Re: [FairfieldLife] Sam Harris Book
---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, turquoiseb@... wrote : From: wayback71@... [FairfieldLife] FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com It was delivered to my doorstep the other day and just a few pages I enjoy his writing style - he is clear and articulate and really nails things. I will read it this weekend. And Barry, as you know, he says there is no self (ha, we have been thru this many times)!! Indeed. He seems to be a very strong personality, with a very strong sense of self, uh, saying there is no self. :-) Unlike some here, I don't have to agree with everything a writer says to like that writer... :-) And unlike some Posters here, I don't have to disagree with everything a Poster posts to totally dismiss that Poster.
Re: [FairfieldLife] Sam Harris Book
---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, turquoiseb@... wrote : From: anartaxius@... [FairfieldLife] FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com I've been working on taxes today and had to delay continuing with the book, but the clarity is welcome after the lax mental sprawl that has become FFL of late. Harris really has a gift for organising material. If you have gotten to the part in the 'self' section about using a transporter, I presented this argument to an initiator some years ago, and the response was, 'No I would not go into such a device'. Perhaps you could review the book here on FFL, not that the most of the current crowd has much capacity for grasping the arguments. Most of the current crowd doesn't have the attention span and intellect to read a comic book, much less something like this. I'll pass. :-) Besides, you know they'd never read it, because they'd be terrified of catching atheist cooties and finding out how mindfulness really works. :-) Can I get cooties from having read this Post? Doctor!!!
Re: [FairfieldLife] Sam Harris Book
On 9/13/2014 12:28 AM, TurquoiseBee turquoi...@yahoo.com [FairfieldLife] wrote: *From:* anartax...@yahoo.com [FairfieldLife] FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com I've been working on taxes today and had to delay continuing with the book, but the clarity is welcome after the lax mental sprawl that has become FFL of late. Harris really has a gift for organising material. If you have gotten to the part in the 'self' section about using a transporter, I presented this argument to an initiator some years ago, and the response was, 'No I would not go into such a device'. Perhaps you could review the book here on FFL, not that the most of the current crowd has much capacity for grasping the arguments. Most of the current crowd doesn't have the attention span and intellect to read a comic book, much less something like this. I'll pass. :-) Besides, you know they'd never read it, because they'd be terrified of catching atheist cooties and finding out how mindfulness really works. :-) Translation: /I read a few paragraphs standing at a book-stall in Amsterdam but I couldn't afford to buy a copy so I'll just fake reading it - nobody on FFL will know the difference and Judy is gone./
Re: [FairfieldLife] Sam Harris Book
---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, turquoiseb@... wrote : From: anartaxius@... [FairfieldLife] FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com I've been working on taxes today and had to delay continuing with the book, but the clarity is welcome after the lax mental sprawl that has become FFL of late. Harris really has a gift for organising material. If you have gotten to the part in the 'self' section about using a transporter, I presented this argument to an initiator some years ago, and the response was, 'No I would not go into such a device'. Perhaps you could review the book here on FFL, not that the most of the current crowd has much capacity for grasping the arguments. Most of the current crowd doesn't have the attention span and intellect to read a comic book, much less something like this. I'll pass. :-) Besides, you know they'd never read it, because they'd be terrified of catching atheist cooties and finding out how mindfulness really works. :-) Plus, it is more bawee's speed to review the latest cartoon series on TV. Reviewing this book would be a wee bit of a stretch for our bawee and perhaps even he knows it. Blaming the audience's lack of brain power is his excuse - which is, obviously, typical of him. Sure, I'd climb that skyscraper with one hand tied behind my back but none of you would appreciate it so I'll decline. (snort)
Re: [FairfieldLife] Sam Harris Book
Funny, we get so many unsolicited reviews from Barry, and now we ask for one, and he says, no. no I won't. and I may never. so there! ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, punditster@... wrote : Translation: I read a few paragraphs standing at a book-stall in Amsterdam but I couldn't afford to buy a copy so I'll just fake reading it - nobody on FFL will know the difference and Judy is gone.
Re: [FairfieldLife] Sam Harris Book
---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, no_re...@yahoogroups.com wrote : ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, turquoiseb@... wrote : From: wayback71@... [FairfieldLife] FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com It was delivered to my doorstep the other day and just a few pages I enjoy his writing style - he is clear and articulate and really nails things. I will read it this weekend. And Barry, as you know, he says there is no self (ha, we have been thru this many times)!! Indeed. He seems to be a very strong personality, with a very strong sense of self, uh, saying there is no self. :-) Unlike some here, I don't have to agree with everything a writer says to like that writer... :-) And unlike some Posters here, I don't have to disagree with everything a Poster posts to totally dismiss that Poster.
