Bill, How can there be "the brain of a sentient being" if there is no self?
You keep trapping yourself in inconsistencies because your basic belief is inconsistent... Edgar On Jul 9, 2013, at 11:01 PM, Bill! wrote: > Chris, > > Again, using your language below which talks about the brain's functions > which would not be my choice of analogy...so please don't quote me on this > outside of this thread. > > The way I see it experience is one of the most basic and fundamental > functions of the brain of a sentient being. In zen literature it has been > called such names as 'Original Mind' and 'Your Face Before Your Mother Was > Born'. I am saying experience precedes the processing of any experience by > the intellect which in zen literature has been called such names as 'Small > Mind' and 'Monkey Mind'. When the intellect arises it creates the delusion of > dualism/pluralism. This is the key. The delusion of a separate, unique > 'self' is probably one of the first delusions that arises, but is quickly > followed by all the other subject/object delusions that Edgar calls 'forms' > and some Buddhist sects refer to as 'dharma' (small 'd' - phenomena). > > I don't see experience as "slightly at an angle to..." the arising of duality > and perception, but just preceding it. Experience is "not-beginning and > not-ending", sometimes referred to as 'in the moment' or 'only now'. I do > associate experience with what you call "the wonder of presence" which I > think I would just call 'awareness' which is monisitic - as contrasted with > 'consciousness' which is dualistic. > > Perceiving only is the normal human condition. > > Experiencing only is Buddha Nature. > > Perceiving and experiencing is what I believe many refer to as 'awakening' or > 'enlightenment'. What you 'awaken' to is the realization that perceptions are > delusions and only experience is real. > > ...Bill! > > --- In [email protected], Chris Austin-Lane <chris@...> wrote: > > > > Bill, > > > > One more question on this: > > > > Do you envision what you are calling experience to be a step in the brains > > normal functioning of responding to the environment in whatever way that > > the brain does that, or something slightly at an angle to the work of > > transforming sensory stimulation into mental stimulation? Something of > > which it could be said to be not-beginning and not-ending? Something to > > akin to what some people talk about as the wonder of presence? This very > > moment. That sort of thing. Right here, right now. > > > > Or perhaps some third thing I'm not seeing, a step in the subjective side > > of the brains functioning - something which is not from an eternal > > perspective but is also not intended to be a description of the body/mind > > functioning but a description of the way the human notices the absolute > > along side the perception? > > > >
