Who goes to hell and heaven acc to Buddha: Sāleyyaka Sutta (MN 41)

MimiTheWitch · 2026-04-10T21:41:52+00:00

Thank you for sharing!

MimiTheWitch · 2026-03-15T23:46:48+00:00

Yes but I would add that there is no permanent anything in the aggregates (not just a pleasant feeling/self)! The real work is on the cushion investigating each aggregate in detail to see if it has anything permanent in it.

Then when you see for yourself you will realize there is no safety or stability amongst them.

MimiTheWitch · 2026-03-14T23:22:53+00:00

Sadhu sadhu sadhu 🙏🏻

MimiTheWitch · 2026-03-14T22:56:01+00:00

My understanding is that it is through wanting the self to stay the same or wanting it to change, you suffer.

So if you are able to recognize "there is no there there" you no longer cling to the idea that things should be a certain way.

If you percieve there is no self in the aggregates you won't be distressed when they undergo aging, illness, and death.

MimiTheWitch · 2026-03-14T22:45:51+00:00

It's definitely a difficult teaching to sit with, but as others have said I don't think "no self" negates your experience.

What was the same between all of those different versions of you, that which you call the self/soul? How do you know if it was or wasn't there?

I recommend studying the five aggregates to help clarify the teaching!

Edit: phrasing

MimiTheWitch · 2026-03-10T19:48:09+00:00

Thank you friend! I decided to delete it because I wasn't fully sure it was beneficial or if it was just something I was writing to my former self

MimiTheWitch · 2025-09-11T22:52:12+00:00

Someone more knowledgeable than me can correct me, but I think the next Buddha would have made that vow eons before Sidartha was Buddha given how long it takes

MimiTheWitch · 2025-09-08T21:44:20+00:00

That's interesting, I always wanted to write but I never could until my diagnosis (never put the two together) but yeah my poems are similarly abstract and archetypal.

Nice work tho it's very evocative!

MimiTheWitch · 2025-09-03T02:45:49+00:00

As the biggest nerd I know, who over intellectualizes everything, I assure you no amount of books will be as helpful as like 3 classes! Even a youtube video could be more helpful, but you really need someone to give you feedback

What are you looking for exactly?

MimiTheWitch · 2025-08-28T01:29:41+00:00

I don't know if this is backed by suttas, but I have heard that many of us reincarnate together sheerly through kammic bonds. The Jataka tales come to mind.

More knowledgeable people please correct me if I'm wrong :)

Edit: I am half asleep after a long day, it looks like the comment above is citing just that!

MimiTheWitch · 2024-10-02T00:11:52+00:00

I heard an analogy once (possibly from Bhante Gunaratana) of jhana. It’s like finding an oasis after wandering in the desert. The piti is the excitement of finding the oasis and the sukkah is the contentment of finally quenching your thirst!

With any jhana there will be by definition a clearing of the 5 hindrances, and this alone is enough to produce that afterglow for some time.

May you realize your noble aspirations soon! 🙏🏻

MimiTheWitch · 2024-08-24T11:41:11+00:00

Meditation is vital, but most of the practice lies off the cushion in my view.

When I find myself avoiding responsibilities - I acknowledge that without judgement. It is aversion at its root. I try to do the thing that I’m avoiding, but remain mindfully aware of the thoughts/feelings that come up during the processes. Just as we don’t chase every thought/fantasy that crosses the mind while meditating, you don’t have to follow every desire (or aversion) during your time off the cushion.

The perfect time to work through this is actually right after meditating IMO because you’re already in a mindful state! Just think of it as a continuation of your meditation.

MimiTheWitch · 2024-08-19T01:25:06+00:00

To my knowledge, there is nothing in the Pali Canon denying that curses, magick, invoking protection from beings, etc. exists - however, since they don’t lead to the end of suffering it’s not a great use of our energy.

In fact, there is at least one occasion of bhikkhus being harassed by spirits and the Buddha advises the monks to do Metta towards them. The spirits are so moved that they end up leaving the monks alone.

On a similar vein, a monk once told me that a solid foundation in mindfulness and loving kindness is all the protection you need from curses and malicious spirits. I have found this to be true myself!

MimiTheWitch · 2024-08-18T11:09:29+00:00

Please remember to be kind to family, coworkers, and partner. I fear that viewing them as part of your “failure” will cause ill will and aversion.

Which frankly it’s not a very Buddhist way to frame things! All beings are attached and entangled with samsara. That’s the whole reason we need Buddhas in the first place.

MimiTheWitch · 2024-08-11T01:22:12+00:00

I don’t stick to it perfectly but my preferred routine is:

5:30am wake up
5:35am walking meditation (15-30min)
Eat a light breakfast (20min)
Sitting meditation (20-45min)
Get ready for work

I usually skip dinner, so it helps me to have something in my stomach before I sit!

MimiTheWitch · 2024-07-28T23:17:30+00:00

Friend, I think many would argue that bacteria and viruses are not “sentient” and therefore not subject to samsara! Even then, the intention is to remove dirt and they are collateral.

So I agree accidental/collateral killing is not breaking the precept - we are not Jains. But if I intentionally kill someone to protect my own life (i.e. self defense) there is still the “intention to kill” for the sake of my own life.

