Freethought & Rationalism Archive

perfectbite · 02-06-2005, 12:50 AM

Answerer,

I am a hard core Buddhist.

premjan · 02-06-2005, 01:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paraprakrti

The false Vasudeva of Pundra incident is one of what? I don't quite follow what you are saying.

Just an example of Krishna showing up in East India.

premjan · 02-06-2005, 01:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by perfectbite

Premjan,

In your materialism is consciousness reducible to a material process?

I am not a linguist or an archaeologist, just an interested layman.

Bodhisattva sounds like a Sanskrit rather than a Pali term (lacking any pronunciation mangling whatsoever -- basically in Pali some of the distinct Sanskrit consonants are swallowed or jumbled).

I think consciousness is a material process (might involve some quantum wave function juggling I suppose).

perfectbite · 02-06-2005, 01:07 AM

Premjan,

You answered my question but this forum BB won't let me delete my repeat question.

premjan · 02-06-2005, 01:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by perfectbite

Premjan,

I'll ask again,

In your materialism is consciousness reducible to a material process?

As material as anything else.

premjan · 02-06-2005, 01:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by perfectbite

Premjan,

You answered my question but this forum BB won't let me delete my repeat question.

Looks like it did.

perfectbite · 02-06-2005, 01:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by premjan

As material as anything else.

What of emotion? Do you really want to say emotion has as much validity as a rock or a seen sunset? Or do you want to say we don't know yet?

Apart from plasmas &c. Can fire burn itself? Could consciousness know itself? Can you tickle yourself?

Materialism has its limits. What's beyond?

perfectbite · 02-06-2005, 02:00 AM

Answerer,

Quote:

Originally Posted by Answerer

Being a Bodhisattvas can allready be called as a wise and excellently good person. Its often claimed that becoming Bodhisattvas is the final stage or trial before Buddhahood, actually its only a choice. Some people prefer to attain Arahatship first before becoming a Buddha. (which is said to be a longer path). The goal of the Bodhisattvas is not to become a Buddha until they successully liberate all sentinel beings trapped inside Samara realms of suffering and ignorance.

As for sotapannahood, I believe its called the stage of steam-winner, which is the first stage which many Theravada and Mahayana monks hope to reach first before attaining Arahatship (the fourth stage).

Do you really think one has a choice before being called into the Buddha's presence? Give me a break. That's laughable. Stick to mathematics.

premjan · 02-06-2005, 02:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by perfectbite

What of emotion? Do you really want to say emotion has as much validity as a rock or a seen sunset? Or do you want to say we don't know yet?

Apart from plasmas &c. Can fire burn itself? Could consciousness know itself? Can you tickle yourself?

Materialism has its limits. What's beyond?

Emotion is most certainly material. And it does indeed have validity within our individual experience. Fire has no consciousness which means having a nervous system or other chemical response to self-measure heat. Consciousness can know itself (in fact that may be counted as a necessary or an optional property depending on whom you count as conscious -- self-awareness). You can't tickle yourself because when you take a conscious physical action your tickle response (which is involuntary) is suppressed (of course you may be able to mentally entertain or "tickle" yourself but it is physiologically different.

I think materialism is adequate at present for explaining phenomena. I have to see something it does not address before adopting another approach.

Answerer · 02-06-2005, 02:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by perfectbite

Answerer,

Do you really think one has a choice before being called into the Buddha's presence? Give me a break. That's laughable. Stick to mathematics.

Yes, I do. Buddha is no God and He doesn't dictate one's life. No one has to answer for what they choose in front of Him, they only had to answer for themselves and their eventual failures or accomplishments are the best judge.

I don't what you mean by "A Hardcore Buddhist", are you a Theravada Buddhist who take sutras literally or what?

Finally, I'm a scienitifc oriented person and mathematics is what I seen often and being stick to even without anyone telling me to do so.

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02-06-2005, 12:50 AM	#61
perfectbite Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: N. California Posts: 3,127	Answerer, I am a hard core Buddhist.

02-06-2005, 01:07 AM	#64
perfectbite Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: N. California Posts: 3,127	Premjan, You answered my question but this forum BB won't let me delete my repeat question.

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