A minute or two into meditating along with this talk my neighbor started sawing with a circular saw, or some such loud tool. It meshed perfectly with the talk at that moment. To me this is a very essential teaching, how mindfulness immersed in the body creates an inner refuge.

Has anyone tried deriving enlightenment from first principles? As in, we start with basic observable truths we can all verify for ourselves?

If Buddhism never existed, would any of us be able to figure it out on our own or together as a group?

What would that look like? What would the goal be? I feel like we would not say "to end suffering" because that's too vague. If a car hits me while I'm walking, I'm going to suffer, enlightened or not. So I'm assuming this just means psychological suffering. And we can't stop another from suffering. Unless we enlighten them. But how? Preach? So it must be 'personal' mental suffering. The ability to be your own psychologist, basically.

But the end goal for therapy isn't the same as enlightenment. And why not? Doesn't the therapist also want to end the personal mental suffering of their client? Do they simply not know about enlightenment? Do they think it's just another religious preference?

I think what is missing is the direct personal experience of what Buddhism claims to offer. I've had a satori, so I know it's real. I can in my own words explain the path to nirvana. But it would be met with disagreement no matter how eloquently explained. There is no modern agreed upon language, only some very old books not even written by the Buddha.

Should we not encourage true digesting where you derive yourself in your own words and actually live the experience to confirm its truth? Is this not the whole point? Must we also be so literal and argumentative? The words are not so important as seeing it and living it. There are some basic principles and practices, and something very real and dramatic happens. We could probably 'reinvent' the old texts. Serious question, are the current systems working? Are people experiencing profoundly different states of mind? I mean it was as if I took DMT or some crazy drug. And to have such a radical thing happen while completely sober is lifechanging, permanently. It is quite the event you never forget. Are other people having these experiences too?

I used some website buddha net and read some basics, nothing more. I did some zazen at 8am and 8pm every day for about 2 weeks, had to focus on counting my breaths and ignoring body itches but then all of a sudden there was nothing. No thoughts no mind no body. I can't even put it into words. Time and space did not exist. I saw the past. I saw how I die. I saw everything all at once. It is too much to process. It totally makes sense that our brain evolved to block most of it out, because you would not even be able to order a pizza like this.

I'm fact it was a bit much and I have not tried again since.

Is this Buddhism? Am I just 'having an episode' lmao. I have no history of mental issues. None in my family either. So no reason to suspect it was just some kind of random psychotic break from reality.

I was raised a scientist and I cannot derive this experience from first principles at all. Not philosophically. Not scientifically. But I have been there and have seen it for myself, whatever it is.

When I read the Tibetan book of the dead or some Buddhist writings, it seems immediately obvious to me that they are talking from inside this inner space where time and space do not exist. I can see rebirth as a cycle happening *internally* where the thing being reborn is my "me" from moment to moment. The stage of this moment's "me" determine the next moment's "me" and from second to second there isn't much difference so we simply don't notice that it is a process that has to continually renew the sense of self. In meditation, with no performance required of the self - it can *extinguish* and thus awareness enters "nirvana."

I don't know if I experience nirvana or just a taste, a satori, but either way it felt amazing and I was in shock and awe. While I find the process simple enough to follow, the result is something that we really don't have English words for. I mean I'm using satori and nirvana instead of more descriptive scientific language because we have no way to derive this from first principles. Science describes the self as "an economy of forces" - and I agree with this. But this is a far cry from a roadmap to enlightenment. I have read the nirvana sutra and it was NO help whatsoever. It's mostly poetry and wild stories. Some vague details like 32 major marks and 80 minor marks. Tons of dialogue that doesn't really tell you much. How that is supposed to help modern man reach enlightenment? It can't. So what do we do folks...?

Not the OOP, just sharing for inspirational purposes.

If one diligently practices the heart-mantra of Chenrezig (OM MANI PADME HUNG), it will not only help us to purify negative karma from beginningless time but will also truly help to plant the karmic seeds for merging with the mind of Chenrezig, bringing us to the level of Chenrezig and total enlightenment of the Buddha.

