Canute said:
Wow. Thanks for that, and the link. It's a beautifully organised system of explanation. Isn't the language great.
Always enjoy your posts.
Spookz, thanks for the above.
Canute, Mojo, when discussing Budhism and metaphysics, we need to remember the connections between hinduism and buddism. Just as Christ, the center of christiandom, grew up Jewish, The man who has become known as Buddha grew up Hindu. Much of the metaphysical sections of modern buddhism are of a Hindu source. This includes karma, dharma, shamadhi, reincarnation, self-study, enlightenment, seperation from self, etc.
When you argue anything outside of the middle path, you are most likely no longer arguing Buddhism, but hinduism. What Spookz posted above is technically Hindu, though it could be from a Buddist source/perspective.
Buddha himself, before his death told his followers to specifically mind not only what he had told them, but also what he had not told them. One of the items he references as something he had not told them was what happens after death of the body. The buddist ideals of re-incarnation do not come from Buddha himself, but from his hindu background. In effect, that section of the "buddist" metaphysics actually did come from "books" (I'm using the word books here to mean any method of transfering information between people - in this case the books are a metaphore for verbal and non-verbal communication). It came from people before Buddha, and not from Buddha himself.
All of the above is from my readings and my self-study over the past years. I could be wrong. This is what I have seen and understood.
te Jen, thank you also for your additions to this topic.
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