Q 1. Why does it require much time to experience Nirvana?

A 1) We have to have high quality practice and purity to enter Nirvana. There are many do nots. We must cultivate goodness to clean out the mind and heart. It is difficult to control the mind. One must train every moment. We must get mindfulness to attain wisdom. That means to know the real thing and to know what we are doing. Nirvana means cool and is salvation without being reborn. People getting reborn have suffering. If people have karma making them get reborn, they must cultivate goodness. Then when they die, they get a higher state. Consciousness does not die. One has to train the mind. When the mind thinks the body does. The Buddha had to purify himself a long time over many lifetimes. Aryamitra is the future Buddha to be born. We have to purify and train the mind. Anybody can do this like the Buddha did. We have to train the mind and do good things. Bad things done cause people to get suffering. Buddha believed in the law of karma. We have to know with wisdom and get insight meditation. The mind can collect anything. We have to study.

Q 2. Why do the devas or gods have to incarnate as humans to experience Nirvana?

A 2) We have karma. We have attachment. If we can cut and give it up, we will never get reborn. We will go to the stream of nirvana. We have to train and purify the mind a long time. We have the ability to become a Buddha. The mind of humans has the ability to get wisdom and discrimination. If an animal has a good heart, it can go to heaven and become human.

Q 3. Why did Buddha have to leave the palace to experience Nirvana?

A 3) If he stayed with his family, he could not teach every one. By leaving home he could teach all with compassion. If he stayed at home, he could only help a small group in society. He would have had to stay with them with desire. He would not have time to train the mind. He had to leave the people for a quiet place.

Q 4. What is the relationship between the universe being infinite and eternal and Nirvana being experienced in a finite and time-bound human?

A 4) The universe is one stage. Human beings have consciousness. The world of consciousness is different from the world of nature. Until we can cut karma, the world is the same—not big or small. How we look at the world depends on our state of consciousness. We should look at the world in the Middle Way. The Buddha taught us to look at our mind.

Q 5. Why does the Tripitaka Suttas affirm the existence of the creator deva named Brahma?

A 5 ) The deva’s state is higher than humans, but lower than the Buddha’s state. With wisdom the Buddha can connect with the devas. By the level of his heart, he can teach any deva.

Q 6. Why has science made more discoveries in the last 100 years to aid human knowledge than a religion such as Buddhism?

A 6) Buddha discovered the state of the mind through training, the cessation of suffering, and how to cultivate the good. Scientists discover the material world and technology. The scientist is suffering. The scientist can’t cut suffering.

Q 7. Why have more Buddhists accepted Mahayana than Hinayana (Theravada)?

A 7) The Mahayana people are not strict in the Law (Dhamma). Their monks can marry. The Hinayana people must keep all the precepts and laws of the Buddha. There are 227 Vinaya laws or rules. An arhant or perfected monk have to ordain a nun. The Mahayana are separate as they originated from the Hinayana. After the Buddha’s death, there was a division over the Law (Dhamma). Buddha said that his Dhamma teachings were to be his successor. People were to follow his teachings. But some monks don’t want to keep all the laws since they are lazy.

Q 8. Why does today’s Western media accept the Dalai Lama as the main spokesman for Buddhism?

A 8) The Dalai Lama speaks English well. He teaches an easy way to the people. By his behavior he teaches well. He has practiced meditation. He can know what the people want or understand. Thai monks teach the real wisdom of the Buddha. They are more strict. Hinayana is made up of laws, meditation, and wisdom.

Q 9. Since Buddhism does not believe in God, and Jesus Christ claims to be the son of God, does Buddhism consider Jesus Christ to have lived in ignorance when compared to the knowledge attained by the Buddha?

A 9) Buddha never talked about God because he was before Jesus. Buddha never taught about who created human beings. Where is Jesus’ Father and in which heaven? Who created this God? Buddhism does not teach about who created. How did Jesus contact the God?

Q 10. Why is Nirvana considered to be the supreme goal of spiritual aspirants?

A 10) It is difficult to understand Nirvana. We have to study and train our mind. Buddhism invites people to train and purify our mind until we can understand this state. Our mind is covered with defilement and ignorance.

Q 11. How can the mind of the meditator be made quiet?

A 11) You can understand if you practice. We concentrate on breathing in and out. We concentrate on parts of the body. The mind is purified this way. There is also walking meditation. If you know the correct way, you can practice anywhere because meditation is in our heart. The mind by meditation is not thinking of pollution, the past, and desires. We contemplate breathing in and out and the rising and falling of the breath.

Q 12. How can the senses of the meditator be made quiet?

A 12) Follow this thinking: be aware that I am hearing. Then it goes away. When you feel pain say: pain…pain...pain…, then it goes away. The cow is tied to the post. It gets tired. Likewise train the mind. You have hidden energy in your heart. You must practice. If you practice meditation, you will know and use that hidden energy of the heart. The power of the heart can cure cancer.

Q 13. What is it that reincarnates into a new body after death?

A 13. When people die, the consciousness never dies. So they can be reborn. It depends upon your actions how quick one is reborn. If one has much merit, he gets quickly reborn. A child can sometimes remember from a past life.

Q 14. What is it in humans that can experience Nirvana, but is missing in animals?

A 14) The state of animals is low. The heart of an animal is very low. It does not have wisdom. Buddhists are to give loving kindness to animals. Only we humans can know what is the real wisdom of life.