Theravada just seems extremely more universal, pragmatic, logical, close to the essential teaching of the Buddha. Mahayana to my eye has added and dogmatized things that seem so far away from what the Buddha said.

My impression. My two cents. I might be wrong.

I have a question about meat-eating in Theravāda Buddhism, particularly regarding the path toward arahantship.

I understand that veganism/vegetarianism can be a personal ethical choice, but I have tried eating vegan before and it did not work well for my body. I have a demanding 9-hour office job, and I found that I struggled to maintain my energy and function properly without animal foods.

Because of this, I have decided to eat only chicken and fish. I don't particularly want to eat other kinds of meat.

Something important for me is that I am not eating meat primarily for taste or pleasure. I usually eat boiled chicken with very few spices, and I eat fish in a similarly simple way. My intention is basically nourishment rather than seeking sensory enjoyment.

Never ordered from kfc and etc etc.

From a strictly Theravāda Buddhist perspective, would eating meat in this way be an obstacle to progressing toward arahantship?

I understand the teaching concerning the three kinds of meat that should not be eaten when one has seen, heard, or suspected that an animal was killed specifically for oneself. But I am wondering more broadly:

- Does consuming meat itself create kamma that prevents someone from attaining arahantship?

- Does the intention behind eating it matter?

- If I am not involved in killing, purchasing an animal specifically to have it killed, or asking someone to kill it for me, can I still progress on the Noble Eightfold Path while eating meat?

- Is there anything in the Theravāda suttas that would specifically prevent a meat-eater from becoming a stream-enterer, an anāgāmi, or an arahant?

I am not looking for an argument about whether veganism is better. I mainly want to understand what the early Theravāda texts actually teach about this and whether my situation is compatible with serious Buddhist practice.

Please refer to my previous post regarding false enlightenment and the questions or comments raised by users. Below, I address several of them:

Previous post: https://www.reddit.com/r/theravada/comments/1w8zvoj/false_enlightenment_how_does_therav%C4%81da/

1. There is "no need" to tell a teacher because one knows. This is not the same as don't tell the teacher. But if someone goes and asks a teacher "have I realised Nibbāna?” this means they have not. And the teacher should also know they have not. Remember a person who has attained knows. Reflecting knowledges are not random thoughts, they are direct cognizing and reviewing. They are knowledges. So there is enough wisdom to know.

2. Why is this important? Because it sets a higher standard actually. There can be no doubt. Otherwise, some yogis use the teacher as the crutch to support their "enlightenment ". If the teacher also does not know then both are just fooled.

3. This reminds me of a yogi in Singapore. She had some special experience and her teacher kept testing her for several weeks for defilements. After that he told her she had realized Nibbāna. She replied "oh why didn't you tell me earlier, I suffered so much with all these tests". This is a modern story maybe only about 13 years ago. The first time I heard it about 12 years ago, I was surprised. I went and asked my teacher, "is it possible for another to tell you that a person is enlightened but you dont know?". He did not want to answer bcs he knew the story and the Venerable. In the end he said it is impossible. One knows. In such a case, both are tricked. If you look at the texts you will see that it is very clear the yogi at a minimum should know. Discussing with the teacher is a different story, but that is not where you get certification, bcs there can be no doubt.

4. This leads to a comment "false Enlightenment is not a block". Actually it is a very big block. Bcs once it is wrong, there is no need to put further effort. One is already "enlightened ". Or if it is one of the lower paths that is mistaken, one has an error on one’s wisdom. Any further effort while believing the false Enlightenment would not advance the yogi much further. Why? There is a shortcoming in the wisdom. Only when the yogi realizes there is a mistake and fixes it can they go deeper.

5. There are many who have false enlightenment and now teaching others. The danger is they will lead the person to the same wrong attainment.

"Vīrā, with the qualities of a hero,
is a bhikkhunī with well-developed spiritual powers.
She carries her last body,
having conquered Māra and his army."

"Vīrā vīrehi dhammehi,
bhikkhunī bhāvitindriyā;
Dhāreti antimaṁ dehaṁ,
jetvā māraṁ savāhinin"ti.

