Most of the people follow the 3rd precept of lay buddhism without knowing the actual meaning of it. Personally, even I don't know the actual meaning of it. Most of the people including me understand it as, "not practicing adultery outside marriage". But I know there's more than that. I simply don't know what. Can you give a clear answer for this two questions. - What is the actual meaning of the 3rd precept? - What does it(the 3rd precept) say about "fornication"?

Does the wicked have a better bargain at death in Buddhism considering that there are no soul to transmigrate? Let's assume there are two persons A and B, born to similar condition. Person A surround himself with virtuous people, learn the Dhamma and practice it. Person B surround himself with wicked people, don’t respect the Dhamma and does evil deed. In this very life, both persons have conditioned free will, but person A open for himself preferable condition of choice by acting virtuously. For example, the joy of virtuous act as a condition to be preferred is only open to person A, person B will never feel this joy until he correct his volition. Likewise, both persons feel sensual pleasure the same, but person B crave for more endlessly, and he live in want. Person A been compassionate to all beings future or present he delighted when he hear that, at time of death, because of his virtuous act the mindstream-continuum will form another being in favorable condition. Person B is also happy when he hear the fruit of karma at death,because been evil he care less for condition of future beings and he is also happy that his life of want and endless craving will end at death, and he will be no more.

What did Santideva, the authour of the Bodhicaryāvatāra, say about the realisabaility of Buddhahood? What assurances did he make?

If someone building their bad Karma by manipulating against me and if I've do something for revenge then It'd be my bad karma or wouldn't considered as Karma? Or It'd be same as "The Lady and the Ogress - Dhammapada Stories." Not in other, next life but in this life.

Understanding that there various kinds of knowledge, could somone please help elaborate on the kind of direct knowledge the Buddha referred to in the context of liberation. As a conditioned being who tends to base his understanding of the world on observations, how does one differentiate between conventional knowledge and direct knowledge? While conceptually there may be an understanding of the Dhamma, how do we know if truly this is knowledge that has been realized through investigation, or merely a manifestation of a wrong view aided by the ego? Even if supported by morality and concentration how do we know if we actually know what we believe we know if the root of doubt and restlessness are the last to go?

I had heard in the yoga class there's something like prenatal elaboration and it's benefits. Then if a pregnant woman will practice meditation or techniques so baby will born wise, calm, intelligent, kind and curiosity of Dhamma ? Will it born heartily and spiritually Buddhist?

I have started doing things consciously, i don't want to laugh anymore, i just want to maintain that inner peace felt in doing things meditatively. But people have started asking that "i am looking sad". Should i smile or should i go with the flow, i want to follow Lord Buddha. One more thing i want to know the Essence of Lord Buddha with in few lines, i theoretically know only about focusing on breathing and vipassana meditation(which i am going to attend soon)

Quoted below is from, Kitagiri Sutta MN 70 > …There is the case where, when conviction has arisen, one visits [a > teacher]. Having visited, one grows close. Having grown close, one > lends ear. Having lent ear, one hears the Dhamma. Having heard the > Dhamma, one remembers it. Remembering, one penetrates the meaning of > the teachings. Penetrating the meaning, The question is where it says “*one remember the Dhamma* ” does this mean that the person is recollecting from previous forgotten knowledge? To be specific does mindstream-continuum from previous life reaching the person been thought contain knowledge of the Dhamma albeit forgotten?

Vesak means on the day Buddha born and is word Vesak (Pali; Sanskrit: Vaiśākha) means Vaishakh month by marathi calendar(Maharshtra, India)?

List below is extracted form Kimattha Sutta noting how skillful virtues lead step-by-step to the consummation of arahantship. The question is does skillful virtue require knowledge of non-self or knowledge of non-self is achieved at step 8 when one contemplate on impermanence / conditioned nature of all things including serenity and pleasure one get from virtuous act? 1. Skillful virtues 2. freedom from remorse 3. joy 4. rapture 5. serenity 6. pleasure 7. concentration 8. knowledge & vision of things as they actually are 9. disenchantment 10. dispassion 11. knowledge & vision of release 12. consummation of arahantship

Most of the time we are under control of our mind and old habits.If a beginner wants to break the old habits and get more control of it.From where do they should start ?