Re: [FairfieldLife] Sam Harris Book
---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, awoelflebater@... wrote : ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, no_re...@yahoogroups.com wrote : ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, turquoiseb@... wrote : From: wayback71@... [FairfieldLife] FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com It was delivered to my doorstep the other day and just a few pages I enjoy his writing style - he is clear and articulate and really nails things. I will read it this weekend. And Barry, as you know, he says there is no self (ha, we have been thru this many times)!! Indeed. He seems to be a very strong personality, with a very strong sense of self, uh, saying there is no self. :-) Unlike some here, I don't have to agree with everything a writer says to like that writer... :-) And unlike some Posters here, I don't have to disagree with everything a Poster posts to totally dismiss that Poster. blush
Re: [FairfieldLife] Sam Harris Book
On 9/11/2014 7:39 PM, anartax...@yahoo.com [FairfieldLife] wrote: Sam Harris' book Waking Up, a Guide to Spirituality without Religion is now available as of Tuesday /No doubt that a great many atheists are not going to like this one little bit. After all, atheists can sometimes be as narrow-minded as believers. For many, spirituality is seen as practically equivalent to religion./ - Robert Middleton http://www.amazon.com/Waking-Up-Spirituality-Without-Religion/review/ http://www.amazon.com/Waking-Up-Spirituality-Without-Religion/dp/1451636016/ref=sr_1_1?s=booksie=UTF8qid=1410529130sr=1-1keywords=sam+harris It is rather short with just five chapters and a conclusion, but it is cogent and to the point. I am about halfway through it, having bought it today. Chapter 1: Spirituality Chapter 2: The Mystery of Consciousness Chapter 3: The Riddle of the Self Chapter 4: Meditation Chapter 5: Gurus, Death, Drugs, and Other Puzzles Conclusion There are simple instructions for meditation that look as simple as TM: Vipassana (or mindfulness, or perhaps a better translation — clear awareness), and of course it's free, and is the most researched meditation technique. It is a brief guidebook for spirituality for atheists, or anyone who does not buy the spiritual mumbo jumbo of metaphysicians and those into the occult*. I suppose religious people could read it too, religion is not really discussed that much. Unlike TM, which proclaims itself not religious, this is what Maharishi could have made of TM if he really wanted it to be non religious. Buddhism is mentioned because its theory of self (they are not talking of Self with the capital 'S' in Buddhism) has many parallels to scientific research into the nature of self, which does not appear to exist. Consciousness he seems to regard as a mystery, and the examples he gives, give one pause as to the strangeness of what we call our awareness. * supernatural, mystical, or magical beliefs, practices, or phenomena. An example from the beginning of Chapter 5: 'One of the first obstacles encountered along any contemplative path is the basic uncertainty about the nature of spiritual authority. If there are important truths to be discovered through introspection, there must be better and worse ways to do this — and one should expect to meet a range of experts, novices, fools, and frauds along the way. Of course, charlatans haunt every walk of life. But on spiritual matters, foolishness and fraudulence can be especially difficult to detect. Unfortunately, this is a natural consequence of the subject matter. When learning to play a sport like golf, you can immediately establish the abilities of the teacher, and the teacher can, in turn, evaluate your progress without leaving anything to the imagination. All the relevant facts are in plain view. If you can't consistently hit the little white ball where you want it to go, you have something to learn from anybody who can. The difference between an expert and a novice is no less stark when it comes to recognizing the illusion of the self. But the qualifications of a teacher and the progress of a student are more difficult to assess.' And Chapter 1 is on Harris' web site: WAKING UP: Chapter One : Sam Harris http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/chapter-one image http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/chapter-one WAKING UP: Chapter One : Sam Harris http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/chapter-one Sam Harris, neuroscientist and author of the New York Times bestsellers, The End of Faith, Letter to a Christian Nation, and The Moral Landscape. View on www.samharris.org http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/chapter-one Preview by Yahoo
Re: [FairfieldLife] Sam Harris Book
I've been away in Amsterdam for a bit, but while there found this book myself. I'm enjoying it a great deal. Not having read Sam Harris' books before (only many of his online articles or interviews), I'm finding that I really like his writing style. And not just the clarity of it...I really like the *rhythm* of it, the *flow* of it. I get the feeling that he shoots from the hip in his writing, a lot like I do. That is, he catches a wave of inspiration and rides it, allowing it to take him where it will. Sometimes that kinda writing works, sometimes it doesn't. So far, Sam's surfing is working just fine for me. From: anartax...@yahoo.com [FairfieldLife] FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, September 12, 2014 2:39 AM Subject: [FairfieldLife] Sam Harris Book Sam Harris' book Waking Up, a Guide to Spirituality without Religion is now available as of Tuesday It is rather short with just five chapters and a conclusion, but it is cogent and to the point. I am about halfway through it, having bought it today. Chapter 1: Spirituality Chapter 2: The Mystery of Consciousness Chapter 3: The Riddle of the Self Chapter 4: Meditation Chapter 5: Gurus, Death, Drugs, and Other Puzzles Conclusion There are simple instructions for meditation that look as simple as TM: Vipassana (or mindfulness, or perhaps a better translation — clear awareness), and of course it's free, and is the most researched meditation technique. It is a brief guidebook for spirituality for atheists, or anyone who does not buy the spiritual mumbo jumbo of metaphysicians and those into the occult*. I suppose religious people could read it too, religion is not really discussed that much. Unlike TM, which proclaims itself not religious, this is what Maharishi could have made of TM if he really wanted it to be non religious. Buddhism is mentioned because its theory of self (they are not talking of Self with the capital 'S' in Buddhism) has many parallels to scientific research into the nature of self, which does not appear to exist. Consciousness he seems to regard as a mystery, and the examples he gives, give one pause as to the strangeness of what we call our awareness. * supernatural, mystical, or magical beliefs, practices, or phenomena. An example from the beginning of Chapter 5: 'One of the first obstacles encountered along any contemplative path is the basic uncertainty about the nature of spiritual authority. If there are important truths to be discovered through introspection, there must be better and worse ways to do this — and one should expect to meet a range of experts, novices, fools, and frauds along the way. Of course, charlatans haunt every walk of life. But on spiritual matters, foolishness and fraudulence can be especially difficult to detect. Unfortunately, this is a natural consequence of the subject matter. When learning to play a sport like golf, you can immediately establish the abilities of the teacher, and the teacher can, in turn, evaluate your progress without leaving anything to the imagination. All the relevant facts are in plain view. If you can't consistently hit the little white ball where you want it to go, you have something to learn from anybody who can. The difference between an expert and a novice is no less stark when it comes to recognizing the illusion of the self. But the qualifications of a teacher and the progress of a student are more difficult to assess.' And Chapter 1 is on Harris' web site: WAKING UP: Chapter One : Sam Harris WAKING UP: Chapter One : Sam Harris Sam Harris, neuroscientist and author of the New York Times bestsellers, The End of Faith, Letter to a Christian Nation, and The Moral Landscape. View on www.samharris.org Preview by Yahoo
