Answer by Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena for Reference request: blame as the source of anger?

He abused me, he beat me, he defeated me, he robbed me of my property. Whosoever harbor such thoughts will never be able to still their enmity.

Never indeed is hatred stilled by hatred; it will only be stilled by non-hatred — this is an eternal law.

— Dhp., vv. 4-5

(Source: The Elimination of Anger: With two stories retold from the Buddhist texts by Ven. K. Piyatissa Thera)

The bolded text implies they blame the other for one's plight.

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Answer by Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena for "Human Dignity" in Buddhism

In the time of the Buddha there was a cast system where people were segregated by cast. The Buddha mentioned that it is not by birth but through conduct that a person would become superior or not.

In addition, women did not have the equal place in society. The Buddha did eventually allowed the Bhikkhuni ordination.

Also there were animal sacrifices in India during this time. The Buddha mentioned that the animals also should be treated humanely and did not endorse these practices. Therefore the Buddhist philosophy did go beyond human dignity and it promoted respect to life itself.

Also the Buddhist teaching revolves around the 4 Noble Truths. Regardless of race, caste or any other factor all being get stressed and unsatisfied. One of the pillars of the part to alleviate stress is morality and living in harmony with others and society. Being moral you have to have self dignity and also treat others in a dignified way.

In Buddhism you have the concept of Karma. This encourages one to treat others the way you would like to be treated, i.e., in a dignified way.

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Regarding the 37 Factors what is the complete List of Balancing Factors, the Implication of it Not Being Balanced, Controlling Factors

The 37 Factors are sometimes paired as balancing factors. When they are out of balance there are some implications. Also there is a controlling factor. In many publications these are scattered throughout hence I am looking for:

• Balancing Factors,
• the Implication of it Not Being Balanced,
• Controlling Factors,
• references from the Canon where they appear

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For each Hindrance what Factors Counteract or Enhance them with References from the Canon?

If you take Jhana factors or the 37 Factors many of them counteract one of the Hindrances. So if these factors and perhaps other factors mentioned in the Tripitaka are grouped with the hindrance they counteract or enhance what would these grouping look like giving reference to the classification. I.e., each hindrance with the factors that counteract it and the factor that enhance them minimally including the Jhana and 37 Factors with reference to the Tripitaka.

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Answer by Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena for Head oscillations, magnetic force movement, dizzy head after Vipassana

When you do meditation you stop creating new Sankhara. The implication of this is past Sankhara surfaces and gives minute results and pass away. When this happens you get positive or negative out of the ordinary experiences. Best is not to give importance to them. These experiences can stay for a long time but eventually will pass off. Do not make yourself unstable by worrying about them.

An analogy is opening a soda bottle. It initially fizzers and then settles after the gas is gone.

Also see: Why is my head going all Poltergeist on me

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Answer by Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena for Best type of meditation for attention

... I was wondering what kind of meditation works best for creating lasting focus and a higher attention span in the mind. ...

Anapana meditation increases focus and attention.

Scientifically demonstrated benefits

See also: Research on meditation

The practice of focusing one's attention changes the brain in ways to improve that ability over time; the brain grows in response to meditation. Meditation can be thought of as mental training, similar to learning to ride a bike or play a piano.

Meditators experienced in focused attention meditation (anapanasati is a type of focused attention meditation) showed a decrease in habitual responding a 20-minute Stroop test, which, as suggested by Richard Davidson and colleagues, may illustrate a lessening of emotionally reactive and automatic responding behavior. It has been scientifically demonstrated that ānāpānasati slows down the natural aging process of the brain.

(source: http://ift.tt/21id85I)

So does Metta meditation

His mind can concentrate quickly

(Source: Metta (Mettanisamsa) Sutta: Discourse on Advantages of Loving-kindness)

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Answer by Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena for Not listening to parents is bad karma?

This is something I keep hearing from my grandmother that keeps annoying me so much. Although I am well off age (26 to be precise) I am still expected to listen to almost every word that my parents say (at least according to my grandmother). Not to bring in any personal matters into the site but I keep arguing that not listening to parents should not be considered as ill-treating them.

Not listening is not necessary ill treating but if you are intentionally hurting them then it is negative Karma.

Any way it is a good idea to listen to your parents but it does not mean you have to do exactly. They may have experiences you might not have. So best cause of action is to get their input and them proactively take the best possible and rational action. Sometimes by just listening you parent maybe happy.

Also be diplomatic when when you have a difference of opinion.

They expect me to wear nice clothes but I don't (I prefer wearing the same clothes. Who has time for fashion?).

Fashion is actually changing and attitudes. Getting too attached or averse to them is not skillful. Best is to get into a happy medium. If you are scruffy then your social acceptance will also go down hence there is some point in having to dress nicely. Everyone has to depend of society even monks to get their requisites hence you should be reasonably acceptable and presentable.

They expect me to marry the one they want.

If you have someone see how you can present the person of your choice. Sometimes there may be issues with your choice you might have not considered. If it is purely driven by lust it might not work. So think about compatibility. Play it tactfully.

