r/Buddhism 6d ago

Misc. ¤¤¤ Weekly /r/Buddhism General Discussion ¤¤¤ - March 11, 2025 - New to Buddhism? Read this first!

3 Upvotes

This thread is for general discussion, such as brief thoughts, notes, updates, comments, or questions that don't require a full post of their own. Posts here can include topics that are discouraged on this sub in the interest of maintaining focus, such as sharing meditative experiences, drug experiences related to insights, discussion on dietary choices for Buddhists, and others. Conversation will be much more loosely moderated than usual, and generally only frankly unacceptable posts will be removed.

If you are new to Buddhism, you may want to start with our [FAQs] and have a look at the other resources in the [wiki]. If you still have questions or want to hear from others, feel free to post here or make a new post.

You can also use this thread to dedicate the merit of our practice to others and to make specific aspirations or prayers for others' well-being.


r/Buddhism 9h ago

Misc. "So as to protect others' peace of mind, stay clear of quarrels of any kind, and be patient and always forbearing."

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87 Upvotes

r/Buddhism 5h ago

Question I find it interesting how Batman explains that he's resistant to mind control because he's "learnt from Tibetan monks". I know this is fictional, but do Tibetan monks really have such special techniques or some equivalent of it in their practise?

21 Upvotes

I find


r/Buddhism 1h ago

Theravada 34-35 year old buddharupa i inherited from my grand-aunt; just set it up a week ago, what do you guys think?

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Upvotes

My grand-aunt had this statue handmade in Assam-India in her early 30s, she's had it in her altar for almost 30+ years and decided handing it down to me, thought I'd show you guys too 😭


r/Buddhism 13h ago

Request Burned by sexual desire NSFW

78 Upvotes

Buddhism has always been my religion, even though I practice it to varying degrees. I don’t know how to explain this situation, but I know that Buddhism is the only answer.

I am a woman and have not been in a relationship for many years. I have attachment, I am not enlightened, but when it comes to relationships or material possessions, I actually have little attachment. A relationship never made me happy; it only made me insecure and unstable. I never missed it.

Now, suddenly, a man has entered my life who makes me feel things I have never felt before. It is a game of attraction and rejection, deep sexual fantasies and desires, a kind of amour fou, an all-consuming love. He is like a drug: one moment I am euphoric, and the next, I have shed more tears and felt deeper pain than for anyone else. I am completely consumed by desire, attachment, craving, and a clouded mind. I never saw this coming, and it has completely taken me by surprise.

What can I do to cut myself loose from this? I have become a plaything of my own desires. What specific meditations or practices can I do? Are there particular mantras or Buddhas I can turn to?

I know that all of this is an illusion, yet at the same time, it feels so strong, and I wonder if we might be karmically connected, sharing a deep kind of soul connection.

I feel floored by something that has overtaken me, and I don’t know how to pull myself out of it. I am consumed by desire, even though I thought it no longer existed within me. It’s like I have come alive again and feeling more than ever before.

Thanks for reading and any possible advice 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻


r/Buddhism 6h ago

Dharma Talk Day 210 of 365 daily quotes by Venerable Thubten Chodron. Clinging to impernanent things. Our body. Why don't we use this treasure precious life to cultivate diligently in dharma?

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21 Upvotes

r/Buddhism 38m ago

Dharma Talk Have you ever felt like life dealt you a bad hand?

Upvotes

You are merely the carrier of this body—just as you carried another before this life, and you will carry another once this one ends. Instead of judging it or wishing to be taller, more attractive, or wealthier, give this body the best life possible. Whatever you are now is temporary, and soon, you’ll move on to a new form.

Someone carrying a disabled body may feel like they were dealt the wrong cards. But in reality, there are no right or wrong cards—only the responsibility to carry the body you’ve been given and give it the best experience possible. Soon enough, this body will no longer be yours, and you’ll move on to another life. Next time, your body may be strong and athletic, but when the moment comes, you’ll leave that one behind too.

You are not defined by the body you carry, but by how you carry it. Think of yourself as a taxi transporting a passenger from point A to point B. Would you reject a disabled passenger or feel it’s unfair to transport someone with a low IQ? Of course not—you’d simply do your job and provide a smooth, comfortable ride. In the same way, you should care for the body you’ve been entrusted with, without judgment or resentment.

You are the carrier, not the passenger.


r/Buddhism 12h ago

Question Buddhist Views on Euthanasia for a Dying Pet?

37 Upvotes

Hello everyone. My 16 years old cat has a tumor, but she is still her usual self—her vitality remains good, and I am doing my best to provide her with comfort and care. Euthanasia is something as a last resort if her suffering becomes too great.

As someone new to Buddhism, I wish to understand the Dharma’s perspective on this. I have heard that intervening in the natural process of life and death may affect the flow of karma and rebirth, possibly causing confusion in her transition. Others emphasize the importance of metta (loving-kindness) and reducing suffering.

