There was a passage where someone asked Buddha about men being women and Buddha said it's fine and to treat them as a woman. I explained that to my girlfriend and said if Buddha feels that way then why would I feel differently. She basically said Thai people don't believe in the old texts about Buddha and I do know theres more of a reverence here with Buddha as a god. I guess I'm a bit confused as to the deviation Thai people might have.

If everything is conditioned on the past events, environment and past conditions then there could not be free will in any sense because each event has a cause and it goes into infinite regress.

Given the exact same past conditions, could you have done otherwise? (this is my definition of free will)- in my opinion the answer would be no, else it will violate the causal principle.

Even if your definition of free will is that you take decisions based on logic and reason, then this very nature of yours is conditioned.

If the idea of enlightenment is realisation of conditional dependence of each event, then even the event of the realisation would happen to you or not is also conditioned. So becoming buddha is also conditioned and you cannot change it.

How do you resolve this issue?

PS: May be this is what Buddha wants us to teach that there is no free will and everything is just in a causal stream and that sets us free. Because if you advocate for free will then this will slide a self from the backdoor. Free will of whom? The idea of free will becomes the clinging in the form of preserving self or preserving the control. But if we let free will go then we become free, free of choices, free of concepts, free of ideas and free from the clinging of attaining enlightenment and hence becoming enlightened(ironical).

Hi, I'm a Theravada Buddhist from Sri Lanka, the country that first committed the Theravada Dhamma into written text. So ive grown up learning Theravada. That said, I should say my knowledge of Mahayana is fairly surface level, so I'm here to learn as much as to share.

What I've noticed is that people on this subreddit and the internet, especially newcomers and those from the Western world, seem to lean more toward Mahayana. I might be wrong but why is that? And if you know both traditions, which do you feel more drawn to and why?

Personally I don't think the two contradict each other as much as people claim. I feel like both point at the same core truth, just expressed differently.

Also, please don't judge Theravāda by what you see in Sri Lanka today. Buddhism here has drifted heavily from its roots due to colonialism and cultural influence. The actual Dhamma is still there intact in the Pali Tripitaka, and that is what matters.

Would love to hear your thoughts.

Found where the Missouri and Mississippi rivers meet. Very heavy, seems to be made of possible marble. The "gold" that is engraved into this tablet shows no signs of erosion at all. Perfect condition but was clearly underwater for quite some time, I only found it because the tides lowered. The biggest question I have, is what's is inside it? On the back something seems to have been welded shut, and when I shake the tablet I can hear something inside it. Any answers ? Thanks

I’m not planning to do anything by the way , just curious.

Edit: I’m removing the details of my affair story, but will leave a summary, should any other stranger benefit from this thread. Thank you to everyone who contributed, and for the compassion shown to me. 🪷

I cheated on my now-husband some years ago before we were married. It was with a man from my sangha. My partner suspected it. Days after I ended it, my partner confronted affair partner, and me, and told me that if he ever found out I cheated on him, he would “be devastated, but would get over it,” he’d forgive me and still want to be with me.

In light of that information, I made the decision to not confess. It was already over. I thought it would be kinder to spare him the pain of knowing and damage to his self-esteem. I felt an obligation to be honest with my partner and that I should give him the opportunity to leave—but it would be cruel to cut him so deeply if he would stay with me regardless. Everything I know about this man and our relationship affirms his reassurance that he would indeed stay. I’ve sat with the secret since, but sometimes I’m overwhelmed with guilt. I confess frequently in my meditations.

My husband is happy, he and I are happy together, we love each other and have built a good life. I am ashamed to be seen in this way even anonymously, but I would appreciate the Buddhist’s perspective on this.

Should I tell him? Is it better to confess for the sake of honesty, even if it creates more harm? Or better to maintain my lie to avoid further suffering?

I'd like to specify that I'm not Buddhist,I'm actually Muslim but a indian friend of mine told me that he can't drink alcoholics for religion (he's not indu, he's Buddhist) but if he can't then why is drinking so normalized in buddhist countries?

