Welcome home! Please contact lincoln@icrontic.com if you have any difficulty logging in or using the site. New registrations must be manually approved which may take several days. Can't log in? Try clearing your browser's cookies.
Altruism
Simonthepilgrim
Veteran
One of the aspects that attracts western 'liberals' to Dharma practice is the perseption that Buddhists are more "altruistic" than is common.
There was an interesting discussion, this week, on BBC Radio 4's In Our Time series.
The programme can be heard or downloaded as a podcast at:
In Our Time
One of our most vocal neo-Darwinians, Richard Dawkins, is one of the speakers and his ideas have always appeared to me to be of great interest, particularly when he is on his own subject of evolutionary biology rather than banging on about "there is no God".
There was an interesting discussion, this week, on BBC Radio 4's In Our Time series.
The programme can be heard or downloaded as a podcast at:
In Our Time
One of our most vocal neo-Darwinians, Richard Dawkins, is one of the speakers and his ideas have always appeared to me to be of great interest, particularly when he is on his own subject of evolutionary biology rather than banging on about "there is no God".
0
Comments
I think that reductionist evolutionary biologists try to fit everything into their model. They are like the Ugly Sister in the Cinderella story who cuts off her own toes to get the slipper on. Whilst evolution may, when we understand its laws and processes, explain much of human development and behaviour, it is too early in our understanding to attribute every movement of the mind to 'survival of the most fit'.
The 'logical' outcome of this type of thinking is that the realisation of the Dharma is no more than another effect of the evolutionary process. Are you OK with this?
with respect,
thanks
i think our/my priority should be 'see the reality' and then i can think such difficult subjects
again thanks
with respect,
upekka
I am, sure. I don't find it overly helpful to try to discern the causes and conditions that lead to the realization of dharma, but I don't think there's cause to be disturbed by any model that makes a guess as to why.
Are you?
With warmth,
Matt
Matt,
I am not in any way disturbed by the notion but I can see that some might be. If the Dharma is part of the evolutionary process, it would itself be subject to change or even extinction. This may go against a view of its nature as permanent in the impermanence of samsara.
I see what you're saying. I doubt that the Dharma can evolve... unless for some reason life evolves beyond transience and mind and so forth. Perhaps in a world where everyone was enlightened, Dharma would be extinct? If it is a cure for suffering, then perhaps. Not too much fruit to ponder along that road that I can see, except perhaps to avoid clinging to it.
With warmth,
Matt
I see evolution as one of those concepts that goes on within this dream world of thought, simply because one of mankind’s favorite ideas is that of progress. Of course, we, everything appears to change and adapt. But I see what is happening as being more as opportunistic than actual progressive. Everything appears to be constantly going one way, or another, but this may be caused simply because of changing circumstances without any actual goal, a little like a lava lamp. ; ^ )
For instance, where are the dinosaurs now? Some say some of them are our present day birds, but even if this were true, is that really actual progress or just something more to do with the food supply?
We, the species of mankind, may be joining the dinosaurs in a few 1000 years? Then who will document progress?
I don’t believe the Dharma is man dependent. Mankind could die out and the Dharma (what it represents) would be alive and well. Man has some funny ideas about how important he is.
Warm Regards,
S9
Hey, so do women!
Not women, surely! ; ^ ) ( ^ ;
Friendly regards,
S9