The preparations are decaying things. Don't be heedless or complacent to meditate wholesome minds and the wisdoms to stop rebirth.

The preparations are decaying things. Don't be heedless or complacent to meditate wholesome minds and the wisdoms to stop rebirth.

Right your working hard study for speeding Dhamma study up

 They also drop their meditation level down to match to their low quality study system as well, which also happen in Thailand and Burma as well but lower impact.

That's the real reason they cutting many canons off while they said "Arhant doesn't stick to illustration". Otherwise the memorizers said "Arhant doesn't stick to the canons" while the memorizers are accepting widely canons, widely teaching, widely levels of the meditations.

Why?

The realities arising and vanishing as they are.

The people who stick to the illustration are really sticking whatever they said "I'am" or "I'am not sticking".

The people who stick to some canons can't open their minds to the other canons as well.

Why?

Low quality study originates low quality meditation. Low quality meditation originates low quality open mind.

If one has weak mind power, he will stress to something makes him feel like "they're too much" then cut them off, shut them down, like a crazy man.

The funny part while the memorizers said "that canon is not wrong because the reader distort it's purpose", then the reader still argues on the other topics instead of re-memorize what the reader did wrong. The reader lose uncountable chances and time to study easier for protecting the "only their right view" while the memorizers fully memorized and fully understood "their only view" and the other views for long time ago.

In the other hand, the reader keep to go step by step because they think "elementary school is enough, easier, faster" then stick to step on stair while the memorizers keep widely hard study and widely meditations because we think "university is no even a spot in the universe" widely hard study and widely meditations is enough, easier, faster then take high speed elevator instead, because of the memorizer complicated engineering step by step planing to study.

I can say because I proved them all myself, now Tipitaka, Commentary, Sub-commentary are easy for me. Those widely canons memorizing and widely meditation like Pa-Auk speed me up so much with lesser and lesser stress to practice. It's powerful study and happiness without cutting anything off    

P.S. It's doesn't mean the practitioner need to study all canons, it means the practitioner need to do not judge anything without hard study memorizing, and meditations on it to keep chances for speeding, level the study and meditation up, getting higher qualities, which maybe hiding somewhere else we never know before.

Buster Keaton is the evidence of "how past life Karma works"

Buster Keaton is the evidence of "how past life Karma works". While many young people live in the safest way to die in young age, he die in 70 years old after pass through all type of dangerous on earth.

How to understand ven. Pa-Auk tawya's teaching (hacked method)

 Main Article: https://wiki.5000y.men/en:how_i_did_change_myself_from_a_reader_to_a_practitioner

All I wrote below are hacked method for a person who doubt in ven. Pa-Auk's teaching to stop their CetoKhila in the tipitaka-memorizer like ven' Pa-Auk tawya and get back to meditate follow him, so the best way to understand ven. Pa-Auk tawya still be "doing follow him directly, start with the jhana-meditation" and this hacked method is only a choice for the poor wholesome-mind-power like me.

สิ่งที่จะเขียนต่อไปนี้เป็นเพียงวิธีอ้อมๆ สำหรับแก้เจโตขีละกิเลสที่ฉุดจิตไม่ให้พัฒนาของคนที่ลังเลสงสัยในคำสอนพะอ็อคตอยะ ผู้ซึ่งชำนาญกรรมฐานทุกกองและทรงจำพระไตรปิฎกบาลีอรรถกถาบาลีถึง 6 รอบ เพื่อให้ผู้ที่ปรามาสท่านไว้มีทางกลับมาปฏิบัติตามท่านได้, ฉะนั้น วิธีที่ดีที่สุด ใช้เวลาน้อยที่สุด ยังคงเป็นการทิ้งความรู้ความเข้าใจเดิมๆให้หมด แล้วทุ่มเทปฏิบัติตามคำสอนของท่านโดยไม่ต้องสงสัยอะไรทั้งสิ้น.

Every sutta below must be memorized every character in Pali form with deep understood follow Netti cannon rule such as PubbaparaSandhi (context's relativity), etc. and the hacker must meditate all 40 meditations follow tipitaka before, no exception because you are doubt in the tipitaka memorizer. You need to act like him every step to understand him.

Let's go…

ผู้ที่จะทำความเข้าใจพะอ็อคตอยะ จะต้องทรงจำพระสูตรและอรรถกถาที่อ้างอิงถึงทั้งหมดเป็นภาษาบาลีที่เชื่อมโยงตามหลักเนตติปกรณ์ทุกๆอักขระเท่านั้น เช่น หลัก ปุพพาปรสนธิ เป้นต้น และจะต้องเคยทำกรรมฐานทุกกอง ทั้ง 40 กอง ในพระไตรปิฎกมาแล้วอย่างชำนาญ. ที่ต้องทำทุกอย่างไม่มีข้องดเว้นให้ เพราะผู้ที่สงสัยพะอ็อคตอยะกำลังสงสัยในผู้ทรงจำพระไตรปิฎกบาลีพร้อมทั้งอรรถกถาบาลี ฉะนั้น คุณต้องทำให้ได้แบบท่านทุกๆ อย่าง จึงจะสามารถเข้าใจวิธีคิดของท่านได้โดยที่มีโอกาสผิดพลาดน้อยที่สุด (ถ้าผิดพลาดปุ๊ป ก็มีโอกาสเป็นอริยุปวาทะ เป็นเจโตขีละ ได้ทันที).

All autocracy, democracy, and righteousnessy could be right or wrong depending on the doer's mind moments, wholesome is right, unwholesome is wrong.

อัตตาธิปไตย โลกาธิปไตย ธัมมาธิปไตย สามารถจะผิดก็ได้ จะถูกก็ได้ ขึ้นอยู่กับขณะจิตล้านๆ ครั้งของผู้ที่ทำว่า เป็นกุศลทั้งหมดหรือไม่ หรือมีอกุศลเกิดแทรกโดยไม่รู้ตัว?

