Eastern philosophy says the self is an illusion

Cypress said:
I suspect the term "mindfulness" is a marketing strategy, the same way New Age grifters used Yoga in the 1970s, and healing crystals in the 1990s to sell their books and services. Over the coming years the term mindfulness will probably fade is useage and popularity the same way yoga and healing crystals did.
Click to expand...

Mindfulness is a good perspective, but I agree there are those who simply use it as a marketing ploy to sell crap to people such as a "Mindfulness DVD collection and Mindfulness mat for $19.99 in four easy instalments. Free aromatherapy candle if you order NOW!"

It's like all the weight loss tools being marketed. Maintaining a healthy weight is a good thing but most of what is being sold is bullshit.
 
Doc Dutch said:
Mindfulness is a good perspective, but I agree there are those who simply use it as a marketing ploy to sell crap to people such as a "Mindfulness DVD collection and Mindfulness mat for $19.99 in four easy instalments. Free aromatherapy candle if you order NOW!"

It's like all the weight loss tools being marketed. Maintaining a healthy weight is a good thing but most of what is being sold is bullshit.
Click to expand...

I'm old enough to remember when the urban hipsters, new age cultists, and meteosexuals were running around in the 70s and 80s going on about how cool Yoga meditation was. "Mindfulness" is obviously the new marketing gimmick to sell books and videos, in the same way Yoga once was the powerhouse of New Age marketing strategies.
 
Cypress said:
I'm old enough to remember when the urban hipsters, new age cultists, and meteosexuals were running around in the 70s and 80s going on about how cool Yoga meditation was. "Mindfulness" is obviously the new marketing gimmick to sell books and videos, in the same way Yoga once was the powerhouse of New Age marketing strategies.
Click to expand...
Same for Zen, a trend Alan Watts kicked off and it was quickly taken up by New Ager hippies.

Regardless of those seeking to make a profit off spirituality, mindfulness, yoga and zen meditation are legitimate avenues to explore one's place in the Universe.
 
Doc Dutch said:
Same for Zen, a trend Alan Watts kicked off and it was quickly taken up by New Ager hippies.

Regardless of those seeking to make a profit off spirituality, mindfulness, yoga and zen meditation are legitimate avenues to explore one's place in the Universe.
Click to expand...

I'm not going to begrudge anyone who is seeking self knowledge and self improvement, even if they get sold stuff by grifters.
 
Cypress said:
I'm not going to begrudge anyone who is seeking self knowledge and self improvement, even if they get sold stuff by grifters.
Click to expand...

Agreed. It should be encouraged to explore and improve oneself...even if it involves being taken by grifters a few times.
 
Instead of accepting the obvious,
that one is in fact merely one of trillions of living organisms
that have existed on this small and obscure planet,
one instead chooses to ponder one's "place in the universe."

Evolution created in us one extraordinarily egomaniacal species.
In some ways we're highly functional, but overall,
I'll take dogs any day.

While everything in the "animal kingdom" is a meat robot,
certainly in my view at least,
some species are simply nicer ones than others.
 
Telocollinite said:
Or think about people who reference Jesus as a "moral teacher" but then treat his teachings as a pile of shit.
Click to expand...

You are on record saying it's 'okay to hate', but I believe the teachings of Jesus and the Buddha were that resentment, grievance, and hate are negative emotions which ultimately lead to immoral acts and self destruction.
 
Cypress said:
I'm old enough to remember when the urban hipsters, new age cultists, and meteosexuals were running around in the 70s and 80s going on about how cool Yoga meditation was. "Mindfulness" is obviously the new marketing gimmick to sell books and videos, in the same way Yoga once was the powerhouse of New Age marketing strategies.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I think we've all see disingenuous abuses of relatively good ideas. Again, like leveraging Quantum Mechanics anytime someone wants to make something sound "deep" doesn't make QM any less valuable in reality.

Or some of that dreadful misapplication of Eastern Philosophies by regular Westerners who simply want to sound more deep themselves.

People gonna be people.
 
Cypress said:
You are on record saying it's 'okay to hate', but I believe the teachings of Jesus and the Buddha were that resentment, grievance, and hate are negative emotions which ultimately lead to immoral acts and self destruction.
Click to expand...

Nope. Never said that. I said it is ok to feel hate. It is a normal emotion. It's the action taken on that feeling that is bad.

