At first I want to say sorry for my English, as it is my second language. My questions: 1. Can non-sentient beings reach nirvana? 2. Can non-sentient beings be reborn? 3. Can sentient beings be reborn as non-sentient beings? 4. Will all beings eventually reach nirvana? Thanks in advance for an answer.

I've been looking into Buddhist concepts and the topic of infinite universes in existence popped up, and the Buddhist text called the "Abhidharmartha Pradipika" talks about infinite universes? And I was wondering what chapter/verse talks about it so I could look more into it.

I read stories in Petavatthu which describe how people offer donations to the sangha and transfer the merit to their deceased relatives who are born as hungry ghosts, so that they can get alleviate the suffering experienced by the hungry ghosts. In the same way, is it possible to share merit to other beings like Angels, animals, etc, because I haven't come across this in the texts.

I sleep the hours which are said to be needed, but I still feel sleepy. I've been drinking coffee recently to eliminate grogginess, and it does work for me. However, I was wondering if there are other methods of eliminating grogginess?

I am reading the Tibetan Book of the Dead Chapter 2 page 26, "A prayer for union with the spiritual teacher [entitled], Natural Liberation, without renunciation of the three poisons". Now in reading this chapter it seems that is a call for union with the fundamental buddha bodies of Reality, Resource, and Emanation. I find it curious that the chapter EXPLICITLY states what the three poisons are, makes a mention "how needing of compassion ..." are buddha bodies that engage in these poisons and proceeds to give an explicit solution, yet renunciation of the poisons is not asked of the reader in fact the title of the prayer explicitly states they will not be renounced. Why is it important NOT to renounce these poisons at this stage of prayer? The beginning of the book makes it clear that much will be renounced (including the desire of sympathy) as it merely perpetuates our cyclic existence yet here an explicit effort is being made to acknowledge the poisons but NOT renounce them. What reason is there for this? At best I can theorize that this has to do with avoiding the type of extreme asceticism that the buddha believed did not allow one to break the cycle, but surely anyone engaging in the poisons described without some renunciation will be trapped all the same.

In lord Buddha's daily routine, divided into five parts as follows. 1. the morning session 2. the afternoon session 3. the first watch 4. the middle watch **(10.00 P.M. TO 2.00 A.M.)** 5. the last watch So the 4th part is The Middle Watch, from 10.00 PM to 2.00 AM. In that time Lord Buddha will answer the questions from "Devas", and these Devas come to see Buddha by flying Machine called "Wimanas" (or [Vimana](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vimana)) . So my question is, does "Devas" here means Aliens? Did Aliens came to see Lord Buddha, and learn about Buddhism?

I know the Avatamsaka Sutra teaches about a multiverse flower garland, which represents all of reality, is made up of infinite universes which all reflect one another. Is this the only scripture that talks about multiverses?

I'm a 16 old student and I'm getting weird and intrusive thoughts which are unwanted and unintentional. I got those thoughts about buddha which can be greater insult for Him. But none of them are intended or wanted. Do this collect bad kamma? I've begun to fear those thoughts as I'm someone who fear sinning more than anyone. Please help me, what should I do?

I read the following verbal kamma on the internet: > Karma can be expressed like the magnetic push or pull that defines the > universal law of 'cause and effect'. Karma follows a similar rule as > le Chatelier's principle in chemistry and in physics Newton's third > law of motion What is the universal law of cause & effect in Buddhism? Does kamma define the universal law of cause & effect? Does kamma also involve an equal and opposite reaction?

In Tibetan Buddhism there is a sect of monks who specialize in "Telepathy". Their job essentially is to protect the Tibetan people from natural disasters. Does anyone know the process on how these Tibetan monks are chosen? And why are not all worthy Tibetan monks allowed in this position?

I read the following on the internet: > In an uncultivated individual the emotions rule the self. This is the > result of lack of understanding of Anatta and somehow the individual > is putting conscious effort into the stagnation of their naturally > dynamic emotions. > > Emotions are naturally dynamic and a result of environmental > influence, which is also dynamic - so in that sense Anatta is > applicable. What are "dynamic emotions" in Buddhism? Does anatta or its realisation stop the stagnation of naturally dynamic emotions?

I'm a student, and I'm getting weird instant bad thoughts to hurt my mom without any reason coz of my anxiety. they are not delibarete by any means.but I have never hurt her verbally or physically. But this anxious thoughts annoy me a lot coz I love my mom a lot. She is the best. I try my best to avoid them. Does this collect bad karma? Please help me I feel so guilty without any reason as I never want to hurt my dear mom even with a thought. At times I feel like I overthink about it even. She doesn't know that those things exist even.