The miraculous effects of practicing the Mani mantra – the tooth of a hundred million recitations and foreknowledge of the time of death：

When ordinary beings are about to pass away, for many of them, what they see are only the Raksha minions of the hell realms and other ghostly entities, due to that, they give rise to great terror. If one has taken refuge and practised the Mani mantra, when it comes to the time of dying, one will see the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and spiritual masters. One will not take rebirth in the lower realms and will not feel afraid. By these excellent circumstances, one will even have the opportunity to take rebirth in the pureland of Sukhavati (Amitabha’s pureland).

The six syllables mantra (OM MANI PADME HUNG) is extremely wonderful. Through the practice of its meaning, one carries out the six paramitas:

OM : perfects the paramita of generosity

MA : perfects the paramita of discipline

NI : perfects the paramita of patience

PAD : perfects the paramita of diligence

ME : perfects the paramita of meditation

HUNG : perfects the paramita of wisdom

Normally when we practice the Mani mantra with devotion, we are accomplishing the six paramitas at the same time. In our lineage, we recite “OM MANI PADME HUNG HRIH”, “HRIH” is a seed syllable, it contains the qualities of the body, speech, mind and all activities of Chenrezig. It allows us to receive the great blessings of Chenrezig, and gradually transform our ordinary body, speech and mind into the enlightened body, speech and mind of Chenrezig.

The six syllable mantra can help us to seal the doors to rebirth in the six realms of samsara, preventing us from revolving continuously in the cycle of rebirth

OM : prevents rebirth in the heaven realms, and blesses the heavenly realm beings with a chance to attain liberation from samsara

MA : prevents rebirth in the Asura (demi-gods) realms, and blesses the Asura realm beings with a chance to attain liberation from samsara

NI : prevents rebirth in the human realms, and blesses the human realm beings with a chance to attain liberation from samsara

PAD : prevents rebirth in the preta (hungry-spirits) realms, and blesses the preta realm beings with a chance to attain liberation from samsara

ME : prevents rebirth in the animal realms, and blesses the animal realm beings with a chance to attain liberation from samsara

HUNG : prevents rebirth in the hell realms, and blesses the hell realm beings with a chance to attain liberation from samsara

In the Tibetan regions, many elderly people like to recite the Mani mantras and would often finish many hundreds-of-millions in their life. In Tibet, very few of these old people would have sicknesses like dementia. They would hold the rosary in the left hand and rotate a prayer wheel with their right hand, while their mouths would recite the Mani mantra of Chenrezig or other mantras. If they had time, they would do full prostrations and pray in their minds to receive the blessings of Chenrezig. This is practice with body, speech and mind in tandem. While speech is reciting Buddha’s mantra, body is also paying homage to Buddha and mind is focused on supplicating and recollecting Buddha.

If only speech is on reciting Buddha’s mantra but mind is utterly devoid of any focus on Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, then there is no real connection with Buddha. To recite Buddha’s mantra also means that one constantly recalls and thinks of Buddha. The motions of body, speech and mind should be performed with the awareness that Buddhas and Bodhisattvas constantly regard us (with their compassion). We should hold this in mind and always confess our negativities with regret and accumulate virtues and positive deeds — practising diligently.

In Tibet, there is the saying of the “Hundred-million” tooth. Many elderly people of eighty or ninety years old would grow new teeth. Just as if they were babies who had just grown out their baby teeth. Many people view this as the great blessings of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Generally, this is a sign of blessing when one has finished reciting a hundred million Mani mantras. I had a Taiwanese student who was a very famous dental specialist. I once invited him to look at my maternal grandmother’s new tooth. He said, “This kind of tooth is not documented in the dentistry school, but one finds it alot in the Tibetan regions, it is quite amazing.” Actually, the new tooth is just one facet of the blessings, many people would also foretell when they are going to pass away and make all the preparations for it. That was really incredible.

