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January 18, 2012

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I am in sympathetic resonance with David Chapman's basic assertion that neither nihilism nor eternalism are true as (so to speak) "things" in themselves. As stances, they cannot account for the immediacy of Reality as it presents to humans. But, his "meaningness" stance is rather droll, and ultimately to be burned in the same pyre with all intellectual pursuits.

Saying that all is "one" and that this same "one" is "God" is no different than saying that Reality is immediate and all occurrence is simultaneous. Life is very good for some people, and very bad for some people. No one will ever be able to explain it, because there is no such thing as an explanation for the stark inevitability of experience.

Whoa, I stand corrected: Radha Soami Satsang Beas does indeed have a book about Buddhism. I got an email today from someone who let me know about RSSB's "Buddhism" title. See:
https://ssl.perfora.net/s112005287.oneandoneshop.com/sess/utn154f184d844b18b/shopdata/?main_url=product_overview.shopscript

He was curious to know what I thought of it, so I ordered a copy. My prediction: it will strike me as slanted and not in accord with general Buddhist principles. But, hey, I could be wrong. Here's the book description on the RSSB web site:
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"Buddhism: Path to Nirvana is an account of the Buddha’s life, philosophy and thought. In the book we discover the Buddha’s wise, pragmatic, and compassionate approach to be reminiscent of that of all great spiritual teachers. Buddhism: Path to Nirvana suggests that as living examples of spirituality, speaking from direct and personal experience, the enlightened alone can help others travel the inner way to liberation and bliss. The book shows the essential unity of the teachings of the Buddha and other spiritual teachings of the time. Here we find in the Buddha's message the perennial invitation to abandon outer ritual and travel instead within ourselves, to transform and free ourselves through meditation."

The RSSB description... "Buddhism: Path to Nirvana suggests that as living examples of spirituality, speaking from direct and personal experience, the enlightened alone can help others travel the inner way to liberation and bliss."

Here they go again with the bait "liberation and bliss". Sort of like a car advertisement...buy car X and experience a blissfull ride and liberation from the limitations of your old clunker. It's just marketing. The guru business is going strong. And how do we know the guru is enlightened? At least with the car I can take a test drive and experience the ride to see if it is all it is cranked up to be. I don't have to warm up the engine for 53 years or four lifetimes to find out.

And then there is the concept of traveling within ourselves TO freedom. If it is within ourselves we are already there.

I heard Brad Pitt, the actor, respond to an interviewer's question, "Are you happy?"

He said something like: Happiness is overrated. Who can be happy all the time? Life is full of ups and downs and challenges. Sometimes you just don't feel so good. I think the best we can hope for is the satisfaction we derive from a life well lived and good relationships.

Book suggestion -- God is Not One --by Prothero. Been on my Amazon Wish List for some time.

It has mixed reviews, but still sounds worth the read.

http://www.amazon.com/God-Not-One-World-Differences/dp/006157127X

Betty, thanks for the recommendation. I've read "God is Not One" and enjoyed it. Wrote three blog posts about the book:

http://hinessight.blogs.com/church_of_the_churchless/2010/06/god-is-not-one-shows-how-different-religions-are.html

http://hinessight.blogs.com/church_of_the_churchless/2010/06/why-were-all-muslims-a-teeny-tiny-bit.html

http://hinessight.blogs.com/church_of_the_churchless/2010/07/whats-churchlessly-cool-about-judaism-and-not.html

Thanks Brian.

I ought to stop by more often. You've probably read/reviewed (kind of) other books on my Amazon list..

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