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1500 questions
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Samatha, Vipassana, Shikantaza scientifically compared?
Is there any scientific studies that have observed through different bias the differences and similarities between those three type of meditation?
For exemple difference in EEG or brain plasticity in long term meditators, or various…
Xenophiliac
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Buddhist view on letting the anger out. Any problems with that?
Many people claim they feel better, like a strong relief, after letting the anger out, so they scream at the open air or punch a sand sack.
Of course I'm referring ONLY to cases where there is no other person involved, so I'm NOT talking about…
konrad01
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7
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Does being a lay Buddhist have any advantages over a Monk?
That's the question. Is there any advantage in being a lay Buddhist over being a Monk who has gone forth, that is in as far as following the Dhamma-Path to Nirvana is concerned?
The White Cloud
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7
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A question about sitting, movement and mindfulness
I have had bad posture for most of my life. I find that if I do not sit quite straight during sitting meditation, my body leans forward putting weight on my legs which becomes quite painful. However, when I sit straight, my "sitting bones" become…
A Spiritual Seeker
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Shikantaza vs counting breath
As we know, in soto-shu we don't count nor observe the breath during zazen.
I would like people who have a long experience with zazen meditation to explain if they consider that counting and observing the breath was helpful to progress in their…
Xenophiliac
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7
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1 answer
Stages of Compassion in Mahayana
Dear friends, I am looking for references pertaining to the notion of the Four Stages of Compassion in the Mahayana traditions.
Thank you for your kind and generous help, may you all be well and safe.
If you ask what is ‘great compassion,’ it is…
Fabien Todescato
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Where is the story that Buddha was worried about a monk who meditated with a straight back?
I'm trying to find a story in the Pali canon (or maybe not) reportedly told by Ajahn Brahm that goes like this (copied from here):
Buddha was wandering along with Ananda when they came across a monk
sitting under a tree in meditation. The monk…
fxam
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7
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Can a stream enterer commit suicide?
There was an incident in the 50s, a monk named Ñāṇavīra Thera commited suicide, he was believed to be a stream enterer and was suffering from amoebiasis.
So I'm curious to know, if someone knows for sure that he's become a stream enterer (or beyond)…
dmsp
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7
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Meditation and good deeds vs clarity of mind during death
How important is meditation practice and doing good deeds in comparison to having a clear mind during death in order to reach nibbana or be at least reborn in a good realm?
For example, if one meditates daily almost his whole life and does good…
Tom So Undso
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What Buddha's techniques I can use to uproot deep craving for a woman's love?
I am not geographically close to this woman, nor do I ever talk to her, she's just my teenage obsession that lingers on my mind. I am too much attached to my perceptions about how she is, and because I cannot be near to her geography nor can I talk…
Equanimous_being
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Is it OK for a Buddhist teacher to charge their students an hourly rate for their time?
Charging money for teaching time seems like it goes against the spirit of the dharma. I’m asking because I was looking for a teacher and came across one that did charge money.
pmagunia
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7
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11 answers
How can merit be transferred?
When attend an event at the sangha I'm with (Triratna) we often transfer merit (puñña) at the end of it. So any good result of the meditation, ritual, dharma study etc... we give away. I know that this isn't something we have just invented. It's a…
Crab Bucket
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7
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12 answers
Should one call oneself a Buddhist?
When people ask me about my religion, it always gets me thinking as how I should announce to another person that I practice Buddhism, should tell that I am:
A Buddhist
Follower of the Buddha
Practicing Buddhism
Or an alternative to these?
Jordy van Ekelen
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7
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5 answers
How to judge progress in vipassana
In samatha one can judge their progress through the progression of jhana, is there a concrete/measurable way to judge progress in vipassana?
MFS
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What can go wrong in Mindfulness Therapy as used in Clinics?
I just stumbled across the article Mindfulness therapy comes at a high price for some, say experts. Even when mindfulness is practiced correctly, side effects may occur, like feeling lost or disconnected from the world. What could be the cause of…
Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena
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