It's a sign / Magical thinking is stupid

Casual conversation between friends. Anything goes (almost).

It's a sign / Magical thinking is stupid

It's a sign! - just when I needed it most, I got a sign inexplicably from the universe or something!
12
35%
Magical thinking is stupid! - be logical & you won't find yourself in such desperate situations, clinging to such desperate nonsense.
22
65%
 
Total votes: 34

Schrödinger’s Yidam
Posts: 7885
Joined: Wed May 29, 2013 6:13 am

Re: It's a sign / Magical thinking is stupid

Post by Schrödinger’s Yidam »

I am an occasional magical thinker, and an occasional hard-boiled rationalist....but always deep in the mire of samsara. That is madness...the madness we all share.
:good:
1.The problem isn’t ‘ignorance’. The problem is the mind you have right now. (H.H. Karmapa XVII @NYC 2/4/18)
2. I support Mingyur R and HHDL in their positions against lama abuse.
3. Student: Lama, I thought I might die but then I realized that the 3 Jewels would protect me.
Lama: Even If you had died the 3 Jewels would still have protected you. (DW post by Fortyeightvows)
M.G.
Posts: 443
Joined: Sun Jun 23, 2013 12:56 am

Re: It's a sign / Magical thinking is stupid

Post by M.G. »

Is there any way to practice Tibetan Buddhism and not be involved in what atheists would consider magical thinking? I'd think once one accepts rebirth, let alone such minutiae as oath-bound dharmapalas, divinations, etc, its all one big hoodoo throwdown from a strict rationalist's perspective.
User avatar
futerko
Posts: 1297
Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2012 5:58 am

Re: It's a sign / Magical thinking is stupid

Post by futerko »

M.G. wrote:Is there any way to practice Tibetan Buddhism and not be involved in what atheists would consider magical thinking? I'd think once one accepts rebirth, let alone such minutiae as oath-bound dharmapalas, divinations, etc, its all one big hoodoo throwdown from a strict rationalist's perspective.
I think this only applies in regard to externality, and not if one applies the "hoodoo" simply to the vagaries of one's own imagination.
M.G.
Posts: 443
Joined: Sun Jun 23, 2013 12:56 am

Re: It's a sign / Magical thinking is stupid

Post by M.G. »

futerko wrote:
M.G. wrote:Is there any way to practice Tibetan Buddhism and not be involved in what atheists would consider magical thinking? I'd think once one accepts rebirth, let alone such minutiae as oath-bound dharmapalas, divinations, etc, its all one big hoodoo throwdown from a strict rationalist's perspective.
I think this only applies in regard to externality, and not if one applies the "hoodoo" simply to the vagaries of one's own imagination.
Hmmmmm..... I suppose that's true. Would that be an exclusively American interpretation of Tibetan Buddhism? My understanding is that the 'hoodoo' was largely taken literally in Asia.
tatpurusa
Posts: 616
Joined: Sat Oct 31, 2009 1:17 am

Re: It's a sign / Magical thinking is stupid

Post by tatpurusa »

M.G. wrote:Is there any way to practice Tibetan Buddhism and not be involved in what atheists would consider magical thinking? I'd think once one accepts rebirth, let alone such minutiae as oath-bound dharmapalas, divinations, etc, its all one big hoodoo throwdown from a strict rationalist's perspective.
Only the scientific worldview based on atheism and philosophical materialism corresponds with the strict rationalist's view.
Though there might be some overlapping fields, no tradition of Buddhism, be it Zen, Dzogchen, Theravada or whatever else,
truely corresponds to that particular view.
User avatar
futerko
Posts: 1297
Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2012 5:58 am

Re: It's a sign / Magical thinking is stupid

Post by futerko »

M.G. wrote:
futerko wrote:
M.G. wrote:Is there any way to practice Tibetan Buddhism and not be involved in what atheists would consider magical thinking? I'd think once one accepts rebirth, let alone such minutiae as oath-bound dharmapalas, divinations, etc, its all one big hoodoo throwdown from a strict rationalist's perspective.
I think this only applies in regard to externality, and not if one applies the "hoodoo" simply to the vagaries of one's own imagination.
Hmmmmm..... I suppose that's true. Would that be an exclusively American interpretation of Tibetan Buddhism? My understanding is that the 'hoodoo' was largely taken literally in Asia.
I dunno, I'm not in either Asia or America, so I guess I'm somewhere in between, middle way and all that... :smile:
User avatar
seeker242
Posts: 2092
Joined: Sat Mar 17, 2012 2:50 pm
Location: South Florida, USA

Re: It's a sign / Magical thinking is stupid

Post by seeker242 »

It's a sign / Magical thinking is stupid
Where is the "neither of the above" option?!
One should not kill any living being, nor cause it to be killed, nor should one incite any other to kill. Do never injure any being, whether strong or weak, in this entire universe!
User avatar
reddust
Posts: 761
Joined: Thu Nov 14, 2013 7:29 am
Location: Oregon

Re: It's a sign / Magical thinking is stupid

Post by reddust »

I am a very magical thinker, that's where are my painting ideas come from. But I am also very practical and logical because I need to eat and have a warm place to sleep. I need both or my world would be very extreme, either dull and gray or six flags amusement park.
Mind and mental events are concepts, mere postulations within the three realms of samsara Longchenpa .... A link to my Garden, Art and Foodie blog Scratch Living
User avatar
AnShen
Posts: 9
Joined: Wed Dec 04, 2013 11:35 pm

Re: It's a sign / Magical thinking is stupid

Post by AnShen »

