Many non-Buddhists do not understand the appeal or the benefits of becoming a monk. They may not be able to understand why one would want to live such a simple life, and they may not take the decision seriously. What are some of the "selling points" for ordination (particularly as a young person just over 18) that a non-Buddhist would understand? Are there any organizations or resources for non-Buddhist families or friends of Buddhist monks (aspiring or otherwise)? How can one help a non-Buddhist loved one understand one's desire to be ordained?

There seems to be this ongoing debate both within the Buddhist Tradition itself and with the world-at-large as to how a practitioner should relate to the world. The Buddha himself forsook his family and all worldly-pleasures in pursuit of a spiritual life prior to his enlightenment. Such practice and attitudes has largely been preserved within the Theravada tradition. The Mahayana, in particular its Chinese strain, stressed on the ability to heal the world within and without, to relate to all sentient-beings in a loving way through the practice of Metta and Karuna - the Bodhisattva way of life. Compared to the Christian Gospel of love, the Buddhist doctrine seems so much more rational and pragmatic - Metta is just a means to an end, not an end in itself; it is practiced just to help the yogi remove obstacles from his or her road to nirvana. It is not uncommon to find Buddhists who are aloof to worldly affairs and loving relationships - the yogi who chose to lead a life of solitude and inner-peace, in place of worldly pursuits; the vagabond who chose to wander in this world so that he may find his true home in another. My question would be: How should an aspiring Buddhist aim to lead his life and relate to the world?

I'm currently reading the book "Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha" by Daniel Ingram, and he insists over and over that the continuity of sensations is an illusion, and that sensations actually come to us in a sort of flickering. I've done some meditation and have started to feel what he is talking about. But if we can detect the gaps in between the sensations, isn't the detection of the gaps itself a sensation? How do we know that the experience of flickering isn't the illusion, and that the reality is a continuous stream of sensations?

Monks and nuns take the vow of not wearing lay clothes. Zen monks sometimes wear a casual "working clothing" called a *samue*. It looks like a regular kimono, without the belt. Since lay people also wear it, I understand that a samue is actually lay clothes. To distinguish the monks from lay people, the monks have to shave and to wear either the *kasaya* or a small version of it (the *rakusu*). Does a monk wearing a samue break a vow, even when he wears a kasaya or rakusu?

I have a precept tracker app that is used daily to see how well I am measuring up to keeping the precepts. One question that sometimes appears has to do with insecticide and essentially asks if it was used today. Problem is, live in an apartment in the city and despite how clean it is in here, there are occasionally roaches. Quite honestly, I can't catch them to take them outside - it's impossible, especially if there is more than one. They are small too. Can't be overrun by them by not attending to the issue as would be evicted. So, I use roach traps, thus having to mark "yes" each day. Are there any solutions to this? Have others come up with creative ways not to kill them or is this just something that I will have to live with thru fall and winter? Seems like such a petty issue to some, but am trying to become more sensitive to life in all forms.

I know that Buddhists practice compassionate mediation by wishing to free first their loved ones from suffering, than their friends and than the people they have trouble with. Is this only for the individual practicing or can the practice actually reach the object too? (ie. friend) ps: There is recent scientific evidence for ESP or telepathic communication but did the Buddhists monks know this whole time? thanks.

Every intimate relationship I have ever had has ended in a lot of pain and grief. The last one lasted for 17 years but eventually broke down. That was a year ago and the pain is still very raw at times. My question is this. If attachment causes suffering then I was obviously very attached but how do you have an intimate relationship without becoming attached? It seems just like the normal human thing to do. You like someone, you fall in love and it hurts when they're gone. You kind of don't even realise it's happening until it ends and then you feel like you want to die. I'm not sure if it's possible to have a close relationship on the Buddhist path anymore but I also don't want to live life alone. I know Buddha left his family but in these modern times there seem to be plenty of teachers who have partners/spouses.

Does self end after death? Please note: In my question »death« means: the physical processes of brokenness, graying, wrinkling, break up of the aggregates, casting off of the body, interruption in the life faculty which turn the physical body into dust. Materialistic death, physical death, the ending of life death that we see happening every day on television, i.e. death that happens when somebody is killed by pistol, disease, car accident, etc. Death that happens at complete breakup of the physical body. And »self« means: grasping (upadana) as »I«, »me« and »mine« to one or more of the five aggregates (physicality, feeling, perception, mental formations and sense consciousness) with craving (tanha).

I looked it up but the person answer was unclear. I read greed which is a sense desire of unprofitable things (Which if I'm correct is different from sense desire of objects) has all 5. So doesn't that mean when suppressing the defilement i should suppress all 5 cords separately kind of like you do the hindrances.

Is this good or 'bad' and should there be something done about it? So some person just picks up to much 'information' about other humans that it makes oneself emotionally to much loaded. Especially during nights with out of the body experiences.

If you knew about a Dhamma practitioner who strongly believes in no reincarnation or post-mortem rebirth what would be your advice to him/her?

I have psychosis. I have no ability to understand reality from birth. Can meditation give me the ability? Or will I never be able to end my mental suffering? Do you know how can I end my pain and fear, and get peace and happiness?

Imagine you live in an urban area, have a job, you have to sleep well so that your mind is well rested. Your neighbour doesnt work, he gets government money help. The problem is that when night arrives, he drugs himself, listen music in the most higher bass and volume at 4 in the morning. You call him attention, he continues to do the same. If you call the police, probably it will develop a further problem with that neighbour and end up in a violent answer from him. According to Buddhism, how can one deal with such a situation in a skillful manner?

