Why Is There Anything At All?

A discussion on all aspects of Theravāda Buddhism
Post Reply
User avatar
dicsoncandra
Posts: 257
Joined: Sun Jan 03, 2021 3:19 pm
Location: Singapore
Contact:

Why Is There Anything At All?

Post by dicsoncandra »

Hi all,

I recently published an article (personal blog) in my attempt to answer one of the most well-known 'unsolved' philosophical questions regarding existence and I thought I'd share it with you all :smile: .

I approached the question through my understanding of the Dhamma thus far, after years of reading and watching Dhamma talk videos, but more recently through the teachings of Ven. Ajahn Nyanamoli Thero from Hillside Hermitage. After publishing the article, I contacted Ajahn Nyanamoli to let him know of it and safe to say (and happily) that he approved of it! :D

The article summarises my understanding of the Venerable's approach and I hope anyone may benefit from reading it :candle:

Link to article: https://dicsonstable.wordpress.com/2021 ... ng-at-all/
Ajahn's stamp of approval: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... sp=sharing

With Metta
:anjali:
Dicson
arising is manifest;
ceasing is manifest;
change-while-standing is manifest.

Link to website: http://dicsonstable.blog/
User avatar
SDC
Posts: 9062
Joined: Mon Dec 14, 2009 11:08 pm

Re: Why Is There Anything At All?

Post by SDC »

Excellent, Dicson! A very clean and clear description. Very cool that the Venerable approved! 8-)
User avatar
cappuccino
Posts: 12879
Joined: Thu Feb 11, 2016 1:45 am
Contact:

Re: Why Is There Anything At All?

Post by cappuccino »

nonexistence does not exist


never has, never will


this may seem unsatisfactory
chownah
Posts: 9336
Joined: Wed Aug 12, 2009 2:19 pm

Re: Why Is There Anything At All?

Post by chownah »

There is no way to show that there is anything at all
Never has been, never will be
This may seem unsatisfactory
chownnah
User avatar
cappuccino
Posts: 12879
Joined: Thu Feb 11, 2016 1:45 am
Contact:

Re: Why Is There Anything At All?

Post by cappuccino »

chownah wrote: Sun Jun 20, 2021 3:19 pm There is no way to show that there is anything at all
some things are obvious
chownah
Posts: 9336
Joined: Wed Aug 12, 2009 2:19 pm

Re: Why Is There Anything At All?

Post by chownah »

cappuccino wrote: Sun Jun 20, 2021 3:21 pm
chownah wrote: Sun Jun 20, 2021 3:19 pm There is no way to show that there is anything at all
some things are obvious
The buddha dhamma is deep....it is not an obvious thing.....
chownah
User avatar
DooDoot
Posts: 12032
Joined: Tue Aug 08, 2017 11:06 pm

Re: Why Is There Anything At All?

Post by DooDoot »

dicsoncandra wrote: Sun Jun 20, 2021 1:29 pm the Buddha Dhamma, and I hope not to misrepresent the Teaching in any way ... Firstly, we need to see that ‘something’ exists only when there is a presence of recognition of it, which implies that a phenomenon is present.
the Buddha Dhamma says ‘something’ exists even when there is no recognition of it - AN 3.136 & SN 12.20

dicsoncandra wrote: Sun Jun 20, 2021 1:29 pm I contacted Ajahn Nyanamoli to let him know of it and safe to say (and happily) that he approved of it!
Assuming i browsed the article accurately, my impression is both the article & the Teaching do not answer Leibniz's question regarding "existence" because it appears "bhava" in Dependent Origination does not to mean the generic term "existence". For example, from Pali, various words are translated as "existence" by translators, such as "atthi-ta" & "bhava". "Bhava" appears to mean "becoming", i.e., the creation of a self-identity (MN 44) from a consciousness "established/stuck in" a sense object (AN 3.76) . Where as the "atthi" ("existence") of Nibbana (Ud 8.1), for example, does not mean "bhava". The article appears to correctly mention "appropriation" of the aggregates, which is part of "becoming" but not necessarily related to "existence".

In other words, what Leibniz refers to as "existence" appears similar to what the article calls "appearance" (namely, "sense contact"). Since the article itself says "existence ceases (appearance remains)" then then article does not appear to answer Leibniz's question regarding ‘why is there appearance at all?' Thus the suttas say:
Conjecture about [the origin, etc., of] the world is an unconjecturable that is not to be conjectured about, that would bring madness & vexation to anyone who conjectured about it.

https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitak ... .than.html
:smile:
There is always an official executioner. If you try to take his place, It is like trying to be a master carpenter and cutting wood. If you try to cut wood like a master carpenter, you will only hurt your hand.

https://soundcloud.com/doodoot/paticcasamuppada
https://soundcloud.com/doodoot/anapanasati
asahi
Posts: 2732
Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2020 4:23 pm

Re: Why Is There Anything At All?

Post by asahi »

Existence in dependent arising and of ordinary worldly meaning are of two different domain .
No bashing No gossiping
pegembara
Posts: 3466
Joined: Tue Oct 13, 2009 8:39 am

Re: Why Is There Anything At All?

Post by pegembara »

https://dicsonstable.wordpress.com/2021 ... ng-at-all/

:thumbsup:

Is there the sound of a tree falling if there is no one listening?
If there are no thoughts present, is there a thinker even?

No separation between the experienced and the experiencer.
‘When this exists, that comes to be; with the arising of this, that arises. When this does not exist, that does not come to be; with the cessation of this, that ceases.
And what is right speech? Abstaining from lying, from divisive speech, from abusive speech, & from idle chatter: This is called right speech.
asahi
Posts: 2732
Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2020 4:23 pm

Re: Why Is There Anything At All?

