Question 08.2 Which three countries have been least involved in wars since 1945?
Iceland - No wars ever Iceland has never gone to war and has no standing army. It is the only NATO member without armed forces.
Liechtenstein - No wars since 1868; none in the modern era. Liechtenstein disbanded its army in 1868 and has not participated in any war since, relying on neutrality and diplomacy.
Mongolia — No wars as a modern state since 1921.
Other - smaller - countries with zero or near-zero war involvement since 1945
Vatican City — never involved in war.
San Marino — centuries of neutrality, no modern wars.
Question 09Does it make a difference whether someone has actually dived to a depth of 30–40 metres in the ocean without technical equipment, or is it enough simply to be intelligent to understand the experience?
Hm... I think most of the time not, because we are creating our own world, based on personal experience and emotional well being, education and our wish to form a kind of reliable world for us, to feel safe. So I guess, we adapt our view of the world to our needs, which means to me, that we/I exclude things, that doesn´t fit.
Question 10Can you imagine reaching a state where your curiosity about what follows earthly existence becomes greater than your drive to make a difference here on Earth?
I have a great longing for making a difference here on earth. It became a very tough nut to crack and I lost my enthusiasm lately. Just before, while and now after the silent session, I felt easiness and trust in reaching others with my love to sit in silence and be the change for peace on earth.
"But" your post about preparing for the travel after my time on planet earth heightened my curiosity about life after death— or rather, it was what first sparked my awareness of it. There is also a easiness for this topic.
Actually right now my heart generally feels liberated.
So, yes ... i can imagine it.
And thank you for inspiring me with topics beyond my own perspective. Especially when they are so fundamental.
Question 10Can you imagine reaching a state where your curiosity about what follows earthly existence becomes greater than your drive to make a difference here on Earth?
Enjoy Diving into it....
Hmmm... putting our concern into practice! How can I make a change? So far, I have just done small things, like being kind and supportive to people, to make an impact, no matter how small it is. BUT can I do more??
QUESTION 01"Is the sense of 'SELF' created by the existence of the body? "
As followers of Buddhism, we believe that there is nothing called 'self' in this life. What we call as 'self' is just a collection of material phenomena which make up our body and the mental aggregates including the consciousness and the "mental factors" which support the consciousness. We are existing as 'us' only in this life. After the moment of death, we are conceived somewhere else as a human, an animal, a divine being, a hungry ghost or even in hell according to our past Karmas, as a totally different being. So, there is no 'self'.
