thebigview.com http://www.thebigview.com/forum Pondering the big questions. en Wed, 08 Sep 2010 17:38:19 GMT vBulletin 30 http://www.thebigview.com/forum/images/thebigview/misc/rss.jpg thebigview.com http://www.thebigview.com/forum Why the Need to Kill? http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4706&goto=newpost Wed, 08 Sep 2010 14:09:43 GMT One of the few things that Abrahemic Religions agree upon is found in their commandments: "Thou shall not kill!" Buddha offers the following advice: "Violence leads only to more violence." I am not certain about Brahmanism, and Hinduism, but my guess would be that there are similar admonitions against killing. Still, and yet we continue to send our children to battlefields to slaughter each other because of our attachments to our views of religion, politics, greed, and hatred.

Are there certain acts on the part of another which deserve killing as a consequence? If so, what are they and upon what authority do they over ride a prime directive such as a religious commandment, or a statement of karmic fact indicating that all we can ever hope to accomplish with violent acts is to cause more violence to rain down upon ourselves.

Are we really that non-observant of the facts? Are we just too stupid to understand, or is something else at work here that is beyond our ability to reason and to control?

I look forward to reading your answers.

_/\_Ron ]]> Religion Ron-the-Elder http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4706 Required first post http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4705&goto=newpost Tue, 07 Sep 2010 15:30:35 GMT Hi to you all. The Big View requires me to post within 7 days and so... I live in Ireland and have been a practicing Buddhist for a year now. May you... Hi to you all. The Big View requires me to post within 7 days and so...
I live in Ireland and have been a practicing Buddhist for a year now. May you all be happy:) ]]> Welcome PeterNolan http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4705 hello everyone http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4704&goto=newpost Tue, 07 Sep 2010 06:47:25 GMT Hey everyone, what's up? My name is angela and I'm new here. Looking forward to hearing everyone's views. ]]> Welcome angelababy http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4704 Why Capitalism is More Ethical than Marxism http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4698&goto=newpost Fri, 03 Sep 2010 19:35:37 GMT The material value of a thing is not reducible to the labor required in its production. It's reducible to the amount of work it does for society--it's value as an organizing concept which enables the welfare of others. This is the value. The exchange value is not the same as the value, but it is similar: it involves the willingness of society to support the thing created. Capitalism is all about the centralization of wealth; when wealth is centralized, it has the potential to become capital, which is then used to create more wealth. The wealth takes on the trappings of an organizing concept, or a commodity, something with material value, as defined above. This is the positive virtue of capitalism: it creates more wealth for everybody. It creates an endless cycle of more wealth, for everybody.

Communism, on the other hand, does not involve the centralization of wealth at all. Wealth should not be centralized, because such can only be done through labor extraction. I think this is based on flawed arguments, and anyway is not the case. Wealth should be centralized, to a certain extent, because concepts are centralized, so decentralized wealth is the sign of an economy devoid of concepts--an ignorant economy. Concepts are centralized because they organize thought--they are the central elements which allow us to organize the way we think.

Let me make a couple of qualifying statements. Capitalism, by definition, should be the continued production of capital, as defined above. Any production of capital which does not produce a net increase of value, or the potential to create more capital, as a system, should not be regarded as capitalism. Therefore, when a factory owner creates wealth for himself and condemns his workers to a never-ending cycle of oppression, he is not a capitalist, because he is not creating net wealth. Rather, he is contributing to the decline in well-being and perhaps death of his workers. Also, when Goldman Sachs bets on mortgage securities which are designed to fail, it is far from capitalist. It produces a relatively small amount of wealth for a very few number of people, and a drastically huge decline of wealth for a very large number of people. How can something be called "capitalist" when it destroys more capital than it produces?

Capitalism, as an ideal, is a worthy ideal, when aligned with generosity. If "capitalism" ignores real, meaningful generosity, the kind of generosity which lifts people out of poverty and lends them creative capacity, it is not capitalist, because it is destructive. Capital is inherently creative by virtue of its definition. Capital can only be used to create goods, or it isn't capital, it's just money.

