Buddhism reflection
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Join Date: Mar 2019
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Buddhism reflection
I was watching some videos on Buddhism (youtube: "Discovering Buddhism, several modules) and somebody wrote something in the comments sections that gave me an aha moment. The aha moment was spotting an error in my thinking that makes up another fragment in the puzzle of a perpetual relapser. In my sober moments , even when everything is going well and I seemingly have no intention of drinking, I'm still assigning great value and meaning to an inanimate object (alcohol) which by itself has no inherent value or meaning. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. A sober person has no business bowing at this altar. The sober path and the perceived value are incompatible. Incoherence.
I'll go ahead an copy the comment and if someone finds value from it, fantastic.
Comment:
Buddhism: the nature of things
1. Everything that exists is subject to change, decay and death.
2. Everything that exists is temporary, conditional and dependent. Everything that exists is ultimately devoid of reality, substance and meaning.
3. All existence is unsatisfactory because it is subject to change, decay and death and is ultimately devoid of reality, substance and meaning.
4. The clinging to, grasping to, attaching to that which is subject to change, decay and death, devoid of ultimate reality and meaning is the cause of mental pain.
5. The grasping, clinging, attaching, wanting and desiring can’t be resolved merely by supplying more external objects. The grasping, clinging, attaching, wanting and desiring can be extinguished only understanding its root and mechanics and by eliminating its fuel.
=== Dependent Existence ===
The meaning and reality depends completely on the context, settings and
the consciousness. Consider following examples:
1. A beautiful young lady might mean something "real", "important" and
"meaningful" to a young healthy man high on hormones and desires. Such
lady might appear very differently from a man or child to the young man
high on the sexual desire.
To a hungry tiger, both the man and the woman might only appear as
potential food.
To a tiny mouse, both the man and the woman might only appear as a
potential threat.
To a deeply intoxicated man, to a sleeping man, to an unconscious human
body, there might be no perception of a man or a woman.
The beauty and youth of the lady has a meaning, relevance and reality
but, this meaning, reality and relevance is dependent on the one
assigning it. It is dependent on one perceiving it. This meaning, this
reality, this relevance is only relative and not absolute. It has no
real independent existence. It has no real meaning outside the context.
How much flesh the lady has might have a great meaning to a hungry
tiger. It might have little meaning to a tiny mouse. It might have
meaning to an unconscious or sleeping man.
2. Characters in a movie have meaning, relevance and reality. But, that
meaning exists only in the context of that movie.
3. Characters in a video game have meaning, relevance and reality. But,
that meaning exists only in the context of that video game.
4. Characters in a dream have meaning, relevance and reality. But, that
meaning exists only in the context of that dream.
5. Diamonds might have great meaning to a lady. To a deer or lion, that
meaning or relevance might not exist.
6. To an addicted smoker, cigarettes might have great meaning. To
others, cigarettes might be largely meaningless and not more than an
unnecessary nuisance.
7. To a human, the music of Mozart or the painting of Picasso might have
great meaning, to a dog, it might have no "special" meaning.
This meaning in reality is not only "out there" in the painting or in
the music. The meaning is largely assigned by your senses, your taste,
preference, liking, your interpretation and ultimately consciousness.
8. Your son might have a great meaning because he is "your" son, to
billions of other humans, he might have no great relevance or meaning
other than being one of the billion other humans.
If you lose your memory, "your" son will have no "special" meaning to
you, he will become just another human. You assign a great meaning and
relevance to him and it is dependent on your memory.
Ultimately, almost everything is like this. Meaningful only in a context
and its reality is largely only assigned by the perceiving
consciousness. Once you deeply examine, everything that exists is
revealed to have only a dependent and relative meaning and reality (not
unlike the characters in a dream, video game and or movie) and be devoid
of any truly independent and absolute meaning and reality (not unlike
the characters in a dream, video game and or movie).
2. A female pig might appear very "special" to a male pig. If you are a
meat-eater and you eat pork, you might not care whether you are eating
the flesh of a male pig or a female pig. You might not be even able to
tell whether the flesh you ate came from a male pig or female pig.
