Meditation on Compassion (philosophy)

If the world is full of people who are the least bit compassionate, then why don't we shine before the crowd?

It might be because we only care for family and friends before the world. Yet we care about the suffering in far off lands and at home, enough to support charity and other causes.

We may also not shine because of schadenfreude, when it's best to laugh when others fall, lest we cry upon learning the misery that the poor and homeless undergo.

So, yes, the world is full of people, some of whom are caring, and also of people heartless that you wonder about their true state of mind. Were it not for the heartless, the good in the world would be common, that few people would suffer alone.

So, know that being alone is more the curse. For how can I truly shine without you?

Be it that it may, happiness and misery never exist forever, but become the process of compassionate living, and each of them a temporary boon or burden.

Yet it is unconditional love that is the source of all joy, and complement to faith - with hope being the drop of liquid sunshine that is charity. With these things, each of us learns to become compassionate, each in their own idiosyncratic way.

Like a Virgin (satire)

One popular white lie is to say you're still a virgin. Originally, the word "virgin" meant only "unmarried".

Today, its meaning refers to a person who is innocent of carnal knowledge, both of the heart and in the flesh. However, the original meaning still applies to all unmarried single people, as born-again virgins.

Yet the ideal of the virgin is to remain pure and innocent of carnal desire and all temptations of the flesh by dedicating yourself to a worthy cause, be it a religious theology or a political ideology or even a humanist philosophy.

This virginal ideal shall be accomplished by being of service to the cause of your choice, provided you remain free of desire and temptation, all for the common good of society.

By maintaining a chaste mindset, the dedicated virgin is able to sublimate desire into service for her chosen cause.

Since such a path is only an ideal, few of us are able to remain a virgin unless we are free of desire in the midst of the temptations of the modern world, be it television and other forms of technology.

Though a lesser man might succumb to carnal desires in the midst of temptation, the superior man has made the worthy cause noble.

Yet dedication to the noble cause requires the strength of will to purify the mind until it becomes virginal, and thus free of desire.

Desire thus is sublimated into unconditional love for humanity.

This may be sought through meditation and prayer, be it through yoga and/or other spiritual means. However, such dedication also requires each of us to reduce the use of alcohol, cigarettes, illegal drugs, and even meat, depending on the circumstances.

For the purpose of reducing consumption is to dedicate ourselves to the goal of the pure mind and the pure heart that remains free of desire.

Ultimately a person by sheer will and determination will become like a virgin, free of desire to consume and ready to act for the greater good.

Thus the ideal of the virgin is to free yourself from crass materialism, and consciously choose to be of service to the greater good in society.

Such service can be found through work, volunteerism and similar social activities.

Yet only a few people are dedicated to a noble cause.

Whatever path is chosen, the noble cause is each person's choice and requires a simple code of conduct: acceptance that whatever is asked of you, you do it as long as it harms no one.

Thus the ideal of the virgin is the path of innocence, free of the world yet being in service to the greater good of society.

Free of clinging to the world yet ready toserve for the good of us all, those of us dedicated to the noble cause shall realize that the white lie -"still a virgin" - is the metaphor for feeling like a virgin, untouched by desire and free of temptation.

Meditation of a Buddhist Mormon (satire)

This morning I thought about anjin and shinjin, two terms from Jodo Shinshu Buddhism.

Anjin is a Japanese Buddhist term that means peace of mind due to shinjin, a mind truly assured of rebirth in the Pure Land of Bliss.

This is not unlike the peace of mind of a righteous person who truly believes that he will go to a greater glory in the afterlife.

For Amida promised rebirth to those whose peace of mind (anjin) is due to shinjin, the true mind arising from trusting in his promise of rebirth in his Pure Land.

Even though Buddhism and Christianity have sometimes opposing views on life, I truly believe that faith in the Christ is similar yet different from faith in the promise of Amida Buddha. It certainly helps to suspend disbelief when reconciling Buddhism and Christianity in my mind.

Rather than solely relying on his own power, a Buddhist puts his faith in the Buddha, the Christian puts his faith in God.

Additionally, Jesus promised eternal life in the New Heaven and Earth after a Millennium spend under His reign. For the peace of mind gained from belief that the promise of eternal life is true arises from being truly assured of rebirth in the Kingdom of God.

Even though our present life is limited in length, the Christian promise of eternal life appears at odds with the Buddhist concept of no-self, which claims life is impermanent (limited). This is because Buddhism accepts the truth that life is full of suffering, short as it is.

Indeed, Buddhism accepts life has it is.

In contrast, Christianity has the Christ promise eternal life for us in the afterlife. While Buddhism helps me to accept life as it is, I have also allowed for the Christian concept of the afterlife.

