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What matters is whether someone can understand the Buddha’s message.
Please feel free to use any method you like. Let us first focus on your following claim:
- Anapanasati” (interpreted as breath meditation) leads to Arahanthood via fulfilling Satipatthana.
Now, please understand. Here, one uses only breath meditation, i.e., focus on the rising and falling of the breath through the nostrils. Please explain how it can first lead to the Sotapanna stage, and then to higher magga phala.
“Re 2 & 4. The prohibition of Sanskrit and evidence from the Tipiṭaka I have taken the liberty of combining these two points because, from an analytical perspective, they represent a single, shared methodological problem.”
- Those are not the same issues, even though related. So we should continue to address them separately.
- I would appreciate it if you could answer the question I asked regarding #4 of your original questions. Is breath (or kasina) meditation recommended by Buddhaghosa in the Tipitaka? If you say, “anapanapanasati” in the Tipitaka is the same as ‘breath meditation’, then please explain how it can lead to the fulfillment of Satipatthana (and Arahanthood) as explained in the Tipitaka.
Now, regarding your original question #3:
Again, to easily clarify the issue, let me ask a simple question: “Is ‘anicca‘ in the Tipitaka the same as ‘anitya‘ in Sanskrit?
1. “..do you personally endorse the premise that the Buddha lived in Sri Lanka and not in India?”
- No. I have not endorsed either view, i.e., whether the Buddha was born in Sri Lanka or India. Have you seen any on this website?
- Furthermore, I don’t belong to any ‘movements.’ I appreciate the fact that Waharaka Thero uncovered many hidden aspects of Buddha’s teachings, and I am forever indebted to him for that. I also don’t think he intended to start a ‘movement,’ as such. He was simply teaching things he had uncovered. I am willing to learn from anyone, and I also try to uncover things on my own.
- Our goal should be to fully uncover Buddha’s teachings, many of which have been hidden. I think there is still some left to uncover. I am amazed by the depth of the teachings.
2. You seem to believe in Sanskrit root derivations. I do not.
- The Buddha specifically prohibited translating his teachings into Sanskrit. Sanskrit was called ‘Chandasa’ in the time of the Buddha.
- The following past discussion in the forum may help: “Sanskrit Prohibited.”
3. It is up to each person to decide whose interpretations are correct. I am not asking anyone to believe anything I write. A human is capable of making decisions on their own.
4. Yes. I claim so, and have provided evidence for my statements. For example, breath meditation and ‘kasina meditation’ using kasina objects such as a clay ball are Hindu meditations, and not Buddhist. Do you believe otherwise?
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Please feel free to comment and provide evidence supporting your comments, and include any evidence from the Tipitaka if it contradicts mine. I am willing to change my position if such evidence is provided. We are all trying to uncover the true teachings of the Buddha.
Hello Damithu,
I would suggest you focus on your studies until the exam period ends.
As a beginner in the pursuit of Buddha’s teachings, one would face many conflicting viewpoints. It may take some time to sort things out. It is best to do that after getting through the exam period.
First, some parts of the Buddha’s teachings are incompatible with modern science, even though science has gradually adopted certain aspects of them, especially in recent years. On the other hand, modern science has never conclusively disproven any aspect of Buddha Dhamma. I can help you deal with it by suggesting certain posts or sections in the website.
Furthermore, Buddha’s teachings have been distorted over the past 2,600 years, and there are now many versions. Some are easy to reject, while others could be attractive depending on one’s views about the world. So, it is good to keep an open mind and examine different versions that seem logical. Once you get back to focus on Dhamma, don’t hesitate to ask questions on such issues as well. In the beginning of my journey, I went through that process for a couple of years.
It is imperative to get through the school year and get good grades. Once it is out of the way, you can focus on Dhamma for a few months without distractions. We wish you well in those efforts!
I asked an AI bot and received the following answer:
What we know from sleep science
Two different ideas need to be separated:
1. Segmented sleep is real, but not required
Historically, many humans slept in two chunks with a calm wake period in between. This wasn’t forced; it emerged naturally in environments without artificial light.
