Search found 145 matches

by contemplans
Wed Feb 22, 2012 11:58 pm
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: The Dalai Lama's Solution to Overpopulation
Replies: 98
Views: 17469

Re: The Dalai Lama's Solution to Overpopulation

One thing to keep in mind: Human beings are what they are as a result of evolution. There is simply no need to assume an indemonstrable god notion is responsible for how human being are, so there is no theological basis for claiming anything about the nature of sex. My observations are from the nat...
by contemplans
Wed Feb 22, 2012 9:19 pm
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: The Dalai Lama's Solution to Overpopulation
Replies: 98
Views: 17469

Re: The Dalai Lama's Solution to Overpopulation

If the purpose of sex is to procreate, what is the purpose of procreation? To propogate life for the sake of joy and happiness. Now, most on this forum agree the highest joy is nirvana, but until one has taken that as the ideal, any joy or pleasure that does not harm others is often cited as benefi...
by contemplans
Wed Feb 22, 2012 4:53 pm
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: The Dalai Lama's Solution to Overpopulation
Replies: 98
Views: 17469

Re: The Dalai Lama's Solution to Overpopulation

tiltbillings wrote:And obviously you can not see the flawed logic of your "argument."
If you are wise, and I am in ignorance, then out of charity please correct me. I am willing to learn. You may not believe me, but I am.
by contemplans
Wed Feb 22, 2012 2:09 am
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: The Dalai Lama's Solution to Overpopulation
Replies: 98
Views: 17469

Re: The Dalai Lama's Solution to Overpopulation

To answer a few past posts which responded to me. Sex has two purposes. The primary is procreation. The secondary is love and pleasure. We know procreation is the primary purpose because the peak of the experience is ejaculation, which has the sole aim of procreating. The pleasure is quite a separat...
by contemplans
Sun Feb 19, 2012 3:52 pm
Forum: Lounge
Topic: Life without God: Sam Harris interviews Tim Prowse
Replies: 13
Views: 3684

Re: Life without God: Sam Harris interviews Tim Prowse

Yes, we have seen how well Freser defends the god notion. Shall we have a look at that again?
Somehow I've doubt you've read the book.
by contemplans
Sun Feb 19, 2012 3:45 pm
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: The Dalai Lama's Solution to Overpopulation
Replies: 98
Views: 17469

Re: The Dalai Lama's Solution to Overpopulation

I think the statement above is indicative of the mental state that produced it and does nothing to consider the actual selfishness of any actual people. I expect people can have many reasons for avoiding pregnancy. The full consequences of the act of sex need not be pregnancy and therefore the peop...
by contemplans
Sun Feb 19, 2012 2:47 pm
Forum: Lounge
Topic: Life without God: Sam Harris interviews Tim Prowse
Replies: 13
Views: 3684

Re: Life without God: Sam Harris interviews Tim Prowse

The Last Superstition: A Refutation of the New Atheism, by Edward Feser tackles Harris and others. His arguments for atheism, or against God, are weaker than his weak Christianity.
by contemplans
Sun Feb 19, 2012 2:32 pm
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: The Dalai Lama's Solution to Overpopulation
Replies: 98
Views: 17469

Re: The Dalai Lama's Solution to Overpopulation

If overpopulation is such a terrible thing, then we have to have a good solution to solve it. Never do evil that good may come of it. The Dalai Lama presented something that would be very good if it organically grew in society, i.e., people voluntarily taking up the celibate life. The Dalai lama sni...
by contemplans
Sat Feb 18, 2012 10:05 pm
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: The Dalai Lama's Solution to Overpopulation
Replies: 98
Views: 17469

Re: The Dalai Lama's Solution to Overpopulation

I for one think the whole think is a myth. We look at the images of Beijing, or whatever town that was, and it produces in us a different sense of the world that is true. I am about to go out to San Diego County (in California) tomorrow, and there will be nothing out there. It is liveable. As for mo...
by contemplans
Mon Feb 13, 2012 2:39 pm
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: the great atheism debate
Replies: 475
Views: 62635

Re: Buddhist response to Western ontology

I am going to close my contribution to this thread. We've had a lot of room to explore the argument that I presented, and I think we all have some food for thought to go away with. If you felt like I didn't answer your question at all, or not adequately, it is probably because of one of the reasons ...
by contemplans
Sat Feb 11, 2012 10:57 pm
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: About No-Self
Replies: 33
Views: 5011

Re: About No-Self

It is a common understanding about the prefix a, an. It is an Indo-European root. It negates the word it is prefixed to, makes it the opposite, but does not negate it totally. IN-constant (a-nicca), doesn't mean having no constancy. If there was no constancy, then why does my head appear in the same...
by contemplans
Sat Feb 11, 2012 10:41 pm
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: the great atheism debate
Replies: 475
Views: 62635

Re: Buddhist response to Western ontology

I don't believe that the precepts are based on "objective significance", but on what is conductive to happiness and the attainment of nibbana, and not because these goals have an objective goodness, but because they are from the perspective of the subjective being preferable. And so then ...
by contemplans
Sat Feb 11, 2012 10:38 pm
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: the great atheism debate
Replies: 475
Views: 62635

Re: Buddhist response to Western ontology

But there is absolutely no reason why reason must take us in the direction of "pure actuality." You have to show that. You're saying a lot of things, but not proving anything. Your repeated red herrings do nothing to address the theory I am describing. You are latching onto the last argum...
by contemplans
Sat Feb 11, 2012 10:17 pm
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: the great atheism debate
Replies: 475
Views: 62635

Re: Buddhist response to Western ontology

What you are effectively saying is that "creation" is not a valid answer to explain why anything exists. Ok fine we are in agreement here. I am saying that we start with the assumption that we exist, reason to pure actuality, and then reason from there the relation we have to that. If we ...
by contemplans
Sat Feb 11, 2012 8:21 pm
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: Evil doers
Replies: 10
Views: 2406

Re: Evil doers

You are right in this. But in the west the word evil often has a loaded meaning. Like something is intrinsically evil or good, or maybe like it is an external source. In Buddhism this is not like that and therefore I prefer to say (this kind of) evil has no part in Buddhism. Because in Buddhism eve...