The “female” pig might have a very “special” meaning. But, that
“special” meaning is relevant only to a male pig. It takes a male pig to
recognize that “specialness”. This specialness is largely assigned by
the “male” pig and is dependent on the “male” pig.
Because, someone or something wants, desires, needs it or otherwise
interacts or is affected by it… ...the things appear to have meaning,
reality and existence.
3. The meaning, relevance and reality is determined only through a
relationship, only through an interaction.
It is only someone or something wants, desires, needs it or otherwise
interacts or is affected by it… ...the things appear to have meaning,
reality and existence.
That which doesn’t interact with yours senses, appears non-existent to
you.
That which doesn’t interact with the scientific instruments, can’t be
measured and is thus is scientifically declared non-existent.
Millions of neutrinos are said to pass through your body every minute.
Yet, they seem to have no meaning, relevance or reality to you because
your senses don’t interact with them in any way.
Pure empty space which makes up about 99.99% of your own body and
everything outside it, seems to have no reality to you because your
senses don’t seems to interact with any way and because it doesn’t
appear to “matter” to you.
Things exist only in retaliation to other things.
Things have no real independent existence.
A similar saying is:
The perception, perceived and the perceiver arise together.
I'll go ahead an copy the comment and if someone finds value from it, fantastic.
Comment:
Buddhism: the nature of things
1. Everything that exists is subject to change, decay and death.
2. Everything that exists is temporary, conditional and dependent. Everything that exists is ultimately devoid of reality, substance and meaning.
3. All existence is unsatisfactory because it is subject to change, decay and death and is ultimately devoid of reality, substance and meaning.
4. The clinging to, grasping to, attaching to that which is subject to change, decay and death, devoid of ultimate reality and meaning is the cause of mental pain.
5. The grasping, clinging, attaching, wanting and desiring can’t be resolved merely by supplying more external objects. The grasping, clinging, attaching, wanting and desiring can be extinguished only understanding its root and mechanics and by eliminating its fuel.
=== Dependent Existence ===
The meaning and reality depends completely on the context, settings and
the consciousness. Consider following examples:
1. A beautiful young lady might mean something "real", "important" and
"meaningful" to a young healthy man high on hormones and desires. Such
lady might appear very differently from a man or child to the young man
high on the sexual desire.
To a hungry tiger, both the man and the woman might only appear as
potential food.
To a tiny mouse, both the man and the woman might only appear as a
potential threat.
To a deeply intoxicated man, to a sleeping man, to an unconscious human
body, there might be no perception of a man or a woman.
The beauty and youth of the lady has a meaning, relevance and reality
but, this meaning, reality and relevance is dependent on the one
assigning it. It is dependent on one perceiving it. This meaning, this
reality, this relevance is only relative and not absolute. It has no
real independent existence. It has no real meaning outside the context.
How much flesh the lady has might have a great meaning to a hungry
tiger. It might have little meaning to a tiny mouse. It might have
meaning to an unconscious or sleeping man.
2. Characters in a movie have meaning, relevance and reality. But, that
meaning exists only in the context of that movie.
3. Characters in a video game have meaning, relevance and reality. But,
that meaning exists only in the context of that video game.
4. Characters in a dream have meaning, relevance and reality. But, that
meaning exists only in the context of that dream.
5. Diamonds might have great meaning to a lady. To a deer or lion, that
meaning or relevance might not exist.
6. To an addicted smoker, cigarettes might have great meaning. To
others, cigarettes might be largely meaningless and not more than an
unnecessary nuisance.
7. To a human, the music of Mozart or the painting of Picasso might have
great meaning, to a dog, it might have no "special" meaning.
This meaning in reality is not only "out there" in the painting or in
the music. The meaning is largely assigned by your senses, your taste,
preference, liking, your interpretation and ultimately consciousness.
8. Your son might have a great meaning because he is "your" son, to
billions of other humans, he might have no great relevance or meaning
other than being one of the billion other humans.
If you lose your memory, "your" son will have no "special" meaning to
you, he will become just another human. You assign a great meaning and
relevance to him and it is dependent on your memory.