Modern sleep research shows:
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When people live with only natural light, they often drift into a biphasic pattern
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The wake period is usually quiet, low-stimulation, and restful
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People don’t feel sleep-deprived afterward
This suggests segmented sleep is possible, not necessary.
2. Sleep continuity is important for most modern sleepers
For most people today, intentionally breaking sleep:
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Reduces total deep sleep
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Disrupts REM cycles
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Increases daytime sleepiness
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Can worsen mood and cognitive performance
Your brain does a lot of memory consolidation and emotional processing during uninterrupted sleep. Breaking it on purpose usually works against that.
What about waking up to “reflect”?
Here’s the key distinction:
✔️ If you naturally wake up and feel calm
A short period of quiet reflection, journaling, or meditation is usually harmless. This resembles the historical “first sleep / second sleep” pattern.
❌ If you force yourself to wake up
Setting an alarm or deliberately interrupting sleep to think or reflect is generally not a good idea. It fragments sleep architecture and can impair:
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Mood regulation
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Memory consolidation
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Immune function
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Cognitive clarity
Ironically, the very introspection you’re seeking becomes less clear when sleep is disrupted.
Practical guidance
If you’re considering experimenting with segmented sleep, the safest approach is:
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Let it happen naturally, not by design
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Keep the wake period dim, quiet, and low-stimulation
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Avoid screens
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Avoid clocks
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Return to bed when sleepy
If you’re waking up unintentionally and staying awake too long, that’s a different conversation. You may need to seek medical guidance.
The above app is now available in a stand-alone web page: Pure Dhamma Essays In Portuguese | Pure Dhamma
- That link appears in the sub-menu below each post.
There is another way that scientists gain knowledge about animals that lived long ago without using radiocarbon dating. Scientists determined that dinosaurs lived tens of millions of years ago, not by radiocarbon dating but by other radiometric dating methods and geological context that operate on much older timescales using fossilized bones.
1. Why Fossils Last, but Steel Doesn’t
Steel is a manufactured metal that corrodes rapidly when exposed to water, oxygen, salts, and soil chemistry. It’s chemically unstable in natural environments.
Bones, on the other hand, don’t survive millions of years either—not as bone. Instead, they undergo:
Mineralization (permineralization):
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Groundwater carrying dissolved minerals flows through buried bone.
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The original organic material decays.
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Minerals (silica, calcite, iron, etc.) fill the pores or replace the bone molecule by molecule.
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Over thousands to millions of years, the bone becomes stone.
So a fossilized dinosaur “bone” is actually a rock shaped like a bone, not a preserved biological structure.
This is why fossils can last hundreds of millions of years while steel rusts away in tens of thousands of years.
2. Radiometric dating of igneous rocks
When molten rock cools into igneous rock, radioactive atoms become locked into the crystal structure. Over time, they decay at predictable rates. By measuring the ratio of parent isotopes to daughter isotopes, scientists calculate how long the decay has been happening.
Common isotope systems include:
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Uranium‑238 → Lead‑206
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Potassium‑40 → Argon‑40
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Rubidium‑87 → Strontium‑87
These isotopes have half‑lives from millions to billions of years, making them ideal for dating ancient rocks. Thus, the age of a fossilized bone is determined by the age of the rock that it is embedded in.
- This is how we know, for example, that the rock layers containing T. rex fossils are about 66–68 million years old, even though the fossils themselves can’t be carbon‑dated.
3. Most species never Fossilize
Fossilization is extremely rare. It requires:
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rapid burial
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low oxygen
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the right minerals
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stable geological conditions
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no erosion or destruction for millions of years
Most organisms die, decay, and disappear without leaving a trace.
Estimated numbers:
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Total species that have ever lived: ~1–4 billion
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Species known from fossils: ~300,000
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That’s less than 0.1% of all species in Earth’s history
So the fossil record is impressive, but it’s also incomplete by nature.
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I hope the above description provides a bit more information. It is good to get a general idea. But I don’t spend much time going into depth.
Damithu asked: “However, don’t we have evidence that humans evolved from animals (apes), and not celestial beings?”
Good question.