However the ordinaries normally often decide right as wrong and wrong as right because of clinging on view (ditthi-upadana), such as thinking about 'what I am answer must be right, others' must be wrong', etc. This always happen because of no virtues/moral (sila), no 8 jhana (samadhi), and no 8 knowledges(8 vijja) according to DN1 BrahmajalaSutta, DN 2 SamannaphalaSutta, DN 10 SubhaSutta, and DN 15 MahanidanaSutta.

อย่างไรก็ตาม, ปุถุชนปกติมักจะตัดสินถูกเป็นผิด ตัดสินผิดเป็นถูก เพราะยังมีทิฏฐุปาทาน ศีลัพพตุปาทาน อัตตวาทุปาทานอยู่ เช่น ปุถุชนชอบคิด (โดยไม่รู้ตัวว่า) ว่า "ฉันคนเดียวพูดถูกเท่านั้น คนอื่นหน่ะพูดผิดทั้งนั้นแหละ" เป็นต้น ซึ่งไม่ตรงตามสภาวะจริงที่เกิดขึ้นมากมายมหาศาล เพราะเหมารวมสิ่งที่ต่างกันยิบย่อบให้เป็นเหมือนกันหมดว่า "ทั้งหมดนี่ผิด ทั้งหมดนี่ถูก". สิ่งเหล่านี้ เกิดขึ้นในปุถุชนตลอดเวลา เพราะเขาไม่มี ศีล ไม่มีสมาบัติ 8 ไม่มีวิชชา 8 ตามที่ท่านอธิบายไว้ใน ที.พรหมชาลสูตร, ที.สามัญญผลสูตร, ที.สุภสูตร, ที. มหานิทานสูตร, ม.กายคตาสติสูตร, และ ที. มหาสติปัฏฐานสูตร.

So, according to DN 2 SamannaphalaSutta, the Buddha taught about virtues/moral (sila), 8 jhana (samadhi), and 8 knowledges(8 vijja) to let the listener understood the way to cease the argument of teacher and student at the beginning of DN2 and DN1.

ดังนั้น เพื่อที่จะแก้ไขปุถุชนผู้มากไปด้วยความคิดเห็นผิดเพี้ยนจากสิ่งที่เกิดได้จริงเหล่านั้นให้เป็นเขากลายเป็นพระอริยะเจ้าได้, พระพุทธเจ้าจึงสอนศีล สมาบัติ 8 และวิชชา 8 ไว้ใน ที.สามัญญผลสูตร เพื่อให้ผู้ฟังสะสางอุปาทาน 4 โดยเฉพาะสักกายทิฏฐิ ซึ่งเป็นเหตุแห่งทิฏฐิ 62 ที่พระพุทธเจ้าตรัสไว้ทั้งตอนต้น (ศิษย์กับอาจารย์เถียงกันและลัทธิครูทั้ง 6) และตอนท้ายของที.พรหมชาลสูตร (สูตรตรแรกของสูตรทั้งปวง) และที.สามัญญผลสูตร (สูตรที่ 2 ของสูตรทั้งปวง). ซึ่งท่านพระอานนท์เรียงลำดับไว้ใน ที.สุภสูตรว่า อธิจิตตสิกขา คือ ฌาน 4 และ อธิปัญญาสิกขา คือ วิชชา 8.

To access insight the second to the seventh knowledge, the Buddha taught MN 119 Kāyagatāsatisutta to let the practitioner practice AdhiCittaSkkha (concentration meditation), and taught DN 2 SamannaphalaSutta to start the second to the seventh knowledge.

According to DN 10 SubhaSutta, every 8 vijja is AdhiPannaSikkha base on 4th Mastery Jhana.

ฉะนั้นเพื่อที่จะได้วิชชาที่ 2-7 พระพุทธเจ้าจึงตรัสสอน ม.กายคตาสติสูตรไว้ เพื่อเป็นแนวทางสำหรับฝึกอธิจิตตสิกขา ซึ่งเป็นบาทฐานของ วิชชาทั้ง 8 (ฌาน 4 จะทำให้ได้ปริกัมมโอภาส ซึ่งเป็นพื้นฐานของ photographic memory ที่ทางฝั่งตะวันตกจัดพวกที่มีความสามารถนี้ว่าเป็นพวกอัจฉริยะ เช่น ไอนสไตน์, นุน วรนุช เป็นต้น). และเมื่อได้ฌานสมาบัติแล้วจึงทรงสอน ที. สามัญญผลสูตร เพื่อเป็นจุดเริ่มต้นของการฝึก วิชชาที่ 2-7.

สมดังที่ท่านพระอานนท์แสดงไว้ใน ที.สุภสูตร สรุปความได้ว่า อาโลกสัญญาเป็นบาทฐานของฌานสมาบัติ และว่า อธิปัญญาสิกขา คือ วิชชา 8 ที่มีฌาน 4 เป็นบาทฐาน.

To access insight the first knowledge, VipassanaNanaVijja, in the smallest particle, smaller than atom, which the ordinary think they are only same one, the Buddha taught DN 22 MahāsatipaṭṭhānaSutta to analysis the molecules of smallest particles (samuha-ghana), time-period of smallest particles' various moments (santatighana), co-working-duties of smallest particles' various duties (kicca-ghana), same time being-knew-objects of smallest particles' various being knew in same time.

According to DN 15 MahanidanaSutta, all above particles (plus nibbana and pannatti) are relative each others as 24 conditions, which means every particle is impermanence, suffering, and uncontrollable.

DN 15 is the end of DN 1 which I've quoted above.