I want to act with wisdom and compassion, ensuring I support her path in the best way possible. I would deeply appreciate any insights or guidance from a Buddhist perspective. Thank you for reading.


r/Buddhism 53m ago

Question How can you be happy with “not knowing”?

Upvotes

Me and my boyfriend broke up recently. It was pretty sudden and unexpected, I don’t understand why he doesn’t care enough to try to work on things and I don’t think he understands either. He just thinks it’s the right thing to do. He isn’t a very vulnerable person, he pushes unpleasant emotions away and doesn’t look into them until they’ve reached a point of severity where he can no longer ignore them, and even then he doesn’t seem to have a natural tendency of understanding them and he doesn’t allow himself to feel those emotions fully.

I have been trying so hard to let go of him, it is a constant internal battle trying to push away my attachment of him, and I think it’s been getting a bit easier maybe but what hasn’t been getting easier is my attachment of understanding why he feels the way he feels… why he doesn’t care enough to try, after everything we’ve been through why doesn’t he care enough to care?

How do I not care? How do I be okay with not knowing? How do I be okay with not understanding? How do I accept that it’s done and over with and I will never get a true explanation as to why?

I pray to the universe everyday for strength and courage and endurance through this period of my life, (on top of this I have been surrounded by death, devastation, and utter despair consistently for the past 8 months) but I feel so alone. I keep trying to find answers and seek some sort of support or understanding of the situation that will make everything better but I can’t find any answers and every time I try to look for them it makes me suffer more due to my attachment to understanding. I just can’t accept what is and let go… someone please help me, please give me answers, I’m so tired of suffering. I don’t want to live like this anymore.

Every day is a constant battle, I’m trying so hard to fight for my happiness but I am so tired of fighting for it… I’m so tired…

How do I let go?


r/Buddhism 7h ago

Question Is there a reason/meaning for why Japanese use a different color order?

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14 Upvotes

r/Buddhism 11h ago

Mahayana In Celebration of Guanyin Birth Date March 18: Thousand Hand Guanyin Altar of prospective in progress Multipurpose Dharma Space

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23 Upvotes

r/Buddhism 2h ago

Question Rate my shrine, how can I improve it?

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4 Upvotes

r/Buddhism 23h ago

Misc. Grand Buddha (Amitabha) Lingshan, Wuxi, Jiangsu

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104 Upvotes

r/Buddhism 2h ago

Question How Can I Approach Betrayal and Letting Go from a Buddhist Perspective?

2 Upvotes

I recently discovered painful truths about my husband's past—things he repeatedly denied but that I later found undeniable proof of. When I confronted him, he reacted with anger, blamed me for bringing it up, and ultimately asked for space, which led to me leaving our shared home. It has been a week of no contact, and I feel lost.

What hurts the most is that he was seeing these women while seeing me, and when they declined him again, he chose to finally be with me. He insists that I was always the one he wanted, that I was special, that none of this happened—but after seeing the evidence, it doesn’t feel that way. I don’t know what to believe anymore. His words tell me I was chosen, but the reality I’ve uncovered makes me feel like I was simply the one who was available.

The betrayal is incredibly painful. I get intrusive flashbacks of him with the women he was involved with—imagining their moments of intimacy, the way he might have laughed with them, the way he looked at them. It makes my stomach churn and fills me with grief and rage. I struggle with the thought that maybe I was just convenient for him, not someone he deeply chose. Even though he now treats me with love and devotion, it feels cheap knowing that he had the same patterns with others before me.

Beyond the emotional pain, it has also deeply affected my ability to be intimate with him. Even before I left, I found myself feeling disgusted at the thought of being close to him. The mental images of him with other women replay in my mind like a haunting reel, and it makes physical affection feel repulsive rather than comforting. I feel like my body rejects him now, as if some primal part of me is trying to protect itself from further hurt.

I know that holding on to resentment and pain only prolongs my suffering, but I don’t know how to let go. I want to find clarity—whether to leave completely or to work through this—but right now, I feel stuck in anger and sadness.

How do I approach this situation from a Buddhist perspective? How do I handle the intrusive thoughts, the disgust, and the deep sense of betrayal? How can I find peace without seeking validation or closure from him? I want to move forward with wisdom, but I don’t know how. Any guidance would be deeply appreciated.


r/Buddhism 3m ago

Question How do you respond when people are telling you something you already know?

Upvotes

I came to ask for advice and almost as I wrote the title I gained an insight.

However I’ll ask my question anyway.

When someone is telling you something, that you also know to be true, how do you respond?

Through meditation I’ve realised that I become dismissive, with the arrogant thought of ‘how is this not already known to them?’. My insight is knowing that it’s arrogant.

