• henfredemars@infosec.pub
    ·
    edit-2
    9 months ago

    I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. It’s rather absurd that I get to live at all.

    I feel like I understand the Buddha better as years go by. I want to enjoy this strange and mysterious opportunity to be without becoming too attached to all these temporary things, myself included. Indeed, my life today looks nothing like it did 10 years ago. I’m not sure I am the same person. In many ways, it’s like every day we die and become something new.

      • zed_proclaimer [he/him]
        ·
        9 months ago

        even the poorest monk can find moments of joy and happiness that give meaning. I wouldn't be blasé

              • zed_proclaimer [he/him]
                ·
                edit-2
                9 months ago

                For context I was born a poor Egyptian and lived through the so-called Arab spring and personally saw murder and death. I’m not some coddled imperialist, and I feel like I have a better connection to life than the comfortable yanks

                • JohnBrownNote [comrade/them, des/pair]
                  ·
                  9 months ago

                  congrats on dodging the myriad mental illnesses you could've caught from that trauma. do you have an effective clinical treatment for major depression or just survivorship bias?

                  • zed_proclaimer [he/him]
                    ·
                    9 months ago

                    Oh I have all kinds of mental illnesses you obviously don’t follow my posting notoriety do you?

        • TreadOnMe [none/use name]
          ·
          9 months ago

          And it isn't what it isn't until it is. Swapping around words and dualities is not wisdom, it's sophistry.

          • henfredemars@infosec.pub
            ·
            9 months ago

            I believe you're missing the forest for the trees. Words are signposts, tools. It doesn't mean literal vacuous truth. The phrase is illustrative, of course.

            In this case, "is what it is" means forgoing judgement because it doesn't change what already is the case. This seems fundamental to Buddhist teaching that was mentioned in the root comment. This attachment and resistance is, to some interpretations, the source of suffering. At least that's how it was taught to me during my short time living at my local temple.

            "Until it isn't" refers to death.

            • TreadOnMe [none/use name]
              ·
              9 months ago

              I'm not missing the forest for the trees, I'm telling you that you are looking at a desert with a scrub brush, insistent it's a forest.

              It is vacancy masquerading as truth. I am perfectly aware of Buddhist dualisms and detachment theory. However, per Wittgenstein, there is no real wisdom or metaphysical truth to be gained in phraseology and word games. Particularly if they are readily interchangable with their contradictions. It can be fun, but not nessecerily wise or meaningful.

              'Isn't what it isn't" means foregoing judgement because it doesn't change what already isn't the case. This attachment and resistance is, to some interpretation, the source of suffering.

              'Until it is' refers to death.

              • zed_proclaimer [he/him]
                ·
                9 months ago

                However, per Wittgenstein, there is no real wisdom or metaphysical truth to be gained in phraseology and word games.

                They aren't playing word games, you are merely interpreting that way. They are conveying a message via the words to you, one you reject without reason

              • HamManBad [he/him]
                ·
                9 months ago

                Ah but have you considered that some of us are into that shit