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?

Unlike all other gods and deities, Buddha blesses everyone on this earth without caring who is believing in his techniques (Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha). But god wouldn't bless someone unless he starts praying. I read about Buddha and his Dhamma from Dr. B. R. Ambedkar. God wouldn't bless unless you wouldn't pray. God is just like wanting bribe from the worshiper, god examines it's devotee. Also It wouldn't accept a person as his devotee unless he wouldn't convert his religion that god is made for. But I'm sure Buddha blesses everyone and until now. Is Buddha still blessing us all human beings?

While doing meditation, I am feeling intense sensations on my forehead and after sometime my whole will start shaking and my hands become rigid. Why are these things happening?Whether i am doing the meditation in the wrong way?

Please note that I’m not referring to momentary happiness from distractive actions, like narcotic or alcohol consumption: I’m referring to excessive happiness that arises, from birth of a child, or success in career, which are not unwholesome in themselves. Socratic/stoic tradition identifies intense pleasure as a nail that rivets us with the desire of the body, and causes cyclic rebirth again and again. To remain detached, the stoics say we should never give full license to the appearance of happiness, and should not allow our pleasure to go as far as it chooses: instead we should check it, and curb it. For example they say, when kissing your child, to remind yourself that he who you love is mortal and momentary, you should say with a lisping voice, "tomorrow you will die"; and to a friend also, "tomorrow you will go away or I shall, and never shall we see one another again".

Some one please tell me the story of Buddha said to some one how one should eat as if they are eating their own child having lost in a desert

I was once again challenged by my scientific friends: who say that all mind phenomena is just chemical reaction! My question is, how does Buddhist philosophy view this question? I'm leaning towards my science friends' view, after reading _A Manual of the Excellent Man_, where the seven aspects of perception on materiality are considered to be the combination of natural elements. If so how does a chemical overpower another, and is the transcendental self also chemical / elements? Because if it were not, then we could assume spiritual forces were active in creation, etc.!

Somewhere on this site I read in an answer that certain traits you develop or inherit are responsible for your physical appearance. Now of course good deeds in one life will lead to positively perceived things in the next life (wealth, health, noble birth etc.), however my question is this: Can one deduce ones physical appearance from traits in a previous lifetime? Again, of course, there are many factors coming together, but I think there could also be a general trend in this. What I read here for example was that if you are a calm, patient and kind person and/or practiced and developed patience and kindness, you would be reborn as a person that other people perceive as attractive. I'm aware of karma and if you are generous, you lay the ground for other people being generous to you at some point in a certain way, but I'm interested in certain traits manifesting in your physical appearance, or influencing your behaviour/demeanor/impression on other people.

How far should lay followers go, to help others? There is no denying that we all have innate desire to ease suffering of others, but when it’s done without right understanding it may lead to a higher suffering to the assisted person. On the other had if it’s done with right understanding and with the aim to assist the others to grow in Dharma then it is fruitful. As an example, let’s say your friend is grieved for not being able to celebrate New-Year in Paris with his fiancée because he wasn’t able to save up enough money. If you restore in relieving his grievance you could give him money, but this could be adding fuel on fire. A true teacher of the Dharma will correct his view and relieve him from clinging, however, most of us don’t have that kind of ability: we are in a dark, trying to correct our own view, and the virtues we call virtues are but a guess work. The point that I’m trying to get at is that on some cases the so-called suffering which we trying to prevent on other people could be a wake-up call or a learning curve, and by preventing it we could be hindering the person from realizing the first noble truth. Sometimes these so called virtues extend even further in the name of compassion and we find ourselves teaching and arguing about Dharma to correct other. There may be many other cases as well. So how should we curb our act not to hurt others and ourselves in the name of virtues?

A monastery nearby my house, where I was about to be ordained and venture into the world of which I have been waiting so long, has now denied me ordination due to my bad habits of reading erotic literature, sensual audios and masturbating -- all of which I want to leave forever. I do go on abstinence streaks, but when something unfortunate happens to me(an incident or mishap that saddens me) I get triggered and relapse.sometimes even the most simplest of natural phenomena such a blossoming flower can be the root of the lapse.other times it's just plain advertisements on t.v which cause the downfall.it has become tedious to avoid triggers, it also leaves no time for meditation and other stuff. Due to the kind advice of ven. Yuttadhammo bhikkhu I have quit my porn viewing addiction, but I can't seem get enough of masturbation and other forms of pornography(though the frequency has been significantly reduced)I request the members of this forum to provide some comprehensive techniques and advice that can be adapted with a practical approach and help me quit all these bad habits forever. It has ruined my life to such an extent that I longer feel the state of bliss that I used to have during my abstinence streaks(i now recognise they were the best period of my Buddhist training) P.S: if possible, do explain in detail how to inculcate "sila" in my practice, because @Dhammadhatu mentioned that a proper practitioner has to practice three methods of lust eradication (I have attained mastery over the other two).

