When you are sharing merit with someone, are you visualizing the person you are sharing the merit with? When you are sharing merit with all living beings, are you imagining all beings? How do you do that? What do you really do from Theravada perspective? Thanks all.

An important part of the Path is overcoming the suffering of attachement to the body's continued existence. I don't know if that's desire for living or aversion to death - maybe a combination. Therefore, I'm wodering if someone can share their experiences on this very essential aspect of the practice - preparing to die. In the Buddhas teachings we are adviced to watch the after death-process; dead bodies on a charnel ground. But this is very difficult in modern (Western) society. I managed to get three days in meditation with a dead friend (no more is allowed in my country). They'd put some cotton in his orifices and some lubricant on the body. He looked like wax and I felt like I were at Madame Tussaud or watching Lenin. My friend didn't rot or stink so it was no good really, because the whole point is meditation on the process. I've tought about trying some hospices and morgues. Surely they'd kick me out, but I also think it might be disrespectful; they're grieving and probably not Buddhists! Everything would be better with a charnel ground. What are your ways of preparing for death? If you are living in a county where death is a taboo, you probably have met some of the same challenges as me.

Since lying is not really directed at a person, can it still be harmful? I have had multiple jobs before when the companies I worked for had no issues lying to me(on a organizational level) I can see how lying(when done successfully) can make myself believe I am something I am not and hence inflate my ego but what if this is not the case and the lying is only done with a sense of wanting to get a position and work hard and achieve something?

The following section in the Modernist poem The Waste Land is often linked to Buddhism, in the academic literature. > Burning burning burning burning / O Lord Thou pluckest me out / O Lord > Thou pluckest // burning It ends section three, *The Fire Sermon *. I wanted to ask 1. How common is the term "lord" for Buddha? 2. Would the followers of any of the Buddhist traditions ask the Buddha, who gave the fire sermon, to choose them, or pluck them out? I'm just a little skeptical that it is about the Buddha, despite the title to that section.

Suppose Dave is a Buddha. Does he want to be a Buddha? Will he get what he wants - forever ? Does it matter ?

Did the Buddha give any teachings on how to deal with individuals spreading wrong view? If someone is expounding their beliefs in a public forum under the guise of the Buddha's teaching, given the possibility that these views may misinform and lead others astray, does one have any responsibility to try to rectify this, and if so, what would be the proper way of addressing such an issue?

From the moment of death, to the moment of rebirth (or alternative outcomes) How would you map the flowchart of the bardo? or instead of a flowchart a tree map? A list of stages would also be sufficient. The specific order is important though I believe. I remember something being said of the max time one could spend in the bardo being 49 days. Chunks of 7 days normally lead to rebirth, and I have knowledge of some of the stages. The specific order is always a matter of curiosity for me.

Over the last few months I've distanced myself from my sangha and from Buddhism in general. I still meditate but no longer identify as a Buddhist. One of the things I've noticed is the return of some old ambitions or longer term desires if you like. I don't think they are negative in fact they could have quite positive outcomes though I do recognise that they are driven by a restlessless sort of dissatisfaction. In the light of my recent experience it makes me wonder if Buddhism necessarily dampens down people's ambitions? Is it possible to be ambitious (in any sense) and a Buddhist or are the two things mutually exclusive. For a Buddhist is ambition a negative thing?

Perhaps you could say that by teaching his path he healed many people; but what I meant is more direct, physical healing: is there something written about that?

I get slightly blurred vision after a long sit during which I have my eyes half-closed (as in Zazen style). It can last for more than an hour and is a practical drag, and also creates a slightly woozy feeling. Any re-focusing eye exercise anyone know of? Thank you Joe

The Dzogchen-tradition first appeared in the first half of the 9th century. According to tradition, the Dzogchen teachings were brought to Tibet by Padmasambhava in the late 8th and early 9th centuries. Dzogchen is the understanding that enlightemeht cann't be found outside a person, but is immediatally present in a persons mind and consciensness. When I read it like that it seems te me that Buddha was actionally a Dzogchen (avant la lettre). But if so (i'm not sure) why is there a different separate tradition born?