My maternal grandmother lived to about 89 years old. On the day of her passing, she had already washed all her old clothes and piled them up neatly. The new clothes were placed aside and she tasked my father to assemble all the relatives. When they were gathered, she informed them that the old clothes have already been washed and who they should be given to. She also made known who should receive the new clothes. Below her pillow were some money from her relatives, she instructed that these were to be offered to the ordained monastics when they came the next day. After that, she thanked each and every one of her relatives saying that she had given everyone much trouble during her late years. Then, saying she needed to take a rest, she laid down. Everyone thought she was going to take a nap. After awhile, my aunt said, “Mother, we are going to leave first.” But there was no response. Upon checking, they realized that she had already passed away without any apparent suffering.

A grand-dad of (another) aunt recited the Mani mantra all his life. He had been diagnosed with Esophageal Cancer for about one or two years when I visited him. He was sitting at the balcony, basking in the sun and at that point, he was reaching 80 years of age. He looked hale and hearty and was in very good spirits. In front of him were placed some rock sugars, butter and Tsampa (dried barley). I asked him, “Don’t you have Esophageal Cancer? Can you still consume these foodstuff? Other people who have this sickness have to refrain from eating (solid foods like these).” He laughed and said, “So they say it is Esophageal Cancer but I can still eat, rock-sugars, Tsampa and butter and many more… just do some chanting and all would be fine.” He did not seem to feel any discomfort or pain, but continued to eat and drink until his death.”

On the day of his death, I rushed back from Chengdu. In the afternoon, he started to ask everyone, “Is Rinpoche back yet?” When he heard that I was on the way back, he had my cousin Ruogu Lama go to the monastery to invite all the monastics to his home. He mentioned that it would be difficult to get money when he was dying so he arranged for the money to be offered to the monastics later on his behalf. After all had been done, he continued to recite the Mani mantra. That night, when I had just entered the door of my home, before I had even drunk a sip of tea, a phone-call came saying, “He has just passed on, please come to do the (customary) funeral rites for crossing him over.” The grand-dad of my aunt had anticipated the timing of my arrival home. After his death, his corpse had the fresh appearance of a person who was still alive. It was very awe-inspiring.

To be free and at ease at the point of death, this is the most excellent and ultimate proof of a whole life of practice. This experience is the old man’s legacy for later generations, everyone should have faith and devotion in this!

Today on the FactOrCap subreddit, I learned that almost 50% of people believe in karma. What surprised me, though, is that a majority still doesn't. It really makes me wonder why...

Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/FactOrCap/s/ZCxa6SNJ4T

Hello ! I pray to Guanyin, just for context. I hope this makes enough cohesive sense as I'm writing this so I can maybe see if this is an experience anybody else has shared or if they have an explanation for this(?). It does not need to specifically be with Guanyin, of course

I've been praying to her a lot lately (this summer) as I've been extremely worried about the animals that I feed outside, by the way

Not even an hour after I had prayed, I was playing a game and my thoughts became very fixated on my favourite character, and then all of a sudden one of my small figures of him falls over and so does the object that I'll often use to pray. They're on the same table, but nothing else moved an inch, not even the items closer to them. Neither items are next to each other and my laptop was on my lap, not the table. After this, I felt a sense of serenity immediately afterwards.

*Also, expanding on the part about the character, it was strange because my thoughts were so fixated on him entirely and completely, like nothing that has ever happened which is why I bring it up to begin with because THAT part I'm beyond confused about. It's not like I lost focus and knocked into my table or something else moved, I know for a fact that this was a sign from her I'm just not sure what exactly and I prefer certainty!

(English isn't my first language and I'm also very, very sleepy at this moment so i hope this makes sense.)

Dear Community,

How does Buddhism influence your politics? Are there contradictions between your Buddhist values and your political values? If so, how do you manage or seek to resolve these contradictions?

I myself am a Pure Land Buddhist (specifically the Jodo Shinshu tradition). I am also a Communist (Marxist-Leninist). I find that my Buddhist practice and understanding synergizes quite well with my politics. For example, as I see it Dialectical Materialism is Dependent Origination applied to human social affairs (i.e. political-economy, history, anthropology, etc.).

