What are the scientifically proven benefits of mindfulness meditation?

The USA's NIH has an NCCAM page for meditation with links to up-to-date research on the benefits of meditation:

http://nccam.nih.gov/health/meditation

Asking for scientific proof is a bit misguided, I think, and in the case of meditation it's difficult to obtain even conclusive evidence. Many of the studies are suggestive at best, but the topics studied include:

Smoking Cessation
Reducing Risk of Suicidal Thoughts
Treating Ulcerative Colitis
Effecting Genetic Changes (esp. prostate)
Treating Acute Respiratory Infections
Reducing Severity of IBS in Women
Effecting Structural Changes and Improving Information Processing in the Brain
Coping With Stress
Improving Cell-Level Processes Related to Disease
Cultivating Empathy


They are said to be located from a certain distance from the human realm.
ex: The closest heaven to us is the Chaturmaharajika heaven. It is located 42,000 Yojjanas above from the human realm. But the tree devas and certain Asuras/Yakkas also belong to this heaven. The closest hell realm 'Sanjiva' is located 15,000 Yojjanas below the human realm. Refer to this chart for more details.

As I've heard, humans can't see the Devas unless they develop the divine eye or if the devas make their bodies solid and reflective. In the same way, Devas can't see the Brahmas. So I would assume that the places they dwell are also invisible to average humans. You can possibly call them other dimensions or just think of them as what you can't see yet in this world system. It's the same with hell realms. Peta Vattu has stories about hungry ghosts in the human relam.


Is there a Buddhist explanation for why envy manifests as hatred?

You specified pali-canon but I think (admitting I'm merely skimming translations) that definitions of envy are similar in Mahanaya texts too; for example one of the Tibetan texts, A Necklace for Those
of
Clear Awareness
Clearly Revealing the Modes of
Minds and Mental Factors, defines it as,

  Jealousy (phrag dog)

  Regarding jealousy, the Compendium of Knowledge says:

    QUESTION: What is jealousy?
    RESPONSE: It is a deep disturbance of mind that cannot tolerate another's
    marvelous attributes due to excessive attachment to gain and honor, and is
    involved with hatred. It has the function of [causing] mental unhappiness
    and of not abiding in contact [with happiness].

  Just as it has been said above, it is a deep disturbance of mind that cannot bear
  another's success due to attachment to gain and honor. It produces serious undesirable
  [consequences] in both this and future worlds [i.e., rebirths]; in this life there will be
  mental unhappiness, and in future lives one will be impelled into bad migrations.

On Access to Insight there's some textual explanation here, not in a sutta but in the translator's introduction to a sutta:

  A glance through the list (see Note 2) will show that all these sixteen defilements derive from greediness and selfishness, from aversion, self-assertion and conceit, or their combinations. If we take, for instance, contempt, being a weaker nuance of (5) denigration, we see that aversion and conceit contribute to it; (7) envy is fed by greediness and aversion. The pairs of contributive factors here exemplified do not, of course, occur at the same moment of consciousness; but their repeated, separate presence favors the arising of such derivatives as contempt and envy. On the other hand, if those secondary defilements such as contempt and envy (and all the others) appear frequently, they will bring about a close serial association of their "feeders," as for instance hate motivated by conceit, or hate motivated by greed; and these may easily become habitual sequences, automatic chain reactions in our impulsive life.

  Interlocked in such a manner, the negative forces in our mind — the defilements, roots of evil, and fetters — will become more powerful and much more difficult to dislodge. They will form "closed systems" hard to penetrate, [etc.]

I read that as saying that:

Envy is fed by greed and aversion
Hate is (or may be) motivated by envy
It becomes tangled, inter-related, hard to disentangle

The statement that "[factors] do not, of course, occur at the same moment of consciousness" is I'd guess an abhidhamma statement (that you can only be conscious of one thing at a time).

My personal opinion is that in theory I can imagine two motives for the impulse to malign someone:

A primitive belief in the zero-sum nature of things, e.g. "He has what I want, if I could destroy him then I could take his place and have that for myself"
Or perhaps some egalitarian belief, e.g. "If he has more than others, he doesn't deserve it"

Perhaps I'm wrong, it seems to me that the suttas don't examine negative emotions in great detail. Perhaps it assumes we know what they are, but doesn't dwell on them (and doesn't encourage us to dwell on them) -- for example, consider verses 3 through 5 of the Dhammapada.

I think the antidote for envy may be mudita, by the way, if you want to read more about that -- if you do read more about mudita then I think you'd incidentally read something more about the nature of envy.


Has Buddha Gautama ever had problems with some autorities about his teachings and way of live?

I thougt that Siddarta Gautama lived in a Hindu society

As far as you mean he lived in India, immersed in India culture of the time, yes. But as far as hindu refers to an India majoritarily submsersed in the Vedic tradition, it's not clear this is so.

The period of the Buddha and early Buddhism is marked by a variety of religious movements known as sramanas (which included Buddhists and Jains, for example, among many others). So there was already a culture that rejected the vedic traditions of the time. Also, the geography seems to be of a region with many individual states and kingdoms, not of a "single India". I'm not sure if these states were, largely, supporters of brahmins or not (and if they were, it was soon in decline with the rise of the empires -- from the Nanda empire which seems to have supported the Jains, through the Maurian empire, when the emperor Ashoka converted and supported Buddhism).

  But were there Brahmans who disagreed with Siddartha or was Siddartha ever in an argue with them?

Buddha disagreed not only with Brahmins, but with all the other sramanas whose teachings were not in agreement with the Buddha's teachings. These encounters, philosophical disputes and criticisms are massively documented in the buddhist canon.

  Has Buddha Gautama ever had problems with some authorities about his teachings and way of live?

I don't remember the Buddha ever been in legal trouble, though sometimes kings came to him to solve some issue involving the sangha.


"...Is there validity to the concept of immediate or "instant karma" in a Buddhist context? Is there a distinct term for this type of intra-life cause and effect?..."

Kamma is fourfold and is divided into sections, i.e. by "way of function, order of ripening, time of ripening and place of ripening".
Kamma by "time of ripening" is further subdivided into 4 types according to the time of taking effect:

(i) Immediately effective (ditthadhammavedaniya) kamma is kamma which, if it is to ripen, must yield its results in the same existence in which it is performed; otherwise, if it does not meet the opportunity to ripen in the same existence, it becomes defunct. According to the Abhidhamma, of the seven javanas in a javana process, the first javana moment, being the weakest of all, generates immediately effective kamma.
(ii) Subsequently effective (upapajjavedaniya) kamma is kamma which, if it is to ripen, must yield its results in the existence immediately fol- lowing that in which it is performed; otherwise it becomes defunct. This type of kamma is generated by the last javana moment in a javana proc- ess, which is the second weakest in the series.
(iii) Indefinitely effective (aparapariyavedaniya) kamma is kamma which can ripen at any time from the second future existence onwards, whenever it gains an opportunity to produce results. This kamma, gen- erated by the five intermediate javana moments of a cognitive process, never becomes defunct so long as the round of rebirths continues. No one, not even a Buddha or an Arahant, is exempt from experiencing the results of indefinitely effective kamma.
(iv) Defunct (ahosi) kamma: This term does not designate a special class of kamma, but applies to kamma that was due to ripen in either the present existence or the next existence but did not meet conditions con- ducive to its maturation. In the case of Arahants, all their accumulated kamma from the past which was due to ripen in future lives becomes defunct with their final passing away.
-- "Comprehensive Manual of Abhidhamma" by Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi, p. 200-220.


A wise man should avoid unchastity as (he would avoid falling into) a
  pit of glowing charcoal. If unable to lead a celibate life, he should
  not go to another's wife. - Dhammika Sutta

A layman is not expected to lead a celibate life. What you are expected as a Buddhist is to avoid sexual misconduct.

  Is it even possible to have a girlfriend/wife without lust?

Yes, but not necessarily for the good. ex: marrying to get citizenship, marrying for money, power, marrying to cover up sexuality etc.

A good example would be a married man becoming an Anagami later. He can still live in the lay life, but girlfriend/wife will merely be ceremonial positions. He will just treat her as a sister or a friend.


Hahaha! Excellent question! What if the body did the breathing for the mind?
The biorhythm attached to the breath has its own tempo, as does the heart, the viscera, etc. When you exercise, fatigue accrues when there are disharmonies in those biorhythms - you don't get tired from being at rest.
The premise is enveloping one biorhythm in another, centralising your potential constant energy output. In other words your breathing is a result of your actions, therefore taking the conscious energy input (the mind) is on the action and not the breath.
To help wrap your head around this here is a practical exercise:

Find a quiet place.
Plant your feet comfortably wide apart, parallel.
Knees and hips remain stationary.
Tighten the belly.
Hands in 'prayer' comfortably above your heart (doesn't need to be touching the chest).
Following the movement of your latissimus dorsi muscles compress one side of your spine as if you were attempting to make your shoulder and your hip meet.
Gently shift that compression to the other side, and then back and forth. This will lead to a rocking motion which imitates two accordions working in tandem.
For those who know how to open the throat doing so may result in being able to hear your breath while your diaphragm remains stationary...
If you you do not know how to open your throat, continue the exercise while you think of other people yawning.
Listen for the gasping sound and experiment with the amount of movement required keep yourself going.

I have called it Bi-valve breathing and the benefits of the technique would be more clearly useful for martial artists however there are many applications.
Cultivate in harmony


Since the Chandogya Upanishad was written a few hundred years before Gautama Buddha, there's no doubt that OM is older than the Buddha. It doesn't matter whether it's a hundred years older or a thousand years older.
As far as I know, OM does not appear anywhere in the Pali suttas or the other Early Buddhist Texts. Also, Gautama Buddha himself had never used or mentioned OM, to the best of my knowledge.
In the Theravada tradition, phrases of homage to the Buddha like "namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa" do not start with OM.
So, where is OM used in Buddhism?
It appears to be used mainly in Vajrayana or Tibetan Buddhism - the most famous one being "OM Mani Padme Hum". There are others like "OM Tare Tuttare Ture Soha".
So, where does "OM Mani Padme Hum" come from?
The wikipedia page on "Kāraṇḍavyūha Sūtra" states:

The Karandavyuha Sutra is a Mantrayāna sutra that was compiled at the
end of the 4th century or beginning of the 5th century CE. According
to the Kāraṇḍavyūha Sūtra, the sun and moon are said to be born from
Avalokiteśvara's eyes, Shiva from his brow, Brahma from his shoulders,
Narayana from his heart, Sarasvati from his teeth, the winds from his
mouth, the earth from his feet and the sky from his stomach.
The sutra introduces the Buddhist mantra, Om Manipadme Hum, which it
states can lead to liberation (moksha) and eventual Buddhahood. A.
Studholme sees this famous mantra as being a declarative aspiration,
possibly meaning 'I in the jewel-lotus', with the jewel-lotus being a
reference to birth in the lotus made of jewels in the Buddhist
Paradise, Sukhavati, of Buddha Amitabha. The mantra is the very heart
of Avalokitesvara (the supreme Buddha of Compassion) and can usher in
Awakening.