From my point of view, there is no conflict between the Buddhist concept of no-self (life is impermanent) and the Christ's promise of eternal life in Afterlife. For this present existence is impermanent, yet the Afterlife is no less impermanent.

Even so, the Buddhist concept of the consciousness stream allows for impermanence to be transcended.

Thus that which eternal in the Afterlife is viewed as existing for an exceedingly long time, and that which is impermanent in this life is viewed as existing for a limited time.

Therefore both Buddhism and Christianity are in some ways compatible because they meet my spiritual needs in this life and they also help settle my mind about the Afterlife. This helps to redefine my concept of eternity and immortality to reconcile the transient nature of life with the apparent permanence of the Afterlife.

Yet life is a place where anything can happen.

Though this life is truly precious, I have faith that the Afterlife will be glorious. Indeed, I treasure my life because of its limitations. When it ends one day, the Afterlife awaits.

For my mind is at peace, and I am truly willing to live each day to the fullest.

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Reference:

Anjin and shinjin: http://www.trueshinbuddhism.com/content/view/36/61/
Anjin: http://diamondlikeshinjin.blogspot.ca/2010/10/anjin.html
Impermanence: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impermanence
Afterlife: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afterlife

posted from Bloggeroid

The Cult of the Individual: Man-god or Merely Human? (satire)

Selfish as in self-cherishing, the devotee to the cult of individualism would deny she is in a cult. For the ego, when it is in control of your life, will tell you lies to endure its hold over you.

At its root, selfishness is like death: when the world revolves around you, the easier it is to wander through life, impatient with the concerned religionist, flouting your atheism as if it made you better than a Christian, a Jew, a Muslim, a Satanist, a Hindu, or even a Buddhist.

However, the move from religion to psychology and philosophy of Buddhism ensures our life.

Whether we like it or not, a spiritual friend will come for us, either to set us strait or to help us come to understand that the self that wants attention on its merit is solely the root of suffering and sorrow. As such, narcissism is sure to lead the unwary to self-made hell.

It makes this old fool wonder why people would think they are free when they practice no religion. How free are they really when the self tells them: "Oh, it's another religionist! Let's mock him?"

How utterly vain, and foolish are the selfish!

Were they even a bit wise, they'd work in the soup kitchens and help pass out food and clothes to the homeless — I've yet to hear of that, when atheists care about their fellow man enough to dole out food and clothing for those in need.

I do not know if this is because atheists are modest or if they truly care about the rest of humanity. Hopefully, it is the former because the latter sometimes seems to be so far away when the atheists mock religionists of every faith, be it a Christian, a Jew, a Muslim, a Satanist, a Hindu, a Buddhist, or any other organized religion.

For this cult of the individual is surely not a good thing in this post-modern world. Its practitioners often preach entitlement and enable children to carry on the same selfish ideals of their parents. If you dare to confront them with the Truth, then they distort it into a parody of all that is true.

In response I quote Pontius Pilate, "What is Truth?"

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Originally posted: February 12, 2013 6:37 AM

Socratic Three Goods Defeats Narcissism (satire)

Socrates was said to have said that the chief goodness consists in the caring of the soul concerned with moral truth and moral understanding, that "wealth does not bring goodness, but goodness brings wealth and every other blessing, both to the individual and to the state", and that "life without examination [dialogue] is not worth living".

As a Buddhist, I take it that by "the soul", Socrates implies the person who has a finite existence. Therefore, the first truth can be rewritten as "The chief goodness consists in the caring of the person concerned with moral truth and moral understanding." This implies that Socrates cared about other people because they were as ignorant as he was, but vain enough to think they knew a lot more than they actually did.

The remaining two goods are as depicted. For the second, by caring for another person's understanding of moral truth and moral understanding, "goodness bring wealth and other blessings".

Finally, the third good can be rephrased as "the unexamined life is not worth living, however each of us are only able to examine their life based on the previous two goods.

However, today's society appears not to have time to examine their life. As a result, people sometimes lack the ability to care for others with moral truth and moral understanding in mind. Instead, they are too busy tweeting or other wise distracted.

Eventually this may lead to a sense of entitlement if they were taught by their parents that they are unique. It also leads to a secret desire for fame, and if they cannot get it, notoriety. They also end up looking like selfish jerks. Such is how narcissists are made.

Thus a narcissist would deny that goodness brings wealth and other blessings. Instead, he would claim that "my good looks and natural charm bring wealth and blessings."

Then what of ugly men who are wealth? Do all of them come from good families? And of the ones who were originally poor, would being a conceited ass make them think they could but goodness for a pretty penny?

No and no, I say! The goodness arising from a person's caring and concern for other people allows him realize that wealth requires patience, perseverance and politeness.

It is these three attributes that mark the man who successfully applies the three Goods to validate the goodness that results in wealth and other blessings.

