Answer:
Yes if they have right view and are all-out practicing the noble eightfold path. Then identity won't matter
Believe in your own agency (not some external supreme creator god) and believe in the four noble truth should be a good start for right view. When you have faith in these axioms then it's natural to also have faith in the Buddha himself and the efficacy of his path. And when you have faith, you'll naturally respect his instructions and will strive to keep the precepts as unblemished as possible. There's no right meditation without the strong foundation of right view and virtue (ethics, morality, good habits, etc.)
[AN 3.61]
I went up to the ascetics and brahmins whose view is that everything that is experienced is because of God Almighty’s creation, and I said to them: ‘Is it really true that this is the venerables’ view?’ And they answered, ‘Yes’. I said to them: ‘In that case, you might kill living creatures, steal, be unchaste; use speech that’s false, divisive, harsh, or nonsensical; be covetous, malicious, or have wrong view, all because of God Almighty’s creation.’
Those who believe that God Almighty’s creative power is the most important thing have no enthusiasm, no effort, no idea that there are things that should and should not be done. Since they don’t actually find that there are things that should and should not be done, they’re unmindful and careless, and can’t rightly be called ascetics.
[MN 117]
‘There is meaning in giving, sacrifice, and offerings. There are fruits and results of good and bad deeds. There is an afterlife. There are such things as mother and father, and beings that are reborn spontaneously. And there are ascetics and brahmins who are rightly comported and rightly practiced, and who describe the afterlife after realizing it with their own insight.’
Answer: The Buddha just said that it has no known beginning and no first point is found.
Question: Did the buddha say anything about this? Will beings keep on incarnating in samsara suffering forever?
Answer:
Yes. Yes, as long as they haven't thoroughly seen the Four Noble Truths.
[SN 15.13]
“Mendicants, transmigration has no known beginning. No first point is found of sentient beings roaming and transmigrating, shrouded by ignorance and fettered by craving.
What do you think? Which is more: the flow of blood you’ve shed when your head was chopped off while roaming and transmigrating for such a very long time, or the water in the four oceans?”
“As we understand the Buddha’s teaching, ... the flow of blood ...”
“Good, good, mendicants! It’s good that you understand my teaching like this. ... For a long time you’ve been cows, and the flow of blood you’ve shed when your head was chopped off as a cow is more than the water in the four oceans. For a long time you’ve been buffalo … rams … goats … deer … chickens … pigs … For a long time you’ve been bandits, arrested for raiding villages, highway robbery, or adultery. And the flow of blood you’ve shed when your head was chopped off as a bandit is more than the water in the four oceans.
Why is that? Transmigration has no known beginning. No first point is found of sentient beings roaming and transmigrating, shrouded by ignorance and fettered by craving. For such a long time you have undergone suffering, agony, and disaster, swelling the cemeteries. This is quite enough for you to become disillusioned, dispassionate, and freed regarding all conditions.”
[SN 56.48]
“Mendicants, suppose the earth was entirely covered with water. And a person threw a yoke with a single hole into it. The east wind wafts it west; the west wind wafts it east; the north wind wafts it south; and the south wind wafts it north. And there was a one-eyed turtle who popped up once every hundred years.
What do you think, mendicants? Would that one-eyed turtle, popping up once every hundred years, still poke its neck through the hole in that yoke?”
“It’s unlikely, sir.”
“That’s how unlikely it is to get reborn as a human being. And that’s how unlikely it is for a Realized One to arise in the world, a perfected one, a fully awakened Buddha. And that’s how unlikely it is for the teaching and training proclaimed by a Realized One to shine in the world. And now, mendicants, you have been reborn as a human being. A Realized One has arisen in the world, a perfected one, a fully awakened Buddha. And the teaching and training proclaimed by a Realized One shines in the world.
That’s why you should practice meditation to understand: ‘This is suffering’ … ‘This is the origin of suffering’ … ‘This is the cessation of suffering’ … ‘This is the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering’.”
