Self defence

Question :(Unedited)

If you are in a confrontation and have tried your best to sort out a solution in a non violent way and the person is still insisting on a physical fight, is it okay to defend yourself? If it is not okay is there any way to atone for the action?

Hi M,

Welcome back.

Your question had been asked a million times, but there is no clear-cut satisfactory answer.  If it is so easy to provide a solution, then there will not be any war right now!  Some say it's just a hypothesis.  Some say it's ok, while others not.  Actually, in a real scenario, one would not have the time to think that rationally.  Most probably the urgency will give way to immediate instinct of self-preservation.  To be "politically" correct, the answer may be "depend on the situation".

In the Buddhist context, it boils down to "wholesome" and "unwholesome" action.  To inflict harm on others is "unwholesome" action, and there is no mitigation appeal.  However, the level of severity may differ.  Downright murder is very serious compared with killing in self-defence.  We are faced with such uncertainties in life simply because it is the very nature of this existence.  This is precisely what the Buddha was trying to wake us up to see the danger and uncertainties in life.  Be that as it may, we therefore must strive on with diligence to practise the Golden Rule: "Do not do to others what you do not wish others do to you."  If we conduct our lives wisely, wholesomely, and peacefully, then the natural law will protect us, and we will not have to face with situations as described by you.

How to pray?

Question : (Unedited)

Is it best to pray standing up, sitting down, on your knees, or bowing down? Should my hands be open, closed, or lifted up? Do my eyes need to be closed when I pray? Is it better to pray in a temple building, or out in nature? Should I pray in the morning when I get up, or at night before I go to bed? Are there certain words that I need to say in my prayer? How do I begin my prayer? What is the proper way to close a prayer? What is the proper way to pray? Do any of the above things even matter?

Hi L...,

Thank you for asking me.

I shall answer your last question first.  It really doesn't matter how you "pray".

Actually Buddhists do not "pray" in the Christian sense.  However we pay homage to the image of the Buddha as a mark of reverence.  We also recite the suttas which are the teachings of the Buddha; and after that we radiate good thoughts to share with the Devas (higher beings) and other beings.  With this sharing we may make aspirations that the Devas may protect us.  This is the Theravada practice.

Coming back to the "proper" rites and rituals; it will depend on which tradition you practise.  The three main groups, namely, the Tibetan, Chinese Mahayana, and Theravada have different "styles" in their "praying" gestures.  The best way to know them is to visit the respective temples and join in the rituals.

I can share with you the Theravada way I am practising.  I recite the "salutations and refuges" and the five precepts first thing in the morning and last thing before going to sleep.  As my alter is low, I recite, kneeling with hands clasped.  After the recitation, I bow three times with my forehead touching the floor.  Please click here to follow the ritual:

http://www.parami.org/buddhistanswers/

Holy string

Question : (Unedited)

i visited cambodia.  in a buddhist temple, a buddhist priest surprised me and

put a red yarn around my wrist.  someone said it was for luck. what does it

symbolize?  i am not sure what it is for but i was going to take it off because it

looks like the string they use for kabbala but wondering if it means something

special for buddhism.  

My comment: 

Hi M,

Traditionally, after chanting and blessing, the monk will tie a string (usually yellow or orange colour) on the wrist of the devotee, as an assurance for protection.  There is no harm in taking off the string. 

However since it signifies something "spiritual" or "holy" you should treat it with respect and avoid throwing it in the rubbish bin (trash bin).  You could put it in a flower pot.

Divination sticks

Question : (Unedited)

Hi Justin - Thanks for taking my question. I  visited Buddhist Temple   in Los Angeles during Chinese New Year. I witnessed a ritual in which people took a large bamboo cylinder full of thin sticks, they shook the container until a stick fell to the floor - then consulted a board displaying slips of yellow paper upon which something was written in Chinese. I wonder if you could tell me the significance of this fascinating ritual? Thanks again.

My comment:

Hi S,

Thank you for asking me.

The temple you visited was most probably a traditional Chinese temple.  Many people will call it a "Taoist" temple, which strictly speaking is not.  The Chinese have been practising a blend of "religious" rites, rituals and beliefs, garnered throughout the ages, for thousands of years.  This practice is loosely and wrongly described as Taoism and Buddhism. A typical Chinese temple will house the various pantheon of deities, while others are dedicated to specific deities such as Goddess of Mercy, God of Prosperity, and local "Patron Saints".

Coming back to your question.  The "ritual" you are describing is a sort of divination practice.  First, the "petitioner" will express his "problem" or "wish" in front of the deity.  Then he will shake the cylinder until a stick jumps out.  Before accepting the stick, he will perform another ritual, which you might have missed noticing.  He will cast two small pieces of "weird" looking blocks onto the floor.  They are shaped like split cashew nuts.  Depending on which side the two pieces face will determine whether the divination stick is accepted or not.  If not accepted then the ritual is repeated until "accepted".  The stick will refer to specific "answer" sheet obtain from the counter.  The "petitioner" will then interprete the answer sheet.  There are usually different canisters for different purposes.  There are for example, "general" questions and "medicinal" prescriptions.  The former answers are usually in the form of well known classical stories which an "expert" in these stories will be able to derive the answers.  The latter will contain a wealth of general traditional Chinese medicinal prescriptions.

