[Buddha-l] Re: **REALLY** Western Buddhism

[Jim Peavler]

On Oct 29, 2006, at 8:02 PM, James Ward wrote:

>
> So:  in this case I'm not sure we agree what constitutes sense and  
> nonsense, so I can't say whether there is a necessary connection  
> between believing in nonsense and wishing the world well.  That  
> being said, however, I might as well note that I agree with a lot  
> of what has been said in this thread, and that "religion" can  
> certainly be an obstacle to progress, whether spiritual or mental  
> or whatever one may wish to call this continuum of awareness.   
> (Sometimes "basic space of phenomena" seem like a nice label, when  
> I'm not giggling at labels.)

On wishing the world well:

The world that I inhabit (the universe too) is experienced through so  
many filters (the senses, the mind, memories, expectations) that it  
is a unique world and universe to me. How it goes from my day-to-day  
experience of it depends to a very large degree on how I am feeling  
toward it. I have noticed that this universe has changed as the  
decades of my experiencing it have rolled by. So the universe has  
changed as the years roll by.

But the universe is a largely different place in many ways from day- 
to-day, depending to some degree on whether I awoke wishing all the  
creatures well or whether a longed for the destruction and misery of  
some portion of that universe. (Even wishing strongly for the  
destruction of my illness makes the world a darker place.)

So, wishing the world well makes me more comfortable and actually  
makes the world I live in a much better place to live. Without the  
aid of superstition and without believing in nonsense.

Good morning all. It is a beautiful day here in Albuquerque, with  
flocks of sandhill cranes flying overhead on their way to the Bosque  
del Apache!

May they reach their destination and enjoy a relaxing winter.

Jim Peavler
jmp at peavler.org