Re: [FairfieldLife] Sam Harris Book
---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, turquoiseb@... wrote : I've been away in Amsterdam for a bit, but while there found this book myself. [Another first. Good boy, keep it up.] I'm enjoying it a great deal. Not having read Sam Harris' books before (only many of his online articles or interviews), I'm finding that I really like his writing style. And not just the clarity of it...I really like the *rhythm* of it, the *flow* of it. I get the feeling that he shoots from the hip in his writing, a lot like I do. [Didn't take long to get here. Didn't see that coning did we?]That is, he catches a wave of inspiration and rides it, allowing it to take him where it will. Sometimes that kinda writing works, sometimes it doesn't. So far, Sam's surfing is working just fine for me. [Keep on surfin'. Suits ya]. That's one helova review. Doing stuff for the New York Review of Books much these days? From: anartaxius@... [FairfieldLife] FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, September 12, 2014 2:39 AM Subject: [FairfieldLife] Sam Harris Book Sam Harris' book Waking Up, a Guide to Spirituality without Religion is now available as of Tuesday It is rather short with just five chapters and a conclusion, but it is cogent and to the point. I am about halfway through it, having bought it today. Chapter 1: Spirituality Chapter 2: The Mystery of Consciousness Chapter 3: The Riddle of the Self Chapter 4: Meditation Chapter 5: Gurus, Death, Drugs, and Other Puzzles Conclusion There are simple instructions for meditation that look as simple as TM: Vipassana (or mindfulness, or perhaps a better translation — clear awareness), and of course it's free, and is the most researched meditation technique. It is a brief guidebook for spirituality for atheists, or anyone who does not buy the spiritual mumbo jumbo of metaphysicians and those into the occult*. I suppose religious people could read it too, religion is not really discussed that much. Unlike TM, which proclaims itself not religious, this is what Maharishi could have made of TM if he really wanted it to be non religious. Buddhism is mentioned because its theory of self (they are not talking of Self with the capital 'S' in Buddhism) has many parallels to scientific research into the nature of self, which does not appear to exist. Consciousness he seems to regard as a mystery, and the examples he gives, give one pause as to the strangeness of what we call our awareness. * supernatural, mystical, or magical beliefs, practices, or phenomena. An example from the beginning of Chapter 5: 'One of the first obstacles encountered along any contemplative path is the basic uncertainty about the nature of spiritual authority. If there are important truths to be discovered through introspection, there must be better and worse ways to do this — and one should expect to meet a range of experts, novices, fools, and frauds along the way. Of course, charlatans haunt every walk of life. But on spiritual matters, foolishness and fraudulence can be especially difficult to detect. Unfortunately, this is a natural consequence of the subject matter. When learning to play a sport like golf, you can immediately establish the abilities of the teacher, and the teacher can, in turn, evaluate your progress without leaving anything to the imagination. All the relevant facts are in plain view. If you can't consistently hit the little white ball where you want it to go, you have something to learn from anybody who can. The difference between an expert and a novice is no less stark when it comes to recognizing the illusion of the self. But the qualifications of a teacher and the progress of a student are more difficult to assess.' And Chapter 1 is on Harris' web site: WAKING UP: Chapter One : Sam Harris http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/chapter-one WAKING UP: Chapter One : Sam Harris http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/chapter-one Sam Harris, neuroscientist and author of the New York Times bestsellers, The End of Faith, Letter to a Christian Nation, and The Moral Landscape. View on www.samharris.org http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/chapter-one Preview by Yahoo
Re: [FairfieldLife] Sam Harris Book
I've been working on taxes today and had to delay continuing with the book, but the clarity is welcome after the lax mental sprawl that has become FFL of late. Harris really has a gift for organising material. If you have gotten to the part in the 'self' section about using a transporter, I presented this argument to an initiator some years ago, and the response was, 'No I would not go into such a device'. Perhaps you could review the book here on FFL, not that the most of the current crowd has much capacity for grasping the arguments. ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, turquoiseb@... wrote : I've been away in Amsterdam for a bit, but while there found this book myself. I'm enjoying it a great deal. Not having read Sam Harris' books before (only many of his online articles or interviews), I'm finding that I really like his writing style. And not just the clarity of it...I really like the *rhythm* of it, the *flow* of it. I get the feeling that he shoots from the hip in his writing, a lot like I do. That is, he catches a wave of inspiration and rides it, allowing it to take him where it will. Sometimes that kinda writing works, sometimes it doesn't. So far, Sam's surfing is working just fine for me. From: anartaxius@... [FairfieldLife] FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, September 12, 2014 2:39 AM Subject: [FairfieldLife] Sam Harris Book Sam Harris' book Waking Up, a Guide to Spirituality without Religion is now available as of Tuesday It is rather short with just five chapters and a conclusion, but it is cogent and to the point. I am about halfway through it, having bought it today. Chapter 1: Spirituality Chapter 2: The Mystery of Consciousness Chapter 3: The Riddle of the Self Chapter 4: Meditation Chapter 5: Gurus, Death, Drugs, and Other Puzzles Conclusion There are simple instructions for meditation that look as simple as TM: Vipassana (or mindfulness, or perhaps a better translation — clear awareness), and of course it's free, and is