You just ascribed motive. You get that, right? You, as usual, implicitly claimed to know why he said that. Of course you know nothing about Buddhism so you have no context for his assertion. But you’re not interested. Which is convenient, because when you don’t something about a subject you are not interested in, that puts a lot of emphasis on practice to aid undertanding, you can always mind read dead people. It’s their fault you’re ignorant or they are scamming.
On the other hand, as long as it existed for him “in his head”, he could go on taking comfort in the fact that even though, like everyone else, he would tumble over into the abyss that is death, there it was – Nirvana! – waiting for him on the other side.
This just shows, again, that you know nothing about the subject. Wake up in Nirvana when he dies, duh. More mind reading here, also, as if you know things.
Indeed, that’s the part I do get about Buddhism. All a Buddhist has to do is to believe in Nirvana.
Actually no, that’s more than slightly confused.
That is what makes it real. Much like those who embrace Western faiths believe in Heaven. Much like those of all the other religious denominations who wallow blissfully in their own equivalent of salvation.
Nope.
It’s just that when it comes to the part where I ask Buddhists to connect the dots existentially between morality int cont this side of the grave and immortality on the other side, they fall back only on what they believe about karma, enlightenment, reincarnation and Nirvana.
Some may do this, sure. But most probably find someone who is not interested in Buddhism, acting like he not only does know things know specific things about Buddhism which he does not, like the dumb quotes above, who tells why they believe what they believe, and what is going on in their minds.
Then all they need but do is to ask me about my own fractured and fragmented reaction to an essentially meaningless world that ends in the obliteration of “I” for all of eternity.
I don’t think many would consider that a need.
Right?
And all I can note here is that, just like them, this is merely something that, as a particular dasein, “I” have come to believe in turn. Like them, I have no capacity to actually demonstrate that what I believe is true.
Which ironically serves as a basis for insulting people, ‘reading’ their minds and misrepresenting their religion.
It’s just that I happen to believe it is far more incumbent upon those who claim the existence of something to prove that in fact it does exist. Rather than for others to prove that it doesn’t exist instead.
Anyone who makes a claim gathers some onus to demonstrate their claim, positive, negative, whatever.
But, no doubt about it, you are comforted and consoled here and I am not. And, yes, I wish I could think myself into believing in something that would comfort and console me too.
Well, you may be suffering more, but you console yourself all the time here that you are the brave one, probably, facing the harsh epistemological situations we are in and the upcoming death. You also, with regularly, console yourself that, when criticized, you have never done anything anyone points out.
So, sure, revel in your “for all practical purposes” victory. However much it is manufactured only in your head.
Shit, I was just about to say that to you.
You’re like a five year old who finds an adult book on, you pick the subject, and starts telling the adults the psychology of the people who wrote the books on subjects the kid has never studied nor has he ever participated in the activities necessary to understand the subject.