Welcome to Gaia! ::

Going to get medicine wouldn't be considered stealing since you know that your grandfather would give the medicine to you anyway. If you still feel bad about it, then just let him know that you took some and that way even if for some bizarre reason he gets upset, at least you were up front and truthful about it.

The precept about not stealing really refers to taking what isn't freely given, offered, or what really does not belong to you. It's not very cut-and-dry, so in circumstances like this you can consider that the medicine is being freely given, because you said you'd be given the medicine anyway if you asked for it. That's my feelings on it, anyway.

Sexual misconduct isn't very easy to define, as it depends on your culture, really. In some cultures sex before marriage is considered misconduct, but in others it is not. I live in Canada, and it's generally not considered to be misconduct at all. I don't consider it to be misconduct, but I understand that it may be considered that depending on your culture.

Fetish type sex isn't something I consider to be misconduct, either, because if everyone is consenting to the sex, and no one gets hurt (unless pain is part of it and is consented to), then I think it's fine. I know there are some who disagree with me, and that's alright, too. I do consider adultery (cheating on your spouse) to be misconduct, as that is expressedly violating one's marriage vows, which is also breaking the precept of not lying. Rape, in my opinion, is absolutely sexual misconduct.

That's correct about nirvana. When you realize nirvana, you cease to be reborn in samsara (also called "cyclic existence" or "the desire realm"). But nirvana isn't a place, like the idea of Heaven is, or the idea of Pure Lands. Nirvana is a state of being, a way of existing. It's a state in which you have snuffed out suffering and its causes, and realized your Buddha-nature.

So even if you are in this world, or a Pure Land, you're still nirvanic, but you're also exactly where you are.

You are very welcome. Thank you for sending me that PM to draw my attention here. biggrin

The Buddha once said that wherever you find people practicing compassion and mindfulness, you will find enlightened people. So you certainly do not have to consider yourself Buddhist to realize your awakened nature. You don't even necessarily have to follow Buddhist practices (but they are directly designed for the very purpose of realizing nirvana), as even the prayer practices of Catholic nuns has been shown to be very effective for those who commit themselves to the practice. smile

and i have a question... if one is in Nirvana, and won't reincarnate again, what happens when he or she dies? i mean, that energy can't just dissapear.... or is that what Buddhists believe, that the energy of the person just ceases to exist anymore? i don't think i can believe in an end to the cycles of reincarnation truely, so i am prone to believe that reincarnation is never-ending. but i realy want to know what is taught about it in Buddhism.

well, thank you for that, but that wasn't what i was asking. confused i get that Nirvana is just a ... a state of being i suppose you can put it.... but i was talking about the reincarnation part of it. if you don't reincarnate after dieing in Nirvana, what happens to your energy?

or is it what your saying that it stays in Nirvana, wherever/however Nirvana is?

oh well.. thank you anyway. sweatdrop

i can ask my dad. mrgreen i'd hug you, but i think i read something bout that being innapropriate...