Merle, Thanks for this. I liked it and actually think I have read it somewhere before. If you copied this from somewhere could you tell us the source?
Also please note that in the last paragraph and as part of summing up this text states: "Only if all these conditions exist simultaneously does the mind impute cupness to the object." 'Impute' is an important word here. 'Impute' means "to attribute or ascribe" - Dictionary.com This means the mind CREATES the concept of "cupness" and then imparts that upon the cup. This is also called 'perception'. It's important to distinguish this from an alternate explanation that the cup itself possesses "cupness" independently of our mind and 'transmits' it to our mind, or our mind 'discovers' or 'recognizes' this "cupness". That would be the model used to validate an independently existing 'world of forms' that exists 'out there' and that we just 'discover' when we perceive. We don't 'discover' form, order and physical laws; we 'create' and 'impute' them. ...Bill! --- In [email protected], uerusuboyo@... wrote: > > Merle,<br/><br/>I copied this for you. It's regarding things having > "essence":<br/><br/>What is emptiness then? To understand the philosophical > meaning of this term, let's look at a simple solid object, such as a cup. How > is a cup empty? We usually say that a cup is empty if it does not contain any > liquid or solid. This is the ordinary meaning of emptiness. But, is the cup > really empty? A cup empty of liquids or solids is still full of air. To be > precise, we must therefore state what the cup is empty of. Can a cup be empty > of all substance? A cup in a vacuum does not contain any air, but it still > contains space, light, radiation, as well as its own substance. Hence, from a > physical point of view, the cup is always full of something. Yet, from the > Buddhist point of view, the cup is always empty. The Buddhist understanding > of emptiness is different from the physical meaning. The cup being empty > means that it is devoid of inherent existence.<br/><br/>What > is meant with non-inherent existence? Is this to say that the cup does not > ultimately exist? - Not quite. - The cup exists, but like everything in this > world, its existence depends on other phenomena. There is nothing in a cup > that is inherent to that specific cup or to cups in general. Properties such > as being hollow, spherical, cylindrical, or leak-proof are not intrinsic to > cups. Other objects which are not cups have similar properties, as for > example vases and glasses. The cup's properties and components are neither > cups themselves nor do they imply cupness on their own. The material is not > the cup. The shape is not the cup. The function is not the cup. Only all > these aspects together make up the cup. Hence, we can say that for an object > to be a cup we require a collection of specific conditions to exist. It > depends on the combination of function, use, shape, base material, and the > cup's other aspects. Only if all these conditions exist > simultaneously does the mind impute cupness to the object. If one condition > ceases to exist, for instance, if the cup's shape is altered by breaking it, > the cup forfeits some or all of its cupness, because the object's function, > its shape, as well as the imputation of cupness through perception is > disrupted. The cup's existence thus depends on external circumstances. Its > physical essence remains elusive.<br/><br/>Sent from Yahoo! Mail for iPad > ------------------------------------ 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/
