On May 2, 9:38=A0am, Dave K <dkotsch...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> On May 1, 8:43=A0pm, "ltl...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
" <ltl...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > On May 1, 10:18=A0am, Tang Huyen <tanghuyen{dele...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> > wrote:
>
> > > "ltl...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
" wrote:
> > > > Before get into the goal of buddhism, a more general question is
> > > > religion. What is the commonality among all relgions? What is
> > > > underlying all suffering?
>
> > > > In the wewt, power is the root of all evil. Money is economic
power.=
> > > > The common phrase in the west is Lord Aton's "Power tends to
corrupt=
;
> > > > absolute power corrupt absolutely." =A0And of course, the westtern
> > > > conception is wrong. The Chinese or eastern approach is
> > > > "relation****p." Combing east and west, the underlying cause of all
> > > > surffering is "power relation****p."
>
> > > > First, "power relation****p" is ubiquitous. It is everywhere. Every
> > > > relation****p we have is a power relation****p in which we coerce or
w=
e
> > > > are coerced. Interpersonally, intrapersonally and with nature.
>
> > > > Sceond, "power relation****p" is what we learnt from the beginning.
I=
t
> > > > does not take long for a baby to discover that everytime she
cries,
> > > > her mom will pick her up or feed her or otherwise attending to her
> > > > needs.
>
> > > > Thrid, "power relation****p" brings suffering because we are often
> > > > coerced to do something that we don't want to do. Of course, we
lear=
n
> > > > to turn the table around. For example, fire is to be feared until
we=
> > > > learnt to control fire. The ability to use fire then because a
> > > > hallmark of humanness. However, there are always more
things/desires=
> > > > that can coerce us.
>
> > > > Buddhism is an attempt to escape from this ubiquitous "power
> > > > relatio****p," =A0especially the intra-personal relation****p
because =
the
> > > > self and his desires. Detachment means not to be coerced by one's
> > > > desires or one's vision of a certain tuture and its associated
> > > > suffering. Awakening in this sense means one is with eternity
withou=
t
> > > > suffering.
>
> > > It is often said that traditional society consists of "we"
> > > whereas modern, especially modern Western society,
> > > consists of individuals. In the USA individualism runs
> > > rampant, so much so that people are trapped in their
> > > own bubbles, so that people so to speak carry their
> > > own prison around. Chinese society is composed of
> > > liaisons, connexions or relation****ps (guan-xi, lian-xi),
> > > regardless of political system. In that sense Chinese
> > > society is still pre-modern. (By the way, Communism
> > > has destroyed religions in China almost entirely, but
> > > the family system inherited from Con****ianism is
> > > still intact).
>
> > > That said, in Buddhism, there is a funny contradiction.
> > > On one hand, Buddhist theory emphasises relations,
> > > mutual relations that go on indefinitely, especially in
> > > causality, and yet in practice the sage is independent
> > > and self-sufficient. Relations are to loosen up one's
> > > sense of individuality, and awakening is to free oneself
> > > of all identifications, especially to one's self, as one no
> > > longer creates a self for one to carry around. Freedom
> > > is freedom from norms and standards, especially the
> > > biggest and baddest of them, the norms and standards
> > > of one's self, the norms and standards that constitute
> > > one's self. In freedom one has dropped norms and
> > > standards, and is free to roam untrammelled, though of
> > > course one is still bound by physical and social laws.
>
> > I will distinguish between the atem****al or timeless self and the self
> > at time t1,t2,t3... and etc. Similarly, one cannot drop the atem****al
> > norms and standards. But should drop the tem****al norms and standards
> > or the self's relation****pt with these standards and norms. To be more
> > specific, I would say standars and norms are only standards and norms
> > because they have power relation****ps with the self. =A0What can be
> > dropped are by default limited by time. We cannot drop anytime which
> > is timeless. Limited by time also mean non-optimal.
>
> > One of Zeno's paradox goes like this: If we take snapshots of an arrow
> > in flight at any time t, the arrow will have an exact position. So it
> > is not moving at time t. If the arrow in flight is not moving at t, it
> > cannot be moving at time t-1 or t+1. Hence an arrow in flgiht is an
> > illlusion.
>
> > The self is like an arrow in flight. If we look at it at any time, it
> > is an illusion and can be dropped. But this is also an illusion.
>
> So what do you do with all this philosophy?
Think hard to live hard.
>
> -DaveK- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -
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