I, for what it's worth, am a capitalist. ]]> MultipleTentacles http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4698 Easy Targets? http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4688&goto=newpost Thu, 02 Sep 2010 16:01:20 GMT When the BP oil rig exploded, causing the worst environmental disaster for USA, the thought entered my head that it might be terrorist related. But... When the BP oil rig exploded, causing the worst environmental disaster for USA, the thought entered my head that it might be terrorist related. But in all the news coverage that followed I never saw the question raised and it was deemed to be an accident possibly due to negligence.

Now this happens:

Oil rig explodes 80 miles off Louisiana coast; 12 people reported overboard and one missing, the Coast Guard says.

Although not an "oilman" I once did some work on a big rig in the South China Sea. These rigs would be easy targets for terrorists armed with anything larger than small arms. A rocket-propelled grenade launcher on a small boat can set off a big explosion.

I now have serious doubts about these two rigs blowing up in the Gulf of Mexico accidentally. I suspect this is the latest tactic being used by the terrorist groups who are waging jihad against Western civilization. I hope I am wrong but I also hope this time we get the whole story. ]]> schrodinger http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4688 Buddhism Without Rebirth? http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4687&goto=newpost Thu, 02 Sep 2010 02:47:48 GMT People in the West do not usually believe in rebirth, because it is neither part of the predominant materialist worldview, nor is it included in... People in the West do not usually believe in rebirth, because it is neither part of the predominant materialist worldview, nor is it included in the traditional Christian belief system. What is more, western society considers certain values inalienable, such as humanism, secularism, and -perhaps before all- the supremacy of science as a method for gaining reliable knowledge. Although science does not squarely contradict the idea of rebirth, at this point it neither provides much support for it. Methodical investigation into rebirth is still considered a fringe science under the umbrella of parapsychology. But while science takes a neutral stance towards the idea of rebirth, materialism, the underlying metaphysics to which many scientists and even more non-scientists subscribe, is definitely at odds with it.

(Excerpt from: Buddhism Without Rebirth? )

The text is a bit lengthy, so I've posted it in the Essay section. This space is for discussion of the question "Buddhism without rebirth".

Cheers, Thomas ]]> Buddhism Thomas Knierim http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4687 Buddhism Without Rebirth? http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4686&goto=newpost Thu, 02 Sep 2010 02:35:57 GMT *Buddhism without rebirth?* In the course of two and a half millennia, Buddhism has spread from its birthplace in northern India to many different... Buddhism without rebirth?

In the course of two and a half millennia, Buddhism has spread from its birthplace in northern India to many different Asian countries. In the process, each country that adopted Buddhism has fused its own national culture with Buddhist practices and teachings. While the basic elements always remain the same, the face of Buddhism varies considerably with geography. From colourful Tibetan prayer flags to the minimalist simplicity of Japanese Zen, the outward appearance of Buddhism shows great diversity, as do the various branches and schools. Presently, we are seeing yet another transmission of Buddhism to the West. It has its beginnings in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century and it has grown into a movement of several million people practising Buddhism today in America, Europe, and Australia.

As in the case of the past transmissions, the current spread of Buddhism into the western world entails a great deal of cultural absorption, which is still ongoing. The transmission operates from two points. First, there are pioneers and scholars, mostly of western origin, who go to Asia and bring back Buddhist ideas and methods, introducing them to their contemporaries. Second, there are Asian missions that transplant their own institutions into western environments. Both encounter the same peculiarities and challenges. Some of these are practical challenges, such as establishing monasteries; other challenges are more intricate, in particular where there are points of friction between doctrinal issues and fundamental values of western society. One such point of friction is the Buddhist twin-doctrine of karma and rebirth.

People in the West do not usually believe in rebirth, because it is neither part of the predominant materialist worldview, nor is it included in the traditional Christian belief system. What is more, western society considers certain values inalienable, such as humanism, secularism, and -perhaps before all- the supremacy of science as a method for gaining reliable knowledge. Although science does not squarely contradict the idea of rebirth, at this point it neither provides much support for it. Methodical investigation into rebirth is still considered a fringe science under the umbrella of parapsychology. But while science takes a neutral stance towards the idea of rebirth, materialism, the underlying metaphysics to which many scientists and even more non-scientists subscribe, is definitely at odds with it.

