Lately, I have been reading (again!), more and more, the workings of the roman stoic philosopher Epictetus: and I think Buddhism and Epictetan Stoicism share a bunch of similarities; and I would now like to ask: **Are there any sutta references in how to deal with negative events?** If I may give you some examples of that Stoic advice: > - "If anyone tells you that a certain person speaks ill of you, do not make excuses about what is said of you but answer, "He was ignorant of my other faults, else he would not have mentioned these alone." - "Bear and forbear" - "What ought one to say then as each hardship comes? I was practising for this, I was training for this". - "If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid" I have missed this kind of advice in Buddhism: is there similar advice in Buddhism?

I am quite fond and connect deeply to the Buddha's teachings. I have been a soft lay buddhist for almost a year now. I am sure that it is one of the best ways to develop as a being, as well as help others, although some deep stuff about shunyatta still confuses and eludes me. However, I am also sure that "other religions" (in quotation marks since it is debatable whether buddhism is a religion) also have a lot of wisdom to teach, help and love to give. This exerpt from The Triple Refuge, by Sayagi U Chit Tin made me worry: "Taking refuge will be broken for ordinary people when they die, but this breaking is blameless and does not bring bad results. On the other hand, breaking the taking of the Triple Refuge during one's life is very serious. This is broken whenever a person goes for refuge to a teacher outside the Buddha's Dispensation or when a person is disrespectful to the Triple Gem." It seems to me that after taking refuge, if you go to other religions and religious teachers for their teachings on how to develop further down the path, it would be a bad thing (the author does not seem to say why this is a problem nor what happens if you do it). So, is it possible to take refuge, follow the buddhist path to nibbana and still to other religions for help with the path? What about religions that directly contradict buddhist teachings or precepts?

I am having trouble with the concept of "unchanging entities which exist on their own". > Attachment to the false view of self means **belief in the presence of unchanging entities which exist on their own**... > *The Miracle of Mindfulness* p. 48 Questions: 1. What are some examples of "false ideas" of "unchanging entities that exist on their own"? 2. How do they contribute to the false view of self? Thank you all for your time.

I was wondering if helping others who are suffering prevents them from receiving their karmic dues. For example, if Person X caused great suffering to others, then according Buddhism, his Karma will come back to haunt him in the same life or a next life. Now suppose, he does suffer in another future life but a Good Samaritan rescues him before all his karmic debts are paid. The Good Samaritan improves his karma account with the good deed but he has still rescued someone who still has a debt to pay to society. How can one justify helping others in this case? I'm not trying to find fault with Buddhism.

Is he considered a great leader? an unusual leader? Does he represents Buddhism? Are his books largely accepted as Buddhist books? The reason I asked is that Osho is (whether you like it or not) very popular in the west, and many people associate him with Buddhism. Once my grandpa came to me saying, "I finally read a book on Buddhism!", showing a book by Osho. So, before giving my personal view I would like to understand the point better. (some of his books are sold in Buddhist libraries!)

I have been sincerely studying Buddhism for the last 6-8 months. - I have covered most of the famous authors and teachers namely **Ajahn Brahm, Thich Nhat Hanh, Bhikkhu Bodhi, Tenzin Palmo, Alan Watts, D.T. Suzuki, Sharnyu Suzuki.** - I watched a few **youtube videos of Ajahn Brahm** to get some idea of Buddhist outlook towards life. - I read most of the books available out there to cover the history of the Buddha written for the beginners. But I am ***not*** much interested in the history, specifically the progress of sangha and spread of Buddhism in East. - I have read a few topics that interest me on this stack. - I completed 2 10 days Vipassana retreat and one-month long Zen retreat which included a mini shesshin. But now as I see the amount of literature is simply enormous. The Tripitaka, itself is massive. For an e.g., I tried reading an article on 12 nidanas on the wiki but it's difficult to read it that ways. It just feels like information overload. Can you guide me how should I proceed from here studying **Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana**? Give an answer based on the school you are following. In your answer also include the source from where to study, for e.g. '*Read about 8 fold path from this website*'. Please answer in the following format: **Theravada** Study in following order. 1. 4 Noble Truth 2. 8 fold path 3. 10 paramis Also kindly include the recommended retreat and study centers world over that you know of. Imagine that I will be studying this dedicatedly for the next 3 years or so. Also, include the online resources and paper books if required.