Do not tempted to give in to the ignorant craving of your ego. Think before you tweet, and above all, correct your typos! I have no desire to see your cleavage or your abs. I would rather let you tell me what's on your mind.

Seeing God and the Soul Through a Buddhist Lens

My personal philosophy about the dead goes like this: Once the dead go to heaven, their souls return to God. Having been wiped clean of their earthly existence, they become the pure and immaculate souls they originally were at the moment of creation by God.

Regarding my personal philosophy about the soul, it transcends the dualistic concept of a soul existing apart from the body.

I use it to reconcile the Buddhist concept of oneness and unity with God as Creator of the soul.

God, within context of my personal philosophy is closer to the Hindu concept of God, where He is both the Creator and the Created.

As for the soul, it is consciousness-genius, the "incorporeal mental processes" which continues after death.

However, Buddhist philosophy teaches that the soul has a finite existence. In its place is Buddha Nature, which is the karmic fruit of Amida Buddha's vows to become a Buddha.

Thus, God as Creator of the Buddha is part of the Buddhist concept of oneness and unity.

Personally, I do not see God as separate from the universe, the world and all life.

For my view of God is closer to panentheism than to Deism.

However, the Buddhist view of God as the Absolute transforms panentheism into the philosophy that the divine is in all things.

For everything in the cosmos is Buddha.

References:

Buddhist concept of oneness and unity: see Net of Indra
Deism: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deism
Hinduism: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinduism
"incorporeal mental processes": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soul#Buddhism
Net of Indra: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Net_of_Indra
Panentheism: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panentheism

edited 20121114.220211

Thoughts on Coherence Theory of Truth

Introduction

In this note, I define the individual concept of the whole truth, and distinguish between it and the most complete truth. Furthermore, the cosmos is defined as a unique coherent system, and the whole truth about the cosmos as consisting of the known and the unknown is a property of that system.

Then knowledge of the whole truth about the cosmos is defined in terms of comprehension level which is based on the individual capabilities. Finally I state that knowing our place in the cosmos is dependent on comprehension levels, and about what they know about themselves, the cosmos and their place in it.

This note is incomplete, so I apologize for any inconsistencies and lack of clarity in text.

Individual Concept of The Whole Truth

Each person is free to call what what they really know is "the whole truth". What they really mean is that what they really know is true to them.

This individual concept of the whole truth is also known as "truth as they know it", and specifically "the whole truth about themselves".

The Whole Truth as Property of the Cosmos

Since "the most complete truth is a property solely of a unique coherent system", the whole truth is actually the most complete truth. Within context of reality, the whole truth refers to "the whole truth about the cosmos". Thus, the unique coherent system is the cosmos.

If we consider what people really know about themselves and the universe to be the known, and what they don't really know to be the unknown, then the whole truth about the cosmos consists of the known and the unknown, which is a property of the cosmos. Both the known and unknown parts of the cosmos are interdependent on each other.

However, the most complete truth cannot be fully known by the average person; it can only be indirectly referred.

Knowing The Whole Truth Dependent on Level of Comprehension

When that truth which is indirectly referred is known by the average person, only parts of it may become knowable to them, according to their level of comprehension.

With a shallow level of comprehension, a person will only know a small part of the most complete truth. Most of what one knows of that truth is unknown.

Likewise, with a deeper level of comprehension, a person will know a larger part of that truth. Rare is a person with the deepest level of comprehension who knows the most complete truth.

For such comprehension depends on the capabilities of the person.

Coming to Know Our Place in the Cosmos

Depending on our level of comprehension, we may come to know our place in the cosmos. Hence, each person's concept of the whole truth may be limited to what they really know about themselves, the cosmos, and their place in the cosmos.

What we do know is that the cosmos is vast, while most of humanity is limited to one small part of the cosmos called Earth, or colloquially, the world.

For it is through our interactions with the world that we may get a sense of synchronicity, and perhaps briefly achieve a sense of oneness with the cosmos.


References:
Varieties of Coherence Theories: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coherence_theory_of_truth#Varieties_of_coherence_theories

Coherentism: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coherentism

Theory of Justification: http://en.wikipedia.org
/wiki/Theory_of_justification#Theories_of_justification

Mind Alone Exists in All Creation

How could a man deny what does not exist except as concept (self) when he cannot be certain of what exists (reality) yet claims that reality only exists?

If only reality existed, then even thought itself would not exist.

That thought and concept exists prove that self exists.

And the reason why reality exists is due to man's ability to think about it.

This is not to say that no-thought leads to unreality but that reality is not independent of thought.

For even if man did not exist, mind is not alien to lesser beings. It's just that they have no need for self-awareness. For mankind is not the only being capable of thought; he is merely capable of self-awareness.

Hence the declaration that "mind alone exists" refers to the spiritual essence which manifests itself in all creation.