For the materialist, any theory about the afterlife is in direct contradiction with his/her own belief. Because materialists/physicalists believe that there is nothing beyond the physical properties of the universe, including all life forms, the mind is equated with the brain. Materialists typically hold the view that mental functions are reducible to or supervene on neurobiological functions in the brain. It follows that when then body dies, the brain and the mind die with it, and that nothing remains. In Buddhism, this belief is called annihilism. It is the view that individual existence is totally annihilated at death and that there is no afterlife. Sometimes, the same line of reasoning is made from the position of naturalism. Naturalists hold that only nature exists, and that supernatural causes and forces must be rejected. Since this position hinges upon the definition of nature, it most often coincides with materialism/physicalism. Implicitly, materialists and naturalists reject ideas for which the natural sciences don't provide direct support.

Owing to the wide acceptance of these ideas in the West, competing views are often repudiated without closer examination. Thus many people in the West reject the belief in karma and rebirth out of hand, or at the very least are sceptical about them. Some people, not without a certain measure of arrogance, dismiss them as oriental superstitions. Even among western Buddhists, those who profess to practice Buddhism in some form, karma and rebirth are not universally accepted. There is a growing movement of so-called sceptical Buddhists, represented by authors like Stephen Bachelor, who appeal to the spirit of the Kalama Suttta in their approach to Buddhism. In this sutta, addressed to the inhabitants of Kesaputta, the Kalamas, the Buddha outlines a guideline of free inquiry:
Come, Kălămas. Do not go by oral tradition, by lineage of teaching, by hear-say, by a collection of texts, by logic, by inferential reasoning, by reasoned cogitation, by the acceptance of a view after pondering it, by the seeming competence of the speaker, or because you think 'The ascetic is our teacher.' But when you know for yourselves, 'These things are wholesome; these things are blameless; these things are praised by the wise; these things, if undertaken and practised, lead to welfare and happiness,' then you should engage in them.

(AN 3:65, I 185-93)
We shall be concerned with the question in how far the sceptical approach can be applied to the issue of rebirth. Did the Buddha teach rebirth and if so, how did he teach it? What relevance does rebirth have in Buddhism? How does it relate to the other doctrines? Is it possible to practice Buddhism without believing in rebirth? These are the questions addressed in the remainder of this article. To answer them, we will look at the Sutta Pitaka of the Pāli canon, which is the earliest written record of the discourses of the Buddha, accepted by most Buddhist schools as authoritative.

It is probably worthwhile to note that there is no Pāli word that translates directly to the English word rebirth or reincarnation. The word we find in the canon is punabbhava, which means “becoming again” or “renewed existence”. We also find the word jāti, which simply means “birth”. Both words are used to signify rebirth in certain contexts. For the purpose of this article, the words rebirth and reincarnation are used synonymously. The idea of reincarnation is more specific, as it relates to being born into a state of physical existence (rather than nonphysical), however, in many cases the idea of rebirth is used in such a context. Furthermore, we ought to point out that rebirth in the Buddhist understanding does not imply the transmigration of an entity, such as a soul or self, from one body to another, or from one state of existence to another.

This issue has been the source of much confusion, especially for beginners. The apparent contradiction -rebirth without a soul- can be resolved quite easily, if we draw upon the concept of not-self (anattā). In short, this means that all phenomena are not-self, without essence, which is to say they are empty of inherent existence. Another way to state it is that all phenomena are dependent upon other phenomena and that there is no single phenomenon that exists independently of others. This leads to the bundle theory of self that defines the self in terms of a bundle of other phenomena, which are themselves conditioned, namely matter, sensation, cognition, mental formations, and consciousness. It could then be said that the self is a process, rather than an entity. Instead of an entity that transmigrates from one body to another, there is a process that continues after physical death. According to Buddhism, the continuity of the process is sustained by karma and consciousness imprints that lead to the arising of a new bundle self, whereas the old bundle self disintegrates upon death.

