Your Favorite Philosophy

[DrewPollock]

I am interested in what philosophies are the favorites of everyone in this discussion board.

My philosophy is mostly consistent with the buddhist philosophy. But, i believe in a universal diety. My philosophical views are very hard to explain but that is the main portion. join this REAL discussion, and let talk about philosophy.

[vicente]

I too resonate with Buddhism, but non-philosophical Buddhism, and definitely one without a god.
http://web.singnet.com.sg/~alankhoo/God-idea.htm

No slight intended, but I would agree with you that your philosophical views would be hard to explain,...like wiccan still trying to hold onto the Christian indoctrination of their youth.

What is non-philosophical Buddhism? It is the jump from sciential knowledge (psyche-intellect) to sapiential gnowledge (thymos-Heart),...ie: Tilopa's Mahamudra. This teaching cannot be understood philosophically because philosophy deals with "knowledge". As Maslow suggested, until we realize a certain level of abundance or self-actualization, we are "ruled" by scientialism, that is, an ego controlled intellect, through which our pivotal essence is one of perceived lack; thus, because they are still seeking abundance, their sapiential Mind is veiled or obscured from their awareness by perceived "Needs".


Tilopa's Mahamudra

1.Is space anywhere supported? Upon what does it rest?
Like space, Mahamudra is dependant upon nothing;
Relax and settle in the continuum of unalloyed purity,
And, your bonds loosening, release is certain.

2.Gazing intently into the empty sky, vision ceases;
Likewise, when mind gazes into mind itself,
The train of discursive and conceptual thought ends
And supreme enlightenment is gained.

3.Like the morning mist that dissolves into thin air,
Going nowhere but ceasing to be,
Waves of conceptualization, all the mind's creation, dissolve,
When you behold your mind's true nature.

4.Pure space has neither colour nor shape
And it cannot be stained either black or white;
So also, mind's essence is beyond both colour and shape
And it cannot be sullied by black or white deeds.

5.The darkness of a thousand aeons is powerless
To dim the crystal clarity of the sun's heart;
And likewise, aeons of samsara have no power
To veil the clear light of the mind's essence.

6.Although space has been designated "empty",
In reality it is inexpressible;
Although the nature of mind is called "clear light",
Its every ascription is baseless verbal fiction.

7.The mind's original nature is like space;
It pervades and embraces all things under the sun.

8.Be still and stay relaxed in genuine ease,
Be quiet and let sound reverberate as an echo,
Keep your mind silent and watch the ending of all worlds.

9.The body is essentially empty like the stem of a reed,
And the mind, like pure space, utterly transcends
the world of thought:
Relax into your intrinsic nature with neither abandon nor control -
Mind with no objective is Mahamudra -
And, with practice perfected, supreme enlightenment is gained.

10..The clear light of Mahamudra cannot be revealed
By the canonical scriptures or metaphysical treatises
Of the Mantravada, the Paramitas or the Tripitaka;
The clear light is veiled by concepts and ideals.

11.By harbouring rigid precepts the true samaya is impaired,
But with cessation of mental activity all fixed notions subside;
When the swell of the ocean is at one with its peaceful depths,
When mind never strays from indeterminate, non-conceptual truth,
The unbroken samaya is a lamp lit in spiritual darkness.

12.Free of intellectual conceits, disavowing dogmatic principles,
The truth of every school and scripture is revealed.
Absorbed in Mahamudra, you are free from the prison of samsara;
Poised in Mahamudra, guilt and negativity are consumed;
And as master of Mahamudra you are the light of the Doctrine.

13.The fool in his ignorance, disdaining Mahamudra,
Knows nothing but struggle in the flood of samsara.
Have compassion for those who suffer constant anxiety!
Sick of unrelenting pain and desiring release, adhere to a master,
For when his blessing touches your heart, the mind is liberated.

14.KYE HO! Listen with joy!
Investment in samsara is futile; it is the cause of every anxiety.
Since worldly involvement is pointless, seek the heart of reality!

15.In the transcending of mind's dualities is Supreme vision;
In a still and silent mind is Supreme Meditation;
In spontaneity is Supreme Activity;
And when all hopes and fears have died, the Goal is reached.

16.Beyond all mental images the mind is naturally clear:
Follow no path to follow the path of the Buddhas;
Employ no technique to gain supreme enlightenment.

17.KYE MA! Listen with sympathy!
With insight into your sorry worldly predicament,
Realising that nothing can last, that all is as dreamlike illusion,
Meaningless illusion provoking frustration and boredom,
Turn around and abandon your mundane pursuits.

18.Cut away involvement with your homeland and friends
And meditate alone in a forest or mountain retreat;
Exist there in a state of non-meditation
And attaining no-attainment, you attain Mahamudra.

19.A tree spreads its branches and puts forth leaves,
But when its root is cut its foliage withers;
So too, when the root of the mind is severed,
The branches of the tree of samsara die.

20.A single lamp dispels the darkness of a thousand aeons;
Likewise, a single flash of the mind's clear light
Erases aeons of karmic conditioning and spiritual blindness.