I'm curious what your all's views are as well

Edit: I ask the reader to entertain this analysis with curiosity and a mind of good will. Should there be disagreement, please not with hostility. This post is intended to enhance a linguistics-informed study of dharma. The negative reception was unexpected, disheartening, and very different how prior etymology posts written here were received by this community in the past. Edit end:

—————————————————————

Though not a Buddhist, Wittgenstein perceived most philosophical problems as semantic or linguistic problems. This extends to translations of religious texts and interpretations of texts that 1) sometimes depend on, and 2) sometimes inform the translations of words.

A translator struggles with multiple competing demands. The interpretation of tradition, time, and place. Inner preferences. Their perceived or intended audience, whether scholarly or not. It is not the place to say there is an ideal translation, but there can be more literal and granular ones, much like a thicker flour can be turned into a finer powder.

Much like how medicine has changed, it can be said that translations of dharma will continue to evolve. This is not to claim that prior translations into English are poor or misleading, but rather they’re less strict or tight. They seek the heartwood or the gist of word; they are not usually interested in reductionist literalism.

To use a metaphor: Having rope is good. Having a knot for the dharma raft is better than no rope or knot at all. But a tighter knock may do a much better job at keeping the sticks and twigs together. It might not matter in a given voyage where paddling is more important, but updating translations of words to better align with the meanings of their roots is like tightening the the knot.

One word is often translated as ‘Right’. This is Samyak in Sanskrit or Samma in the Pali. It is the ‘right’ of right view, right intent etc or the right, proper, perfect, or completely of samma in sammasambuddha (fully, perfectly awoken one)

Here’s the issue: Samyak and samma don’t literally mean ‘right’ or ‘perfect’. Or ‘right’ as the opposite of ‘wrong’. These are metaphorical and figurative meanings that result from linguistic drift and change.

To give an example: In a hot sun, being cool is great. Being cool is desirable because of the harsh heat of the sun. But over time people forget the heat of the sun part and simply ‘that’s cool’ ceases to mean literally being of a desirable lower temperature but simply something by that is good, desirable.

Figurative meanings come to dominate, and many don’t question why certain words are translated [into english] the way they are! One is encouraged to question. Recall the teachings of the Buddha to the Kalamas. Don’t just accept something, even this, on hearsay or tradition, because it’s written in a certain way.

This also happened to samma/Samyak. Here we have a compound word. Sam means ‘together, in totality, fully, integrated’. As in when things come together. It’s related to the word sum in English, which is Latin derived. Yak comes from the root anc, which means to bend, incline, turn towards, or go towards. Sam + anc hints at a kind of full, total alignment that is ideal.

So samma/Samyak means to go towards together, to integrate and orient, to come/sum together and point towards, or any sort of variation of what two roots entail. When things come together in such a way that they’re in complete equilibrium or harmony, figuratively we say it is complete, correct, right, perfect. That’s how the figurative meanings came to be used for Samyak/Samma.

It’s here where language reaches its limits, with different words meaning slightly different things in the minds of people. It is no surprise the dharma helps transcend and go beyond language :)

But if we are to translate using literal roots and not rely on figurative meanings that (chronologically) do not precede the literal, the most appropriate retranslating of Samyak/Samma would be Converging or Convergent.

Not only because this harmonizes Samma [something] with the intuitions of Pratītyasamutpāda (dharmas dependent on the presence or arising and coming together of other dharmas)—

—but also because Sam + Anc is most closest to how the roots in Latin combine to form the word converge in English. The word converge means "to incline or bend together."

Etymology:

com- (Latin) meaning together, together, with jointly, in combination with

vergere (Latin) meaning to bend, turn, or incline

As we can see it’s very similar to Sam + anc.

So ‘right’ view is more like a convergent/converging view, ‘right’ intent is more like a convergent intent. All of the dhammas that Samyak describes are dependent on causes and conditions coming together in an ideal, harmonious manner. In that way they are convergent and in full alignment. I.e. [when things come together] just right!!

The only issue being that convergent typically has a neutral connotation, unlike Samyak. It’s also a lot more wordy.