This idea can be understood as the middle way between the extremes of eternalism (sassatavāda), the view that there is an eternal soul, and annihilism (ucchedavāda), the view that death is final and that beings cease to exist when the body dies. The latter two views are explicitly rejected in the Brahmajala Sutta, the first sutta in the Digha Nikaya, which is an exposition of morality and wrong view. It lists a total of 62 varieties of wrong view. Eternalism is included into the group of sassata ditthi, the mistaken belief in the persistence of world and self, and annihilism is included in the group of mistaken beliefs about the finiteness of the world and the self. The Brahmajala Sutta is quite lengthy, so we just look at the excerpts that describe the base characteristics of eternalism and annihilism:
"There are some ascetics and Brahmins who are Eternalists, who proclaim the eternity of the self and the world in four ways. On what grounds?"

Wrong view number 1: "Here, monks, a certain ascetic or Brahmin has by means of effort, exertion, application, earnestness and right attention attained to such a state of mental concentration that he thereby recalls past existences - one birth, two births, three, four, five, ten births, a hundred, a thousand, a hundred thousand births, several hundred, several thousand, several hundred thousand births. ‘There my name was so-and-so, my clan was so-and-so, my caste was so-and-so, my food was such-and-such, I experienced such-and-such pleasant and painful conditions, I lived for so long. Having passed away from there, I arose there. There my name was so-and-so ... And having passed away from there, I arose here.’ Thus he remembers various past lives, their conditions and details. And he says: ‘The self and the world are eternal, barren like a mountain-peak, set firmly as a post. These beings rush round, circulate, pass away and re-arise, but this remains eternally. Why so? I have by means of effort, exertion, attained to such a state of mental concentration that I have thereby recalled various past existences. That is how I know the self and the world are eternal …’ That is the first way in which some ascetics and Brahmins proclaim the eternity of the self and the world."

[…]

"There are, monks, some ascetics and Brahmins who are Annihilists, who proclaim the annihilation, destruction and non-existence of beings, and they do so in seven ways. On what basis?"

Wrong view 51: "Here a certain ascetic or Brahmin declares and holds the view: ‘Since this self is material, composed of the four great elements, the product of mother and father, at the breaking up of the body is annihilated and perishes, and does not exist after death. This is the way in which this self is annihilated.’ That is how some proclaim the annihilation, destruction and non-existence of beings."

(DN 1)
Because both eternalism and annihilism are rejected in this sutta, as well as several other views about post-mortem survival, we might naively ask whether the Buddha taught rebirth at all. This question is often asked by newcomers to Buddhism. A quick glance at the suttas of the Pāli canon confirms this. Even in the very first sermon, recorded in the famous Dhammacakka Sutta, the Buddha makes a pronouncement about rebirth:
Then knowledge and vision arose in me: "Irreversible is my liberation, this is my final birth, there will be no more further existence."

(SN 56.11)
This pronouncement is consistent with the story of the Buddha's enlightenment in which -during the first watch of the night, still sitting under the Bodhi tree, he recalls his own past lives:
When the mind was thus concentrated, purified, bright, unblemished, rid of defilement, pliant, malleable, steady, & attained to imperturbability, I directed it to the knowledge of recollecting my past lives. I recollected my manifold past lives, i.e., one birth, two... five, ten... fifty, a hundred, a thousand, a hundred thousand, many eons of cosmic contraction, many eons of cosmic expansion, many eons of cosmic contraction & expansion: 'There I had such a name, belonged to such a clan, had such an appearance. Such was my food, such my experience of pleasure & pain, such the end of my life. Passing away from that state, I re-arose there. There too I had such a name, belonged to such a clan, had such an appearance. Such was my food, such my experience of pleasure & pain, such the end of my life. Passing away from that state, I re-arose here.' Thus I remembered my manifold past lives in their modes & details.

(Mahasaccaka Sutta, MN 36)
]]> Essays Thomas Knierim http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4686 hey http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4685&goto=newpost Wed, 01 Sep 2010 23:00:23 GMT Hello, I stumbled here while I was researching for the Heart Sutra. My name is Dario, I consider myself a citizen of the world. I hope my time in... Hello, I stumbled here while I was researching for the Heart Sutra.
My name is Dario, I consider myself a citizen of the world.
I hope my time in this forum will be an interesting and inspiring one for me but also for you.
peace ]]> Welcome Morotorno http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4685 Need or Comfort http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4683&goto=newpost Wed, 01 Sep 2010 14:29:09 GMT man entered the world as an animal.In the early days he used to live along with the nature with just satisfying his needs.But now he is in the... man entered the world as an animal.In the early days he used to live along with the nature with just satisfying his needs.But now he is in the search of comfort by disrupting the laws of nature.But could there be a civilization which doesn't disturb the nature? ]]> Science srikanth http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4683 <![CDATA[equanimity - it's development, use & abuse?]]> http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4647&goto=newpost Fri, 27 Aug 2010 08:11:24 GMT I've come to realize that 'equanimity' is central to all spiritual traditions and is touted as the means of experiencing lasting peace and fostering deep compassion. And without it an individual will always be caught in the cycle of aversions and desires.

