Gruff, this is just to stimulate some reflection. What is a ' table,' of which term you are so clear and convinced about, in the eyes of a baby or child who has never seen or heard of a table before ?
Is it still a ' table,' the one you mean ? Is it something specific, but not known or understood ? Is it something but not specific, and unknown ? Or, is it ' nothing ?' On Sep 10, 7:02 pm, gruff <[email protected]> wrote: > Interesting that you chose a Baha'i library as one of your resources. > I am familiar with that religion and of all the religions I've gotten > close to, Baha'i is one of the most rational and concerned with the > true well-being of humans -- Catholicism being at the other extreme. > Yet after three years of being intensely involved with Baha'i, I > finally left it as well since regardless of its rationality and > concern, it's members corrupted it and twisted it to their own > purposes as they have with all religions. > > Regarding your primary question, it has always puzzled me how anyone > can conceive of the seat of consciousness as being anywhere else but > in the mind. I do understand that many put the center of emotion in > their hearts and stomachs because that is where they mostly feel it to > be. But the mind -- for me at least -- has it's center in the brain. > I can feel my consciousness, thoughts, memories and ruminations > centered there. > > A table is a what I have come to call a table as a result of adopting > that designation for anything which has a more or less flat surface > upon which objects can be placed. It has a hard surface and generally > is raised above ground level by things we call legs or mounts. I can > physically appreciate it's composition and makeup and thus can > extrapolate from the specific to the general so that I am able to call > any number of variations on that theme as a table. Tables can change > however. They can become platforms, daises, shelves, tinder (if made > of wood), and many other things, depending on who is perceiving that > object and for what purpose. They have a substance and form which we > have come to recognize as a table. > > Yet as with anything in our universe, it's perceivable reality depends > in great deal on the perceiver. This can also be carried out in > absurd extrapolations that question whether or not anything is real > but that is just a mental game we sometimes tend to play. > > On Sep 9, 1:14 am, ornamentalmind <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > So, we have been addressing quite a few rather heady topics recently. > > I thought that in order to help some of the materialists get up to > > speed philosophically, I would start a topic on emptiness. This notion > > is near the core of much I have been writing recently. It directly > > addresses the nature of reality in a scientific way albeit with a > > different approach than that which can be addressed by the science > > most are familiar with. > > > Why would one say or even suggest that the brain is not where > > consciousness resides? Why would one suggest that what we feel and > > see is in fact not there? …valid questions. And, little within the > > western tradition of philosophy will address these and other > > metaphysical issues…except perhaps science when it comes to the actual > > nature of things say physically exist…and, of course, this does > > include ‘us’…and our brains, thus that which many demand is the seat > > of consciousness. So…here I ask you to become a true skeptic and > > examine very closely the things you see and feel. What is the nature > > of a table? Does it exist? How do we know a table is a table? Does a > > table ever change what it is? Etc. > > > To get a better view of some of the issues for those willing to take > > the red pill and not remain in the habit of eating blue pills, I will > > introduce you to one of the greatest philosophers of all time, > > Nagarjuna. Vam may have some clear and perhaps opposing views, and, I > > hope for a lively discussion. > > > How could he come to find that emptiness is the ultimate cosmology? > > Why would you not agree with him? > > >http://www.iep.utm.edu/nagarjun/http://bahai-library.com/personal/jw/... > > (a couple of resources)- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/minds-eye?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