So, "OM Mani Padme Hum" appeared in Buddhism, through the Karandavyuha Sutra, which was compiled almost a thousand years after the passing of Gautama Buddha.
And, it's a mantra for the Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara, from whom emanates the sun, the moon, Shiva, Brahma, Narayana, Sarasvati, winds, earth and sky.
Now, let's just make it clear that the Early Buddhist Texts and Gautama Buddha himself have never mentioned Avalokiteśvara, OM, Shiva, Narayana or Sarasvati. This is to the best of my knowledge.
What does OM mean in Buddhism?
The 14th Dalai Lama gave a lecture on the meaning of: OM MANI PADME HUM. He said:

It is very good to recite the mantra OM MANI PADME HUM, but while you
are doing it, you should be thinking on its meaning, for the meaning
of the six syllables is great and vast. The first, OM, is composed of
three pure letters, A, U, and M. These symbolize the practitioner's
impure body, speech, and mind; they also symbolize the pure exalted
body, speech and mind of a Buddha.

The OP asked:

OP: Is its use the same as in Hinduism? If you recite the OM, do you (or not) think it is connected to a Super Consciousness as
described in the Vedanta?

So, the answer is that OM in Buddhism has nothing to do with Super Consciousness or Vedanta. Rather, this is what it means in (Vajrayana or Tibetan) Buddhism: "These symbolize the practitioner's impure body, speech, and mind; they also symbolize the pure exalted body, speech and mind of a Buddha."

OP: Is it difficult to describe the philosophical basis, if the practice is somehow derived from concepts and knowledge from a text
whose date is from before Gautama?

Mmm... not really. The Dalai Lama has explained the philosophical basis above.


Great question, you hit the nail on the head with this question.

The goal of Buddhist path is liberation of mind. Liberation of mind is cessation of grasping and attachment. Cessation of grasping and attachment is letting go.

So when you meditate, you look at your mind, you see grasping and attachment (it is easy to detect because it always creates dukkha, the painful feeling of wrongness) - and you let go of it to gladden and liberate your mind.

Mindfulness of breathing (and of body in general) is a tool for seeing your mind, because the state of your mind is always reflected in the breathing and the body.

Starting from the most coarse and then progressively smaller stuff.

First, you let go of erratic behavior (violence, theft, adultery, intoxication, non-factual or divisive speech), then you let go of major cravings and aversions (incl. social), various conceptual attachments & stereotypes, then you let go of negative self-judgement, then let go of doubt - etc. keep going smaller and smaller until nirvana.


If you were going to explain Dharmakāya to someone who has never encountered the topic prior, where would you begin?

Although the notion appears in all sorts of philosophical treatises, as well as in tenets, it is explained at length in texts expounding 'buddha nature' (tathagatagarbha). I would recommend in particular the study of Maitreya's
Uttaratantra Shastra (Treatise on the Sublime Continuum). Although it is called 'uttara-tantra' it is included within the perfection vehicle (sutra). Maitreya's Sublime Continuum has been commented upon by various scholars of different traditions, and so there are various interpretations.

From the point of view of the cause, the general presentation is that from the accumulation of merit, one achieves the form body (rupakaya) of a buddha that fulfill others' wishes, while one obtains the truth body (dharmakaya) from the accumulation of wisdom. The truth body fulfill one's wishes. The form body is divided into the one that is so subtle that it is not seen by ordinary beings (the enjoyment body) and a grosser one that ordinary beings can see (the emanation body). It is said that Shakyamuni Buddha was a supreme emanation body (a division of emanation body) endowed with the marks and signs. As this position no longer holds when we divide the bodies of a buddha (into three, four, or five as you will see bellow), it is merely the general presentation.

From the point of view of the result, the nature truth body (part of the dharmakya) results from the naturally abiding linage while the wisdom truth body (part of the dharmakaya) results from the developmental linage. Although we say that the nature truth body (suchness without defilements) results from the naturally abiding linage (suchness with defilements), it is not caused because suchness is permanent. Suchness with defilements is not an actual cause but a terminological division.

From the point of view of the nature, the general presentation identifies 'emptiness with defilements' to the tathagatagarbha and 'emptiness without defilements' to the dharmakaya. In this context, dharmakaya refers only to the nature truth body. Both are permanent and uncompounded. In Gyaltsab Je's commentary [to Maitreya], dharmakaya sometimes refer solely to the wisdom truth body or the nature truth body. It is where divisions are important. We can divide the bodies of a buddha in three ways:

The two bodies of a buddha
1. dharmakaya (truth body)
2. rupakaya (form body)
The three bodies of a buddha (it is referred  to as Trikaya)
1. dharmakaya
2. rupakaya divided in two:
--- 1. emanation body
--- 2. enjoyment body
The four bodies of a buddha
1. dharmakya divided into two:
--- 1. nature truth body
--- 2. wisdom truth body
2. rupakaya divided into two:
--- 1. emanation body
--- 2. enjoyment body
The five bodies of a buddha
1. dharmakaya divided into two:
--- 1. nature truth body
--- 2. wisdom truth body divided into two:
-------- 1. the omnscient mind that distinguishes conventionalities
-------- 2. the one that distinguishes the ultimate
2. the form body divided into two


Why is “nibbana” considered to be “unconditioned”?

Good question. Nirvana/Nibbana is not a state of mind, rather it's a quality or an aspect that is always present regardless of any conditions, but even though it's always present it is not always seen. The state of being aware of the ever-present N is dependent on conditions while the N itself is not.
You know this quality of mind that watches everything silently and just witnesses things without judging, whether circumstances are good or bad and whether you're well or tired or scared? N is similar because it doesn't stop nor change regardless of circumstances, not even when you're asleep or dead. This is why it's called unconditional.
Traditionally they say there are three ways to approach seeing N. One is through methodical incremental cessation of progressively more and more subtle forms of conflict inherent to craving/aversion, even of conflict inherent to aversion towards samsara and craving for N. Once you completely stopped generating conflict, completely gave up all aversion and craving - what's left to be experienced is N, pure and simple.
Another method is a bit more technical, it involves tracing how in your mind things are always defined relative to one another by dividing some sort of Whole into e.g. left and right, this and that, object and background, better and worse etc. In this method we try to ascend this graph of relative definitions up to its root by climbing the ladder of progressively more and more subtle forms of division that generates such relative concepts. The root of the graph is N which is not defined relative to anything else.
The third and final method consists in methodically trying to find something unalienable that truly belongs to oneself and cannot be taken away by the unstoppable passage of time nor swayed by circumstances. In this method one analyzes and discards all things that are subject to change and cessation, starting from obvious ones such as the physical body and moving on to subtle things such as one's memories, sense of identity, and various states of mind. As one fully and exhaustively understands the workings of conditionality and conditionally dependent arising/cessation of phenomena, one arrives at the only remaining answer, which is N.
From these explanations it should be clear that N is not something limited that is defined in juxtaposition to anything else and this unbounded supraconceptual suchness is exactly what allows it to not be dependent on any conditions or circumstances.


Reaching at least the Sotapanna state is the only 100% guarantee of not being born in lower realms ever again.

But if you reach at least the second insight knowledge -Paccaya Pariggaha Nana of the 16 stages of insight towards becoming a Sotappanna, it is said that you will not be born in a lower realm in the immediate next life.

If you are a devout Buddhist who keeps to the five precepts, it is highly unlikely to be born in a lower realm in the next life. But there's no guarantee. It mostly depends on the quality of your precepts. As in how well you keep to them.


Is Practicing Tantric/Wrathful Meditation Dangerous Without a Guru?

This is like with children playing doctor: most of the imitation activity they can come up with is going to be harmless, but if they get their hands on real medications and start actually taking them at random, then they can get into real trouble.

Similarly with Tantra, as long as all you do is mindlessly repeat some mantras and get a tattoo of a wrathful deity on your arm, you'll be alright. But if you were to read some serious self-visualization guidelines and started imagining yourself as a random yidam, then you might very likely exhaust all your energy and consequently die, or worse, get stuck in a nightmarish realm.

What's nice about gurus, they know what you need to do, and most importantly why. In other words, they see your energy configuration, and they know what the right configuration looks like.

The easiest way to get initiated into tantric Buddhism, is to go to a lecture of a local Tibetan lama and sign up for an interview (it is he who interviews you, not the other way around). Based on the interview, if you look serious enough, and most importantly cooperative enough that the guru won't have to argue with you over every little practice ("why do I have to do 100,000 prostrations?!") -- then you may get accepted for a Ngöndro course. (Many teachers tend to have all their new students begin NGondro at the same time, so you may hear "Lama such-and-such accepts students for a new NGondro, to start the next spring.") Ngondro may take anywhere from one to three years during which you will not see anything remotely exciting or interesting. If you have enough diligence to last through Ngondro, and you prove yourself as smart enough to pick up hints and subtleties, but also psychologically stable enough, then you might be accepted into an actual tantra.


Different ways one can understand / realise the Dhamma?

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an09/an09.036.than.html

"I tell you, the ending of the mental fermentations depends on the first jhana... the second jhana... the third... the fourth... the dimension of the infinitude of space... the dimension of the infinitude of consciousness... the dimension of nothingness. I tell you, the ending of the mental fermentations depends on the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception."


In one of the teachings I received, there is this concept of Five Joys:

The joy of having your basic needs satisfied (food, shelter, safety).
The (higher) joy of material comfort and sensual enjoyment.
The (even higher) joy of professional/creative realization.
The (very high) joy of helping society: teaching, healing.
The (highest) joy of Enlightenment.

So assuming you're in your 50s and done with the first three, I suppose you can derive joy from helping the less lucky ones?