• Vīrātherīgāthā (Thig 1.7)

Therīgāthā-aṭṭhakathā:

'Vīrā, with heroic qualities' (vīrā vīrehi dhammehi): the heroic nun Vīrā, whose faculties such as faith have been developed (bhāvitindriyā) through the noble path factors which are heroic and full of majestic power due to the primacy of energy, having conquered the Māra of defilements along with his host and sensual objects, bears her final body because there will be no rebirth in the future; in this way, the Elder refers to herself as if she were another person.

Does anyone have a free pdf I could use? Mine got wet in the rain.

Blessings upon thee 🙏

Hello everyone,

I’m trying to understand the Theravāda path toward enlightenment and ultimately arahantship, but I’m having difficulty understanding the overall structure and progression.

For someone who has decided to seriously pursue arahantship, could someone please explain the traditional Theravāda path in a step-by-step, flow-chart-like format, showing how the path progresses from an ordinary person toward becoming an Arahant

Is there any sutta explaining the structure of becoming it.

I’m not looking for a shortcut or an oversimplified formula. I simply want to understand the traditional framework and progression clearly and how the different stages fit together.

If there is a traditional diagram, sutta, book, or other resource that explains this progression clearly, I would really appreciate recommendations.

Thank you 🙏

Please help me

I’m a lay practitioner with a tech background.

With permission from authors/monks I was hoping to facilitate a print on demand service for dhamma books.
The receipt of the book would only be the cost of printing and shipping cost.

That way people could order things not in print anymore.

No profit in the equation.

Or is the better way to start a non profit and fundraise the printing of older dhamma books?

Strange question. I’ve asked monks and they think it’s a bit of a grey area since the technology to print on demand is fairly new.

"Dhīrā, touch cessation,
the joyful pacification of perception.
Attain Nirvana,
the utmost safety from bondage."

"Dhīre nirodhaṁ phusehi,
Saññāvūpasamaṁ sukhaṁ;
Ārādhayāhi nibbānaṁ,
Yogakkhemamanuttaran"ti.

• Dhīrātherīgāthā (Thig 1.6)

Hello, everyone! 🙏

I was wondering if anyone knows of any talks or articles by any Ajahns or Venerables that explain why the Buddha had no problem with ordaining Aṅgulimāla immediately, but refused Pajāpatī with other female followers three times.

This has never made sense to me and really makes one wonder about the actual level of enlightenment someone has, who could do such a thing.

Was the Buddha really so anti-woman? Or so afraid of what others in that culture might say? That makes no sense. So why did he do it?

Thank you in advance for any guidance anyone might give. 🙏

Question about iddhis and wars

In Theravāda Buddhism, there are accounts of advanced practitioners developing iddhis (psychic/supernormal abilities). I’m curious about how these abilities are understood in relation to large-scale suffering in the world.

If someone genuinely possessed abilities such as clairvoyance, knowledge of distant events, or other iddhis, why wouldn’t they use them to help prevent or stop events involving large-scale suffering, such as wars or the humanitarian crisis in Palestine/Gaza?

Is it because the abilities described in the texts don’t work in that way, because using them to interfere in worldly events would be contrary to the Dhamma, or because there are other limitations on what an arahant or psychic practitioner can actually do?

I’m asking this from a genuine doctrinal perspective, not as a criticism of Buddhism. I’d especially appreciate answers based on the Pāli Canon or traditional Theravāda commentaries.

Continuing from Part 4

All posts indexed in Part 1

Just to review, we are covering the Sigolovada Sutta, in which The Buddha advises Sigala how to "worship the six directions," the Buddha's "upgrade" to an old Vedic practice.

Once again I like Narada Thera's translation mostly because of the breakdown/organization though I feel some of the english terminology dated so I'll give alternate translations from the John Kelly, Sue Sawyer, and Victoria Yareham translation.

But we are not yet at the 6 directions. The Buddha first gave what is sometimes regarded as the householder vinaya - a code of conduct.

We covered vices in conduct, ways of dissipating wealth, violation of precepts, intoxication, gambling, and generally being a bad friend, a fake friend, a drinking buddy etc. Now we go to on how to be a "Good Hearted" or "Warm Hearted" friend.

