This month on ‘Troubleshooting Zen study and practice’ we address the following questions:

Do I have to believe in reincarnation and past lives to be a Buddhist?

Which is the best school of Buddhism?

“Another real obstacle I’m having is this timetable. When I first started it I had some enthusiasm but as time has progressed I’ve noticed real resistance to it culminating in it essentially not being followed or if it is being followed it’s quite halfhearted. It’s mostly the mealtimes but it seems to be seeping into other areas of practice”

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The answers cover the centrality of Karma and rebirth to the Buddha’s message; Cultural appropriation of another religion; Keeping to the Buddha’s message of testing things for ourselves rather than making up our minds beforehand; Spiritual consumerism and the danger of picking and choosing different Buddhist schools; the timetable as a spiritual practice, restraint of picking and choosing as the way to uncover attachment in the heart & the process of transformation of the heart energies.

If you would like to ask a question then please email it to: thezengateway@gmail.com

Please put ‘Troubleshooting’ in the subject line.