During meditation I focus on breath and when mind wanders I bring it gently back to breath. I have been doing this for 6 years. Most of the time there is this continuous noise. It's a mishmash of words, sounds, visuals going on. I do catch the thoughts quite early before too much proliferation most of the time but it's never ending and not long before its off again. Sometimes I notice that I enter a more calm state where the mind doesn't seem to wander as much and it feels nice, kind of relieving. I'm not sure what I should do once I get there? I sort of just watch and note things. Sometimes usually towards the end of the hour(I have a timer), I start to get this really awful feeling like a mixture of restlessness, impatience, boredom, and anticipation. I just want it to end so badly. I am very tempted to open my eyes when I feel this as its so uncomfortable. I'd basically just like a little guidance. Does this all sound right what I'm doing? How do I move into insight practice? I'm unsure

If whatever we see and feel in the 3-D world is just an illusion created by our minds and every matter, even an atom, is related to each other (interrelated); what is the origin of it? Since consciousness or self or "I" is also just a thought, how is matter created by the consciousness? How does the mind create it? Whenever I think of these things, I remember the mythological god, Zeus, who can create anything he wishes just by thinking about it? It feels like this is actually possible. So what could be the possible logic behind this complex knowledge?

Dogen famously said that there are no Buddhist schools, and the idea there is [this or that Buddhist school] is the creation of demons, etc. [Dogen's Eihei Koroku, discourse 7.491, reads:] > The Buddha Dharma fundamentally has no outer name or form. Later > people falsely established many random names. Althogh facing the wall > at Shaolin resembled [dhyana], do not call it Zen School and misguide > sentient beings. First, is Dogen saying that Zen [which is misguiding] is nothing separate from scholastic "sects", and if so, is he right? Second, what do the more scholarly schools - whether Theravada, Mahayana or Vajrayana - say about Zen?

I was listening to this video, from Bhante Vimalaramsi. He says that one meditator experienced his past live and he had some pscotherapy before this. How is that possible? Buddhist talk about mind stream which flows to another body when a body dies, well what is this mind stream? This is the conciousness right? Is that some kind of emf waves or similar to wave which science hasn't descovered yet?

Based on this answer I came to know that the Buddha has spoken about life on other planets; so did he ever explain any method, how to visit those places while doing meditation? Weirdly I have read this in Hinduism as well: that it's easy to visit another planet using your mind, instead of wasting more time and resources by physical means, but I never find a method to do so.

Tashi delek! My question concerns the mantra reciting in Vajrayana tradition, where some Buddhist deities (not to be confused with the mundane ones) may have several versions of a same mantra. That is, a mantra of a same deity may be either longer or shorter according to different sutras and dharanis. In Vajrayana, it is also very important to receive a direct transmission of energy from guru (lama) before reciting any mantra. My question is, can a Vajrayana practitioner recite another version of the same mantra if she or he has already (in a given reincarnation) received from her or his guru a transmission for receiting another version of the same mantra? A reference to any root texts of any Vajrayana branch (Gelug, Sakya, Nyingma, Kagyu or Jonang) would be a great help.

I've heard Samsara as the term to describe a world with suffering. And it's my simple understanding that Nirvana is the absence of suffering. Correct me if I'm mistaken. My question is fairly simple, i.e., do all beings in this world "get reborn" through karma, or are there ascended beings in this world, living as human beings, free of all suffering?

We often see things scattered under the main tree in the Buddhist Theravada temple yard. There is also fresh fruit cut open. It seems they are put under the tree deliberately and regularly. Does anyone know what is the purpose of this?

