1) How do enlightened beings ( true buddhist practitioners
but not monks ) living in our modern world have kids or
consummate ? when they have to discipline their minds. It is
said in the sutra that consummation is only allowed in the
night. . At night , true buddhist practitioner may have
to chant , meditate or perform other night buddhist
practises. I am puzzled how married couples can have their intimacy
without clashing night buddhist practises ?
You can chant, meditate, or perform other things at other times.
Actually it is best to chant and meditate in the morning.
Also, at certain stage an enlightened being will transcend
sexual desires. But as Thusness said that is only after deep
insight into the arising and passing away, which is roughly the
Anagami stage. The sutras also state that Anagamis (third out of
four levels of enlightenment in the Hinayana path, leading to
Arhathsip) and above transcended such desires. There are also
certain correlations with the Bodhisattva bhumi models.
2) By sleeping only 4 hours or less per day , is it
because the spiritual mind is so strong that it has the ability to
ignore or doesnt require mundane needs like sleeping & eating.
True practitioner need to fast and eat less to help them in his
practice. A layman needs to sleep 8 hours and to have 3 complete
meals to stay healthy , then he is able to work.
May i know is it possible to explain the true practitioner's
eating and sleeping habits in scientific ways ? How do we explain
it ?
Because such a person has no worries and attachment, when he
sleeps he just sleeps, and sleeps very deeply and can completely
let go. He enters into the deepest non-dual samadhi. As Thusness
says, because one has a very deep sleep, the next day he becomes
awake, clear, fresh, energetic and vibrant. The intensity is even
more fantastic.
This is related to the seven factors of enlightenment. One can
measure in terms of clarity, vitality and luminosity. Hence, when
this is continuously sustained, sleep naturally shortens.
A very popular author now, Eckhart Tolle, describes this pretty
well:"You take a journey into the Unmanifested
every night when you enter the phase of deep dreamless sleep. You
merge with the Source. You draw from it the vital energy that
sustains you for a while when you return to the manifested, the
world of separate forms. This energy is much more vital than food:
"Man does not live by bread alone." But in dreamless sleep, you
don't go into it consciously. Although the bodily functions are
still operating, "you” no longer exist in that state. Can you
imagine what it would be like to go into dreamless sleep with full
consciousness? It is impossible to imagine it, because that state
has no content."
(But due to the lack of non-dual insight, Eckhart Tolle made the
mistake by thinking that 'The Unmanifested does
not liberate you until you enter it consciously.'' This is due
to strong clinging to an unchanging Witness presence, and not
realising its non-dual nature, that Presence cannot be separated
from manifestation and conditions and isn't limited to
consciousness. Therefore his understanding is more like the Hindu
level of enlightenment. As Thusness says, when one is able to let go and let everything subside, even the
loss of consciousness, it is a more profound state
instead.)
As for eating habits, my guess is also it has to do with what
Eckhart Tolle explained. You also notice that meditators sometimes
do not eat for months in meditation. But the body's energy can be
sustained even so.
3) Some punjas doesnt allow one to consume orange pulps on
the actual day of performing punjas ? What is the rationale behind
it ?
Not so sure...
4) What is the minimun status of an enlightened being ? At
least an arhat ? An enlightned being doesnt have to be buddha , so
what is the definition of it ?
Aryas/enlightened beings can refer to anyone starting from the
Sotapanna stage (stream enterer, 1st out of 4 levels of
enlightenment to Arhatship) or the 1st Bhumi Bodhisattva stage (1st
out of 10 levels of enlightenment to Buddhahood).
Even at the 1st level, the arya will have already had a
intuitive insight and experience into Ultimate Reality (emptiness).
But at that stage one has not achieve full liberation. So the
insights have to deepen and unfold, the practitioner has to go
through many more cycles of refinement and burn away the bonds and
karmic propensities of the 8th consciousness.
5) Not allow to wear shorts or bermudas to temples ? Only
pants is allowed ?
This one not sure I think best to wear more properly. But
I wear bermudas to my dharma center. My dharma center is not a
monastery though, it's two whole levels of a building, and runned
by our lay teacher. So I dunno what's the norm in monasteries.
6) People we meet on the buses or along the street
are actully people whom we have met in our past or many , many
previous lives ?
Not necessarily. But my Master says if you meet someone on the
street and both of you have a good impression of each other, that
means you have been together and treated each other well for at
least 6 months in a past life.
7) In a punja , supposedly we are told to repeat after the
Rinpoche , to say some vows. The Rinpoche recites
too quickly , the participants cant follow and cant pronounce
correctly , i am puzzled if the punja is consider a complete and
effective one ?
You mean puja? Anyway I think just try your best, sincerity and
single mindedness is most important, not the precise
pronunciation.