the most researched meditation technique. It is a brief guidebook for spirituality for atheists, or anyone who does not buy the spiritual mumbo jumbo of metaphysicians and those into the occult*. I suppose religious people could read it too, religion is not really discussed that much. Unlike TM, which proclaims itself not religious, this is what Maharishi could have made of TM if he really wanted it to be non religious. Buddhism is mentioned because its theory of self (they are not talking of Self with the capital 'S' in Buddhism) has many parallels to scientific research into the nature of self, which does not appear to exist. Consciousness he seems to regard as a mystery, and the examples he gives, give one pause as to the strangeness of what we call our awareness. * supernatural, mystical, or magical beliefs, practices, or phenomena. An example from the beginning of Chapter 5: 'One of the first obstacles encountered along any contemplative path is the basic uncertainty about the nature of spiritual authority. If there are important truths to be discovered through introspection, there must be better and worse ways to do this — and one should expect to meet a range of experts, novices, fools, and frauds along the way. Of course, charlatans haunt every walk of life. But on spiritual matters, foolishness and fraudulence can be especially difficult to detect. Unfortunately, this is a natural consequence of the subject matter. When learning to play a sport like golf, you can immediately establish the abilities of the teacher, and the teacher can, in turn, evaluate your progress without leaving anything to the imagination. All the relevant facts are in plain view. If you can't consistently hit the little white ball where you want it to go, you have something to learn from anybody who can. The difference between an expert and a novice is no less stark when it comes to recognizing the illusion of the self. But the qualifications of a teacher and the progress of a student are more difficult to assess.' And Chapter 1 is on Harris' web site: WAKING UP: Chapter One : Sam Harris http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/chapter-one WAKING UP: Chapter One : Sam Harris http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/chapter-one Sam Harris, neuroscientist and author of the New York Times bestsellers, The End of Faith, Letter to a Christian Nation, and The Moral Landscape. View on www.samharris.org http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/chapter-one Preview by Yahoo
Re: [FairfieldLife] Sam Harris Book
It sounds like Dennis knocked over your birdbath, again, Mr. Wilson - Darned those pesky kids! ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, anartaxius@... wrote : I've been working on taxes today and had to delay continuing with the book, but the clarity is welcome after the lax mental sprawl that has become FFL of late. Harris really has a gift for organising material. If you have gotten to the part in the 'self' section about using a transporter, I presented this argument to an initiator some years ago, and the response was, 'No I would not go into such a device'. Perhaps you could review the book here on FFL, not that the most of the current crowd has much capacity for grasping the arguments. ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, turquoiseb@... wrote : I've been away in Amsterdam for a bit, but while there found this book myself. I'm enjoying it a great deal. Not having read Sam Harris' books before (only many of his online articles or interviews), I'm finding that I really like his writing style. And not just the clarity of it...I really like the *rhythm* of it, the *flow* of it. I get the feeling that he shoots from the hip in his writing, a lot like I do. That is, he catches a wave of inspiration and rides it, allowing it to take him where it will. Sometimes that kinda writing works, sometimes it doesn't. So far, Sam's surfing is working just fine for me. From: anartaxius@... [FairfieldLife] FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, September 12, 2014 2:39 AM Subject: [FairfieldLife] Sam Harris Book Sam Harris' book Waking Up, a Guide to Spirituality without Religion is now available as of Tuesday It is rather short with just five chapters and a conclusion, but it is cogent and to the point. I am about halfway through it, having bought it today. Chapter 1: Spirituality Chapter 2: The Mystery of Consciousness Chapter 3: The Riddle of the Self Chapter 4: Meditation Chapter 5: Gurus, Death, Drugs, and Other Puzzles Conclusion There are simple instructions for meditation that look as simple as TM: Vipassana (or mindfulness, or perhaps a better translation — clear awareness), and of course it's free, and is the most researched meditation technique. It is a brief guidebook for spirituality for atheists, or anyone who does not buy the spiritual mumbo jumbo of metaphysicians and those into the occult*. I suppose religious people could read it too, religion is not really discussed that much. Unlike TM, which proclaims itself not religious, this is what Maharishi could have made of TM if he really wanted it to be non religious. Buddhism is mentioned because its theory of self (they are not talking of Self with the capital 'S' in Buddhism) has many parallels to scientific research into the nature of self, which does not appear to exist. Consciousness he seems to regard as a mystery, and the examples he gives, give one pause as to the strangeness of what we call our awareness. * supernatural, mystical, or magical beliefs, practices, or phenomena. An example from the beginning of Chapter 5: 'One of the first obstacles encountered along any contemplative path is the basic uncertainty about the nature of spiritual authority. If there are important truths to be discovered through introspection, there must be better and worse ways to do this — and one should expect to meet a range of experts, novices, fools, and frauds along the way. Of course, charlatans haunt every walk of life. But on spiritual matters, foolishness and fraudulence can be especially difficult to detect. Unfortunately, this is a natural consequence of the subject matter. When learning to play a sport like golf, you can immediately establish the abilities of the teacher, and the teacher can, in turn, evaluate your progress without leaving anything to the imagination. All the relevant facts are in plain view. If you can't consistently hit the little white ball where you want it to go, you have something to learn from anybody who can. The difference between an expert and a novice is no less stark when it comes to recognizing the illusion of the self. But the qualifications of a teacher and the progress of a student are more difficult to assess.' And Chapter 1 is on Harris' web site: WAKING UP: Chapter One : Sam Harris http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/chapter-one WAKING UP: Chapter One : Sam Harris http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/chapter-one Sam Harris, neuroscientist and author of the New York Times bestsellers, The End of Faith, Letter to a Christian Nation, and The Moral Landscape. View on www.samharris.org http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/chapter-one Preview by Yahoo
Re: [FairfieldLife] Sam Harris Book
