Am I right that many come to the religion directly practicing meditation without a clear picture of why they practice it nor do they know the landscape of Samsara which provides more clarity as to where to move in life. Shouldn't meditation centers offer a briefing on these other things revealed in ...

Why is it said that "Therefore, Ananda, be islands unto yourselves, refuges unto yourselves, seeking no external refuge; with the Dhamma as your island, the Dhamma as your refuge, seeking no other refuge." (Mahaparinibbana Sutta)? We all know that we also rely on many other advice and insp...

Does meditation and vipassana bring good kamma?

What kind of pleasures are enjoying beautiful scenery like a beautiful sunset and ambience like in hotels and parks? Are they lowly desires or can monks enjoy them as well?

Anyone can provide a link for how to practice Vipassana step by step? Do you need a live instructor to learn it or can it be learned by reading instructions? It seems to be simple enough to learned by instructions. Are the 4 stages of release its only fruits or does it give good kamma and beget rebi...

I want come back to heaven :cry: Be careful what you wish for. Heaven isn't necessarily a bad place, though. If one has 'entered the stream', one's stay in heaven is not the same as for a worldling, so I read recently. One can even still progress in the Dhamma (depending on where one has gone, of c...

Dear Palletboy, Base on the information(The 31 planes of existence) (11) Devas Wielding Power over the Creation of Others (paranimmita-vasavatti deva) Which their lifespan could up to 16,000 Celestial years, 1 day = 1,600 human years Somewhere I have heard too the Buddha recollected his past life(9...

piotr wrote:Hi,

Why do you want to meet unawakened being in heaven? It seems to me that it would be more useful to meet devas who are noble ones and ask them to teach the Dhamma.

WOuldn't hurt to have two options..

Greetings, one can only attain once-returnership in this stage of the present Sasana... Set aside these illogical/superstitious/defeatist Dharma Ending Age notions and embrace the timelessness and steadfastness of the Dhamma. Metta, Retro. :) Timlessness is not within the sphere of Samsara. Everyth...

It is said that the bodhisatta of the future Buddha Metteya is currently residing in Tusita heaven and it is also said that every bodhisatta's second to the last birth is in Tusita. Is the current Metteya bodhisatta in his second to last birth or will he fare to other births before coming back to Tu...

This isn't going to be terribly helpful but in one of the talks on this page - http://bodhimonastery.com/bm/about-buddhism/15-a-systematic-study-of-the-majjhima-nikaya.html?start=9" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; - Bhikkhu Bodhi elaborates at length on Mara. Yes, Mara makes...

It is said that Maras dwell in the Sixth Heaven. If this is so, isn't that a dangerous place to live in? Wouldn't this be a not-so-fortunate birth? Is it written anywhere in Scriptures that elaborate on this heaven?

Hi it is said that the current Mara was the nephew of Maha Mogallana before he took hos last birth and was the head Mara at the time of the Buddha before Gotama Buddha. He went to heel after doing some evil to an arhat and his nephew replaced him and now the he is the current head Mara. Are Maras' l...

For hatred can never put an end to hatred; love alone can. This is an unalterable law. - The Dhammapada Is this really an "unalterable law?" What would happen to the Allied Forces in WWII or in any war or even in handling some hostile forces in our lives if tese verses are took seriously? ...

Does knowing how to enter jhana make you take rebirth as a brahma and the immaterial heavens in your next life automatically or do you have to enter into jhana at the moment of death to take rebirth in those realms? Also, can devas enter jhana? Please cite source on what part of the Tipitaka your an...