I'm wondering about older sources for some of what Ven. Nyanaponika Thera says in this essay: - [The Four Sublime States: Contemplations on Love, Compassion, Sympathetic Joy and Equanimity](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/nyanaponika/wheel006.html) . For some of the claims, it's easy for me to realize what older text he's referencing - for instance his claims about why they are called sublime you can trace to Vism. IX 105. But specifically for his claims about how the four sublime abidings all suffuse each other, I'm having a harder time thinking of an older reference. Anyone know one? Or should these be categorized as his own claims? The passages I'm thinking of are these ones: > "How, then, do these four sublime states pervade and suffuse each > other? > > Unbounded love guards compassion against turning into partiality, > prevents it from making discriminations by selecting and excluding and > thus protects it from falling into partiality or aversion against the > excluded side. > > Love imparts to equanimity its selflessness, its boundless nature and > even its fervor. For fervor, too, transformed and controlled, is part > of perfect equanimity, strengthening its power of keen penetration and > wise restraint. > > Compassion prevents love and sympathetic joy from forgetting that, > while both are enjoying or giving temporary and limited happiness, > there still exist at that time most dreadful states of suffering in > the world. It reminds them that their happiness coexists with > measureless misery, perhaps at the next doorstep. It is a reminder to > love and sympathetic joy that there is more suffering in the world > than they are able to mitigate; that, after the effect of such > mitigation has vanished, sorrow and pain are sure to arise anew until > suffering is uprooted entirely at the attainment of Nibbana." etc.

When does an ideology become a religion rather than just philosophy (which is just a way of living)? Does each has any specific definition? or it depends upon person to person perception?

How should lay buddhists respond to amoral people, people who keep generating bad karma for themselves but don't believe they've done anything wrong at all, especially if they have the power to get away with it materially speaking?

Is there a sutta suitable for monastics or laypeople, that helps one become motivated when one is having a hard time disciplining themselves?

My mind creates this desire or a dream that I will get enlightened and become some sort of Guru who teaches Buddhism to many, I will become someone like Bodhidharma or Milarepa etc. I want some practical solution to counter this fantasy of my mind which has become a hindrance to the meditative absorption state. How should I counter this mental fantasy by making the mind look at the facts, whatever that may be.

It's my understanding that the belief in Tibetan Buddhism is that when a Lama is reborn he (not meaning to be sexist, but I know of no female Lamas - please let me know if I'm wrong) becomes that same Lama again. From a western viewpoint, it might be said his soul is put into a new body and he returns as the same Lama in the new body. However, recent comments by the Dalai Lama have me wondering about this. It seems he wants to be reborn in order to continue helping others, but without becoming the Dalai Lama again. (It has been speculated that there may be political motivation to this, as the Chinese want to designate the next Dalai Lama.) However, wouldn't the 14th Dalai Lama become the 15th Dalai Lama if he is reborn? Would a Lama be able to end a series of Lamas even though he is reborn? (I have heard of Lama lines ending, but it's my understanding that the belief is that the Lama chose not to reborn.) Or is my understanding here completed off base?

Would an enlightened person (stream enterer at the minimum) ever [falsely] make the claim that he is lying?

**Buddhism** 1. *Anatta* (no-self doctrine) 2. Reincarnation (death-rebirth cycle in *samsara*) How can something that *doesn't exist* reincarnate?

i'm after the sutta where the Buddha says something like 'you can get to know another person if you have some awareness and wisdom, but even then you must live close by and observe them in all their activities, not for a short time, but for a long time'.

I meditate (Shamata) since a few years now. According to my meditation time I have 430 hours meditated. (Just for context related to my question). I stopped smoking weed a few months ago. Practicing now daily. Around 1 hour. My concentration is far better. I realize bodily experiences – mainly feeling "light", sometimes "happy". Body / muscles are sometimes twitching mainly in spine area and nape of the neck. All in all I feel fine and realize that this is a huge motivation in meditating now. It also happens that in ordinary life I can switch (a bit) into this body mode. Fine. But I am a bit anxious, that it will stop here and I do not make further progress – except for maybe feeling better. How do I not get distracted from the ultimate goal? Should I switch now for a time into analytical meditation? But I've once read, that you should switch to this, when you have mastered Shamata for far more than an hour. I have no teacher, no meditation group or whatever. So I am asking here. What are your experiences on your path related to this feeling of "bliss" (light, in my case) I also asked, because I read, that you can be a good meditation practitioner, but it will not help you for your rebirth, if you are distracted / dwelling in this "bliss" moments. Thank you for your time. All the best

Why should we consider Buddha's path as the one and only path to end suffering? Can there be a path (let's say through science) where we get to understand how everything got created including consciousness which can be help us identify ways in which to eliminate suffering may be for all of us?

About 'sankhara' in Dependent Origination as found in SN 12.2 of the Pali suttas, Bhikkhu Analayo said the following: Bhikkhu Thanissaro said the following: Which is right and why? Bhikkhu Analayo or Bhikkhu Thanissaro?

If someone is intentionally deceiving someone else and if I am aware of it, if I inform the innocent person in this matter, would that be against five precepts?

It is very well known that it is "terrible karma ", beyond even Amida's assistance, to physically draw the blood of a Buddha. Is that *any* kind of Buddha, a zen or vajrayana or scholastic master, or only Sakyamuni and the next Buddhist messiah?

Master Lu ("New" Buddhism) most famous method of healing which is burning little house which i believe forbidden by Buddhism. Little House There are many psychologies study supporting that burning negative thought can have some form of mental issue healing. I do that sometime but not little house. Burning Letter and Letting Go Q) May i know where is the Sutta written that this is forbidden ? Related post - Xin Lin Fa Men > Learning Buddhism is to Change Destiny Xin Ling Fa Men Branches

I know that when I meditate I become very efficient and quick in my work. Do you have any tips for motivating yourself to meditate during the day? I had thought about putting an alarm on my cell phone once or twice a day to encourage me to meditate, but it seems that is not enough. I need something more automatic than that. Something to give me a little kick to meditate 15-20 minutes during the day.

Does the Samajivina Sutta imply that a Buddhist should only marry another Buddhist? Or does it leave room for Buddhists to marry non-Buddhists ?

According to Wikipedia, there are two main schools in Mahayana, Yogachara and Madhyamaka . Could you tell me the main difference in doctrine between these two?

I am looking for a sutra where the Buddha explains Mindfulness Meditation. Specifically, Mindfulness of body, Mindfulness of Thoughts, and Mindfulness of Feelings.

I have a big question since my childhood and everyone I asked, failed to answer. Please help me. Imagine that there are three men A, B and C. A kills B and commit a sin in a previous bhava. Now A have the karma and C kills A in the next bhawa as a result of A's Karma. My question is, does C make a new karma because of A's Karma. Sorry for my bad english. Have a good day ahead.