Search found 130 matches

by Way~Farer
Sun May 27, 2018 9:15 pm
Forum: Lounge
Topic: Jordan Peterson - The Problem With Atheism
Replies: 42
Views: 57134

Re: Jordan Peterson - The Problem With Atheism

Petersen says, "The proposition that underlies Western culture is that there is a transcendent morality." He says that this transcendent morality can also be personified as God, or not; but that he's not making an argument for God. It's that the radical atheists (New Atheists like Dawkins...
by Way~Farer
Sat May 26, 2018 7:45 am
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: Doubt, Dhamma and the Middle Way
Replies: 68
Views: 7612

Re: Doubt, Dhamma and the Middle Way

No, I get that. It was a little tongue-in-cheek, but it’s definitely a sutta to bookmark and refer to as circuit-breaker for a certain kind of debate.
by Way~Farer
Sat May 26, 2018 7:29 am
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: Doubt, Dhamma and the Middle Way
Replies: 68
Views: 7612

Re: Doubt, Dhamma and the Middle Way

“If a person has faith, they preserve truth by saying, ‘Such is my faith.’ But they don’t yet come to the definite conclusion: ‘This is the only truth, other ideas are stupid.’
Ought to be in the ToS on both Wheels. :smile:
by Way~Farer
Sat May 26, 2018 6:24 am
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: Doubt, Dhamma and the Middle Way
Replies: 68
Views: 7612

Re: Doubt, Dhamma and the Middle Way

What is the "middle way" between the two extremes of experiencing debilitating skeptical doubt, and ensuring that we don't falsely conclude that "Only this is true; anything else is worthless"? Metta, Paul. :) I think the question might really hinge on the distinction between 's...
by Way~Farer
Mon May 14, 2018 8:50 am
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: can you be atheist and theravada buddhist?
Replies: 95
Views: 15707

Re: can you be atheist and theravada buddhist?

no coincidence that darwinian biology views the whole of existence through the lens of scarcity and the struggle for survival. Dovetails nicely with capitalist economic models, which is no coincidence.
by Way~Farer
Wed May 09, 2018 11:57 pm
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: can you be atheist and theravada buddhist?
Replies: 95
Views: 15707

Re: can you be atheist and theravada buddhist?

In Western culture, science serves in the role that religion used to occupy, as a guide to what educated people ought to think. And as science generally only recognises a certain class of phenomena, then it is widely assumed that only such phenomena can be considered to exist. This is the basis of s...
by Way~Farer
Fri May 04, 2018 4:14 am
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: Bill V. on Theravadan nihilism
Replies: 21
Views: 6093

Re: Bill V. on Theravadan nihilism

Sorry, Circle, I think you have it wrong - I don't agree at all with your interpretation. Why do you think 'never-returners' are called 'never returners?' Not 'those who return after a very long time' - it's 'never', right?
by Way~Farer
Fri May 04, 2018 1:37 am
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: Bill V. on Theravadan nihilism
Replies: 21
Views: 6093

Re: Bill V. on Theravadan nihilism

According to Buddha, saying that nibbana is permanent is technically incorrect, that is why you'll never hear in the nikayas such things being said.
Interesting. Does that mean the Buddha stops being the Buddha after some period of time?
by Way~Farer
Tue May 01, 2018 11:58 pm
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: Bill V. on Theravadan nihilism
Replies: 21
Views: 6093

Re: Bill V. on Theravadan nihilism

There are two points that could be made in respect of this question. One is that what is 'timeless' is not the same as 'what has endless duration'. One can imagine 'something of great duration' in terms of a mountain peak, a post set fast, and other similes that are given in various texts. The idea ...
by Way~Farer
Sun Jun 11, 2017 7:28 am
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: A Question for Nagasena
Replies: 26
Views: 6853

Re: A Question for Nagasena

Circle5 wrote:let me ask another question: Where is it that you assume a self to be ?
If you read more carefully, you will see that I have not said what you seem to think I said.
by Way~Farer
Sun Jun 11, 2017 3:20 am
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: A Question for Nagasena
Replies: 26
Views: 6853

Re: A Question for Nagasena

Buddha did his best to make it as clear as possible that there is no self. It's his main doctrine. It's repeated countless of times throughout the nikayas. Except for that it's not. As I have said, and please take time to think about it, the word 'anatta' is an adjective . It is always used to desc...
by Way~Farer
Sat Jun 10, 2017 11:21 pm
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: A Question for Nagasena
Replies: 26
Views: 6853

Re: A Question for Nagasena

Why not read the sutta to the end? Here is the whole text. Then the wanderer Vacchagotta went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, exchanged courteous greetings with him. After an exchange of friendly greetings & courtesies, he sat to one side. As he was sitting there he asked the Blessed One: &...
by Way~Farer
Sat Jun 10, 2017 10:55 am
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: A Question for Nagasena
Replies: 26
Views: 6853

Re: A Question for Nagasena

The Vajjira Sutta makes the exact same point, and is clearly more ancient, dating from the time of the living Buddha. The Milindapañha is an exegetical work, which frequently refers to the earlier texts. It is at least 500 years later than the Buddha's parinibbāna. The chariot being made up of part...
by Way~Farer
Sat Jun 10, 2017 10:00 am
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: A Question for Nagasena
Replies: 26
Views: 6853

Re: A Question for Nagasena

Worldly analogies are of limited use, they break down at some point. That is very much the point I was making with the OP: human beings are not really like 'chariots', because even though they are in some sense, an assemblage of parts, there is something else, which is intentionality , which gives ...