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A little point about skepticism.
thickpaper
Veteran
I would like to make a point about the skeptical interpretation of the Kalama Suttra (there are other interpretations, I am not referring to those).
I get the impression some people think the KS skepticism is somehow destructive, negative and connected with the doubt of defilement.
I don't see it like this at all, it is quite the opposite.
Consider the four noble truths and try to doubt them. Try to find a way that they could be wrong. Try to imagine a possible universe in which suffering is not caused by want and lack of knowledge. I believe that we Buddhists, if we had a big powwow about this, would never find a way in which this could be wrong.
Moreover, I think if we got a bunch of scientists and philosophers and psychologists to join in the powwow they also would be unable to find fault in the four noble truths. This is why they are noble, as soon as they are understood they are revered and unquestioned.
There are very few other propositions that stand up to such rigorous doubt. Can you think of any? I can't think of any that are not fundamentally logical or mathematical in nature. Nobody can doubt the four noble truths.
This is where the KS Skepticism seals the deal for Dharma. I wish people saw this more.
The KS Skepticism isn't some ambiguous lesson about Dharma practice, it is a direct invitation for each of us to discover Dharma for ourselves by doubting everything.
Only when we have doubted as much as we can, down to the single point of existence, can we consider anything to be really clear to us.
It isn't anti rebirth or pro or anti mystical. It is above all that, it is a simple rule not to believe anything that you cannot know you know. And when the KS says "anything" it really means ANYTHING, the list of types of knowledge is utterly encompassing.
I think the kalama suttra achieves two things. It shows we can never have certainty. It shows that we can have total clarity.
What do you think?
namaste
I get the impression some people think the KS skepticism is somehow destructive, negative and connected with the doubt of defilement.
I don't see it like this at all, it is quite the opposite.
Consider the four noble truths and try to doubt them. Try to find a way that they could be wrong. Try to imagine a possible universe in which suffering is not caused by want and lack of knowledge. I believe that we Buddhists, if we had a big powwow about this, would never find a way in which this could be wrong.
Moreover, I think if we got a bunch of scientists and philosophers and psychologists to join in the powwow they also would be unable to find fault in the four noble truths. This is why they are noble, as soon as they are understood they are revered and unquestioned.
There are very few other propositions that stand up to such rigorous doubt. Can you think of any? I can't think of any that are not fundamentally logical or mathematical in nature. Nobody can doubt the four noble truths.
This is where the KS Skepticism seals the deal for Dharma. I wish people saw this more.
The KS Skepticism isn't some ambiguous lesson about Dharma practice, it is a direct invitation for each of us to discover Dharma for ourselves by doubting everything.
Only when we have doubted as much as we can, down to the single point of existence, can we consider anything to be really clear to us.
It isn't anti rebirth or pro or anti mystical. It is above all that, it is a simple rule not to believe anything that you cannot know you know. And when the KS says "anything" it really means ANYTHING, the list of types of knowledge is utterly encompassing.
I think the kalama suttra achieves two things. It shows we can never have certainty. It shows that we can have total clarity.
What do you think?
namaste
0
Comments
Well either you are MatSalted or perhaps you can be more specific about WHO says the kalama sutra is connected with the defilement of doubt.
Thanks
PS MatSalted is a member who was obsessed with this topic and eventually baned from the forum for making too many bait posts.
I am not sure the relevance here... a "bait post".... I am not sure who it is meant to be posting.
I think the OP is pretty non controversial....
It shows how rather than thinking the KS is negative it is actually very positive to all angles on dharma.
Cynicism is very unwholesome.
namaste
site link or name.
As I said, "I get the impression some people think the KS skepticism is somehow destructive, negative and connected with the doubt of defilement."
Please doubt me on this.
How do you see it?