I wish you were able to treat my posts with at least a modicum of respect but I understand "forgiveness" is one of those teachings of Jesus you find risible.
 
NiftyNiblick said:
Instead of accepting the obvious,
that one is in fact merely one of trillions of living organisms
that have existed on this small and obscure planet,
one instead chooses to ponder one's "place in the universe."

Evolution created in us one extraordinarily egomaniacal species.
In some ways we're highly functional, but overall,
I'll take dogs any day.

While everything in the "animal kingdom" is a meat robot,
certainly in my view at least,
some species are simply nicer ones than others.
Click to expand...

I like dogs better than most people.

Our brains evolved to transcend ourselves and ask abstract ontological questions that perhaps no other life in the galaxy does.

I don't know why that is, but I don't dismiss it as meaningless and insignificant.
 
NiftyNiblick said:
Instead of accepting the obvious,
that one is in fact merely one of trillions of living organisms
that have existed on this small and obscure planet,
one instead chooses to ponder one's "place in the universe."

Evolution created in us one extraordinarily egomaniacal species.
In some ways we're highly functional, but overall,
I'll take dogs any day.

While everything in the "animal kingdom" is a meat robot,
certainly in my view at least,
some species are simply nicer ones than others.
Click to expand...

^^^QFT.

(Be careful, Doc and Cypress are going to pitch a fit because you compared humans to animals. That doesn't set well with their philosophies.)
 
Cypress said:
Our brains evolved to transcend ourselves and ask abstract ontological questions that perhaps no other life in the galaxy does.

I don't know why that is, but I don't dismiss it as meaningless and insignificant.
Click to expand...

Do you think we are the only animals on the planet with that ability? If so, how do you know this?
 
Telocollinite said:
Nope. Never said that. I said it is ok to feel hate. It is a normal emotion. It's the action taken on that feeling that is bad.

I wish you were able to treat my posts with at least a modicum of respect but I understand "forgiveness" is one of those teachings of Jesus you find risible.
Click to expand...

When you scream at me in large font, all caps bold red text, you are obviously capable and unremorseful of indulging anger and letting rage control your actions.y
 
Telocollinite said:
Nope. Never said that. I said it is ok to feel hate. It is a normal emotion. It's the action taken on that feeling that is bad.

I wish you were able to treat my posts with at least a modicum of respect but I understand "forgiveness" is one of those teachings of Jesus you find risible.
Click to expand...
Normal for wackadoodles, Perry, not normal for normal people for previously posted reasons.

You're a whiner, Perry. When you aren't lying, you're whining about being called a liar. I forgive you because you are sick and incapable of exercising free will.
 
Cypress said:
When you scream at me in large font, all caps bold red text, you are obviously capable and unremorseful of indulging anger and letting rage control your actions.y
Click to expand...

I understand you can never forgive. Even if I apologize. I find that most ironic because you mentioned Christ as a moral teacher. Apparently he is not serious to you.

I find your morality quite interesting. Very detailed, intensely researched but with some gaps.
 
Doc Dutch said:
Normal for wackadoodles, Perry, not normal for normal people for previously posted reasons.

You're a whiner, Perry. When you aren't lying, you're whining about being called a liar. I forgive you because you are sick and incapable of exercising free will.
Click to expand...

You're still upset I see. Not gonna take a break today to rebalance yourself just a bit? Why not go to an art museum for some relaxation?
 
Telocollinite said:
You're still upset I see. Not gonna take a break today to rebalance yourself just a bit? Why not go to an art museum for some relaxation?
Click to expand...
Your projections of emotional instability aside, Perry, why did you run from your Gaugin claim? Do you think running makes you look like a poltroon? A craven liar?
 
Telocollinite said:
I understand you can never forgive. Even if I apologize. I find that most ironic because you mentioned Christ as a moral teacher. Apparently he is not serious to you.

I find your morality quite interesting. Very detailed, intensely researched but with some gaps.
Click to expand...

Liars should never be forgiven unless they are low IQ and/or mentally ill. In your case, I think Cypress should forgive your lies, your deceits, your false accusations and your trolling because you can't help yourself, Perry.
 
Let's try to remember that we're speaking of highly esoteric but marginally relevant [at best] things

on the planet's least relevant forum--the fucking internet!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top