ต่อจากนั้น เพื่อจะแทงตลอดวิชชาที่ 1 คือ วิปัสสนาญาณวิชชาที่เป็นไปในปรมัตถธรรมที่เล็กละเอียดที่สุด ละเอียดยิ่งกว่าอะตอม ที่ซึ่งปุถุชนมักจะคิดถึงแบบลวกๆ รวมๆ เป็นก้อนว่า "ก้อนคน", "หนึ่งวินาทีที่สนทนาธรรมนี้เป็นกุศลทั้งหมดเลย" เป็นต้น, พระพุทธเจ้าจึงตรัสสอน ที. มหาสติปัฏฐานสูตร เพื่อสอนฝึกแยกแยะก้อนคน ก้อนวินาทีเหล่านั้นออกเป็นชิ้นๆ ตามจริงว่า

ปรมัตถธรรมแต่ละอย่างๆ มากมายที่เกิดพร้อมกัน จนปุถุชนผู้เชื่องช้าไม่ละเอียดยึดมั่นผิดว่า "เป็นก้อนจริงๆทั้งหมด" (สมูหฆนะ),

ปรมัตถธรรมแต่ละขณะๆ ที่เกิดต่อกันอย่างรวดเร็วไม่มีระหว่างคั่นกว่าล้านๆครั้งในเสี้ยววินาที จนปุถุชนผู้เชื่องช้าไม่ละเอียดยึดมั่นผิดว่า "เป็นดวงเดียวกันหมดตลอด 1 วินาที" (สันตติฆนะ),

ปรมัตถธรรมแต่ละอย่างๆ ทำหน้าที่ไม่เหมือนกันแต่ทำด้วยกันอย่างรวดเร็ว จนปุถุชนผู้เชื่องช้าไม่ละเอียดยึดมั่นผิดว่า "จิตเป็นผู้รู้อย่างเดียว จึงเที่ยงแท้ (ทั้งๆ ที่มีเจตสิกและรูปมากมายร่วมกันทำหน้าที่อื่นๆ ทำให้จิตไม่เสถียรดับไปอย่างรวดเร็วตลอดเวลา แต่ปุถุชนไม่เคยรู้ ไม่เคยเห็นด้วยตาปัญญาเลย)" (กิจฆนะ),

นามปรมัตถ์รับรู้ฆนะ 4 ซึ่งมีรายละเอียดยิบย่อยต่างๆกัน เกิดดับรวดเร็วนับไม่ถ้วนดังกล่าวข้างต้น จนปุถุชนผู้เชื่องช้าไม่ละเอียดยึดมั่นผิดว่า "กำลังคิดถึงสิ่งๆเดียว (only one object)" (สันตติฆนะ)

ซึ่งตาม ที. มหานิทานสูตรนั้น ปรมัตถธรรมข้างต้น ปรุงแต่งซึ่งกันและกันเป็นปัจจัย 24 และเพราะความละเอียดยิบย่อยมีปัจจัยนับไม่ถ้วนเช่นนี้ สังขตธรรมทั้งปวงจึงไม่เที่ยง เป็นทุกข์ บังคับไม่ได้เลย.

All of what I answered above are described follow the the relativity of entire DN's structure. According to the history record, DN was memorized by Ananda-thera, the Buddha's brother. He was the main role in the first Buddhist council who accepted by almost all Buddhist party.

สิ่งที่เข้าพเจ้าอธิบายมาข้างต้น ได้อธิบายตามโครงสร้างของสูตรในทีฆนิกาย เพราะตามประวัติศาสตร์แล้ว พระอานนท์ น้องชายของพระพุทธเจ้า ท่านและลูกศิษย์เป็นผู้ที่สงฆ์ 500 ในสังคายนาครั้งที่ 1 มอบให้ทรงจำรักษาทีฆนิกายนี้ ซึ่งท่านเป็นผู้ทรงจำพระไตรปิฎกทุกนิกาย ฉะนั้น การจะใช้พระสูตรที่ท่านรักษาไว้มาเป็นอรรถกถาอธิบายพระไตรปิฎกจึงให้ความชัดเจนที่สุด นอกจากนี้พระอานนท์ยังเป็นพระเถระที่เป้นที่ยอมรับทั้งของฝ่ายเถรวาทและมหายานอีกด้วย.

Oral tradition in Commentary

We have Nikaya-Memorizers from 0 BE till now. Monks have the rules to memorize Sutta when growing up.
DN Commentary:

etenevupāyena asītibhāṇavāraparimāṇaṃ khandhakaṃ, pañcavīsatibhāṇavāraparimāṇaṃ parivārañca saṅgahaṃ āropetvā ‘‘idaṃ vinayapiṭakaṃ nāmā’’ti ṭhapesuṃ . vinayapiṭakāvasānepi vuttanayeneva mahāpathavikampo ahosi. taṃ āyasmantaṃ upāliṃ paṭicchāpesuṃ – ‘‘āvuso, imaṃ tuyhaṃ nissitake vācehī’’ti.
...
tadanantaraṃ mahāvaggaṃ, tadanantaraṃ pāthikavagganti, evaṃ tivaggasaṅgahaṃ catutiṃsasuttapaṭimaṇḍitaṃ catusaṭṭhibhāṇavāraparimāṇaṃ tantiṃ saṅgāyitvā ‘‘ayaṃ dīghanikāyo nāmā’’ti vatvā āyasmantaṃ ānandaṃ paṭicchāpesuṃ – ‘‘āvuso, imaṃ tuyhaṃ nissitake vācehī’’ti.
tato anantaraṃ asītibhāṇavāraparimāṇaṃ majjhimanikāyaṃ saṅgāyitvā dhammasenāpatisāriputtattherassa nissitake paṭicchāpesuṃ – ‘‘imaṃ tumhe pariharathā’’ti.
tato anantaraṃ satabhāṇavāraparimāṇaṃ saṃyuttanikāyaṃ saṅgāyitvā mahākassapattheraṃ paṭicchāpesuṃ – ‘‘bhante, imaṃ tumhākaṃ nissitake vācethā’’ti.
tato anantaraṃ vīsatibhāṇavārasataparimāṇaṃ aṅguttaranikāyaṃ saṅgāyitvā anuruddhattheraṃ paṭicchāpesuṃ – ‘‘imaṃ tumhākaṃ nissitake vācethā’’ti.
tato anantaraṃ dhammasaṅgahavibhaṅgadhātukathāpuggalapaññattikathāvatthuyamakapaṭṭhānaṃ abhidhammoti vuccati. evaṃ saṃvaṇṇitaṃ sukhumañāṇagocaraṃ tantiṃ saṅgāyitvā – ‘‘idaṃ abhidhammapiṭakaṃ nāmā’’ti vatvā pañca arahantasatāni sajjhāyamakaṃsu. vuttanayeneva pathavikampo ahosīti. Translation:

