once again, feel free to indicate why the summaries of buddhism, like say the cycle from avidya to jaramarana, aren't legitimate.
Mu :bugeye:
once again, feel free to indicate why the summaries of buddhism, like say the cycle from avidya to jaramarana, aren't legitimate.
Actually its philosophy that deals with "why" questions ..... so turning to science may not be so helpful in that regard since it doesn't have a rigorous philosophical component.
If by "why" you mean "how" (ex. why is the sky blue?) then you are quite incorrect. If by "why" you mean "intent" (ex. why did he do that?) then you are also incorrect as science can uncover reasons for behavior. What science cannot do is answer questions of intent which are incoherent (ex. applying intent to a rainy day or the questions in this thread).
when in doubt, consult wiki.I wasn't posing any problems inherent in buddhism. I was looking for how buddhist doctrine explains creation. Either buddhism has an explanation or it doesn't. Whether or not this is a problem is up to you.
If you think "why" q's are covered by "how" q's you are quite incorrect.
For instance "why did you come to my house?" is not really answered by "Because I caught the train".
The only reason that the q "why is the sky blue?" or "why is today rainy" become incoherent is because the personalities and primary forces involved are beyond the purview of the paradigm.
not in a way that "how is the sky blue?" doesn't cover.If that were so I wouldn't be able to answer "why is the sky blue" and yet I can,
hence the suggestion that "why" q's pack something that "how" q's don'tThat's a question of intent and not a question of how a person traveled. Science can answer those but as you hopefully realize there are more variables with intent.
My point is that if one has no scope the presence of intention (or in philosophical language, teleology) for whatever reason, they're probably better off sticking to "how" q's.Those example questions are only incoherent if they are questions of intent. If they are really how q's then they are perfectly answerable.
Wrong. It is impossible for it to be neither. Either Buddhism has an explanation how/why the self/universe was created or it doesn't. There is no neither.Neither.
So Buddhism claims that our physical experience was caused by a misunderstanding? How/why? What is that supposed to mean?Your personal experience of self is brought into existence as a misunderstanding arising from ignorance.
It is impossible for "why" to be irrelevant. Relevance requires a subject matter in order for something to be relevant to. The subject matter itself cannot be irrelevant to the subject matter.how = ignorance. why = irrelevant since you already are.
WTF? Science is going to answer my question about whether or not BUDDHISM has an explanation for creation? I don't think so.Turning to religion for truth doesn't work because religion has nothing to do with it. The answers to your questions are likely found in science.
You seem to know a bit more than most of the people around here. So the path of the self is the end of attachment to the material world. But there seems to be no description(within BUDDHISM) about how/why the self/material world came into being.Buddha taught a path to a goal...called the eightfold path to enlightenment.
Enlightenment, as explained in Buddha's doctrine of dependent origination, means the end of attachment to the material world, and therefore the end of rebirth into this world after death.
Its basis is the firm affirmation of a spiritual dimension.
Its amazing to me how modern westerners who dont know squat about Buddhism try to project their own materialistic hedonism unto Buddha...as if he was some kind of Asian hippie who wanted everybody to 'do their own thing'!
None of these people would last even a week in a real Buddhist monastery.
not in a way that "how is the sky blue?" doesn't cover.
hence the suggestion that "why" q's pack something that "how" q's don't
My point is that if one has no scope the presence of intention (or in philosophical language, teleology) for whatever reason, they're probably better off sticking to "how" q's.
Hi,The foundation of buddhism is: Anatta (no inherant nature, lit. no soul), anicca (imperminance) and dukkha (dissatisfaction) but its ok, most buddhists don't get it.
The eight fold path is based on sila (moral compassion), pranna (insightful wisdom) and samadhi (focused attention).
If you find "the firm affirmation of a spiritual dimension" in that, then your definition of "spiritual" works for me.
Anything which contradicts these six basic core concepts is just to get bodies in the pews so the priests can keep busy.
I do know I'd last a week, but so what? Being a monk isn't anything special. Not being a monk isn't anything special either.
The only reason one would not place any issues of intent with things like the sky is if one is working out of an understanding that such things are not inherently linked to any willed entity.I think we're in agreement *scared*. At the same time a ridiculous amount of philosophical questions are ones of intent applied to things that don't have intent.
Wrong. It is impossible for it to be neither. Either Buddhism has an explanation how/why the self/universe was created or it doesn't. There is no neither.
So Buddhism claims that our physical experience was caused by a misunderstanding? How/why? What is that supposed to mean?
19 more and you suddenly become real...firstly, this is my first post (yay!)
I don't understand this part.
Anatta, and moral compassion. WIth Anatta descriptions as no soul, I'm assuming the main foundation of this teaching is something like "Everything is nothing, and Nothing is everything".
I understand why Pranna, and Samadhi, but why moral compassion?
They just aren't relevant.
Its not relevant. You don't need to know any of that to achieve enlightenment and it is a powerful distraction.
Actually it is compounded objects (like you) have no inherant nature. Everthing about you comes from your composition, your organization and your history and interactions with your environment. There is no inherant or indestructible you (soul) which preexists this or survives it.
Because the three (sila, pranna and samadhi) form an interlocking whole.
Its like sex. You can work on your technique. You can practice, practice, practice. You can study all there is to know, get a PhD.
But until you are having sex with some one, you are still just beating off.
Moral compassion for others is what keeps Buddhism from being "just beating off."
However, is it not true, that Who we are now is a result of our past, and what we do now will determined our future?
Is it correct if i say, the moral compassion is a result of the other two?
So basically, Buddhism claims "how or why physical reality was created" is not only unanswerable, but also irrelevant?
And "what created human life, how, or why" is also unanswerable/irrelevant?
Therefore, no man can know? Or if any man could know, it would be irrelevant if he did know or not?
Thus one should pursue wisdom, but not irrelevant wisdom such as understanding how/why physical reality was created including human life?