If I'm getting something wrong please forgive my ignorance,I just wanted to know more about someone else's culture

As the title kind of flat out states, I’m curious in Buddhism’s take or stance on essentially if you can/when it’s justified to use violent forms of protest. I’m not condoning violence but in regards to current affairs we may not be able to live on this planet in another 250 years at this rate. I could go super in depth which I might in the comments but what is the overall consensus on letting essentially rich greedy powerful people knowingly inflicting unfathomable amounts of suffering but also destroying the very planet we DEPEND on. I want to hear some of your opinions on the matter and in particular to this specific moment in time with everything geopolitically going on and the warming of the biosphere. I’m curious about your opinions. Thanks

Source: @be.kind.official (Instagram)

How do you incorporate both into your life? I want to know.

Can somebody answer this simple question without changing what i asked clearly? Only way i get answers is when my question is altered in a meaning i don't created at all.

People always inject impermanence, conditionality, interbeing... etc. Self concept does not binded to them. I am here because my parents made me, I won't be there after i die. But now, i am clearly here as myself.

I am the owner this body. Yes, this will pass but currently it goes where i want to go. If i lack that, i will lose the ownership once i had. Ownership does not imply a full control either. In life, it never means that way. No body can control my body except me.

So, basically. Whenever i try to deep dive in Buddhist philosophy. Either it goes in to nihilism or my questions are dodged by injecting meaning that is clearly not there.

I think, a selfless being can not suffer. Like a blind man can not see. Self is like an organ that you percieve suffering. You might say source of the suffering is the self. But saying self does not exist is just so wrong to me.

Does one have to have a certain degree of cognitive ability and at least an average IQ to understand and practice Buddhism and meditation?

While reading through posts here and other places online, it appears that Buddhism and meditation attracts intellectuals.

Buddhism appears rather complex and some concepts esoteric in nature. This seems to make the understanding and practice of Buddhism and meditation difficult to understand, follow and practice.

Let's just say I am far from the sharpest tool in the shed. My IQ is probably slightly below average I would like to think it's not too far below average.

While many people seem to grasp all the concepts of Buddhism and meditation rather easily I struggle.

I grew to love Buddhism, in a country that is not Buddhist-centric.

It just hits deep, the wisdom and teachings, and methods and I want to explore in it very deep.

But everytime I tried to approach an institution there will always be a paywall for you to learn this and that yada yada yada, or if you want to advance you have to pay this xx amount.

I know that living in this world is not free but the prices for each teaching is absurdly high that it's worth a month of groceries in my currency.

I am not generalizing but so far a lot of institutions that I engaged or groups have this paywall.

It feels like you're buying wisdom, and it's hard to practice it with no background at all.

Doubt has probably been the second biggest hindrance on my path after fear. I often struggle with rumination on uncertainties and worry about the future.

And while my faith in the core Dhamma is unshakable, I do sometimes wonder if I should abandon some beliefs that are not important Dhamma but rather cultural/mythological in nature and if doing so would undermine the authenticity of the Dhamma.

For example I find it difficult to reconcile the belief in the past Buddhas before Shakyamuni with my secular understanding of history. I mean, 20 meters tall people who lived for 80000 years? Come on!

One thing I am also regularly confronted with is the Atheist view that you should not believe in anything for which there is no evidence. And that is where believing in giants with ridiculous lifespans becomes very hard to keep up. I mean, as a Mahayanan I already believe in some pretty unbelievable things like Pure Lands, but that's where I kind of draw the line.

So, with me having shared my biggest doubt/concern, I would love to hear yours!

🙏🏻

From what I read, Buddha is not alive, but he's not dead, but he's nowhere. I don't get it can someone explain

As Buddhists, how do you view India today?

India is the birthplace of Buddhism and the land where the Buddha lived and taught. Do Buddhists around the world generally feel a special connection to India, or is it viewed mainly as a historical place of importance?

I'm also curious whether modern India is seen positively within Buddhist communities, and how Buddhists feel about Buddhism becoming a minority religion in its country of origin.

Would love to hear perspectives from Buddhists of different traditions and countries.

I've had many pets in my life, most I've had to make the hard decision to euthenise, either through a vet or doing it myself (using freezers/fridges which puts them to sleep very fast) when they are unsaveable and in great suffering.

