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

[Mike Austin]

In message <45475CCD.9070809 at cola.iges.org>, curt <curt at cola.iges.org> 
writes

>Sam Harris doesn't understand the inherent benefits of "making 
>believe". This could be a sign of serious psychological problems

I see no 'inherent' benefits of "making believe" either.  The benefits I 
see are antidotal and thus relative.  For example,  should my outlook be 
miserable,  I can apply some reasoning and review my experiences  from a 
different angle.  This requires giving adequate weight  (maybe belief or 
confidence) to the antidote.  However,  if I go too far and hold to this 
as some definite reality, it would eventually cause more problems.

What is (or should be) happening hear is an abandonment of non-conducive 
concepts - not simply to replace them by new ones, but to clear the mind 
and enable it to see how things really are.

-- 
Metta
Mike Austin