Though there is nothing new under the sun, as the saying goes, and "time is not a factor within the universe, but the real universe itself", I am going to have to contend with history, dialectically at least.
In order to understand the Kant's Copernican turn, and by implication, modern philosophy, one has to contend with early modern philosophy on its own terms. By this I mean I will immerse myself in the pre-Newtonian, or Aristotelian worldview, insofar as this is possible while working through the primary scientific and philosophical texts.
Odd to consider that though history may not be a transcendent ding an sich, but rather a dialectical tool or construction, it should not be considered unreal. Insofar as ideas exert their force on reality, they are as real as "turning the head" as Dogen said. So too with the history of ideas. Woo time doesn't simply fly away as Dogen said, does it? I am enjoying this eddy.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Thursday, September 1, 2011
"Seeking it from others is forbidden"
By misunderstanding the Heart Sutra, I encouraged my own one sided practice. Or, through my own one sided practice I misunderstood the Heart Sutra.
Lian-chieh composed this verse:
Seeking it from others is forbidden.
For thus it becomes further and further estranged.
Now that I go my way entirely alone,
There is nowhere I cannot meet it.
Now it is just what I am,
Now I am not what it is.
Thus must one understand,
Then one accords with True Suchness.
Practicing my own "shattered mirror Zen", or not, I have grabbed myself by the nostrils.
Thank you for your teachings Count Chambulain.
*Bows*
Lian-chieh composed this verse:
Seeking it from others is forbidden.
For thus it becomes further and further estranged.
Now that I go my way entirely alone,
There is nowhere I cannot meet it.
Now it is just what I am,
Now I am not what it is.
Thus must one understand,
Then one accords with True Suchness.
Practicing my own "shattered mirror Zen", or not, I have grabbed myself by the nostrils.
Thank you for your teachings Count Chambulain.
*Bows*
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Brad Warner's "Buddhism and Violence" and Albert Camus
With Brad Warner's recent post (repost?) of the article "Buddhism and Violence" as the impetus, I'd like to look at some of Camus' perspectives on truth and war.
I guess I'll treat this as an ongoing thing, doing one of Camus' four letters per post until I get tired of it or I am satisfied. And I guess I should publish a fifth post with my synthesis. Hegel would be happy with that.
Anyway, the following are some excerpts from Camus' "Letter to a German Friend", with the entire essay published in the book Resistance, Rebellion and Death.
From the First Letter
...There are means that cannot be excused. And I should like to be able to love my country and still love justice. I don't want just any greatness for it, particularly a greatness born of blood and falsehood. I want to keep it alive by keeping justice alive.
Later:
I want to tell you at once what sort of greatness keeps us going. But this amounts to telling you what kind of courage we applaud, which is not your kind. For it is not much to be able to do violence when you have been simply preparing for it for years and when violence is more natural to you than thinking. It is a great deal, on the other hand, to face torture and death when you know for a fact that hatred and violence are empty things in themselves. It is a great deal to fight while despising war, to accept losing everything while still preferring happiness, to face destruction while cherishing the idea of a higher civilization...You had nothing to conquer in your heart or your intelligence. We had two enemies, and a military victory was not enough for us, as it was for you who had nothing to overcome.
We had much to overcome - and, first of all, the constant temptation to emulate you.
But we also had to overcome the suspicion we had of heroism. I know, you think that heroism is alien to us. You are wrong. It's just that we profess heroism and distrust it at the same time.
I guess I'll treat this as an ongoing thing, doing one of Camus' four letters per post until I get tired of it or I am satisfied. And I guess I should publish a fifth post with my synthesis. Hegel would be happy with that.
Anyway, the following are some excerpts from Camus' "Letter to a German Friend", with the entire essay published in the book Resistance, Rebellion and Death.
From the First Letter
...There are means that cannot be excused. And I should like to be able to love my country and still love justice. I don't want just any greatness for it, particularly a greatness born of blood and falsehood. I want to keep it alive by keeping justice alive.
Later:
I want to tell you at once what sort of greatness keeps us going. But this amounts to telling you what kind of courage we applaud, which is not your kind. For it is not much to be able to do violence when you have been simply preparing for it for years and when violence is more natural to you than thinking. It is a great deal, on the other hand, to face torture and death when you know for a fact that hatred and violence are empty things in themselves. It is a great deal to fight while despising war, to accept losing everything while still preferring happiness, to face destruction while cherishing the idea of a higher civilization...You had nothing to conquer in your heart or your intelligence. We had two enemies, and a military victory was not enough for us, as it was for you who had nothing to overcome.
We had much to overcome - and, first of all, the constant temptation to emulate you.
But we also had to overcome the suspicion we had of heroism. I know, you think that heroism is alien to us. You are wrong. It's just that we profess heroism and distrust it at the same time.
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