[Buddha-l] The Buddha, an 'emotional weakling'?

[curt]

Epictetus promoted a pedagogical approach based on "three fields of 
study". His first "field" resembles what Buddhists call "sila" - that 
is, it was primarily concerned with behavior - and with restraining 
one's behavior in particular. Not only is this "field of study" similar 
to the concept of "sila" in Buddhism - but it creates the same kind of 
cognitive dissonance if one superficially compares the end goal with the 
"means". Both Buddhism and Stoicism seek to "free" human beings so that 
we can live "unhindered and unimpeded" (these are Epictetus' words I'm 
using now - or at least English paraphrases of them lifted from A. A. 
Long). But the first step toward this freedom is to limit one's behavior 
in various ways. While this might appear contradictory on the face of it 
- it is really nothing more than a very straightforward application of 
"The First Law of Holes": "When you find yourself in a hole the first 
thing to do is to stop digging" (see also the related entry under "US 
Invasion of Iraq").

While they were perfecting the first field of study, Epictetus did 
encourage his students to artificially constrain their lives, perhaps 
even in a way that could resemble what Hospers is referring to. (That 
being said, nothing justifies Hospers' misrepresentation of Stoicism 
even if it is based on a misunderstanding of the proper place of this 
"first field of study" in the overall scheme.) Like many ancient 
philosophers Epictetus felt that one's study of philosophy should start 
during youth - a time when restraining one's behavior is obviously very 
difficult (if memory serves me), but also a time when it is much more 
practical than it would be for an adult with real-world responsibilities.

The second field of study is learning how to properly apply "volition" 
(greek: prohairesis) and how to distinguish what is "appropriate" 
(greek: kathekon). In other words, ethics proper (that is, how to deal 
with real world situations rather than merely limiting one's behavior to 
avoid trouble). (One might here be tempted to draw parallels with the 
Buddhist concept of "upaya".) The third field of study is logic. These 
three fields of study are covered in Epictetus' "Discourses" book 3 
chapter 2, as well as in chapter 4 of A.A. Long's excellent little book 
"Epictetus: A Stoic and Socratic Guide to Life".

Of course not all Stoics followed Epictetus' "three fields of study" 
paradigm. But Epictetus is of sufficient status among the Stoics that 
any valid generalizations concerning Stoicism should be applicable to him.

- Curt

Stefan Detrez wrote:
> Dear Listmembers,
>  
> Reading an introduction to ethics, I encountered this citation on the 
> Stoic.
>  
>    'The Stoic, though he seems strong and brave and imperturbable, is 
> really an emotional weakling who cannot stand to get hurt and so takes 
> out insurance against failure in advance by toning down his desires 
> and hopes to the point where he knows they can be fulfilled. ... He is 
> afraid to gamble lusitly and play for great stakes. ... In his fear of 
> suffering the death of great dissappointment, he chooses to live 
> half-dead rather than taste the full joy of living, with all its 
> possibilities of tragic ending.'
>  
> (from John Hospers, 'Human Conduct. Problem of Ehtics', 
> Thomson-Wadsworth, 1996, p. 55.)
>  
> How does this differ from the Buddha's attitude towards life and 
> suffering? Could it be that the Buddha, too, tried to tone down his 
> desires and hopes in order to escape dissappointment? Would, if so, 
> that not be illustrative of a person who doesn't like to run the risk 
> of getting emotionally hurt and rather locks himself up emotionally? 
> How does 'Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved 
> at all' apply to the Buddha? Does the Ariyapariyesana Sutta not 
> suggest that the motives for leaving a luxury life were not only the 
> feeling of discomfort and boredom from the incapacitating power of 
> excess, but more so an existential an emotional handicap to deal with 
> live's tougher issues. Or maybe the fear of having to handle the 
> responsibilities of a worldly leader?
>  
> Best wishes,
>  
> Stefan
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