Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!

Sign In Register
Examples: Monday, today, last week, Mar 26, 3/26/04
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.

Finding meaning when you know meaning is just thought.

KikujiroKikujiro
edited November 2009 in Buddhism Basics
We all need meaning right? or do we?

If there is no set in stone meaning does it degrade any meaning you create?

Or is your meaning like falling in love but knowing that the love you feel is an illusion like everything else?

Or feeling fear but knowing that what you fear isnt real?

Comments

  • dogsbollocksdogsbollocks
    edited November 2009
    You know what you mean even if you doubt it, believe it, create it, destroy it, change it, forget it, remember it, embellish it, misunderstand it, enjoy it, hate it, label it, deny it, proclaim it..

    Wait, were those trick questions?

    If so, all is illusion and there is no meaning to any of it.....

    If not, then there is meaning in shared reality - illusion in personal reality - and delusion in applying any of it to ultimate reality.....

    In the end, thought and meaning will come looking for you - no need in finding them.
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator
    edited November 2009
    If you follow Buddhism, you follow Buddha.
    His teaching was the understanding of suffering and the cessation of suffering.

    Follow that.

    if you can.
  • KikujiroKikujiro
    edited November 2009
    federica wrote: »
    If you follow Buddhism, you follow Buddha.
    His teaching was the understanding of suffering and the cessation of suffering.

    Follow that.

    if you can.

    With respect. What does that have to do with meaning? I follow Buddhism because it seems like a good idea. It certainly doesn't bring anything like meaning to the table.
  • dogsbollocksdogsbollocks
    edited November 2009
    By jove, methinks Kikujiro followed that quite well, what, what?
  • PoppyPoppy
    edited November 2009
    I'm going to be honest and say I don't have the answer to any of those questions, but things seem to be going along ok. Sometimes I feel just being alive is enough, and sometimes I get a nagging feeling that it isn't, and that I need to fix things in some way to get a better deal.

    So what does meaning mean to you, anyway? Do you mean "The Meaning Of Life" or maybe, just that general sense of purpose, like what you're doing is important? Do you feel that meaning has to be something that you find, that becomes firm and permanent? Or could you be content with something more fluid?
  • NamelessRiverNamelessRiver Veteran
    edited November 2009
    We all need meaning right? or do we?

    I think some people look for meaning, others don't think about it. Some can find it, some can't. Many people just go with the flow of general expectations, and that is the meaning of their lives even if they don't state it.
    If there is no set in stone meaning does it degrade any meaning you create?

    The fact that it isn't cast in stone, and thus subject to change, doesn't mean its not valid. The meaning of your life is what you choose it to be, either consciously or unconsciously.
    Or feeling fear but knowing that what you fear isnt real?

    Some people are conscious that what they fear is not real, others aren't. The same way, some people are vividly conscious of the subjective nature of the meaning of their lives, others aren't.

    In Buddhism, the meaning of life is going from suffering to its cessation. For the Buddha and his followers, it was a pretty objective goal. Being a buddhist implies that the meaning of your life is to achieve cessation of suffering.
  • LyssaLyssa
    edited November 2009
    I don't think Buddhism addresses meaning. Suffering is more the more urgent problem.
    Suppose there is a man shot by a poisoned arrow. He will certainly die if the poison travels throughout his body. However, he stops the person who tries to pull out the arrow. He says that he does not feel like having the arrow removed and receiving treatment until he finds out the characteristics, the family heritage, and the name of the person who shot the arrow. He wants to find out first about the type and properties of the bow and arrow that were used. Thus, he rejects treatment until his questions are answered. Ultimately, the man will die, because he refused the treatment to eliminate the poison in his body. Shakyamuni instructed the young man that, likewise, if a person does not carry out the Buddhist practices to eliminate his earthly desires, and instead, persistently pursues the resolution of issues that cannot be resolved, he will eventually descend into the depths of suffering. He will never be able to overcome basic human suffering. At this point, the young man realized his mistake for the first time and began to assiduously practice Buddhism.
    ~ from the Culamalunkya Sutra
  • not1not2not1not2 Veteran
    edited November 2009
    Kikujiro wrote: »
    We all need meaning right? or do we?

    If there is no set in stone meaning does it degrade any meaning you create?

    Or is your meaning like falling in love but knowing that the love you feel is an illusion like everything else?

    Or feeling fear but knowing that what you fear isnt real?

    Why did you even bother posting this if meaning is 'just' illusion? What Fede was saying is that she thinks you need to refocus on the path that Buddha taught, first and foremost. All teachings are expedient means to buddhadharma. Obviously the Buddha found his teachings to be important enough to pass on and important enough to live his life by. Maybe you are thinking too much? Especially if you consider thought illusion anyway.
  • not1not2not1not2 Veteran
    edited November 2009
    Also, your emotions are arguably illusory as well. Perhaps you should gain an unfiltered vision of these matters before worrying about speculations.

    P.S.-I'm not meaning to be unnecessarily dismissive here, either.
  • not1not2not1not2 Veteran
    edited November 2009
    One last thing. The OP seems to be running on an annihilationist track in regard to 'illusory' nature. The Buddha said that all conditioned objects were dukkha, were temporary and that all things whatsoever are non-self. Don't take things too far beyond that and speculate about implications in regard to meaning. Things are as they are. We do not need to add or subtract to them, but rather see their true nature.
  • PoppyPoppy
    edited November 2009
    For what it's worth, I think it's great you are asking these questions. You shouldn't expect yourself to just follow a path of practice without examining it and testing it first. Or for that matter, reject it because it doesn't live up to certain assumptions. If these questions are important for you, you should examine why and how they are important, and why and how they conflict with other views you might be exploring (i.e. in Buddhism). And then see if such reflection is productive. It's more valuable to just look at things in your mind as they are, rather than to hurriedly paste over them with some new beliefs.
  • BrigidBrigid Veteran
    edited November 2009
    Poppy wrote: »
    For what it's worth, I think it's great you are asking these questions. You shouldn't expect yourself to just follow a path of practice without examining it and testing it first. Or for that matter, reject it because it doesn't live up to certain assumptions. If these questions are important for you, you should examine why and how they are important, and why and how they conflict with other views you might be exploring (i.e. in Buddhism). And then see if such reflection is productive. It's more valuable to just look at things in your mind as they are, rather than to hurriedly paste over them with some new beliefs.
    I agree with Poppy here.
Sign In or Register to comment.