---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, anartaxius@... wrote : I've been working on taxes today and had to delay continuing with the book, but the clarity is welcome after the lax mental sprawl that has become FFL of late. Harris really has a gift for organising material. If you have gotten to the part in the 'self' section about using a transporter, I presented this argument to an initiator some years ago, and the response was, 'No I would not go into such a device'. Perhaps you could review the book here on FFL, not that the most of the current crowd has much capacity for grasping the arguments. Let's not pre-judge OK. Better to keep an open mind. ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, turquoiseb@... wrote : I've been away in Amsterdam for a bit, but while there found this book myself. I'm enjoying it a great deal. Not having read Sam Harris' books before (only many of his online articles or interviews), I'm finding that I really like his writing style. And not just the clarity of it...I really like the *rhythm* of it, the *flow* of it. I get the feeling that he shoots from the hip in his writing, a lot like I do. That is, he catches a wave of inspiration and rides it, allowing it to take him where it will. Sometimes that kinda writing works, sometimes it doesn't. So far, Sam's surfing is working just fine for me. From: anartaxius@... [FairfieldLife] FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, September 12, 2014 2:39 AM Subject: [FairfieldLife] Sam Harris Book Sam Harris' book Waking Up, a Guide to Spirituality without Religion is now available as of Tuesday It is rather short with just five chapters and a conclusion, but it is cogent and to the point. I am about halfway through it, having bought it today. Chapter 1: Spirituality Chapter 2: The Mystery of Consciousness Chapter 3: The Riddle of the Self Chapter 4: Meditation Chapter 5: Gurus, Death, Drugs, and Other Puzzles Conclusion There are simple instructions for meditation that look as simple as TM: Vipassana (or mindfulness, or perhaps a better translation — clear awareness), and of course it's free, and is the most researched meditation technique. It is a brief guidebook for spirituality for atheists, or anyone who does not buy the spiritual mumbo jumbo of metaphysicians and those into the occult*. I suppose religious people could read it too, religion is not really discussed that much. Unlike TM, which proclaims itself not religious, this is what Maharishi could have made of TM if he really wanted it to be non religious. Buddhism is mentioned because its theory of self (they are not talking of Self with the capital 'S' in Buddhism) has many parallels to scientific research into the nature of self, which does not appear to exist. Consciousness he seems to regard as a mystery, and the examples he gives, give one pause as to the strangeness of what we call our awareness. * supernatural, mystical, or magical beliefs, practices, or phenomena. An example from the beginning of Chapter 5: 'One of the first obstacles encountered along any contemplative path is the basic uncertainty about the nature of spiritual authority. If there are important truths to be discovered through introspection, there must be better and worse ways to do this — and one should expect to meet a range of experts, novices, fools, and frauds along the way. Of course, charlatans haunt every walk of life. But on spiritual matters, foolishness and fraudulence can be especially difficult to detect. Unfortunately, this is a natural consequence of the subject matter. When learning to play a sport like golf, you can immediately establish the abilities of the teacher, and the teacher can, in turn, evaluate your progress without leaving anything to the imagination. All the relevant facts are in plain view. If you can't consistently hit the little white ball where you want it to go, you have something to learn from anybody who can. The difference between an expert and a novice is no less stark when it comes to recognizing the illusion of the self. But the qualifications of a teacher and the progress of a student are more difficult to assess.' And Chapter 1 is on Harris' web site: WAKING UP: Chapter One : Sam Harris http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/chapter-one WAKING UP: Chapter One : Sam Harris http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/chapter-one Sam Harris, neuroscientist and author of the New York Times bestsellers, The End of Faith, Letter to a Christian Nation, and The Moral Landscape. View on www.samharris.org http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/chapter-one Preview by Yahoo
Re: [FairfieldLife] Sam Harris Book
On 9/12/2014 2:18 PM, TurquoiseBee turquoi...@yahoo.com [FairfieldLife] wrote: I've been away in Amsterdam for a bit, but while there found this book myself. I'm enjoying it a great deal. Not having read Sam Harris' books before (only many of his online articles or interviews), I'm finding that I really like his writing style. And not just the clarity of it...I really like the *rhythm* of it, the *flow* of it. I get the feeling that he shoots from the hip in his writing, a lot like I do. That is, he catches a wave of inspiration and rides it, allowing it to take him where it will. Sometimes that kinda writing works, sometimes it doesn't. So far, Sam's surfing is working just fine for me. According to Sam Harris, consciousness is the ultimate woo woo, the ultimate mystery. Consciousness is the ultimate reality - without it people would not be conscious - there would be no perception. This is a dirt simple fact of life requiring no further proof. No rational person would claim that don't exist, unless they were insane or demented - it's just not rational. We are conscious of ourselves enough to know that we exist and are self-conscious. We are our self and hardly anyone denies that they are sometimes self conscious. /No doubt that a great many atheists are not going to like this one little bit. After all, atheists can sometimes be as narrow-minded as believers. For many, spirituality is seen as practically equivalent to religion./ - Robert Middleton http://www.amazon.com/Waking-Up-Spirituality-Without-Religion/ http://www.amazon.com/Waking-Up-Spirituality-Without-Religion/dp/1451636016/ref=sr_1_1?s=booksie=UTF8qid=1410529130sr=1-1keywords=sam+harris *From:* anartax...