In the age of king "Asoka", the expansion of Buddhism reached Arabic countries. Does anybody know what those countries are called now? Can anyone provide details about what happened to those places / Temples ?

If the requisites for attaining the path of a stream-enterer is to accumulate merits and having favourable conditions, what are the best ways to gain merits and having all the necessary conditions to achieve this?

Before sitting for meditation I got a few strange questions: why does my mind even wander? What does my mind want, and can it ever be satisfied completely? Can anybody please explain this to me?

For example, the body has the choice to walk on path A or B. Before the body starts walking, there must be thoughts of path A and B. There must also be a (mental?) decision/choice made to walk on one path or the other. What is it that allows to make choices? I have always been at loss to understand what that untouchable phenomenon is. What is it that let's me choose at all? I have trouble phrasing the question. So I will give another example. When someone offers me a marijuana joint, there are the options to accept or decline. Both feel just as far, just as easy to make. Sometimes I accept, sometimes reject. What phenomenon chooses? I've never been able to 'touch' that phenomenon directly. This question about changing habits is the same question as this one. EDIT: In another attempt to convey what is being asked (my apologies), there is now another question (this one with a bounty) https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/questions/18738/what-is-volition

First - this is a question directed towards advanced practitioners of mindfulness or similar meditation. I have been meditating and practicing other transformational work for about 17 years. Throughout the work, I've had many peak experiences, many "aha" moments, and I've experienced the deepening and expansiveness of my awareness and understanding. I've learned to be suspicious of any type of insight or experience that presents itself as "the answer" - in other words; I've had thoughts like "this is finally it! I got it!" So many times that I pretty much ignore that type of noise as soon as notice it. Lately while meditating, I've become increasingly aware of physical sensations (neither pleasant or unpleasant) in my body, particularly around my upper chakras; and the overall - for lack of a better word - intensity of my experience is elevated. As I allude to - I've never had a transformational experience that I considered "real" that came about with a bang - the worthwhile experiences are usually quite subtle - if fact my sense is that the essence of transformation is increasingly subtle rather than the other way around. My question is, what do I make of my recent experiences? It carries with it an intensity that seems well, intense. I recognize that more information is probably necessary to answer this; but in general terms, is this par for the course? Is it just something to notice, and let pass? Is it a symptom of something and/or, is there anything to do about it?

My husband cheated on me after 3 years of marriage. I've decided to stay for all the other things he is and does. Buddhism has helped in all other facets in my life. What would the Buddha advise me to do, what tools would he suggest in overcoming the betrayal of trust, the lying and find my way back to a happy partnership with someone I believe deserves the forgiveness. I no longer want to speak to him in a way which I feel that is punishing for his transgression. Please help.

The more insight one gains by meditation and studying the suttas, does one also gain a higher proficiency in teaching the dhamma? To put up an extreme example, if someone attains nirvana/full enlightenment, is he as proficient/competent in teaching the dhamma as the Buddha himself was? I read that there can be Buddhas, which attain enlightenment by themselves, but neither have the fellowship nor the necessary skill to teach the dhamma, is this true?

According to Lord Buddha teachings, How should a normal employee spend his/her day ? How much time should one meditate? (annapanna or vipassana) ? While sitting in office, how should i sit (sometimes i try to sit as straight as possible, but after 10 minutes i am back to ordinary state) I want to know how to spend all my 24 hours in order to remain all time conscious (what exactly means conscious, suppose i am walking, should i remain aware about my hand and legs moving or my breath) ? Kindly help

Buddha said that there is a specific way to teach the dhamma. That for example, if I remember correctly, among other things, it's important to mention the cause and effect in one's teaching. I can't find this anywhere, can someone give me a source for this? Also, what if I teach the dhamma in a wrong way? Is this causing demerit/bad merit/bad karma? What if I mean to teach it in a right way, but it comes out wrong or even causes the listener to have a strong aversion to buddhism/listening to the dhamma?