The conceit of "i am equal"

A discussion on all aspects of Theravāda Buddhism
Bundokji
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Re: The conceit of "i am equal"

Post by Bundokji »

I am equal:
i am equal photo.png
I am not equal
I am not equal.jpg
And the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus, saying: "Behold now, bhikkhus, I exhort you: All compounded things are subject to vanish. Strive with earnestness!"

This was the last word of the Tathagata.
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Dhamma Chameleon
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Re: The conceit of "i am equal"

Post by Dhamma Chameleon »

zerotime wrote: Sun Sep 19, 2021 12:10 am
many legal systems are supported in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which starts in a poor way:

"All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights."

Why are they born free and equal?. No answer in the formulation.
I read it as 'equal in dignity and rights' rather than a blanket equality (which is also clearly not true). The sentence could benefit from a comma:
"All human beings are born free, and equal in dignity and rights."

I don't think the concept of (intrinsic) equality goes well with the law of karma, but it doesn't matter that much. The way I see it the human rights convention is not trying to describe or define humans, but to set a standard of behaviour between humans based on a presumption of equality as far as dignity and rights go. Seems like a reasonable basis to me.
pegembara
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Re: The conceit of "i am equal"

Post by pegembara »

Bundokji wrote: Mon Sep 20, 2021 1:28 am I am equal:

i am equal photo.png

I am not equal

I am not equal.jpg
The concept of an I is a disease.
“‘Bhikkhu, this person consists of six elements.’ So it was said. And with reference to what was this said? There are the earth element, the water element, the fire element, the air element, the space element, and the consciousness element. So it was with reference to this that it was said: ‘Bhikkhu, this person consists of six elements.’
“Bhikkhu, ‘I am’ is a conceiving; ‘I am this’ is a conceiving; ‘I shall be’ is a conceiving; ‘I shall not be’ is a conceiving; ‘I shall be possessed of form’ is a conceiving; ‘I shall be formless’ is a conceiving; ‘I shall be percipient’ is a conceiving; ‘I shall be non-percipient’ is a conceiving; ‘I shall be neither-percipient-nor-non-percipient’ is a conceiving. Conceiving is a disease, conceiving is a tumour, conceiving is a dart. By overcoming all conceivings, bhikkhu, one is called a sage at peace. And the sage at peace is not born, does not age, does not die; he is not shaken and does not yearn. For there is nothing present in him by which he might be born. Not being born, how could he age? Not ageing, how could he die? Not dying, how could he be shaken? Not being shaken, why should he yearn?
Dhātuvibhaṅgasutta
And what is right speech? Abstaining from lying, from divisive speech, from abusive speech, & from idle chatter: This is called right speech.
asahi
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Re: The conceit of "i am equal"

Post by asahi »

If the mind cannot achieve the state of equality or best equanimity , the man made equality only able serve us to a point .
No bashing No gossiping
form
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Re: The conceit of "i am equal"

Post by form »

If someone thinks I am as handsome as Brad Pitt. That is an example of I am equal? I am as creative as Steve Jobs? Something like that.
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zerotime
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Re: The conceit of "i am equal"

Post by zerotime »

Bundokji wrote: Mon Sep 20, 2021 12:26 am Yes. One could ask what is it that makes us equal except being different, or as Margaret Thatcher once said: "Humans are not equal, but every human life is equally important". Needless to say that she believed in wars! The idea of Justice seems to be a prerequisite for other set of ideas such as reward and punishment.

In the context of Buddhism, the idea of equality or being equal seems closest to "equanimity" which shares the same linguistic root. In this case, the near enemy is said to be indifference, so overlooking differences is not necessarily a solution.
very good point. I think you are more precise pointing to equanimity and its near enemy indifference. That indifference is what exist in the present moral acceptance of human eugenics into Science
form
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Re: The conceit of "i am equal"

Post by form »

I am superior, I am inferior and I am equal, all these three should be discussed together and not one by itself. They all represent the comparison with a reference value to form a mark. Mark is the sign of an existence.
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