They always say that as Buddhist I should be very obedient and these days when your turn the TV to listen to some Buddhist advice, monks most of the time talk about parent-child relationship and goes on about how children should always listen to parents.

As mentioned above getting wider range of input is beneficial to make optimal decisions. More than just robotically doing what you parents say what is needed is to make the relationship more cordial. This maybe difficult due to the generation gap.

I am not saying my parents ask me to do anything bad. But as children we know (sometimes not always) what is best for us.

Life choices perhaps may not be determinable until it plays out when you do not know who is right. All you can do make decision with the best facts you have.

But when we do what we want all hell breaks lose, daddy shouting mommy crying and granny shouting my bad karma will eventually give me disobedient children just like me.

Disobedience and rebellious behaviour sometimes maybe rooted in version. What you have to is to see if there is aversion present and is influencing your cause of action.

Jokes aside, I want a serious explanation when it comes to parent-child relationship. I am quite aware of the singalovada sutta but when we do something we want and parents get hurt is it always bad karma?

It can't be right?

If you do it with intention to hurt or your are due to being internally angry then it will be. So try to get into knowing your true intentions and motivation and what it is rooted in.

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Answer by Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena for Is there an eBook reader compatible Tripitaka?

I am presuming you are looking for translations. There is the Buddha Jayanthi edition which has both Sinhala and Pali.

English

• http://dharmafarer.org/ - does not have all the Tripitaka but there is a growing number of Suttas
• http://ift.tt/1gmxEWu - this has traslation by many and can be downladed in multiple formats in mulitple languages

Multi languages

• http://ift.tt/1DpSyUf - no PDF but mobile friendly. But has translations in multiple languages

Pali

• http://ift.tt/1QCuchL

Singhala

• http://ift.tt/1spvw6J - Buddha Jayanthi
• http://ift.tt/1QCuchM, http://pitaka.lk/ - A.P. de Soyza's translations
• http://ift.tt/20UaZYl

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Answer by Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena for To what extent can Ānāpānasati be related to Vipassanā?

Anapanasati is divided into 4 tetrads which correspond to the 4 Satipatthana hence the pratice of Anapanasati is actually a forms of Satipatthana / Vipassana. A thorough introduction to Anapanasati and how to develop this into Vipassana is difficult in this format hence it might be worthwhile to read a more elaborate book on it: Anapanasati: Mindfulness of Breathing by Buddhadasa Bhikkhu. You can complement this book with: Right Mindfulness: Memory & Ardency on the Buddhist Path by Thanissaro Bhikkhu

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Answer by Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena for To what extent can Ānāpānasati be related to Vispassanā?

Anapanasati is divided into 4 tetrads which correspond to the 4 Satipatthana hence the pratice of Anapanasati is actually a forms of Satipatthana. A thorough introduction to Anapanasati is difficult in this format hence it might be worthwhile to read a more elaborate book on it: Anapanasati: Mindfulness of Breathing by Buddhadasa Bhikkhu

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Answer by Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena for Why is human population increasing? Better kamma?

Human population is increasing whether we like it or not and might even hit 10bn in the next few decades. But why is this happening according to a Buddhist's perspective?

Since life expectancy on average is falling (famine, wars, etc.), the needed Karma need to gain human birth is falling.

Some that I know that don't believe in kamma use this as a counter example saying that if people are becoming more sinful they ask how come the population is increasing.

When humans become sinful the criteria to become human falls and life expectancy falls and life in the human realm becomes hellish with more conflicts.

While I have my own understanding (devas being born back among humans, kamma alone doesn't determine the next birth "cuti sitha" does) I would like your expert opinion this.

Cuti sitha is determined by Karma.

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Answer by Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena for Losing interest in Samsara and transformation one undergoes when following Buddhism

If you observe what is around you the right way you can make progress. Whatever you observe will be perceived as:

• desirable
• undesirable
• neither

which results in:

• pleasure
• pain
• neutral.

This is discussed in Sal-āyatana Vibhanga Sutta.

When you experience any of these sensations you should remain equanimous and aware of the arising and passing nature to eliminate the roots. See: Pahāna Sutta

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Answer by Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena for Are there meditations for forgiveness?

Well this form of meditation is not well established or part of the more common meditation object but Bhanthe Vimalasiri does teach forgiveness meditation. The instructions are here: http://ift.tt/1oKPjPW

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Answer by Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena for Betraying People

how can we teach our loved ones not to betray anyone in life with the guidance of Buddhism ?

This is the most difficult to do. Buddha would have made everyone understand the 4 Noble Truths if you can easily teach others. Most what you can do is try.

How can we teach our friends Betraying is bad ?

In certainty you cannot. But you can approach this in 2 angles by pointing out people are less likely to accept and deal with someone who do not have any scrules and also mention about the Karmic retribution

AND most importantly How can we make our mind when someone Betrayed ON us?

As you say this is the most important thing and what is relatively in your control. Best is to do Vipassana to make your mind.

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Answer by Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena for How to avoid Tattling

So how about Gossiping or the tattling about others lives ?