Ultimately, almost everything is like this. Meaningful only in a context
and its reality is largely only assigned by the perceiving
consciousness. Once you deeply examine, everything that exists is
revealed to have only a dependent and relative meaning and reality (not
unlike the characters in a dream, video game and or movie) and be devoid
of any truly independent and absolute meaning and reality (not unlike
the characters in a dream, video game and or movie).
2. A female pig might appear very "special" to a male pig. If you are a
meat-eater and you eat pork, you might not care whether you are eating
the flesh of a male pig or a female pig. You might not be even able to
tell whether the flesh you ate came from a male pig or female pig.
The “female” pig might have a very “special” meaning. But, that
“special” meaning is relevant only to a male pig. It takes a male pig to
recognize that “specialness”. This specialness is largely assigned by
the “male” pig and is dependent on the “male” pig.
Because, someone or something wants, desires, needs it or otherwise
interacts or is affected by it… ...the things appear to have meaning,
reality and existence.
3. The meaning, relevance and reality is determined only through a
relationship, only through an interaction.
It is only someone or something wants, desires, needs it or otherwise
interacts or is affected by it… ...the things appear to have meaning,
reality and existence.
That which doesn’t interact with yours senses, appears non-existent to
you.
That which doesn’t interact with the scientific instruments, can’t be
measured and is thus is scientifically declared non-existent.
Millions of neutrinos are said to pass through your body every minute.
Yet, they seem to have no meaning, relevance or reality to you because
your senses don’t interact with them in any way.
Pure empty space which makes up about 99.99% of your own body and
everything outside it, seems to have no reality to you because your
senses don’t seems to interact with any way and because it doesn’t
appear to “matter” to you.
Things exist only in retaliation to other things.
Things have no real independent existence.
A similar saying is:
The perception, perceived and the perceiver arise together.
Life is good
Join Date: Apr 2018
Posts: 4,036
Paradoxical wisdom.
There are many ways to look at all subjects.
There are many possible ways to heal. Life is a journey. To know is beautiful. To allow a space of not knowing -- of wonder, curiosity and awe -- becomes transformative.
Thank you for sharing.
There are many ways to look at all subjects.
There are many possible ways to heal. Life is a journey. To know is beautiful. To allow a space of not knowing -- of wonder, curiosity and awe -- becomes transformative.
Thank you for sharing.
Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 343
Thank you for this. I have been struggling lately, and I have spent this morning searching for answers on these forums. Your post resonated.
I am attached to something that does not serve me: I am attached because of the significance I assign to it.
Somewhere in another thread a member described that what we adopt to protect the inner child can eventually suffocate the child we were trying to protect. That is seriously paraphrased, but I suspect many of you will understand.
I have been sober quite a while, but other addictions continue to appear. This thread has helped to make a little sense of that. Thank you.
I am attached to something that does not serve me: I am attached because of the significance I assign to it.
Somewhere in another thread a member described that what we adopt to protect the inner child can eventually suffocate the child we were trying to protect. That is seriously paraphrased, but I suspect many of you will understand.
I have been sober quite a while, but other addictions continue to appear. This thread has helped to make a little sense of that. Thank you.
Member
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: 49 degrees north
Posts: 1,036
"Form is emptiness, emptiness is form." From the Heart Sutta. The mental formation of alcohol is empty of existence, as are the feelings we attribute to it. They are made up by us, a story, which is itself empty of existence. The ego attempts to convince us that this is not so and we cling to our faulty perception.
Member
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: UK
Posts: 29
I'm commenting on this so I can refer back to it regularly. Brilliant stuff- thank you for sharing.
My sense is that Buddhism is the spiritual direction I feel most comfortable with. That said, some of the truths are exceedingly uncomfortable to me - and I worry that I will reach out to drink to anaesthetise these uncomfortable feelings. However, there is great worth in everything you have quoted above, and on balance, I feel I need to engage deeper with what you have shared.
Thank you.
My sense is that Buddhism is the spiritual direction I feel most comfortable with. That said, some of the truths are exceedingly uncomfortable to me - and I worry that I will reach out to drink to anaesthetise these uncomfortable feelings. However, there is great worth in everything you have quoted above, and on balance, I feel I need to engage deeper with what you have shared.
Thank you.
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