“Why be so strict with vedanā? Isn’t it possible to enjoy your positive feelings without being attached to them?”

“Ānāpānasati is a complete path to liberation. What is the cause of it seeming to take many years in order to be liberated?” 

“What khandha is avijjā? Is it a tendency or a khandha?”

“Buddhism relies on the law of nature. In nature, survival of the fittest is a very basic concept. Actually this is a concept in human thinking – it’s not a concept in nature itself – it’s just a human theory. ‘Working for the sake of duty’ seems to be close to the concepts of socialism or communism, and experience seems to show that, like nature, man performs best under some degree of competition. Why then does Buddhism promote the concept of living and working only for the sake of duty?”

“Upon reaching the state of Nibbāna, what is the stimulus for working toward the betterment of the world? Wouldn’t it be just as easy to be lazy? What drives you personally?”

“What should one do in a country that is not Buddhist anymore, where the power structures – whether the military or whoever – will not talk with us or is unwilling to discuss or negotiate?” 

“How should Buddhists respond when in a certain country the military is dominating society through the use of force and is oppressing the people? How should we challenge them or how should we resist, or shouldn’t we?”

“Do you think that working for inner peace and enlightenment needs to be supplemented by engaged Buddhism or working for world peace, by challenging the structures that oppress – e.g. armies, governments, religions, bigotry – through non-violent actions?”

“How does one lead a life full of Dhamma amongst those who do not?”

“In order to unveil the secrets of life, scientists must destroy life by using animals in experiments. For example problems like AIDS can only be solved if one understands the immune system fully. Since we cannot use humans we have to study the immune system in animals. What do you think about this problem? Do you think it is inappropriate to kill a few animals to save many human lives?”

“In order to know and understand nature, and to practice correctly in line with nature, one can either go into the forest and learn your method of realizing Dhamma, or go into the laboratory investigating the law of nature and our duty by doing research. What do you think about the latter approach?”

“Can you explain the difference between the science of religion and other sciences related to the mind such as psychology, psychiatry, neurology? Talking about the spiritual aspect of nature, how would you define the word ‘spiritual’?”

“According to the law of evolution, the quenching of dukkha means quenching of a natural part of the mind. The law of evolution says ‘dukkha is in line with nature.’ Buddhism says ‘dukkha is not in line with nature.’ That is a misunderstanding. Do you deny the law of evolution as a law coining the nature of mind?”

“And it could be said that its very refinement may be the thing that prevents spiritual growth and progress on a simpler level. Therefore can it be said that Buddhism, especially Theravāda Buddhism, is a religion that appeals and is directed towards a select minority, and it may explain why even though Buddhism is the most advanced evolved knowledge of mankind, it remains confined to a small section of the world?”

“Since there is no ‘I,’ no ‘me,’ and no ‘mine,’ I know it really wasn’t my father who died of cancer, or my friend who died of AIDS. On an intellectual level I know that everything is impermanent, but what advice do you give to people who are still hurting years after a loved one’s death, and how does one get rid of the memories that are still so strong of having watched these wonderful people deteriorate?”

“For me a friend is a person I care for, someone I’m attached to. Yet attachment leads to dukkha – I learned that this week – but without attachment the person would not be a friend for me. So can you explain what friendship is for a Buddhist?”

“Evolution seems to have developed greater varieties of individual characteristics that support the concept of self in man than in most other beings. Why fight against natural conditions by trying to eliminate self, no matter how noble the cause of peace may be?”

“How does Dhamma and the laws of Dhamma or nature relate to ecology in one’s duty towards the environment?”

“In everyday city life would there be any real tangible benefit from the casual study of laws such as impermanence, conditionality, not-self etc.?”

“What is the difference between dhātu and dhammas, if any?”