If the Buddha had totally approved the removal of certain rules then the Buddha would have explicitly mentioned which ones.
In the 1st Council the monks could not decide what extent was minor rules, so ultimately decided to keep all the rules with the fault of not clarifying being with Ven. Ananda when the mentioned this.
This happens when you practice
You have to figure out what went wrong.
Scrutinise the instructions and read to validate your understanding. In case you practice what is unsuitable for you a wrong technique. Best starting point is to look into the Suttas which highlights the practice which might work for the majority. You will need a bit of trial and error to figure out what works.
Basic outline of what needs to be done is the you should be aware of:
You can analyse this at the level of sensations from corporeal body as Mahabhuta.
vedana can certainly be connected with three of the four mahabhuta (elements), which are collectively known as rupa. These three are pathavi (earth element), tejo (fire element) and vayo (air element). Apo (water element) is too subtle to touch, or is so subtle that one finds difficulty in feeling it. Now, to illustrate the connection between vedana and the three bhuta, when you have a cramp, which is the tightening of the muscles, it is pathavi; when you feel temperature of the body it is tejo; when you suffer from pain in the stomach, it may be something to do with vayo, for when the air in your stomach is stuck and finds no vent to get out, you have that experience of unpleasant feeling called pain. The connection of vedana with these mahabhuta makes it all the more manifest and helps one realize its true nature.
Source: Vipassana and Vedana as Understood by a Novice by U Tin Lwin
Similarly any of the 4 Satipatthana. More details and references can be found here.
Also look at the links between the 4 Noble Truths and what is felt. For details see Vedana and the Four Noble Truths by VRI.
Understand the relationship with what is felt (pleasant, unpleasant and neutral) with hindrances. See answer here for more details.
There are 5 ways to start your journey:
Followed by:
joy arises in him;
because of joy, zest arises;
because of zest, the body becomes tranquil;
when the body is tranquil, he feels happiness;
a happy mind becomes concentrated.
So formal meditation is not the only way. But having said that you should come to a reasonably concentrated and aware mind to progress from joy on wards. For this you might need some mediation. Even if you are not formally dong meditation, awareness and concentration of the arising and passing away of sensations (pleasant, unpleasant and neutral) progress is a must.
Rebirth and death is momentarily. Each instance the material composition of your body changes, arising and passing away. Physical death is not different. See this answer and this answer.
By doing Samatha meditation some people can develop memory of past lives. This way you can ascertain it. Also buy validating what you remember. Also there are studies like: Many Mansions: The Edgar Cayce Story on Reincarnation
This is an essential part. Each subatomic particle (Kalapas) arise and pass away. Main practice of Buddhism (vipassana) is to understand this at the experiential level.
And finally use this knowledge and insight at the moment or physical death to release oneself from the cycle of birth and death.
Rebirth is happens mometerity through the process of Momentary Dependent Origination (ekaccittakkhanika-paticca-samuppada). So you die and reborn multiple times in a split second. At physical death also something similar happens. The aggregates passes away and arise but in this case aggregates pass away in one body and arise in another.
According to the the original Buddhist teachings in the Suttas you should be aware of:
the latent tendency to lust reinforced by being attached to pleasant feelings
Also similar passages in: Cūla Vedalla Sutta, Mahā Vedalla Sutta, Samma Ditthi Sutta, Cha Chakka Sutta, Dhātu Vibhaṅga Sutta, Titth’ayatana Sutta
Where does the latent tendency of sensual lust lie latent?
The latent tendency of sensual lust lies latent here in the two feelings [pleasant and neutral] of the sense-sphere
Quote from Pm §587/123, Vbh §816/341, cf S 45.175 in Anusaya by Piya Tan
Cha Chakka Sutta goes to the extent that is is not possible if you delight in the plesent.
...
Latent tendencies
LATENT TENDENCIES ARISING THROUGH THE EYE. Bhikshus, dependent on eye and forms, eye-consciousness arises.
When the three meet, there is contact. Dependent on contact, there is what is felt as pleasant, or as painful, or as neither pleasant nor painful.