As I've explained, 500 bhikkhus in first council recited 80 Bhanavara of Khandhaka (VN.Bhikkhu,Bhikkhuni,Maha,Cula) and 25 Bhanavara of Parivara together, then called it Vinaya-Pitaka. At the end of reciting, the land shook. 500 bhikkhus in first council ordered Upali "Teach VinayaPitaka to your students, Avuso".
...
500 bhikkhus in first council recited 64 Bhanavara in systematized language which included 34 Sutta 3 Vagga step by step (SilakkhandhaVagga, Mahavagga, Pathikavagga) together, then called it DigaNikaya and ordered Ananda "Teach DigaNikaya to your students, Avuso".
Then 500 bhikkhus in first council recited MajjhimaNikaya 80 Bhanavara together, and
they ordered Sariputta's students "Keep it, Avuso".
Then 500 bhikkhus in first council recited SamyuttaNikaya 100 Bhanavara together, and
they ordered Kassapa "Teach SamyuttaNikaya to your students, Bhante".
Then 500 bhikkhus in first council recited AnguttaraNikaya 120 Bhanavara together, and
they ordered Anuruddha "Teach AnguttaraNikaya to your students, Avuso".

The Rule

in commentary according to V.N. Mahākhandhaka:**

Qualities of nissayamuccaka-bhikkhu (teaching lay people)

1. Proficient to recite pāṭimokkha-pāli and to understand it's commentary.
2. Proficient to recite and to understand 4 bhāṇavāra (~1,000 syllable) of sutta and their commentary, to teach laymen on uposatha day.
3. Proficient to recite and to understand sutta for bhikkhu's life such as andhakavindasutta, mahālahulovādasutta, ambaṭṭhasutta, etc.
4. Proficient to recite and to understand sutta for teaching in 3 chances: banquet for saṅgha by layman (nidhikaṇdasutta), funeral ceremony (tirokuṭṭasutta), and auspicious ceremony (maṅgalasutta).
5. Enough understand to judge/to decide about saṇgha's ceremony such as uposatha, pavāraṇā, etc.
6. Proficient to recite and to understand his kammaṭṭhānā throughout the nibbāna-course.
7. 5 years experience in monk hood as a monk.

Qualities of bhikkuparisūpaṭṭhāpaka-bhikkhu (teaching bikkhus)
If above layman's teachers want to teach bhikkhus (ūpajjhā-ācāriya, nissaya-ācāriya), they must increase their skill level to all of the following qualities.
These are for abhivinaya teaching:

1. Proficient to recite mahāvibhagha and bhikkhunivibhaṅga (first 3 books of thai 45 books pali-tipitaka) of vinaya-pitaka-pali. At least, he can relay with the other 3 bhikkhu. Proficient to understand it's commentary, too.
2. Proficient to recite all saṇgha's ceremony in vinaya-pitaka mahāvagga and julavagga.
3. Proficient to recite 14 vatta in vattakhandhaka.

These are for abhidhamma (kammaṭṭhāna) teaching:

4. Proficient to recite one of this suttanta-pali: mūlapaṇṇassa (1st/3 parts of M.N.) for student in M.N. faculty, mahāvagga (2nd/3 parts of D.N.) for student in D.N. faculty, sagāthavagga+nidānavagga+khandhavāravagga of S.N. or mahāvagga of S.N. for student in S.N. faculty, before half of A.N. or after half of A.N. or ekakanipāta+dukanipāta of A.N. for student in A.N. faculty, jātaka+commentary (because kammaṭṭhāna was described in commentary) for student in jātaka faculty.

Qualities of bhikkunovdaka-bhikkhu (teaching bhikkunīs)
If above layman's teachers want to teach bhikkhunī, they must increase their skill level to all of these qualities:

1. Proficient to recite whole tipitaka-pali and commentary-pali. Or at least, he still must recite whole tipitaka, but he can recite just one commentary of suttanta, first 4 parts of commentary of 7 parts of abhidhamma. However, vinaya-commentary is what he must recite it all.

Reference: tipitaka and commentary of vinaya pācittiyakaṇḍa bhikkhunovādakasikkhāpada and vinaya mahāvagga mahākhandhaka.

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Related topic: https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/a/22917/10100 https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/a/23663/10100

How can SukkhaVipassaka enlighten Nibbana without Appanā Jhāna.

SukkhaVipassaka can enlighten Arahatraphala without order from 9 samapatti. This kind of people must has less 5 hindrances from his birth to enlighten in 7 years, or more than that for TanhaCarita MandaPuggala (too much hindrances who avoid to practice Jhana and no knowledge in Paticcasamuppada). However, most Arahanta attain 6 Abhiñña as well according to Theragatha, so I think Arahanta try to practice 9 Samapatti after enlightenment too. The same as Arahanta try to memorize Buddha's teaching which commentary commented BhandāgāikaPariyatti (Nikaya Memorizer) is duty of Arahanta directly

Appearing breaths at somewhere near by nose tip is ok for Anapanassati

PariMukkhaṃ Satiṃ upaṭṭhapetvā = the practitioner focuses the mindfulness on only Breaths.

So satova assasati satova passasati = he is focusing the mindfulness like that and breathing out/in.