Why continue eating and continuing on with life as if it had substance? Why not meditate to death?
Answer:
Do you personally experience the permanent cessation of suffering? If not, you still have work to do regardless of whether everything is empty or not. And meditate to death is not the way the Buddha recommended. It's the whole Noble Eightfold Path with all of its factors.
Answer:
Yes, provided all these:
- you didn't kill for it or ask for it to be killed, and it didn't get killed especially for you
- you don't see or heard it being killed especially for you
- you don't suspect it was being killed especially for you, and if you're suspecting, you've checked on it
- you maintain benevolence, compassion, and equanimity while eating the carcass
- it's not one of these kinds of meat: human, elephant, horse, dog, snake, lion, tiger, leopard, bear, and hyena, etc.
Ref: [MN 55], [AN 8.12], [pli-tv-kd6:23.1.1]
And furthermore, as the Buddha Kassapa said, real taints and stenches and moral corruptions are the breaking the precepts and possessing evil qualities, not the mere eating of meat. In other words, people are defiled, not by eating meat, but by their evil conduct.
Ref: [KN Snp 2.2]
Devadatta, infamous traitor, once seeks to divide the Sangha by proposing that not eating meat, or vegetarianism/veganism, should be mandatory for all monks and nuns, and the Buddha has firmly rejected the proposal and called out Devadatta's motive.
Ref: [pli-tv-kd17:3.14.13]
Not eating meat is strictly a personal preference, not a moral virtue, it shouldn't be a ground for someone to look down or disparage others who are eating meat but meeting all of the above criteria.
Answer:
Yes, by looking for negatives:
A mendicant who is perfected, with defilements ended, who has completed the spiritual journey, done what had to be done, laid down the burden, achieved their own true goal, utterly ended the fetter of continued existence, and is rightly freed through enlightenment, can’t transgress in nine respects.
- A mendicant with defilements ended can’t deliberately take the life of a living creature,
- take something with the intention to steal,
- have sex,
- tell a deliberate lie,
- or store up goods for their own enjoyment like they did as a lay person.
- And they can’t make decisions prejudiced by favoritism,
- hostility,
- stupidity,
- or cowardice.
Ref: The Buddha, [AN 9.7]
Answer: Absolutely yes.
Question: Does Buddhist kill pests like flies and mosquitoes?
Answer:
Thay can, but an ethical Buddhist won't kill anything even when their life are at stake. They have respect for the Buddha with his instructions and the precepts that he has prescribed, and the respect for life. No killing is no killing, no ifs or buts.
There are many humane ways to lure out pests that don't involve even harming, let alone killing..
References:
[SN 55.37]
“Sir, how is a lay follower defined?”
“Mahānāma, when you’ve gone for refuge to the Buddha, the teaching, and the Saṅgha, you’re considered to be a lay follower.”
“But how is an ethical lay follower defined?”
“When a lay follower doesn’t kill living creatures, steal, commit sexual misconduct, lie, or consume beer, wine, and liquor intoxicants, they’re considered to be an ethical lay follower.”
[AN 8.12]
“Enough, master. For a long time those venerables have wanted to discredit the Buddha, his teaching, and his Saṅgha. They’ll never stop misrepresenting the Buddha with their incorrect, hollow, false, untruthful claims. We would never deliberately take the life of a living creature, not even for life’s sake.”
[KN Ud 5.5]
"The ocean is consistent and doesn’t overflow its boundaries. In the same way, when a training rule is laid down for my disciples they wouldn’t break it even for the sake of their own life. This is the second thing the mendicants love about this teaching and training."
Answer:
[MN 61]
when someone is not ashamed to tell a deliberate lie, there is no bad deed they would not do, I say. So you should train like this: ‘I will not tell a lie, even for a joke.’
[AN 3.70]
I, too, for this day and night will give up lying. I’ll speak the truth and stick to the truth. I’ll be honest and dependable, and won’t trick the world with my words.
