[MD] Taking off the glasses?

[MarshaV]

On Nov 22, 2011, at 5:04 AM, Carl Thames wrote:

> Marsha:
>> "The Dynamic Quality viewpoint of the MOQ corresponds to the notion of sunyata or nothingness [50] as understood by Nagarjuna (a Mahayana Buddhist philosopher) while the static quality viewpoint (sammuti-sacca) [52] of the MOQ corresponds to sunyavada (i.e. the conditioned component or world of maya). [53]"
>> 
>> -------------
>> 
>> [50] ‘Empty’ in the sense of lacking inherent existence i.e. the indeterminate or the world of Buddhas; literally, the realm of understanding or wakefulness. ‘The root-word buddh means to wake up, to know, to understand.’ (Nhat Hanh, 1987, p.13) This viewpoint considers that the nature of reality is fundamentally indeterminate and interconnected. Out of the indeterminate arise the determinate aspects that are usually conceptualised in the West as subjects and objects.
>> 
>> [52] The ‘conditioned’ is everything dependent (or caused) by sunyata (which is ‘unconditioned’).
>> 
>> [53] Literally ‘illusion’ but only in the sense that it is illusory to believe that people and the objects of their world are permanent, independent and unchanging.
>> 
>>     (McWatt, Anthony, 'A Critical Analysis of Robert Pirsig’s Metaphysics of Quality', pp. 42-43
> 
> The problem here is that the illusion, or maya, is NOT empty of meaning, at least for us.  It IS an illusion, but it's all we have.  Do you see the problem here?  It's the only "reality" available to us.  Granted, if we wanted to do the work, use the psychotropics or whatever, we would have access to a different reality, but the one we live in and with every day is conscensual, isn't it?  We get together with those around us and say, "Yup, this is real."  Does knowing it's an illusion change anything?


Hello Carl,

I do not understand the "different reality".  But I think it is important to find out for oneself.  


Marsha 
 
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