Breaths are not nose tip, touching, or feeling. Breaths are long or short wind flowing at nose tip.

Sometime breaths appear at right nostril tip, sometime left, sometime middle, some time top lip.

But you are focus on clearing appearing breaths at somewhere of those, so wherever of them is OK.

The other touching points such as in side the nose or lung is over width for clear focusing on breath and easily to get Restlessness (uddhacca), so appearing breaths on somewhere at the nose tip is the best choice for the meditation.

Day-to-day meditation and the quiet mind

Saṭipatṭhāna has many levels, such as Sīla, Khaṇika Samādhi, Taruṇa Vipassanā, Balava Vipassanā, Ariya Magga.
Sīla, Khaṇika Samādhi and Taruṇa Vipassanā do not require a quiet mind, so the practitioner can do it in day-to-day life.
Upacāra Samādhi, Appanā Samādhi (Lokiya Jhāna), Balava Vipassanā, Ariya Magga (Lokuttara Jhāna) require a quiet mind because...

1. Upacāra Samādhi mind and Appanā Samādhi mind (Lokiya Jhāna) know only one object, unleashing five string objects, but Sīla and Khaṇika Samādhi minds know those both five string objects and unleashing five string objects, so they can't upgrade to be Upacāra Samādhi mind, Appanā Samādhi mind.
2. Balava Vipassanā mind knows only the last vanished Vipassanā-Mind and it's three characteristics as object, but Taruṇa Vipassanā knows five string objects too, so it can't upgrade to be Balava Vipassanā.
3. Ariya Magga mind (Lokuttara Jhāna) knows only Nibbāna, but Sīla, Khaṇika Samādhi, Taruṇa Vipassanā, and Balava Vipassanā minds know the other objects too, so they can upgrade to be Ariya Magga.

So, the definition of the meditation is:

All the wisdom of one who has attained (appanā), is, wisdom by means of development.

The meditation is the cessation of all suffering, not only the present suffering. If the meditation is not strong enough, it can ceases only the present suffering and keeps the future suffering going on.
Daily life Vipassanā is good and the practitioner should do it, but Nibbāna is the best, so only doing good is not enough to enlighten Nibbāna.
See KN Paṭisambhidāmagga, Visuddhimagga, DN Mahāsatipaṭṭhānasutta.

How to manage overthinking?

Overdue thinking and late thinking can stop by planning.

Over wrong view thinking and wrong decision can stop by right view thinking practice.

Over five-strings thinking can stop by upacara/appana-jhana and can cease by vipassana.

Over right view thinking (vipassana-upakkilesa) can relax by upacara/appana-jhana.

Overall suffering can cease by Nibbana. And the practitioner can attain Nibbana by adhisila+adhicitta+adhipanna.

if I have first Jhana only for one minute, can I say that I was in the first Jhana?

After the absorption, the practitioner can say he is the obtainer of the first Jhana if the five hindrances still not arise instead of Jhana practice.
If that obtainer can't absorpt the first Jhana, but he has not an arising of the five hindrances, we still can call him as the obtainer of the first Jhana because he is in access concentration state, Upacāra-Jhāna, of the absorption concentration state, Appanā-Jhāna, which certainly going to arise if he still can keep the access concentration go on continuously.
The five hindrances are a major one important keyword of this question. Focus on it.

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At the first time absorption, Jhana arises only one moment, but it is going to take the longer duration when the practitioner practice that Jhana to be the mastery skillful expert, Vasī.
It's like when the practitioner practices the weight training, no one can hold up the weight in long duration, but the practitioner can hold the weight up longer and longer after training the weight more and more.
The path of purification, Pathavikasinaniddesa:

Sā ca pana ekacittakkhaṇikāyeva.
Ñ(IV,78): But that (first time of the first Jhana) absorption is only of a single conscious moment.
Sattasu hi ṭhānesu addhānaparicchedo nāma natthi paṭhamappanāyaṃ, lokiyābhiññāsu, catūsu maggesu, maggānantaraphale, rūpārūpabhavesu bhavaṅgajjhāne, nirodhassa paccaye nevasaññānāsaññāyatane, nirodhā vuṭṭhahantassa phalasamāpattiyanti.
Ñ: For there are seven instances in which the normal extent [of the cognitive series] does not apply. They are in the cases of the first absorption, the mundane kinds of direct-knowledge, the four paths, fruition next after the path, life-continuum jhāna in the fine-material and immaterial kinds of becoming, the base consisting of neither perception nor non-perception as condition for cessation [of perception and feeling], and the fruition attainment in one emerging from cessation.

The path of purification, Vasī:

78. Tatrimā pañca vasiyo āvajjanavasī, samāpajjanavasī, adhiṭṭhānavasī, vuṭṭhānavasī, paccavekkhaṇavasīti.

Ñ: Herein, these are the five kinds of mastery: mastery in adverting, mastery in attaining, mastery in resolving (steadying the duration), mastery in emerging, and mastery in reviewing.
... (See the explanation inside the link and book)...

