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1500 questions
13
votes
4 answers
Homeless but not a monk
Is it frowned upon in Buddhism to undertake homelessness without ordination? Let us presume that part of this homelessness also includes a focus on meditation, with mind and body able to work for oneself.
Jason Lee
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13
votes
8 answers
I don't like people but I like buddhism
I'm a bit confused. I had a rather crappy childhood. Very disfunctional family and lots of bullying and abuse both at home and at school. It kind of made me very distrusting of people. I learnt at a young age that people would hurt me, let me down,…
Arturia
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13
votes
8 answers
Is it possible to have a romantic relationship without attachment?
Is it possible to have a romantic relationship without attachment? Just based on pure love and with equanimity?
konrad01
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13
votes
8 answers
Can we reach enlightentment with recreational drugs?
Some drugs, like ecstasy, help build empathy and help our mind see things from a different point of view.
What about if meditation is the obsolete ways to see enlightment and perhaps drugs are the easier ways?
user4951
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13
votes
12 answers
Why is Buddha almost treated like a God in most Buddhist traditions?
While I find some buddhist ideas intriguing - mainly using meditation to find insights in oneself - I'm also quite irritated, why so many traditions are so full of dogma, i.e. things you just have to believe or do.
It's exactly this way of thinking…
Michael Härtl
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13
votes
12 answers
If there is no self, why do anything?
My limited understanding of Buddhism has already helped me in many ways and I am very glad to have found it.
With that said, I have always wondered about this title question. If there is no 'I', then why do 'I' do anything? If we can consider…
tamatama
- 131
- 3
13
votes
5 answers
Should a Buddhist have Children?
In Buddhism having a rebirth is itself a origin of all the Dukhhas. Doesn't it imply that Buddhist laymen who are married should not have children to stop this cycle of rebirth. This leads to a more generic hypothetical question as to what happens…
gaj
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13
votes
2 answers
What are the texts that contain words which can be attributed directly to the Buddha?
If I understand correctly, the Buddha never wrote anything but some Buddhist texts quote him by describing meetings or situations where he was present. Is there a comprehensive list of all scripts where he is directly and textually quoted?
Eduardo Serra
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13
votes
3 answers
Why is it hard to breathe naturally when meditating?
For me it is rather hard to breathe naturally while doing Samatha meditation. It makes it harder to concentrate because I'm always controlling my breath.
Do you have any suggestion how to overcome this problem?
Is this a normal problem for a…
Blaze Tama
- 777
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13
votes
4 answers
Is there any such thing as a bad meditation?
I've always been told that there is no such thing as a bad meditation. No matter what happens it is OK. In fact the meditator is a bad judge of the effectiveness and efficacy of any sit even if those concepts did have meaning. However I was reading…
Crab Bucket
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13
votes
2 answers
Can environmental degradation be used as a justification for the culling of an invasive alien species?
We have a lot of feral foxes in Australia which decimate the local wildlife. Foxes are not native to Australia but where introduced by humans. Local wildlife is not adapted to these predators and are an easy prey for foxes. What is the Buddhist view…
Eric
- 131
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13
votes
4 answers
Days of Worship
I understand Buddhists don't technically worship, but pray to the Buddha or meditate (apologies for any mistakes). My question is: do Buddhists have a certain number of times a day to worship/pray/meditate? And is there a certain day/days out of the…
مجاهد
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13
votes
5 answers
The object of meditation
I have been focused on the breath in meditation and I am interested in Vipassana, but I am confused about the object of meditation.
I have read that you focus on the breath and as thoughts arise, you should observe them and then return to the breath…
Steve H.
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13
votes
9 answers
Do all Buddhists abstain from alcohol?
I've been to a nice restaurant (pictured below) where the bar was decorated with statues of the Buddha. Given the 5th precept and all; this seemed a bit odd. Would it be correct to surmise that the 5th precept is understood in different ways among…
Robin111
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13
votes
7 answers
How does one explain consistency within phenomena if the mind generates phenomena?
I'm having trouble framing this question right so please let me know if it needs clarification. I'll first describe the issues surrounding the question and then ask the question itself.
I've been reading "A Buddhist Bible" compiled by Dwight…
a_a
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