Secular view - The Future of Religion

A discussion on all aspects of Theravāda Buddhism
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Prasadachitta
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Re: Secular view - The Future of Religion

Post by Prasadachitta »

kirk5a wrote:
Prasadachitta wrote:I think Batchelor seriously underestimates the potent and damaging effect of the belief that there is some"thing" that we are now which we will not be after death.
Yep. Also known as "self-identity view." As Ven. Punnadhammo points out in his critique:
Punnadhammo Bhikkhu wrote: As an aside, it should be pointed out that advocates of a materialist Buddhism often claim that their view is different from this ancient annihilationism because it doesn't postulate a self. While it would take us too far afield to examine this argument in detail, suffice it to say that from a traditional Buddhist understanding, any doctrine of materialism must have an implied self-view. In other words, it is incompatible with a true understanding of not-self. This is because of, firstly, an identification with the single aggregate of bodily form and secondly, because of the belief in annihilation of consciousness at death which presupposes an existent entity to be annihilated (even if this is not articulated.)
It is a type of self identity view. There are others that are quite different and therefore self identity view is not synonymous.
"Beautifully taught is the Lord's Dhamma, immediately apparent, timeless, of the nature of a personal invitation, progressive, to be attained by the wise, each for himself." Anguttara Nikaya V.332
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