Buddhism Stack Exchange
Buddhism Stack Exchange

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1500 questions
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4 answers

How to deal with people and handle rude language?

How should one properly handle cases in which people use a rude language and indulge in idle talk or gossip, according to the Buddhist teachings? How to speak or act with a pure thought when people say stupid things and jokes at you, and use rude…
Arturo
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If there's nobody to get enlightened, why bother?

It seems the goal of Buddhist practice is to become an Arahant - someone who won't take a rebirth, and therefore will be eternally relieved from suffering. But WHO is this someone who doesn't get reborn? I mean if there never was a self to begin…
burlap
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9 answers

Anapanasati: Mindful Breathing Concentration Point

I have been practicing mindfulness of breathing for some time. But I am having doubt regarding my practice. When I focus on a single point on nostril and keep attention there, and note natural breathing. It breaks attention. It seems like there are…
Nyan
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4 answers

Purpose of touching tongue to roof of mouth during meditation

While researching forms of meditation involving concentration specific to the Tibetan school of Buddhism, the meditation instruction tells one to touch their tongue to the roof of their mouth when meditating. Recently, I have been reading a book on…
Patrick Sebastien
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If Rebirth is not taken literally then why seek Enlightenment?

I've read that some Buddhists do not believe in the literality of rebirth. As someone who is new to the study of Buddhism, this is confusing to me. My understanding, which perhaps is incorrect, is that a Buddhist seeks enlightenment in order to…
a_a
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17
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9 answers

What is Buddhism?

To be precise, can anyone provide a one page summary of Buddhism as a whole, suitable to distribute to someone who knows nothing about the religion? (Yes, this is a "please do my homework for me" question - we're starting up a university Buddhist…
yuttadhammo
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17
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9 answers

Are actions in computer games bad for karma?

What if I play a bad person in a computer game, cheating people. Or I play an assassin who kills people. Or my character in a game belongs to some evil cult. Or I roleplay a thief and steal. Or my character has an affair with a woman without being…
user5463
16
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4 answers

What is it like to experience enlightenment?

What is it like to expereince enlightenment? Does it change a person and if so, how?
JaJa
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16
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7 answers

Emotional Support without God in Theravada

In religions with God, the believer or devotee can call on God for help during distress, pray to God to seek emotional relief, find a virtual shoulder to cry on and sing God's praises or glories for emotional upliftment (including the use of…
ruben2020
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If anatta is a reality, then how do you explain Volition or Will?

I'm just trying to understand the concept of anatta better here. Buddhism tells me there is the concept of no-self (anatta), and even the so called conditional self is actually an illusion that arises out of my ignorance (correct me if I'm…
Shinu Jacob
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If I start doing Vipassana now, how long will it take me to achieve Nirvana?

Call me an over-enthusiast but presently, the highest priority in my life is to achieve the object of Nirvana or moksha. By performing Vipassana, I want to achieve Nirvana and in this lifetime only. I'm prepared to do anything for it, even leave my…
Shinu Jacob
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Any authentic sutta from any tradition that gives guidance on what kind of partner to choose?

Any authentic sutta or part of sutta from any tradition that gives guidance on what kind of sexual relationship partner to choose? I'm thinking the Vimalikirti sutra should say something about such layman concerns. Specifically things like what kind…
Ahmed
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Have any Buddhist thinkers responded to the critique of the Brahma Sutras?

By far the most popular school of Hindu philosophy, which almost all Hindus nowadays belong to, is the Vedanta school, which is based on an ancient Hindu work called the Brahma Sutras or Vedanta Sutras. The Brahma Sutras consist of a series of…
Keshav Srinivasan
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16
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14 answers

Can you attain stream entry without meditation?

Venerable sir, Lately I have been wondering if there is a proper technique that can be used in order to attain stream entry rather than meditating. I have a few experiences with loving kindness meditation though it did not go very well. Actually, I…
Jayson Perera
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Why should one develop compassion?

Maybe a strange question, because for some people it's obvious that you should be compassionate. I'm just interested in knowing why. Hatred is unskillful, but why should one develop compassion instead? Why is "not hating" not enough?
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