I am wishing for him to learn compassion -- anukampa -- sympathy in its fullest meaning of those words. He obviously had not a clue. He was doing what he was trained by Americans to do. Non-sense, and really warrants no response. As I said, I hope Bin Laden gets the opportunity to develop compassio...

In full awareness and appreciation of what has already been said here, I'd still appreciate if somebody can answer my initial question which is to find a list of usable labels outside the Sayadaw model. -M You have already mentioned that you have exhausted the Mahasi boilerplate found in books and ...

Is 6 too many? There's always the 5 aggregates, or you could really simplify it and go to nama-rupa, 2 categories. I thought there was something out there loosely based around the four foundations of mindfulness. Maybe 2 or three labels for each. I first learned this through Gil Fronsdal's online t...

My facebook page is lighting up with celebration, and apparently everybody is suddenly patriotic again. I clicked on a news story link and there was a battery commercial that was already playing on the patriotic theme - the sappy, swelling music, the slow motion flags waving. The same type of thing ...

In full awareness and appreciation of what has already been said here, I'd still appreciate if somebody can answer my initial question which is to find a list of usable labels outside the Sayadaw model.

-M

I have always had trouble with mental noting techniques in Vipassana, so I've generally not used them. I've tried working from the writings of Mahasi Sayadaw but I've found them to be too much for me, as in, too many labels. I always found that I spent more time obsessing about labels, worrying abou...

Greetings, I think "change" implies [or should imply, in my opinion] change in at least one of these: location, speed, direction, time, frequency, wavelength, etc. etc... If there is change [even if very slightly] in any one of these, then that is change. Isn't it? But what practical application do...

Hi There are only five types of sensual pleasures. Intellect isn't one. (i) "And what, bhikkhus, is the gratification in the case of sensual pleasures? Bhikkhus, there are these five cords of sensual pleasure. What are the five? Forms cognizable by the eye that are wished for, desired, agreeable an...

Remember that there aren't five senses in Buddhism, but six, including the mind. One can crave for and cling to ideas just as easily as the other senses "And what is craving? These six are classes of craving: craving for forms, craving for sounds, craving for smells, craving for tastes, craving for ...

This may sound backwards, kind of like "If you believe it then you'll see it." But for me the way to "verify" rebirth was to essentially adopt the view of rebirth first, to "try it on for size," if you will, and then watch how the perception of my life was altered as a result. The result was for me,...

I tend to think of it as "not-impermanent" but try not to bother with any conception beyond that. I believe in Abhidhamma it is considered permanent.

-M

Technically you are right, but it goes a bit further than that. You are already controlling your breath, it's just that we don't really realize how much we are doing so. In Buddhist technical lingo breathing is "bodily fabrication" which is an intentional act. As a matter of practice though, you wan...

I would say look closely at what the ceremony involves, the kind of commitment it involves making, and then determine what outcome that will have on your practice. I did a personal, private refuge ceremony for myself many years ago, but it wasn't nearly the same as when I finally was able to get to ...

If I misunderstood your position then I apologise. I understand that my reference to multiple traditions probably makes my position difficult to pin down at times. I agree completely that we can neither affirm nor refute concepts like Buddha Dhatu using the conceptual framework of the Theravada. Th...

Given that Thanissaro Bhikkhus thoughts on this issue are pretty much mainstream Theravada Meindzi, and I think you will find that they are... one obvious conclusion to be drawn here is that neither you nor Lazy eye are Theravadins....which I guess is your choice. You'd be incorrect. My understandi...