In my 20's(I am now 55) I practiced light and sound meditation for 7 years. When I am doing vipassana which I started in March this year (having not meditated for 25 years) I get the 'sound' mainly engulfing me and it is very blissful I must say. I might also get a huge gushing out of the top of my head and that draws me in to. These moments can feel very blissful. I made a conscious effort to ignore these events and have mainly succeeded but sometimes I still get sucked in because I want to or as a 'treat'. What effect will this have on my vipassana? Is it safe to allot some time for that meditation outside of the vipassana meditation? Is it ok toward the end of a sitting to let myself focus on the sound instead? Should I let the sound buzz through me at the same time I focus on my body parts?

I've heard it said that meditation is not a linear path and that every time you sit is like the first time but that you get better at sitting for the first time. If this is the case and you don't actually make gains in a linear way then can it also be said that if you stop doing it that you will not go backwards or lose what you have learnt because you didn't go anywhere to begin with?

I read somewhere that *samatha* (and jhana) was discovered by the Buddha, but how about *vipassana*? Is there any evidence either way (i.e. suttas)? The reason I'm asking is because I am more proficient at practicing *vipassana* meditation than *samatha*, but I have some doubt about *vipassana* itself. Perhaps, if there were some proof that this method was founded by the Buddha himself, my doubt would be gone. Note: I would prefer answers based on Theravada suttas.

Please answer these two questions: 1a. Suppose there is an **ignorant** person named X who is grasping to the aggregates as 'self' (let's call this just 'grasping'). Suppose X's material body is being destroyed by cancer. X is suffering very much because of grasping. For X the incoming termination of life is hell in the here & now because of grasping. For X termination of life is reality in the here & now because of grasping. Suppose X life will be terminated while X is grasping. My question is: in the described case of person X, will grasping stop after X's dead material body is put in the coffin and buried in the ground? 2a. Suppose there is an **enlightened** person named Z who is not grasping to the aggregates as 'self' (let's call this just 'grasping'). Suppose Z's material body is being destroyed by cancer. Z is not suffering because of freedom from grasping. For Z the incoming termination of life is liberating because of freedom from grasping. For Z termination of life does not exist in the here & now because of freedom from grasping. Suppose Z life will be terminated while Z is free from grasping. My question is: in the described case of person Z, will grasping re-arise after Z's dead material body is put in the coffin and buried in the ground?

Some Secular Buddhists and some members of Buddhism.SE do not accept that "Rebirth has always been a central teaching in the Buddhist tradition" (according to Thanissaro Bhikkhu in this essay ). They usually interpret this as something else, e.g. rebirth in the animal realm, as momentary animalistic states of mind etc. In my view, the DN2 excerpt below, provides an irrefutable statement by the Buddha on the fact of rebirth. A very similar statement can be found in MN4 , MN36 , MN19 , MN119 , SN12.70 , SN51.20 , AN9.35 , AN5.28 , AN3.100(xi-xv) , DN1 , DN12 and KN (Iti 3.50 ). This statement can be found in all the five nikayas. MN36 is said to be one of the earliest suttas by Thanissaro Bhikkhu . Questions: 1. How could this be interpreted in any other way? 2. Or do Secular Buddhists doubt the accuracy of the translation of this sutta and all the other referenced suttas? 2. Or do Secular Buddhists doubt the authenticity of this sutta and all the other referenced suttas? > "With his mind thus concentrated, purified, and bright, unblemished, > free from defects, pliant, malleable, steady, and attained to > imperturbability, he directs and inclines it to knowledge of the > recollection of past lives (lit: previous homes). He recollects his > manifold past lives, i.e., one birth, two births, three births, four, > five, ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, one hundred, one thousand, > one hundred thousand, many aeons of cosmic contraction, many aeons of > cosmic expansion, many aeons of cosmic contraction and expansion, > [recollecting], 'There I had such a name, belonged to such a clan, had > such an appearance. Such was my food, such my experience of pleasure > and pain, such the end of my life. Passing away from that state, I > re-arose there. There too I had such a name, belonged to such a clan, > had such an appearance. Such was my food, such my experience of > pleasure and pain, such the end of my life. Passing away from that > state, I re-arose here.' Thus he recollects his manifold past lives in > their modes and details. > > Just as if a man were to go from his home > village to another village, and then from that village to yet another > village, and then from that village back to his home village. The > thought would occur to him, 'I went from my home village to that > village over there. There I stood in such a way, sat in such a way, > talked in such a way, and remained silent in such a way. From that > village I went to that village over there, and there I stood in such a > way, sat in such a way, talked in such a way, and remained silent in > such a way. From that village I came back home.' In the same way — > with his mind thus concentrated, purified, and bright, unblemished, > free from defects, pliant, malleable, steady, and attained to > imperturbability — the monk directs and inclines it to knowledge of > the recollection of past lives. He recollects his manifold past > lives... in their modes and details.

I am planning to start meditation. As a beginner , what things I should meditate upon from the Buddha's perspective?

I am new to this site and am not entirely sure if this is an appropriate question to ask, if it is not forgive me. I practice Vipassana meditation and after some time observing the breath, I feel the need to take a deep breath in, as if I'm fixing to suffocate and require a large inhalation of Oxygen. This sensation always arises after I really feel like I have pinpointed the breath and my breathing becomes more shallow. It seems to be creating an impasse in my practice, for as I begin to feel the first Jhana arising, my mind immediately shifts its focus to the satisfaction that occurs after I breath in heavily.