How detrimental are noises in meditation? I don't live alone and the people I live with often watch TV or make noise in other ways. Should I seek somewhere peaceful to meditate or is there a way to deal with the noise otherwise?

How to get back to practice after failing ? i always try and fail try and fail meditating for some years- had and have a teacher - did retreats - but i never manage to keep meditating for more than a few days - tried going all in - tried only meditating 5 minutes - or just being mindful ect ect cause every time i fail i take a month or two break if not more so how can i get back to practice each time ? the more i "fail" and take this breaks i feel that its for no use cause i never manage to persevere no matter what i try

What is "Anapanasati" day? I used to fasting on Uposatha, I became unable to do after my health got down. Last time I had asked to what to do on Uposatha Day but as I mentioned above and still unable to do; but now I've to practice seriously and go to Vihara on Anapansati day so is it same as Uposatha ? And if it is have to practice, then can I go for it in the middle stage or from the beginning? But anyhow I want to practicing and feel spirit of it when I loosed of my life.

2. While having a concrete floor, is it okay to chop off trees for a wooden floor? "If [a monk or nun] is ruthless with regard to plants, this is an offence to be atoned." (Patimokkhasutta Pacittiya 11)

I have heard that __Lord Buddha__ once told __Ananda thero__ that a Buddha can live till the end of a __Kalpa__, if he wishes so. He did this because he wanted Ananda thero to invite him to live till the end of the Kalpa. But, Ananda thero did not invite him as __Maaraya__ was inside his head. My question is, if Lord Buddha was able to read minds and see future, why did he asked that question in the first place ? Why didn't he lived till the end of this Kalpa himself ? What I am missing here ?

i would like to know the answer to the question from your point of view: what is the significance of buddhism in this age of terrorism, tyrannies and insolence?

My understanding of Nibbana is a person who has overcome 5 skandas. I could not perceive the state as we are constantly bombarded with internal and external stimulations which makes me assume that this state can never be achieved and only an incremental change towards nibbana can happen. This leads to another interesting observation, if 5 skandas are overcome, does one really need a body? If body is not needed, then is Nibbana attained only at death? What is it like to be without skandas?

Buddha said Sariputra "_My Sila is the best/incomparable_". But people at the time of Buddha donated flowers, perfumes and jewelries to Buddha (Need citations in Pali Canon and Pitaka). The monk/num's Sila are 227 and more and monks do not allowed to get/use flowers, perfumes and jewelries, etc. How the Sila of Buddha was superior to monks' Sila whilst the latter seems more restricted than the former? Is there any more facts that I was missing to know about Sammasam Buddha's Sila?

I first apologize to ask like this, I'm so sorry but I found people who don't respect other religions by my one older question I had to ask almost like this one that one I'm asking. As this religion is secular and against violence. Teaching kindness, forgiveness and beyond the concept of god and religion. But at the time when someone insulting Buddhism what to do ? In Buddha's time he was en lighted he could make them feel what they are doing, there were so many incidents he changed them but when I seen someone insulting Buddhism I feel like I must break first precept; all the time I tolerate because I'm not violent and it's not what I learn, but I get really really angry. Also bad people look at us as beneficial sake and annoying that we are non-violence and so can't do nothing. There's quote of Napoleon Bonaparte “The world suffers a lot. Not because the violence of bad people. But because of the silence of the good people." I don't expecting war and violence but peace. Thank you.

The question I pose is the same as the title of this post. Any experience or further reading of how to practice this reaching of a loved one to support and guide them after they have passed through the bardo into rebirth. Thank you What I mean by reaching....is, I suppose after reading the post below by bhumishu; to send a blessing. Is this received? Now even another question....I have read that there are 49 days in the bardo and the first day is equal to four days which in total will be 52. All of which are merely symbolic. Can someone or you please expound on this? Also, I do have a copy of The Tibetan Book of the Dead which will need to be opened and read again and refereed to again for retained wisdom. Any and all acceptance that can be given that I was unable to be there to guide my Grandmother within the 49 or 52 day time frame according to the practices given in the teachings. This is why I deeply want to assist or send blessings to her that are received by her in whatever or wherever she may be now. Thank you so much!

I'm right now working on [an application](https://sunyatazero.github.io/buddhist-well-being-pyqt5/) for increasing happiness in everyday life, inspired by practical teachings in Buddhism about happiness for laypeople. My question is: What did the Buddha say about happiness for laypeople? I have found these Sutras helpful: * [Sigalovada Sutta](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigalovada_Sutta) * [Dighajanu Sutta](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dighajanu_Sutta) What else did the Buddha say about happiness for laypeople?. (Is there a compilation of teachings regarding this?) Grateful for help and with kind regards, Tord