We have seen many researches and references (like "Reviewed Work: Self and Non-Self in Early Buddhism" and many more supporting documents from PTS, Pali text society) that the idea Atta to some extent it exists and can be deduced that Buddha's teachings also consists of "the idea of Atta". The popular references by I.B Horner (need citation here) and some scholars is > atta hi attano natho In Buddha's teachings and Tipitaka, I do not see a slight extent of existence of Atta or some ambiguities about Atta by Buddha or monks at the Buddha's ages. All Buddha teachings are ubiquitously about Anatta. And Gautama Buddha repealed the very concept ’Atta’ in many Suttas. Since his second discourse “Anatta Latkhana Sutta ", Buddha’s teachings are all about Anatta. Anatta is key concept in Buddha's teachings and Gautama Buddha was first and very first person opposite and challenged to popular Atta idealists at the age of his time. My question here is why some scholars and some publications from Pali text society are trying to coerce Atta concept in Buddhism or society of Buddhists? What are the supporting facts that Gautama Buddha and his teachings are self denial to its own Anatta concept? What are the proofs that Buddhism accept/adopt Brahmanism's Atta idea since both are clearly opposed to each other? Please keep in mind that the words self and not-self are loosely translated, have ambiguous meanings about referring internal and external based on perspective of particular individual being and not applicable/intended words here. Atta and Anatta is what I am referring here. **The definition of Atta** Atta is the word from Brahmanism, it is essence, from Brahma (or whatever creator make it exists), eternal or indefinite period of existence, it has capability of suffering pleasure and pain. It is in each and everyone bodies and pass from life to life. Some outside Buddha’s teachings define Atta as ’soul’ and/or self but precise definition of Atta is highly controversial.

During meditation, how do you let go? I focus on my meditation object but thoughts come in and with them is an attachment to any particular thought. Is this okay, should i just keep my focus on the object and eventually it will float away? Thank you again my friends.

I'm just clinging to this notion that the small death (of prthagjanas) is never reversible, and never incomplete. Leaving aside the notion of "karma" and "rebirth" and "continuity", what does the Pali canon say about "***death***"?

Science is capable of helping living beings flourish, or of generating suffering for living beings. Either of these two capacities are the result of trial and error as well as research and technological development. So if it is known that in the trial and error process of developing technologies to help life flourish that some degree of suffering could occur in the case of an error (such as a nuclear meltdown causing death or radiation sickness, or experimental medicine causing sickness or death,) would those scientists developing said technologies generate bad karma if suffering did, in fact, occur, even though their intention (life's flourishing) is pure? How does an active R&D scientist who is also a Buddhist navigate the potential suffering that their R&D is capable of generating, so as to not accumulate any bad karma?

I am wondering what Buddha would have said about late night talk shows that are now busy making fun of Donald Trump. Do they break the precept on gossiping and frivolous talk since they are making fun of people. Its also true that they make people laugh and remove their sorrows for a while. Would this count as good Karma -- to make people laugh?

If the path leads to liberation then liberation should be conditioned and impermanent. But nirvana is beyond extremes so the path cannot lead to nirvana. How does it work then?

I've read that the Buddha's mother Maya became the first Buddhist. Who were the first followers of the Buddha other than his mother?

Is a life of begging and poverty well suited to the modern world (21st century capitalism)? Not just the will to give it up, but to not suffer for it. Aren't Buddhist monks traditionally mendicants?

As studies says 10,000 hours of practice usually makes an expert in your field, be it athletes, musician, doctors, engineers or any profession. So I was wondering **if I start doing 10 days course every month and practice 10 hours of meditation daily, so it will take 8.33 years to complete 10000 hours of meditation**, which may not enlighten me but for sure it should make me an Expert. How logical is that because I really want to know myself more, and I know that story of boy asked how much time will it take and master said 10 years and then he said what if i do more hard work he said then it will take 20 years, what is the essence here.

I have heard people, Buddhists I guess you would say, mention submitting to a higher power. It was just in passing, but I wondered if that sort of thing had any role to play in the theory or practice of Buddhism. I think I would like to "submit", and can do so without losing my mind etc.. Well, I don't know if that makes any sense, but thanks for any guidance.

I recently saw [a post on this website](https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/a/1378/254) by Andrei Volkov that discussed the term Kāmesumicchācāra, breaking it down into it's constituent parts and discussing the full meaning of the word. It led to me creating an account here, as I'm interested in having a similar discussion about the 4 other precepts - specifically the words Pāṇātipātā, Adinnādānā, Musāvādā, and Surāmerayamajjapamādaṭṭhānā. I'd be grateful for any insight. Thanks.

How do Buddhists look to deities such as Green Tara or the Medicine Buddha by saying prayers or mantras for another person? How do the deity and the divine operate or function for this purpose? I believe that there can be divine intervention of a divine source. How is it with these deities? When I send healing to another person through reciting a mantra to the Medicine Buddha for example? How does the thought get through? How is the Medicine Buddha or Tara a vehicle for my prayers? The sutras speak about the benefits of reciting Medicine Buddha mantras for oneself. What does it do in praying for someone else? Simply, does the deity have powers to heal that person in a divine way? Like through God or calling for the archangels to assist?