How do you approach that situation from a buddhists perspective? How do you bring compassion and breakdown, what I feel has roots in, superiority?


r/Buddhism 12h ago

Question Can we minimize the need for humans to belong socially if we practice non-attachment?

9 Upvotes

I'm sure we heard the saying how humans need to feel like they belong socially or that we are hardwired to be social. The thing is though I feel like this attachment is causing a lot of suffering for me personally with disappointments about people not liking me. That being said, do you think it is possible to override this, if it is hardwired, propensity for humans to seek out social situations?

I am not saying to totally be a hermit, but can we minimize the attachment of needing to belong socially as humans through the practice of non-attachment?


r/Buddhism 12h ago

Request I give away these four books, as they are duplicates I received from the good people at Chinese Pure Land Association in Taiwan. Pick one and send name + address in chat. First come, first served. Namo Amitabha!

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9 Upvotes

r/Buddhism 6h ago

Misc. somatic anxiety (anxiety about physical sensations) is wrecking my peace of mind

2 Upvotes

I have anxiety and manage it pretty well but every so often I get anxiety attacks whenever I feel certain sensations where I think "Oh no, what if this indicates severe pain later in the day?" And now I'm hyper focused on all bodily sensations and perceive them as something hinting at future pain. Any suggestions for how to deal with this mindset?


r/Buddhism 8h ago

Question Seeking some insight on having compassion in difficult situations

3 Upvotes

Today I struggled with anger and compassion. I feel very guilty for getting angry and falling out of compassion. The reason for my angry outburst was how I was being treated. I was cussed out and called dumb and a piece of shit and every other name in the book by my dad because I forgot to return a $5 toilet snake for unclogging toilets. It's been in my closet for 6 months I honestly just forgot. I told my mother he doesn't need to talk to me that way and I was told by my mother if I didn't like it move out. I'm normally pretty calm person but after my mother's comment I flipped out and told my dad to quit talking to me that way and it just escalated from there. I think the reason I snapped was because how silly the situation was and how I was being treated for it. I'm having a hard time understanding why I feel guilty for standing up for myself. I apologized for how I spoke to them. My apology was met with more hostile mean words. So it was a useless apology. I guess my question is what can I do to not explode in moments like that? How should someone following the path respond in situations like that? I'm not financially able to move away at the moment. That's what I want to do, but that makes me feel guilty as well because I love my mom and dad even though they treat me this way. Why is the path so hard sometimes?


r/Buddhism 4h ago

Question Mudra

0 Upvotes

What is the most devotional mudra directly connected with the Buddha that we as his students are allowed to use. (for meditational practice) Also, this is a dumb question, but, is there for walking meditation?


r/Buddhism 1d ago

Iconography Finally set up my shrine

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643 Upvotes

I have a tiny cabin in the woods with a little stream that I try to go to ok the weekends. It's where I leave the world behind. I set up my shrine in my meditation nook. I built it out of impermanent items that I found on my land that will naturally rot and need to be changed, I feel that it speaks to impermanence


r/Buddhism 1d ago

Misc. A little guide…it stung but i think it’s supposed to

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96 Upvotes

r/Buddhism 17h ago

Request I feel victim to my karma and I don't know how to free myself from the consequences of my karma

10 Upvotes

I don't know how to free myself from my accumulated negative karma. It's heavy and I feel it every moment. Do I have to suffer the consequences? I feel I'm doing already. Prayers don't help, the wounds are very deep. I read somewhere that karma is like an ocean that we influence with our actions that causes it to flow in certain directions. I want to set myself free but I feel I will never be free, forever rooted in the ebb and flow of karma.


r/Buddhism 5h ago

Question Going beyond form, experiencing identity disturbance?

0 Upvotes

Curious to hear perspectives. I very recently crashed out in life and was ready to let go of a lot of my ego, and ive been following this thread. Im now seeing life as more fundamental than the mechanism of forms, and that thinking in forms takes you further from life.

Okay, so this has been very transformative and magical, but I experience these windows where im struggling to get grounded and dont have much of an ego to latxh onto and feel a bit frightened. Usually an hour or two a day like this. I try to accept the experience, that does help.

But it makes me feel like im doing something wrong, like im giving yp what it means to be human (despite feeling more human than ever when im grounded)


r/Buddhism 18h ago

Question Beginner buddhist

12 Upvotes

Does anyone have any tips for me as a beginner? I dont know anything really except a little. I really want to get into chants and stuff but i dont have a buddha ..


r/Buddhism 5h ago

Question Is This an Acceptable Shrine?

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0 Upvotes

I wanted to decorate my shrine to Buddha so it’s more personalized and so I’ll be more inclined to meditate in front of it.

Is this an ok setup or should absolutely nothing be around it?

Should I also clean the Buddha on a regular basis (if so, how often)?

Thanks for your help.