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Hi Mal, I think I can understand your point of view. I don't know about the UK or Germany, but in the Netherlands you only have to pay the student loan back if you are capable of doing so. So if you aren't making any money it really isn't a depth. So I don't see any problem ordaining in this situati...

Hi Steve, 1. I know these from a book I read, but I think you can be creative with the verses: “May I be happy”, “May I be healthy”, “May I be free from danger.”, “May I take care of myself happily.” Just try to find some verses that generate some feelings of metta in you. 2. Maybe he does five minu...

Dear Hanzze, Dear Maarten, have you seen the movie The Cove . This is a very interesting movie in relation to your topic "Are we responsible for the actions of others?" , karma, sacrify and burden. I have seen this documentary, but I can't remember most of the details. I just remember it's about the...

Dear Dan, I can understand your line of reasoning and I share and admire your compassion for animals but I still don't think there is anything inherently immoral about buying meat. As I said before, to me being a vegetarian is more like saving lives than like refraining from taking them. Take the an...

Maybe we can share our favorite guided meditations here for others to enjoy? Here are my favorites: Ajahn Brahm's guided meditations: http://www.youtube.com/user/DhammalokaMeditation His metta meditations are especially good! Here's one of them: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Evx5X8g7prM I also like...

So there is nothing wrong in your view in profiting from an evil act? There is, but it is the German who is doing so. If buying the gold makes you feel horrible and guilty it's better to refrain from buying it. I still don't see any evil intentions in the buyer, aside from the greed for gold which ...

I was thinking about this in regard to vegetarianism. I became vegetarian thinking that buying meat equals hiring an assassin to kill someone, but it's not really like this. The butcher does the killing all on his own, the intention to kill arises in his mind and that's where it can be stopped rega...

Hi to both Dignity and RatherSkeptic. If you are suffering, you are attached to something, you crave something. Ask yourself what that could be. I see a lot of: "If only I were more motivated, if only I could concentrate more, if only I could not control the breath etc." This attitude of trying to ...

If you have to exert all your willpower to sit on that cushion, if it is a painful horrible experience and all you want to do is just run away then aren't you torturing yourself? Isn't that one of the extremes to be avoided on the middle way? If it is such a horrible experience and you are getting n...

This is true, but when we refrain from buying the butchers meat he still has the mind of a killer. He will have no problems becoming a pest exterminator or a soldier, so the problem continues. What if we have a greengrocer who likes to use the money he earns to go on hunting trips? Should we refrain...

I was thinking about this in regard to vegetarianism. I became vegetarian thinking that buying meat equals hiring an assassin to kill someone, but it's not really like this. The butcher does the killing all on his own, the intention to kill arises in his mind and that's where it can be stopped regar...

Happy Birthday to you!

In the book eight mindful steps to happiness Bhante Gunaratana describes a sutta where the Buddha was on his almsround and he came across a man who was feeding his workers. The Buddha asked the man if he had some food to spare, to which to man responded: “What work have you done?” the Buddha pointed...