Who am I? - Page 110

Originally posted by: my_view

I disagree.! Just like physical body, our minds have constraints also based on its makeup. Mind and body are interconnected by way of Jnanendriyas or input from our senses (body) and Karmendriyas or output as in grasping concepts, thoughts, speech, actions etc.. If my mind disobeys its own set of laws and principles and spews out incoherent garbage that doesn't make sense to itself or others around me I could end up to be lunatic and crazy.

Mind operates thru four components - Buddhi, Manas or perceptory mind, Smriti or memory and Ahamkara or ego.

We are born with inherent buddhi and virtually no memory or perception or ego..This could be nature and nurture comes after which is when the lower mind that contains perception , ego ,smriti develops. Buddhi is the higher aspect of the mind and above perception which makes it possible for us to go beyond that which is perceived through our sensory mind...It is where our gut feeling, intuition and moments of epiphany comes from. It can determine the wiser of two courses of action, if it functions clearly and if Manas will accept its guidance.

Buddhi after all is that discerning factor amongst us that makes us different from the others in terms of character, personality, spirituality and intellect.

I understand that the above explanation of intricacies of the mind is from an ancient Indian stand point of view. I have a great deal of respect for that but usually find it high on abstraction and low on details which is why I prefer to fall back on modern science to gain a better understanding. For example, you said Buddhi goes beyond that which is perceived through the senses. How exactly does it do that? When will it do that and when will it not do that? Based on what? Please walk me through the process.

You agree that your ONLY inputs are from your senses. And you yourself said that smriti (memory) starts on a clean slate. So what core logic is stored in Buddhi and where did it come from? How could it be there when the data feed didn't even start from the senses? Did Buddhi refine itself (and continues to refine itself) based purely on senses? If so, would you agree that it is still the senses that made Buddhi what it is? If not, based on which data did Buddhi form it's built-in logic? Finally, isn't it your ahamkara/ego telling you that you are different and that others different from you exist?

Well, it looks like every thing that I think about was already thought about by "other" people. And also, it looks like they have coined a word for each of those thought processes.

One day, I sit down to think that may be the universe actually exists only in my mind and lo and behold they have concepts such as solipsism, idealism and similar variations loosely based on what I was thinking.

Most recently, I thought about the logical fallacy of circular reasoning associated with the way knowledge is acquired via senses. I was arguing against the responses of my_view which presuppose the reliability of the senses to justify the reliability of the senses. Turns out, there's a word for that. It's called Empiricism. It's a specific theory of knowledge acquisition that states that knowledge arises via sense experiences. What do I know?! "They" beat me to it.

According to empiricism, for any knowledge to be properly inferred or deduced, it is to be gained ultimately from one's sense-based experience! In a way, it is a posteriori knowledge.

But then some people argue in favor of a priori knowledge, which is gained independent of the sense experiences. my_view was arguing in favor of this. This type of knowledge is mostly acquired via intuition.

All that remains now is the simple question of understanding all this at the quantum level.

Ah based on what I read it states that all knowledge is ignorance including religious knowledge, because it falls short of the Truth which is beyond everything.

Every second of every day we are approaching towards the death. We can ignore anything and everything in the life but we cannot ignore this fact that one day death will finish this cycle of our activities and we will have to go from this planet.

Before that event happens death shows us its face many times in our life time through death of people living around us. It does not allow us to become oblivious towards its strong existence in our life. We may try to avoid this realization but it is knocking our door every moment.

A death around us changes our life. A closed person's severe illness changes the course of our way of thinking and behaving. The fear to lose him/her changes everything around us.

Nobody knows how people feel once they have died. Some part of people die every time someone dear to them is taken away by the stern existence of death. A beloved person was just here and life seemed so beautiful with his/her presence and all of a sudden a blow comes and that person is not here. One extends his/her hands to touch the person but s/he is not there anymore. His/her absence brings one in a pathetic situation for days and nights. Time seems so hard to pass. How life can be spent without beloved ones?

Realisation that death would come one day may keep one in a sane mind also. How true Nazeer Akbarabadi was when he had written such an extraordinary line

Sab Thaat parhha rah jayega jab laad chalega banjara.

Nothing is going along with a dying person. He has to leave everything here on earth only.

^^ In my quest to find the Truth about myself, I haven't given much thought to death. Death could be "a truth" but compared to the bigger Truth, it pales in comparison. To me the biggest Truth is Consciousness and realization of that seems to be the only event of significance. I do understand and appreciate the emotional aspect of some events, though. And by no means am I immune to getting suckered in by emotions (at least as of today).

Originally posted by: Mister.K.

^^ In my quest to find the Truth about myself, I haven't given much thought to death. Death could be "a truth" but compared to the bigger Truth, it pales in comparison. To me the biggest Truth is Consciousness and realization of that seems to be the only event of significance. I do understand and appreciate the emotional aspect of some events, though. And by no means am I immune to getting suckered in by emotions (at least as of today).

Whether you accept death as a truth or not its a fact that we all are going to die one day, the point is life is not long and we really don not have much time, so better to recognize sooner then laterv "what is the purpose of our lives"

Originally posted by: Khatarnak

Whether you accept death as a truth or not its a fact that we all are going to die one day, the point is life is not long and we really don not have much time, so better to recognize sooner then laterv "what is the purpose of our lives"

I understand that your own experiences have given you a new perspective. I respect that.

Everything in the physical universe has a shelf life including the physical universe itself.

It is up to you whether to attach yourself with the physical universe or attach yourself with the one behind it.

Originally posted by: Mister.K.

I understand that your own experiences have given you a new perspective. I respect that.

Everything in the physical universe has a shelf life including the physical universe itself.

It is up to you whether to attach yourself with the physical universe or attach yourself with the one behind it.

some try not to be reborn and some want to be reborn again and again like a rollercoaster ride.

Originally posted by: Summer3

some try not to be reborn and some want to be reborn again and again like a rollercoaster ride.

It is only when there is suffering that a distaste for life arises but in joy we want to live forever.

To be born or not to be born that is the question.😆

Death is only the shedding of the physical body, the astral body and the rest still remains ( including our baggage of karma).

Oh, don't get me wrong Summer. My life is just great. Hypothetically speaking though, even if it were heaven for me, I would still hunt for the Truth.

Originally posted by: Mister.K.

Oh, don't get me wrong Summer. My life is just great. Hypothetically speaking though, even if it were heaven for me, I would still hunt for the Truth.

Mr. K I understand. The search for Truth is actully an inner urge that comes from within. At times circumstances could be the cause too.