[Buddha-l] What is enlightenment?

[Stanley J. Ziobro II]

On Wed, 11 May 2005, Jim Peavler wrote:

>
> On May 11, 2005, at 5:53 AM, Stanley J. Ziobro II wrote:
>
>
> >  At least that may qualify as a
> > relativist explanation dogmatically articulated within the
> > terminological
> > context of "delusion" and "enlightenment."
>
> Or, perhaps, one could call it a conclusion derived from a logically
> necessary polylemma.

Or, perhaps, one could simply call it an opinion.

> Since neither "delusion" nor "enlightenment" can be experientially
> demonstrated to a non-professing observer it is difficult to derive
> from induction. So, we wind up taking somebody's word for it. Some
> folks are eager to take somebody's word for things, and some folks find
> it impossible to take somebody's word for something.

Maybe.  What would you make of Emile LaSalle and other Catholics who have
experientially verified for themselves that there are mental states their
Buddhist teachers have termed "delusion" and "enlightenment"?  They are
not professing Buddhists, but they also have had no problem with
undergoing the training to validate what others have said.  Note, also,
that these people both took somebody's word for it that there is something
corresponding to "delusion" and something corresponding to
"enlightenment," and also actually verified the matter for themselves.  I
guess, then, I do not really understand the dichotamies you offer for our
consideration.

Stan Ziobro