I have gradually become a Pure Land Buddhist. I chant as I cycle. But I would also like to read, in English or Japanese. Recently I read the book below (Not generally available I am afraid) and it made me feel good. Please would members recommend some other power Buddhism books. 別府信空上人（2015）『現物者の喜び』法然寺

- Can anyone explain how 'stimulus / response' appears in *Chinese* or *Japanese Buddhism* ? - What does it mean? I can recall barely nothing about it, but I do know that it features in Zhiyi's work, *Chin Fa-hua-hsüan-i * at least. I'm especially interested in how the terms, which I believe are paired, may have a universal meaning.

In tendai, can the 1st (huayen) and 5th (lotus) teachings be called "potentiality" and "possible", respectively? I know the word "potential" from Heidegger's *Being and Time*, who has appeared in comparative studies. The most eye catching phrase, being "my ownmost potentiality for being", that amounting to death therein. By possibility, I just mean the not "necessary" or "actual", in the standard analytic philosophical terms. I won't go into why I might suppose that could be a viable interpretation.

According to this answer : > However, there is another type of suffering that cannot be fixed with > anatta! This type of suffering comes from attachment to forms other > than oneself, forms that have nothing to do with "I". For example, > consider the situation when your teenage son suddenly declares that he > is a gay person (a homosexual). Because you are so attached to an idea > that your son should be a proper man, there is a great mismatch in > your mind between expectation and reality. Because of this mismatch > you experience dukkha, suffering. This type of dukkha has nothing to > do with your sense of "I", it is about your son. But because you have > a fixed idea of how things are supposed to be, you suffer whenever > there is a mismatch. > > So (Theravada) anatta can't help with this type of suffering. > But (Mahayana) shunyata can. Now this is a question directed to Theravada practitioners. Let's say, somebody suffers from aversion when they see any person practising the gay lifestyle, because they have preconceived ideas about what is right or wrong about sexual orientation. This kind of suffering seems to be unrelated to craving or the self (because this is related to other unrelated people). Here, I use the example of a random stranger, not "my son". Sexual orientation is just an example of a non-self-related preconceived notion. It could easily be something else like Brexit or communism or news of a natural disaster taking lives in a distant country. 1. According to Theravada and the Pali Canon, what is the cause of this suffering? Is it in any way related to the self, craving and dependent origination? 2. According to Theravada and the Pali Canon, how can this suffering be eliminated? According to the third noble truth, to end suffering, one must end craving. How does ending craving end this suffering? 3. Please provide references to the Pali Suttas, if possible.

> When the Bod-hisattva Quan the Am, who has been such a source of > inspiration of peace workers in Viet- nam, saw into the reality of the > five aggregates giving rise to emptiness of self, she was liberated > from every suffering, pain, doubt, and anger. -- The Miracle of Mindfulness, p. 48 I have been practicing mindfulness for less than a year. I have had some deep experiences and found benefit. However, when I have a migraine headache my mindfulness feels completely useless. Any guidance or any good resources that would teach me to practice my mindfulness in the midst of a bad headache would appreciated.

What is Citta? What is Dhamma? What is the difference between above two in Satipathana?

Seems to me that memory is notoriously fallible, whatever we think about the nature of the self. I have a copy, but rather than reread it, I thought to ask, whether Dogen's wholehearted way, or right effort in general, from moment to moment, involves relying only on those memories of immediate relevance?

Ozamu Tetzuka wrote a comic about Buddha. I read that and is quite impressed. However, some of the element may not be true. And based on what I read, I tell some stories in it, and my friends are offended. Some of the elements: 1. Parents of buddha pamper sidartha with women even when he was a child. Such act would be considered child abuse in western world though most males would think, "nice" 2. There are some characters that are obviously fictional. I wonder what are the differences between Buddha the manga and the "real" buddha? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddha_(manga)

I have been watching Buddhist followers for sometime now in India and it made me wonder if austerity is necessary in Buddhism ? Like if I wish to become a Buddhist do I need to give up on listening to music, watching tv, using social networking sites, making a livelihood by working in a firm, self- pleasure (read masturbation), have to sleep on floor and beg for a living? I don't mean any of this questions in an offense way. But most of the people here, at least the common opinion as most of my friends/family have told me is that if you believe in Buddhism you have to live like a "Monk".