You are wasting your time and others time. Talk that is productive towards betterment of oneself, which lacks proper reasoning (mud slinging), if you are monk not connected with the goal, the pratice, the Dhamma or Vinaya.

How does Buddhism explain specifically about TATTLING ??

If it is to divide people then it is not right speech. Also it should not be with malice, but say you are a witness of a wrong doing then perhaps might have a social or legal or moral obligation to report it but even this case some aversion arises as you are averse to the fact that something does not fall to your moral, social or legal idea but in society, work and as a householder you have to do these things sometimes.

How one should practice not to Gossip about others lives ?

If it can be an example to others then maybe it is OK. Otherwise change the topic to something productive or something you can learn from.

In the other way how one should practice to face others Gossiping about himself/herself ?

If you can learn something from it then try to. Sometimes in Business and Work situations you have to promote or market your self and also engage in chatting to a maintain cordial relationships. This is not unproductive endeavour or killing time by chatting.

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Answer by Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena for Why doesn't a person cease to exist as soon as becoming an arahant?

What ceses when you become an Arahat is Perception and Feelings. (Sanna Vedana Nirodha) The mind is dependent on Perception and Feelings hence the mindd also stop functioning.

The mind ceases when you are in Phala Samapatti and Nirvana as the object. When you come out of it an Arahat's mind starts to function again but the difference is that a Arahat does not have roots and Citta which have roots doe not occur in an Arahat, hence does not create any new Karma.

As mentioned by others, an Arahat continue to exist due to momentum from past Karma until the end of life.

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Answer by Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena for What is the attitude toward homosexuality in Buddhism?

Any form of sexual attraction including being gay is based on desire which is unwholesome and result experiences which are painful in the future. Buddhism deals with correcting you metal tendencies by getting rid of the roots which creates misery. This is done through practicing Vipassana and is a gradual process. Through Vipassana you can transcend any sexual preferences and orientation. To get more insights into this it is best you take a course at: https://www.dhamma.org or http://ift.tt/20IaRuY

See: Saññoga Sutta

Homosexuality is considered a deviant pratice. This is rooted in excessive lust.

Now, bhikshus, amongst those humans whose life-span was 500 years, three things were widespread,

that is, abnormal lust, excessive desire and deviant conduct.

With the increase of abnormal lust, excessive desire and deviant conduct,

the life-span of beings declined, their beauty declined, too.

For these humans whose life-span and beauty were declining, whose lifespan was 500 years, that of some of their children was 250 years, and some 200 years.

More lust in deviant practices is worse off that non deviant pratice like hetrosexuality, which in some cases in the past may have been less rooted in desire, but both are rooted in unwholesomeness.

See: Cakka,vatti Siha,nāda Sutta

Is is bit unclear as to whether this is a transgression of morality but it is considered less ideal than being straight. Being straight also is based on unwholesome roots of attachment. In any case lack of fidelity and cheating in a sexual relationship would be a moral transgression.

Also Buddhism do not hold any specific attitudes towards anything as such but your choice of action is shaped by the expected results of a action or view which you cling onto. Has iterated before, homosexuality is a result of excessive lust, one should approach these practices more cautiously and perhaps practice meditation to overcome lust. If you die with lust the chancesare that your next birth will be bad.

Though in the time of the Buddha these practices would have been there this would not have been widespread as now due to longevity during the period would have resulted in the amount of lust would have been less. Hence would have not come up much.

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Answer by Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena for Does meditation giving you 'joy' because there is lack of suffering, or does it give something positive?

Meditation involves mastery over the mind (concentration) and to know things as they are (wisdom).

When developing concentration the the Jhana Factors arise of which one is Joy. Also when wisdom increases the Enlightenment Factors develop out of which Joy is one. Meditation does induce Joy and in progress where one stage you encounter is Joy: Upanisa Sutta, (Ekā,dasaka) Cetanā’karaṇīya Sutta, (Dasaka) Cetanā’karaṇīya Sutta, etc.

Nirvana is the final goal. There is no Joy associated with it but is a good thing as there is no suffering but Joy is included in suffering as it is impermanent, can come to an end, pass away, fade away, cease, change as described in Raho,gata Sutta.

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Answer by Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena for Sutta Reference, perception, judgment

(1) a sutta in which the Buddha says, I believe, that one is able to perceive the beautiful as ugly and the ugly as beautiful, along with other pairs that one can perceive in the way opposite to what is natural.

I am not sure if there is Sutta which mentions this but the following does have something like what you mentioned above which is called the 5 perception (pañca saññā) which appear in Metta,sahagata Sutta (quotation below), Indriya Bhāvanā Sutta, Tikandaki Sutta, etc.

(1) If he wishes thus, ‘May I dwell perceiving the repulsive in the unrepulsive,’ he dwells perceiving the repulsive therein. (2) If he wishes thus, ‘May I dwell perceiving the unrepulsive in the repulsive,’ he dwells perceiving the unrepulsive therein. (3) If he wishes thus, ‘May I dwell perceiving the repulsive in the unrepulsive and in the repulsive,’ he dwells perceiving the repulsive therein. (4) If he wishes thus, ‘May I dwell perceiving the unrepulsive in the repulsive and in the unrepulsive,’ he dwells perceiving the unrepulsive therein. (5) If he wishes thus, ‘May I dwell rejecting both the unrepulsive and the repulsive, and dwell in equanimity, mindful and fully aware,’ he dwells therein equanimously, mindful and fully aware.

