[Buddha-l] buddhism and brain studies

[Erik Hoogcarspel]

Jackhat1 at aol.com schreef:
> a message dated 11/12/2008 2:22:05 P.M. Central Standard Time,  
> jhubbard at email.smith.edu writes:
>  
> .Why should I let somebody convince me that, contrary to my  
> (incontrovertible) feeling, I really am suffering most of the time?  
> Besides you in opposition to your own "experience" of things (reputable  
> the best source of knowledge, according to the Buddhist camp) *and*  
> putting you on that slippery slope to the monastic life, it just seems  
> like a lot of hard work for relatively little return, especially if  
> things are pretty good for you already<
> --------
> That's a good question. The Dalai Lama gave one answer as, if things are  
> good for you, keep doing what you are doing and forget Buddhism.
>  
> Two other answers. First, a daily meditation practice dealing with minor  
> problems such as the pain in your knee teaches you to deal with the bigger  
> problems we all have such as illness, death of a loved one, etc. Part of  dealing 
> with these minor problems involve recognizing them and delving into  them. 
> Second, most of us have instances of minor suffering everyday that  causes us a 
> problem but that we don't recognize as suffering. For instance,  someone cuts in 
> line in front of us at the grocery store; the phone rings  while we are 
> eating dinner; we have had a disagreement with a relative that  has been in the 
> background for years. It is like our having  a medical problem such as a low 
> grade tooth infection or some vitamin  deficiency. We don't recognize we have it 
> and also don't recognize what a  healthy life feels like. 
>  
> Jack
>
>   
Hi Jack,
I'd like to elaborate on Richards remark about philosophers being 
sensitive to suffering. Schopenhauer tells us that we all suffer, but we 
can deny it as long as we keep ourselves occupied by trying to avoid 
suffering worse than the present feeling of uneasiness and restlessness. 
Heidegger analysed our dialy life and tells us that its structure is 
care (Sorge). If we don't take care thing can go terribly wrong. Sartre 
tells us that our relations with others is based on shame and being put 
up with our selfimage. So if you say happiness is being content with 
your life, most people will tell you that they are happy, because it 
could be a lot worse. But if ask them if there is something they need or 
want, they allways will come up with something that is lacking for them 
to be completely happy. Go to a gym and ask peple there if they're 
happy, most of them will say 'yes' and then listen to them groaning en 
and grasping for air when they do their workouts. Is that happiness? If 
we tell ourselves that we're happy, we're just lying.


Erik

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