[Buddha-l] Natural lucidity for all, a Buddhist dream

[Erik Hoogcarspel]

Joy Vriens schreef:

> ***If one takes the metaphore of awakening quite literally, then all 
> one needs to awaken is to awake. I don't know why the Buddha (if it 
> was him) picked that particular metaphore, rather then one of 
> cleaning the dust from a mirror, or painfully building a 3-stored 
> house, traveling through bhumis etc. 
>  

Well Joy, I'm not sure but my guess would be that this was closest to 
his own experience.

>  
> "I don't think that it has anything to
> do with the grey mass, and that the metaphore of wiring is misleading."
>  
> ***I am a total nitwit in general but even more so when it comes to 
> grey mass, but isn't there something called synapses or something, 
> that can be maintained or developped. You know when they say about 
> your brain "use it or lose it"?

Common sense is not very sensible in this area. But we can be sure that 
the Buddha never said that we need brainsurgery in order to develop 
bodhi, and he didn't need it either. Bhavana is all about developing 
mental habits like concentration and recollectedness.

>  
> "Gamers just have developed specific mindhabits. But even then it opens
> new possibilities and a new field in computer technology: Computer Aided
> Nirvaa.na."
>  
> ***Can something virtual produce "real" results? And how real can 
> those results as long as we think they are real?

If niraa.na is equal to samsaara, both are virtual and their difference 
is semiotic. Percieve samsaara in the way of bodhi and you have 
nirvaa.na (I guess, maybe I should try it).


Erik


www.xs4all.nl/~jehms
weblog http://www.volkskrantblog.nl/pub/blogs/blog.php?uid=2950