Search found 104 matches

by Thundering Cloud
Tue Nov 17, 2020 6:53 pm
Forum: Dharma in Everyday Life
Topic: Continuity
Replies: 25
Views: 3614

Re: Continuity

What do you hope to gain from the answer? A deeper understanding of the nature of how things exist in time. The notion of a continuum is a human idea, albeit a very powerful one. Modern mathematics (e.g. Calculus, the mathematics of motion and change) hinges upon it. But like all ideas in mathemati...
by Thundering Cloud
Wed Jul 22, 2020 12:27 am
Forum: Zen
Topic: Existence-Time
Replies: 98
Views: 13813

Re: Existence-Time

Keep in mind, by watching it, will you alter its content? :smile: Does there exist objective content to be altered or to remain the same? My awareness of its content will become definite. Your awareness of its content, being already definite, will not change. One way to interpret this situation is ...
by Thundering Cloud
Tue Jul 21, 2020 9:45 pm
Forum: Zen
Topic: Existence-Time
Replies: 98
Views: 13813

Re: Existence-Time

PadmaVonSamba wrote: Tue Jul 21, 2020 9:25 pm While I process your last post, you might enjoy this video if HH Dalai Lama’s meeting with quantum scholars, if you haven’t already seen it (or have already seen it?)
I have not… thank you for sharing! :D
by Thundering Cloud
Tue Jul 21, 2020 9:17 pm
Forum: Zen
Topic: Existence-Time
Replies: 98
Views: 13813

Re: Existence-Time

I have a book on quantum theory. To test it out, I never opened the book to read it. :lol: :rolling: This reminds me of a similar argument, that at night, when the Louve Art museum turns off its lights, the painting of the Mona Lisa isn’t there any more, because without light reflecting off the sur...
by Thundering Cloud
Tue Jul 21, 2020 3:34 pm
Forum: Zen
Topic: Existence-Time
Replies: 98
Views: 13813

Re: Existence-Time

All there is, is an ongoing stream of ever changing conditions. Going back to the example of schroedinger’s cat, all of the elements and energy are flowing as conditions that are perpetually experienced (by our senses and our mental definitions) as a comparatively small object with fur and claws, w...
by Thundering Cloud
Tue Jul 21, 2020 1:29 am
Forum: Zen
Topic: Existence-Time
Replies: 98
Views: 13813

Re: Existence-Time

As long as there are things that you question (and there probably always should be, if you are a scientist) then that means there is always phenomena of which you are unaware. The “proof” is that 1. you don’t know everything. [...] This is actually the thrust of the question. It is certainly accura...
by Thundering Cloud
Mon Jul 20, 2020 3:40 pm
Forum: Zen
Topic: Existence-Time
Replies: 98
Views: 13813

Re: Existence-Time

Obviously, there is much phenomena occurring of which one has no awareness, simply because the conditions do not include one’s awareness. [...] This is actually not obvious to me (although it seemed to be, once upon a time… ). Being of a scientific mindset, I think it was mainly the delayed-choice ...
by Thundering Cloud
Sun Jul 19, 2020 10:29 pm
Forum: Zen
Topic: Existence-Time
Replies: 98
Views: 13813

Re: Existence-Time

Thought-provoking stuff… thanks again for sharing. The classical Buddhist assertion about time is a) time is measured by the duration of mental event, b) time depends on the perception of objects. When there is no perception of objects, time, subjectively, vanishes. That makes sense, and (b) on its...
by Thundering Cloud
Sun Jul 19, 2020 9:18 pm
Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
Topic: Limitless beings
Replies: 15
Views: 1849

Re: Limitless beings

How could anyone save all beings if they are numberless? Wouldn't that mean a bodhisattva would never pass into final enlightenment? As javier mentioned, I think the point is to focus one's mind and intentions in a way that does not depend upon a phenomenological goal. I would add also that "i...
by Thundering Cloud
Sun Jul 19, 2020 8:52 pm
Forum: Zen
Topic: Existence-Time
Replies: 98
Views: 13813

Re: Existence-Time

Seems a bit quiet in here - let's see if anyone wants to talk about Existence-Time (uji) In Zen time and existence are not two different things; time is always existence-and-time, existence is always existence-and-time. This view is most clearly and comprehensively demonstrated in Shobogenzo’s deve...
by Thundering Cloud
Sat Jan 25, 2020 9:04 pm
Forum: Lounge
Topic: What Is just (((IS)))
Replies: 8
Views: 1954