Reincarnation as you describe it, is scientifically unproven. It is also, speaking as a scientist and someone who has studied & researched Buddhism for almost 30 years now, IMHO irrelevant to the central teaching of Buddhism, which is experiential. Buddhism and science agree on many aspects of how the brain and the mind operate. The meditative practice and mental effects of Buddhism can be and have been scientifically quantified.
Many Buddhist schools also do not perceive reincarnation as the definition in your question, but rather as an allegory for the states of mind we go through as individuals every day. One Zen master wrote "we reincarnate ten thousand times every day" - that is, your mental state is not the same right now as when it was 5 seconds ago. This is viewing the realms of Samsara as states of mind: craving, desire, frustration, bliss, instinct, etc.


When the Atheist asked his Christian pal about the evolution of this race, there is only some variations of one answer that our education system, the media and so-called information technology promotes. They are the main instruments used by the Western Christian countries in the present day. There is no freedom of knowledge or of media as there is no second opinion given at any time. It is what this ideology decides that is given to the public. The so called alternative view is only another version of the view of the western Christian mindset and people have no choice in this matter. Even today creationism is allowed to be taught in schools and Darwinian evolution and creationism are nothing but twin systems that try to give an answer to the question how the world (universe) was created and then evolved.

What Buddha said on this is found in the Agganna sutta. Agganna Sutta is the 27th Sutta of Digha Nikaya collections. The sutta describes a discourse imparted from the Buddha to two Brahmins, Bharadvaja and Vasettha, who left their family and caste to become monks. These were two brahmins who were insulted and maligned by their own caste for their intentions. But what is important for us here is that the qualities of the Dharma (Law, truth) is the same as the qualities of the Buddha and forms his "truth body" or "Dhamma Kaya”. A reference from the Agganna Sutta says to his disciple Vasettha:
"Tathagatassa h'etam Vasettha adivacanam Dhamma-kayo iti pi ...":
O Vasettha! The Word of Dhammakaya is indeed the name of the Tathagata.

Dhamma in Buddhism has two primary meanings: the teachings of the Buddha which lead to enlightenment, and the constituent factors of the experienced world. A sankata is an entity arising due to a sankhara; a sankhara is also a sankata, because just like any other sankata, any sankhara arises and falls; thus sankhara is sometimes used to include both. However, a sankata is normally something that arises due to sankhara  (a living being, house, nest, a thought, hopes and dreams, etc) and eventually is destroyed. Nothing in this world lasts forever.
At the deepest level, anything in this world arises due to the mind. That is what was meant by the Buddha when he said, “manopubbangama dhamma……” or “mind precedes everything else…”. It is this that gets described in detail in the Agganna sutta.

In that sutta, the Buddha explains how conglomerates of “planetary systems” blow up and are re-formed in time scales of “mahā kappas“. He has given a simile to get an idea of the length of a mahā kappa and it is approximately several billion years. And this destruction of a “star system” seems to be what scientists have observed as a supernova. Supernovae are of common occurrence; about three of them can be expected to happen every century in our Milky Way galaxy.

A suddhāshtaka is a “packet of energy” and is the basic unit that all matter is made out of. It is much smaller than in energy compared to a light photon that we see. A humongous number of suddhāshtaka would have the energy of a light photon. A suddhāshtaka, being a sankata, is created by the mind. This is why the Buddha said, “manō pubbangamā dhammā…”, i.e., “everything has mind as the precursor…”.

It is a valid question to ask and observe that in the few annihilation that earth faced, like the long ice age and the meteor that killed the dinosaurs etc., the “what if so? questiion.When the human and animal realms are destroyed, all those beings would be reborn in the first rūpa realms. When that is gradually destroyed, they will be reborn in the next higher realm and so on, until they are all in the Abhassara realm.

Buddha’s explanation of how all living beings in the lower realms get into the Abhassara Brahma realm when our world system (Cakkavata) is destroyed is not properly explained in any text found online. When the Sun starts heating up, fine sense objects start being destroyed, and with time less and less sensual objects will be there to trigger kāma rāga. All humans and animal will move to higher realms (over an antakkappa which lasts billions of years).

Even though all dense material realms are all destroyed at the end of a world cycle, all rūpa and arūpa realms at or above the Abhassara realm remain intact. When the Solar system is “re-formed” after billions of years, they all gradually come down to lower realms. . In the future, it will become clear to us that anything in this world has origins that can be traced back to the mind. That is the story in the Agganna sutta.


In the movie Spring Summer Fall Winter and Spring, why does the master cry?

My question is: why would the master cries before the immolation?

The "Winter" segment of the movie kind of gave the hint. Notice in this segment, after being paroled from prison for the crime of killing his wife, the now middle-age apprentice returns to the floating monastery and begins to take on the role of his previous master. And as with the movie's title's central theme, which reflects the cyclical nature of Samsara, the same exact history repeats itself with the scene of a woman abandoning her baby son, then the baby becomes the boy apprentice who is shown tormenting a turtle in the Spring-Again segment,... etc. Putting together all the pieces of the puzzle, it points to the original old master's own dark past with its own dark kamma before he renounced it to become a good monk. So although after years of training and gaining certain level of attainment, he's still not free of his kammic debt. And so he cries not only out of sadness for his student but also for himself, that his self immolation doesn't mean total and final complete liberation, there's still "more work to be done" and life will go on and on until all kammic debts' been completedly exhausted, hence the image of the water snake swimming away after the self immolation.


To what extent is Theravāda followed in Japan?

In Japan in 2003 the number of Buddhist temples were

30,000 Pure Land
21,000 Zen
15,000 Shingom
14,000 Nichiren
5,000 Tendai

The source for this is Introducing Buddhism by Peter Harvey (pp 409 2nd Edition)

There is a Japanese Theravada Association which claims thousands of members and the Dhammakaya movement has six centres in Japan. However this appears to be a more recent phenomena and the above figures appear to indicate that it is a small movement in the context of Buddhism as a whole in Japan.


Does the Buddha deny genetic differences?

MN 98 is about "jati" or "social identity". The Buddha says physical birth or "ancestry" is unrelated to jati; that the jatis are verbal designations assigned due to kamma (actions).

For example, Michael Jordan's great great grandparents were probably slaves. Where as Michael Jordan was a sporting superstar & billionaire. Jordan was born at Cumberland Hospital in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, to Deloris, who worked in banking, and James R. Jordan Sr., an equipment supervisor. These distinctions of "slave", "banker", "supervisor" vs "basketball billionaire" are not related to physical birth or ancestry. They are related to social kamma (activity).

Albert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist. His parents were Hermann Einstein, a salesman and engineer, and Pauline Koch. The Einsteins were non-observant Ashkenazi Jews, and Albert attended a Catholic elementary school.

  You’re a brahmin by your deeds, Kammunā brāhmaṇo hoti,

  and by deeds a non-brahmin. kammunā hoti abrāhmaṇo.

  You’re a farmer by your deeds, Kassako kammunā hoti,

  by deeds you’re a professional; sippiko hoti kammunā;

  you’re a trader by your deeds, Vāṇijo kammunā hoti,

  by deeds are you an employee; pessako hoti kammunā.

  you’re a bandit by your deeds, Coropi kammunā hoti,

  by deeds you’re a soldier; yodhājīvopi kammunā;

  you’re a sacrificer by your deeds, Yājako kammunā hoti,

  by deeds you’re a ruler. rājāpi hoti kammunā.

  In this way in accord with truth, Evametaṃ yathābhūtaṃ,

  the astute regard deeds. kammaṃ passanti paṇḍitā;

  Seeing dependent origination, Paṭiccasamuppādadassā,

  they’re expert in deeds and their results. kammavipākakovidā.

  Deeds make the world go on, Kammunā vattati loko,

  deeds make people go on; kammunā vattati pajā;

  sentient beings are bound by deeds, Kammanibandhanā sattā,

  like a moving chariot’s linchpin. rathassāṇīva yāyato.

  MN 98


Noticing, observing and watching are greatly facilitated by an alert mind. If eyes fall then notice this as bodily phenomena. When you notice the falling of the eyes, what thoughts accompany that action? Watch carefully. You may find that mind is making something out of nothing or that it’s wanting something. An alert mind is sufficient; remaining alert for the duration of the session is quite another thing. Moreover, eyes will move. Let them so.

  Q1: What are the best ways, or the best way, to determine proper meditation objects?

There is your attention... and there is your meditation object. If anything comes between the two then attention has been removed from the object. This might include thoughts about bodily phenomena. In fact, thoughts are the number one culprit for derailing ones attention from the object. You can observe bodily phenomena without thought.

  Q2 : Is there any real drawbacks of meditation with a physical object or mental image as compared to the breath?

This is personal preference which can be understood further by experimentation.

As further reading I’d strongly suggest that you familiarise yourself with the five hindrances.

The Five Hindrances


Does Buddhism explain the past karma, and rebirth, of a short-lived fetus?

is it possible to understand why this kind of existence happened?

not for a worldling
workings of kamma are inexplicable, and are not to be pondered upon lest they cause disquietude and agitation and because such pondering isn't conducive to attainment of nibbana, that's from the Buddha
workings of destiny are yet less explicable, if i may add, because destiny is a combination of personal kamma and fortuity

"There are these four unconjecturables that are not to be conjectured about, that would bring madness & vexation to anyone who conjectured about them. Which four?
"The Buddha-range of the Buddhas is an unconjecturable that is not to
be conjectured about, that would bring madness & vexation to anyone
who conjectured about it.
"The jhana-range of a person in jhana...
"The [precise working out of the] results of kamma...
"Conjecture about [the origin, etc., of] the world is an
unconjecturable that is not to be conjectured about, that would bring
madness & vexation to anyone who conjectured about it.
"These are the four unconjecturables that are not to be conjectured
about, that would bring madness & vexation to anyone who conjectured
about them."

Acinteyya sutta (AN 4.77)


With practice, you can be content by reflecting on the good karma of others rather than joy or happiness. It is very close, if not the same, to praise. For example, if someone you're showing compassion to is now able to feel happy, then you can think "Now this person has the opportunity to practice dhamma since his problems are lesser. This is good". Maybe you can go further and help the person practice dhamma even for a second. This way, you don't cultivate thoughts that nurture attachment, nor do you appreciate any wrong joy or happiness in the other person you helped (such as thanha).


