Telling stories and using logic -- perhaps not comparable in Buddha's time versus ours

vinlyn

As I have mentioned a couple of times in other threads, I seek wisdom where I find it, and I find it primarily in the Dhamma, but also in the New Testament. Today, as I do once or twice a month, I went to a Methodist Church, and as the minister was giving his sermon about Pentecost, I found myself thinking mostly how his message applied to some of the discussions we have on this forum (and I'll modify what he said to fit this audience).

Point 1: The people of Buddha's time often told stories to make their points, while in our present-day culture we more often stick to the facts of the situation.

Point 2: The logic of people 2,500 years ago is not the same logic we use today.

This is making me think about how we interpret Buddhist writings that date from 2,500 years ago.

Jeffrey

I think its true in a sense vinlyn. At the same time some of the same capacity in the mind is used in modern times. People don't just spew 'data' is how it may sound. People today choose factual stories often for rhetorical reasons or even to lighten the mood. They are loosely related to the topic of conversation by the energetics of the gathering of people. Though sometimes they are new topics. "I went to the store yesterday and the clerk asked me....." Its not just a blank data.

At the same time people don't tell parables to their friends or something haha. So I see your point. I cannot perceive how the logic of people are different. I am not knowledgable regarding the 'world view' of various people's in time. There was not the same geopolitical climate. No science. Language groups of people basicly raided each other and committed genocide quite regularly. Etc.