> And I get it that the other side has its judgements too. > But between Sam's meditation experience and your > open mind, there is a chance for a unique bridge of > understanding. > It's also very interesting that Harris is practicing meditation himself and has some very subtle takes on reincarnation and karma. Many of us here think there's value in the meditation techniques, but like Harris, we don't buy into all the religious aspects of a practice. That's the point also of Stephen Batchelor the author of "Buddhism Without Beliefs".
"In his classic Buddhism Without Beliefs, Stephen Batchelor offered a profound, secular approach to the teachings of the Buddha that struck an emotional chord with Western readers. Now, with the same brilliance and boldness of thought, he paints a groundbreaking portrait of the historical Buddha—told from the author’s unique perspective as a former Buddhist monk and modern seeker." 'Confession of a Buddhist Atheist' by Stephen Batchelor Spiegel & Grau (March 2, 2010 ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, <curtisdeltablues@...> wrote : --In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, <rick@...> wrote : From: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com [mailto:FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com] Sent: Saturday, May 10, 2014 9:03 AM To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com Subject: [FairfieldLife] Re: Note to Rick, Conderning his interview with Sam Harris Rick, I hope you will stay mostly with a pool of wakened people who by experience are illumined for your interviews and not just some talking heads, even if they are famous professional talking-heads. There certainly is lots of ignorance to interview out there and other sources are certainly doing that. However I do feel you have done a splendid job particularly rendering down the Neo-advaita-ians down by your way of interviewing by experience that you do. I really am appreciating the last few interviews that cap this criticism of the in-the-mind- like advaita schools of sophistry. -Buck in the Dome Generally I do, but from what I understand of Sam so far, he cuts to the heart of the issue of belief vs. verifiable experience. I feel that issue has profound implications for religion, spirituality in general, and the foundations of modern culture. So Sam would fall into the same category as Hagelin, Menas Kafatos, Elisabet Satouris, and any other intellectuals I have interviewed or will interview who may not claim spiritual awakening, but whose insights should be of interest to anyone interested in awakening, and in the underlying forces driving the current social changes. I think those are much more radical than most people realize, but it’s hard to see them close up. C: Good answer Rick. I would like to add that for me, my discovery of the perspective beyond a spiritual experience of life WAS my enlightenment. It was no less perspective enhancing than anything I experienced with Maharishi, for me it was much more so. This is why this project is so uniquely yours Rick. Very few people are able to hold their judgements at bay long enough to give other perspectives a chance. Buck's reaction is so typical of "spiritually" oriented people. And I get it that the other side has its judgements too. But between Sam's meditation experience and your open mind, there is a chance for a unique bridge of understanding. Buck's perspective just comes off as so provincial. Buck remember when as MIU students we believed we could understand everything through SCI, that the model included everything within it? What makes you so afraid of other POVs now? To actually draw the lines of where you stand in distinction to the perspective of a guy like Sam could make you stronger in what you know. But don't assume that he has had any less "experiences" or shifts of consciousness than you have. It is gunna be in how these experiences are viewed where the biggest differences are probably gunna come up.
