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How does Buddhism explain prehistory?
I feel Buddhism helps explain life and our experience in a way that is meaningful. However I wondered if anyone could explain to me how Buddhist philosophy ' works' in relation to prehistory i.e. before humans existed on the Earth and how it will work if we as a race become extinct?
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so it's best not to squander time on unconjecturables.
If we as a race become extinct (as one day, we shall....) where's the problem?
It is a fact that we'll one day leave this Earth as a species though, but some other species, an intelligent species that holds beliefs and has as much control over ourselves as we do now will take our place, like the vending machine life is, we are dropped into the bottom and the next soul takes our places and we go around the wheel and replace something else.
Before we came on this Earth then maybe there was something else on a different planet or maybe there was nothing, there is know we will know, at least not any time soon.
Joe:)
As fivebells said - the buddha taght about suffering and the end of suffering. He wasnt trying to build up some mytholigical beleifsystem about creation and the end of days - its all about the present moment and what we do NOW
Big love
Allan
I am tempted to ask: Is "Earth" the only planet in all the galaxies that can support life, or human life for that matter. What if samsara worked across many planets in distant and unknown galaxies? See! All metaphysical and speculative questions immediately arise. I will not ask these questions. Why? Because "it is not relevant to the goal, it is not fundamental to the spiritual life, it does not lead to disenchantment, to dispassion, to cessation, to peace, to direct knowledge, to full awakening, to nibbana." These (the ones inside the quotes) are said to be the words of the Buddha in responding to matters such as this.
What?! Ah hell, that was half the reason I signed up.
Truth level teaches cause & effect. Life evolved from various causes & conditions that caused the various elements to combine.
Buddha taught all things are made from elements (dhatu).
Defined six-fold, the basic elements are earth, wind, fire, water, space & consciousness.
In brief, Buddhist view is the same as Evolution view.
Kind regards
Well, If I'm an astrophysicist and buddhist these are some of the questions I ask in the "here and now".
Dont worry - the recipe for apple pie will come later on, but you'll need the higher pie initiation first, along with the vows of the bodhibakers
And you can ask it in all the "here and nows" you have - but when you draw your last breath and you still havent found an answer to your question, you will have to ask yourself: "was is worth spending all your "here and nows" on?"
We can spend our entire life wondering about other planets and the origins of everything, and maybe one day realise that we'll never be able to find the answer to those questions - and even if we did, what good would it do us?. Or maybe we can spend our precious lives, focusing on becomming a bit more caring and loving towards the beings around us, and see if this isnt a more worthwhile way of living.
Big Love
Allan
*Thumbs Up*
The human realm may encompass other planets as well. When this kalpa ends, they will all be gone too.
In future kalpas, humans will again thrive, just like they did in the endless kalpas before us.
One theory is that the big bang was the beginning of our kalpa. The universe will expand for a while, then contract to a singularity before it explodes once again, starting a new kalpa.
It might have been many kalpas since our previous human experience, and many more before any of us experience human existence again. We're talking billions of years here. A little perspective on how rare and precious human life is. It don't come up very often.
Uzeb, thanks for your answers.
I think some of you have missed the point. If you are a buddhist do switch on and off being a buddhist?
If a buddhist working as an astrophysicist asks those questions at work as one of those things, as part of his everyday project, don't you think its just normal for him/her to tie it in with his worldview.
Right, so it's quite OK to ask how you do sexual space docking or strawberry milkshake but not alright to have a holistic worldview.
It's simply curiosity to what they were, any person with respect for practically anything wouldn't even considering doing *you know what*.
This has given me a very new and interesting view of life that humans existed and will again, yet it seems to make sence, my mind just tells me it works:)
Can you tell me more? Do things happen the same or different...
Very interesting...:) That'll give me plenty to think about
Joe:)
Namaste Nini
Yes, as an astrophysicist or someone curious to know these things. No, as a Buddhist practitioner. I quess - if an astrophysicist is a Buddhist, then she/he must switch "roles" as necessary. It seems that one's occupation can be a bit problematic in Buddhist practice. Sometimes it may be almost impossible - take a butcher for example.
Metta and best wishes in your spiritual practice.
Nini,
I'm not sure I have understood you so I hope these comments do not seem beside the subject.
The cosmology implied in the sutras, treatises, tantras, etc. accvords with the world-view of their time. they are not, however, central to the Buddha's teachings. Having said that, there are some who would go down a similar path to that vociferous and ignorant minority of soi disants Christians who want to suggest that the Tanakh is historically and scientifically accurate.
The Buddhisms, having developed across a variety of different cultures (Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Tibetan, etc.), contain a number of different myths and legends of the origin of the cosmos and of humanity. You will find stories (in Tibetan myth) of white monkeys as human ancestors, for example. None of these stories is in the least integral to Buddhist practice.
There is no contradiction between modern astrophysics or mathematics or biological science and the fundamentals of the Four Noble Truths, dependent origination or the Dharma Seals, nor with a regular practice of meditation and study of the sutras. No scientist need suspend their Buddhist beliefs and practice to engage in their profession. Indeed, I would maintain that scrutiny of the Buddha's teachings encourages us to engage closely with the development of understanding of the nature and functioning of all around us.
On a personal note, I would add that I also believe (as a student of Teilhard de Chardin) that the truly engaged Christian is also bound to take very seriously scientific discovery and the search for emerging truth.
A truly holistic approach to the universe and the place of humans within it is, for me. the genuine spiritual attitude.
I hope i didnt offend you with my post. My point wasnt to look down on the job of an astrophysicist. And i really do think you can combine most jobs with being a buddhist (including astrophysicist) but that doesnt mean that astrophysics it self if included in buddhist teachings and practice - just as combining buddhist living with carpentry, doenst make carpentry buddhist. Combining buddhist practice with astrophysics means being aware and caring in the present moment while your at work, it doesnt necessarily combine astrophysical theory and research with buddhist practice - because (is i understand) these were subjects the buddha didnt find relevant to teach.
But that doesnt make astrophysics bad or wrong in any way.
Big love
Allan
Make of it what you will.