So if animals are allowed to kill animals without much karmic consequence because it's merely instinct and not intent, then would it be okay to have a few cats around to protect humans from pests or dangerous critters? It might be okay for the cats, but I'm not sure about the owner... http://www.ac...

Kamma is intention and I think it's different from instinct. The actions of higher beings are more about intentions and the actions of lower beings are more about instincts. Instincts don't produce kammic consequences and the lower beings have to wait for a lottery jackpot to be reborn in the higher...

I believe that a tiger that has during its lifetime a mind state of an average tiger will likely be reborn as a tiger. And they were born as tigers in the first place because that was close to their mind state in the previous life. Very difficult for a tiger to be a 'good' tiger or a 'bad' tiger. S...

I believe that a tiger that has during its lifetime a mind state of an average tiger will likely be reborn as a tiger. And they were born as tigers in the first place because that was close to their mind state in the previous life. Very difficult for a tiger to be a 'good' tiger or a 'bad' tiger.

Why would it be nice? It would not necessarily be nice, because it might be very strange and disheartening. You have to consider: what would the consequence be of knowing the ultimate origin and what's the intent in knowing? If you answer that, maybe I could share some interesting theories. Well, t...

Monks, this samsara is without discoverable beginning. A first point is not discerned of beings roaming and wandering on hindered by ignorance and fettered by craving. -Samyutta Nikaya 15, "Connected Discourses on Without Discoverable Beginning" The Buddha taught that samsara (and so I as...

my experience, their experience - could be true
my experience, not their experience - could be true
not my experience, their experience - could be true
not my experience, not their experience - could be true

Does it matter? No.

I think I read a commentary about when a person dies, theres a possibility that they will stay around there for 7 days/49days. How many days doesn't matter. The question is, since the person stays here to look at the ones he/she loved for that time of a period, what they appear as??? They are certa...

Have a look at: Prebish, Charles S. and Jan Nattier 1977 Mahasamghika Origins: The Beginnings of Buddhist Sectarianism. History of Religions Vol 16/3 and Prebish, Charles S. 2010 "The Role of Prātimokṣa Expansion in the Rise of Indian Buddhist Sectarianism." Pacific World: Journal of the ...

There seems to be good scholarly information regarding the history of vipassana meditation in this book article: "The Origins of Insight Meditation" by Lance Cousins http://books.google.com/books?id=_B73f0ZajeQC&pg=PA35" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; You might...

http://www.audiodharma.org/talks/audio_player/120.html 1:24 - 2: 26 ??? would like to know what this bit is An Invitation to the Devas http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/dhammayut/chanting.html#devas" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; Samantā cakkavāḷesu Atrāgacchantu ...

Where do these Nazi Germanies, SS troops and bad men come from? What's the reason? Could Buddhist teachings somehow have helped in preventing this stuff beforehand, for example after WWI? I dont know. I do know that without WW2 all Europe' Jews and gypsies and many of its homosexuals and intellectu...

Where do these Nazi Germanies, SS troops and bad men come from? What's the reason? Could Buddhist teachings somehow have helped in preventing this stuff beforehand, for example after WWI?

Also, if there is no God, who do you thank when you see a beautiful view or other pleasing event and just feel great to be alive, and so thankful for what you have - who do you pass the feeling of gratitude onto!? Perhaps the pleasent experiences are a result of one's previous good kamma (i.e. inte...

This should answer you question: Tiltbillings, thanks for the Bodhisattva text. So there are no clear instructions given by the Buddha in the Pali suttas, but there's the story of Sumedha in a later text, the Khuddaka Nikaya's Buddhavamsa, and some Theravada teachers/commentators/scholars teach tha...