all underpinned by ignorance. These come from the mind and go far deeper then sexual identity and attraction.

As for Homosexuality and the Theravada tradition, buddhanet.net strikes again:

http://www.buddhanet.net/homosexu.htm

  As homosexuality is not explicitly mentioned in any of the Buddha's discourses (more than 20 volumes in the Pali Text Society's English translation), we can only assume that it is meant to be evaluated in the same way that heterosexuality is. And indeed it seems that this is why it is not specifically mentioned.


In what order should I read the various Buddhist scriptures?

I have read MN, then SN, then AN - so that's another way to sequence it. Then you can read Questions of King Milinda.  Then Tattvasiddhi Śāstra by Harivarman also known as Satyasiddhi Śāstra, Then Vasubandhu's Abhidharma-kosa. Then the Rice Seedling sutra. Then try Vimalakirti sutra. Then Diamond sutra. Then Heart sutra. Then Nagarjuna's Mulamadhyamikakarika.


Is emptiness interdependence and interrelationship?

I would say yes, it is a [seemingly] valid understanding.

Usually, from a Madhyamika-Prasangika point of view, it is stated that:

  The meaning of emptiness is dependent-arising; and the meaning of dependent-arising is emptiness.

See Tsongkhapa's Ocean of Reasoning, page 501... Geshe Lhundrup Sopa's Steps on the Path to Enlightenment, page 138, and so forth.

A simple example is as follows: the person is merely imputed in dependence upon any of its aggregates. The person is neither intrinsically one with her body (or any other aggregate), nor intrinsically different from it, but is labeled in dependence upon it. When I see John's body, I say "I see John", when I hear John's voice, I say "I hear John", when John's body is in the garden, I say "John is in the garden", and because his body is ugly, I say "John is quiet ugly". This is because John is imputed (and exists) in dependence upon that which he is not (he is not his body, he is not his voice, and so forth) but without which he would not exist. The meaning of emptiness [of inherent existence], according to Madyhamika-Prasangika, is that if you look for it with a mind analyzing the ultimate, you will not find it.

In Nagarjuna's Sixty Stanzas of Reasoning, it says:

  It is said to be by the supreme knowledge of suchness, The seeing of
  dependent-arising, that what Is dependently produced is not
  [inherently] produced.

Dependent arising is called 'the king of reasoning' because it leads to a correct understanding of emptiness and avoids the two extremes.

According  to Prasangika, they are three types of  dependent-arising. It is a tenet unique to Prasangika.

Causal dependence. Example: a seed and a sprout.
Dependence in relation to parts. Example: short and long.
Dependence on name. The meaning of which I explained in relation to John.


You have very strong concentration but your mindfulness is lacking behind. Every time you fix your mind on an area the concentration takes over and because you have strong sensations in the eyes your concentration takes you back to the eyes.

The solution is to scan faster whereby you increase your mindfulness and not let concentration zoom in. When you have succeeded to prevent going back to the eyes then slowly slow down your scan.

You may have to start to scan as fast as a Xerox machine.


What do different schools of Buddhism say about Mara

Mara , according to the specific Buddhist and Hindu Cosmology, is the leader of the heaven above Sakra, prince of the Devas (see The Thirty-one Planes of Existence).

According to Wikipedia's Mara (demon) article:

  In Mahayana Buddhism. There are traditionally
  these four types of Mara
  In traditional Buddhism, four metaphorical forms of "māra" are given:

  Kleśa-māra, or Ma̋ra as the embodiment of all unskillful emotions, such as greed, hate and delusion.
  Mṛtyu-māra, or Māra as death.
  Skandha-māra, or Māra as metaphor for the entirety of conditioned existence.
  Devaputra-māra, the deva of the sensuous realm, who tries to prevent Gautama Buddha from attaining liberation from the cycle of rebirth on the night of the Buddha´s enlightenment.

This Devaputra Mara is, according to Buddhists, a real sentient being.
He is destined to become a  Pratyeka Buddha. His followers might not be so fortunate.

The above image quoted from The Thirty-one Planes of Existence. Note especially:

  Realm: 11) Devas Wielding Power over the Creation of Others (paranimmita-vasavatti deva)
  Comments: These devas enjoy sense pleasures created by others for them. Mara, the personification of delusion and desire, lives here.
  Cause of rebirth here:

  Ten wholesome actions (MN 41)
  Generosity


Many yogis have claimed to be able to do this - the scientific evidence is not convincing.

In a controlled study, it was found this was not based on meditative control, but on holding the breath and considerable tensing of the muscles in the abdomen and thorax. This resulted in reduced blood flow, but did not stop the heart. One subject was able to slow his heart for a maximum of 3 seconds using this method.


Ani Sutta - have desire to learn the Dhamma as taught by the Buddha and not anyone else
Anagata bhaya Sutta - teaching not practiced in earnest and procrastination
Sugata Vinaya Sutta - monks become unapproachable and have wrong understanding
Ovada Suttas - boastful about preaching ability, lack of faith, moral shame and fear, elders not setting a good example
Kimbila Suttas - lack of mutual respect towards the teacher, Dhamma, Sangha, practice, each other, heedfulness and hospitality
Saddhamma Patirupaka Sutta - counterfeit Dhamma emerging and unspiritual people lead to decline
Appamada Sutta - heedlessness,  indolence, excessive desires, unwise attention, lack of full awareness, evil friends, neglect of the wholesome lead to decline. Opposite preserves the Dhamma.
Thiti Sutta / Parihana Sutta - Satipatthana not being practiced. Practicing preserves the Dhamma.
Mahā,parinibbāna Sutta - being anxious to learn and practice Dhamma will result in the highest attainments [and preserve it]
Vinaya Cullavagga - admission of women
etc.

