AboutJustin Choo Expertise When in doubt seek it out. All your questions will be answered, and you may not have to agree with the answers. Such is the beauty of Buddhism. You are free to decide. I follow the Theravada tradition, and have been studying Buddhism for more than 40 years. Please view my profile for more details. I have answered more than a thousand questions since joining this category. You are welcome to try me.
Experience I was brought up in the 50's as a Buddhist. For the past 40 years I have read numerous books on Buddhism and listened to numerous talks on Buddhism by well-respected and learned monks and lay teachers. I conduct Buddhist classes for parents of Sunday School children in a Theravada Buddhist Temple.
My teacher was the late Chief Reverend, The Ven. K Sri Dhammananda of The Brickfields Buddhist Mahavihara, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. You can view the relevent website in memory of my revered late teacher @
http://www.ksridhammananda.com
Organizations I am a life member of the Buddhist Missionary Society Malaysia.
Publications YOU ARE INVITED TO VISIT MY BLOG @
http://lifeislikethat999.blogspot.com/
Published a book called "The Rainbow And The Treasure". It is a compilation of extracts from various sources to introduce Buddhism to beginners. (Currently out of print)
Education/Credentials Bachelor of Commerce And Administration, Victoria University Of Wellington, NZ.(1974)
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
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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.
