Questions answered during our Q&A session:

3:23 I seem to be having difficulty with wise understanding at the moment. From what I understand, the “Goal” of Buddhism and meditation is to reach Nirvana. To stop the cycle of rebirth and the suffering that it entails. From what I understand of Karma, my life today is a direct result of my past lives and actions. Some good and some bad, but they all combine to make me into the being that I am today. I’ve suffered greatly in this life, I’ve battled depression for as long as I can remember, I’ve been suicidal on more than a couple of occasions. But all of that suffering has gotten me to the point where I am today. Happy and at peace with myself and others. It is my understanding of Karma that if I continue to do the next right thing in the present moment, I will continue to accumulate good karma and my life and future lives will only get better. So I guess my question is, if life is good and getting better, why would I want to stop the cycle of rebirth? For me, the joy of life far outweighs the suffering I had to endure to get here.

30:39 Would you say Siddhartha Gautama was Theravada or Mahayana?

34:00 Do you think Buddhism as a religion has become increasingly complex and ritualistic? Is there a difference between Buddhism as an institution and the Dharma as a psychology and practice? Can we even separate the two, and should we?

1:05:10 I feel closest connected to the Advanced Meditator-On-Fire, and it is then recommended to meditate 40 minutes a day. I usually meditate once a day for around 15 minutes. So my question is this: can the 40 minutes a day be divided into 20 minutes two times during the day, or does it have to be 40 minutes in one session?

1:14:39 Could you explain the difference between rebirth and reincarnation?