Interested in discussing how 'equanimity' is developed, specifically to buddhism, but also willing to include other spiritual practices. After equanimity is developed how is it to be used and/or can it be abused by the practitioner(s)?

Perhaps its best, for a lack of better place to start, that we begin with defining what 'equanimity' is with a basic definition from dictionary.com – a mental or emotional stability or composure, esp. under tension or strain; calmness; equilibrium. Not an exhaustive definition, but its a start none the less.

Welcome any discussion on this topic. ]]> Buddhism Fisher http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4647 Now and Forever http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4646&goto=newpost Thu, 26 Aug 2010 18:43:40 GMT "...So anyone who is identified with their mind, and therefore disconnected from their true power, their deeper self rooted in being, will have fear as their constant companion..."

"You will not have any doubt that psychological time is a mental disease if you look at its collective manifestations. They occur, for example, in the form of ideologies such as communism, national socialism or any nationalism, or rigid religious belief systems, which operate under the implicit assumption that the highest good lies in the future and that therefore the end justifies the means. The end is an idea, a point in the mind-projected future, when salvation in whatever form - happiness, fulfillment, equality, liberation, and so on - will be attained. Not infrequently, the means of getting there are the enslavement, torture, and murder of people in the present.

For example, it is estimated that as many as 5o million people were murdered to further the cause of communism, to bring about a "better world" in Russia, China, and other countries. This is a chilling example of how belief in a future heaven creates a present hell. Can there be any doubt that psychological time is a serious and dangerous mental illness?

How does this mind pattern operate in your life? Are you always trying to get somewhere other than where you are? Is most of your doing just a means to an end? Is fulfillment always just around the corner or confined to short-lived pleasures, such as sex, food, drink, drugs, or thrills and excitement? Are you always focused on becoming, achieving, and attaining, or alternatively chasing some new thrill or pleasure? Do you believe that if you acquire more things you will become more fulfilled, good enough, or psychologically complete? Are you waiting for a man or woman to give meaning to your life? In the normal, mind-identified or unenlightened state of consciousness, the power and infinite creative potential that lie concealed in the Now are completely obscured by psychological time. Your life then loses its vibrancy, its freshness, its sense of wonder. The old patterns of thought, emotion, behavior, reaction, and desire are acted out in endless repeat performances, a script in your mind that gives you an identity of sorts but distorts or covers up the reality of the Now. The mind then creates an obsession with the future as an escape from the unsatisfactory present."
-Eckhart Tolle.

____________

"Take a long look at the past to unlock a greater future
Sift through the wreckage of failures
In the hope to make things better
Like more efficient ways to kill in the name of human progress
How to and crush the will
So that no one dares to question.

So what of the past? and this "so called" better future?
If past and future don't exist? then where does that leave us?
Lost in a quagmire of lies built upon the lies of before
Echoing endless through time
These legends of false perception

Identities lie... based on ego and habit
Beliefs kill. why are these institutions sacred?
So what of the past? and this "so called" better future?
If past and future don't exist? where the **** does that leave us?
To bathe in the excrement of old and bask in the "glory" of what is to be

I hang my head in sorrow because the now is too disgusting to see
The past does not exist.
The future is a myth
Only the now remains
The future is a myth
Only the now remains