---

(2) A sutta in which the Buddha says that you shouldn't judge others since only he or one like him knows the full extent of people's kamma. I believe it is from the long discourses.

Acinteyya Sutta mentions karmma is unfathomable thence thinking and trying to read too much into it is futile for a person who is not a Buddha. I think what is said is that you should not judge the working of Karma.

The result of karma, bhikshus, is unthinkable [beyond thought], should not be thought about, thinking about which would bring one a share of madness or vexation.

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Answer by Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena for Forced conversion

How are we supposed to respond to forced conversion, is the choice completely personal or did Buddha ever talk about this i.e. conversion or death?

I Buddhism there is not conversion. Yet the Buddhist pratice has convertion from bondage to liberation and misery to happiness as it aims at eradicating the metal conditions which create unsatisfactoriness.

If someone chooses death over conversion to other religion, would that be the same as killing oneself or not maintaining loving kindness toward oneself and others?

No as you do not have self hate to kill yourself which is the case in suicides.

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Answer by Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena for Killing a bigger animal causes more bad karma than killing a smaller animal?

The intensity of Karma in killing of a being including an animal can be influenced by these 2 factors:

• intensity of volition - more planning or effort the worse (elephant vs ant), more stronger your desire to kill the worst
• conciseness of the being - if the being has a higher level of conciseness (elephant vs ant) and virtue (bear vs cow) the worst

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Answer by Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena for what the buddha said about his own karma?

what the buddha said about his own karma?

The Buddha mentioned that there were 8 past Karma which were effective even after becoming Buddha. See: Why the Buddha Suffered - Apadāna 39.10

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Answer by Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena for Thought or intention is always karma?

Thought is what decides Karma. Same action with different motivation or volition can be bad or good depending on the motivation or volition. That is volition is what becomes Karma.

If you follow though with your intentions then this can lead to rebirth linking Karma. If you don't it will be weaker Karma.

If you have the volition but not the means to follow through then it will be a weak Karma as discussed above.

Volition bears fruit based on the root and level of mental lethargy or whether you or someone else has to prompt you to do something. If you have the thoughts but not the desire to do it then the root are missing or very weak hence there is unlikely to be Karmic results. If there is lethargy but there is genuine desire, the roots weak but present hence will have diminished Karmic results. More than the thoughts, imagination of doing something, visualisation of doing something, what counts is motivation or volition or desire to do the thing, though such thoughts could lead to desire or motivation or volition to act. As discussed above all factors may not align to successfully follow through.

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Answer by Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena for Birth of Buddha

Prince Siddhartha was insulated from anything that might prompt him from renouncing the householder's life. Not being fully liberate at that point the natural tendency of the mind is to enjoy such experiences. There is no record where he forgot such fate but I would presume that he would have expected to be a Universal Monarch as this is what would have been feed to him constantly. Maha Saccaka Sutta mensions that

Then, Aggi,vessana, I thought thus, ‘I recall that when my father the Sakya was occupied while I was sitting in the cool shade of a rose-apple tree, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, I entered upon and abided in the first dhyana that is accompanied by initial application and sustained application, zest and joy born of seclusion.

perhaps there could be some forgetting or setting aside. But when he left the palace I would expect he would have expected to be a Buddha otherwise he would not have followed through in renouncing to find the truth.

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Answer by Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena for Is homosexuality a sin?

Any form of sexual attraction including being gay is based on desire which is unwholesome and result experiences which are painful in the future. Buddhism deals with correcting you metal tendencies by getting rid of the roots which creates misery. This is done through practicing Vipassana and is a gradual process.

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Answer by Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena for Should we "ignore" feelings while being mindful and aware of the present moment?

Any experience you should be equanimously and objectively aware of perceiving (desirable, undesirable, neither) and sensation (pleasant, unpleasant and neutral) of the arising and passing or the sensation devoid of any craving or clinging while keeping though proliferation in check.

When you let go there is a feeling of renunciation. A house holder seeks sensual pleasure and is temporarily satisfied or unsatisfied by the experience by perceiving and desirable or undesirable or neither. When you renounce householders life you strive to stop this perceiving by understanding the universal characteristics of the experience (changing, unsatisfactory, non self). In this letting go there is a pleasure also whis is non sesual nature.

See: Sal-āyatana Vibhanga Sutta

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Answer by Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena for Why is dukkha bad?

Dukkha arises from any feeling which you would perceive:

• pain - this on itself is painful
• pleasure - this is painful when you part with it
• neither pleasure nor painful - this will also change into pure pain or pleasure followed by the pain of parting with it as you still creating conditions for future existance

These sensations or feelings arise from the perception that an experience is:

• favorable - pleasure
• unfavorable - pain
• neutral - neither pain nor pleasure

All these experiences are conditioned. When the conditioning factor disappears so does the sensation associated with. The conditioning factors are not permanent nor in your control to keep experiencing pleasure. Also you might get bored with an experience and then you perceiving this as favorable experience will change where by changing the sensation or feeling experience.