@yahoo.com [FairfieldLife] FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com *To:* FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com *Sent:* Friday, September 12, 2014 2:39 AM *Subject:* [FairfieldLife] Sam Harris Book Sam Harris' book Waking Up, a Guide to Spirituality without Religion is now available as of Tuesday It is rather short with just five chapters and a conclusion, but it is cogent and to the point. I am about halfway through it, having bought it today. Chapter 1: Spirituality Chapter 2: The Mystery of Consciousness Chapter 3: The Riddle of the Self Chapter 4: Meditation Chapter 5: Gurus, Death, Drugs, and Other Puzzles Conclusion There are simple instructions for meditation that look as simple as TM: Vipassana (or mindfulness, or perhaps a better translation — clear awareness), and of course it's free, and is the most researched meditation technique. It is a brief guidebook for spirituality for atheists, or anyone who does not buy the spiritual mumbo jumbo of metaphysicians and those into the occult*. I suppose religious people could read it too, religion is not really discussed that much. Unlike TM, which proclaims itself not religious, this is what Maharishi could have made of TM if he really wanted it to be non religious. Buddhism is mentioned because its theory of self (they are not talking of Self with the capital 'S' in Buddhism) has many parallels to scientific research into the nature of self, which does not appear to exist. Consciousness he seems to regard as a mystery, and the examples he gives, give one pause as to the strangeness of what we call our awareness. * supernatural, mystical, or magical beliefs, practices, or phenomena. An example from the beginning of Chapter 5: 'One of the first obstacles encountered along any contemplative path is the basic uncertainty about the nature of spiritual authority. If there are important truths to be discovered through introspection, there must be better and worse ways to do this — and one should expect to meet a range of experts, novices, fools, and frauds along the way. Of course, charlatans haunt every walk of life. But on spiritual matters, foolishness and fraudulence can be especially difficult to detect. Unfortunately, this is a natural consequence of the subject matter. When learning to play a sport like golf, you can immediately establish the abilities of the teacher, and the teacher can, in turn, evaluate your progress without leaving anything to the imagination. All the relevant facts are in plain view. If you can't consistently hit the little white ball where you want it to go, you have something to learn from anybody who can. The difference between an expert and a novice is no less stark when it comes to recognizing the illusion of the self. But the qualifications of a teacher and the progress of a student are more difficult to assess.' And Chapter 1 is on Harris' web site: WAKING UP: Chapter One : Sam Harris http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/chapter-one image http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/chapter-one WAKING UP: Chapter One : Sam Harris http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/chapter-one Sam Harris, neuroscientist
Re: [FairfieldLife] Sam Harris Book
On 9/12/2014 3:09 PM, anartax...@yahoo.com [FairfieldLife] wrote: I've been working on taxes today and had to delay continuing with the book, but the clarity is welcome after the lax mental sprawl that has become FFL of late. Harris really has a gift for organising material. If you have gotten to the part in the 'self' section about using a transporter, I presented this argument to an initiator some years ago, and the response was, 'No I would not go into such a device'. Perhaps you could review the book here on FFL, not that the most of the current crowd has much capacity for grasping the arguments. We read parts of the book yesterday at the Public Library. Harris makes a case for the value of spirituality based on his experiences in meditation. According to Harris, there is nothing about a brain, studied at any scale (spatial or temporal), even suggests that it might harbor consciousness. However, Harris does not endorse levitation claims. ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, turquoiseb@... wrote : I've been away in Amsterdam for a bit, but while there found this book myself. I'm enjoying it a great deal. Not having read Sam Harris' books before (only many of his online articles or interviews), I'm finding that I really like his writing style. And not just the clarity of it...I really like the *rhythm* of it, the *flow* of it. I get the feeling that he shoots from the hip in his writing, a lot like I do. That is, he catches a wave of inspiration and rides it, allowing it to take him where it will. Sometimes that kinda writing works, sometimes it doesn't. So far, Sam's surfing is working just fine for me. *From:* anartaxius@... [FairfieldLife] FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com *To:* FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com *Sent:* Friday, September 12, 2014 2:39 AM *Subject:* [FairfieldLife] Sam Harris Book Sam Harris' book Waking Up, a Guide to Spirituality without Religion is now available as of Tuesday It is rather short with just five chapters and a conclusion, but it is cogent and to the point. I am about halfway through it, having bought it today. Chapter 1: Spirituality Chapter 2: The Mystery of Consciousness Chapter 3: The Riddle of the Self Chapter 4: Meditation Chapter 5: Gurus, Death, Drugs, and Other Puzzles Conclusion There are simple instructions for meditation that look as simple as TM: Vipassana (or mindfulness, or perhaps a better translation — clear awareness), and of course it's free, and is the most researched meditation technique. It is a brief guidebook for spirituality for atheists, or anyone who does not buy the spiritual mumbo jumbo of metaphysicians and those into the occult*. I suppose religious people could read it too, religion is not really discussed that much. Unlike TM, which proclaims itself not religious, this is what Maharishi could have made of TM if he really wanted it to be non religious. Buddhism is mentioned because its theory of self (they are not talking of Self with the capital 'S' in Buddhism) has many parallels to scientific research into the nature of self, which does not appear to exist. Consciousness he seems to regard as a mystery, and the examples he gives, give one pause as to the strangeness of what we call our awareness. * supernatural, mystical, or magical beliefs, practices, or phenomena. An example from the beginning of Chapter 5: 'One of the first obstacles encountered along any contemplative path is the basic uncertainty about the nature of spiritual authority. If there are important truths to be discovered through introspection, there must be better and worse ways to do this — and one should expect to meet a range of experts, novices, fools, and frauds along the way. Of course, charlatans haunt every walk of life. But on spiritual matters, foolishness and fraudulence can be especially difficult to detect. Unfortunately, this is a natural consequence of the subject matter. When learning to play a sport like golf, you can immediately establish the abilities of the teacher, and the teacher can, in turn, evaluate your progress without leaving anything to the imagination. All the relevant facts are in plain view. If you can't consistently hit the little white ball where you want it to go, you have something to learn from anybody who can. The difference between an expert and a novice is no less stark when it comes to recognizing the illusion of the self. But the qualifications of a teacher and the progress of a student are more difficult to assess.' And Chapter 1 is on Harris' web site: WAKING UP: Chapter One : Sam Harris http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/chapter-one image http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/chapter-one WAKING UP: Chapter One : Sam Harris http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/chapter-one Sam Harris, neuroscientist and author of the New York Times bestsellers, The End
Re: [FairfieldLife] Sam Harris Book
It was delivered to my doorstep the other day and just a few pages I enjoy his writing style - he is clear and articulate and really nails things. I will read it this weekend. And Barry, as you know, he says there is no self (ha, we have been thru this many times)!!
