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Rebirthwin's Law

GuyCGuyC Veteran
edited July 2010 in General Banter
You have all probably heard of Godwin's Law, which states: "As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches 1."

I propose a new law, unique to Buddhist forums. That is: the longer that a discussion on a Buddhist forum continues the probability of a rebirth debate starting approaches 1. In addition, the chances of anything of value ever coming out of them is, as a general rule, 0.

I call this Rebirthwin's Law.

If anyone can come up with a better name I am open to suggestions.

Comments

  • RichardHRichardH Veteran
    edited July 2010
    The....


    Reburphy's law

    Lame-O rebirth debate law

    Birther's law (not to be confused with anti-Obama paranoids)

    Miss-the-point-yet-again-blah-blah-blah law.


    ....just a couple of thoughts :)
  • Micsunderland3Micsunderland3
    edited July 2010
    I think it would only be appropriate if it were called "GuyC's Law".
  • RichardHRichardH Veteran
    edited July 2010
    Micsunderland3 wrote: »
    I think it would only be appropriate if it were called "GuyC's Law".
    yup. "Guy C"s law
  • truthseekertruthseeker
    edited July 2010
    These are actually two laws.

    1st Guysian law: the length of a thread is proportional to the probability of rebirth discussion.
    2nd Guysian law: the benefit of rebirth discussions approaches zero.

    ...from which follows by deduction...

    3rd Guysian law: the benefit of a Buddhist discussion thread is inverse proportional to its length.

    I think we've hammered it out.

    Cheers, Thomas
  • 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 July 2010
    There are actually 2 laws.... quickly becoming three.....
    we need Scotty to straighten things out......!


    "Ya cannae change laws of Physics cap'n!"

    Richard, should that not read Reburpy's law?

    In that it keeps repeating, but it's just wind?

    Can we vote on Reburpy's law, folks?
  • aMattaMatt Veteran
    edited July 2010
    All this speaking about GuyC's law or Reburpy's law got me to thinking... I wonder if rebirth is a form travelling across death, such as reincarnation, or rebirth is the passage of knowledge between forms, or if it is a moral teaching, or if it something else? What do you guys think?
  • NamelessRiverNamelessRiver Veteran
    edited July 2010
    the longer that a discussion on a Buddhist forum continues the probability of a rebirth debate starting approaches 1.
    I wonder if rebirth is a form travelling across death, such as reincarnation, or rebirth is the passage of knowledge between forms, or if it is a moral teaching, or if it something else? What do you guys think?
    Whoa man! The Guysian laws really work! :eek2:
  • YurieYurie
    edited July 2010
    Lol I agree with GuyC's Law. :p
  • RichardHRichardH Veteran
    edited July 2010
    aMatt wrote: »
    All this speaking about GuyC's law or Reburpy's law got me to thinking... I wonder if rebirth is a form traveling across death, such as reincarnation, or rebirth is the passage of knowledge between forms, or if it is a moral teaching, or if it something else? What do you guys think?
    Neither . You guys are thinking too linear. You are thinking in terms of persistence. One way of looking at it is that the subjective pole (the "unconditioned") does not enter time at all and is therefore present as "now" in all time. Conversely you could say that with the dropping of the subjective pole, awareness is time, and as such completely transcendent of time. In either case rebirth becomes a non-issue, and debate whether this form or that form is a continuation of something-or-other is moot. ..... Jeez :D.
  • aMattaMatt Veteran
    edited July 2010
    Richard H wrote: »
    Neither . You guys are thinking too linear. You are thinking in terms of persistence. One way of looking at it is that the subjective pole (the "unconditioned") does not enter time at all and is therefore present as "now" in all time. Conversely you could say that with the dropping of the subjective pole, awareness is time, and as such completely transcendent of time. In either case rebirth becomes a non-issue, and debate whether this form or that form is a continuation of something-or-other is moot. ..... Jeez :D.

    Well, this attitude is obviously coming from a lesser Buddhist. I bet you've been spending too much energy focusing on not focusing on your subjective pole.

    With warmth,

    Matt

    :lol: Kidding of course. Maybe we need one for vegetarian threads also... like a "GuyC's Correlation".
  • RichardHRichardH Veteran
    edited July 2010
    aMatt wrote: »
    Well, this attitude is obviously coming from a lesser Buddhist. I bet you've been spending too much energy focusing on not focusing on your subjective pole.
    ".
    Well maybe an illegitimate half-baked weenie such as yourself aughta give your subjective pole a rest. You can go blind you know.:p
  • Micsunderland3Micsunderland3
    edited July 2010
    Reincarnation is a metaphor for rebirth, which is a metaphor for baking a cake.
  • MarmaladeMarmalade
    edited July 2010
    Micsunderland3 wrote: »
    Reincarnation is a metaphor for rebirth, which is a metaphor for baking a cake.