[KN Ud 5.5]
The ocean is consistent and doesn’t overflow its boundaries. In the same way, when a training rule is laid down for my disciples they wouldn’t break it even for the sake of their own life.
[KN Dhp 121]
Think lightly not of evil, ‘It will not come to me’, for by the falling of water drops a water jar is filled. The fool with evil fills himself, he soaks up little by little.
In paintings, why is Gautama Buddha usually depicted with long, bound hair as compared to his disciples who have shaved their heads? Does this have any spiritual symbolism or is it just an artistic style?
Answer:
It propably starts as early as 100 BCE when the ancient Greek Buddhists depicted him with top knotted hair, and then supporting myths start creeping in later. Before that, in India, people often just depict him as either a footprint, a wheel, or build a plain pyramid or round stupa as the corner of a crossroad and that's it.
But he's definitely shaven just like his monks, causing others, from time to time, to not recognize that he was indeed The Buddha upon first contact. And on occasions, he was even being instulted as a "shaveling", or a "fake ascetic"
References in early Buddhist texts:
- [DN 2], where the king could not recognize the Buddha amongst his community due to the similar appearance:
Then King Ajātasattu rode on the elephant as far as the terrain allowed, then descended and approached the pavilion door on foot, where he asked Jīvaka, “But my dear Jīvaka, where is the Buddha?” “That is the Buddha, great king, that is the Buddha! He’s sitting against the central column facing east, in front of the Saṅgha of mendicants.”
- [MN 82], where the Buddha and his monks are called "shavelings, fake ascetics":
“Our dear and beloved only son was made to go forth by these shavelings, these fake ascetics!”
- [MN 140], where the Buddha's own disciple didn't recognize him:
Then the Buddha entered the workshop. He sat down cross-legged. He spent much of the night sitting in meditation, and so did Pukkusāti. Then it occurred to the Buddha, “This gentleman’s behavior is impressive. Why don’t I question him?” So the Buddha said to Pukkusāti, “In whose name have you gone forth, mendicant? Who is your Teacher? Whose teaching do you believe in?” “Reverend, there is the ascetic Gotama. I’ve gone forth in his name. That Blessed One is my Teacher, and I believe in his teaching.” “But mendicant, where is the Blessed One at present, the perfected one, the Buddha?” “In the northern lands there is a city called Sāvatthī. There the Blessed One is now staying, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha.” “But have you ever seen that Buddha? Would you recognize him if you saw him?” “No, I’ve never seen him, and I wouldn’t recognize him if I did.” Then it occurred to the Buddha, “This gentleman has gone forth in my name. Why don’t I teach him the Dhamma?”
- [MN 128], where the park keeper for the group of 3 monks didn't recognize the BuddhAnswer:
The park keeper saw the Buddha coming off in the distance and said, “Don’t come into this park, ascetic. There are three gentlemen staying here whose nature is to desire only the self. Don’t disturb them.” Anuruddha heard the park keeper conversing with the Buddha, and said to him, “Don’t keep the Buddha out, park keeper! Our Teacher, the Blessed One, has arrived.”
Don't want to discuss the issue but inform. Thailand and Sri Lanka have a huge role in keeping Theravada Buddhism alive. For at least a decade various scandals have emerged in Thai Sangha. The amount of wealth these monks had access to is staggering.
Answer:
If the lay people would read a little bit more of suttas and stop blindly worshiping the "teachers" then many things would have been prevented from happening.
"Monks" that are directing or indirecting accepting and using money/property/wealth via various ways is not even suitable to be called a 10-precept samanera, let alone a bhikkhu.
[SN 42.10]
"Gold and currency are not proper for ascetics who follow the Sakyan. They neither accept nor receive gold and currency. They have set aside gems and gold, and rejected gold and currency.
If gold and currency were proper for them, then the five kinds of sensual stimulation would also be proper. And if the five kinds of sensual stimulation are proper for them, you should categorically regard them as not having the qualities of an ascetic or a follower of the Sakyan.