I made you read the explaination and you are trying to get what is not available! What is that and why we do this? Why we want to be awake when we are totally unaware of being awake-state?

As i learn more about the path and as a result about myself, i cannot wonder if it selfish or self-preserving. I have a greater appreciation that all is connected and inter-related however it remains to be my relationship. This isn't from the perspective of you and i (duality), but from an understanding of me with the rest of the universe. Perhaps i am overlooking something that is key to further understanding and would appreciate what this may be. 1. For example, is the realization and actualization intended for myself only? 2. If i help others and practice compassion, is it not intended to support my karmic cycle? In turn, are these not selfish?

When you have to perform a certain task, you can't meditate during that time, but mind needs clarity. I feel very dull during that time, I want to increase my awareness and alertness in that performance time. So, how I can remove dullness of mind (while performing a certain task during which I can't meditate)? What are the causes that lead to dullness?

As we all agree none of us have a white past, we've all have done some bad thing in our past before coming to the path and in previous lives. So how should we use the good karma we generate today to reduce the impact of bad karma from previous lives and from our past? I've heard that this is possible.

If I recall correctly I've heard that one can not be ordained if one has debts. Is this just a practical rule to avoid ordaining people that run away from financial problems or does it also have moral aspect to it? Answers from all schools are welcome.

Why did Buddha take to alms for his food? Is there any reason for it? As fruits and vegetables grow in forest, couldn't he sustained himself with what is available in forest? Are there any rules for taking alms? and what kind of food can be taken or refused? Whether karma is passed from the giver to the receiver? Can monks have a garden , where they can grow their fruits and vegetables ?

There is a famous multicentury argument in the history of Chinese Buddhism as to if enlightenment is something achieved after gradual practice and improvement or something you realize or achieve in a flash of inspiration. Which schools were gradualists? Was this an actual distinction or was this a rhetorical device? Are there any surviving (as in existing right now) gradualist schools? Was Tien Tai/Tendai/Nichiren Buddhism gradualist?

I actually have two different questions : 1. Can cold showers benefit our practice? 2. Someone once told me not to take showers when doing a lot of meditation because the cold reduces the concentration level: is this true? The person who told me this talked about "regular showers" not "cold showers"; now that I got interested in cold showers after reading about their health benefits, it made me worried that they would harm my concentration level. For the record the person who told me this was a theravada monk

Recently i stumbled upon a movie disc and on it was a movie called "American guinea pigs". It wasn't a typical funny horror story, it was a ultra realistic documentary style movie. There was a woman laying on a table (tied to it) and she was surrounded by masked group who injected something into her. Then her skin was removed from her neck and her calves were cut of in pieces. I was shocked and i felt my heart pumping and i was about to faint. i stopped the movie and just waited for this rush to pass. But i couldn't close the movie until i knew it is a movie not a real life event (if you have seen it you will know why, it is very real). So i played it again and dragged it manually to the end. Then the carnage was followed by them chopping her arms and gutting her. I couldn't take anymore so i skipped to the end. Just like all the movies this had a clip from the sequel too. It was a new born baby and a little boy on the table this time, i was too traumatized to remember but the text below meant that this would be the sequel. This was hard for me and my mind burst into a sea of emotions and it kept reminding me the equally disturbing real life events i unfortunately witnessed in my life. I had no other idea but to write them all down on a book.Now whenever i feel i'm loosing my edge with my still very young practice i read that book and somehow it immediately bring me back to mindfulness. --- This was meant to be entertaining to some audience and someone knowingly gave her baby to be presented as the next pray to this. I know the world isn't alice's wonderland but i am left with some questions and i hope you can help me.... **1:- How do we understand this kind of sick entertainment in a Buddhist perspective (why do people enjoy this kind of things)?** **2:- How to deal with this kind of emotional trauma?**