Re: [FairfieldLife] Sam Harris Book
why don't you post a bit that you found particularly interesting, or worthy. I'd like to see what you mean. ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, turquoiseb@... wrote : I've been away in Amsterdam for a bit, but while there found this book myself. I'm enjoying it a great deal. Not having read Sam Harris' books before (only many of his online articles or interviews), I'm finding that I really like his writing style. And not just the clarity of it...I really like the *rhythm* of it, the *flow* of it. I get the feeling that he shoots from the hip in his writing, a lot like I do. That is, he catches a wave of inspiration and rides it, allowing it to take him where it will. Sometimes that kinda writing works, sometimes it doesn't. So far, Sam's surfing is working just fine for me. From: anartaxius@... [FairfieldLife] FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, September 12, 2014 2:39 AM Subject: [FairfieldLife] Sam Harris Book Sam Harris' book Waking Up, a Guide to Spirituality without Religion is now available as of Tuesday It is rather short with just five chapters and a conclusion, but it is cogent and to the point. I am about halfway through it, having bought it today. Chapter 1: Spirituality Chapter 2: The Mystery of Consciousness Chapter 3: The Riddle of the Self Chapter 4: Meditation Chapter 5: Gurus, Death, Drugs, and Other Puzzles Conclusion There are simple instructions for meditation that look as simple as TM: Vipassana (or mindfulness, or perhaps a better translation — clear awareness), and of course it's free, and is the most researched meditation technique. It is a brief guidebook for spirituality for atheists, or anyone who does not buy the spiritual mumbo jumbo of metaphysicians and those into the occult*. I suppose religious people could read it too, religion is not really discussed that much. Unlike TM, which proclaims itself not religious, this is what Maharishi could have made of TM if he really wanted it to be non religious. Buddhism is mentioned because its theory of self (they are not talking of Self with the capital 'S' in Buddhism) has many parallels to scientific research into the nature of self, which does not appear to exist. Consciousness he seems to regard as a mystery, and the examples he gives, give one pause as to the strangeness of what we call our awareness. * supernatural, mystical, or magical beliefs, practices, or phenomena. An example from the beginning of Chapter 5: 'One of the first obstacles encountered along any contemplative path is the basic uncertainty about the nature of spiritual authority. If there are important truths to be discovered through introspection, there must be better and worse ways to do this — and one should expect to meet a range of experts, novices, fools, and frauds along the way. Of course, charlatans haunt every walk of life. But on spiritual matters, foolishness and fraudulence can be especially difficult to detect. Unfortunately, this is a natural consequence of the subject matter. When learning to play a sport like golf, you can immediately establish the abilities of the teacher, and the teacher can, in turn, evaluate your progress without leaving anything to the imagination. All the relevant facts are in plain view. If you can't consistently hit the little white ball where you want it to go, you have something to learn from anybody who can. The difference between an expert and a novice is no less stark when it comes to recognizing the illusion of the self. But the qualifications of a teacher and the progress of a student are more difficult to assess.' And Chapter 1 is on Harris' web site: WAKING UP: Chapter One : Sam Harris http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/chapter-one WAKING UP: Chapter One : Sam Harris http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/chapter-one Sam Harris, neuroscientist and author of the New York Times bestsellers, The End of Faith, Letter to a Christian Nation, and The Moral Landscape. View on www.samharris.org http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/chapter-one Preview by Yahoo
Re: [FairfieldLife] Sam Harris Book
---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, steve.sundur@... wrote : why don't you post a bit that you found particularly interesting, or worthy. I'd like to see what you mean. He means: I really like the *rhythm* of it, the *flow* of it. he shoots from the hip in his writing, a lot like I do. Sam's surfing is working just fine for me. Now that's a book I'll never read. And I am prolific in the genre. ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, turquoiseb@... wrote : I've been away in Amsterdam for a bit, but while there found this book myself. I'm enjoying it a great deal. Not having read Sam Harris' books before (only many of his online articles or interviews), I'm finding that I really like his writing style. And not just the clarity of it...I really like the *rhythm* of it, the *flow* of it. I get the feeling that he shoots from the hip in his writing, a lot like I do. That is, he catches a wave of inspiration and rides it, allowing it to take him where it will. Sometimes that kinda writing works, sometimes it doesn't. So far, Sam's surfing is working just fine for me. From: anartaxius@... [FairfieldLife] FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, September 12, 2014 2:39 AM Subject: [FairfieldLife] Sam Harris Book Sam Harris' book Waking Up, a Guide to Spirituality without Religion is now available as of Tuesday It is rather short with just five chapters and a conclusion, but it is cogent and to the point. I am about halfway through it, having bought it today. Chapter 1: Spirituality Chapter 2: The Mystery of Consciousness Chapter 3: The Riddle of the Self Chapter 4: Meditation Chapter 5: Gurus, Death, Drugs, and Other Puzzles Conclusion There are simple instructions for meditation that look as simple as TM: Vipassana (or mindfulness, or perhaps a better translation — clear awareness), and of course it's free, and is the most researched meditation technique. It is a brief guidebook for spirituality for atheists, or anyone who does not buy the spiritual mumbo jumbo of metaphysicians and those into the occult*. I suppose religious people could read it too, religion is not really discussed that much. Unlike TM, which proclaims itself not religious, this is what Maharishi could have made of TM if he really wanted it to be non religious. Buddhism is mentioned because its theory of self (they are not talking of Self with the capital 'S' in Buddhism) has many parallels to scientific research into the nature of self, which does not appear to exist. Consciousness he seems to regard as a mystery, and the examples he gives, give one pause as to the strangeness of what we call our awareness. * supernatural, mystical, or magical beliefs, practices, or phenomena. An example from the beginning of Chapter 5: 'One of the first obstacles encountered along any contemplative path is the basic uncertainty about the nature of spiritual authority. If there are important truths to be discovered through introspection, there must be better and worse ways to do this — and one should expect to meet a range of experts, novices, fools, and frauds along the way. Of course, charlatans haunt every walk of life. But on spiritual matters, foolishness and fraudulence can be especially difficult to detect. Unfortunately, this is a natural consequence of the subject matter. When learning to play a sport like golf, you can immediately establish the abilities of the teacher, and the teacher can, in turn, evaluate your progress without leaving anything to the imagination. All the relevant facts are in plain view. If you can't consistently hit the little white ball where you want it to go, you have something to learn from anybody who can. The difference between an expert and a novice is no less stark when it comes to recognizing the illusion of the self. But the qualifications of a teacher and the progress of a student are more difficult to assess.' And Chapter 1 is on Harris' web site: WAKING UP: Chapter One : Sam Harris http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/chapter-one WAKING UP: Chapter One : Sam Harris http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/chapter-one Sam Harris, neuroscientist and author of the New York Times bestsellers, The End of Faith, Letter to a Christian Nation, and The Moral Landscape. View on www.samharris.org http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/chapter-one Preview by Yahoo
