[MD] dualism

[david buchanan]

Kevin Perez said on 10 Feb 2007:
I posted and participated in discussions here from mid 2005 through early 
2006.  Since then my curiosity with things philosophical, mystical and 
scientific has lead me to Eckart Tolle, JR Searle and countless bits and 
bites on the Internet.  I traveled to Fordham University recently to listen 
to Richard Rohr speak on "Jesus as the First Non-Dual Teacher in the West."  
And references to Ken Wilber keep cropping up.  I hope to read something of 
his one of these days.

dmb says:
Its funny that you should return by mentioning how Ken Wilber keep popping 
up. If memory serves, it was my Ken Wilberisms, among other things, that 
chased you away from here in the first place. Anyway, I'm glad to hear it. 
I'd suggest THE MARRIAGE OF SENSE AND SOUL. The focus in on religion and its 
future and so I imagine you'd enjoy it very much.

Kevin also said:
I believe that true life is realized when things that seem to be separate 
and dualistic are held together, not balanced.  And that this is difficult. 
Is this what Buddhist's mean when they say "life is suffering?"  And I 
believe this is what Richard Rohr means when he says "The path of prayer and 
the path of suffering are the only paths that can break down dualistic 
thinking." Thoughts?

dmb says:
I'm reluctant to take Rohr seriously. The only paths? It seems to me that 
dualistic thinking can only be avoided if we stop thinking and there are 
lots of ways to do that. Further, I'm not even convinced that prayer or 
suffering are among the ways to stop thinking. I don't know. You tell me. 
How would that work? Is that even Rohr's idea; to foster a non-rational 
experience thru prayer and suffering? Something tells me he's NOT talking 
about a vision quest or any kind of method for enlightenment.

Also, the idea is not that unity is achieved when separate things are "held 
together" but rather that language and concepts cut up the unity that 
preceeds them. The world of dualisms, the ten thousand things, is derived 
from that undivided mystical reality. This is the maya, the world of 
illusion, the world of desire, opposed forces and so is the world of 
suffering. In the MOQ, this is the world of static patterns. It is our 
conventional, common sense reality and it is not a hallucination of course, 
but it is illusory to the extent that we fail to realize that its not THEE 
world. Its not the only way to slice up that undivided reality. This is what 
the central feature of philosophical mysticism means; reality cannot be 
intellectually defined but it can be apprehended through non-rational means. 
That's why a metaphysical system, as a set of definitions, concepts etc., 
can only point to the undivided reality.

dmb

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