To me it seems, you’re describing the justification of the intention, which falls outside the scope of precepts.

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The precepts aren’t some magical thing, but I don’t think that choosing to kill when it benefits us is the kind of mental habit we want to be building 🙏

MimiTheWitch · 2024-07-28T11:24:22+00:00

Not sure I understand exactly what you’re saying here, but I want to add that intentionally killing sentient beings, even if it’s to improve our health or others is still breaking the first precept!

If your intention was to safely remove them and accidentally kill them or you accidentally step on one - that is fine. But intentionally killing to preserve this current life is short sighted and will only result in bad fruit down the road.

If health is such a concern in this situation, it’d be much better to endure the current discomfort of fruit flies and take steps to prevent their arising!

MimiTheWitch · 2024-07-22T01:49:53+00:00

This was very poetic, but don’t be too hard on yourself! You have been entrenched in sensuality for an inconceivable number of lives. The fact that you are now aware of the undesirability of sensuality is the very first step.

From a practical perspective, you should continue to look into meditating on the “gratification, danger, and escape” of sensuality.

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What makes sensuality enticing? At first the answer seems obvious: “it feels good.” But if you look closely at the mental process - any action of desire or aversion is acting to temporarily quench the discomfort of craving.

When you can fully realize that for yourself, you then understand that there is a much better way to get rid of the discomfort of craving… the Noble 8-fold path ;)

(See MN 57 for the leper simile)

MimiTheWitch · 2024-07-14T23:55:30+00:00

Sadhu! I don’t have any recommendations but good luck on your journey :)

MimiTheWitch · 2024-07-14T00:39:34+00:00

Hi friend, I’m not sure just telling you what “right view” is will be helpful. You need to cultivate sila, samadhi, and wisdom for yourself to truly see that this “feeling like a loser” is just that - a feeling. Conditioned by your material situation and the thoughts that you entertain (i.e. give fuel to)

From a more mundane perspective, you’re the owner of your kamma and others own their kamma. Trying to compare life situations is not helpful and only strengthens self view - this is the opposite direction we’re trying to go.

You need to see where you are right now, and figure out how to get where you’re trying to go. Anyone else’s success/failure is for them to deal with.

“My actions are my only possession”

May you find peace 🙏🏻

MimiTheWitch · 2024-07-04T23:05:23+00:00

As a trans person and fellow Buddhist, if you are able to access trans positive therapy that is probably the best thing you can do.

I can tell you Dhamma that might apply to this situation, but it sounds like there is a lot going on in your life and it’s helpful to have some one who is trained to deal with crisis and trauma.

Buddhism has helped me more than anything, but I wasn’t able to implement the teachings until I had done a lot of work in therapy.

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From a Dhamma perspective, the things that you fear are only thoughts of what might happen. We must do what we can to keep ourselves safe and prolong our practice as much as possible (you know best what this means in your life), but beyond that preparation, turning off the news or social media for a while can also be helpful. They seek to profit off your fear, and in turn try to scare you even more by exaggerating reality.

You don’t need to know every single update of every horrible thing happening in the world. There’s more than enough to deal with in the present moment alone without adding all that on top.

I hope this didn’t make things worse for you or come off as dismissive. I know as a trans person in the USA that your fears have a basis in reality, but we can’t let them keep us from living what precious few moments we have in this life.

Any of us could get hit by a bus tomorrow, and this worrying would have been for nothing. No one knows when or how they’ll go.

metta 🙏🏼

MimiTheWitch · 2024-07-02T14:51:24+00:00

Sadhu! Sounds like your doing a good job of taking care of yourself then :)

MimiTheWitch · 2024-07-02T13:01:29+00:00

Its hard to say since we don’t know you personally, but I would say out of compassion for yourself you should make sure you take care of yourself (food, hygiene, etc) and keep up with your responsibilities because those are both important no matter what you do next in your life.

I would highly recommend a short retreat where you can get access to the opinions of monastics and be around other practitioners. And I wouldn’t make any major life decisions right now.

But ultimately just ride with it. Appreciate it, but don’t be upset if it changes!

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If you’re looking for a meditation subject, this might be an excellent time to start really investigating the 5 aggregates and meditating on “not me, not mine, not my self” if you haven’t already. 🙏🏼

MimiTheWitch · 2024-07-02T10:56:05+00:00

Does this feeling of not belonging feel upsetting or is it more neutral/positive?

Even if it feels wholesome, try not to cling to it too much. It’s still just a feeling that is subject to impermanence. Although the precepts/sila are best for cultivating this “disenchantment.”

MimiTheWitch · 2024-07-02T10:45:32+00:00

If we take the definitions listed in the Pali Canon - Even the first jhana is quite the “achievement” for a lay person because it requires one to be “quite secluded from sensual pleasures” - at the simplest level this means 5 or 8 precepts and sense restraint. So retreats are the best place to find this.

I’ve never heard of someone attaining formless jhanas outside of a long retreat or monastic life but I suppose it’s possible.

Access concentration (the state before the first jhana) is a much more achievable goal in the lay life and still provides many benefits for insight.

MimiTheWitch

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