I dont doubt that the reply you recieved to your EMail resulted in your being able to rest secure in the knowledge that you have him and his whole life summed up and filed neatly in a non threatening drawer. My conclusions can only be based on the data I've been given. I know why I'm not Catholic a...

The man is a 60 year old father and grandfather. His academic credentials are impeccable. He has reached conclusions that many Buddhists would not share..but after many years of study. His is not a light hearted and credulous embracing of a faith and then dropping it for another. He is a sincere an...

I searched for this topic and didn't see any results, which seems surprising.

What is the Buddhist position, if any, on speeding in traffic? I'm sure this would fall under right livelihood, but what's allowed?

Who's to say are "natural" state of mind is better? As far as I can tell the natural human state of delusion, ignorance, and greed cause suffering. If we are to look at how a thing exists in reality, that would be an argument for preference of the natural state of mind. The actual experie...

Indulgence in concepts also prevents that we perceive reality on the direct way, that we perceive it as it is. Which is to say, no-thing ever truly is, right? But the mind reacts agressively to its extinction. It fights back. There is something threatening about nibbana. Mind would rather indulge. ...

This is a horribly basic question, so please forgive me. I have been completing some reading and the thought occurred to me, "Why is conceptualizing unskillful?". The obvious answer to this question is that conceptualizing and, by extension, the whole mental matrix leads to suffering. My c...

If there're local churches or temples, pay frequent visits and she could pay homage to the Buddha, or Christ, etc..So, there're lots of ways. Good luck.. I'm confused by your mention of paying homage to Christ. Does going to church on Sunday and "paying homage" to Christ truly generate go...

During my days as a Catholic, I sometimes tried performing redemptive suffering. Redemptive suffering is an "offering up" of one's sufferings for the welfare of other people who suffer just like one's self or worse in hopes that they will be redeemed, set free from their suffering, and one...

It sounds like vipissana is supposed to be uncomfortable. I always thought that a good, comfortable posture was key to proper meditation. I always try to start out comfortable. The thing is, any position after awhile becomes uncomfortable. That is the nature of the body. It is an uncomfortable thin...

It sounds like vipissana is supposed to be uncomfortable.

I always thought that a good, comfortable posture was key to proper meditation.

Hello, I'm currently reading Mindfulness in Plain English for the first time. I'm on chapter 7. Right now, I'm currently practicing shamatha meditation. It's the only meditation I know right now. Unfortunately, I don't meditate in ideal conditions. For one, I have to sit in a chair due to my size. E...

Hello, I'm currently reading Mindfulness in Plain English for the first time. I'm through Chapter 7 so far. And I'm scared. Last week I went on vacation. While on vacation, I really didn't have any chance to practice any meditation. We were staying in a small house with a bunch of family. Prior to v...

Musicians strive to make their songs interesting and worth repeated listenings. Granted, every time I listen to a certain song it's under different conditions which influences my perception of the music, but regardless of those conditions, if I've listened to the song enough times, I know every word...

I have almost always been attracted to Buddhism because I was under the impression that a teacher wasn't necessary. I am not sure where I picked up this impression, but it wasn't from a non-Buddhist source, I'm sure. One of the things about Mahayana that is the most unattractive for me is the insist...

Can dreams reveal insight into our past lives? Or are dreams too connected to the presently conscious world to be of any worth in that regard? If the dreams are recurring, is this possibly a more positive sign that such things perhaps occurred in a past life than the random "foreign" dream...