There are few things happen when you experience a sensation of feeling:

• pleasure - develop greed to experience more
• pain - you develop aversion towards it and want to get rid of it or experience less of it
• neutral - you are ignorant of the fact that you are still in the process of creating future experiences whereby you will experience pain

With the above reaction your mind start creating thoughts on:

• in the future I should be like this or do as such
• in the past I should have done as such

Also in striving to realise the sensation you crave for, you would take action which in some cases might not be wholesome.

All the above creates conditioning (Sankhara) for future experiences which again will be unsatisfactory. The conditioning are from 3 sources which are discussed above:

• mental conditioning arising from perception and sensation
• verbal conditioning arising from thinking and pondering, this is called verbal as you need to think and form the speech before you talk
• bodily conditioning tied with the breath, when you are to do something unwholesome you would be agitated hence when you plan and execute your breath will be hard

So the objective of Buddhist meditation is to examine this perceiving (favorable, unfavorable, neutral) and sensation or feelings (pleasure, pain, neutral) objectively or equanimously knowing the to arise and pass away so you do not lose the balance of your mind and create further conditioning (Sankhara) which keep you rolling in misery or unsatisfactoriness (Dukkha).

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Answer by Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena for Life after death

We have to all believe that we at least have this life let alone past or future lives. In Buddhism one thing connected or leading to the final goal is to develop revolution towards you aggregated through understanding of the 4 Noble Truths and Dependent Origination. Even moment to moment the wheel of DO is tuning whereby an existance in one form passes away to create a new existance. Even this initially you do not have to believe, but keep an open mind that it is not fase until verified. With this view start practicing and you will get to verify that it is true in the span of this lifetime and hence interpolate to to multiple lives as death and rebirth is only a special event in the turning of DO.

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Answer by Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena for Dulling the mind through meditation?

Calmness can lead to sloth and torpor if it is not balanced with effort. In which case you have to increase the frequency you move the mind into the object of attention even when it does not wander away.

Also be mindful of the arising and passing of sensations with equanimity to abandon greed, hatred and delusion. This is described in Pahāna Sutta, Avijja Pahana Sutta 2.

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Answer by Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena for Doing a wrong thing for the right reasons?

I Buddhism what matters is the roots (greed, hatred, delusion, non greed, non hatred, non delusion).

Greed, hatred and delusion are unskillful as they give results which you would perceive unfavorably hence resulting in a unpleasant sensation in the future. They are unskillful as they reap an undesired result and is not connected with the goal in Buddhism which is to be free from unsatisfactoriness which is to transent the sphere of perception and sensation (sanna vedayita nirodha).

Non greed, non hatred, non delusion are skillful as they reap experiences which you perceive favorably in the future.

So it depends on the root or volition behind the action. The same action can be done with different motivation which decide whether it is skillful or not.

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What are the 8 Consciousness in Chinese Buddhism

The answeres to the following question: Is the Ocean Samadhi a metaphor or an actual meditation? implply there are 8 types of conciousness in Chinese Buddhism. What are these? How did they originate? Is this there a common text with Theravada which is cited deriving or rationalising this?

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Answer by Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena for Losing in thought and autopilot kicked in

Is it really a mistake to be lost in thought?

When Satti is absent you create fabrications hence future misery. Therefore, it is a "mistake" to be lost in thought.

Is my way of countering have bad effect?

You are doing Kayanupassana hence this is one of the solution is being mindful, i.e., mindfulness of the body. In addition be mindful of the bodily sensation when moving like the fabrics touching your body, the wind sweeping over your skin, etc. Also look at muscular pains and pain and pleasure in changing postures.

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Answer by Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena for What is a nirvana?

Nirvana is the cessation of the cause of continuous existance (attachment, hatred, delusion, non attachment, non hatred, non delusion).

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Answer by Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena for I am having hyper vigilance issue in my daily life

You should start by being mindful on when you perceive something as a threat, friendly and neither. Look at the associated sensation that arise with such pratice. Best is to do a course on meditation. You can try: http://ift.tt/1tGrLK8, http://ift.tt/1of2482, http://ift.tt/1irjSoI

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Answer by Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena for Some daily-life examples to help explain what 'mindfulness' and 'mindless activity' are?

Sati means it aids remembering. So if you are mindful you are aware of what is happening. So in this aspect if you pay close attention and absorbed in the movie you have mindfulness with perhaps no fantasising or other though proliferation then you are mindful.

Right mindfulness is to be mindful of the 4 Satipatthana. The essence is that you have to experience the arise of passing off sensation resulting from what you see in the movie is to your liking, disliking and neither.

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Answer by Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena for 8 causes of Earthquake - Maha-parinibbana Sutta

There are instances where the earth trembled due to certain significant event or a very meritorious person. But I do not think these are not very serious tremors. In recent times also these have happened. E.g.