I read the following intentional thought on the internet: > Intention is directed conscious energy. When we think about doing > something, where does that energy go? Thoughts like these are created > before every conscious action as a means to mitigate the quantity and > quality of the repercussion. If an individual cultivates an intention > enough, the chances of inadvertently performing the action is more > within reason. 1. What is "conscious energy" in Buddhism? 2. In Buddhism, does "conscious intention" mean "wise intention"? 2. If cultivating intention leads to action more within reason, are ignorant actions without intention or unintentional in Buddhism?

I read somewhere that Buddha said "Those who fear death have not lived wisely". **What did he meant by "Living Wisely" ?** I sometimes interpret this to mean that I should take a chance, quit my job, and become an entrepreneur. What I want to ask is about mind, should I become hard work in a field according to the interest of my mind or should it does not matter, and keep on doing my work like robot (consciously). Here's my problem: Some say that in order to achieve true success I should do something that interests my mind (so I will not be distracted or bored). If we are talking about spirituality, shouldn't what is interesting to me be less important? That is, should I do things that I find fulfilling so as to achieve my success, or should i just keep working hard at what I am doing now, but with more focus? **The Buddhist goal is Nirvana**, But I have a family and I want to give them a better life, Why earning money is seen as attachment ?

Do any scriptures discuss the importance of intention? Why is intention rather than action important?

Do we collect bad karma just only with an instant thought without any physical action or verbal action?

> “The religion of the future will be a cosmic religion. It should transcend personal God and avoid dogma and theology. Covering both the natural and the spiritual, it should be based on a religious sense arising from the experience of all things natural and spiritual as a meaningful unity. Buddhism answers this description. If there is any religion that could cope with modern scientific needs it would be Buddhism.” – Albert Einstein. As per above quotes it give us some clues that Albert Einstein the greatest scientist of the century immensely influenced by Buddhism. When we study the theory of relativity seems to get root from Buddhism with the descriptions of time flow in six realms. Do anyone have descriptions "Theory of relativity" and are there any relationship with Buddhist teaching?

Does enlightenment always comes with compassion so that all enlightened beings aspire to save sentient beings from sufferings? Or is the question 'why' only showing that I am using my discriminating mind to try to understand things? Another part of my question is that I think most of the people on this earth would not say they are 'suffering', there might be obstacles and negative feelings from time to time, but most people enjoy getting attached to the experience of pleasure, longing, love, etc. Most of them enjoy this worldly life so much that they wouldn't even thinking of standing back out and look at this kind of life that everyone is living from an 'outside' perspective. So my question is that why would all these sentient beings forgo this mostly pleasurable life (with net happiness larger than unhappiness, and all sorts of biological/neurological signals from their bodies guiding and incentivizing them to continue living and reproducing for the continuity and advancement of the species) to practice Buddhist teachings, to let go of things and pursue the state of nothingness? For most of them, it would be giving up net positive happiness to attain a state of nothingness and tranquility. Is that what everyone wants and needs? How do you convince them to do this? How do we save ALL sentient beings? Should we do this? Why do enlightened beings do this? These questions have been tormenting me for some time. Would be great help if someone can help me understand them. Thank you!

A while back I heard something about the 'Great Doubt'. I think it is a Zen thing? Does anyone know what it is and how it might compare to the doubt that all human beings feel from time to time? Many Thanks

As a computer scientist interested in the origin of the universe and the mind, I finally have found some ancient stuff of the type of substance and depth I am looking for, the [Abhidhamma](http://www.abhidhamma.com/Vibhanga_Scan.pdf) . The first part of the Vibhanga (one of the sections of the Abhidhamma) talks about "aggregates" or "heaps" or "groups", [Skandha](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skandha) . This to me seems like it is near the foundation of what a computational model of consciousness would need to consider, as consciousness is one of the types of heaps or skandha. My question at this point in learning about this is, how exactly is consciousness structured in this model? _Where_ does consciousness exist exactly. As a human being, I _feel_ my body, but my conscious awareness feels like it is in the center of my brain, literally at a pin point. I can understand and model how a consciousness can use sensory organs to perceive information, but I don't understand how the consciousness itself can form. If everything is information in the end, or bundles of flowing information like these heaps/skandha, how does it aggregate and flow in a bundle in such a way to generate consciousness which you can feel? I can even go so far as to imagine something like a biological cell with its complicated machinery going so far as to gain control over its environment, so that as a machine it is so complex and highly functional that it acts like a conscious being. This isn't too hard to imagine. But what is hard to imagine is how the consciousness is _stored_, or _where it is_! How can I perceive and feel the perception is in the center of my brain? What does skandha and the Abhidhamma have to say about this, it's structure?