Answer by Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena for Is really that "Breath Stops when Thought Stops"

Thinking process is associated with sensations, hence will not stop until sensations top. There are ways to stop thoughts is to develop Nirodha Samapatti or realise Nirvana by other means. When you have Nirvana as object only will your thinking stop.

When breathing stops your bodily fabrications have stopped. But when thoughts arise new fabrications arise which might have bodily impact hence breathing start again.

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Answer by Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena for Understanding that Perception and Consciousness are temporary

The 3 characteristics in Perception is difficult to identify as they are mostly tained by Perversion of Perception. Initially this can be rectified by building contracting perception. Seven such contemplations are given in (Vitthāra) Satta Sañña Sutta. Also when you experience Perception gives rise to the following chain thoughts arise > desires > passions > searching. (Saññā Nānatta Sutta) Generally what you can start looking at from searching. This is searching to experiences to fulfil your passions, so on and so forths. When you realise subject of lusting is impermanence then you see Perception of Impermanence. (Such pratice is covered in Anicca Saññā Sutta) This means your Perversion of Perception has reduced hence see the Impermanence of Perception. Ultimately what you lust is for sensation either pleasant, unpleasant or neutral by understanding this perhaps you can understand perception. This since perception is hard to understand try to understand something the impermanence caused by perception thought which you try to understand impermanence of perception or something that creates perception in the cause and effect chain.

What consciousness does is it recognises "It is pleasant ... unpleasant ... neutral". The the route to understand impermanence of consciousness is to start with the sensations it produce. You should see them as Arising and Passing with Equanimity. (Pahāna Sutta, Avijja Pahana Sutta 2)

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What Changes have Happened to the Pali Canon?

In the 6th council changes have been made to the Disclosure in Establishing Mindfulness in the Middle Length Discourses according to Ven Sujato and Ven Analayo where the section on the 4 Noble Truths was expanded. 3rd Council the Abhidhamma as made officially part of the canon.

Is there other known instances where changes to the Pali Canon happened either at this council or elsewhere?

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What are good Buddhist Blogs / articles sites / resource sites out there?

Perhaps we can maintain a collection of Buddhist blogs which might be of interest for many. I just stumbled across one which might be of interest called: Just A Little Dust. What else might be out there?

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Answer by Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena for Is Mindfulness the same as having an Observer?

What is realised at the experiential level is the Dhamma for you. What someone else experiences is not the Dhamma for you. In this sense there is no nonduality as people experience reality in different way (as for what I have learned.) There is nothing similar between experiences, though perhaps experience of among Buddha's maybe similar. The main goal of experiencing "reality as it is" to develop revulsion to the 5 aggregates. So what you you experience should be to the extent to avoid unwise attention of attention tained by perverted perceptions, thoughts and views. In this context there is always an observer who experiences phenomena though consciousness aided by the faculties, or one that who feels¹.

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¹

“It is to one that feels that I teach Dhamma, not to one that does not feel.” —The Awakened One

Also see: To one that feels by Luangpor Teean Juttasubho

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Answer by Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena for Are Bodhisattvas real human beings we can encounter?

Late Balangoda Ananda Maitreya Thero is known to have taken the Bodhisattva vows and aspiring towards Buddhahood in a future life. So is Nauyane Ariyadhamma Mahathera. So yes you can meet aspirants through many may not say so.

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Answer by Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena for Why does/would a "Bodhisattva" burdens himself and instigate others as well?

There are many motivations. One of the main motivations is loving kindness. Though this might not be generally considered, a small strain of sense of challenge, achievement, accomplishment or to achieving the ultimate can also be present. These may fade away depending on the stage you are in but surely a motivation early on to wish for Buddhahood. Also external influences can motivate this. I have heard when there were no Buddhas for a long time some beings who are is some stage of sainthood in higher planes influence possible earthlings to aspire to become a Buddha by telepathic influence and planting the seed or initial thought of aspiration.

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