This is actually nothing special to feel excited about. In Ayurvedic terms, when Vatha(air element) is imbalanced in the body, people tend to see dreams of flying. More information here

On the other hand, the ability to fly through the air is just one of the many psychic feats an advanced meditator can perform. It has nothing to do with dreaming. It requires great dedication in the practice of Samatha meditation. Visuddhimagga explains how it can be achieved based on the 4th Jhana.

  If yes then why one should do this?

It's the same reason why one gets into an airplane. To travel longer distances easily. According to the stories, in the past, monks with psychic powers have used this method to travel when they don't have a specific destination in mind. ex: when going on alms round.
But if they want to go to a specific place, they would simply disappear from where they are and appear in the destination.
Lord Buddha himself has said to have used this method when he visited Sri Lanka 3 times.


Hatred arising after a friend tried to make my fiancé cheat on me

The issue is mostly between you & your fiancé (rather than the guy) since it is your fiancé that must establish appropriate boundaries with the guy. If he is to remain your friend, naturally he should apologise to both of you. If he remains your friend, you must communicate your personal concerns directly to him (rather than hold them within you).

However, Buddhism does not state you must remain his friend because Buddhism warns against 'false friends' & 'bad companionship', particularly those who are womanizers & alcoholics.

  12. "These are the six dangers inherent in bad companionship: any rogue, drunkard, addict, cheat, swindler, or thug becomes a friend and
  colleague.

  15. "Young man, be aware of these four enemies disguised as friends: the taker, the talker, the flatterer, and the reckless companion.

  http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/dn/dn.31.0.ksw0.html


As per my understanding in listening to Dhamma the maha meru is the mount Himalya. The anawatapta lake is located in the maha meru as per the scripts & now it is found hat this lake exists in the Himalya range.
Hope you will be able to find the stories about Maha meru more logical of you read articles on Himalya region, earth's structure, universal physics etc.


Where to begin and how to start...
For the sake of being concise, you already are on the path because you're kicking brother. Have you heard of the butterfly effect? Your actions, intentions and responses reflect the dynamic of the environment around you (family, work, etc) and so on and so forth.
That's the beginning to the whole 'spiritual stuff'.
Some breathing techniques that I have found useful (not only buddhist):

Tummo (buddhist)
Freediving
Yoga (breathing into the pressure to release the tension)

Cultivate in Harmony


The feeling of pride is okay in the sense that it is conditioned so long as you do not act following that feeling.

That you are able to notice the arising of the feeling shows some mindfulness and restraint.

Conceit is one of the 10 fetters to be abandoned by an Anagami, the last stage of the practice.

So long as you are not holding on to that pride or perpetuating it you are doing fine.

To stop pride & conceit from arising don't compare!


Why isn't the S(h)urangama sutra more popular?

In the introduction to her translation of the Ugraparipṛcchā Jan Nattier notes that texts are more likely to have been translated into English if they have two features: firstly if there is a extant Sanskrit text; and secondly if they have been influential in Japanese Buddhism. And thirdly if they:

  portray the Buddhist messages in terms congruent with certain core
  western values such as egalitarianism (e.g. the universal potential
  for Buddhahood according to the Lotus), lay-centred religion (e.g.,
  the ability of the lay Buddhist hero of the Vimalakīrti to confound
  highly educated clerics in debate), the simplicity and individuality
  of religious practice (e.g., the centrality of personal faith in
  Amitābha in the Sukhāvatīvyūha), and even anti-intellectualism (e.g.,
  the apparent rejection of the usefulness of rational thought in the
  Heart Sūtra, the Diamond Sūtra, and other Perfection of Wisdom texts).
  (Nattier. A Few good Men. 2003, p.6)

Many scholars consider the Śūraṅgama Sūtra to have been composed, or compiled from other sources, in China. That the Chinese did this kind of thing is quite common. The well known Heart Sutra is another prominent example. There is no Sanskrit "original". And on the whole the themes do not appeal to Westerners. So the text is unlikely to appeal to a Western Audience. Vast differences in English translations are common because of the range of ability of translators and the very great difficulties of rendering ancient Chinese into English.

The apocalyptic themes of the text are exaggerated versions of such predictions which occur throughout Buddhist literature. Like many millennial predictions of disaster they simply have not come true. The end of the world simply fails to happen, no matter who is predicting it, and there is always someone predicting it.

While the Śūraṅgama itself may be fading out as because it is irrelevant to modern Buddhist practice, there is resurgent interest in other Buddhist texts. Witness the massive project funded by the Numata Foundation to translation the entire Chinese tripiṭaka. Also the there is huge interest in doing comparative work on the Pāli Nikāyas and Chinese Āgamas. At the grass roots level Buddhism continues to be moderately popular in the West, but is being revived in China as restrictions on religious observance are relaxed.


There is such a thing as a self, but it is not independent and standalone.

Please see this answer for details.

The Buddha used the analogy of a lute. There is such a thing as music, but if you break down the lute into its constituent components, you will not be able to find music. Music only arises out of the inter-working of the different parts of the lute, when it is assembled, constructed and tuned correctly.

There is music, but it does not exist standalone or independently of other things. The self similarly arises virtually from the interplay of other phenomena. To say that the music or the self do not exist at all, is incorrect. "Sabbe dhamma anatta" means in all phenomena, there is no self, just as in all constituent parts of the lute, you cannot find something called music.

And there is also the mind.

"Sabbe sankhara anicca" means all conditioned things are not permanent. The mind and the self are not permanent. They are always changing, ceasing and arising, dependent on other things. Anicca does not mean that they do not exist.


What are Buddhist perspectives on psychedelic drugs?

John Hopkins is currently doing a boatload of research in this area (e.g.).  While I personally find all this very interesting and cannot possibly argue against the use of psychedelics in palliative care, I don't think they are appropriate in the context of Buddhist practice.  This is especially true for beginners; maybe not so much for advanced practitioners.  The experience of jhana or any mystical experience isn't nearly as important as the journey that gets you there.  As profound as the insights that issue from a bright, malleable mind can be, they are absolutely secondary to the transformation that is won through the sweat, effort, failure, patience, and resolve that characterizes long term meditation practice.  The bumps and bruises are what transform us.  They also better prepare us to receive and make use what wisdom is to be had in the jhana state.


Charlotte Joko Beck revolutionized how Zen - if not the whole of Buddhism - is taught in America.  Her books are extraordinary.  She also started the San Diego Zen Center.  Peggy Jiyu Kennett started Shasta Abbey.  Those are two that I know off the top of my head.

And a link.


I was a monk for ten years. To answer your question, the answer is no, they are not communal property.


While it's hard to find such a monastery that meets all the requirements that you have laid out, it's likely that the Thai Forest Tradition monasteries founded by Ajahn Chah and his students (see Forest Sangha for worldwide monasteries) could be credible. The main monastery for this lineage is Wat Pah Nanachat in Thailand. Bhikkhus Sujato and Brahmali who are scholars of the Pali Canon and located in Australia, are affiliated to this tradition. The famous Youtube speaker Ajahn Brahm, who is a student of Ajahn Chah, is the abbot of the Bodhinyana Monastery in Perth, Australia.

In California, you can consider the Metta Forest Monastery. The abbot of this monastery was or is Thanissaro Bhikkhu, another well-known translator and scholar of the Pali Canon. Thanissaro Bhikkhu is also of the Thai Forest Tradition. The main monastery for this lineage, founded by Thanissaro Bhikkhu's teacher Ajaan Fuang Jotiko, is Wat Dhammasathit in Thailand.

According to the Wikipedia page on Metta Forest Monastery (which quotes a book):

  Ajaan Ṭhānissaro stresses the importance of strict adherence to the
  Vinaya or Buddhist monastic code which teaches relying only on
  donations from the lay community as well as living in the wilderness,
  a key feature of the Thai Forest Tradition of which he is a part.

It is also likely that some monasteries and some teachers lean towards Vipassana more than Samatha (jhana) or vice versa. For example, Ajaan Tong Sirimangalo and his student Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu may lean more towards vipassana, while Ajahn Chah and his student Ajahn Brahm may lean more towards samatha.

If you haven't read it already, the book "Broken Buddha" by S. Dhammika would help you to avoid romanticizing life in Theravada monasteries, especially in Asia. However, at the same time, you should not let it discourage you, as there are bound to be a mix of good and bad experiences when it comes to monasteries and life in monasteries.


Working with hallucinogenic images during meditation

There is an interesting section on Visions and Signs in the teachings of Ajaan Fuang.

  § "Don't be amazed by people with visions. Visions are nothing else
  but dreams. There are true ones and false ones. You can't really trust
  them."

  § A Bangkok housewife who was practicing meditation with Ajaan Fuang
  heard some of his other students say that meditation without visions
  was the straight path. It so happened that she had frequent visions in
  her meditation, and so hearing this made her wonder why her path was
  so winding and convoluted. When she asked Ajaan Fuang about this, he
  told her: "Having visions in your meditation is like having lots of
  lush wild greens growing along the side of your path. You can gather
  them as you go along, so that you'll have something to eat along the
  way, and you'll reach the end of the path just like everyone else. As
  for other people, they might see the greens without gathering them, or
  may not even see them at all — because their path goes through arid
  land."

  § "Visions — or whatever things appear in the course of your
  meditation: It's not the case that you shouldn't pay any attention to
  them, for some kinds of visions have important messages. So when
  things like this appear, you have to look into how they're appearing,
  why they're appearing, and for what purpose."

  § "There are true visions and false visions. So whenever you see one,
  just sit still and watch it. Don't get pulled into following it."

  § "You should watch visions the same way you watch TV: Just watch it,
  without getting pulled inside the tube."

  § "If you can't let go of your visions, you'll never gain release."

  § One of Ajaan Fuang's students asked him, "When you see something in
  a vision, how can you know whether it's true or false?"

  His answer: "Even when it's true, it's true only in terms of
  convention. You have to get your mind beyond both true and false."

  § "The purpose of the practice is to make the heart pure. All these
  other things are just games and entertainment."


Is it possible for a Buddhist to develop spiritual bypassing? What are the main traps?

The guy in the article appears to have this favorite style of psychology and solutions for everyday problems drawn from the world of psychology.

I'm guessing that "spiritual bypassing" is sort of like using religion to solve problems instead of using this guys favorite methodology.

I think the most legitimate trap is to not distinguish between problems that Buddhism is good as solving and which problems are better solved with pharmacology, or one of the many talking cures from the world of psychology.