Post by asahi »

The experiencer is the experienced one and the same . But people mistook it for two separate thing hence duality . Then the notion of non duality pop up due to awareness of the misapprehension of the mind .
No bashing No gossiping
User avatar
DooDoot
Posts: 12032
Joined: Tue Aug 08, 2017 11:06 pm

Re: Why Is There Anything At All?

Post by DooDoot »

asahi wrote: Mon Jun 21, 2021 7:57 am The experiencer is the experienced one and the same . But people mistook it for two separate thing hence duality . Then the notion of non duality pop up due to awareness of the misapprehension of the mind .
Sounds like Hinduism :shock:
There is always an official executioner. If you try to take his place, It is like trying to be a master carpenter and cutting wood. If you try to cut wood like a master carpenter, you will only hurt your hand.

https://soundcloud.com/doodoot/paticcasamuppada
https://soundcloud.com/doodoot/anapanasati
asahi
Posts: 2732
Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2020 4:23 pm

Re: Why Is There Anything At All?

Post by asahi »

DooDoot wrote: Mon Jun 21, 2021 8:04 am
asahi wrote: Mon Jun 21, 2021 7:57 am The experiencer is the experienced one and the same . But people mistook it for two separate thing hence duality . Then the notion of non duality pop up due to awareness of the misapprehension of the mind .
Sounds like Hinduism :shock:
:tongue:

No , the thoughts accumulation and subtraction movement is thinking process itself , the thinking that being aware by consciousness being assimilate as the thinker .
No bashing No gossiping
User avatar
dicsoncandra
Posts: 257
Joined: Sun Jan 03, 2021 3:19 pm
Location: Singapore
Contact:

Re: Why Is There Anything At All?

Post by dicsoncandra »

DooDoot wrote: Mon Jun 21, 2021 7:11 am
dicsoncandra wrote: Sun Jun 20, 2021 1:29 pm the Buddha Dhamma, and I hope not to misrepresent the Teaching in any way ... Firstly, we need to see that ‘something’ exists only when there is a presence of recognition of it, which implies that a phenomenon is present.
the Buddha Dhamma says ‘something’ exists even when there is no recognition of it - AN 3.136 & SN 12.20

dicsoncandra wrote: Sun Jun 20, 2021 1:29 pm I contacted Ajahn Nyanamoli to let him know of it and safe to say (and happily) that he approved of it!
Assuming i browsed the article accurately, my impression is both the article & the Teaching do not answer Leibniz's question regarding "existence" because it appears "bhava" in Dependent Origination does not to mean the generic term "existence". For example, from Pali, various words are translated as "existence" by translators, such as "atthi-ta" & "bhava". "Bhava" appears to mean "becoming", i.e., the creation of a self-identity (MN 44) from a consciousness "established/stuck in" a sense object (AN 3.76) . Where as the "atthi" ("existence") of Nibbana (Ud 8.1), for example, does not mean "bhava". The article appears to correctly mention "appropriation" of the aggregates, which is part of "becoming" but not necessarily related to "existence".

In other words, what Leibniz refers to as "existence" appears similar to what the article calls "appearance" (namely, "sense contact"). Since the article itself says "existence ceases (appearance remains)" then then article does not appear to answer Leibniz's question regarding ‘why is there appearance at all?' Thus the suttas say:
Conjecture about [the origin, etc., of] the world is an unconjecturable that is not to be conjectured about, that would bring madness & vexation to anyone who conjectured about it.

https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitak ... .than.html
:smile:
Hi Doodoot,

I began the sentence with what the existence recognises, which is that 'something', but never meant to imply what I apparently wrote. I'll re-read it and do the necessary correction, thank you for your input

And yes, that is my answer :smile: it is inconceivable but what I hinted was that 'presence, which is always positive, validates itself.' and thus appearance is (i.e., unquestionable and unexplainable), after which I proposed the more pertinent question regarding bhava.

I'll revise my articulation when I see the slightest fault so feel free to let me know

Metta
:anjali:
Dicson
Last edited by dicsoncandra on Mon Jun 21, 2021 1:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.
arising is manifest;
ceasing is manifest;
change-while-standing is manifest.

Link to website: http://dicsonstable.blog/
User avatar
dicsoncandra
Posts: 257
Joined: Sun Jan 03, 2021 3:19 pm
Location: Singapore
Contact:

Re: Why Is There Anything At All?

Post by dicsoncandra »

Also, I revised much of the article after my interaction with the Ajahn multiple times after, on my own accord, to which I simply let him know that it is for the sake of better clarity at one point in time before I revised it again and again since. It is very tricky to write one and perhaps I should have given myself more time to re-read and edit it before publishing

Regardless, I appreciate any feedback from anyone with the right intention

:anjali:
arising is manifest;
ceasing is manifest;
change-while-standing is manifest.

Link to website: http://dicsonstable.blog/
User avatar
dicsoncandra
Posts: 257
Joined: Sun Jan 03, 2021 3:19 pm
Location: Singapore
Contact:

Re: Why Is There Anything At All?

Post by dicsoncandra »

DooDoot wrote: Mon Jun 21, 2021 7:11 am ...
Hi DooDoot,

I have just revised it along with some other paragraphs too :smile:

All Is Well
:anjali:
Dicson
arising is manifest;
ceasing is manifest;
change-while-standing is manifest.

Link to website: http://dicsonstable.blog/
Post Reply