Edgar, I agree that all living organisms that we know of are indeed 'sentient'. Please correct me if I'm wrong (and I'm sure you or someone will) but I think that's an example of circular logic - defining something with it's own definition. I THINK the quality of being 'sentient' is a fundamental requirement for being included in the category of 'living'. But, I could be wrong.
Defining 'life' wasn't the point of my post. Although we define 'life' as have sentient qualities, we don't insist that all 'life' has the other qualities I listed below and copied from pudgala2's previous mass-marketing post. Pudgala2 implied that being 'sentient' implied all these other qualities. It doesn't. That was the point of my post. ...Bill! --- In [email protected], Edgar Owen <edgarowen@...> wrote: > > Bill, > > Even single celled organisms are able to sense their environments. So all > life is sentient... > > Edgar > > > On Jun 19, 2012, at 6:32 AM, Bill! wrote: > > > I disagree. > > > > 'Sentient beings' are beings that have sensory organs. All the rest of the > > qualities mentioned like 'mental entities such as perceptions, beliefs, > > opinions, attitudes,desires, moods, values, prejudices, convictions, > > assumptions,preconceptions, biases, habit patterns, dispositions, > > sentiments, judgments, addictions,impulses, compulsions, > > compunctions, obsessions, scruples, delusions, views, concepts, thoughts, > > ideas, etc....' are illusions and are exactly what zen practice helps you > > dissolve attachments to. > > > > ...Bill! > > > > --- In [email protected], "pudgala2" <pudgala2@> wrote: > > > > > > > > > Twenty-five hundred years ago Siddhartha Gautama made the astonishing > > > discovery > > > that the ego is a "virtual reality" conditioned in the brain by > > > unconsciously acquired > > > beliefs, attitudes, opinions, moods, etc.collectively known as > > > sentient beings. > > > Gautama penetrated and released these empty emotional cofactors of his > > > own > > > conditioned personality and realized Enlightenmentthe end of mental > > > anguish. > > > > > > Buddha: I teach one thing and one thing onlythe end of > > > [egotistical] suffering. > > > > > > Sentient being is the most misunderstood and misused concept in > > > Buddhism. It must > > > be thoroughly penetrated and understood or you will completely miss the > > > point of the > > > BuddhaDharma and the ending of mental anguish by the release of all > > > sentient beings. > > > > > > Sentient beings are mental entities such as perceptions, beliefs, > > > opinions, attitudes, > > > desires, moods, values, prejudices, convictions, assumptions, > > > preconceptions, biases, > > > habit patterns, dispositions, sentiments, judgments, addictions, > > > impulses, compulsions, > > > compunctions, obsessions, scruples, delusions, views, concepts, > > > thoughts, ideas, etc., > > > that are emotionally identified with and encapsulated in an ego. They > > > are mentally > > > felt to be valid and real to the ego. "I am what I feel/experience" is > > > the cry of the ego > > > the artificial sense of self construction. > > > > > > The ego is a psychosomatic accretion unwittingly conditioned into the > > > brain by the body > > > growing up the way it dida fait accompli. The limitations of this > > > crude creation generates > > > ever increasing suffering in the bewildered mind. > > > > > > Most minds, via their ingrown egos, get distracted and bogged down in > > > traditions, > > > families, self complacency, careers, causes, religions, mental > > > illnesses, drugs, and other > > > acquired addictions, delusions, and illusions. A self selected few come > > > upon the Truth > > > of Suffering and enter the path/process of the BuddhaDharma seeking an > > > end to their > > > egotistical suffering. > > > > > > Suffering is an alarm telling mind it is time to wake up, pay attention, > > > and return to > > > Original Mind by deconstructing the Original Sin of Egotistical > > > Identification. > > > > > > > > ------------------------------------ Current Book Discussion: any Zen book that you recently have read or are reading! Talk about it today!Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Zen_Forum/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Zen_Forum/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