Re: What Is just (((IS)))

Queequeg wrote: Sat Jan 25, 2020 8:14 pm Are you trying to trick me into being logical? Phooey.
Hmmm… what reasoning would lead you to that conclusion? :smile:
by Thundering Cloud
Sat Jan 25, 2020 7:00 pm
Forum: Lounge
Topic: What Is just (((IS)))
Replies: 8
Views: 1954

Re: What Is just (((IS)))

Queequeg wrote: Sat Jan 25, 2020 5:29 pm
Thundering Cloud wrote: Sat Jan 25, 2020 5:48 am I'm a big fan of logic myself. :smile:
Logic is overrated. Phooey.

:stirthepot:
Oh yeah? Can you prove it? :rolling:
by Thundering Cloud
Sat Jan 25, 2020 5:48 am
Forum: Lounge
Topic: What Is just (((IS)))
Replies: 8
Views: 1954

Re: What Is just (((IS)))

Logically, neither the presence of What Is, nor the fact that It has ANY discernible features at all (let alone It's two permanent ones [one of which can be justifiably conceptualized as 'Ever-changing Form', and the other as 'Ever-changeless Formlessness'] and all of It's many impermanent ones [ea...
by Thundering Cloud
Wed Jan 22, 2020 7:51 pm
Forum: Dharma in Everyday Life
Topic: Issues with ending a friendship
Replies: 25
Views: 4443

Re: Issues with ending a friendship

So I ended a friendship recently, not the closest friend, but we had some in depth conversations and such over a period of a couple years. I usually let other people decide whether or not to be friends with me and make a point of never cutting people off, but in this case I couldn't take it. I'm le...
by Thundering Cloud
Tue Jan 07, 2020 4:21 am
Forum: Meditation
Topic: Cessation of dukkha
Replies: 72
Views: 13495

Re: Cessation of dukkha

[...] But isn't it impossible to stop consciousness? Focusing on one object is still a conscious thought. Consciousness does not stop. Or should we not try to stop consciousness but only those conscious thoughts that lead to dukkha? The theme of "stopping consciousness" also arises in dis...
by Thundering Cloud
Tue Dec 24, 2019 7:42 pm
Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
Topic: Faith & logic
Replies: 50
Views: 6029

Re: Faith & logic

My somewhat zen perspective is that all methods of Buddhadharma work to get rid of ego’s self-grasping. For me, logic is a kind of discriminating wisdom that destroys wrong views. Without these obscurations, reality of suchness will reveal itself and Buddha nature will shine. For me, Faith is faith...
by Thundering Cloud
Tue Dec 24, 2019 6:43 pm
Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
Topic: Faith & logic
Replies: 50
Views: 6029

Re: Faith & logic

Sure, but at the same time one could argue that if you are being entirely logical and rational, one would also need a logical and rational reason to suspect that The Buddha in particular, might be lying or saying untrue things, etc. It's understandable, but at the same time, not exactly logical to ...
by Thundering Cloud
Sun Dec 22, 2019 8:29 pm
Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
Topic: Faith & logic
Replies: 50
Views: 6029

Re: Faith & logic

They complement each other perfectly. It's entirely logical to have faith in someone (Buddha) who, so far, has shown you nothing but true and beneficial things. It's quite logical to have faith in someone who has an impeccable reputation for being wise, truthful and never untruthful. It's very logi...
by Thundering Cloud
Sun Dec 22, 2019 6:12 pm
Forum: Discovering Mahayana Buddhism
Topic: Experiences with spirits
Replies: 72
Views: 7367

Re: Experiences with spirits

To avoid any debates over paranormal phenomena, for sake of discussion, I assume below that it is more conventionally accurate to say "ghosts exist" than to say "ghosts do not exist". The classical description of Hungry Ghosts I am familiar with characterizes beings with large st...
by Thundering Cloud
Sat Dec 21, 2019 10:36 pm
Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
Topic: Faith & logic
Replies: 50
Views: 6029

Re: Faith & logic

Believe it or not, I'm not here to argue for arguing's sake. So I'm not going to uselessly engage on this point. But I should explain why I'm focusing on this. Earlier you said: So, everyone's conceptual view of the (for now, presumably objective) world is individualized and unique to them And my i...

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