[MD] emptiness

[Ham Priday]

Greetings, Mark and Marsha --


Mark [to Joe]:
> There are plenty of things that do inherently exist.  There is nothing
> conventional about them, in fact they are unconventional since they
> do exist in a world where there is no inherent existence.. ...
>
> So, Marsha is correct with her denial of inherent existence.
> I believe she has got it.  I believe it comes from her static pattern of
> life history.  Through the use of this she can form static patterns
> which are conventional.  This leads to great insight which can be
> applied to the nature of what is.  Marsha is unconventionally
> conventional, which I consider high praise.  She has formed a very
> good belief  which I am learning from.  The patterns which make me
> are adjusting in a good way as the result of their causes.
> It brings me great peace.

Mark, unless my literal interpretion of what you said is wrong, the lead 
statements in these two paragraphs contradict each other.  Either things DO 
inherently exist or they don't.  Can you give me an example or two from the 
"plenty of things" for which you claim inherent existence, and explain to me 
why they are not "conventional" in the sense that Marsha uses that term?

Also, why do you laud the formation of static patterns as "leading to great 
insight" when that's how we all experience the "reality" of differentiated 
existence?  And what, pray tell, is the great insight this experience has 
given us?   Analogies, similes, conventions, and patterns are useful 
dialectical devices, but they tell us nothing about the nature of Ultimate 
Reality and how we relate to it.

I intend to provide (yet another!) outline of my own ontology, once I feel 
I've comprehended yours and Marsha's.  Meantime, I'm not letting the cat out 
of the bag when I say that, for me, experiential existence IS "conventional 
reality".  Every last bit of it.  True Reality is not an existent, nor is it 
composed of differentiated entities.  We do not experience this ultimate 
Truth; we can only conjecture about it.  That is the purpose of metaphysics 
as well as the foundation of any belief system, whether "good" or "bad".

'Nuff said for now.  I leave you both with my very best wishes for a joyous 
and spiritually fulfilling holiday.

Essentially yours,
Ham