Three-fold is for the beginner and the eight-fold is for the end

The three-fold is used in Tipitaka when the listener asking for the step by step teaching, but the eight-fold is used when the listener already trained and asking "why I still not enlightened after trained the three-fold?", so it's called "the higher three-fold training", not only "the three-fold".
The three-fold is the training, Sikkhā. The sequence training is required for the begīnner practitioner to train something. No weight trainee can hold the 100 kg up at first. See Sutta. Ma. U. Gaṇakamoggallānasuttaṃ. Buddha also blames the skipper step as the blank attainer, Moghapurisa, in MN KīṭāgiriSutta and AN Sattakanipātā DhammaññūSutta as well.
The eight-fold is the noble training to enlighten the noble cessation, Nirodhāya AriyaMaggaSikkhā. It's the top of training and only the trained people can use at first, i.e. King AjātaSattu who has a good education person, or Aññākoṇḍañña. Most people can't enlighten even listened to the four noble truth thousands of times. So, after one practiced above three-fold, and he still not enlightened, he is going to asking for "what was wrong? Why I who training very hard still be an ordinary person?" then the Buddha will teach him the higher three-fold that starting with the right attitude, SammāDiṭṭhi in AriyaMagga, ie. Aññākoṇḍañña who ordained a long time ago before he was going to enlighten in SN DhammacakkappavattanaSutta which focusing only the noble eight-fold path.
The practitioner is training the three-fold for the perfect right attitude, so Buddha teaches the trained practitioner the right attitude especially if the trained practitioner still not enlighten after attained Jhāna.
This is why the noble truth, AriyaSacca, often appears at the end of Sutta, such as MN MahāsaṭipaṭṭhānaSutta, DN SāmaññaphalaSutta.
Therefore, the practitioner should practice following the sequence of threefold training then after attained Jhāna, but the practitioner still not enlighten the cessation, the practitioner should focus on practicing the right attitude in four noble truth.
However, the practitioner should practice following the qualified master to keep the time of training. Most of the alone readers died before enlighten because they lose most of the time in discussing Tipitaka. I just explain the thinking of the master. I do not advise you to practice or read Tipitaka without the support of the qualified master.

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If one wants to understand this answer clearly, reciting and memorizing Suttas which I quoted above are required because the answer has already appeared in both Tipitaka's and Atthakatha's Pali context like Buddha ordered "He proclaims a Teaching that is good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, with the right meaning and phrasing." The reader should use the same method to understand entire those beginning middle and the end "six further qualities he should not live independently: ... when the two pātimokkhas are not perfectly known to him in their entirety, with all their divisions and their whole course, and with the entire discussion according to the single rules and to the single parts of each rule."
It is extremely easy to understand and deconflict the misunderstood of the only reader when one study Tipitaka follow to the ancient Tipitaka study system with the Jhana-attainer who recited and memorized of what he is teaching. It is harder but it is very useful. I recommend Pa-Auk. I know one Thai Tipitaka memorizer and he chose Pa-Auk to graduate his study.

The vanished moment is hypochondria. It cannot pass or upload anything to the future although it still is able to cause new moment effects.

The past vanished moment are not upload anything to its effect moments. It just causes its effect to arise. However, the effects are able to arise as the same habit, e.g. same object and same feeling, because of Upanissaya Paccaya.
The vanished moment is hypochondria. It cannot pass or upload anything to the future although it still is able to cause new moment effects.
For example, I can smile when I thinking of my dead sister however she vanished and doesn't upload anything to me, she just causes me to smile.

Difference between Pin (Punya, Paññā, Wisdom, Understanding) and Kusal (Kushala, Kusala, Wholesome)?

Kusala, wholesome, is an advantage mind and mental factors. It is the advantage because it must causes both present and future advantage resultants, KusalaVipāka.
Kusala can arise without Puññā, i.e. a boy gives a gift to a poor man just on demand, but Puññā can't arise without Kusala because Puññā without Kusala is the ignorant, Aññāṇa. Aññāṇa is the root of Akusalā, unwholesome, and causes the advantage resultants.
Paññā = understand the fact: causes&effects, the dependent origination, Paṭṭhāna.
Paṭivedha = Paññā.
Paṭivedha = understand through the fact relation: causes&effects.
Ñāṇa = Expert Paññā.
Dassana = View, Understood, Diṭṭhi (vision), Cakkhu (eye).

Tipitaka are not conflict, but the inexpert readers often make them conflict.

1. I can completely say mostly "imaginable conflict" is not an actual conflict. I uncountable questions on the internet through more than 10 years and I discover the fact it's reader's error.
2. The case, sutta, is just used in a case, not wrong in the right case, but it is going to be wrong in the different case. Four Nikaya means there are more than ten thousand cases. In my experience, almost conflicts come from the readers' error, not from Tipitaka or Atthakatha.
3. The case's environment has various properties which can be noticed by just the proficient.
4. It is very hard to be a real Theravada professor. In VN Atthakatha has written it requires 20 years experience, the memory of whole 5 canons of Vijaya, and the whole 4 Nikaya. After that one has memorized that all, he are going to have the understanding like KN, Abhidhamma, and Atthakatha. By this way, most of "imaginable conflicts" are becoming no conflict.
5. All of the western style professors have no above qualifications, so they can't understand Abhidhamma, Atthakatha, and some sutta, then they again them all. It means they against the Tipitaka origin because actually, the MahaAtthakatha teachers are the first council members.

Lord Yama's identity

I've been reading up on cosmology and am curious if Lord Suyama of Yama heaven and Lord Yama as judge of the recently deceased are the same figure. The latter is often said to reside in either the hell or preta realms, but since he is also a vaimanikapreta, I can't help but wonder if his time in the higher planes equates to this third level of heaven. Or are the same names simply coincidence?
Any thoughts/sources are much appreciated.

It is in the dependent origination.
SuyamaDeva born by KusalaVipakaCitta, wholesome resultant, only. That citta is the resultant consciousness, viññāṇa, of the wholesome frabrication, sańkhaāra.
YamaVemanikaPeta born by AkusalaVipakaCitta, unwholesome resultant, only. That citta is the resultant consciousness of wholesome frabrication.
They are completely different.
Only one karma creates all life-basis-resultants (patisandhi, bhavanga, cuti, karmaja-matter) per each rebirth of one whole life however there are many karma cause the resultant citta at the other six senses of life, except those patisandhi, bhavanga, cuti, which created by only one same karma.

Why Buddha lined up four brahmavihara in the chronological order 'metta, karuna, mudita and upeksha'

The practitioner wishes to let the being took the benefit&happiness, lovingkindness, so the practitioner wishes to help that being when that being is suffering, wishes to congratulate with that being when he is happy, and is equanimity when whatever happen.