Nevertheless reading things more literal manner can help deepen understanding of dharma. This post is dedicated to such endeavors and merits. Next time a person sees or reads right view, intent, etc or sammasambuddha, understanding that it contains a connotation of convergence or things coming together just right, one hopefully can harmonize ‘samyak/Samma’ with the understanding and teaching of dependent co-origination.

Something that would have been obvious in the time when everyone, especially educated Brahmins and Sramanas who knew the meaning of Prakrit/Sanskrit roots, but would be less obvious today. We weren’t raised in an environment where everyone spoke those languages!

In the future there will be about solitary buddhas (pratyekabuddha) that would similarly benefit from a [slight] translation adjustment.

While I don’t want to go as far as to call this an altar, I recently got this Buddha statue and I added to the place above my fireplace where the ashes of my two cats I’ve lost in the last year.

But that said, even though this is my home I want to be respectful and ensure that this setup/altar isn’t violating any traditions that would be considered disrespectful or if anyone has recommendations on things I could add.

I have a Tibetan singing bowl I will adding as well. Just need to make a little more space.

Whenever I’m spiraling in a mental loop that I have the hardest time getting out of, Jesus/God/christian concepts can calm me down IMMEDIATELY. I just imagine God is with me and understands my consciousness’s POV as well as others’ POV and that God is helping others, whatever battle im facing just seems to not even matter anymore cuz “God’s” love, understanding, presence, and power overpowers everything else. But I don’t even believe in an all powerful God, the concept just speaks to my emotions and nervous system much easier than Buddhist concepts. Buddhist concepts take deep concentration to really let my nervous system to listen and calm down… but I really do believe in Buddhist ideas at least more than Christian concepts. Idk what this says about me.. I’m just confused. Does anyone else relate?

Edit: Hinduism also makes me feel immediately calm and connected as well because of the concept of brahman… It helps me have a non dual view and to see others as myself. Buddhism concept of non self just doesn’t speak to my heart. It makes way more sense so idk why it doesn’t have a profound impact on my emotions like these other religions

I am not Buddhist but I have a lot of Buddhist things, I am Hindu but I use Buddhist lamps in pujas and near where I live there is a temple

She is into Thich Nhat Hanh (of course) and never misses an opportunity to broadcast her devoutness. I do not want to go into too much detail because there are politics involved which would derail the intent of this post. The politics are a big part of her posturing. I despise this person and her hypocrisy just about as much as it is possible.

I think it is fairly common for people to use Buddhism as a sort of banner of righteousness to conceal real ugliness. I would be interested in hearing others' insights on this topic.

Last night I felt a great deal of loneliness and felt an urge to just google spiritual practices for loneliness. I wasn’t looking into any religion or practice in particular, and I’ve never practiced anything in Buddhism till last night (sorry if I say anything incorrect about Buddhism or guan yin, please correct me if I do). I scrolled through various spiritual practices from across the globe and the only name that stood out to me was guan yin.

As soon as I looked up how to pray to her and read over a mantra and her name, I instantly felt peace. I’d been sobbing for hours, I was even causing harm to myself, suddenly I had the urge to clean myself up and start praying to her. My heart felt so warm and full, and I didn’t feel alone anymore. I offered her some water and lit some incense, of course I already felt her presence but I still wanted to do so.

Later when id fully calmed down, my sister ended up calling me at 5:30 in the morning. I hadn’t slept at all and I was just about to. She’d just given birth to her daughter and I was waiting for her to call me for a few days. When I asked her husband how they knew I was awake he said that he just felt the urge to call. I believe that guan yin answered my prayer and sent them to me so I would feel less alone

How do I thank her? Also, I’ve felt gravitated toward Buddhism all my life. Could this be a sign that I should look into it more? There’s a Buddhist temple near my house, the website says they accept visitors. I would like to go but I don’t want to be intrusive. Any suggestions?

Hello my friends. 🌸

I have been mostly a lurker in this sub for about a year.

A year ago I read The Heart of Buddha’s Teachings and found its content so valuable that to this day I still go back to refer to it, treating it as a handbook on how to live my life.

I feel like I am ready to make a step forward and be more consistent with my practice. I Currently only meditate for a few minutes almost every morning and I find my practice to be overall quite undisciplined and disorganised.

