[Buddha-l] Withdrawal of the senses

[James Ward]

On Nov 23, 2006, at 2:07 AM, Erik Hoogcarspel wrote:

> It's a bit off topic,

Yes, I thought about that, then blundered onward anyway.

> but maybe just a quick remark would be at place.
> Neoplatonism is a philosohpical-mystical movement containing 
> Aristotelic, Sceptical and Stoic components tought in learning centres 
> called 'academia'. Main figures are of course Plotinos and Augustine. 
> Gnostics were groups of theosophists avant la lettre, living 
> originally mainly in North-Egypt, they were a kind of philosophical 
> alchimists, mixing all kinds of exotic ideas and theories and 
> experimenting with the results. Compare them with Bhagavan (Rajneesh), 
> Free John (or whatever he calls himself), Michael Roach, etc.
>
> I cannot understand what givies you the idea that Plotinus has a beef 
> with the Logos which he longed to see whole his life. You mnust 
> confuse him with someone else.

Sorry that my words were not clear.  I meant that Plotinus criticized 
the Gnostics for their notion that the Demiurge created the world -- 
the Demiurge being cut off from participation in the Good, and the 
world being an utterly lousy place.

It's interesting -- one could read Plotinus on the origin of evil 
(Ennead I, tractate viii) in a pretty Manichaean way:  matter, hyle (= 
chaos?) is something to be escaped, and it is without form or measure.  
On the other hand, in "Against those that affirm the creator of the 
kosmos and the kosmos itself to be evil" (Ennead II, tractate ix), he 
speaks of the beauty of the world and its direct connection to the 
Good...

Anyway, back to Buddhism... :)

James Ward