Hmm. Not as interesting as it might have been. Poetry only appears more apt than philosophy for this sort of discussion because it is so loose. In the end if there is any merit here it is on the practice of meditation. — Banno
My point was that experience is real, fantasy (thinking) not so much. — synthesis
How do you define an experience? Experience can be interpreted into fantasy just as easily as reason and they both become partial truths. Socrates wrote of a higher quality of reason called noesis which leads to direct experience. Does satori mean the same? — Nikolas
Experience can be had outside of conceptual thought. Getting into all the other philosophical stuff is really above my pay grade and,as well, specific questions about 'satori" and the like should be directed to a qualified teacher (of which I am not). — synthesis
. An experience requires the simultaneous cooperation of thought, emotions, and sensations. When they consciously work together and react as nature intended, they produce an experience.
— Nikolas
According to whom? — synthesis
Plato's description of the tripartite soul is easiest to understand. As explained in the chariot analogy, the horse on the left refers to our lower parts which have become corrupt. How can the driver fix a sick horse which denies us the ability to objectively experience as a normal human being? — Nikolas
Nothing against Plato, I am sure he was a brilliant guy and all that, but making the pile of bullshit higher doesn't make it any more correct.
This isn't that complicated. Experience. Need more be said? — synthesis
It's not right to discuss the meanings of the tripartite soul and its repercussions from the corruption of our lower nature on your thread but how IYO does Zen understand resistance? Why does the human organism oppose Zen and adopt imagination to take its place? Can the struggle with imagination take place without the conscious mind acting as a purification protecting efforts of meditation from turning into imagination and the opposite of its intent? — Nikolas
Zen is the Japanese word for meditation. Zen doesn't understand anything. It's not about understanding, instead it's about realization through direct experience. — synthesis
Zen is the Japanese word for meditation. Zen doesn't understand anything. It's not about understanding, instead it's about realization through direct experience. — synthesis
True, but I have two essential questions Zen by definition cannot answer. The first is the meaning and purpose of our universe and the second is the meaning and purpose of life including human life within it. — Nikolas
Perhaps you should take up the practice of meditation and find out why this is not the case.Humanity has a need to interpret. — Nikolas
Zen, by definition, answers no questions. It is your own realization that accomplishes the task. The meaning and purpose of life becomes manifest in your actions and cannot be intellectualized.
Humanity has a need to interpret.
— Nikolas
Perhaps you should take up the practice of meditation and find out why this is not the case. — synthesis
The Relative and The Absolute stand opposed to each other as that which we use intellectually (the Relative) and that which exist outside of our intellect (The Absolute) — synthesis
You underestimate resistance. As soon s a person begins to do something they begin to interpret or they wouldn't know what to do. — Nikolas
If the value of the Zen experience leads to the truth, then a person has to deal with acquired resistance. Krishnamurti gave a good example concerning the power of imagination leading to resistance: “You may remember the story of how the devil and a friend of his were walking down the street, when they saw ahead of them a man stoop down and pick up something from the ground, look at it, and put it away in his pocket. The friend said to the devil, “What did that man pick up?” “He picked up a piece of Truth,” said the devil. “That is a very bad business for you, then,” said his friend. “Oh, not at all,” the devil replied, “I am going to let him organize it." Krishnamurti[/i]
That is why I prefer contemplation of contradictions rather than meditation as leading towards the Absolute — Nikolas
When a contradiction is impossible to resolve except by a lie, then we know that it is really a door. Simone Weil
It can only be resolved by a quality of mind which can place the contradiction into a higher level of reality dualism is incapable of finding the door. — Nikolas
We are on two different paths. Who knows, we both may end up on the Way or where the paths meet. Different strokes for different folks. — Nikolas
You are hung-up on form. Things are what they are, correct? You believe you can use your ability to conceptualize to see this truth, but there seem to be all kinds of reasons this is not the case. If we were able to intellectualize the truth, it would be universally applied. — synthesis
"Do you wish to know God? Learn first to know yourself." - Abba Evagrius the Monk. — Nikolas
99.99....% of what you perceive leaves no time for interpretation. Just think about how much is going on in your field of view at once (an infinite number of things). You have the ability to process (before conceptualization) all of this information in order to make your way, but there is no time for interpretation. — synthesis
Chances are that your brain filled in at least one of the blanks above automatically and without your conscious consent. It is continuously making predictions in this manner. Do these predictions reflect ‘reality’? No, they are frequently wrong. Worse, they usually reflect some bias, and worse still, may trigger a maladaptive emotional response.
There are good reasons to value the mental state that your talking about but this ‘seeing reality’ business is pure fantasy. — praxis
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