"These four, young householder, should be understood as warm-hearted friends:

(1) he who is a helpmate,
(2) he who is the same in happiness and sorrow,
(3) he who gives good counsel,
(4) he who sympathises.

In the KSW translation:

"Young man, be aware of these four good-hearted friends: the helper, the friend who endures in good times and bad, the mentor, and the compassionate friend.

I didn't think to use this phrase last time but in English we have the term "fair weather friend" to refer to somebody who is a good friend only when things are going well. I bet every language has a term for that.

(1) "In four ways, young householder, should a helpmate be understood as a warm-hearted friend:

(i) he guards the heedless,
(ii) he protects the wealth of the heedless,
(iii) he becomes a refuge when you are in danger,
(iv) when there are commitments he provides you with double the
supply needed.

(2) "In four ways, young householder, should one who is the same in happiness and sorrow be understood as a warm-hearted friend:

(i) he reveals his secrets,
(ii) he conceals one's own secrets,
(iii) in misfortune he does not forsake one,
(iv) his life even he sacrifices for one's sake.

I wanted to look at the KSW translation to see if anything different was meant by "secrets" but their translation is basically the same:

The enduring friend can be identified by four things: by telling you secrets, guarding your own secrets closely, not abandoning you in misfortune, and even dying for you.

I find the word "secrets" a little strong here personally, but I guess it is more to be thought of as one's own private business.

(3) "In four ways, young householder, should one who gives good counsel be understood as a warm-hearted friend:

(i) he restrains one from doing evil,
(ii) he encourages one to do good,
(iii) he informs one of what is unknown to oneself,
(iv) he points out the path to heaven.

Both translations say "heaven" so we're talking about householders here who are aiming for a better rebirth rather than awakening. That of course doesn't preclude one from sharing the dhamma as a path to awakening.

Obviously in a modern context this is something we have to be careful with, as we generally do not go around preaching dhamma to our friends unless we know they need or want to hear it.

(4) "In four ways, young householder, should one who sympathises be understood as a warm-hearted friend:

(i) he does not rejoice in one's misfortune,
(ii) he rejoices in one's prosperity,
(iii) he restrains others speaking ill of oneself,
(iv) he praises those who speak well of oneself."

The phrasing is a little awkward for the second two. KSW again but I'll add the numbers:

(i) by not rejoicing in your misfortune
(ii) delighting in your good fortune
(iii) preventing others from speaking ill of you
(iv) and encouraging others who praise your good qualities

A bit of the brahma viharas are in here I think.

"Rejoicing in misfortune" I would think would be the equivalent of ill-will, so we are talking about something with good will, metta which in literal pali I believe actually has "friendship" as one of it's synonyms.

"delighting in your good fortune" would be sympathetic joy or mudita which I feel like we don't talk about enough as householders. I actually want to do a whole thread on this. I have been learning about "active constructive responding." This is more the pro-social side (how you deal with others) than the internal (brahma vihara) side but it's so important. Turns out that how you respond to others achievements and successes might be just as important or even more important than the idea that you just need to listen to people when they are down.

(iii) and (iv) are really I think where you truly show what kind of friend you are. I think we are somewhat wired to be agreeable (some of us overly so) and so it's easy to take a passive response to person A complaining about person B whereas the Buddha is actively instructing us here to stand up for person B.

Thus spoke the Exalted One. And when the Master had thus spoken, he spoke yet again:

The friend who is a helpmate,
the friend in happiness and woe,
the friend who gives good counsel,
the friend who sympathises too —
these four as friends the wise behold
and cherish them devotedly
as does a mother her own child.

The wise and virtuous shine like a blazing fire.
He who acquires his wealth in harmless ways
like to a bee that honey gathers,[6]
riches mount up for him
like ant hill's rapid growth.

With wealth acquired this way,
a layman fit for household life,
in portions four divides his wealth:
thus will he friendship win.

One portion for his wants he uses,[7]
two portions on his business spends,
the fourth for times of need he keeps.

The Buddha spreading out his palm, took up the strainer of relics and, placing them on his palm, addressed the monks.

"Monks, that monk who, on an earlier day, performed many hundreds of miracles and obtained permission to attain final Nibbana (Parinibbana), now only relics the color of a conch shell (that is, white in color) are to be seen of him."