21.KYE HO! Listen with joy!
The truth beyond mind cannot be grasped by any faculty of mind;
The meaning of non-action cannot be understood in compulsive activity;
To realise the meaning of non-action and beyond mind,
Cut the mind at its root and rest in naked awareness.

22.Allow the muddy waters of mental activity to clear;
Refrain from both positive and negative projection -
leave appearances alone:
The phenomenal world, without addition or subtraction, is Mahamudra.

23.The unborn omnipresent base dissolves your impulsions and delusions:
Do not be conceited or calculating but rest in the unborn essence
And let all conceptions of yourself and the universe melt away.

24.The highest vision opens every gate;
The highest meditation plumbs the infinite depths;
The highest activity is ungoverned yet decisive;
And the highest goal is ordinary being devoid of hope and fear.

25.At first your karma is like a river falling through a gorge;
In mid-course it flows like a gently meandering River Ganga;
And finally, as a river becomes one with the ocean,
It ends in consummation like the meeting of mother and son.

26.If the mind is dull and you are unable to practice these instructions,
Retaining essential breath and expelling the sap of awareness,
Practising fixed gazes - methods of focussing the mind,
Discipline yourself until the state of total awareness abides.

27.When serving a karmamudra, the pure awareness
of bliss and emptiness will arise:
Composed in a blessed union of insight and means,
Slowly send down, retain and draw back up the bodhichitta,
And conducting it to the source, saturate the entire body.
But only if lust and attachment are absent will that awareness arise.

28.Then gaining long-life and eternal youth, waxing like the moon,
Radiant and clear, with the strength of a lion,
You will quickly gain mundane power and suprem enlightenment.
May this pith instruction in Mahamudra
Remain in the hearts of fortunate beings.

[DrewPollock]

My opinion that there is a universal deity isnt driven by fear. My opinion is based upon the miracle of life. Sperm and an egg creating a being, that can feel, think and have opinions. Facts like this make me think that there is a universal deity. But i do doubt that there is such a thing alot. There is no way to know for sure. No evidence, only that wrote by man. Which cannot be depended upon.

[sahyo]

breath

[a random hack]

seems to me that the only good philosopher is a dead philosopher, cause they, like musicians, seem to hold much more authority, and they can't change their opinions :lol:

[todd]

My opinion.

I think the main reason most of us believe in their own God, is because we cannot understand/accept the afterdeath. It is not about the death itself, you can get along with death if you think there is something waiting for you after.
All religions are based on this.
We thrive for immortality.
Worst, even is it is not about fear, we cannot explain our existence or life itself in any way.
We are used to think that everything exists for a reason, that everything has a meaning.
If there is God, there is a future for our souls, for our conscience. It doesn't matter in what God you believe.
I just started to think - what if there is afterlife but there is no God?

My own Philosophy?
I do not have one. I did not find anything to fit in, to find myself in it. What I like is honesty, freedom, courage, responsibility, etc.../
I do not care what is your believing as long you are honest, open-minded and prepared to change your conceptions when you discover another truth that fits you better. Because I do not think there is one universal truth for us ( at least not one to fit our comprehension). It may be one for God.

[vicente]

I do not care what is your believing as long you are honest, open-minded

http://www.abarnett.demon.co.uk/atheism/wager.html

[sahyo]

"The philosopher exhausted himself with thinking (figuring out)
let him run on, (in vain) since his back is turned toward the treasure
Let him run on, for the more he keeps running
the farther away does he become from the object of his desire
Rumi, Masnavi, VI:2356-7"

[Mental Gremlin]

let us not forget that Philosopy is the love of wisdom. To deny the wisdom that can be gained in studying one path or another path based on the desire to be right is to rob yourself of that wisdom.
all paths reflect a desire to help the individual merge with ultimate reality. Whether or not that Ultimate is personified God or nameless unknowable.

[samebutdifferent]

Why does there need to be a God?Can't everything jsut be as it is without an explanation? It's our human nature to want an explanation for things.All the people that know about this "afterlife" are dead or have forgotten completely about it. I myself dont think there is a God.

[todd]

Why does there need to be a God?Can't everything jsut be as it is without an explanation? It's our human nature to want an explanation for things.All the people that know about this "afterlife" are dead or have forgotten completely about it. I myself dont think there is a God.

No God, no explanation, no "wondering", no reality, no present - check what vicent says in his postings. You'll agree with him.

[DrewPollock]

That is true todd. But i do belive in a universal diety, or power.
You can look at the miracle of life. The chemical in our sperm, joins with the chemicals in the egg, and it forms another human. A human that can think, have opinions, and join message boards to discuss and contrast their opinions with others. This fact leads me to belive there is a very complex being who started all of this. Its impossible to tell.

Two questions which cannot be answered--
Where did life come from?
What is the meaning of life?

There is no answer for these questions. There will not be unless a god shows itself and declares itself the creator (which is highly unlikely). Even then some will doubt.

[todd]

I share your views DrewPollock, my previous answer was meant for samebutdiffernt only. He shares vicente opinions.

[Ronagon]

Objectivism is my favorite philosophy... far superior to all the others:

http://www.solohq.com/Objectivism/