Rather, chief, I say this: Straw may be looked for by one needing straw; wood may be looked for by one needing wood; a cart may be looked for by one needing a cart; a workman may be looked for by one needing a workman. But I say that there is no way they can accept or look for gold and currency."
Title: PIV sex is inherently immoral
Body:
As both a pro-life and an antinatalist, I think PIV sex is immoral. If there's a chance no matter how small of bringing a non-consented individual into this suffering-filled world, it's an unethical gamble.
My pro-life stance means I believe that once a unique life has begun, it should not be terminated, as that being cannot consent to its own destruction. My antinatalist stance means I believe it is unethical to create that new life in the first place, as it cannot consent to being forced into an existence that is guaranteed to contain suffering.
This brings me to my opinion. Because no form of contraception is 100% effective, any act of PIV sex inherently carries a risk, no matter how small, of creating a new, non-consenting person.
Given the certainty of suffering in life, taking that risk with someone else’s potential existence is an unethical gamble. Therefore, I believe the act itself is immoral.
Question: How to undertake celibacy so as to lessen the torment of loneliness and maybe reaching non-returning
Question's title: I think I will give up finding a partner and focus on the non-returner path, through which one is forever free from that type of entanglement. Dhamma Reflections
Question's body:
I believe in myself. I follow the quest for the paths and fruits of the saint life, I want to reach the end of sensual desire, the end of human birth. There are just so many wrong things in sensuality, in humankind. I will ditch it all.
Time to reach anagami fruit, the non-returner, time to destroy loneliness and yearning from its roots.
Time to do myself justice in a world that sets people to suffer.
I forgive the fact I am failing to reach my wordly goals. That is, because I will ascend beyond wordly goals.
The only thing that would make me truly proud is to reach the paths and fruits, anything other than that is secondary. Through logic, the paths and fruits are the most valuable things a person could achieve in the universe, the immense universe. Anything else is secondary for me.
I am glad to have experienced great suffering in my life, it helps in my path, it widens my perspective. For I am not to be in this game forever, I will overcome the painful sensuous existence, I had enough.
I cant take all the cruelty and punishment from the world anymore. That is why I give up wordly goals, because I believe that this is the path to overcome the entire stratosphere.
Believe me, I spent many years acquiring the strenght to bring mightself the glory of a path winner. But believe me or not, I will do it anyways.
Answer:
Have zero romantic options (e.g. an incel) or having an anti-human stance can be a start to the path.
But you have to eventually truly commit to the celibate life and destroy all future "maybes", and study suttas to straighten your right view. Or else you might slip back into intimacy and sensual realm when opportunity present itself (which can very well happens, Mara doesn't like any of his subjects escaping the sensual realm and will intervene).
Take it one day at a time:
Perfecting your other 4 precepts plus celibacy in accordance with AN 7.50. Meditate at least 2 sessions of at least 45 minutes each daily and walk at least 7k steps. When thoughts or feelings in regard to sensual domain arise, remember the sutta AN 9.14 and practice according. Truly practicing asubha themes like organs and decaying corpses. Maintain the perception of skeleton for self and others when going outside.
With these you will nurture the right conditions for non-returning to be ripen.
I am lost in the woods with my boy. We begin to starve. There are plenty of fish in the stream.
Do I continue to starve or eat?
Answer:
“Enough, master. For a long time those venerables have wanted to discredit the Buddha, his teaching, and his Saṅgha. They’ll never stop misrepresenting the Buddha with their incorrect, hollow, false, untruthful claims. We would never deliberately take the life of a living creature, not even for life’s sake.” - AN 8.12
"The ocean is consistent and doesn’t overflow its boundaries. In the same way, when a training rule is laid down for my disciples they wouldn’t break it even for the sake of their own life. This is the second thing the mendicants love about this teaching and training." - KN Ud 5.5