Sometimes, even in this unhappy atmosphere, there would be a ray of hope. Sayagyi had said that on my arrival in India, nature would give a sign of my future success. I travelled by air from Yangon (Rangoon) and, as it happened, when I descended from the plane in Calcutta there was an earth tremor. The next day I read in the newspapers that it had affected a large area of northern India. To me it was as if the country was thrilled to regain the long-lost jewel of the Dhamma.

Signs of this kind had occurred in the time of the Buddha. Was this nature’s way of expressing joy at the rebirth of the Buddha’s teaching through the return of Vipassana? However, when I recalled the present difficulties, I felt that perhaps the earthquake had just been a coincidence and that it was senseless to give it importance. I needed to understand and accept the existing situation, which was bleak.

Source: First Vipassana Course In India

Killing many beings who a meritorious may cause natural disasters. In the past there is a Tsunami which hit Sri Lanka when an Arahat was killed. In such cases life may get harmed.

Being enlightened is beneficial to oneself and others. Generally as far as I know earth tremors arising from this do not harm beings.

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Answer by Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena for I would like to become Buddhist

I've heard that they don't belive in any god.

I've heard that they don't believe in any god.

It depends on what you mean by God. Buddhism does not have the concept of a almighty, creator (deism), sustainer, creator plus sustainer (theism), destroyer, everlasting god but does mention Deva are celestial being / deity but which sometimes translated perhaps loosely or incorrectly into English as gods.

How can I get into buddhism?

Why don't you 1st take a course at a meditation centre. You can locate a centre close to you here: http://ift.tt/1tGrLK8, http://ift.tt/1of2482, http://ift.tt/1irjSoI

What kind of books do you recommend to read for starters?

Start with In the Buddha's Words: An Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon (Teachings of the Buddha) Edited and introduced by Bhikkhu Bodhi

Can I be a Buddhist without joining any community?

Anybody walking the path (The Noble 8 Fold Path) with a view to come out of stress and lamination can be considered a Buddhist. It will be helpful if you are part of a community as it can help you with learning and practice. But also if you join the wrong community it can be decremental.

Is there any kind of "secular" Buddhism?

Secular Buddhism as in the west may have gone too far in re integrating Buddhism but inherently Buddhism is secular. Also see answers to this question on Secularized Buddhism

I would like to learn about their vision of life without making any rituals. Is that possible?

Buddhism does have culture which has developed around it and the cultural significance change from country to country. There are not Rights and Rituals in Buddhism itself.

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Answer by Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena for Sallatha Sutta and modern psychology

Simply put it, a joined person - identifies sensation with self and is attached to it hence creates becoming in the future hence a joined person remains stressed. The opposite is true for a disjoined person. A joinder person is so due to the fact he is not conversant the the pratice and has no proper instructions to pratice. Multiple authors translate the same into different english words.

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Answer by Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena for Total number of beings in the entire space as we know is constant? Increases? Decreases?

There is no mention of the number of being in lower realms hence there is a possibility that in a given universe there are infinite beings. Also the number of universes are infinite hence even if there are finite being in a world system the infinity of world systems will make the number of being infinite.

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Answer by Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena for Four Noble Truths contradicting?

I did not watch the video but ...

If you take education there are different levels of education. The level discussed in kindergarten and university is quite different. Similarly when some concept is presented. The most systematic form of the path is the rendering in the Noble 8 Fold Path.

Anyway 3rd Noble truth is eliminating unsatisfactoriness by ridding yourself of craving and clinging and the 4th is the method to do so. In ridding yourself of craving clinging you also rid yourself of the unsatisfactoriness.

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Answer by Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena for Similarity between creation in Abrahamic religions and beginning of life in Earth mentioned Agganna Sutta?

In buddhism eating anything is not forbidden. Is it the the desire to experience also and the creatures evolved to have the respective faculties like the tongue. These experiences increase carving and lust which worsened the conditions of beings.

Also according to Jesus lived in India by Holger Kersten, abrahamic religions were influenced by Buddhism. Hence there can be similarities.

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Answer by Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena for Loss of "faith" in buddhism

Everything just seemed right, because I was truly convinced by this idea that the truth lies within, and I just saw the buddha as someone who had found it.

Buddhism is about the psychology of suffering in life and the way to overcome it.

karma and rebirth in other worlds

Karma is that each action will have a reaction in a the future. E.g. if you seek a life of crime then jail time may follow though many who do not expect to be caught.

We have to at least believe in this world. There is the human realm and the animal realm which we can directly see. The possibility of other worlds seam illogical just for some time leave them aside. As you see many and verify much of what the Buddha though through pratice then you can start believing them and also perhaps which might be beyond your experience and you might not be able to experience everything the Buddha experience himself. If the belief does not come, belive what is logical and what you experienced. One of the main ways to experience there aspects of the teaching beyond the normal sphere of comprehension is through mediation.

It seems to be the religion that existed before buddhism, and it has karma, it has the samsara, the liberation (which is a little different), the worlds, the gods

Hinduism had these aspects but Buddhism is completely different. A lot of things which are at the core of Hinduism was rejected by the Buddha. He accepted what was true.

