I am not good in english, but i am getting answers somehow. If i say about people who have had answered. They have suggested everything as per their own perception. Is that good to me?

How can the horrible and tragic events in France be seen from a Buddhist perspective? Can the global situation with fanatical terrorism be analyzed in terms of the Buddhist theory of human mind? Can we as the global society do anything to heal the divide? I'm sorry I'm posting this 100% opinion-based question. Normally, questions about current events are considered off-topic and would be closed. But I feel that we as Buddhists _and_ as humans can't be silent, can't ignore this tragedy and pretend that nothing happened. Please share your thoughts and opinions. My deepest condolences to everyone affected by the tragedy. My best thoughts are with you.

I have heard Lord Buddha has taught a special version of meththa for certain kind of creatures. Can someone point reference to such a teaching in suttas?

What are the results of doing meththa meditation? can someone point out some reference from "suttas" (A translation of a sutta)?

Is attachment some kind of love? Parental love, a smile that comes when we get a glance of a toddler, when we spent money on good for our beloved one's then that time what is it? As per my perception i wish to ignore all of this, attachment. But i am actually unaware of the factual attachment. Am i wishing good? I am open for good, for change as i am aspired to become a good or maintain a fair balance between good and bad in myself to lead a good way of living. Literally i have came to know that i need a fair personal practical advise.

It's hard not to think of the Heart Sūtra when reading the Kassaka Sutta (Saŋyutta Nikāya 4:19), part of which runs as below (Thanissaro Bhikkhu's translation , emphasis added). Is there any scholarship or commentary on a connection between these two texts, one from the Pali Canon and the other a major Mahayana scripture? Googling -- kassaka heart sutra -- turns up two references -- here and here -- but I'd say those are more contemporary popular literature than scholarship or traditional commentary. > Then Mara the Evil One, taking on the form of a farmer with a large > plowshare over his shoulder, carrying a long goad stick — his hair > disheveled, his clothes made of coarse hemp, his feet splattered with > mud — went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, said, "Hey, > contemplative. Have you seen my oxen?" > > "And what are your oxen, Evil One?" > > "Mine alone is the eye, contemplative. Mine are forms, mine is the > sphere of consciousness and contact at the eye. Where can you go to > escape me? Mine alone is the ear... the nose... the tongue... the > body... Mine alone is the intellect, contemplative. Mine are ideas, > mine is the sphere of consciousness and contact at the intellect. > Where can you go to escape me?" > > "Yours alone is the eye, Evil One. Yours are forms, yours is the > sphere of consciousness of contact at the eye. **Where no eye exists, no > forms exist, no sphere of consciousness and contact at the eye exists: > there, Evil One, you cannot go.** Yours alone is the ear... the nose... > the tongue... the body... Yours alone is the intellect, Evil One. > Yours are ideas, yours is the sphere of consciousness and contact at > the intellect. **Where no intellect exists, no ideas exist, no sphere of > consciousness of contact at the intellect exists: there, Evil One, you > cannot go.**" **Here** is a lovely chanting of the relevant section of the Heart Sūtra by Allen Ginsburg, in his own translation.

I have some understanding regarding consciousness as related to the six senses, but I'm less clear on the mind itself?

This is the common answer: Right view, Right intention, Right speech, Right action, Right livelihood, Right effort, Right mindfulness, Right concentration, But what is e.g. the Right view? How do i know my efforts are correct? Can someone explain these 8 in day to day practice?

At the panditarama vipassana retreat they ask us to focus and observe on the object that pops up our attention, such as a pain or thought. I started having ticks that I had on my childhood, such as closing and opening my right eye intermittently very fast. The tick does not stop if I observe it, and it does stop if I focus on something else, such as the rise and falling of the abdomen. Is it dangerous to continue focusing on the tick? Will it then appear in my life when not practicing meditation?

