1. Are the self and the universe eternal?
2. Are the self and universe transient?
3. Are the self and the universe both eternal and transient?
4. Are the self and the universe neither eternal nor transient?
5. Do the self and the universe have a beginning?
6. Do the self and the universe have no beginning?
7. Do the self and the universe have both beginning and no beginning?
8. Do the self and the universe have neither beginning nor no beginning?
9. Does the Blessed One exist after death?
10. Does the Blessed One not exist after death?
11. Does the Blessed One both exist and not exist after death?
12. Does the Blessed One neither exist nor not exist after death?
13. Is the mind the same as the body?
14. Are the mind and body two separate entities?
It's said that the Buddha would not answer these questions because they were simply intellectual diversions and not concerned with the true knowledge that could end suffering and bring enlightenment.
The Buddha compared those who ask such questions to a man wounded by a poisoned arrow. Instead of allowing a doctor to remove the arrow, the injured man insists first on finding out the caste, name, and clan of the man who shot him. He wants to know if he's dark or fair, and whether he lives in a town, village, or city. The injured man is also obsessed with the weapon used to shoot him and must know if it was a longbow or a crossbow and what the bowstring was made of. What kind of wood was the arrow made of, the man asks, and what bird did the feathers come from which lined the shaft?
This comes from the book, The Universe in a Single Atom by the Dalai Lama. I was reading this book in the hospital while Wendy was in labour, almost one year ago now. Our doula, who was otherwise a very wise woman, saw that I was reading and suggested Wendy might be comforted by hearing me read to her from my book. After considering the text, which is filled with this kind of Buddhist philosophical pondering, I declined. With the baby slowly on its way, there was no amount of information in the world that would do much to help Wendy's suffering at that moment.
Maybe she meant that Wendy would appreciate hearing your voice and knowing you were by her side rather than reading alone. Do you think she would have been comforted if you read from the dictionary, or just pissed?
ReplyDeleteYes, maybe I was being unfair to the doula who was only trying to help Wendy. I was definitely present through the birth process so you don't have to worry about that. And yes Jon (?), she may have been pissed if I had read to her from the dictionary. When you're in pain, what could be more grating than that?
ReplyDelete...by the way, aren't you a little young for posting blog comments?
ReplyDeletePrecisely what the Buddha what the Buddha was saying. Namaste
ReplyDelete