Buddhism Stack Exchange
Buddhism Stack Exchange

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1500 questions
23
votes
12 answers

How to determine the end of a meditation session without a clock?

I have a clock, it just is distracting having to look at it every few minutes.
MatthewMartin
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7 answers

Is stock trading a wrong livelihood?

Does stock trading count as pursuing gain with gain mentioned as wrong view in MN117? Sure active stock trading is very destructive, especially nowadays it's like trading the weather, but does it count as pursuing gain with gain even for passive…
user14243
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Can or should a Buddhist defend themselves physically?

If someone is attacking you to kill you should you defend yourself? Would it be ethical to kill an intruder coming into your home? If not, how did the bushido samauri warriors justify it? We're they wrong?
jason
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9 answers

What is the attitude toward homosexuality in Buddhism?

I am specifically interested in the attitude of Theravadan Buddhism toward homosexuality (if it has one at all.) I don't recall ever seeing any references to homosexuality in the suttas...I do recall seeing some non-normative sexual activity…
Adamokkha
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6 answers

How can I assess the quality of a local Buddhist group?

I'm located in the West, and, in my local area, there are several Buddhist groups. I would like to join one of them to be more formal in my commitment to learn about Buddhism. My question is, how do I assess the quality of a local Buddhist group in…
Jose B
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12 answers

How do you tell a 4-year-old who the Buddha was?

I'm in the process of organising a family day at my Local Buddhist Centre. I'll be taking my 4-year-old daughter with me and she will once again ask me who is the Buddha? Previously I have always given really weak answers such as 'he was a very nice…
Crab Bucket
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21
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4 answers

Strong desire to serve/ordain

every meditator at a point in his her life goes through a dilemma of whether to ordain or to live a lay life. Although it's a wholesome disposition, I wonder if its a lack of strength to face problems as a veil that shadows the decision. (It's…
user3743672
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4 answers

Is it possible to become UNenlightened?

Is it possible for i.e. an Arhat to become unenlightened after he reached the state of Nirvana? What if an enlightened being gets a severe brain injury by some cause leaving him with amnesia. Could it affect one's enlightenment in any way?
Jordy van Ekelen
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21
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6 answers

How should Buddhists handle prayer requests?

Fairly regularly people ask me to pray for them or their family members. In my understanding, Buddhist don't generally pray for things to be different than what they are. But it never seems appropriate to mention this to a person who might be upset…
Robin111
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3 answers

Does Zen Buddhism have canonical texts?

I'm aware that Theravada, Tibetan and Chinese Buddhism have a canon of texts. However I have never heard of a canon for Zen Buddhism. Does it have a canon or does it just not bother with such a thing? If it doesn't have a canon of texts then are…
Crab Bucket
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20
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5 answers

What is the next meditation type after Mindfulness of Breathing meditation?

I have been meditation using Mindfulness of Breathing mediation. I will continue for a while, while increasing the duration. When can I say that I "master" a type of meditation? Are there a natural next type of meditation after Mindfulness of…
user317706
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22 answers

Why is Buddhism not Nihilism?

I'm familiar with the concept of the middle way and how Buddhism is neither Eternalism nor Nihilism. Not being Eternalism seems straightforward to me - all things are impermanent. However Buddhism not being Nihilism takes a bit more thought, for me…
Crab Bucket
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20
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8 answers

Relationship with bad parents (kamma and issues)

One of the main sources of bad kamma in Buddhism is doing wrong to your parents and not taking care of them. Buddha said it is very very hard to repay your parents, however how should one behave if he or she has bad parents? Maybe a parent that was…
konrad01
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19
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7 answers

Comparison of Nirvana, Tao and Brahman/Atma

Nirvana is described in Samyutta Nikaya 43 as "the unfabricated (unborn?), the uninclined, the truth, the far shore, the subtle, the very difficult to see, the unaging (eternal?), the stable, the unintegrating, the unmanifest, the…
ruben2020
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10 answers

What is the meaning and/or purpose of life?

According to Buddhism, if exists, what is the meaning of life, and if different, what is the purpose of life? And where does this meaning and purpose come from?
Jake
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