Buddhism does a really good job of addressing the problems of existential angst-- the who am I and why am I here questions. It isn't especially suited on its own to deal with marital problems (Dr Gottman is a better expert), or literal delusions (like seeing little green men in the drain of the bath tub), substance abuse, bacterial infections, cancer, stroke, clincial depression and so on.

But if some wants to try to deal with their problems using Buddhism instead of Freudian psychoanalysis or any of the other talk cure systems that have since followed and bypass this the article's author's methodology, I wouldn't hold it again them. The various talk cure systems are probably as difficult to prove right or wrong as it is to prove one religion to be better or worse.


I don't think mere "cognition" is necessarily helpful.

And Buddhism might regard "cognition" as merely another sense, the 6th sense -- i.e. with the "cognition of thoughts" being objects of the mind, comparable with the "seeing of sights" being objects of the eye.

Examples of mere cognition might, I suppose, include watching videos, reading books, arguing online, doing cross-word puzzles...

What might be more helpful is "directed" thought, purposeful, intentional -- and preferably with a motive which aligns with Buddhist values and morality (e.g. beneficial, harmless, liberating).

I think that's related to "energy" -- i.e. that's a type of cognition which is associated with, from which derives, a self-sustaining energy.

I don't know of a canonical reference to justify this answer, though.

This article -- The Seven Factors of Enlightenment -- implies there may be some connection between "energy" and "purposefulness":

  The third enlightenment factor is viriya, energy. It is a mental property (cetasika) and the sixth limb of the Noble Eightfold Path, there called samma-vayama, right effort.

  The life of the Buddha clearly reveals that he was never subjected to moral or spiritual fatigue. From the hour of his enlightenment to the end of his life, he strove tirelessly to elevate mankind, regardless of the bodily fatigue involved, and oblivious to the many obstacles and handicaps that hampered his way. He never relaxed in his exertion for the common weal. Though physically he was not always fit, mentally he was ever vigilant and energetic. Of him it is said:

    Ah, wonderful is the Conqueror,
    Who e'er untiring strives
    For the blessing of all beings, for
    the comfort of all lives.

  Buddhism is for the sincerely zealous, strong and firm in purpose, and not for the indolent (araddhviriyassayam dhammo nayam dhammo kusitassa). The Buddha {etc.}

And "mindfulness" ought to be helpful -- that is assuming that "mindfulness" means not just "attention" but "remembering the Dhamma".


How can a person become a real Buddhist?

You become a real Buddhist when you walk the path of Dhamma. The Buddhist teaching is to be experienced here and now and to be verified here and now. There are many ways this has been put forward:

Sila - Samadhi - Panna where later is realisation at the experiential level or at the level of wisdom
Pariyatti - Patipatti - Pativedha where the latter is the experience
sutta-maya-panna - cinta-maya-panna - bhavana-maya panna where the latter is experiential wisdom

When you have the 1st vision of the Dhamma your faith never changes. This is because nobody can convince you otherwise of what you have already seen for yourself.


Can we use Piti as a meditation subject?

Anything can be used as an object of meditation.  Hell, you could use a chocolate cake if it tickled your fancy.  But just because you can use anything, it doesn't mean that you should.  The best objects are those that are consistent, stable, repeatedly accessible, and don't give rise to additional mental formations.  The breath is most often used because it checks all of those boxes quite easily.  Piti can meet those same requirements, but until you hit the 1st jhana, it is entirely too unstable and inconsistent.  It can also give rise to clinging and attachment which would ultimately prevent you from moving past the 2nd jhana.


Why is the Buddha described as trackless?

This is actually a mistranslation of the verse; Buddhist Legends by Burlingame is a bit better:

The Buddha, unlimited in power, the trackless.
By what track can you lead him?

In order to understand this verse, it might help to see the context; the Buddha is using poetry and imagery. Here's the Pali leading up to the verses in the commentary (it's about Mara's daughters):

puna māradhītaro “uccāvacā kho purisānaṃ adhippāyā, kesañci kumārikāsu pemaṃ hoti, kesañci paṭhamavaye ṭhitāsu, kesañci majjhimavaye ṭhitāsu, kesañci pacchimavaye ṭhitāsu, nānappakārehi taṃ palobhessāmā”ti ekekā kumārikavaṇṇādivasena sataṃ sataṃ attabhāve abhinimminitvā kumāriyo, avijātā, sakiṃ vijātā, duvijātā, majjhimitthiyo, mahallakitthiyo ca hutvā chakkhattuṃ bhagavantaṃ upasaṅkamitvā “pāde te, samaṇa, paricāremā”ti āhaṃsu.
tampi bhagavā na manasākāsi yathā taṃ anuttare upadhisaṅkhaye vimuttoti. atha satthā ettakenapi tā anugacchantiyo “apetha, kiṃ disvā evaṃ vāyamatha, evarūpaṃ nāma vītarāgānaṃ purato kātuṃ na vaṭṭati. tathāgatassa pana rāgādayo pahīnā. kena taṃ kāraṇena attano vasaṃ nessathā”ti vatvā imā gāthā abhāsi —

Burlingame translates this as follows:

Said the daughters of Māra again, “Many and various are the tastes of men. Some like maidens, others like women in the prime of life, others like women who have reached middle life, while still others like women who have passed middle life. We will tempt him in various forms.” So one after another, they assumed the forms of women of various ages, creating by supernatural power each a hundred female forms. And in the guise of maidens, women who had not yet given birth to a child, women who had given birth to one child, women who had given birth to two children, women who had reached middle life, and women who had reached old age, they approached the Exalted One six times and said to him, “Monk, we would be your humble slaves.”
But neither did the Exalted One pay any attention to that, but remained free, even as though the elements of being had been utterly destroyed. [197] But when, after that, they did not retire, the Teacher said to them, “Depart; what do you see, that you strive thus? Such actions as these should be performed before those who have not rid themselves of the lusts and other evil passions. The Tathāgata, however, has rid himself of the lusts and other evil passions. Why will ye try to bring me into your control?” So saying, he pronounced the following Stanzas,

The Buddha's answer in the verses includes the following statement:

taṃ buddhamanantagocaraṃ,
apadaṃ kena padena nessatha.

The actual literal translation is:

That Buddha whose pasture is limitless;
pathless, by which path will you lead?

The line is in regards to the imagery of a creature not limited by fences, thus with unlimited gocara (lit. pasture). Such a creature cannot be led anywhere, since it is not possible to contain them.
So, the mistranslations are as follows:
gocara should be "pasture", not "range" (it loses the imagery, if nothing else) and certainly not "power"
nessatha should be "lead", not "trace"

So, what is the actual meaning?
The commentary says:

kena padenāti yassa hi rāgapadādīsu ekapadampi atthi, taṃ tumhe tena padena nessatha. buddhassa pana ekapadampi natthi, taṃ apadaṃ buddhaṃ tumhe kena padena nessatha.
By what path - whereas those for whom there is even one path out of [all path] starting with the path of lust, them you may lead by that path. But for the Buddha there is not even one path; that pathless Buddha - by what path will you lead?

The meaning is clear; while it is possible to lead ordinary worldlings on by means of the carrot or the stick of defilements, there is no leading on of enlightened beings who have no such defilements.
A creature with a defined pasture can be led because of fences and ropes. A creature with a limitless pasture (like the Buddha) cannot be so led. The idea is then of not being drawn by defilements and thus with no definable path that mara can limit or goad one down.
Ultimately, it's just poetry (ancient poetry at that), and should not be taken literally. A proper understanding of the use of the word pada might require a knowledge of Maghadese colloquialisms 2500 years ago.


I didn't read the question but Thanissaro says as a footnote:

  To abandon the eye, etc., here means to abandon passion and desire for these things.

Nibbana is the same. Nibbana is not experienced due to passion & desire for Nibbana. Therefore, passion & desire for Nibbana is also abandoned.

Nibbana is included within The All, i.e., included as a sense object (per Ud 8.1) experienced by the mind sense organ. Thanissaro is wrong translating 'dhamme' as 'ideas'. 'Dhamme' is 'mind objects'. Nibbana, per Ud 8.1, is a mind object or 'ayatana'.


How do you write Anicca (Impermanence) in Pali script?

Pāli was in oral tradition, so pāli had no its own script. However, pāli can be written by most of the indo-europian script instead.

Therefore, the best tattoo in Buddhism is reciting the Sutta in pāli, it is the beginning of all meditations.

Anicca is anicca (अनिच्‍च; อนิจฺจ) without number&gender-definition.

It is aniccā (अनिच्‍चा; อนิจฺจา), aniccāni (अनिच्‍चानि; อนิจฺจานิ) as plural.

It is aniccā (अनिच्‍चा; อนิจฺจา), aniccaṃ (अनिच्‍चं; อนิจฺจํ), anicco (अनिच्‍चो; อนิจฺโจ) as singular.

It is mostly used as an adjective, and its noun often is plural.

"Sabbe saṅkhārā aniccā (सब्बे सङ्खारा अनिच्‍चा; สพฺเพ สงฺขารา อนิจฺจา)" is common widely used.


Sunday-question: Learning Dhamma at working time, on other recource

Bad kamma. The Buddha said:

  The servants and employees thus ministered to as the Nadir by their
  master show their compassion to him in five ways:

  (i) they rise before him, (ii) they go to sleep after him, (iii) they
  take only what is given, (iv) they perform their duties well, (v) they
  uphold his good name and fame.

  DN 31

But if a person is self-employed and their work day does not require 8 hours work per day then its no problem. If the self-employed person has free time during their work day in their office then discussing Dhamma is good kamma.


Mental activity is, too, a type of activity.
This includes thinking, imagination, mulling over ideas, cultivating certain mind states and suppressing others.
Repeated thinking on some topic (including imagination) habituates the mind to that theme. Habituation affects the mind's tendencies and dispositions.
Metta meditation works by changing the mind's habits. Imagination is a simple brother of meditation, so it works similarly just at a more crude level.
Karma is not something magical, it only seems magical when you don't understand how it works. It works simply by creating latent causes that change the odds of certain things happening or not happening.
Mental activity such as imagination is yet another source of such latent causes.


Is Buddhism against scientific attitude?