Please remember that all these are very ancient traditional Chinese practices.  They are 100% Chinese.  They are not Buddhism.

Buddhists do not fight over dead bodies!

Question: (Unedited)

this might be a little intruding but im doing an assignment on weather the dead of the past should be left alone by archelolgist i was wondering what the buddhist belive sould happen and the religious rituals for the past

thankyou

Ja....

My comment:

Hi Ja....,

Thank you for asking me.

There is this true story of a Buddhist man who died.  Then someone claimed that he was a Christian and should be given a Christian rite.  Along came the Muslims who also claimed that this man was actually a Muslim.  There was a furor between the Christian and the Muslim groups.  Someone quickly went to see a Buddhist monk to ask for advice.  The Monk said, "We Buddhists do not fight over dead bodies!"

The moral of the story is that when a person is dead, he IS dead and gone.  It is only important when the person is still living.  Of course, in reality the matter is not so simple because of human emotion for the dead; but this is not Buddhism.  In Buddhism, there is no taboo or superstition whether "to dig or not".

Smile from justinchoo :-)

Unquenchable craving

Qusetion : (Unedited)

The Four Noble Truths state that desire is the origin of suffering and so if you don't desire you won't suffer. Could the aim of reaching Nirvana be considered a desire and to that extent couldn't wanting to becoming a Buddhist be considered a desire?

Hi S...,

Thanks for asking me.

Your question is a play on semantics.  The "desire" the Buddha was referring to was about sensual desires.  Sensual desires refer to desires of the 5 senses.  These sensual desires are unquenchable.  It is the very nature of physical senses.  Take for example, hunger.  Once the hunger is satisfied with intake of food; the process of depletion starts, and after some time one feels hungry again.  Another aspect of sense desire is the stronger feeling of craving.  One's craving to satisfy one's desire is itself a catalyst to crave for more.  When this craving goes unchecked, one becomes crazy!  So the option is opened to anyone who follows the Buddha's teachings:  to continue feeding these desires with more craving, or to come to one's senses to reduce this crazy cycle of on-going "madness".

As for aiming to reach Nibbana (Nirvana), it is a very different concept.  Here we are talking about one's commitment to reduce one's greed, hatred and delusion until complete eradication.  This is not a life-long process, but countless life-processes.  "Desire" is not an appropriate word to describe this journey towards Nibbana.  “Aspiration” will be a more appropriate word. Of course anyone can still argue until the cows come home that it is still "desire".  So it is up to you to analyze and come to your own conclusion as to which is more reasonable. See, this is the beauty of Buddhism.

What is delusion?

Question : (Unedited)

What is delusion. Pls explain with examples. tq.

My comment:

Hi C,

"Delusion" is a mental state which misleads a person's perception of the "real" world.  It is like in a state of hallucination where one is unable to see the true picture.  It is like looking at a rainbow believing it to be real; or in a desert looking at a mirage.  It is the result of not knowing the real nature of things.  "Not knowing" means "ignorance".  Ignorance causes us to have a deluded mind. This mental state is the cause of all our follies.  It prevents us from seeing the real nature of this life and the universe, and existence in general.  It tricks us to view life as pleasurable, of substance, and permanent.  In reality existence is the direct opposite, that is, unsatisfactory, insubstantial, and impermanent.

The first of the Noble Eightfold Path is Right View.  If one does not have this Right View, then in the Buddhist context, one is being ignorant. And when one is being ignorant, one has a deluded mind.  With this deluded mind, one's perception of the world is flawed, resulting in stress and sorrow.  What is this Right View?  Others use the terms "Right Understanding" or "Right Perspective".  On the fundamental interpretation, it is the understanding of the Four Noble Truths. The Four Noble Truths are the truth of suffering; the truth of the cause of suffering; the truth to the ending of suffering; and the truth to the path leading to this ending, which is the Noble Eightfold Path.

On a more comprehensive interpretation, Right View means in addition to the above, the understanding of the salient aspects of the Buddha's teachings.  The main teachings are the "Trilogy of Existence" (Impermanence, unsatisfactoriness, insubstantiality); the Universal Law of Kamma (and rebirth); the Cycle of Dependent Origination; and the five aggregates of a being.  To advance further in real understanding is the realization of these teachings (Dhamma, which means universal truths) through experiencing the results from practising the Dhamma.  Once a person achieves this realization, he can be considered to have gained wisdom.  He is no more ignorant. His mind is clear, awakened...no more delusion! He experiences inner peace in this troubled world.

In common experience; it's just like a person trying to find the way in darkness.  The 4 Noble Truths are the lights dispersing the darkness.  While the Noble Eightfold Path is the road one has to travel to reach one's destination.

Smile from justinchoo :-)