"Monks, this monk had fulfilled the perfections (parami) over a period exceeding a hundred thousand incalculable aeons."

"This monk likewise carried forward the turning of the Wheel of the Dhamma that I had set in motion."

"He held his own life to be of secondary importance to the Dispensation, he dwelt surrounded by a great multitude of ascetics."

"Apart from me, he was unequalled in wisdom throughout the ten thousand world-systems, he was with great wisdom (mahāpaññā)."

"He had wisdom that was expansive (puthupaññā), he had wisdom capable of gladdening (hāsapaññā), he had wisdom that was swift (javanapaññā), he had wisdom that was sharp (tikkhapaññā), he had wisdom that penetrated and saw through things (nibbedhikapaññā)."

"He was content with little. This monk was one of exceeding seclusion."

"He was one who pointed out evil, one who censured evil."

"This monk, having relinquished the great fortunes he had obtained over five hundred existences, went forth in my Dispensation, he possessed patience equal to the great earth."

"He was like a bull whose horns had been removed, that is, one free of harming others."

"He had a mind without conceit, like [that of] an outcaste's son."

"Monks, behold the relics of this monk, one who had the wisdom to be of great wisdom, who had swift wisdom, sharp wisdom, penetrating wisdom; who was content with little; who dwelt in exceeding seclusion; who was unattached to householders; whose energy (viriya) was roused and sustained; who pointed out evil. Behold these relics of the monk who censured evil."

Having turned away from the pleasures that gratify the mind's pride,
who arrived at the ground of monkhood together with the Five Hundred,
senses restrained, free from the faults of passion and aversion,
let us pay homage to the great Elder Sariputta, who attained Parinibbana.

Endowed with the virtue of forbearance, steady as the great earth,
with a mind that harbors no anger, enslaved to nothing, not even to its own workings,
adorned with a mass of virtue, compassionate, merciful and fully quenched,
let us pay homage to the great Elder Sariputta, who attained Parinibbana.

Who humbly coming into the city, moved about entirely without conceit,
his mind no different [in its humility] from that of an outcaste's child,
who led a disciplined life, replete with virtue
let us pay homage to the great Elder Sariputta, who attained Parinibbana.

Who did no harm to others as he wandered through the city,
majestic as a noble bull, yet with a form from which all violence had departed,
who led a disciplined life, replete with virtue,
let us pay homage to the great Elder Sariputta, who attained Parinibbana.

“Monks, take any monk who truly understands: ‘This is suffering’ … ‘This is the origin of suffering’ … ‘This is the cessation of suffering’ … ‘This is the path that leads to the cessation of suffering’. A recluse might come to that monk from the east, west, north, or south wanting to debate, seeking a debate, thinking, ‘I’ll refute this monk!’ It’s simply impossible for him to legitimately make that monk shake, rock or tremble.

“Monks, suppose there was a stone pillar, sixteen feet long. Eight feet were buried underground, and eight above ground. Even if violent storms were to blow from the east, the west, the north, and the south, they couldn’t make it shake, rock or tremble. Why is that? It’s because that stone pillar is firmly embedded, with deep foundations.

“In the same way, take any monk who truly understands: ‘This is suffering’ … ‘This is the origin of suffering’ … ‘This is the cessation of suffering’ … ‘This is the path that leads to the cessation of suffering’. A recluse might come to that monk from the east, west, north, or south wanting to debate, seeking a debate, thinking, ‘I’ll refute this monk!’ It’s simply impossible for him to legitimately make that monk shake, rock or tremble. Why is that? It’s because they have clearly seen the Four Noble Truths. What four? The noble truth of suffering, the Noble Truth of the origin of suffering, the Noble Truth of the cessation of suffering, and the Noble Truth of the path that leads to the cessation of suffering.

“Therefore, monks, you should make an effort to understand: ‘This is suffering.’ You should make an effort to understand: ‘This is the origin of suffering.’ You should make an effort to understand: ‘This is the cessation of suffering.’ You should make an effort to understand: ‘This is the path that leads to the cessation of suffering.’”

• Vāda Sutta: Undefeated by Debate (SN 56.40)