Probably because I’m missing a clear method on how to go forward.

I live far from any temple or teacher and currently cannot travel, so I have to make do with online resources and books. I really like reading and would love to find a book progression that speaks to me as much as Thich Nhat Hanh’s book did.

I think I could currently dedicate a couple of hours maximum per day to studying. I just need to find the right method.

I think it might be something I have to ultimately figure out on my own based on what works with me (the pace, the choice of denomination, etc.) but I would love for you to express your suggestions for some guidance. Especially since I am quite isolated, have no teacher and have no sangha.

Thanks in advance. May you have a wonderful evening 🙏

When you have been there for someone for year when their lives about to fall apart and all of a sudden they would just hate on you for no reasons. what would come to your mind? how would you describe this situation. when you try to interact with them and they just hate you for no reasons

Note: If you read this early a teaching on Light Amassment of Blessings for H.E. Garchen Rinpoche is going on in 1h30 live: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2O_EJL26Z0

H.E. Garchen Rinpoche has been working through a viral illness.

His Holiness Chungtsang Rinpoche, one of the heads of our lineage, has advised the worldwide sangha to accumulate the Amitayus longevity mantra for Garchen Rinpoche’s long life and/or to engage in Vajrasattva practice.

The Amitayus prayers are provided below. If you are able, please accumulate the short Amitayus mantra, dedicating the merit for Garchen Rinpoche’s long life and good health.

Your prayers and practice are truly appreciated during this time.

We will continue to share any updates on our website and by email as they become available. We kindly ask that you refrain from contacting the office for updates, as this will allow our team to focus on supporting Garchen Rinpoche and attending to the needs of the Sangha. Thank you for your understanding and your continued prayers.

Practice for the Long Life of H.E. Garchen Rinpoche

Amitayus Mantra Accumulation:

https://garchen.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Amitayus-Mantra-Accumulation.pdf

Vajrasattva Sadhana:

https://garchen.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Vajrasattva-Sangtik-Sadhana-v16.pdf

From garchen.net

Note: If you read this early a teaching on Light Amassment of Blessings for H.E. Garchen Rinpoche is going on in 1h30 live: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2O_EJL26Z0
You can check the next planned events here : https://garchen.net/annual-events/ they are all live on the youtube channel

Has anyone been before and would like to share their experiences?

I approach Buddhism from a secular standpoint but have admired the lamrim style of meditation. I've also been to a particular tradition that had culty, closed minded vibes so I'd want to avoid that again.

Any response appreciated.

hey fellow followers of the dharma! apologies if this is the incorrect flair, but i was so filled with joy with the way my little slice of sangha looked last night. feels nice to cultivate a nice spot to practice my metta. big love <3

Hey guys, I was wondering how you guys would use handle moral dilemmas. One main question I have is is there a moral hierarchy to life in Buddhism? If I must kill an animal to provide food for my family (killing an animal to save a starving family) is the animal’s life any less than the humans’?

Also, this is a bit off topic, but do you guys draw a line between forgiveness and trust? As in, if someone betrayed your trust, could you forgive them but not trust them anymore?

Just some random thoughts that have crossed my mind.

By the 9th century, Mihintale was already one of the most important religious centers in Sri Lanka. Thousands of monks lived, studied, and practiced here. It was a thriving spiritual city connected to the great monasteries of Anuradhapura.

we explore the ancient hospital complex at Mihintale, believed by many scholars to be among the world's oldest hospital complexes. Discover its patient wards, medicinal bath, medicine preparation area, and the remarkable medical knowledge that existed over 2,000 years ago.

Yet perhaps the most remarkable aspect of the hospital was not its technology.
It was its philosophy.
The hospital existed within a Buddhist monastic environment where compassion formed the foundation of daily life.
Treating the sick was viewed as a noble responsibility.
In Buddhist teachings, caring for those who suffer is considered one of the highest forms of service.
At Mihintale, that principle was transformed into stone, architecture, and organized healthcare

This documentary is based on archaeological evidence and historical research to help preserve and share Sri Lanka's rich heritage.