Expert: Anandapanyo Bhikkhu - 10/30/2009

Question
QUESTION: should all bad karmas be worked out first before achieving nirvana?

can u explain these terms insight, contemplation meditation? how is doing good being applied there?

my question is that are good deeds absolutely necessary to gain enligtenment i had heard tales of a robber getting enligtened, upali gained enligtenment by shaving buddha's hair? i know all things are impermenent isnt that realziing the truth now?

how does conventional truth reconciled with absolute truth? it seems for me conventional truth is more of a illusion truth because it is not the ultimate truth the ultimate truth is emptiness

why still there is morality if good and evil are just our point of view whats good in buddhism may not apply to muslims at all its relativism

ANSWER: Dear Jaya,

"should all bad karmas be worked out first before achieving nirvana?"
No, you cannot directly control that

"can u explain these terms insight, contemplation meditation? how is doing good being applied there?"

Insight - deeply and fully understanding. Knowing why is came, where it came from, the process and how to eliminate it.
Contemplation Meditation - reflect, and use insight to contemplate upon a particular topic.

Insight is the parami of panna
Contemplation Meditation uses Panna (insight), Sati (concentration), and many others. All of these are considered good acts.

"my question is that are good deeds absolutely necessary to gain enligtenment i had heard tales of a robber getting enligtened, upali gained enligtenment by shaving buddha's hair? i know all things are impermenent isnt that realziing the truth now?"

I have explained this to you already. Good and bad deeds occur on the path to enlightenment. How can you stop doing good or bad deeds? You don't even fully know which deeds are good or bad. You don't know when you have committed them. You don't know where they came from. You don't even know why you have committed them. Therefore, how can you possibly not do any good or bad deeds? You are focusing on the wrong point. Elimination of anything cannot be done by brute force. I stress again, ELIMINATION OF ANYTHING CANNOT BE DONE BY BRUTE FORCE. You must understand and have insight pertaining to the thing you want eliminated. Then you must eliminate it in such a way that prevents it from coming back. For example, if you want to cut down a tree. If you just cut branches, or leaves, that will NOT prevent the tree from growing. However, if you study and understand how the tree works, what makes it grow and what it needs, you can cut out the trunk, pull out all the roots, and/or add cement to the dirt. This way, not only have you destroyed the tree, you have also destroyed its cause.

"how does conventional truth reconciled with absolute truth? it seems for me conventional truth is more of a illusion truth because it is not the ultimate truth the ultimate truth is emptiness"

Absolute truth is the only truth that truly exists. Conventional truths intersects with absolute truth, but not all conventional truths are absolute truths. Conventional truths are not all illusions, some of them do align with absolute truth.

"why still there is morality if good and evil are just our point of view whats good in buddhism may not apply to muslims at all its relativism"

What is good in Buddhism applies to ALL. This is because Buddhism is based on absolute truth, not someone's opinion. The Truth the Buddha taught was not his opinion. It is truth that is undeniable, it is truth that is universally understood. Therefore, that truth, which we call Dharma applies to all. Such as:

1. All things endure suffering
2. All suffering has a cause
3. All suffering will end when the cause ends

1. Everything creates suffering
2. All things are impermanent
3. All things are not-self

1. Good actions are those that create no bad effects
2. We should not kill
3. We should not use words to hurt others
4. We should not act inappropriately regrading sexuality
5. We should not take that which is not given
6. We should not take intoxicants.

These things cannot be argued by Christians, Buddhists, Muslims or anybody who uses reason to contemplate them. Therefore, the Dharma is not only for Buddhists, but for everyone.

Sincerely,

Phra Anandapanyo


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: dhammananda has a lot of infos in his articles like we are in a illusion, this life is an empty dream, we are like clouds who disappears bec of transience? material life craving is like illusion? what does it mean illusion? like a soul is an illusion, immortality here and after is illusion?

again so there is no good and evil in reality? seems alittle technical?



ANSWER: Dear Jaya,

"dhammananda has a lot of infos in his articles like we are in a illusion, this life is an empty dream, we are like clouds who disappears bec of transience? material life craving is like illusion? what does it mean illusion? like a soul is an illusion, immortality here and after is illusion?"

I have not studied what dhammananda has said or written. Therefore, I cannot profess to critique his works or his thoughts. Please direct questions to him.


"again so there is no good and evil in reality? seems alittle technical?"

Let me ask you a question, if someone murders someone you love, do you consider that evil?
If someone helps you in your time of need, or shows compassion to you, do you consider that good?

If you answer yes, then good and evil exists.

Many questions can be answered if you just ask yourself the right questions.

Sincerely,

Phra Anandapanyo

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: what does buddhism say about ghosts like murder victims haunting guilty people? spirits of people who died recently haunting a particular place

what are the signs of enligtenment i mean symptoms of enligtenment to a person?

what is the source of morality in buddhism? will people become animal like in consciences or morality if there is no law?

hypothethical question: hitler killed 6 million jews is it possible for him to be an arahant in the next life? is it possible his 6 million murders plus plottings might be erase in his very next lifeform?

what does it mean life is an illusion? there are a lot of articles regarding anatta always proclaim life itself is an illusion and if someone knew emptiness he will find out no one is actually existing?

Answer
Dear Jaya,

"what does buddhism say about ghosts like murder victims haunting guilty people? spirits of people who died recently haunting a particular place"

Spirits who are murdered are usually those who have karma left to pay. Therefore, after their murder they might spend some time angry and floating around as hungry ghosts, but even then, we humans do not have the ability to interact with them. Unless we have practiced high level meditation and have the meditative absorption to communicate with spirits, we will not be able to communicate with them. Most likely, the spirits we think we see are a product of our own imagination.

"what are the signs of enligtenment i mean symptoms of enligtenment to a person?"

Once you become enlightened, you no longer have any doubt in the Buddha or the Buddha's teachings. You also have no doubt that the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha exist since you have experienced it firsthand within yourself. In addition, you eradicate the sense of self in the five aggregates. You will no longer cling to rites and rituals such as praying to God, sacrificing animals or others. This is because you know you can only achieve deliverance through the Noble Eightfold Path. You will be free from falling into the lower rebirths or into states of misery. You will not ever break the five precepts.

Next, depending on your level of enlightenment, you will reach Nirvana.

"what is the source of morality in buddhism? will people become animal like in consciences or morality if there is no law?"

The source of morality in Buddhism is karma. If we believe in karma, we will conduct ourselves morally.

"hypothethical question: hitler killed 6 million jews is it possible for him to be an arahant in the next life? is it possible his 6 million murders plus plottings might be erase in his very next lifeform?"

No, in his next life, he will most likely be born in one of the lower rebirths or into states of misery. Therefore, since he is not a human or born into the highest heavens as an anagami, he cannot become enlightened.

"what does it mean life is an illusion? there are a lot of articles regarding anatta always proclaim life itself is an illusion and if someone knew emptiness he will find out no one is actually existing?"

Life is what YOU decide to decipher it as. Therefore, life is merely the illusion you present for yourself. The world is the way it is, you are the way you are. However, you do not always see the world for the way it is, or yourself for the way you are. This is the illusion of your life. It is due to your perception.

I hope I have answered your questions.

Sincerely,

Phra Anandapanyo