Yes. That is what is taught in schools, based on scientists’ investigations. However, they have limited resources to trace the history of our planet and the living beings in it.
- Most such deductions are based on radiocarbon dating of organic material left over from the bones of various animal species.
- However, radiocarbon dating is accurate for organic materials up to about 50,000 years old, beyond which the remaining carbon-14 is too small to measure reliably. Our Earth is over 4.5 billion years old. Thus, the scientists can investigate only a tiny fraction of Earth’s history.
- Furthermore, essentially any material (including hard materials like steel) is totally decayed well within a million years.
- Thus, science cannot trace the proposed theory of evolution far enough to verify that theory.
Some of these issues have been discussed in the forum: “Post on ‘Buddhism and Evolution – Aggañña Sutta (DN 27)’“
1. Only some of our experiences arise due to direct kamma vipaka.
- Most of our experiences are due to the fact that we are born with a human body, and we live in an environment that naturally subjects us to certain experiences.
- For example, if a hurricane or flood occurs, it will affect everyone living in that area. It is best to avoid areas prone to such situations. Living in a bad neighborhood or association with ‘bad friends’ can be avoided, too.
- In certain, rare cases, like in the situation of Moggallāna Thero being beaten are due to direct kamma vipaka; it was a remnant of an anatiriaya kamma of beating his parents to death in a previous life. The hypothetical case you mentioned probably would not fall under that category.
2. Now, let us consider the hypothetical case you presented: Someone going through mental harassment and physical abuse.
- That could be avoided or at least handled to minimize the effect.
- If the harassment occurs at the workplace, for example, one could seek a new job or request a transfer to a different group within the same employer.
- If it is from the spouse, one could try to reason with them, avoid retaliating to worsen the situation, and, if all efforts fail, consider a divorce. Of course, this could be complicated if children are involved.
- In almost all other situations, avoiding ‘bad situations/environments’ can be a solution.
3. The “Sabbāsava Sutta (MN 2)” lists several ways to cultivate the Noble Path. Some of the steps mentioned can be used as ‘mundane applications’ in the situation being discussed.
- Removal by good associations (“paṭisevanā pahātabbā,” where sevana is an association: for example, with good friends and good deeds). Avoiding the opposite is implied.
- Removal by tolerance and patience (“adhivāsanā pahātabbā“). For example, even if one is tempted to steal because of hunger, one should consider the consequences of doing so. In the present case, refrain from retaliation with anger.
- Removal by staying clear of “bad influences and environments” (“parivajjanā pahātabbā“). One needs to avoid bad friends, unwise places to live (due to floods, bad neighbors, etc.), and inappropriate times to go out, among other things. If one lives in a bad neighborhood, one can make plans to move.
- Removal by getting rid of certain things (“vinodanā pahātabbā“). One needs to get rid of immoral thoughts that come to mind, such as excessive sensory pleasure, anger, etc.
- Being mindful (bhāvanā pahātabbā) is listed as the last and incorporates all of the above. Always think about minimizing the bad consequences of the actions one is about to take.
4. Another important thing I have experienced myself is the following. When one lives a simple, moral life and is mindful of how to avoid potential future issues, one will be guided in the ‘right direction’ by Dhamma itself.
- The verse, “Dhammo have rakkhati dhammacāriṁ” means “Dhamma will guide and protect those who follow Buddha’s teachings and live accordingly.”
- Things seem to ‘work out naturally’ over time when steps in #3 are followed.
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1. There can be only one Buddha in a ‘loka dhātu‘ (a thousand cakkavāla) at any given time: “Bahudhātuka Sutta (MN 115).” This sutta explains many other ‘facts’.
- But there can be Buddhas in other such ‘loka dhātu.‘ Scientists say there are billions of galaxies with billions of cakkavāla in each galaxy! So, there can be numerous Buddhas in other cakkavāla.
2. Yes. In our cakkavāla, a Buddha appears in our specific Solar system. We are so fortunate.
3. I believe our Bodhisatta was born in our Solar system, and met previous Buddhas born here.
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It is a good plan. You seem to have a good family environment/support as well. We all wish you success in both directions!
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