Search found 225 matches

by kmath
Wed Mar 05, 2014 4:42 am
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: Disrobe or ... ?
Replies: 8
Views: 2308

Re: Disrobe or ... ?

My advice on this matter is to stop wasting your time thinking about it. As hypothetical questions go, this one is up there with the most abstruse and wildly unlikely. A clingy spiritual ex in spirit form is NOT going to contact you to complain when you are an awesome meditation master. That's pret...
by kmath
Tue Feb 04, 2014 5:58 am
Forum: Samatha Bhāvana
Topic: Anapana Almost Impossible now...
Replies: 20
Views: 4380

Re: Anapana Almost Impossible now...

It's gotta be that you're up at 4 am. I mean, go back to sleep and try again at 5 or 6. Or do some kind of yoga or chi gung in the morning to wake you up before sitting. Or do walking meditation in the morning.

Sitting never works for me in the AM either. Walk in the morning, sit at night.
by kmath
Mon Jan 27, 2014 5:17 am
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: One's duty
Replies: 55
Views: 8356

Re: One's duty

Buddha says the moment we are facing death is very crucial. Not so: ...'If I were to die at this moment, what would be my destination? What would be my future course?" "Have no fear, Mahanama! Have no fear! Your death will not be a bad one, your demise will not be bad. If one's mind has l...
by kmath
Wed Jan 22, 2014 9:08 pm
Forum: Hot Topics
Topic: masturbation what's wrong?
Replies: 615
Views: 274473

Re: masturbation what's wrong?

Rahula needed to masturbate, Ananda needed a whore, how do you want these two young men back then to quarrel with a Buddha about it? Really? I suppose you have textual evidence of the above? if so, please present it. Thanks. Without respect lost, answering a question with questions: How do I have t...
by kmath
Wed Jan 22, 2014 5:15 am
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: Western Teachers of the Thai Forest Tradition
Replies: 40
Views: 17045

Re: Western Teachers of the Thai Forest Tradition

rying about the reasons why one might disrobe when those reasons may not really be any of our business. True but there are a number of folks on this forum thinking about ordaining. For them the reasons monks and nuns disrobe is useful information. For me, I'm just plain curious. I'm interested enou...
by kmath
Wed Jan 22, 2014 3:23 am
Forum: Theravāda for Beginners
Topic: Is Nibanna Extinction?
Replies: 25
Views: 5108

Re: Is Nibanna Extinction?

The Nature of Nirvana King Milinda said: "I will grant you, Nagasena, that Nirvana is absolute Ease, and that nevertheless one cannot point to its form or shape, its duration or size, either by simile or explanation, by reason or by argument. But is there perhaps some quality of Nirvana which ...
by kmath
Wed Jan 22, 2014 3:12 am
Forum: General Theravāda Meditation
Topic: Feeling scared when I read about the good things . . .
Replies: 19
Views: 4675

Re: Feeling scared when I read about the good things . . .

To the OP,

I'm not quite understanding what the fear is about. Is it fear of "letting yourself go" or something? Can you explain?
by kmath
Sun Jan 19, 2014 6:39 pm
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: Western Teachers of the Thai Forest Tradition
Replies: 40
Views: 17045

Re: Western Teachers of the Thai Forest Tradition

You imply Ajahn Brahm perhaps. But who else "were formerly in the Ajahn Chah camp but then moved onto other pastures" ? It wasn't Ajahn Brahm whom I had in mind but rather those monastics whose withdrawal from the Ajahn Chah scene was their own choice. For example, the American Ajahn Suma...
by kmath
Sat Jan 18, 2014 7:42 am
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: meditation in bad times
Replies: 5
Views: 1861

Re: meditation in bad times

it would be a good idea to do as much meditation as one can. AN6.20 Further, there is the case where a monk, as night departs and day returns, reflects: 'Many are the [possible] causes of my death. A snake might bite me, a scorpion might sting me, a centipede might bite me. That would be how my dea...
by kmath
Tue Jan 14, 2014 1:45 am
Forum: General Theravāda Meditation
Topic: progress in meditation?
Replies: 18
Views: 4572

Re: progress in meditation?

greeneggsandsam wrote: I also wanted to ask sometimes it does feel like I get a weird surge of energy flow through my body sometimes and it makes my body shake and my head feels like it tenses up (usually only last for about 30 seconds).
What does the surge feel like? Can you give some more details?
by kmath
Mon Jan 13, 2014 8:40 pm
Forum: Lounge
Topic: Depression, the secret we share
Replies: 38
Views: 5138

Re: Depression, the secret we share

retrofuturist wrote:Greetings,
tiltbillings wrote:
  • "The opposite of depression is not happiness, but vitality."
That makes sense to me. I've occasionally wondered whether "sloth and torpor" is intended to point to what we nowadays call "depression".

Metta,
Retro. :)
:goodpost:
Agree.
by kmath
Mon Jan 13, 2014 6:32 am
Forum: Lounge
Topic: It's (somewhat likely to be) an infinite universe...
Replies: 8
Views: 1798

Re: It's (somewhat likely to be) an infinite universe...

So the cosmos is eternal?

Why couldn't the Buddha have just told us that?
by kmath
Mon Jan 13, 2014 6:26 am
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: I'd rather be reborn
Replies: 188
Views: 30722

Re: I'd rather be reborn

Lots of people responded to my original question in ways that were actually helpful.
by kmath
Mon Jan 13, 2014 5:57 am
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: I'd rather be reborn
Replies: 188
Views: 30722

Re: I'd rather be reborn

clw_uk wrote:
Why not focus on the suffering in your life and how best to be free of it, instead of worrying about concepts like existence or non-existence?
I find it so irksome when people just write off a question like that. I mean, if you don't want to discuss it then just don't post on this topic.
by kmath
Mon Jan 13, 2014 5:44 am
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: Is rejecting food after noon sometimes wrong?
Replies: 24
Views: 4235

Re: Is rejecting food after noon sometimes wrong?

Many have suggested the OP just explain his decision not to eat to his family. But I haven't heard the explanation myself. To the OP, why are you keeping the 6th precept? That precept for monks was made so as not to inconvenience the laity. That is, instead of going for all alms three times a day, i...