I’ll keep this short and sweet. Recently I’ve been pondering the idea of becoming a professor of Eastern Religions, particularly Buddhism. I can’t put my finger on it exactly, but something about Buddhism, it’s core teachings and practicality, the Buddha himself, and my interactions with avid practitioners (especially my advisor in college who is a Zen Buddhist herself and someone who I greatly admire) have shown me that this is what I want to do with my life. I do not want to be a monk, as my dream is also to be an educator who inspires people and one day have a family. My question is: - Where do I go from here? One thing I have learned about Buddhism is the danger of over-intellectualization. - How do some of you find a balance between Buddhist practice (which aims to free us from our minds), and using your mind effectively (to learn about the teachings or follow your passion and calling in life)? - Also, for those of you that have PhD’s in this field, what is your advice? If you have any further questions you need feel free to ask and I greatly appreciate your help. Edit: At the moment, I am a 21 year old rising college junior pursuing a major in religious studies. I meditate daily using the app 10% happier, but as I progress would like to learn more advanced Buddhist specific techniques. There is a sangha run by my professor every Tuesday that I hope to attend when I return to school in a week. I would say I have a decent grasp of a basic history and understanding of Buddhism and its teachings, yet find myself daunted by just how much there is to learn and a concern of mine is losing myself in the teachings/history which would be required of me if I pursued the career I hope to. Perhaps though, this in itself is a great opportunity to learn balance and the challenges mentioned are all the more reason to pursue. Thank you.

My cousin asked me to get one for her but I said : **"Sorry, It's not allowed in Buddhism and we should care for them not in a cage even if cage were made of gold and must set them free and liberate them"**. So may I know if it's allowed or not? Instead of bad karma I felt myself pity and sorrowful for them. I felt so bad for animals if they're in trouble or something like this. And isn't it same as slavery? We making it as pet for our entertainment and not for caring for them. So please guide me.

I am asking for reference request and sutras where a person can cut through samsara quickly and obtain liberation. I have heard a story when Buddha was asked this question and he replied "Sound". However I haven't found any reference of this & don't know how much accurate this is. Thoughts are more than welcome!

In this answer, I wrote a little addendum that picks on a little tick that I find common amongst all kinds of Buddhists. That moderation is a virtue in and of itself without regard to what the object of moderation is. That "going to extremes" is to be totally avoided for *all* extremes. That the Middle Way of the Buddha counsels moderation should be held for every practice. That unlike Colby, we shouldn't go too far :) I think this is wrong. TADYATHA [OM] GATE GATE PARAGATE PARASAMGATE BODHI SVAHA "It is thus: Proceed, proceed, proceed beyond, thoroughly proceed beyond, be founded in enlightenment." This is the mantra of the Heart Sutra and I interpret it as an exhortation by the Buddha that we should all go to an extreme. Now, regardless whether you think the Heart Sutra authoritative (please be respectful) I think the same exhortation can be found in the Pali Canon. Consider MN 59: > "And what, Ananda, is another pleasure **more extreme & refined** than > that? There is the case where a monk, with the complete transcending > of the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, enters & > remains in the cessation of perception & feeling. This is another > pleasure more extreme & refined than that." Emphasis mine. That entire Sutta is understood to my mind as describing the Path and the actual attainment as ever more refined and extreme states of pleasure with the ultimate extreme equated with Nibbana. If you look, in the Suttas the Buddha is very careful to describe the *specific* extremes that are to be avoided. I've looked, but can't find any Sutta where the Buddha proclaims that *all* extremes are to be avoided. So my questions: - Have I got this wrong or misunderstood? - Are *all* extremes to be avoided? - Is there any Sutta proclaiming that *all* extremes are to be avoided? - Is moderation in everything a complete virtue? - Is there anything we should not be moderate about? - If not *all* extremes, then what is the total list of specific extremes the Buddha *specifically* warned us against? BTW, I tagged this personal practice, because I'm of the view that this aversion to extremes is actually a hindrance to progress on the path. If we think that moderation is a virtue in all things we can use this to justify being lazy since we shouldn't be "trying too hard" anyway. Thanks!

The Buddha stated in SN 6.2 that he doesn't have a teacher but instead look up to the Dhamma, and in MN22 he states: > Bhikkhus, when the gods with Indra, with Brahmā and with Pajāpati > seek a bhikkhu who is thus liberated in mind, they do not find > anything of which they could say: ‘The consciousness of one thus gone > is supported by this.’ Why is that? One thus gone, I say, is > untraceable here and now. If the Buddha pointed more to Dhammaism than Buddhism, is taking refuge in the order of Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha - placing the messanger in the position of the message - a mistake along the lines of idolatry?