[MD] Loneliness

[John Carl]

On Fri, Sep 11, 2009 at 9:19 AM, David Thomas <combinedefforts at earthlink.net
> wrote:


> When Marsha says, "intellectualizing and up to your eyeballs in
> objectification." I'm not really sure what she means but I suspect it
> implies that attempts to stabilize the understanding or interpretation of
> the MoQ is a static activity and of questionable value.



Well, not to put words in Marsha's fingers, but ...  I'd say the "attempt"
is a dynamic activity but the achievement of a consensus would be a static
result.






>  I guess that by
> extension RMP writing ZMM and Lila, "objectifying" them into books was
> value-wise a "degenerate activity". Ops, he already said that. He also said
> something like,"If you don't generalize, you don't do metaphysics."
>

 I quit picking up bar ladies about 30 years ago and I quit drinking about 2
1/2 weeks ago so I have to have more metaphysics now to keep it all
balanced.



>
> About the use in the West of Oriental religions/philosophies as a panacea
> for "valueless modernity" I suggest rereading the hippie section of Lila.
> (303-305 in my HB edition) maybe followed by an extended trip to Laos,
> Cambodia, or even China to see them in action. And for a view from the
> other
> side: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orientalism_(book)
>
>
Yeah?  I got a book<http://thehappysmith.blogspot.com/2007/09/gods-drink-whiskey.html>somewhat
along these lines a while back, Stephan Asma who taught Buddhism to
Cambodians (!) He had a lot of interesting insights into the kind of
cultural fallouts that occur in Buddhist countrys vs. his (america).

The poignant point of an American teaching Buddhism to Cambodians is
reinforced by what you say below.  Cambodian Buddhists were wiped out by Pol
Pot.   China, Tibet, Cambodia, Vietnam - all dominated by communism at some
point and to some extent.  Why?  What is it in Buddhism that leads to this
weakness of a society ruled by a dictator?  Does  the populace suffer
because the metaphysical backbone of the Buddha is too weak to resist a
dominating social force?


> "Fear and Loathing" of SOM obscures that fact that when it emerged from the
> dynamic soup it was the very best, highest value pattern around. And the
> fruits of that tree have been enormous and the unintended negative
> consequences by comparison much smaller.(But not to be under estimated
> either)
>

"What doth it profit a man if he gains the world but loses his soul?"
 What have we achieved with our great technological prowess and
materialistic advantages?  A self-indulgent culture of
instant-gratification-seeking, short-attention-spanned, video-addicted,
philosophically illiterate sheeple.

Does not bode well for a happy future.