Buddhism Stack Exchange
Buddhism Stack Exchange

Most Popular

more tags
1500 questions
29
votes
4 answers

Where is the Buddha quoted as saying do not believe anything I say until you can prove it by yourself?

If I remember rightly the Buddha is quoted as saying something along the lines of: Do not believe anything I say until you can prove it by yourself In what text(s) of the Buddhist cannon is this quoted?
Jose B
  • 934
  • 1
  • 6
  • 15
28
votes
14 answers

Any advice on leg numbing during sitting?

It happens at about 20 minutes every time lately... either in half lotus (a traditional position that I would like to honor), or with one leg laying in front of the other, or Indian style... doesn't matter, my left leg goes numb. Sitting up in a…
A Nonimous
  • 816
  • 1
  • 6
  • 11
28
votes
10 answers

How not to kill the mouse in my house?

I live with my mother in her house. There have been a mouse for a few months, living in the ceiling of my bedroom, and since a few weeks, it has been a nuisance for it scratches something, day and night, to the point of preventing me to sleep, even…
Alan
  • 281
  • 3
  • 4
27
votes
17 answers

Is Jesus considered to be a buddha?

I was wondering what main stream Buddhism think of Jesus, was he a buddha? Can anyone tell me where Jesus fits into Buddhism?
eliyah
  • 481
  • 5
  • 7
27
votes
8 answers

Is low self-esteem a Western phenomenon?

I while ago I read a story about the Dalai Lama and the metta bhavana practice. Someone was talking to him about the difficulty in practicing the first stage (wishing well for oneself) and was observing that low self-esteem was hindering the…
Crab Bucket
  • 21,051
  • 11
  • 62
  • 173
26
votes
4 answers

When were women first welcomed into Buddhist orders?

I know that in the early days of Buddhism, it was for men only. To practice, you had to be a monk, and to be a monk, you had to be a man. Perhaps this reflects the attitudes of the time, but today, my experience of Buddhism has been as something…
Dan Hulme
  • 475
  • 4
  • 13
26
votes
14 answers

Role of belief in Buddhism

As a westerner that self-identifies as Buddhist, I have struggled to understand the role of belief in Buddhist practice. In my culture, we are more familiar with the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam) for which what one believes is…
Anthony
  • 2,598
  • 16
  • 33
26
votes
11 answers

Masturbation: Does it break the 3rd precept?

According to this answer, it seems like masturbation is not considered sexual misconduct or breaking the third precept. However, the whole point (in general) of keeping the precept is to make good kamma both in mind and body. Masturbation alters…
samnish
  • 1,649
  • 1
  • 13
  • 13
26
votes
6 answers

Did Gautama Buddha exist?

Is there any historical third-party evidence that the Gautama Buddha actually existed? Is there historical third-party evidence that Prince Siddhartha or the Gautama Buddha existed outside of the writings of Buddhism?
user50
26
votes
5 answers

Is drinking coffee or tea against the fifth precept?

The fifth precept most directly guides us to abstain from alcohol. Coffee is a stimulant and probably so is tea. Drinking either beverage affects our mental calm and makes us behave in ways that we would not do so without having drunk it. In this…
user126
25
votes
4 answers

What are the differences between vipassana and mindfulness meditation?

I have been reading about vipassana and mindfulness meditation but so far I haven’t fully understood the differences. Is mindfulness meditation an aspect or a variation of vipassana meditation?
artificer
  • 417
  • 1
  • 4
  • 6
23
votes
7 answers

How do Buddhists express condolences?

Since converting to Buddhism, I've been unsure how to express condolences when people pass away. Everything familiar that I might say comes from a Christian perspective such as "being in a better place" or "with the Lord now". Simply letting the…
Robin111
  • 9,572
  • 4
  • 32
  • 75
23
votes
13 answers

Disenchanted with Buddhism

Im nearly 50 years old and so far in my life I have never found a sense of belonging or any sense of purpose. I haven't found a way to work that offers any sense of contribution or meaning. I have worked in low skilled low paid jobs struggling to…
Arturia
  • 2,740
  • 14
  • 21
23
votes
7 answers

Where does a person go after attaining Nirvana?

After attaining Nirvana, what happens to the person(conscious) after death? Does the person cease to exist? If not, does the person go to some peaceful place?
Mawia
  • 781
  • 1
  • 7
  • 17
23
votes
6 answers

Is Nirvana the goal for all Buddhist?

If I understand it correctly, Nirvana is the liberation from the endless cycle of rebirth, thereby terminating all sufferings. Is Nirvana a goal which every Buddhist must achieve? Is there any other things more important than attaining Nirvana?
Mawia
  • 781
  • 1
  • 7
  • 17
1
2
3
…
99 100