Upekka, equanimity, is not easier than the other three. The practitioner is ignoring, doing not care, when he practices Upekkha without practicing the other three before, i.e. the healthy practitioner is not equanimity but he is ignoring when he doesn't care the standing old woman on the bus while he is sitting.

See the path of purification brahmavihāraniddesa:

1. Ñ(IX,109): One who wants to develop these four should practice them towards beings first as the promotion of the aspect of benefit—and lovingkindness has the promotion of the aspect of benefit as its characteristic;
2. Ñ: and next, on seeing or hearing or judging that beings whose benefit has been thus wished for are at the mercy of suffering, they should be practiced as the promotion of the aspect of the removal of suffering—and compassion has the promotion of the aspect of the removal of suffering as its characteristic;
3. Ñ: and then, on seeing the success of those whose benefit has been wished for and the removal of whose suffering has been wished for, they should be practiced as being glad—and gladness has the act of gladdening as its characteristic;
4. Ñ: but after that, there is nothing to be done and so they should be practiced as the neutral aspect, in other words, the state of an onlooker—and equanimity has the promotion of the aspect of neutrality as its characteristic;

Ñ: therefore, since their respective aims are the aspect of benefit, etc., their order should be understood to correspond, with loving kindness stated first, then compassion, gladness, and equanimity.

"We are all one" is not Buddhism

No, that's not the theravāda point of view. That's a fallacy or wrong view called, "He assumes consciousness to be the self", in twenty self-indentification-views.
Each arising aggregate is different from the other aggregates, different from e.g. other people's aggregates, past aggregates, far aggregates.
They all are the aggregates, but no one is the same.
Although there is a conditional relation which is called "Decisive Support" i.e. upanissaya (or in this clip that's translated as "Powerful Dependence"), so that past consciousness is a Decisive Support condition of present consciousness, but that is not the same as saying that the past consciousness "is" the present consciousness (i.e. the consciousness which it affects in the present).
Preceding states are related to subsequent states by the "Decisive Support" condition.
The aggregate is the Conditional Relation and Dependent Origination. Every relation has more than one cause and more than one effect, so don't find "the one" in Buddhism because it's self view.

Monk's Vinaya is not SīlabbataUpādāna

What comes with a set relates to the other members. Sīlabbata can't come alone, so it's meaning already came in its context.
Depentent origination means aggregates' relation.
Taṇhā means craving, addict.
Upādāna means caving again and again.
Diṭṭhi means the mental habit of the misunderstanding in the aggregates' relation.
DiṭṭhiUpādāna means caving again and again of the misunderstanding in the aggregates' relation. This is only unwholesome.
Sīlabbata means doing verbal and physical habit, depending on Diṭṭhi. This is able to arise with wholesome, unwholesome, and neither wholesome nor unwholesome, e.g. the thinking "I want to be a Deva in heaven" is arising with SakkāyaDiṭṭhi (unwholesome) but next moment the doing giving a gift, follow that SakkāyaDiṭṭhi for going to heaven, is arising with wholesome.
SīlabbataUpādāna means caving again and again of doing verbal and physical habit, depending on Diṭṭhi.
See DN MahāNidānaSutta:

So it is, Ānanda, that feeling is a cause of craving. Craving is a cause of seeking. Seeking is a cause of gaining material possessions. Gaining material possessions is a cause of assessing. Assessing is a cause of desire and lust. Desire and lust is a cause of attachment. Attachment is a cause of possessiveness. Possessiveness is a cause of stinginess. Stinginess is a cause of safeguarding.
Owing to safeguarding, many bad, unskillful things come to be: taking up the rod and the sword, quarrels, arguments, and fights, accusations, divisive speech, and lies.

The Answers

What does this fetter really refer to?

It refers to SīlabbataUpādāna.

Is it clinging to rites & rituals and thinking that these practises by their own can lead to liberation OR does it refer to clinging to precepts?

It addicts to do follow to DiṭṭhiUpādāna again and again. So if the rites, rituals, practises, and precepts depending on DiṭṭhiUpādāna, it is SīlabbataUpādāna.

So if most monks just follow rules and precepts because the Buddha said so (or they are deemed to be effective), then this is called Silabbata Parāmāsa?

The mong who keep on 91,805,036,000 vinaya rules follow to Buddha because they trust the Buddha, who rightly understanding in the aggregates' relation, is not SīlabbataUpādāna. It is similar to when you are following an expert guide and you are going to arrive the right destination surely, no one can't say "you are going the wrong way" although you do not understand the map by yourself at first.
91,805,036,000 vinaya rules are keeping Tipitaka go on through 5,000 years, but some lazy buddhist people try to cut them off, while there are many monks still can do follow to all those rules. It is superficial thinking and killing Buddhism age because Theravāda Tipitaka still available nowadays by the Tipitaka Memorizer who did follow all those vinaya rules. And it is going like this until 5,000 years. The similitude is the chemist who has recited, memorized, and learned about the periodic table and the formulas from the past chemist generation to generation.
There were many Nikāya tried to cut some part of Tipitaka off, and now their canons already disappeared, right?

If it is the former, then most "rational" inclined people should have little to none of this fetter, no?
If it's the latter, then it's NOT about blindly believing a precept, but questioning it and seeing for oneself that it's helpful.

All ordinary people have SīlabbataUpādāna because they have DiṭṭhiUpādāna. They still have the mental habit of the misunderstanding in the aggregates' relation, DiṭṭhiUpādāna, so they still act follow to that habit, SīlabbataUpādāna.

However, it appears to me that many rules in the vinyana are there to avoid social faux pax and unnecessary conflicts. If we take the not-eating-after-noon precept, we will see that the Buddha has reason for devising such precept; but do those reasons still hold true nowadays? I doubt it.

