Apech

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Posts posted by Apech

  1. Posted

     

     

    The unknown is Heaven and Earth's inception;

    The known begets the many separate things.

     

    ?? :D

     

    I think this may be something to do with the English language as it is forcing 'the unknown' into being a thing. As if there is something called 'the unknown' which gives rise to heaven and earth. Perhaps nameless is better after all?

     

    I know what I want to say about this but its difficult to express - I am going to think and post later.

     

    Cheers

     

    A.

  6. Posted · Edited by Apech

    Stig,

     

    There's a big difference in English between saying 'unknown' = adjective and 'the unknown' = noun.

     

    I think the sense is this: the Tao encompasses both all that is unknown and all that is known and whether it is known or not is dependent on naming. So if you consider absolute reality and say 'these parts (although technically it has no parts) I can name and this is the known, the rest is infinite potential to be (maybe) and this is the unknown.'

     

    Whether something is known or not is contingent on naming. Naming being about defining form and function or perhaps applying an appropriate term.

  13. Posted

    Thanks for posting this ... just one question ...

     

    Descriptions of Dao,

    Fail the eternalness of Dao.

    Though names may be given,

    They cannot be eternally named.

     

    Why have you used plural 'names' and then 'they' in last line. I thought the sense was that although you can give names to the Dao - you cannot really define it. So its not 'they' cannot be eternally named ... but ... It cannot be eternally named ... or perhaps 'completely named'????? Is the way you have translated it implied in the original Chinese?

  15. Posted

    As a tribute to Marblehead I will not mention the word karma but I would say this ...

     

    its obvious from looking at the world that there is no justice dispensed from heaven and that nasty people do nasty things and yet seem to get away with it - can be very successful, rich and seemingly have everything they want, while others who are altruistic by nature, kind and so on get all sorts of shit heaped upon them. That is just how it is.

     

    But is also true, mechanistically that if you lie, steal and harm others then there are results from these actions - results which are external (bad done in the world) and internal (mental and emotional disharmony). You have to make a personal choice about what sort of person you want to be. If you are attached to success/failure, power or money, or just getting one over someone else ... then it is very hard to make this choice because you are pre-determining who you will be.

     

    If you choose freedom, if you value yourself beyond the pettiness of jealousy and revenge then you can start to work to gain the personal power to change yourself. But to do this you have to accept that the world may still dish out the same bad things. Maybe things will improve but maybe not. This is something to do with self-respect and courage.

     

    It is natural to worry about worldly injustice - but really it is best to focus on who you are and accepting responsibility for yourself ... see the world as a testing ground.

    • Like 1

  16. Posted

    What is Buddha nature?

     

     

     

    You have to be careful when talking about Buddha-nature and Madhyamaka philosophy and I am sure that Vaj. will point this out. There are two distinct views called Rangtong and Zhentong (or Shentong). I believe that Dzogchen is Rangtong - and this view upholds the emptiness of everything and does not admit anything beyond that - it could be termed "emptiness of self" applied to all phenomena. This school does not teach Buddha-nature in the sense of some kind of essential nature but only as referring generally to the potential for enlightenment.

     

    Zhentong

     

    The Zhentong view could be termed "empty of other" and holds that ultimate reality while empty, is full of the luminous qualities of enlightenment - which could be said to be Buddha-nature. To a Zhentong practitioner the dharma-kaya is ultimately real while being empty of any phenomena, and while it could be said to 'cause' or allow the arising of the phenomena, it is untouched in its own essence by them. Learned people have said that while Rangtong is the pure view of Madhyamaka anyone who practices Vajrayana tantra is by its nature practicing a Zhentong teaching.

  17. Posted

     

     

    '....it also appeals more to childless women earning between $30,000 and $60,000 who have attended college and browse from home.'

     

    Where are these childless women???? Who knew?

     

     

     

    The childless women are the ants, the childless men the uncles. (American accent required for this joke).

  22. Posted

    Well yes I kind of agree with the poster above who said this is getting a little obsessive (or words to that effect).

     

    It is 70/30% against using the reputation system.

     

    If it is used at all - people think it should be used for spamming, trolling and possibly the way people express themselves - and not as an assessment of content.

     

    Even with a set of guidelines people do not want to use it.

     

    Suggest it is switched off - or even better we individually and collectively exercise our will and don't use it/ ignore it.

     

    I think this thread should be locked now - there's always the other one if you want to carry on.

     

    Thanks for voting.

  23. Posted

    For a long time I used to reject daydreaming or idle musing because I am interested in things that work and have some effect. I thought that daydreaming was just a waste of time - lacked energy and even sapped energy from me.

     

    However the more meditation I did over the years I realized that when I daydream my mind is telling me something. Sometimes it is telling me things that I otherwise could not access. I realized that there is energy involved although in a different phase from what I prefer. Provided there is no indulgence in daydreaming ... that is as long as you don't prefer it to the extent that you become completely abstracted from things that matter ... then it can be a helpful thing. It is part of the rich terrain of the mind which we can explore.

  24. Posted

     

     

    I try hard to keep my Taoist beliefs consistent with scientific fact. In my mind, Mystery (the noun) is what science is calling "dark matter" just as Chi is "dark energy".

     

    Current understanding is that the known (observable) universe consists of only 4.6% of the entire universe. Dark matter is 23% and the remainder is dark energy.

     

    Therefore, what we can speak of is only 4.6%. Just goes to show you how much we really "know".

     

    I think its also worth pointing out that scientists don't really have a clue what dark matter and dark energy are. It is just that the numbers don't add up when they try to look at the observable universe i.e. normal matter and light/electromagnetic radiation.

     

    But I completely agree with working on consistency with scientific fact. What the scientists do know they have proved empirically and cannot be ignored. Otherwise we become head in the clouds mystics and its easy to attack whatever we might say about reality.

    • Like 1

  25. Posted

    I appreciate the attempt, but it sounds like Tao is still being likened to a transcendent of things. A primordial ground of being. It still sounds as if Wang Bi is caught up in one, other or all of the formless states of Samadhi, including the Samadhi of emptiness. Thus the insight of dependent origination, noted as the 9th jhana beyond the formless and nothingness or infinite samadhis, thereby transcending any sense of fixation.

     

    I kind of knew you would say this and I don't mind really. I've read the whole of Wang Bi commentary on Lao Tzu Book and I do not think that he has fallen into the trap that you mention. I think he was inspired by direct realization of Tao and this was his expression of it.

     

    Sounds like Trika Shaivism. Still not the insight of dependent origination. But, very deep and blissful, also leading to expanding virtue.

     

    It is nice of you... thank you! It's just, I've seen this type of consideration before within the paradigm of the 36 tattvas in Trika Shaivism, which I studied and practiced for many years.

     

     

    Don't know anything about Shaivism but it may be similar for all I know.

     

    The issue is that most systems of thought begin with a positive statement about what is and not an analysis of what isn't.