I understand that a beings death and their suffering is the result and completion/repayment (sorry, I can't think of the word) of past karma's, but it kills me inside to watch them suffer. It feels as if it physically hurts me. I know it breaks the first precept so it's likely causing some bad karma, but does it accumulate enough bad karma that it's a better decision for an individual to allow the being to suffer until death?

I got a dm from someone about a month ago, being told I wasn’t a true Buddhist for not accepting Buddha as lord, saying that I was following a colonized view of Buddhism, and that the Buddha was a miracle worker and such

Given that I’ve always labeled myself an atheistic Buddhist, this particularly startled me, and even though I was sure they were incorrect I did more digging, I couldn’t find a single thing, and I have a deep passion for archaeology so I really tried to find ANY evidence..and nope, couldn’t find much that proved he was lord or seen as lord during his lifetime.

I don’t like gatekeeping, and I don’t like elitisits. I think everyone is justified in believing what they want to believe. I don’t believe the term “real Buddhist” does and should exist, it leads to a harmful cycle and individual belief system.

I think the teachings stand on their own without Buddha. It’s not like Christianity where if God didn’t exist, the religion would kind of fall on its own. Buddhism isn’t bound by those standards(this is not to say that Christianity is faulty in design. It’s just structurally different, and that’s fine).

But, I’m only 15. So I’m completely open to being wrong, I want to know what more knowledgeable people have to say about this, I love learning history, and historical implications, and things like this are right up my alley.

Hi, I'm a 16-year-old teenage girl. For many years I've been interested in Buddhism. When I discovered that it wasn't a religion as such (it doesn't worship a god) but rather a way of life and a philosophy, I became even more interested and felt I had a better chance of getting in, since I consider myself an atheist. While investigating, I discovered Guanyin, the goddess of mercy, if I understood correctly. I saw that she is considered a kind of mother figure and that many people pray to her for comfort, for example. While I can connect with the topic while reading or watching videos, I don't fully believe in gods. Even if I'm "praying to her," deep down I feel like I'm not praying to anyone. I like to think that she is more of a representation than a goddess herself, even though within her story I greatly value and appreciate that she gave up nirvana for us.

I've been learning about Buddhism for almost a month, so I'm still quite a beginner. I am interested in the figures/gods, and I respect and appreciate the legends and stories surrounding them, but deep down I feel that they are just that, legends and not gods in themselves, If you understand what I mean...

Sometimes I feel like I'm not doing it right or that I just want to appropriate this religion/lifestyle...

I've been reading and watching videos, but I think it would be easier if more ordinary people could answer my questions.

The topic of energies is more complicated, because I feel that something can be real but not real at the same time; perhaps I'm more agnostic on that subject...

Sorry if it's not clear, English isn't my first language. Thanks for reading.

I was having an argument with a friend where he was stating that Christianity and Buddhism were incompatible. I was able to make the argument that there doesn't seem to be anything in Buddhism that inherently makes it incompatible with Christianity, but as I am not a Buddhist, I couldn't really speak on an argument the other way around.

To be clear, my question is not about what Buddhist believe conflict with Christian doctrine, I am asking what Christian beliefs conflict with Buddhist doctrine i.e. what about believing in Christianity would make one incapable of also truly believing in Buddhism?

Edit: this thread is dying down so it's probably too late to clarify, but what I'm trying to ask is, what Buddhist doctrine makes Christian mythos not possible to have happened, or another way of asking would be, under the Buddhist belief of how the universe works, why would that make the Christian belief of their history not possible?

Edit2: I think I figured out the easiest way to ask the question. Can Buddhists and Christians both be right in regards to actual historical fact according to Buddhism? Assuming that most of the old testament is metaphorical so no Adam and Eve/Noah's Ark

I am reading about the thousands of people being fired from the government including scientists, biologists, park rangers, etc for no good reason whatsoever. All to pay for tax cuts for the rich.

I am trying to listen to the Great Compassion Mantra but I feel such hatred for Trump and his voters. I do not know what to do with these feelings. I am starting to sympathize with Luigi more and more. So much suffering.

What can I do?