--- sx3tony <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> Does this mean that the brain cannot be the mind -
> that they are
> effectively separate entities? As neither can Self
> Cognize?
The best way to explain this would be to use the
following illustration:
Imagine a person strolling in the meadow on a nice
summer day, and suddenly getting startled by the swarm
of bees flying from one tree to next. For a brief
moment, that person may perceive the swarm of flying
bees as if it was a single flying object. And that
object may appear solid.
However, upon closer examination, the seemingly solid
object turns out to be composed of numerous tiny
little objects (i.e. the bees). The momentary illusion
of a solid object gets dispelled by the sober
analysis. What appeared to be a single, indivisible
object in reality consists of many movable parts.
What, then, is the relationship between the bees and
the seemingly solid, indivisible object perceived
(that is, the swarm)? That relationship is kind of
similar to the relationship between the brain and the
mind.
The best way to analyze this is to utilize classical
Buddhist pattern of sevenfold reasoning:
1. The apparent solid object is not inherently
different from its constituent parts (i.e. the
bees)--the swarm cannot be perceived separately from
the bees.
2. It is not the same as its parts--each bee, when
examined, shows no traces of a swarm.
3. It is not the possessor of its parts--the swarm
does not possess the bees it is composed from.
4. It does not inherently depend on its parts--it is
possible to have a large colection of bees somewhere,
and yet the swarm may not arise.
5. The parts of the swarm (i.e. the bees) do not
inherently depend on it--the bees can merrily appear
without the swarm.
6. The swarm is not the mere collection of its
parts--just throwing a number of bees on the pile does
not mean that the swarm will be formed.
7. The swarm is not the shape of its parts--even if
the bees were to change their shape while flying in
the swarm, the swarm will not depend on it.
Same is with the brain and the mind. You can apply the
sevenfold reasoning to that situation as well.
Similar to the above analyzed swarm, which came into
appearance due to the special conditions and
circumstances that made the bees fly in a certain
formation, the mind also comes into prominence thanks
to the special causes and conditions and circumstances
governed by the law of Karma which shaped the neurons
etc.
And, according to the above sevenfold analysis, it is
clear that we cannot say that the brain and the mind
are separate entities. At the same time, however, we
cannot say that they are one and the same entity. The
brain is not different from its parts (i.e. the
constituent neurons), as the brain is nowhere evident
aside from the collection of its parts. Similarly, the
maind is not different from the brain, as it is
nowhere evidence other than in association with the
brain.
And so on. You do the rest of the math.
Alex
No karma was produced during the composition of this letter
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