All of my "Dear Ajahn" questions.
So I've been a follower of several Ajahns over the last couple years and have written down some of my questions. Although I've tried, I've never once had a single question answered which, I mean you know is to be expected since I'm just one of hundreds* in a crowd. Anyway, I thought people might be interested in some of my "Dear Ajahn" questions I've had up until now. This is just for fun, you can take it as seriously or not as you wish to.
> Dear Ajahn, can you please explain how the different path factors lead to cessation differently through the realization of each of the three marks? I'd like to understand your perspective.
> Dear Ajahn, What would a Sotapanna's progression look like on their 2nd through 6th lives as children and adults in terms of how they see the world and what's going on inside them? Do they feel compelled in each of their subsequent lives to become Sotapanna again until they become Sakadagami?
> Dear Ajahn, Why is me becoming an Arahant the best thing I can do for the world (Well aside from becoming a Buddha)? I recognize that this is the best thing I can do for me, but why is it the best thing for the world?
> Dear Ajahn, Anathapindika's daughter Sumana supposedly died of depression as a Sakadagami, how is that possible? (She stopped taking food and wasted away.)
> Dear Ajahn, was there a specific moment in your life when you decided to abandon Samsara and seek enlightenment and if there was, could you tell us about that moment?
> Dear Ajahn, a lot of venerables describe the battle with Mara of the aggregates in very colorful and fanciful ways. Could you please describe this process in a more grounded and mechanically useful way?
> Dear Ajahn, is there any situation where you can break precepts while asleep? For example I was dreaming and having one of those awkward conversations with someone that only happens when you haven't seen an acquaintance in years. I couldn't think of what to say so then I thought to lie to keep the conversation going and then I did lie. I haven't lied in maybe a year but the sense of deep shame lasted for around 15 minutes after that while I slowly woke up. When thinking about it, I know if I was awake I wouldn't have lied but I also know that I was conscious enough in my sleep to know that it was a lie, that there was an intention to lie and then I carried out that intention by saying it. At what point are we conscious enough to be responsible for our actions?
> Dear Ajahn, how large is the mind of a Buddha? What makes a Buddha's mind so large that it can range over hundreds of kilometers and cause earthquakes like in the suttas?
> Dear Ajahn, I haven't gotten all the way through the suttas yet but in the stories the Arahants always seem to recognize Mara in disguise whenever he shows up. Are the other ariya stages capable of that?
> Dear Ajahn, is there anything in the suttas about the kamma that belongs to people who actually give the orders to commit crimes or atrocities? In my reading, it seems the vast majority of the kamma from unwholesome actions belongs to the ones that actually carry it out. Even when Mara possessed some villagers to do things, those villagers went to hell for their actions of maligning the monks. This suggests that things like propaganda, stochastic terrorism, or even ordering genocide doesn't incur negative kamma for the one doing it. If it did, then how could Mara exist as an independent external entity for very long without falling into hell? -- Rephrase- Dear Ajahn, you've said in the past that the responsibility always karmically falls back on the individual. Does this mean there's no consequence for propaganda, stochastic terrorism or even ordering a genocide? Do we live in a world where Hitler might not have gone to hell?
> Dear Ajahn- According to the suttas exit from the 4th rupa should result in immediate enlightenment, but there's many people who say they have done the rupas and they're clearly not enlightened. I've tried as well but something is missing. Can you please explain what's needed to enter the rupas properly and is it even possible without first being a 4th jhana attainer?
> Dear Ajahn, I heard from another monk in a dhamma talk he was giving that actually seeing citta means that you're at least a sotapanna but I don't believe this is true. With the development of Satipatthana isn't it normal to have at least a little citta nupassana? Like seeing flashes of it for a couple seconds during the day or seeing it when you want to during meditation for example.