Is it possible for a layman to achieve enlightenment by his or her own study without joining the temple and robes? As some of you may know I have studied as a recluse for many yrs and am again considering the possibility of becoming a monk in a temple. The question is do I need approval from the temple etc to become enlightened or is it possible with doctrines to achieve liberation from suffering on my own experience?

Abilities (such as flying through the air, walking through solid obstructions, diving into the ground, walking on water, and so forth) are performed by changing one element, such as earth, into another element, such as air. How does one expect to achieve them? I have read some commentaries which claim they are mere illusions on the path to enlightenment and that the true sadhka shouldn't be distracted by them and should aim for higher realms. Moreover are these claims made in documentaries true?

i practice for a few years - did basic course and few retreats in Ven/ajhan tong tradition (vipassana) - But no matter what technique i try (meditating a short amount like 5 minutes - only being mindful - keeping 8 precepts meditating all day) i never manage to keep practicing more than a few days and than taking a break for a few months with 0 minute meditating and being mindful Question : I remember reading in several places the importance of continued practice of a steady practice - and since i make huge breaks all the time and cant seem to prevent them - i wonder if there is a point in the practice if i almost certain i will take this huge breaks - i don't seem to be "advancing" in any way but i would keep practicing if it was only not seeing "results" but cause i read in so many place the importance of continued practice is there a point in a very inconsistent practice ? if so in what ways someone who has this an inconsistent practice like mine be advancing advance ?

what is the value of a single moment of mindfulness- and is it worth anything if not combined with other moments when i do a good action to help others even a small one it has its benefit to the other without even looking at its affect on the practice even even if i do one deed like washing the dishes of the family than i dont do nothing for 4 months its worth something if i meditate for 30 minutes or be mindful while doing some action for 30 minutes and than i dont do meditation or even be mindful for 4 months - is it worth something ? why you say so ? (there are so many teachers talking about the importance of consistent practice which makes me think that its not worth anything) This is a continuation of a precius question i ask which is very similar but not exactly the same : https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/questions/18589/is-there-a-point-for-a-not-continues-practice

A [tag:reference-request] question. Which sutta contains the following story? - It starts with a monk who will travel to a far land (perhaps to a state on the west coast of what's now India, and perhaps as a missionary). The Buddha asks, how will he react if he's attacked? - It ends with the monk's saying that he will reflect that death is something which some (other) people seek, that these people have to arrange to find a murderer who will kill them, and that the people killing *him* have saved him this trouble! And in that way, he'll keep a mind of good-will. - The Buddha approves. I remember it as similar to the parable of the saw; perhaps a much shorter sutta.

Is mindfulness itself kamma ? does it create kamma ? is it one of the 50 types of kamma ? (my teacher who is a monk told me mindfulness is kamma - and like kamma its an accumulated thing ) Im asking cause if mindfulness is kamma than its accumlated - and if its accumlated it answers my "problem" : https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/questions/18641/is-there-a-value-for-a-single-moment-of-mindfulness-without-others

Is caring is a bad thing according to Buddhism ? Because as I experience caring leads us to suffering. But caring can come in so many levels such as we do help a person normally as a result of our caring towards that person/ animal. And in a relationship we do caring on very tiny things even by checking the other person has reached home safely etc. But in the big picture finally we get reasons to suffer due to our caring. It seems like we can get rid of most of the sufferings if we do not care. So is it not appropriate to care ? Otherwise how can we avoid suffering ourselves while caring ?

What are the major Christian teachings that Buddhists don't accept and why? For further reading, can anyone recommend books which critique Christianity from a Buddhist viewpoint? For context, I am a follower of Jiddu Krishnamurti , whose teachings were similar to Buddha's.

Recently I've slipped back into playing computers games. This morning I had a moment of clarity and realised that for me it is not a good activity and I've uninstalled them and I feel a lot better. But generally from a Buddhist perspective is playing computer games an unwholesome activity? If so what aspects of it make it so. Or could one be a committed practitioner and still do a bit of gaming on the side. I appreciate we have discussed the impacts on violent games on Karma before but I would like to know if computer games of any description are unwholesome. (Note - I'm not looking for my own computer game playing habit to be legitimatised so I can start it again. I'm satisfied that for me it is something best avoided. I am just wondering if it is something that Buddhists generally should avoid and if any modern teachers have discussed the issue).

I switched my diet to complete vegetarian diet just out of compassion towards animals. However I am confused about feeding meat to my pet dogs. Feeding meat to one animal will directly or indirectly involve the killing of another animal. I feel like I am provoking the slaughtering of animals. Is that a bad karma though it's good for another animal? What was Buddha's thoughts about this?

- In many web sites they are saying that there is another buddha and he is the incarnation of lord vishnu and he existed before lord buddha existed.
**My Question** - Were there two buddhas ? - Was he an incarnation of lord vishnu ? - Was his teachings same as lord buddhas teachings ?