No.
I'd say that Buddhism is or can be pro (in favour of) a scientific attitude. The structure of the four noble truths, for example, are analogous to medical thinking: symptoms, cause, cure, and prescription (or, possibly, analogous to the "scientific method": observations, hypothesis, prediction, and experiment).
Also there are different types of "desire": tanha is unwholesome craving, whereas chanda can be wholesome.
Furthermore Buddhism (more-or-less) encourages the proper functioning of lay society: including right livelihood and so on.
And a contemporary Buddhist leader (the Dalai Lama) says that Buddhism has a lot to offer or to add to science (e.g. here) -- or for example here, "The Science for Monks project is a direct result of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s long-term personal interest in science".
I think it's true though that Buddhism doesn't put faith in merely technological development, any more than it says that the mere accumulation of material wealth is the ultimate solution for all life's problems.
Also, I think that "(idle) curiosity" may be endless: meaning, both "without limit" and "without (or with no good) purpose". But Buddhist Dharma is overtly purposeful and, therefore, limited (see for example Simsapa Sutta). I think it expects endeavour should be harmless, beneficial, benevolent: so I expect it opposes some types of "scientific" Research and Development (notably, probably, of weapons for example). Conversely I think there are scientific fields that have more affinity with Buddhism (possibly medicine or ecology).

For the sake of completeness I think that Buddhism (or some Buddhists) can also be dogmatic: the ancient descriptions of (for example) cosmology and pre-history don't co-exist easily with modern "scientific" theories of astronomy, geoscience, and evolution.
Some contemporary Buddhists might discount or excuse such dogma: for example as the unscientific product of its time; or as a corruption introduced into the (perfect) Dharma during subsequent history; or as having a metaphorical or pedagogical purpose which no longer needs to be taken literally.
Other Buddhists might hold that any doctrine that's canonical is therefore important (in spite of the Kalama sutta mentioned in Suminda's answer) and therefore (as you asked) be "against" modern science and "scientific attitude".
There are also some practices in Buddhist cultures and countries, which might be seen as "superstitious" rather than "scientific". But there are also Buddhists who would view these practices as "superstition" and (therefore) not "true Buddhism".
There are many suttas in which the Buddha seems to use and to encourage the use of  "scientific attitude", as opposed to the superstitions of his time.
People sometimes contrast Buddhism with Religions, which say "This is true because the prophet (or 'the holy book' or 'our tradition') says so" -- whereas I think that Buddhism's attitude is more like "This is true because it stands to reason, is observable."

One more comment -- I see people try to reconcile, compare, and/or compete Buddhism with science: for example, sometimes, saying that the Buddha taught about Atomic Theory well before "atoms" were discovered by modern experiment; or conversely, saying that science's discovery, that seemingly-solid matter is mostly empty space, is comparable to Buddhist doctrines on emptiness (sunyata).
I see them (science and Buddhism) as separate (independent) fields of endeavour and doctrine.
Within science, there's a conventional way to classify the fields of science into layers, e.g. illustrated here:

Each less "pure" discipline is arguably more complex, less simple, and is based on emergent properties of the field below (or to the right of) it.
I'd place Buddhism well to the left of that scale: highly complex, describing properties of complex phenomena (e.g. human beings). It's a study of things like:

subjective experience (suffering and non-suffering)
afflictive and affective obstacles (kilesa)
beneficial or practical qualities (bodhipakkhiyā dhammā)
ethics (sila)
social interaction (brahmaviharas)
wisdom
mahayana ideals and aspirations

Buddhism is a bit ruthless about what it considers on-topic and not. For example people ask, "Is there a Self?" and I think that Buddha's answer is that it's better not to think about that, that there's no view or doctrine about Self which would lead to the goal (of non-suffering).
There's an expression "not even wrong" which is used to describe what seem to  be muddled statements about physics. I like Wikipedia's description of it:

The phrase "not even wrong" describes any argument that purports to be scientific but fails at some fundamental level, usually in that it contains a terminal logical fallacy or it cannot be falsified by experiment (i.e., tested with the possibility of being rejected), or cannot be used to make predictions about the natural world.
The phrase is generally attributed to theoretical physicist Wolfgang Pauli, who was known for his colorful objections to incorrect or sloppy thinking. Rudolf Peierls documents an instance in which "a friend showed Pauli the paper of a young physicist which he suspected was not of great value but on which he wanted Pauli's views. Pauli remarked sadly, 'It is not even wrong'." This is also often quoted as "That is not only not right; it is not even wrong," or "Das ist nicht nur nicht richtig; es ist nicht einmal falsch!" in Pauli's native German.

I especially like the phrase, "Pauli remarked sadly".
In my opinion, Buddhism might describe science in general as neither "right" not "wrong" but as "not even wrong" -- because science more-or-less fails to make useful statements about topics which Buddhism considers important, for example "ethics" or "liberation from suffering" or anything like that.
I think that Saptha's answer and comments are that even when science has pleasant practical applications and consequences, these (and the pursuit of these) don't help to "unbind" people (i.e. to unbind from the "wheel of life").


Did Lord Buddha teach, or do Buddhist sects teach, about Ghosts?

There are many such stories in Petavatthu, which appear in canonical texts. Buddhist Cosmology mentions 31 Planes of Existence. The realm of Hungry Ghosts is one of these realms. Average people cannot see any of these realms other than the parts of the human realm and animal kingdom. This does not mean, what we see do not exit.

Also see:

From preta to hungry ghost by Piya Tan
Who are the hungry ghosts? by Piya Tan


"The not finding (the mind) is the finding"

Zen traditions say that in looking for the mind, there is nothing to find.

It's not just Zen traditions. Tibetan Buddhism have the same exercise, usually placed at beginner-to-intermediate level, right after the teaching on six realms and karma and before "real" meditation.

The idea is that most beginners have this unexamined idea that "I" or "mind" is some thing inside our heads. Trying to examine that thing, locate it in space, and describe its shape and characteristics is the first attempt at introspection that the student takes on. Eventually, the student is supposed to realize that what they call "I think" are just thoughts automatically coming from memory in response to a stimulus, and learn to disidentify from the thoughts.

  And, if the body can be found, do we identify with it?

I appreciate your sarcasm. It's not that "not finding"
makes it easier to disidentify, it's seeing that mind is not "one thing" and that "I" is just something we literally imagine.

  Huike said to Bodhidharma, “My mind is anxious. Please pacify it.” To which Bodhidharma replied, “Bring me your mind, and I will pacify it.” Huike said, “Although I’ve sought it, I cannot find it.” Bodhidharma then said, “There, I have pacified your mind.”

The Huike story, although seemingly about the same topic, is actually a reference to another principle of Buddhism, the principle of "immediacy".

The problem with most students is that their minds focus on Buddhist theory while ignoring their immediate state of mind, with its deep-lying conflict. Even the quest for Nirvana is a state of conflict, as we identify "this" as "wrong" and Nirvana as right. No amount of theory helps until the student admits this conflict in their own mind. So turning the student's mind to the present moment, to help it see its own conflict is THE core principle of Zen. This is why Zen is called "the school of direct pointing, beyond theory" (or something like that)

That's why Bodhidharma says, "There, I have pacified your mind." - this last phrase is the "pointing directly at mind". At that moment Huike must have turned his attention to his own mind, and saw how grasping (the frustrating and hopeless act of trying to pinpoint the mind) was the very act that created his suffering, and how letting go of that grasping was letting go of that specific instance of suffering -- which was the stream-entry moment for him.

The same principle is at work behind koans, when the act of letting go of the impossible problem leads to realization of the Third Noble Truth.


I knew someone who was diagnosed as psychotic for most of her adult life. Psychiatric medicines were semi-effective in her case (so the psychiatrist called her "one of the lucky ones"), so apparently the symptoms were brain-related -- even if etiology is too complicated i.e. physical and environmental.

A couple of comments based on that...

It took years before finding how to get medical treatment, because she was never "an imminent danger to self or others" which is the usual legal requirement for imposing medical treatment. I interpret that as evidence that her intentions toward others were invariably or mostly kindly, even when her thinking was very confused (disordered in form and content). To the extent that "kamma is intention", I think that counts for a lot.

She expected to be reborn; but she didn't say where nor for how long.

MN 57 says something about being reborn as an animal -- given her great sympathy for ("mind of goodwill towards") animals, perhaps that (rebirth in the animal realm) is a possibility.
Conversely her "sins", such as those ever were, were all too human -- perhaps that means a human rebirth.
Perhaps she visited other realms (brahma- and otherwise) "in this life", experienced "paranormal entities" -- to that extent perhaps she developed some equanimity about future experiences.


As mentioned in another thread by @catpnosis, in MN 100: Sangarava Sutta:

  “kiṃ nu kho, bho gotama, atthi devā”ti?

  "How is it then, good Gotama; are there divine beings?"

  “ṭhānaso metaṃ, bhāradvāja, viditaṃ yadidaṃ — adhidevā”ti.

  "With reason it is known by me, Bhāradvāja, that there are higher divinities."

The question is, what do you mean by belief? If you mean believe to have existed certain beings who were believed to be divine, omnipotent, eternal, etc., then yes, it is quite clear the Buddha not only believed in such beings but, according to the texts, had direct experience interacting with them.

If you mean actually believing that such beings were omnipotent, omniscient, eternal, etc., then no he clearly had no such belief in regards to said beings. Reading the Brahmajala Sutta (DN 1) should be enough to dispel that idea. He does give a nice explanation as to where such belief comes from:

  39. "There comes a time, bhikkhus, when after the lapse of a long period this world contracts (disintegrates). While the world is contracting, beings for the most part are reborn in the Ābhassara Brahma-world.[7] There they dwell, mind-made, feeding on rapture, self-luminous, moving through the air, abiding in glory. And they continue thus for a long, long period of time.

  40. "But sooner or later, bhikkhus, after the lapse of a long period, there comes a time when this world begins to expand once again. While the world is expanding, an empty palace of Brahmā appears. Then a certain being, due to the exhaustion of his life-span or the exhaustion of his merit, passes away from the Ābhassara plane and re-arises in the empty palace of Brahmā. There he dwells, mind made, feeding on rapture, self-luminous, moving through the air, abiding in glory. And he continues thus for a long, long period of time.

  41. "Then, as a result of dwelling there all alone for so long a time, there arises in him dissatisfaction and agitation, (and he yearns): 'Oh, that other beings might come to this place!' Just at that moment, due to the exhaustion of their life-span or the exhaustion of their merit, certain other beings pass away from the Ābhassara plane and re-arise in the palace of Brahmā, in companionship with him. There they dwell, mind-made, feeding on rapture, self-luminous, moving through the air, abiding in glory. And they continue thus for a long, long period of time.

