[Buddha-l] Everybody on vacation?

[jkirk]

Hi Erik, 

Thanks for this gem: 
"Even if you could control it, what good would it do if you
wouldn't be able to remember your last life? You would be a
Gujarati businessman, probably by the name of Patel, and you
would consider the ease with which you would speak Gujarati as
quite normal and not being worth a second thought.  You would
however probably take evening class to improve your English. :-)"

--and for the chuckle.  Speaking of Patels--was recently in
Chicago and went to a Patel grocery store--what an array of yummy
Indian fresh veggies they have --also they had fresh liichiis. A
big hit with me & another guest where I was staying. Haven't et
those since I was last in Punjab.

"I sometimes get the feeling that most people believe in
reincarnation because they want to be someone who believes in
reincarnation."

That's not me, Jack! 
My thought of course was a small version about one favorite theme
among some of us: so much to read, so little time.

Joanna


  

-----Original Message-----
From: buddha-l-bounces at mailman.swcp.com
[mailto:buddha-l-bounces at mailman.swcp.com] On Behalf Of Erik
Hoogcarspel
Sent: Saturday, June 13, 2009 1:50 PM
To: Buddhist discussion forum
Subject: Re: [Buddha-l] Everybody on vacation?


Hi Joanna,

jkirk schreef:
> Things really are quiet here these days. Hope this bit might
generate 
> a few comments......
>  
> I've been re-thinking the idea of rebirth.....I don't really
think 
> it's possible nor do I place much credence in the stories of
people 
> who say they've seen their past lives via some process, such as

> meditation or past-life channeling or whatever it's called.
Still, 
> there is one aspect to the Buddhist idea of working to avoid
rebirth 
> that doesn't initially make sense. This is the idea that
desiring 
> rebirth is a source of dukkha.
>   
We know that rebirth is a story that grew slowly in the
upani.sads and that it supports the idea of an unchanging self.
The Buddhist idea that only karma returns is not very convincing
and rather confusing. But of course what is convincing and what
not? Do you demand falsifiability or just confirmation by an
authority? Do you want a story to put your mind at ease or do you
like to think and keep asking yourself questions which probably
will never be answered? Nietzsche said that most people don't
want truth but just convenient illusions. On the other hand life
would be impossible if we would demand scientific evidence for
every fact in our lifeworld. I sometimes get the feeling that
most peole believe in reincarnation because they want to be
someone who believes in reincarnation.
>  
> There's one motivation in favor of rebirth that strikes me as 
> constructive, not a potential source of dukkha, and that is the
desire 
> to learn more about the phenomenal world (the only world?), to 
> increase one's knowledge, understanding of and thus enjoyment
of the 
> world in an innocent (i.e. not for profit) way.
>  
> I was just looking at my book shelf today-- came across three
old 
> Gujarati readers that I've had for umpteen years from my late
ex, a 
> Gujarati himself. Always wanted to learn it so I could visit
that part 
> of India and be able to communicate, maybe even see the
ancestral 
> village (if it's still there). However, it's probably too late
now, 
> considering the age I'm at, so rebirth would provide another 
> opportunity. However, alas.....I guess the dukkha of the idea
rests in 
> the claim that one cannot control how one is reborn nor into
what sort 
> of being --thus the future being might turn out to be a (perish
the 
> thought) bimbo, businessman, or politician! So much for
learning 
> Gujarati down the road.
>   
Even if you could control it, what good would it do if you
wouldn't be able to remember your last life? You would be a
Gujarati businessman, probably by the name of Patel, and you
would consider the ease with which you would speak Gujarati as
quite normal and not being worth a second thought.
You would however probably take evening class to improve your
English. :-)

Erik

Info: www.xs4all.nl/~jehms
Weblog: http://www.volkskrantblog.nl/pub/blogs/blog.php?uid=2950
Productie: http://www.olivepress.nl




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