More on this see the references of: The Dharma-ending Age by Piya Tan

In addition the commentarial literature has the 5 antaradhāna which is mentioned in another answer. They are:

adhigama-antaradhāna - attainments disappear, because the practice is polluted with miss conception.
paṭipatti-antaradhāna - because attainments are disappear, the practice is neglected, hence it disappear
pariyatti-antaradhāna - because practice are disappear, the learning is neglected, hence it disappear
liṅga-antaradhāna - because learning are disappear, the monasticism (Sangha) is neglected, hence it disappear
dhātu-antaradhāna - because reverence to wards the Dhātu disappear, the Dhātu is neglected, hence it disappear
So ends the Sasana and beings the dark ages


Dedi,

The Panchen Lama is supposed to facilitate the recognition of the Dalai
Lama. However, depending on his devotion and his powers, the Dalai Lama himself can state the place and time of his reincarnation. If not, he would give to adversaries a way to hack the process (by capturing and controlling the Panchen Lama).

It's sad, but every monk has to be aware of the danger and to practice his way to enlightenment!

  Overall 'Dalai Lama' means an 'Ocean of Compassion.'

Hope it helps!


I have some people coming over who practice Buddhism, what should I know?

I have been to Nepal on a retreat, it is a Hindu country, but there are many Buddhists.

The main Buddhism there is Mahayana by far, with a large influence from Tibet (monks who escaped after the situation with China).

Most of them do not eat meat (I spent days without eating meat there), but they used to eat eggs. You should ask, they will not be offended.

Most Buddhists take seriously how we treat a Buddha statue, so do not put it on the ground, do not put it on the bathroom or too close to shoes, treat it and buddhist books with basic respect, as if it were a guest in your house. Incenses are very common in Nepal, if you want to be extra nice you can put some together with the statue.

Most Nepalis I met (not monks) were very curious about technology and other cultures, internet there is very bad and slow, also it is a very, very poor country, so most of them dont know much about America, they will probably appreciate a visit around the city with some background stories :)


Are there any cultural or religious guidelines for Buddhist tattoos?

Japan- tattoos are taboo in general, since the assumption only criminals, prostitutes and other low class sorts have tattoos. I think it would be hard to distinguish a religious from a classist objection in Japan.

Sri Lanka- recently a tourist was ejected from the country for having a Buddhist themed tattoo

Thailand - Buddhist themed tattoo are very common among lay Buddhists. Called Yantra, also practiced in other SE Asian countries, Laos, Myanmar, Singapore, Cambodia.  Ironically, Thailand seems to want to ban Buddhist tourist tattoos (or tourists with tattoos or both)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yantra_tattooing

Tibetan Buddhism- No problem, but put sacred symbols up high on your body, not on feet or ankles.

Chinese Buddhism, quote from Brahma Net Sutra

  "44. Failure to Honor the Sutras and Moral Codes A disciple of the
  Buddha should always .. receive, observe, read and recite
  the Mahayana sutras ... He should copy the sutras and
  moral codes onto bark, paper, fine cloth, or bamboo slats and not
  hesitate to use his own skin as paper, draw his own blood for ink and
  his marrow for ink solvent, or split his bones for use as pens....  Hence, if he does not make offerings to the sutras and
  moral codes, in accordance with the Dharma, he commits a secondary
  offense. "

So either A- this is just hyperbole, or B- using your skin for sutras is fine.

Americans seem to be split on the idea from for arguments I've seen, but I would say that the tattooed are highly overrepresented (i.e. more Buddhist tattooed than tattooed people in the general population).


How are "all types of beings originally formless"?

The pull downwards into form, into the unenlightened craving for identity, is driven by craving. Craving leads to grasping and then to rebirth.

  SN12.23:4.6: I say that rebirth has a vital condition.

  SN12.23:4.7: And what is it?

  SN12.23:4.8: You should say: ‘Continued existence.’

  SN12.23:4.9: I say that continued existence has a vital condition.

  SN12.23:4.10: And what is it?

  SN12.23:4.11: You should say: ‘Grasping.’

In contrast, moving upwards skillfully, we have practice that leads to the formless and beyond:

  SN46.54:15.9: The apex of the heart’s release by equanimity is the dimension of nothingness, I say, for a mendicant who has not penetrated to a higher freedom.”


What is the duality of body and external name-and-form?

This is just an elaboration of D.O. Everything is clear and makes sense.

Delineation of feeling depends on the notion of contact.

Delineation of contact depends on separating totality into "internal" and "external".

Six sense doors are the subjective boundary across which the contact is made.

On this side of the boundary are upadana-skandhas - stuff we appropriate as I/mine.

On the other side of the boundary are the namarupas, the mind-made delineated entities that we designate as "external".

In each pair of DO, it's always a notion and its counterpart serving as foundation.