Genocide was someone's now
A tool to make things better
Once a madman's torture. a vision that has ended
Atrocities are mimicked, carried forth to this day
Only names and faces have been changed"
Now and Forever
-Dystopia ]]> Gelatinous Pope http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4646 Rhythmic Instability Mutation Flower http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4645&goto=newpost Thu, 26 Aug 2010 16:02:12 GMT Nestled in the grass, to a siren's song I fell asleep. When I awoke cold and alone, in my distress, I tried to find my way in the dark, but fell to my death. When awakened calm and supple, I didn't recognize my face, didn't know the place I was in. I let it all go, and left it. I leapt from the grass, landed on a sun-soaked cloud and smiled. Down below, I saw my friends calling me back. Leaping back down to the grass, I laughed and became enlightened. ]]> Religion Gelatinous Pope http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4645 Understanding: Mind, Consciousness, Thought http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4644&goto=newpost Thu, 26 Aug 2010 14:15:39 GMT Mind: All human beings share in being a part of, and connected to Mind, the universal Life energy and source of intelligence beyond the brain.... Mind: All human beings share in being a part of, and connected to Mind, the universal Life energy and source of intelligence beyond the brain. Because of Mind, we share in an endless flow of wisdom—each of us equally capable of being wise.

Consciousness: All human beings share in the principle or fact of Consciousness. We experience life. We also experience life from different levels of consciousness—from truncated and fear-based, angry and insecure “levels” to grounded, secure, safe, wise and even enlightened states (Buddha Mind, Christ Consciousness, the “Father within,” the Kingdom of Heaven.) If humans lived even a little more often in this last state of mind, the impact on world peace, from a personal to a global level, would be significant.

The principle of Thought, as a universal function, guides humans either toward or away from non-violence, love and compassion. The existence of a personal thought system, or “ego”—which we see as simply being a sticky attachment to, or identification with thoughts—trips up our noble aspirations for peace. Yet we have found that teaching people about the neutral fact of Thought, and how it creates reality for each of us (rather than attempting to change “content”), allows people to shine the light of this principle on all their thinking. Levels of consciousness jump as people gain understanding about the formless source of all ideas, beliefs and opinions.

When humans understand that a thought is just a thought, just a creation from formless energy, the iron grip the ego can have on us begins to lessen. Lighter, gentler, more inspired feelings arising from impersonal, or universal thoughts create kind and selfless behaviors. We begin to realize we are so much more than our limited thoughts. So much more than we ever “thought”! While respecting our own and others’ traditions, cultures and preferences, we see beyond the forms that humans have created—and to the deeper truth of our common divinity, our shared existence in universal Mind, Consciousness and Thought … or in Life. From this vantage point, there is no reason to argue, to fight, to hurt another. When I hurt you, I diminish me.

So, our personal answer is to share with people these simple principles that govern their states of mind. Because, beneath it all, all humans are already wise, good, generous, kind and even enlightened. When the clouds of thought begin to part, they each take their unique and radiant place in being one in “six billion paths to peace.

What do YOU think?

See also Sydney Banks, “The Missing Link: Reflections on Life and Philosophy” & other works.

http://www.centerforsustainablechang...principles.php ]]> Religion Molly Brogan http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4644 shaolin kung fu http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4643&goto=newpost Wed, 25 Aug 2010 09:43:57 GMT Hi, I'm new to this forum and thought I'd just dive in with a question that's been bugging me for a long while. (got a few, but i might as well start off with a down to earth one!!)

My understanding of Buddhism is that's it's a middle way; balanced.
Yet shaolin kung fu seems waaaay not middle path.
Sure, the modern manifestation of the glitzy kung fu show ground looks... just that - a glitzy show ground. But it's roots and history must have been real enough.
So, what's the story. Where does extreme physicality fit in the search for escape from rebirth? ]]> Buddhism Leif http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4643 Strange Days http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4629&goto=newpost Sun, 22 Aug 2010 18:36:42 GMT Strange are these past days through the eyes of a man. He watches lovers hate and friendships end. Food loses its taste and drink is the escape. And... Strange are these past days through the eyes of a man.
He watches lovers hate and friendships end.
Food loses its taste and drink is the escape.
And ancient understanding always hesitates.
And we all sleep as vampires.

Strange are the memories through bloodshot eyes.
Endless days of hopelessness recall a better time.
When warm hearts beat together on one beat.
When we all knew we would live together forever.
And we believed this fairy tale was real.

Strange is this new world which has lost its breath.
Hearts lose their warmth through a thousand cuts.
People lose their lives to dazed wandering.
And lovers lose their time in each others eyes.
And the man has lost his past.

