Answer by Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena for How should one look at buddhist mythologies and cosmologies from a scientific perspective

... reconcile with modern science? ...

Modern science is always changing with new theories and discoveries but Buddhism is presented as eternal or timeless which is valid in the past, present and future. Hence these two cannot be reconciled.

... including Karma could be partially gained/observed through meditation. ...

E.g.

Thus, by means of the divine eye, may I see beings passing away and reappearing, and how they fare according to their karma.’

Source: Nimitta Sutta

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Answer by Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena for How many monks required to ordain or create new Sangha?

Quorum of 10 of 10 years standing, 5 in border areas. 5 is the quorum generally outside India. [page 108, Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benares to Modern Colombo (The Library of Religious Beliefs and Practices) 2nd Edition by Richard F. Gombrich]

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Answer by Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena for problems with meditation in the morning

How to overcome lethargy in the morning

• Walking meditation can help as mentioned in one of the other answers
• If you are doing body scanning meditation then do this fast and taking large parts. Fast movement increases vitakka.
• If you are doing breath meditation or samatha increase reviewing (see p 35 Knowing and See by Ven. Pa Auk Sayadaw) if the mind is with the object and redirect your attention to the object. This keeps your mind from wandering away.
• Also this can be partly due to drowsiness / sloth and torpor hence look at the techniques in: Pacalā Sutta

Should you meditate at least a little in the morning when you are time pressed and lethargic

You pratice twice a day. Morning session reduces the build up of defilements over nights. Also if in one period the meditation session is full of hindrances at least the other will workout. Do not assume this will always happen in the mornings.

Rise energy levels

Trying to maintain the object of meditation (vitakka & Vicara) itself rises energy levels.

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Answer by Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena for Is the Buddha God?

Is the Buddha an historic person (did he really exist)?

See: Did Gautama Buddha exist?

If yes, was he a human being or a God, or both, or a human that became a god or God?

See (Pāda) Doṇa Sutta as pointed out in one of the other answers,

Do Buddhists regard him as an emanation of God (for example, as Christians regard Jesus of Nazareth), or a prophet of God (as Muslims regard Mahomet), or an angel?

No. You have to liberate yourself through your own pratice of Vipassana. Nobody else can give you liberation.

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Answer by Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena for How can one point to one's consciousness?

In short:

• You cannot point to your consciousness nor can you feel it directly
• You can direct [point] your attention to the respective consciousness at any of the 6 sense doors to which you can feel the sensations born out of contact (passa - also see: What is the definition of passa ?)

In the case you point to your eye through body consciousness by feeling the sensations around the eye. Here you are not pointing to the eye consciousness but directing your attention to the body consciousness around where the eye physically exist.

In the case what to point to an object of the eye you direct your attention to the eye consciousness whereby you see the object at the eye.

In both cases above once contact with the eye happens this is followed by the contact with the mind in which further processing and thinking is done.

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Answer by Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena for Jhāna, seeing the welfare of self and other

If there is water in a pot mixed with red, yellow, blue or orange color, a man with a normal faculty of sight, looking into it, could not properly recognize and see the image of his own face. In the same way, when one's mind is possessed by sensual desire, overpowered by sensual desire, one cannot properly see the escape from sensual desire which has arisen; then one does not properly understand and see one's own welfare, nor that of another, nor that of both; and also texts memorized a long time ago do not come into one's mind, not to speak of those not memorized.

SN 46:55

...

There are five impediments and hindrances, overgrowths of the mind that stultify insight. What five?

Sensual desire is an impediment and hindrance, an overgrowth of the mind that stultifies insight. Ill-will... Sloth and torpor... Restlessness and remorse... Sceptical doubt are impediments and hindrances, overgrowths of the mind that stultify insight.

Without having overcome these five, it is impossible for a monk whose insight thus lacks strength and power, to know his own true good, the good of others, and the good of both; nor will he be capable of realizing that superhuman state of distinctive achievement, the knowledge and vision enabling the attainment of sanctity.

But if a monk has overcome these five impediments and hindrances, these overgrowths of the mind that stultify insight, then it is possible that, with his strong insight, he can know his own true good, the good of others, and the good of both; and he will be capable of realizing that superhuman state of distinctive achievement, the knowledge and vision enabling the attainment of sanctity.

— AN 5:51

...

Applied thought, of the factors of absorptions (jhananga);

Energy, of the spiritual faculties (indriya);

Investigation of reality, energy and rapture, of the factors of enlightenment (bojjhanga).

When the mind is sluggish, it is not the proper time for cultivating the following factors of enlightenment: tranquillity, concentration and equanimity, because a sluggish mind can hardly be aroused by them.

When the mind is sluggish, it is the proper time for cultivating the following factors of enlightenment: investigation of reality, energy and rapture, because a sluggish mind can easily be aroused by them.

— SN 46:53

Sourced from: The Five Mental Hindrances and Their Conquest Selected Texts from the Pali Canon and the Commentaries compiled and translated by Nyanaponika Thera

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Answer by Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena for I enjoy sex just like I enjoy good movie. What is wrong about it?

Until and unless i become enlightened I will be driven by my needs.

Even when you are enlightened you will have your bodily needs but this is not fueled by greed, hatred or ignorance.

At times I am aware and these urges do not overpower me but not always.

When a person gets overpowered by lust or any other form greed, hatred or ignorance what happens is that the person has lost his mastery over the mind.

The Buddhist pratice has a 3 fold training covering higher virtue, higher mind and higher wisdom. When you mastery over the mind is shaky then so will become your wisdom.

What is wrong here according to Buddhism?

Buddhism training is such that you do not become a slave your your mind and your uncontrolled desires and aversion. So this is not a desirable situation to be in but as worldlings these things happen. With lapse of time you have to train so you are not a puppet of your desires but you have control over the mind and finally eradicate the roots (greed, hatred, ignorance, non greed, non hatred, non ignorance) by which you finally gain ultimate control or mastery over the mind.

Enjoyment?

As a householder you can enjoy within the framework of the 5 Precepts.

If yes that is the case then with all people who are enjoying writing in this forum. Desire to help others masquerades as compassion. I find desires as the central point of origin of actions. I have my doubts whether compassion is the real force. I think compassion is mixed with desire in all our actions till we are liberated. Please enlighten me.

Action can be due to: Chanda which can be either wholesome or not. If the action is attached to either greed, hatred or ignorance it is not wholesome. Having desire to act on its own is not a bad thing.

I enjoy sex just like I enjoy good movie. What is wrong about it?

It is preoccupation with sex or to the opposite sex which might be leading to excessive desires, hence to start with you can reduce this. Details in overcoming this is given in: Saññoga Sutta

And the women became excessively preoccupied with the men, and the men with the women. Owing to this excessive preoccupation with each other, lust was aroused, and their bodies burned [with passion]. Because of this burning, they indulged in sexual activity. - Aggañña Sutta

In essence what you are doing is you are evaluating some one desirable or ugly and developing craving and aversion to the present and unpleasant sensation that follows. This processes should stop whereby you are equanimity knowing the arising and passing nature of the arisen feeling.

Now coming to what is wrong with it:

• Lust is a craving which cases the cycle of dependent origination to turn creating more misery in the future. Also covered in the 2 Noble Truth.
• It is part of sensory desire (kāmacchanda) in the 5 hindrances which will stall your spiritual progress.

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