Re: [FairfieldLife] Sam Harris Book
From: waybac...@yahoo.com [FairfieldLife] FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com It was delivered to my doorstep the other day and just a few pages I enjoy his writing style - he is clear and articulate and really nails things. I will read it this weekend. And Barry, as you know, he says there is no self (ha, we have been thru this many times)!! Indeed. He seems to be a very strong personality, with a very strong sense of self, uh, saying there is no self. :-) Unlike some here, I don't have to agree with everything a writer says to like that writer... :-)
Re: [FairfieldLife] Sam Harris Book
From: anartax...@yahoo.com [FairfieldLife] FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com I've been working on taxes today and had to delay continuing with the book, but the clarity is welcome after the lax mental sprawl that has become FFL of late. Harris really has a gift for organising material. If you have gotten to the part in the 'self' section about using a transporter, I presented this argument to an initiator some years ago, and the response was, 'No I would not go into such a device'. Perhaps you could review the book here on FFL, not that the most of the current crowd has much capacity for grasping the arguments. Most of the current crowd doesn't have the attention span and intellect to read a comic book, much less something like this. I'll pass. :-) Besides, you know they'd never read it, because they'd be terrified of catching atheist cooties and finding out how mindfulness really works. :-)
[FairfieldLife] Sam Harris Book
Sam Harris' book Waking Up, a Guide to Spirituality without Religion is now available as of Tuesday It is rather short with just five chapters and a conclusion, but it is cogent and to the point. I am about halfway through it, having bought it today. Chapter 1: Spirituality Chapter 2: The Mystery of Consciousness Chapter 3: The Riddle of the Self Chapter 4: Meditation Chapter 5: Gurus, Death, Drugs, and Other Puzzles Conclusion There are simple instructions for meditation that look as simple as TM: Vipassana (or mindfulness, or perhaps a better translation — clear awareness), and of course it's free, and is the most researched meditation technique. It is a brief guidebook for spirituality for atheists, or anyone who does not buy the spiritual mumbo jumbo of metaphysicians and those into the occult*. I suppose religious people could read it too, religion is not really discussed that much. Unlike TM, which proclaims itself not religious, this is what Maharishi could have made of TM if he really wanted it to be non religious. Buddhism is mentioned because its theory of self (they are not talking of Self with the capital 'S' in Buddhism) has many parallels to scientific research into the nature of self, which does not appear to exist. Consciousness he seems to regard as a mystery, and the examples he gives, give one pause as to the strangeness of what we call our awareness. * supernatural, mystical, or magical beliefs, practices, or phenomena. An example from the beginning of Chapter 5: 'One of the first obstacles encountered along any contemplative path is the basic uncertainty about the nature of spiritual authority. If there are important truths to be discovered through introspection, there must be better and worse ways to do this — and one should expect to meet a range of experts, novices, fools, and frauds along the way. Of course, charlatans haunt every walk of life. But on spiritual matters, foolishness and fraudulence can be especially difficult to detect. Unfortunately, this is a natural consequence of the subject matter. When learning to play a sport like golf, you can immediately establish the abilities of the teacher, and the teacher can, in turn, evaluate your progress without leaving anything to the imagination. All the relevant facts are in plain view. If you can't consistently hit the little white ball where you want it to go, you have something to learn from anybody who can. The difference between an expert and a novice is no less stark when it comes to recognizing the illusion of the self. But the qualifications of a teacher and the progress of a student are more difficult to assess.' And Chapter 1 is on Harris' web site: WAKING UP: Chapter One : Sam Harris http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/chapter-one http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/chapter-one WAKING UP: Chapter One : Sam Harris http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/chapter-one Sam Harris, neuroscientist and author of the New York Times bestsellers, The End of Faith, Letter to a Christian Nation, and The Moral Landscape. View on www.samharris.org http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/chapter-one Preview by Yahoo
Re: [FairfieldLife] Sam Harris Book
On Jun 27, 2012, at 12:19 AM, Xenophaneros Anartaxius wrote: Sam Harris is writing a book, with the working title 'Waking Up: A Scientist Looks at Spirituality' due to be finished sometime near the end of the year. This one should be interesting. http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/look-into-my-eyes It should be very interesting, thanks for the heads up. Harris and numerous others, along with HHDL, are helping to forge a neuro-scientifically based dharma: no gods necessary, all gods welcome. And the first longitudinal studies to follow someone from the beginning of practice thru to buddhahood are already well under way. This was an interesting slant, it shows the depth of his inquiry and skepticism: One behavior that you can readily notice in many gurus, as well as in their students, is an unusual commitment to maintaining eye contact. In the best case, this behavior emerges from a genuine comfort in the presence of other people and deep interest in their well-being. Given this frame of mind, there may not be a reason to look elsewhere. But maintaining eye contact can also become a way of “acting spiritual”— and an intrusive affectation. Needless to say, there are people who maintain rigid eye lock, not from an attitude of openness and interest —or from a desire to appear open and interested—but as an aggressive and narcissistic show of dominance. (Psychopaths tend to make exceptionally good eye contact.) Whatever the motive behind it, there can be tremendous power in an unwavering gaze.
[FairfieldLife] Sam Harris Book
Sam Harris is writing a book, with the working title 'Waking Up: A Scientist Looks at Spirituality' due to be finished sometime near the end of the year. This one should be interesting. http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/look-into-my-eyes