I think the poll presents us with a false dichotomy. There is a way to acknowledge, and open oneself to, the experience of synchronicity without lapsing into "magical thinking".
Martin007

Re: It's a sign / Magical thinking is stupid

Post by Martin007 »

I announced recently on a forum that I hadn't seen a porpoise for ages - then 2 days later I actually saw a porpoise! So logically this means that either magical thinking works, or that porpoises read Buddhist forums and are very obliging.... :lol:
Martin007

Re: It's a sign / Magical thinking is stupid

Post by Martin007 »

AnShen wrote:I think the poll presents us with a false dichotomy.
Rationality often does.
User avatar
padma norbu
Posts: 1999
Joined: Sun May 29, 2011 1:10 am

Re: It's a sign / Magical thinking is stupid

Post by padma norbu »

porpoise wrote:
AnShen wrote:I think the poll presents us with a false dichotomy.
Rationality often does.
Some things are signs, some things are not?
"Use what seems like poison as medicine. We can use our personal suffering as the path to compassion for all beings." Pema Chodron
User avatar
dharmagoat
Posts: 2159
Joined: Mon Oct 19, 2009 8:39 pm

Re: It's a sign / Magical thinking is stupid

Post by dharmagoat »

porpoise wrote:I announced recently on a forum that I hadn't seen a porpoise for ages - then 2 days later I actually saw a porpoise! So logically this means that either magical thinking works, or that porpoises read Buddhist forums and are very obliging.... :lol:
No silly, it is the Universe that reads the Buddhist forums, the porpoises just do the obliging.

Have you never seen Universe [Bot] at the bottom of the page?
tatpurusa
Posts: 616
Joined: Sat Oct 31, 2009 1:17 am

Re: It's a sign / Magical thinking is stupid

Post by tatpurusa »

... be careful, porpoises are directly born from avidyā :sage: :ugeek:
User avatar
padma norbu
Posts: 1999
Joined: Sun May 29, 2011 1:10 am

Re: It's a sign / Magical thinking is stupid

Post by padma norbu »

porpoise wrote:I announced recently on a forum that I hadn't seen a porpoise for ages - then 2 days later I actually saw a porpoise! So logically this means that either magical thinking works, or that porpoises read Buddhist forums and are very obliging.... :lol:
The other day, I randomly thought of the word "chimera" while waiting on line at the post office with my wife and remembered how I used to pronounce it all wrong as a kid. I asked her how she pronounces the word and spelled it out. She pronounced it wrong like I used to as a teenager. I told her the correct pronunciation and said, "doesn't that sound funny?" We left the post office and went to the library where I got a few books, one of which was "Going Clear" about Scientology (an exposé, not a religious book). On the first page of the Introduction was the description of L. Ron Hubbard which included the word "chimerical"... Coincidence?!?!
"Use what seems like poison as medicine. We can use our personal suffering as the path to compassion for all beings." Pema Chodron
User avatar
reddust
Posts: 761
Joined: Thu Nov 14, 2013 7:29 am
Location: Oregon

Re: It's a sign / Magical thinking is stupid

Post by reddust »

Does anyone every take a sign with them while passing one on the road? :tongue: Same goes with signs I noticed through the day. Sometimes it seems as if the world is constantly talking to me, this was really noticeable when I first started meditating. Signs like synchronicity, déjà vu, you hear a song that you just thought about, know who is calling and when they will call used to happen all the time. Signs like that are not as strong, probably have to do with integration, sometimes I make notes if I want to remember an idea that comes up with what ever sign I have noticed. There are also signs like like a crow flying by, or a certain glint of snow that caste rainbows of light, or a bull frog that stops and lets me pick him up, something someone says, these signs trigger ideas for paintings to come and visit or how to resolve a problem or write an equation…the world really is a magical place full of signs. They are nice, make life really interesting too, and sometimes signs come in handy and prevent you from being run over like stop signs on the road. My dreams have the best signs though, amazing stories as well, really the world is a very magical place. What is simply amazing is we see the world from the inside of our head where there is no light to see! I think everything is a sign in this world :rolling:
Mind and mental events are concepts, mere postulations within the three realms of samsara Longchenpa .... A link to my Garden, Art and Foodie blog Scratch Living
Martin007

Re: It's a sign / Magical thinking is stupid

Post by Martin007 »

padma norbu wrote:
porpoise wrote:
AnShen wrote:I think the poll presents us with a false dichotomy.
Rationality often does.
Some things are signs, some things are not?
I was thinking of logical fallacies.
Martin007

Re: It's a sign / Magical thinking is stupid

Post by Martin007 »

tatpurusa wrote:... be careful, porpoises are directly born from avidyā :sage: :ugeek:
No, they're born from mummy and daddy porpoises.. :tongue:
Martin007

Re: It's a sign / Magical thinking is stupid

Post by Martin007 »

padma norbu wrote: Coincidence?!?!
Yes, coincidences can seem very strange at times - but maybe they're just coincidences?
User avatar
dharmagoat
Posts: 2159
Joined: Mon Oct 19, 2009 8:39 pm

Re: It's a sign / Magical thinking is stupid

Post by dharmagoat »

porpoise wrote:Yes, coincidences can seem very strange at times - but maybe they're just coincidences?
I agree.

Coincidences by their nature are very rare, but we are very attuned to noticing them.

As an exercise, think of how much of what we perceive that are not coincidences. Almost all of it.
Last edited by dharmagoat on Fri Dec 06, 2013 12:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Post Reply

Return to “Lounge”