  42. "Thereupon the being who re-arose there first thinks to himself: 'I am Brahmā, the Great Brahmā, the Vanquisher, the Unvanquished, the Universal Seer, the Wielder of Power, the Lord, the Maker and Creator, the Supreme Being, the Ordainer, the Almighty, the Father of all that are and are to be. And these beings have been created by me. What is the reason? Because first I made the wish: "Oh, that other beings might come to this place!" And after I made this resolution, now these beings have come.'

  "And the beings who re-arose there after him also think: 'This must be Brahmā, the Great Brahmā, the Vanquisher, the Unvanquished, the Universal Seer, the Wielder of Power, the Lord, the Maker and Creator, the Supreme Being, the Ordainer, the Almighty, the Father of all that are and are to be. And we have been created by him. What is the reason? Because we see that he was here first, and we appeared here after him.'

  43. "Herein, bhikkhus, the being who re-arose there first possesses longer life, greater beauty, and greater authority than the beings who re-arose there after him.

  44. "Now, bhikkhus, this comes to pass, that a certain being, after passing away from that plane, takes rebirth in this world. Having come to this world, he goes forth from home to homelessness. When he has gone forth, by means of ardor, endeavor, application, diligence, and right reflection, he attains to such a degree of mental concentration that with his mind thus concentrated he recollects his immediately preceding life, but none previous to that. He speaks thus: 'We were created by him, by Brahmā, the Great Brahmā, the Vanquisher, the Unvanquished, the Universal Seer, the Wielder of Power, the Lord, the Maker and Creator, the Supreme Being, the Ordainer, the Almighty, the Father of all that are and are to be. He is permanent, stable, eternal, not subject to change, and he will remain the same just like eternity itself. But we, who have been created by him and have come to this world, are impermanent, unstable, short-lived, doomed to perish.'

  http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/dn/dn.01.0.bodh.html

The Jataka commentary also has a nice passage about god and the godly:

  These greedy liars propagate deceit,
  And fools believe the fictions they repeat;

  He who has eyes can see the sickening sight;
  Why does not God set his creatures right?

  If his wide power no limits can restrain,
  Why is his hand so rarely spread to bless?

  Why are his creatures all condemned to pain?
  Why does he not to all give happiness?

  Why do fraud, lies, and ignorance prevail?
  Why triumphs falsehood,—truth and justice fail?

  I count your God one th’ injust among,
  Who made a world in which to shelter wrong.

  Jāt. 543


How to get back to practice after "falling" from it?

Ask your teacher. But my advice would be to just continue trying. Failing is not the problem here, it is the expectation of achieving some results which is the problem, because it causes suffering. Do as much meditation as you can without thinking about the past or future. Also sometimes being frustrated can be useful, because it shows you what kind of approach to meditation works and what doesn't.


In my interpretation (which is a product of my own vipassana), the translation and interpretation of nidanas is a little different. I tend to think of nidanas in terms of developmental psychology:

Avidya is innate ignorance, so far so good.
Sankskara is "imprint that creates subsequent tendency to react in a certain way". Kind of like memory but at a lower organizational level. So when there is ignorance, the interaction of primordial nature with itself leaves traces, which, given enough repetitions, eventually accumulate into tendencies and expectations.
These tendencies and expectations get progressively more robust and integrated until they connect into full-fledged continuous experience ('vijnana'). This experience is not reality itself though, but an interpretation/projection assembled from the tendencies and expectations.
Through the same process of accumulation of sankskaras (which remain the underlying fabric comprising the experience) the whole process keeps on maturing until some of the tendencies and expectations crystallize to the status of objects ('namarupa'). These objects are second-order constructs - the signs (nimitta) that make up the original experience are further interpreted up the chain of abstraction.

So in my interpretation the twelve nidanas describe the natural process by which the primordially impersonal becomes (first aware and then) personal.


The definition of a path is: A virtuous mind conjoined with renunciation.

As it says in Maitreya/Asanga's Ornament of Clear Realization:

  A path is a virtuous mind conjoined with spontaneous renunciation.
  Boundaries are from the path of accumulation through the buddha
  ground. The synonyms of path are: knower, exalted wisdom, exalted
  knower and clear realization.

Thus, all paths are 'paths of renunciation' in this sense, although I have never come across the expression 'path of renunciation' before.

A Mahayana path is a virtuous mind conjoined with bodhicitta (which renunciation). For instance, generosity in the continuum of a bodhisattva is a Mahayana path. Generosity in the continuum of someone who is on a so-called Hinayana path is a path.

Traditionally, we say that tantra must be practiced in dependence upon the three principles of the path.

Renunciation
The wisdom of emptiness
Bodhicitta

Therefore, it is aimed at bodhisattvas that are at least on the path of preparation, having realized emptiness by way of an inferential cognizer.

There are five paths:

The path of accumulation, where one becomes a bodhisattva by way of generating the spontaneous mind of enlightenment (bodhicitta)
The path of preparation. One enters this path by way of a first inferential (not direct) realization of emptiness, that is a union of samata and vipassana realizing emptiness.
The path of seeing. One enters the path of seeing by way of a first direct realization of emptiness, whereby all dualistic appearances vanish. This wisdom directly realizing emptiness acts as an antidote to the grossest levels of afflictions, therefore it is called the first true path. It is also an arya path. It is the first ground (which continues on to the path of meditation). We say that the ultimate Dharma jewel is true cessation and true path in the continuum of an arya being. This echoes your statements with respect to "path to cessation". Here, the first true cessation occurs upon entering the path of seeing. The buddha-ground or 'path of no-more-learning' is the final true cessation. There are various true cessations before.
The path of meditation. It has the ten grounds (bhumis) but there are also divisions into 11, 13, and 16. At the level of the 8th ground, a bodhisattva is free from all afflictions (just like a so-called Hinayana arhat). He still has to abandon "knowledge obscurations" which are the imprints of the afflictions (like the scent left by the garlic even after it's been removed from a container).
The path of no-more-learning or "buddha ground". One enters it when he is free from the two obscurations: afflictive and knowledge obscurations. From there, one obtains the four kayas (which can also be divided into 2, 3, and 5).

The Mahayana path is called 'path of perfection' because we perfect the perfections (paramitas) on each of the grounds.

From a tantric viewpoint, Tantra could be practiced from the generation of the three principles of the path, or as late as the last moment of ten bhumi. From a tantric point of view, one cannot achieve enlightenment (abandoning knowledge obscurations) without tantra.

The five paths are common to Mahayana traditions, including Zen, Tiantai, etc. It is classic Mahayana Abhidharma.

For instance:

The Blue Cliff Record mentions the 'path of buddhahood', 'path of meditation', etc.
Dogen mentions the 'path of seeing', the ten grounds, including the 'buddha ground' (佛地 butchi).
Wonhyo alludes to the 'path of cultivation' (accumulation), 'path of seeing', 'path of meditation', etc.
Chinul mentions the 'path of meditation', the ten bhumis, etc.
In the Mahaparinirvana sutra, that is commented upon widely, there is mention of the five paths. In 'A study of the unfolding of sinitic mahayana motifs', Wai-lun Lan alludes to 'path of perfection' and 'path of meditation'.
Zhiyi (founder of the Tiantai tradition) also speaks of the five paths and the ten grounds.


What does "joy" mean in the phrase "dharma gate of great ease and joy"

When there is joy, when a person is full of happiness and joy, there is little chance for ‘Uddhacca’ & ‘Kukkucca’ to arise. These are two of the hinderances mentioned in the scriptures. Restlessness (uddhacca) is agitation or excitement, which drives the mind from thought to thought.  Worry (kukkucca) is remorse over past mistakes and anxiety about their possible undesired consequences. When one's mind is possessed and overpowered by restlessness and remorse, one cannot properly see things in a clear way. It is compared to when water is stirred by the wind, agitated, swaying and producing waves, a man is unable to see the image of his own face. Buddhists are taught to diffuse the Four Divine States of Mind: loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy and equanimity towards all sentient beings, as this brings about a Joyous State of mind.

Merits, through ‘Daana’, ‘Sila’ & ‘Bhavana’ bring you joy. ….  As the Buddha preached:

  “Don’t ignore even a small merit thinking that it will not come to you! It is in fact with each drop of water that a pot is filled. Therefore, a wise person will collect all merits even if it is by bit by bit. In this way, his life will full with merits at the end.”

A joyous state of mind is important when learning to meditate. As the Buddha once explained:

  “If the thought should occur to you that, when defiling mental qualities are abandoned and bright mental qualities have grown, and one enters & remains in the culmination & abundance of discernment, having known & realized it for oneself in the here & now, one’s abiding is stressful/painful, you should not see it in that way. When defiling mental qualities are abandoned and bright mental qualities have grown, and one enters & remains in the culmination & abundance of discernment, having known & realized it for oneself in the here & now, there is joy, rapture, serenity, mindfulness, alertness, and a pleasant/happy abiding.” — DN 9


Vipassana is about seeing things as they are. If you fear death during vipassana meditation then be mindful of the fear. One has to let go of comfort when practicing Vipassana. Anapana leads to temporary comfort, calm and relaxation but one could not become liberated with an anapana practice alone.


