[Buddha-l] rebirth

[Joy Vriens]

F.K. Lehman (F.K.L. Chit Hlaing) wrote:

> But surely 'truth', as in the Four Noble Truths means simply a true 
> proposition! That is less problematical than is being made out in there 
> discussions now

Nothing is ever simple when the notions truth and true are introduced. 
Things tend to be much more simple before that. Anything anyone says is 
somehow intended as a "true proposition". Why would one want to call 
one's propositions "true" or "truths"? What does that say about the 
other propositions one could make? What is the nature of this upgrade 
from propositions to true propositions?

Sorry, I believe I made an even bigger mess here. But it's Mike's fault, 
he brought up "truth" in this thread.

If you don't mind me bringing up a shallow, far-fetched and unconvincing 
hypothesis, I think many things the Buddha said and that are considered 
to constitute "the Buddha's teachings" came into being in a similar way 
as news items in tabloids. A celebrity is being interviewed and answers 
questions, but the questions reflect primarily the points of interest of 
the interviewer and it's the interviewer who decides on the topics that 
are treated and on the answers that will be published. The term noble 
truth is probably a catchy title created by one those tabloid 
journalists. Or perhaps the Buddha was questioned about truths and then 
as a sort of wordplay or improvisation on a theme he came up with the 
famous impromptu definition of the four noble truths. All this in a very 
playful mood. And then one tabloid journalist, instead of admiring the 
Buddha's sense of improvisation published it as the Buddha's true 
propositions.

Joy