Finishing watching now. Will update soon.
I liked this quote a lot:
Quote:
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I just think unfortunately one has to accept that "full-blown paradise engineering" is unlikely in one's own lifetime, but it is our responsibility to lay the preconditions for a future in which there is no involuntary suffering."
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Agreed. If there is any meaning at all to life and "going on" (and this is based on reading the works of great men throughout history who came to the same conclusion), it is doing our best to make it a more fair, improved world for all individual beings. Our generation is one of the luckiest because until now, it really has been everyone doing the best they can, under severe technological limits. With tech on our side, the fact that we can even
imagine the Earth being a paradise, a technologically-infused Gaia, is pretty spectacular.
I didn't really follow/care about the masochism thing. Seems like reaching from his opposition. If anything I'd see them as just genetic outliers -- we all enjoy suffering to a degree, again, if a person somehow gets pleasure from suffering, it could range from a deep psychological problem to just being a kinky person.
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In-Vitro meat: absolutely agree, if tested and healthy for human consumption, I have been an advocate for years.
I almost hate to say it, because of how much humans love meat and get rather defensive towards those who don't, but the fact that
we kill living beings, life, beings with brains, eyes, emotions, etc. for food will eventually come to a halt as soon as we we have the technological means and the worldwide education to support such a system, however idealistic it may sound. Even at this point in human history I kinda like we are still a collective Jabba the fucking Hutt.
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I'd like to hear some more of your qualms with traditional buddhism vs. modern buddhism. I simply don't see as much opposition (even if friendly disagrements) between the two. I was going to quote Buddha here, but instead found this site:
Fake Buddha Quotes | "Nope, I didn't say that." ? The Buddha, which is pretty funny and tries to correct all the pseudo-spiritual "feel good and not think about shit too much" quotes attributed to Buddha on the internet.
I will admit, without having an understanding of Sanskrit or other Asian languages, it is difficult to pin down the meaning of some of the texts. Many different interpretations as always.
Which brings me to my next point of discussion:
In traditional Buddhism, true Zen (what I personally believe to be the true heart of Buddhism, having studied the many different sects and branches (and all the drama in between...which is exactly what I'm moving away from) and just seeing the character of the various "Zen Masters" throughout history). If one is truly interested in understanding Buddhism,
truly, from an academic suggestion, no matter how long it takes, you will eventually settle on Zen. It appears to be a sociological magnet to those dedicated to (direct experiential) truth, understanding, love, and self-discipline.
My favorite koan/story of a Zen master is Bodhidharma, a rather ugly, short, squat fellow, who brought Zen from India to China, where it evolved into Ch'an Buddhism:
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It is said that when Bodhidharma arrived in China he met with the emperor, who, having sponsored the construction of a great many Buddhist monasteries and temples and patronized the teachers of the various Buddhist sects, assumed that he would gain much merit in the form of a happy and prosperous reign and an auspicious rebirth. But according to legend their dialog went as follows:
Emperor Wu: "I have built many temples, copied innumerable Sutras and ordained many monks since becoming Emperor. Therefore, I ask you what is my merit?"
Bodhidharma: "None whatsoever!"
Emperor Wu: "What then is the most important principle of Buddhism?"
Bodhidharma: "Vast emptiness. Nothing sacred."
Emperor: "Who is this that stands before me?"
Bodhidharma:"I don't know." When the emperor did not understand, Bodhidharma crossed the river to Shaolin, where he meditated in a cave for nine years.
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The reason why, I believe this is the most efficient, basic, and indeed,
Buddha-endorsed form of meditation, is that
ALL YOU (and I mean any human being) HAVE TO DO is dedicate time to sitting. Sitting in zazen, like this:
, and do, basically nothing. On the surface. You become conscious of your breaths -- IN, OUT, IN, OUT, etc. until your session is over. Your brain will naturally get distracted because that is what it has evolved to do to survive in primitive, dangerous environments. When you get distracted, and notice you are thinking about some stupid bullshit (and it almost always is), you acknowledge the thought like you would an annoying child in a classroom, mentally say "okay, I"ll address you later, sit down, bitch", and gently return to your breathing.
That's it. Over and over and over again, that's all Buddhism is to me. My experience has been that it has improved my thought and corrected a lot of my confused, delusional thinking that had been conditioned as my reality (as a single, subjective point of experience throughout my life). I enjoy things more. I don't worry as much. When I do worry, I just come back to my breath and realize I'm fine.
The most attractive thing about Buddhism is that it gives you a practice, a regimine, a way to live your life to EXPERIMENT with rather than something vague like, "ya just gotta have faith", etc. It is a practice to help your brain function better.
There's nothing mystical or religious to this, it's just a mental practice that works. I hit a wall where intellectual contemplation and analysis no longer satisfied my will to live, also, I've pretty much never experienced happiness until last year, and I want more of that. I wanted to make changes and meditation has helped me GREATLY increased my focus, which has always been my prime problem throughout life. And with focus comes self-discipline, and with discipline comes paradoxically, self-control and freedom.
But for goodness' sake,
don't believe me, try it for yourself (I'm not talking to you Dent, I'm talking to anyone reading).
It takes willpower (the hardest to overcome -- sitting and doing "nothing" every day for months) dedication, and above all -- earnest intent to improve, and not get frustrated with yourself. Buddha was very explicit on this point, and would have laughed and laughed and laughed had he seen so much iconography based around him for simply explaining something so basic (focus on your breath). But he was, historically, the first to discover this and explain it to so many people --- which, by the way, he certainly did not have to. He could have happily and blissfully lived in the woods forever, but he didn't. He came back to teach.
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Neuroplasticity is real, and I can think of no better current method than meditation to change one's brain patterns. Look at all these connections just waiting to be rearranged!
I enjoy discussing philosophy because, let's be honest, none of us know shit froom shinola. Meditation isn't philosophy (despite having deep, ancient philosophical routes that are necessary to get into in order to meditate.) Plus once one has intensely Eastern philosophy enougThat h, you reach a wall where you don't really [i]have a need for philosophy[i/], at all, because you find yourself caring less about the "why's" and enjoying so much. It doesn't mean the "why's" aren't important. It just helps to put into perspective that human beings have been asking for quite some time.
That being said, I'll come back to philsophy throughtout my life, as reminders it is a great pasttime, as long as we do not get too attached to any particular idea. That being said, I'm more than open to hearing any questions or points against traditional buddhism (hereafter referred to as "T-buddy" and "N-buddy")
Also, Repug, would love to hear your thoughts on some of this. David Pearce is a very interesting fellow, I find his stream of consciousness speculation and ad-hoc additions (based on hundreds of hours of thinking, of course) a very interesting way to, quite literally armchair philosophize.