--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "WillyTex" <willytex@...> wrote: > > Neutrality, percipience, and non-agency > > Most of everything we know is we know > through our eyes, ears, and sometimes with > our nose.
Interesting post Willy. Have you read Plato's Meno? Socrates demonstrates (it seems) that an *un-educated* slave somehow *knows* (inherently) some truths of geometry. How does that work then? Anamnesis? "..the theory of recollection. It tells of our immortal souls mixing with the objects of knowledge in a great world-spirit. Since we have contact with real things in this stage of existence prior to birth, we have only to 'recollect' them when alive..." Or...what? > That is, we observe things and > events, we see doors, tables, and chairs. > > But, are there other kinds of valid knowledge? > > We can also run and jump, think, and talk to > our friends. So, we also get knowledge from > experience and from others, and we can read > books. > > [Wikipedia Commons Photo] > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eldorado,_Texas> > > Somewhere in Eldorado, Texas > > In Sankhya-Yoga system, according to > Theos Bernard, writing in 'Foundations of > Hindu Philosophy', the phenomenal universe > is considered a dynamic order, "...an eternal > process unfolding, without beginning or > end." > > In order to avoid the fallacy of regressus > ad infinitum, which is not consistent with > rational solutions, Samkhya postulates an > 'Uncaused Cause', which remains undefined, > as it is beyond, or transcendental to, human > intellect. "This absolute is beyond time and > space, without attribute and form, and is > forever removed from empirical scrutiny". > > True evolution, according to Samkhya, > exists ONLY in the transformation of cosmic > consciousness, Purusha, to the physical > substance, prakriti, and that the > manifestations of the physical and biological > world, are only modifications of five gross > elements. > > This sounds very reasonable since this can > be confirmed by observation. Bernard > notes that Samkhya "...views the evolutes of > matter from its cosmic cause as a process > of unfolding, a projection of potentialities > according to fixed laws that can be > understood by man" (68). > > According to the sage Kapila, creation is > impossible, for something cannot come out > of nothing; change implies something to > change; whatever is, always is, and whatever > is not, never is. As Kapila states: > > "And from the contrast with that which is > composed of the three constituents, there > follows, for the Purusha, the character of > Being, a witness; freedom from misery, > neutrality, percipience, and non-agency" > (XVII). > > For the investigation of the causal process, > Samkhya recognizes three means of valid > knowledge, and three only. What three? > > Perception, inference, and personal > testimony - are the valid means of knowledge; > comprehended in these three, used in > particular instances depending on what is > to be known. > > For example, perception is to be used for > objects which are in contact with sense > organs; inference is used for knowledge of > those things of which only the characteristic > marks are known, and testimony is used for > knowledge of those things that are beyond > the logical analysis of the mind. > > Works cited: > > 'Foundations of Hindu Philosophy' > by Theos Bernard, Ph.D. > Author of 'Hatha Yoga', 'Penthouse of the Gods', > 'Heaven Lies Within' etc., etc. > Philosophical Library, 1947 > > 'The Samkhyakarika of Isvarakrishna' > Samkhyakarika, trans. and ed. by S. Sastri > University of Madras, 1935 >
