Expert: Justin Choo - 9/8/2009

Question
QUESTION: ok, getting back to self defense, if i kill a person out of self defense should i be accountable for future lives, will it be considered murder? or karmic justice will just shrug it off?

how about sex? is sex good, as long couples are married?

is it true that a true follower of buddha on the way for further advancement must abandon sex because sex is attachment?

is that true that buddha's life has simple narratives and later had more  elaborate additions like buddhavagosa if my memory served me right compiled the biography in buddhacarita?

ANSWER: Jaya,

"ok, getting back to self defense, if i kill a person out of self defense should i be accountable for future lives, will it be considered murder? or karmic justice will just shrug it off?"
Kamma is just like electricity.  If you touched a life wire with your bare hand, you're dead!  If you kill a person, you have committed the act of killing.  Maybe, mitigating factors may reduce the severity of the retribution; but I don't believe it will.  

"how about sex? is sex good, as long couples are married?"
I suppose so.

"is it true that a true follower of buddha on the way for further advancement must abandon sex because sex is attachment?"
Sexual pleasure is a sense pleasure.  Sensual pleasures are not conducive for cultivating a pure spiritual life.

is that true that buddha's life has simple narratives and later had more  elaborate additions like buddhavagosa if my memory served me right compiled the biography in buddhacarita?
I am not well-versed with the scriptures, but I would say that there are variations of the Buddha's life story for the fact that they were compiled after the death of the Buddha.

Take care.

Justin Choo

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

QUESTION: justin,
so self defense is considered murder because as you said it is still killing a life? how about very desperate situation like he's gonna pluck your head off thats why you killed him?

is it also possible to have sexual intercourse to your wife at the same time working out for enligtenment at the same time? 2 birds in one stone?

what does desire means in the first noble truth that suffering is cause by desires? even good desires are considered desires like desiring to be immersed in the sutras or desire to meet the dhamma teachings?

my assessment of my previous questions: buddha and arahant disciple nirvana are all the same the only diff the buddha can teach the dhamma more clearly than the disciples and in a way discoverer nonetheless the parinirvana of the gautama buddha is just the same with his disciples?


im just curious, dfo u know the story a thief had killed 999 persons and he chose finally to study the dharma and became enligtened instantly? im just asking why the disciples and the buddha's family attained a lifetime realization? i think enligtewnment is a million lifetimes

ANSWER: Hi Jaya,

"so self defense is considered murder because as you said it is still killing a life? how about very desperate situation like he's gonna pluck your head off thats why you killed him?"
Read my comment carefully.  I've answered this.


"is it also possible to have sexual intercourse to your wife at the same time working out for enligtenment at the same time? 2 birds in one stone?'
I have said it before.  Please read carefully.  Sensual pleasures are not conducive (hindrance) for spiritual cultivation.

"what does desire means in the first noble truth that suffering is cause by desires? even good desires are considered desires like desiring to be immersed in the sutras or desire to meet the dhamma teachings?"
SENSUAL desires.

"my assessment of my previous questions: buddha and arahant disciple nirvana are all the same the only diff the buddha can teach the dhamma more clearly than the disciples and in a way discoverer nonetheless the parinirvana of the gautama buddha is just the same with his disciples?"
Only Sammasambuddhas are able to teach the Dhamma, for the fact that only they can discover the Dhamma.

'im just curious, dfo u know the story a thief had killed 999 persons and he chose finally to study the dharma and became enligtened instantly? im just asking why the disciples and the buddha's family attained a lifetime realization? i think enligtewnment is a million lifetimes"
Perhaps the last life of each of them was the one but last before the attainment.

The story of Angulimala @ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angulimala


Take care.

Justin Choo


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

QUESTION: if sex is good why the followers and the buddha himself eventually cut of the life of being married?

do u believe that bodhisattvas delayed enligtenment until every one of us is saved?

why does suddhodana, mahapajapati, rahula, yasodhara and the arahants gained nirvana in a lifetime? supposed to be they are going to have nirvana after many many lifetimes and before nirvana they are on the 3rd and4th stages realm?

does it mean that they will never again to be reborn after their deaths?

Answer
Hi Jaya,

"if sex is good why the followers and the buddha himself eventually cut of the life of being married?"
The Buddha never said that sex is good!


"do u believe that bodhisattvas delayed enligtenment until every one of us is saved?"
You have been asking questions relating to Mahayana tradition.  I follow the Theravada tradition.


"why does suddhodana, mahapajapati, rahula, yasodhara and the arahants gained nirvana in a lifetime? supposed to be they are going to have nirvana after many many lifetimes and before nirvana they are on the 3rd and4th stages realm?"
I have answered this question:  
"Perhaps the last life of each of them was the one but last before the attainment."  I mean to say that these people had already completed their cultivation during their previous lives; and these were their last lives.



"does it mean that they will never again to be reborn after their deaths?"
You are repeatedly asking the same question which I have already answered.


Take care.

Justin Choo