Today is July 14, 2005, and we are in the Dharma Lecture Temple in the Lower Hamlet for our questions and answers time.

1. Do you have any advice for a practical application of the practice when we go back home to the busy life, job, family?
2. When you’re sad or angry and you “close your windows,” why do you have to close your nose?
3. Why is the lotus the favorite flower in Buddhism?
4. I enjoyed helping in the kitchen here but not at home – what makes the difference?
5. Why are the monks and nuns wearing brown robes?
6. My nephew Tony is in a vegetative state – what does Buddhism say about where he is now and what will happen when he dies?
7. What inspired you to become a monk?
8. Why should I receive the Five Mindfulness Trainings?
9. I’m a doctor struggling to work compassionately under cultural and institutional constraints – should I give up and retreat to monastic life?
10. As a college student living alone with lots of spare time, how can I motivate myself to use that time well?
11. I’ve been driven by money for 30 years and feel lost about finding my passion and purpose – how can I let go of those external influences?
12. My sister passed away and I had a grudge against her – will she forgive me now that she’s gone?
13. My mother has chronic, unbearable back pain and says she can’t practice mindfulness any more – how can I help her restore hope and touch the beauty of life?