Leave aside that may not be logical for the time being and pratice until you have verified facts through your experience. Experiencing the teaching will reinforce your belief.

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Answer by Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena for Does "which is void of formations (conditioned phenomena) since it is the cessation of them" refer to nibbana or the knowledge that abides in nibbana?

The roots (greed, hatred, delusion, non greed, non hatred, non delusion) creates conditioned fabricated state. When the root condition passes away so does what was fabricated. The root conditions are impermanent hence is the result. Each root condition and the result is tied with sensation which are unsatisfactory they neither last or in control of them.

When you do Vipassana and keep eliminating to roots a stage will come where there is no more results of past conditioning nor is you mind creating new conditioning. At this state you experience the 1st glimpse of Nirvana. As the root and result is tied to sensation what you experience as Nirvana does not have any sensation hence is satisfactory (not unsatisfactory) and since not dependent on an impermanent root it is permanent though still it is not not in ones control (you cannot bestore it on someone else nor can you realise it by will or wish).

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Answer by Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena for Didn't Buddha Say The Biggest Fault Of Humanity Was Idol Worship

Idols were created Kanishka's time. This was used as a tool to develop faith by worship.

even though Buddha himself said Idol worship was one of the biggest scourges of humanity

I do not thinks there is any reference to this in the Tripitaka.

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Answer by Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena for Mindful meditation, problems with anger. Where do I find other Buddhist for learning support?

The 2 components to this:

1. the 1st case that made you angry
2. what kept you rolling in anger

Initially when some unwanted thing happens you get angry. The subject of anger can be towards a person of situation you are in.

If it is a person one reason that keep you rolling in anger is the though "x did y to me". Here you have a notion of a doer and you the receiver or experiencer or some other association. When it is a situation you still may have the self identification as experiencer or receiver or some other association with the situation.

Now this can be due to your Karma and also the experience of what was done maybe in the past. Dwelling on this makes anger into feud if it is to do with a person. Contemplating this as past Karma, disidentification of the action from the identity of self as oneself and the other person or people, contemplating that situation will not last for even and subjected to change, also contemplating that there is no entry who did this and no entity who experienced this and whoever perceive has the doer has changed and no more and whoever you perceive as the experiencer has also changed and no more, etc. can help reduce this. Here the remedy is at rectifying the perceptional or the view which cases anger to arise.

At a more advance stage you can contemplate on the sensation this bring. You have a Perceived ideal as in how you should be treated or an ideal situation you should be in which what you experience deviates from then this results in unpleasantness. Similarly for when a pleasant situation or treatment changes and finally when you are in a situation or treatment which you do not evaluate positively or negative hence which is neither pleasant nor unpleasant. Though this you study the full sphere of sensation (vedana) or unsatisfactoriness (dukkha). This is more or a permanent solution whereby you eradicate the roots which case this type of unpleasantness and your bondage to becoming which can cause future experiences of such nature.

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Answer by Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena for Is it important that the reality of things doesn't exist, instead of just behaving like things don't exist?

Whatever that exist outside we experience through our sense doors and paint a picture in our minds. This metal model we construct will not exactly correspond to what is outside will not the exactly the same from person to person depending on many factors like cognitive ability, sharpness of senses, etc. Hence that we know about the world is not perfectly in touch with reality and not always exist as we expect it to be. So it would be safe to say that anything we perceive as such does not exist in such a form that we perceive or expect it to be in. Also our outlook of the world is mentally constructed and does not exist in any form we expect or think it to be in. Also we have no ability to exactly know what exactly the world is as we are limited by cognitive ability and or faculties. So we will never know the world as it is, perhaps unless you become a Buddha as only Buddha can see all phenomena.

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Answer by Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena for Are there any descriptions of the deathless/unborn in any tradition of Buddhism?

In Abhidhammattha Sangaha Sections on Supramundane Consciousness, Realisation of Nibbana, Rootless Consciousness, Nirodha Samapatti, Realization, Emancipation and Attainments cover aspects of Nirvana.

There are a few book which is based on this:

• Comprehensive Manual of Abhidhamma, Bhikkhu Bodhi, general editor
• Fundamental Abhidhamma, Dr. Nandamālābhivaṃsa
• Handbook of Abhidhamma Studies by Sayadaw U Sīlānanda

You can consult them for further details. Also look directly at the source, viz., The Abhidhamma Pitaka which is available for from http://abhidhamma.com/.

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Answer by Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena for Meditation for Psychosis

Meditation can help but at a risk. When you are doing meditation certain experiences will surface and sometimes your condition may worsen temporarily. In such cases you have to be steadfastly looking at the arising and passing away of sensation in your body scanning from head to foot. This can be any sensation like air touching your body, cloths touching your body, itching sensation, etc.

This meditation technique is called Vipassana. There are two main divisions according to subject matter in Vipassana.

