Greetings Ham,
At 10:16 PM 9/29/2008, you wrote:
Dear Marsha --
It is my understanding that Buddhists accept that self
exists by the power of conceptual and/or verbal designation.
It exists conventionally.
What does it mean to exist "conventionally"? In another post (to
Lord Arioch), you said that "Ham's self is a small self ... a
conventional self." Does conventional mean "ordinary" or "usual" in
this context, or something else?
Yes, by 'conventionally' it is meant in accordance with the way we
normally speak: I am this, I am that, I did this, I did that. A
self that has independent existence.
Long before I came to his forum I understood the body to have six
tools: sight, hearing, touch, smell, taste and mind. My reading
of the Buddhist's point-of-view has strengthened my understanding.
What we call "mind" is more than a tool, Marsha. Think of it this
way: Suppose an engineer builds an electro-mechanical robot that can
receive visual images, respond to touch, and even detect flavors and
aromas. Would you say that this humanoid is consciously aware of
the stimuli that it detects? No, because electro-mechanical
detection is not consciousness. The robot has no mind, and no amount
of computer chip technology or data processing capability enables
Science to create awareness.
Huh? As far as I know, the West does not have a precise definition
or understanding of consciousness. And stating that consciousness is
not electro-mechanical detection is not stating anything.
Mind is a "sense" only in the sense that it is the sense of
self. The mind is not a thing or an existent. As a being-aware it
is the Knower of all things relating to its being.
Mind can be defined a number of different ways. There are a number
of books published documenting the meetings of the Dalai Lama with
Western scientists. You might find them interesting to
read. Buddhism is often referred to as a Science/Philosophy of Mind.
Again, I apologize for my rudeness.
You owe me no apology... only the willingness to consider this premise.
Oh. You mentioned it, so I thought I had upset you.
Marsha
.
.
Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars.........
.
.
Moq_Discuss mailing list
Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc.
http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org
Archives:
http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/
http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/