When one is touched by a pleasant feeling, one delights in it, welcomes it, remains attached to it. Thus one’s latent tendency of lust (rāgânusaya) lies latent.
When one is touched by a painful feeling, one sorrows, grieves, laments, beats one’s breast and falls into confusion. Thus one’s latent tendency of aversion (paṭighânusaya) lies latent.
When one is touched by a feeling that is neither pleasant nor painful, one does not understand it as it really is, the arising, the passing away, the gratification, the danger, and the escape with regards to that feeling. Thus one’s latent tendency of ignorance (avijjā’nusaya) lies latent.
Bhikshus, that one could make an end of suffering here and now, without abandoning lust for pleasurable feelings, without removing aversion towards painful feelings, without uprooting ignorance towards feelings that are neither pleasant nor painful this is IMPOSSIBLE.
...
Abandoning the latent tendencies
ABANDONING LATENT TENDENCIES ARISING THROUGH THE EYE.
...
Bhikshus, that one could make an end of suffering here and now, having abandoned lust for pleasurable feelings, having removed aversion towards painful feelings, having uprooted ignorance towards feelings that are neither pleasant nor painful this is POSSIBLE.
...
So what ever pleasantness you experience be aware of:
Any metal verbalisation creates Verbal Fabrications which you should explicitly avoid or your practice should be such that leads to ending of fabrication than creating them. Creating fabrication means future existence and misery hence hence there is little benefit though this might help develop a shallow form of Samadhi. See: Vedalla Suttas, Samma Ditthi Sutta.
Formations
Saying, “Good avuso,” the monks delighted and rejoiced in the venerable Sariputta’s words.
Then they asked him a further question: “But, avuso, might there be another way in which a noble disciple is one of right view, whose view is straight, attained to wise faith in the Dharma, and has arrived at this true teaching?”
“There might be, avuso.
When, avuso, a noble disciple
understands formations (sankhara),
understands the arising of formations,
understands the ending of formations, and
understands the way leading to the ending of formations,
in that way, avuso, he is one of right view , whose view is straight, attained to wise faith in the Dharma, and has arrived at this true teaching.
And what are formations, what is the arising of formations, what is the ending of formations,
what is the way leading to the ending of formations?
There are, avuso, these three kinds of formations:
the bodily formation,
the verbal formation,
the mental formation.
With the arising of ignorance, there is the arising of formations.
With the ending of ignorance, there is the ending of formations.
The way leading to the ending of formations is just this noble eightfold path, that is, right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration.
This is because noting there is Vitarka & Vicara (also see: Vitakka,vicāra by Piya Tan) creating access concentration. Though this process is creating fabrication which is negative the Samadhi part is gives a positive result. The net result of the -ve and +ve aspect will change from mental state you are in when practicing and net result will be hard to quantify hence should be avoided. People who might have benefited from this may have practiced in such a way that there was a net positive result, but this might not always the case for everyone and the same person at different times.
Trying to shorten it is aversion and trying to prolong it is clinging which are extremes you want to avoid.
To get the best benefit follow Pahāna Sutta:
Bhikshus, there are these three kinds of feelings.
What are the three? Pleasant feeling, painful feeling, neutral feeling.
Bhikshus,
the latent tendency of lust should be abandoned in regard to pleasant feeling;
the latent tendency of aversion should be abandoned in regard to painful feeling;
the latent tendency of ignorance should be abandoned in regard to neutral feeling.
Bhikshus, when a monk
has abandoned the latent tendency of lust in regard to pleasant feeling;
has abandoned the latent tendency of aversion in regard to painful feeling;
has abandoned the latent tendency of ignorance in regard to neutral feeling—
then, bhikshus. he is called a monk without any latent tendency, one who sees rightly. He has cut off craving, undone the fetters,18 and fully penetrating conceit, he has made an end of suffering.”
You approach should be pariyatti (lean), patipatti (practice) and pativedha (experience / validate)
To lean you can read. Perhaps a good starting point will be In the Buddha's Words: An Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon (The Teachings of the Buddha) by Bhikkhu Bodhi and Sutta translations by Piya Tan. Also you can find a course or teacher: http://ift.tt/1tGrLK8, http://ift.tt/1irjSoI
