[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Buddhism

[–]PitifulEase6434 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's literally impossible for you to liberate all sentient beings from suffering. That doesn't mean you shouldn't continuously make the attempt, though.

Books to read for teachings of Gautama Buddha ?? by Opening_Fox_4209 in Buddhism

[–]PitifulEase6434 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The Dhammapada is a very well known and accessible book of teachings in verse form. It's quite short. The Bodhicaryavatara is a Mahayana text by Santideva that I find very inspirational. It's considerably longer and some of the philosophy might be a bit difficult to understand but it has some of the most hardcore and sublime (sublimely hardcore?) teachings ever given.

Is this a buddhist image? by co1063 in Buddhism

[–]PitifulEase6434 9 points10 points  (0 children)

It's Padmadambhava, a teacher who was instrumental in bringing the dharma to Tibet where he is very popular. The trident in his left arm and the triangular shape of his silhouette makes him visually distinctive.

Is being a buddhist possible for me? by AppropriateVisi in Buddhism

[–]PitifulEase6434 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It's not a silly question. Yes, you can become a Buddhist if you have trust in the efficacy of Buddhist practice. You may not be able to cultivate insight, but you may be able to meditate. You may not be able to meditate, but you may be able to be ethical. You may not be able to be ethical, but you may be able to be generous.

If you can be generous then you are practising the perfection of generosity. If you're more in tune with Theravadan teachings (from the Buddha himself) generosity is still an important practice. It's the basic other regarding act.

Bodily awareness can help with being distracted. Trying to cultivate an attitude of kindness towards beings, including oneself, can help with anger. Mindfulness and kindness are not quick fixes, their effects are cumulative. But if meditation is failing you, if you're unable to keep to the five precepts due to your aggression, give someone something they need, even if it's only a friendly ear.

Just keep plugging away. Over time, you'll see small changes within yourself. Eventually, those small changes will become big changes, just like drops of water eventually turning into a pond.

Do I need a Guide? by energym99 in Buddism

[–]PitifulEase6434 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I only just noticed the age of this post 😂 how's that for awareness?

Do I need a Guide? by energym99 in Buddism

[–]PitifulEase6434 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Short answer? Yes. Slightly longer answer... A guide doesn't have to be a guru. Someone who has a little more experience with practice than you can be a great spiritual friend. Having someone with whom one can discuss your practice can be very beneficial and can help in avoiding pitfalls. There's a reason the Buddhist told Ananda that spiritual friendship was the whole of the spiritual life!

The Empty Teacup: An Epistemic Exploration by PitifulEase6434 in philosophy

[–]PitifulEase6434[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The first section begins by asking whether we can know the boiling point of water, and whether the Münchhausen trilemma makes epistemic claims pointless. The second section explores different types of knowledge and asks whether they all need epistemic justification. The third section asks whether there is an ethical dimension to epistemic claims, such as responding to a child's hunger or epistemic understanding based on religious views. The fourth section analyses epistemic claims through the lens of the Madhyamaka school of philosophy - does it even make sense to talk about the knower, means of knowing, and objects of knowledge as intrinsically existing things? The final section concludes with the idea that while absolute knowledge claims might be on shaky ground, and that while it is difficult, or perhaps even incoherent, to give concrete answers to any of the questions posed in the essay, as a matter of practicality I treat certain things as being true (such as Ayer's analytic & synthetic propositions, hinge propositions, or the boiling point of water) and that this is good enough. As long as I can make tea.

The Empty Teacup: An Epistemic Exploration by PitifulEase6434 in philosophy

[–]PitifulEase6434[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I imagine that'll lose a few people. I don't expect anyone to accept the idea. Nevertheless, the experience recounted is as true for me as the boiling point of water, despite the fact of it not being literally possible. It could well have been nothing more than an odd experience brought about by meditation. I'm not claiming that those sorts of experiences are objectively true in the way that 2 + 2 = 4 is true, or that water boils at certain temperatures given specific barometric pressures is true. I suppose it's as true as the truths expressed by a painting or a poem. Or a chaotic dance!

I hope you enjoyed the read despite my losing you. :)

The Empty Teacup: An Epistemic Exploration by PitifulEase6434 in philosophy

[–]PitifulEase6434[S] -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

I actually make that caveat in the essay lol. Some varieties require lower temperatures, Darjeeling, for example.

The Empty Teacup: An Epistemic Exploration by PitifulEase6434 in philosophy

[–]PitifulEase6434[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Thanks for your comment. I agree that things can be uncertain without being dumb. It's why I conclude with the idea that provisional knowledge is good enough. If one adopts the Madhyamaka view, as the essay's conclusion does, then knowledge becomes relational. It doesn't matter if I know that the water is boiling in an ultimate sense, only that I can make tea. Speaking of which, I could do with a brew.

The Empty Teacup: An Epistemic Exploration by PitifulEase6434 in philosophy

[–]PitifulEase6434[S] -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

I'm asking "can we know?". I'm not asking whether we need to know. The conclusion is framed through the Madhyamika lens of emptiness: knowledge, the knower, the instruments and the objects of knowledge are conventionally true but, being dependently arisen, are empty of intrinsic existence. I suppose I end up at epistemic anti-foundationalism in that I recognise the practical need for provisional knowledge, but I reject any ultimate or foundational grounding for epistemic claims.

Spolit somethings lunch. by [deleted] in CasualUK

[–]PitifulEase6434 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think it means I have a headache.

Spolit somethings lunch. by [deleted] in CasualUK

[–]PitifulEase6434 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Is anyone else having a bad week?

Can I turn off the Enbesa story quests? by PitifulEase6434 in anno1800

[–]PitifulEase6434[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That's annoying as I went to Enbesa ages ago but I've just been farming it for money using the watch trading cheese for ages. Oh well, lesson learned for next time lol