1. On form (Rupa) - this is mainly using body (kaya) and sensation (vedana) as the subject
2. On Mind (Arupa) - thinly has mind (Citta) and Dhamma as the subject

When you have a psychological disorder you generally become effective hence you have to choose Body and Sensation for contemplation on meditation On Form. Also most likely you would be more reactive and tempered hence you of the two Sensation as the subject is the most effective. In all the other satipaṭṭhāna is inter mingled with sensation but in such a case you sensation should be your main choice especially that arising in the body to start with and in the mind.

(Source: http://ift.tt/1TB10F5)

Also until you become better excessive concentration is not advisable until the psychological episode subsides. You can try increasing meditation like the breath meditation as things improve, but if leads to instability concentrate on scanning the body.

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Answer by Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena for Is the determining thought moment (vottopana) based entirely off of past karma?

Arammana is due to past Kamma. Vottapana decides future Karmic effects.

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Answer by Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena for Conceptual reality, mettā, ignorance

In Abhidhamma totality of all phenomena is in 5 categories.

• Ultimate realities - or realities that are atomic or do not lose meaning when broke down to lower level of abstraction
  1. Mind states
  2. Metal content
  3. Materiality
  4. Nirvana
• Conventional realities - abstracted or compounded concepts which the meaning is lost when break down to lower levels of abstraction
  5. Concepts

A person is a concept as you say which is used for Sublime meditation. But there you use this concept to break the concept of one being a dear person or being (agreeable object), a foe / dangerous being (disagreeable object) and neutral person or being (neither agreeable nor disagreeable object). When you practice Metta you break these conceptual boundaries about beings.

Ignorance is not knowing the 4 Noble Truths and Dependent Origination (DO). If you take the 1st which is Dukkha, you experience this with beings. Meeting a loved one is a pleasure or give pleasant sensation, parting is displeasure, meeting a unloved being is a displeasure or gives unpleasant sensations, meeting someone neutral is neither pleasurable or displeasurable. All the above covers the full spectrum of Dukkha or sensations or what is felt. By being equanimous towards the sensation knowing it is impermanent and not totally controllable and breaking the Perceptions you remove Ignorance. This also related to DO through Ignorance and Feeling / Sensation link.

If you have a polarity or temperament like being hot tempered then the Sublime Meditation can help you reduce these tendencies at the conceptual or perceptual level. This is more at the surface level.

Also concept of person has the notion of beauty which also results in similar notion as beautiful (agreeable hence pleasant sensation), ugly (disagreeable hence unpleasant sensations), neither (neither agreeable nor disagreeable hence neutral sensations). Here you have to look at a person as anatomical parts, materiality, and decay to break the perception of beauty.

Concept on its own is not Ignorance but can lead to Ignorance due to Corruption of Insight (Vipallasa) which covers you from seeing the 4 Noble Truths and DO. So if your meditation object is a concept you have to note that is it either impermanent and not in one's control hence Dukkha. Dukkha as mentioned before links up with the 4 Noble Truths and DO.

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Answer by Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena for Why Shakyamuni Buddha choose Indian subcontinent as a favorable place to teach Buddhist way of living?

The five major factors were when the Buddha chose to be born

1. If it is the right time to be born as a human being in order to attain Buddha hood
2. The right continent to have birth
3. The right country or the state
4. The right cast
5. The right person chosen as the mother to give birth to

In the Indian sub continent there was many exploration of spiritual development during the time. Hence this was chosen as the right time and place.

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Answer by Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena for How to balance samatha and vipassana practice?

When meditating from person to person and even from session to session the following can happen:

• insight develops before calmness
• calmness before insight
• neither calm nor insight
• both calm and insight

Calmness and insight should be balanced through personal effect and also you should seek guidance on balancing both. [(Samatha Vipassanā) Samādhi Sutta 1 - 3]

Also it is helpful if the calmness is developed through concentrating on one of the Satipatthana [Saṅkhitta Dhamma Sutta] as the object of meditation is not tainted by a Vipallasa [for more on Vipallasa see: Vipallasa Sutta].

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Answer by Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena for Two interpretations of the three levels of suffering, Dukkha Sutta and Tibetan

All conditioned phenomena has sensations associated with it. When we experience "the world" we Perceive the experience agreeable, disagreeable and neither agreeable nor disagreeable¹. This in turn leads to pleasure, displeasure and neutral sensation or feelings which intern is linked to attachment, aversion and ignorance which is further linked with the suffering of change, the suffering of pain and the suffering of fabrication². If you follow this order then it is also different from both presented. If you are looking from an intensity of pain perspective then it follows: the suffering of pain (pain), suffering of change (change from pleasure) and the suffering of fabrication (existance itself in neutral sensations).

Suffering of formation is due to ignorance which intern results in the other 2 roots and all sensations³. All your experiences of conditioned phenomena is through contact which in turn creates karma which in turn creates further experiences⁴. So suffering due to conditioned phenomena is universal as this create birth followed by possibility of unpleasant life experiences ending in death.

---

¹

When a monk sees a form with the eye, (in him) the agreeable arises, the disagreeable arises, the agreeable-and-disagreeable [the neutral] arises

...

Source: Indriya Bhāvanā Sutta

² Pahāna Sutta

³ Avijja Pahana Sutta 2

⁴ Nibbedhika (Pariyaya) Sutta

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