    The cake is a lie.

    You guys do know Hitler believed in rebirth, right?

    Aaaaah, I can't stop eating ginger snaps, even though I'm supposed to go eat at ihop with my family in a bit. Buddhist patience my ass.
  • truthseekertruthseeker
    edited July 2010
    Marmalade wrote: »
    You guys do know Hitler believed in rebirth, right?

    Eureka! Godwin's law and the Guysian laws confirmed in a single thread. A triumph of science.

    Cheers, Thomas
  • GuyCGuyC Veteran
    edited July 2010
    truthseeker wrote: »
    Eureka! Godwin's law and the Guysian laws confirmed in a single thread. A triumph of science.
    :lol:
  • DeshyDeshy Veteran
    edited July 2010
    People like to believe in rebirth so they have some reassurance that, this is not where it ends. We like the idea of continued existence. We think "if things just stop after death, then what?" So we always come to the forums and ask this question so that someone will give a sutta where the Buddha has talked about rebirth and then we can be happy and reassured that the Buddhs taught it so it exists. Wow! what a relief. Most of us go through this including myself.

    It is worthwhile to investigate where this desire is actually comming from and there you have the answers to all your questions. Once you grasp that you will not ask this question again as it is not relevant anymore.
  • truthseekertruthseeker
    edited July 2010
    Deshy wrote: »
    People like to believe in rebirth so they have some reassurance that, this is not where it ends. We like the idea of continued existence.

    Do we really like the idea? Maybe you haven't thought this through, Deshy.

    Think about it: Nappies again (yuck). Grade school again (yawn). Teenager again with pimples (eek). Working again (oh no). Suffering diseases, losses, and frustration (argh). Finally old age and death.

    That's if you are lucky and are reborn in the human realm. Does this sound enticing?

    Cheers, Thomas
  • aMattaMatt Veteran
    edited July 2010
    truthseeker wrote: »
    Do we really like the idea? Maybe you haven't thought this through, Deshy.

    Think about it: Nappies again (yuck). Grade school again (yawn). Teenager again with pimples (eek). Working again (oh no). Suffering diseases, losses, and frustration (argh). Finally old age and death.

    That's if you are lucky and are reborn in the human realm. Does this sound enticing?

    Cheers, Thomas

    Quite the fricken optimist, you are. How about: Embraced by father and mother again (warm!). First kiss again (whoa!). Learning how reality works again (weird!). Raising a child again (supreme!). Kicking Richard H in the jibblies again (crunch!). Talking to truthseeker again (yawn!).

    There might be death, but there is also great transient joy.

    With warmth,

    Matt
  • truthseekertruthseeker
    edited July 2010
    aMatt wrote: »
    Talking to truthseeker again (yawn!).

    Yep, you go ahead talkin' to my next reincarnation, Matt.

    Tell you what: I'll be checkin' out Tusita heaven next round, that's where all the Eastern yoga boys hang around. Cool place, if I get the visa...

    Cheers, Thomas :rolleyes:
  • DeshyDeshy Veteran
    edited July 2010
    truthseeker wrote: »
    Do we really like the idea? Maybe you haven't thought this through, Deshy.

    Think about it: Nappies again (yuck). Grade school again (yawn). Teenager again with pimples (eek). Working again (oh no). Suffering diseases, losses, and frustration (argh). Finally old age and death.

    That's if you are lucky and are reborn in the human realm. Does this sound enticing?

    Cheers, Thomas

    Unsurprisingly, you missed the point didn't you...
  • GuyCGuyC Veteran
    edited July 2010
    Deshy and Thomas, you guys are both right. You're just talking about Dhamma from different angles, that's all.
  • aMattaMatt Veteran
    edited July 2010
    truthseeker wrote: »
    Tell you what: I'll be checkin' out Tusita heaven next round, that's where all the Eastern yoga boys hang around. Cool place, if I get the visa...

    I stopped in there a few hundred years ago, they have a great kiwi frappe. Just stay away from the communal nut bowls... someone there doesn't wash their hands, and I ended up doing thousands of prostrations if you catch my meaning.
  • aMattaMatt Veteran
    edited July 2010
    Deshy wrote: »
    Unsurprisingly, you missed the point didn't you...

    Based off the OP, I thought the point was ridiculousness... :screwy:
  • DeshyDeshy Veteran
    edited July 2010
    aMatt wrote: »
    Based off the OP, I thought the point was ridiculousness... :screwy:

    What do you mean? :confused:
  • Micsunderland3Micsunderland3
    edited July 2010
    Wait, has this post genuinely turned into a semi debate?

    I thought everyone was just messing around and Sarcastically displaying Guy C's Law.
  • DeshyDeshy Veteran
    edited July 2010
    Micsunderland3 wrote: »

    I thought everyone was just messing around and Sarcastically displaying Guy C's Law.

    Is that fun? :lol:
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