Here's an interesting situation. Let's say we have to persons. Tom and Happy. Both have the same desire: "I want a new car." The strength of their desires are equal. Tom lives in universe A, Happy lives in universe B. Both universes are exact copies of each other, everything is the same, timeline is the same, events are all the same, everything,.. Tom and Happy are copies of each other, clones, but there's just one little difference between the two universes: Tom suffers, Happy does not suffer. Tom suffers: "I have an old car with bad engine and that's why I'm not happy. I want a new car." Happy does not suffer: "I have an old car with bad engine and I'm happy. I want a new car." Both persons want a new car for the same reasons: "Because it's old and has a bad engine." The only difference between Tom and Happy is that Tom is suffering because of his old car with a bad engine; and Happy is not suffering because of his old car with bad engine. There are no other differences between Tom and Happy and the two universes they live in. We can see that both Tom and Happy have the same motives for getting a new car: old car with bad engine. If Tom and Happy have the same motives for getting a new car, both will exert the same amount of energy to get a new car. So, both will do the same exact actions in their universes to get a new car. So, both will get a new car at exactly the same time. But Tom has one motive more than Happy: Tom is suffering! Does that mean that Tom will get a new car quicker than Happy?! If Tom has more motives than Tom, than it's logical that Tom will be more proactive in getting a new car than Happy? So, the question is: who will get a new car quicker, Tom or Happy? The real question is: is suffering a motivator? Is suffering a motivator only if the amount of suffering does not go over a specific threshold? Or is suffering not a motivator? If suffering is a motivator, than it does not make sense to completely remove it, because if you remove it, you will be less proactive to reach your goals in life? What did Buddha say above this? I'm a beginner and I'm sorry if I don't understand, I hope someone can shed some light on this topic. Thanks

> '*Vipassana jahna is the focusing of the mind on paramattha dhammas*'. (Sayadaw U Pandita, *In This Very Life*, p. 179) What is the meaning of paramattha dhamma?

Metta was natural to me when I was young. I didn't give much thought to it then. Now I find it difficult. So many thoughts come when I want to donate to charity like, *is it a recognized charitable institution? how is it run? if they are adequately funded, should I donate to an institution which does not do marketing? or whether I should give the part to the homeless person?* All these thoughts makes metta a mental process of deciding who is worthy and who is not with limited funds I have for donation. How does one inculcate metta? Is it influenced by skandhas ? Can metta itself become an attachment leading to mental craving for that feeling when one can observe on giving?

I always wondered what should I do according to buddhism in a situation like that. Obviously I have two options. 1. Hit the snake and save the frogs' life. 2. Just keep watching without doing anything. Can someone explain this

I'm relatively new to mindfulness meditation and I've been having trouble focusing / concentrating during my sessions. Even thought my meditation sessions are around 10 - 20 minutes, I feel like my mind is just wandering. I've tried to really focus on my breathing but after a while I notice myself thinking about something else. I've read this article: How A Few Simple Things Helped Me Meditate Without Losing Concentration and it has helped me a bit. But I'm reading around other websites and people are saying that meditation is the opposite of concentration and if you're concentrating then you're not meditating. That meditation is expanding the mind while concentration is narrowing it and that the two are mutually exclusive. I feel lost on what I should be practicing.

There are stories of people who claim to remember their past lives. Such stories have been investigated by researchers such as Ian Stevenson and Jim Tucker. These accounts lend themselves nicely to Jewish and Hindu understanding of transmigration of souls. How do they fit into the Buddhist understanding of rebirth?

I had this question yesterday, when I was using my navigation system to navigate somewhere completely new in my car. I, by accident, took a wrong turn that resulted in multiple miles of detour. When I realized my mistake, *I verbally spoke an explicit word out loud*. I was completely alone in the car at the time. I immediately realized my second mistake in speaking as such and I verbally corrected myself to a non-explicit word. The Noble Eightfold Path puts emphasis on right speech, and not saying anything to harm others and self. I was not meaning to harm anyone in my outburst, but to express the anguish of a delayed trip. Buddhism writings (specifically the Dhammapada) also put emphasis on sage qualities, more specifically in the quote "a sage tames himself". Certainly what I did in that situation was not a kusula action, and thus can help breed other akusula actions. **My question is:** Is it bad practice to display this kind of poor self-control when in solitude?

It is difficult for me to find the reference about Gautama Buddha wore robe made from cloth which was wrapped to a death body. Which part of Sutta do I have to reference? Can we calculate how long Buddha wore this?

I'm experiencing a lot of speculative thoughts and fantasizing about the future when I'm going about my day. I'm wondering whether I should attempt to deny these thoughts, or merely let them arise without judgment. I'm also wondering whether engaging in concentrative breathing meditation will reduce this thoughts in the rest of the day, and whether the arising of these elements or other negative elements such as anger, lust, hatred, pride and narcissism can impede spiritual progress. I think the main question is: should one allow such thoughts non-judgmentally, even if they are delusional, or should one reduce them e.g. via the breath. The speculative and fantasy related thoughts seem to take my time, and so I wonder how one can let these thoughts arise in non-judgment without detrimental effects.