All there is is hope for a better day.
And the small fires scattered across a darker world. ]]> Gelatinous Pope http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4629 This is a low. http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4628&goto=newpost Sun, 22 Aug 2010 18:31:46 GMT Stuff from my days in the lows. Here I am, yet again. How was the trip? They say its about the journey not the destination. Here I am. What more is... Stuff from my days in the lows.


Here I am, yet again. How was the trip? They say its about the journey not the destination. Here I am. What more is there to say? My visions blurry cause I want to sleep but I know that won't work.

I go in and out of this numbed state, i feel the pangs of anger and frustration at everything, yet I feel the pangs of the good too. Hopefully they'll tip the scales. I have nothing to say that will make any difference.

My train of thought has derailed. Killing hundreds. Spilling its precious cargo across the empty plains. Its the headline in the morning paper. I'll wake up and read it through red, stinging eyes that never slept that great to begin with.

I don't understand this. I don't understand anything. There' so much to figure out, but I don't even know how to get started.

The survivors of the train wreck, a few very errant, bloody thoughts stumble away from the wreckage, dazed but unharmed.

"What happened." the charged neuron asks, a stream of meaningless words dripping out its head wound. He finds another survivor who was close to the front.

"Nobody saw it coming"

Underneath the burning twisted wreckage of the locomotive engine, someone's thought is lying, dying, trying to come to grips with its newfound view on life.

All this thought ever wanted was to be known, he had been locked away for so long, just yearning for attention, but he was scared. One day he threw himself in front of a train.

Now, lying in several pieces scattered underneath the wreckage, he realizing that it had been a bad Idea. he was drunk. He wanted to apologize for all the hurt. But he's dead.

Ain't that something? ]]> Philosophy Gelatinous Pope http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4628 <![CDATA["Mosque" Near Ground Zero]]> http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4611&goto=newpost Thu, 19 Aug 2010 01:43:34 GMT I'm curious in hearing your opinions on this matter. Please make your points so we can figure out which is the best solution to this issue. ]]> JackPat http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4611 Real Life Issues and Buddhism http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4596&goto=newpost Tue, 17 Aug 2010 00:00:11 GMT I have been studying Buddhism for two years, and I look at many real life situations - mostly those involving someone in a position of power. Let us... I have been studying Buddhism for two years, and I look at many real life situations - mostly those involving someone in a position of power. Let us say that there is some threat intending to harm a few people and the only way to prevent harm or death from reaching these people is to take action (if kindness and reasoning doesn't work) using violence. I also see that fear should not exist within the person. What should that person do to prevent this threat from harming those people? ]]> Buddhism JackPat http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4596 Pro-Oil Spill Initiative http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4585&goto=newpost Sat, 14 Aug 2010 09:48:39 GMT Oil spills aren't a plague to the ocean, in fact, oil spills represent everything that we've not been doing to ensure the preservation of the human race.

The oceans are the earth's largest waste of real estate. With oil spills, the ocean can burn away* and leave us with land that we can transform into agricultural plots and population zones. Overpopulation will not be an issue.

There are, of course, hypocrites and idiots that would love to fill your ears with lies about needing the ocean to survive. The truth is, you owe the ocean nothing. In fact, you're doing it a favor by finding a more cost-effective means of eliminating it.

The ocean is against everything that you believe in. Go pro-oil spill, for the future generation. ]]> Gelatinous Pope http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4585 Vicissitudes http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4577&goto=newpost Fri, 13 Aug 2010 10:13:39 GMT This morning I woke up to you, and the sun suffocated in my hands. I stared at the back of your neck and the mane going down the length of your... This morning I woke up to you,
and the sun suffocated in my hands.
I stared at the back of your neck
and the mane going down
the length of your back.

My breath was cold dark soot,
and I felt a chill inside my heart.
I feel you, vicissitudes.
Your cerebral center folds
in nineteen tendrils.

Gravity ducts in with the morning air,
and the wolves claw out the doors
of my king bastion.
Will I ever let you in.
Will I ever see you again?

Again

We share the same iron lung
to keep our bodies feeling young.
But youth is nothing greater
than a certain state of mind,
of feeling fine.
I feel fine.

I feel fine. ]]> Philosophy Gelatinous Pope http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4577