It may be not important for 21th century, but it may be important for 22th century. The Buddhist age is for 5,000 years, not only for 100 years. Tipitaka should lose after Buddha's death for 1-200 years without 91,805,036,000 Vinaya rules, but it still going on because of the Vinaya rules. Who can understand entire chemist canons without the chemist expert, right?
By my experience with Burmese monks (stickest on rules), Thai monks (sticker), and the westerner monks (not stick), the Burmese monks can understand the whole Pali Canon deeply, while the Thai and westerner monks often distort the Pali Canon by their own opinion then say "Pali Canon is conflicting with each other". For example, the fabrication of MN 44 is talking about Jhāna, and SN 12.2 is talking about Vipassanā by each Sutta's context. But the Thai and the westerner monks mix them together then say "they are conflicting with each other." It is like that because many, almost all, Thai and the westerner monks are lazy to recite and memorize Tipitaka follow to Vinaya rules "the monk can't live without Tipitaka Memorizer Teacher if he has not enough Tipitaka memory, and it is counted as a defense each date, 10 dates 10 offenses."
I understand Tipitaka without cutting any part of Tipitaka off because I always support the monks who doing follow entire Vinaya rules.
How can one understand the action and its effects when one never do follow them all?

Iriyāpatha and sampajañña

1. It's the outspoken translation. Nothing is wrong by the context. See Ruben's answer.
2. However, the obvious serious wrong is the vocabulary translation. Pajānāti means "comprehension", it doesn't means "know".

Furthermore, when a mendicant is walking they know comprehension: ‘I am walking.’
Puna caparaṃ, bhikkhave, bhikkhu gacchanto vā ‘gacchāmī’ti pajānāti

3. The Atthakathā explains the comprehension, Sampajañña, to four here. These four comprehensions have two levels:
   3.1. The samatha level in MN KāyagatāsatiSutta which taught to the beginner, neyya. The listeners in this Sutta are the newbies, so the Sutta's structure point to Jhāna, CittaVisuddhi, at the end of each section.
   The practitioner begins by ĀnāpanassatiJhāna in sitting meditation, and keep to meditate Ānāpānassati in Section on postures and Section on sampajañña. This is the basis.
   3.2. The vipassana level in MN MahāsitipaṭṭhānaSutta which taught to the high level vipassanā practitioners, ugghaṭitaññū, in Kuru Kingdom. All of the listeners in this Sutta already practiced these 21 sections, but the end of each section, samudayavayadhammānupassivā dhammasamiṃ Viharati (the practitioner comprehensions the origin and the cessation in all practiced practices and the comprehending mind), is their last lesson of the practice, so MahāAtthakatha said many listeners enlightened as Arahanta after the listening.
   This level appeared in explained in MN MahāsitipaṭṭhānaSutta's Atthakathā. It's not for the beginner. If the beginner start from this explanation, he is going to stick at the 10 imperfections/defilements of insight, Vipassanūpakkilesa. This explanation is very popular however most of teachers, today, give it the the improper practitioners.
   That's why most of them can't enlighten in seven years according to the end of this Sutta. The sequence level is very important, when the practitioner cross the sequence, it means the defilements of insight still remain.
   The question owner creates this question because he thinks follow to this level.
4. the meaning of the comprehends is the same as above wiki link, except the fourth.
   4.1. The sampajañña of samatha level is...
   

   when a mendicant is walking they comprehends: ‘I am walking for the purpose, suitability, and domain of the non-delusion in the breath meditation’.

   4.2 The sampajañña of vipassanā level is...
   

   when a mendicant is walking they comprehends: ‘I am walking for the purpose, suitability, and domain of the non-delusion in the aggregates in the Dependent Origination cycle’.

   4.3 How can I know that explanation?
   I understand it from Sutta context after I recited and memorized MahāsatipaṭṭhānaSutta Pali for ten years (so I often tell you all to memorize the pāli to study Sutta). The context is already arranged from the basic to the advance like in the explanation in Netti.
   Pajānāti has already appeared before the Section on postures in the summary Section of this sutta, Ānapanassati Section, and almost all other Sections as well. It means the Section on postures must translate with those all sections as I translated above.
   So, what is written in wikipedia, it is wrong...
   

   While the nikayas do not The Sutta has already elaborated on what the Buddha meant by sampajañña as "the keeping comprehension of current meditation in four main postures and seven sub-postures", the Pali commentaries analyze explain it further in terms of four contexts for one's comprehension

   Actually, pajānāti and sampajañña is already elaborated in Sutta's context clearly already.

Avoiding ignorant, immoral people as much as possible is not opposed to loving-kindness

The Buddha repeatedly said to avoid ignorant, immoral people as much as possible, but isn't this - at least a little - opposed to kindness? I associate kindness with being benevolent, caring & somewhat open. Am I missing here something?

No, they have nothing be opposed to each other. Actually, they support each other.
The practitioner can do metta to every person, including the immoral people, every time because Metta is mental meditation, but the practitioner shouldn't be very familiar with them because the practitioner can derive their bad behavior.
We help and support a cat, e.g. giving food, but we shouldn't be very familiar with a cat because the cat can't teach us the four noble truth.
Avoiding the ignorant person is not worry or scary. it is understanding of the effects of each fellowship.
The practitioner still wants to give happiness to the ignorant person every time, but the practitioner is just careful to keep the distance between practitioner-self and the ignorant person.

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Metta is wishing to give happiness to the other living life(s).
What is that life?
The life is the aggregates in dependent origination cycle, so sometimes life has a wholesome mind and it's mental&physical factors, but sometimes life has an unwholesome mind.
Metta-mind doesn't care about life's mental state. Metta-mind cares about the entire of which is called "living life".
Mind that voiding from ignorant, immoral people is focusing at the mental state. We don't want to derive any bad habit from the ignorant, immoral people, so we should avoid being close with them.
For the example:
I have the only mother, so I can do everything to make her happy, but I have to avoid to study chemistry with her because she is ignorant of it.
I give some food to the immoral victims because I am so sorry with their suffering however I do not support their previous immoral and bad behavior. I am not going to be immoral and to have bad behavior like them.