Between the time of the historical Buddha and state support by emperor Ashoka, were Buddhist monks evangelical? In other words, did Buddhism spread through enthusiastic recruitment by the sangha, or did it spread more due to state support or something else? **Background** This personally occurred to me after living a life as a crypto-Buddhist. There were not many Buddhists around me and no one knew I was a Buddhist. This is despite nominally believing in the Bodhisattva vow, which to my ears, sounds rather evangelical. I'm trying this question out on Stack Exchange to see if it fares better than it did on a forum, where pretty much people only could agree that they really didn't like Christians knocking at the door and that just about any form of promoting the Dharma to someone not already inclined towards Buddhism (or possibly already a self identifying Buddhist) was a grave violation of respect for autonomy, i.e. *forcing* one's religion on someone else. And that sentiment sounds like the value system of contemporary ex-Christians in the US more than whatever the earliest Buddhists might have thought.

I have been practising Vipassana for 5 months since going on a 10 day course. In answering someone's question on increased salivation during a 10 day Vipassana course, the respondent stated that the abdomen was the anchor that stopped us from flying away. I was very interested in that because when I meditate I sometimes feel there is a huge stone in my stomach region that won't let me go. Occasionally if I struggle really hard I feel I can break the link to that weight and then I seem to pop out into a huge very blissful area. This occurs only rarely as it is very difficult to do. To do it, I feel I have had to give up on everything and 'throw myself off a cliff' I feel there is a lot of fear in this stomach area and a tightness like a fist. I always find it very difficult to feel sensations in this area when practicing the Vipassana. Can anyone help explain further about the abdomen being an anchor to stopping one from flying away and perhaps answer it in relation to the experiences I mention above. Thank you for your time.

If someone has lived a regretful life and want to correct himself, what should he do before he begins his efforts? If someone regrets the choices made in the past and intends to change, where should they begin?

What did Buddha have to say about the creation of the Universe, if any? I asked a monk after a discourse, and he said that there is a reference to continuous Big Bangs, not simultaneous, but one after another. There have been many such Big Bangs before? I don't understand though. Is this true? This is a slightly broader question than my previous one but is related. Does Buddha have anything to say about scientific advancements? Is there any need for Science in Buddhism? Is Buddhism too broad and philosophic for Science to explain logically or is this an excuse for not being able to explain certain phenomena scientifically?

According to the Abhidhamma, at each given instant there is a consciousness that arises and ceases completely before the next consciousness arises. Each consciousness is only aware of the present moment (just an instant and only that instant) and therefore cannot know about previous instants. So, how is it possible that we have a sense of the flow of time? How do we know that there was a past?

I am a student of art and I am studying on Buddhist art .In the Vihara of Bhaja there is a decorated wall with two important gods of Hindusim, namely Surya and Indra. It refers to the Shunga period. - Why they have used images from Hindu gods? - Why would they have made this kind of art at all? I thought that Buddha was against Hindu gods, and that people should follow him because Buddha advised that people should rely on themselves and not on the gods!

I've been very good about observing the Uposatha days this year, this year it falls on Christmas (US calendar). Any thoughts on observing while spending time with friends and family who are non Buddhist, or should I just just stay to myself?

Vedanā is usually translated as "feeling" or "sensation". In S.N. Goenka's tradition, vedanā is understood as a physical sensation on the body, such as touch, heat, pain, etc. As far as I understand, vedanā does not include other senses, such as taste, smell, sound or sight (even though vedanā may arise as a result of perception of something through these senses). Nor are mental feelings such as anger, hatred or joy classified as vedanā. Do I understand it correctly? How is vedanā defined in other traditions? Are there any significant differences?

We know there are good and bad things in the world,now that is general knowledge.But our version of right and worlds version of it seems to go against each other, So my question is what are the actual good things as opposed to worlds view of it?

Like in Hinduism , is there any teaching on the *stages of life* in Buddhism ? *P.S. Answers for this question will be great "Dhamma gifts" for my upcoming Birth day.*

I have read in Buddhist text, Buddhism is about "Bhāva" and not "Ātman". What is the difference between "Bhāva" and "Ātman"?