In addition found in Sevitabbâsevitabba Sutta there are 32 types of chatter which is called animal chatter which falls under the category of idle / frivolous chatter:

Rajakatha – Talk about kings
Corakatha – Talk about robbers
Mahamatta katha – Talk about ministers of state
Senakatha – Talk about armies
Bhayakatha – Talk about dangers
Yuddhakatha – Talk about battles
Annakatha – Talk about food
Panakatha – Talk about drinks
Vatthakatha – Talk about clothing
Sayanakatha – Talk about dwellings
Malakatha – Talk about garlands
Gandhakatha – Talk about perfumes
Natikatha – Talk about relations
Yanakatha – Talk about vehicles
Gamakatha – Talk about villages
Nigamakatha -Talk about market towns
Nagarakatha – Talk about towns
Janapadakatha – Talk about districts
Itthikatha – Talk about women/men
Surakatha – Talk about heroes
Visakhakatha – Talk about streets
Kumbhatthanakatha – Talk about watering places
Pubbapeta-katha – Talk about relatives who have passed away
Nanattakatha – Tittle-tattle
Lokakkhayika katha – talk about the origin of the world
Samuddakkhayikakatha – Talk about the origin of the ocean
Itibhavabhava katha – Talk about Eternity belief
Itibhavabhava katha – Talk about annihilation belief
Itibhavabhava katha – Talk about worldly gain
Itibhavabhava katha – Talk about worldly loss
Itibhavabhava katha – Talk about self-indulgence
Itibhavabhava katha – Talk about self-mortification

Sourced from: Tiracchana-Katha Unskilful Talk which is an adaptation from Venerable Ledi Sayadaw’s Magganga-Dipani: The Manual of The Constituents of the Noble Path.
Instead of memorizing specific type of talk you can discern what it idle chatter through the fundamentals, i.e.,:

is not beneficial,
not relevant to the fundamentals of the holy life,
does not leads to revulsion,
does not leads to dispassion,
does not leads to cessation,
does not leads to peace,
does not leads to direct knowledge,
does not leads to enlightenment,
does not leads to Nibbana

Adopted from: Tiracchana-Katha Unskilful Talk
... or in general context ...

he speaks at the wrong time,
what is false,
what is not connected with the goal [unbeneficial],
what is not the teaching [Dharma]1,
what is not the discipline [Vinaya];
he speaks words not worth treasuring,
baseless,
undefined [rambling],
not connected with the goal

... or more succinctly, chatter in which, unwholesome states increase and
wholesome states decrease.
See: Sevitabbâsevitabba Sutta and answer by @ChrisW
Also talk you should engage in:

Talk about wanting little,
about contentment,
seclusion,
solitude,
energetic striving,
virtue,
concentration,
insight,
release,
release by knowing and seeing

In addition the Buddha mentions you should talk about the 4 Noble Truths as this lead to:

is beneficial,
relevant to the fundamentals of the holy life,
leads to revulsion,
leads to dispassion,
leads to cessation,
leads to peace,
leads to direct knowledge,
leads to enlightenment,
leads to Nibbana

Adopted from: Tiracchana-Katha Unskilful Talk
... or in general context ...

he speaks at the right time,
what is true,
what is connected with the goal [beneficial],
what is the teaching1,
what is the discipline;
he speaks words worth treasuring,
well-founded,
well-defined [not rambling],
connected with the goal

... or more succinctly, chatter in which, unwholesome states decrease and wholesome states increase.
See: Sevitabbâsevitabba Sutta and answer by @ChrisW

Several suttas contain this list but all of them list only 27. However, as usual, the Commentators obsessed with splitting hairs have stretched it to 32 by splitting the last one into 6.
The name "Detis Katha" is also theirs. The Suttas called the original ones "Tirracchana katha" which literally means ‘animal talk’.
Incidentally this list is not for us to learn and remember. These topics are for avoiding. Several suttas say that we should instead be discussing only the Noble Truth.

Source: Dethis Katha (32 types of unskillful talks) by user Gayan
Furthermore the blog Tiracchana-Katha Unskilful Talk has comprehensive treatment of this topic.

1
Regarding skillful and unskillful chattering regarding the Dhamma there is 8:

This Dhamma is for reducing desire, not for increasing desire.
This Dhamma is for increasing contentment, not for increasing
discontentment.
This Dhamma is for cultivating seclusion, not for becoming sociable.
This Dhamma is for becoming energetic, not for becoming lazy.
This Dhamma is for developing mindfulness, not developing
unmindfulness.
This Dhamma is for developing composure, not for making
restlessness.
This Dhamma is for increasing wisdom, not for decreasing wisdom.
This Dhamma is for delighting in freedom from impediments, not
for delighting in impediment.

Sourced from: Eight Great Noble Thoughts and Papanca [proliferation] and Nippapanca [non-proliferation]


To refer to the traditional way that time is kept:

  "The best way I've heard to a) keep track of time b) without a clock
  (or timer) was related to me by my 91-year-old teacher who said in the
  old days they used to use incense sticks; once the incense stick was
  finished, they would switch from walking to sitting. For shorter
  sessions, you could cut the sticks in half, etc. Of course, it still
  means you need to open your eyes every so often during sitting."
  --this answer

The act of not timing your sitting is a profound one. It's not like the Buddha timed his sittings when he attained Enlightenment!
After nourishing himself the Buddha himself literally said "I will not get up from this Bodhi tree until I attain Awakening! Let my bones break and my flesh rot before I shall arise."
And then he entered the 1st jhana, 2nd jhana all the way to 4th and then experienced the 4 formless absorptions one by one and then attained Awakening.

He did not time his sittings except taking a bit of a break when he was truly exhausted and he opened his eyes to look at the night sky to take a bit of a rest.
And like magic, right then, he Awakened.

[Similarly Zen practitioners and other "hardcore" practitioners do not time their sittings... and they tended to Awaken when they took a bit of a rest and their Buddha Nature spotaneously opened to them, their skandhas dropping away giving them a strong taste of Awakening.]

Thus, the ultimate "inorganic" method is your own physical exhaustion, your own body telling you it is time to take a break from your arduous efforts!

Nonetheless, You can use other similar methods that are "organic" and do not use digital devices: tea kettle boiling, the birds starting to chirp in the morning as you push your meditation on in the early morning, etc.

Also your question is an important question because we all need to do an electromagnetic detox! We are all heavily dependent on our devices and are sleeping, reading, and practicing in a pool of EMR. I definitely notice a huge difference when I wear my crystals than when I am not.
Many of us experienced times when we go to a garden or some greenspace, far away from wifi connections and our mind completely clears and it feels the bliss of concentration is close at hand. It is also much easier to think about one's own life and contemplate in such an environment, also due to having less electronic devices subconsciously yelling and calling us in hundreds of ways.


Which commentary on the MMK should be studied first?

I suppose it depends on which lineage you draw your water from. Ocean of Reasoning is a Gelug text, as is Ornament of Reason (I think?), while in Kagyu they study Madhyamakavatara, a relatively early commentary by Candrakirti, with subcommentary by Jamgon Mipham.


The I. Mahākhandhako: The Great Khandhaka gives most knowledge on not only how the Sublime Sangha got into arising but also how it leaves access for those wishing to make use of the Sublime Buddhas Boundage, (Re-)Legion, toward Unbond.
[Note that this isn't given for stacks, exchange or other world-binding trades but to escape from this wheel: access to real refuge]


ñāṇadassana is a neuter noun (ending in "a") -- and therefore I think that the ena ending is the "instrumental" case.

So, for a start, I don't think that can be the subject of the sentence.

Similarly dhamma is a masculine noun, therefore I suppose that dhammā is the nominative plural.

Given that ñāṇadassanena is instrumental ...

  The fundamental use of the inst. in Pāli as in the older languages is to denote the thing with which an action is performed. Hence Brugmann prefers to call this the with-case (‘Mit-Kasus’, KVG §540), because the with-idea may either signify connection or denote the means by which an action is done or something happens.

... I'd therefore be inclined to try a translation like "using knowledge" or "with knowledge" -- possibly, "what things using-knowledge [are] better?"

But I'm quite reluctant to contradict Ven. Sujato's translation -- partly because he has far, far more experience with Pali than I have, partly because he studied this sutta and other suttas and so better understands the context of this sentence, and partly because I expect he has read any commentaries on this (which I haven't).

And indeed, here -- §86. Inst. of Comparison. -- says that one of the uses of the "instrumental" case is that it's used in comparisons, e.g.

  dhanena seyyo M II.73
  “better than wealth”;

So I think that justified Ven. Sujato's translation, i.e. his use of it as the object or target of a comparison:

  higher and finer than knowledge and vision

If it doesn't prove that translation (i.e. that's not the only possible translation, at least grammatically) then at least it shows that translation is plausible.

So literally (word for word) something like:

  Katame ca, brāhmaṇa, dhammā ñāṇadassanena uttaritarā ca paṇītatarā ca?
  Which-one then, oh-Brahmans, things compared-to-knowledge-and-vision [the verb "are" or "is" is implicit here, not explicit, optional in Pali) higher and finer also?


Rebirth, transfer of memories, what is it?

As for conciseness it arises and passes. At death it passes in one body and arise in another. This process don't end at death or with brain damage or death. As this instance passes away the next state arises with persistent sense impressions.

Sense impressions are tied to the mental body while conceptual impressions are tied to the physical body. So if you get brain damaged you cannot think and perhaps learn new concepts but past impressions stay, [Mahā,nidāna Sutta] these sense impressions do persist beyond death as part of the Bhavanga Citta. Recallability depends on the level of hindrances. [(Nīvarana) Sangarava Sutta] The mental impressions that remain are part of the mind (Nama) which does not die at death but passes away in one body and arise in another. For further understanding perhaps you can study the Buddhist rebirth process.

Jhana meditators can recall past lives since sense impressions have persisted. 5 Hindrances is one case of we cannot remember and as meditation overcomes this you can remember better. [(Nīvarana) Sangarava Sutta]

Also see: How can the idea of reincarnation be true if all the information of who we are is already destroyed


Is there a difference between sunatta and anatta

I think sunyata is the void that you experience when you see through the impermanence in things (anitta). The reality is always vibrating. When you sit in vipassana and start observing, you will find that all your sensations are made up of these vibrations that constantly pulsate - they appear from nowhere and vanish instantly (anitta). Now, the emptiness or background in which the reality is vibrating is nothing but sunyata.
Even modern physics has proved that matter vibrates at the quantum level, but you as a vipassana practitioner can actually observe the phenomena first hand! You don't have to take their word for it.

Anatta on the other hand refers to the realization that I am not this conditioned self. Continuing on the vibration concept above, if you keep pressing with vipassana, you will ultimately learn (with lots and lots of practice) that all perceptions, thoughts, mental formations and even consciousness are ultimately reduced to these vibrations. After vibes corresponding to physical sensations, follow the mental formations, perception, consciousness and so on. The result is that an illusion called self is created by the vibe corresponding to consciousness impacted by the vibe corresponding to perception.


What's the relationship between effort and zazen?

As someone who has practiced zazen (in the Rinzai tradition) for many years, I will second Michael's answer.  That very much describes how I meditate.  You have to lift and apply the mind in meditation otherwise, well, otherwise you tend to fall asleep.  ;-)  Too much effort (like forcefully eliminating thoughts and 'crushing' the mind on the meditation object) is also a bad idea.  The approach might be slightly different for the Soto lineage (and the language your book uses seems to suggest a Soto bent).  Still, I highly doubt there's that much difference in how the mind is engaged while sitting.

One thing to remember is that Zen is heavily influenced by Taoism.  You might want to tangentially exploring the concept of non-effort by reading up on the Taoist concept of wu wei.  Sometimes it helps to explore a similar idea from a different avenue.