doc benway

Nice to see you Aaron. I hope things are good with you.

With respect to quantum mechanics, the word quantum was first utilized by Max Planck and indicated that changes occurred in discrete amounts (quanta) when observing behavior of systems on a very small scale. This led to the view of fundamental aspects of nature occurring in a discontinuous fashion which was heresy from the perspective of classical Newtonian mechanics. It subsequently led to a much more sophisticated understanding of light, energy, as well as atomic and sub-atomic structure. The irony regarding folks criticizing QM on an internet forum is that I think it's fair to say that without quantum mechanics we would not have (or at least would not understand) the very computers we are using today. Certainly we may have devoped them in other ways (mechanical, vacuum tubes) but our understanding of semiconductivity and solid-state transistors is rooted in QM as far as I know (but take everything I say with a grain of salt - I'm no expert).

There is no better teacher than the natural state of mind - the state which is not characterized by any specific thought or experience but holds the potential for and hosts all thought and experience. If one is truly able to rest the mind in stillness, silence, and spaciousness, the reasons for and benefits of this practice will become clear. No book or website can make it any more clear than direct experience. Sometimes being in a state without thought is more like being in a stupor - this has no value whatsoever. It's important to be able to distinguish between the two and the former generally requires some degree of competent guidance whereas the latter does not. Good luck!

I also have a connection with crows. My friend, who is Lakota Sioux, shuns them and refers to them as harbingers of trouble. My experience is different, I find them to be valuable teachers, then again I'm not Lakota.

I can't like this twice so I'll quote it... I have a wonderful book that does something like this called Mathematics: From the Birth of Numbers by Jan Gullberg. While we may criticize science and scientists, looking at the temporal evolution of methods and views is humbling for me. I have enormous respect for the people in the trenches and the work they did, are doing, and will do in these fields. And yet I can't help but think that no matter how far our intellect takes us, it will never capture the experience of that moment when we take a deep breath, exhale, and rest in that space that remains, undisturbed by thought. This puts me in mind of Roger Penrose, a theoretical physicist who has been working on ideas about quantum theory and consciousness for some time, who referred to string theory as "a fashion" and quantum mechanics as "faith."

One of the best book purchases I've ever made...

It's nice to remember sometimes that our different paths still rest on the same earth... most of the time.

I always find it suspect when information on quantum mechanics is taken from a virulent anti-semitic and sexually obsessed source, but that's just me.... The beauty of modern physics methods and views (quantum mechanics, string theory,...) is that they seem to get closer and closer to my experiential frame of reference developed through years of Daoist and Buddhist practices. Very reassuring to see the scientific and spiritual paths converge, at least in my own limited interpretation and experience. edit - corrected a few typos, it's early

That death is going to come, willing or otherwise. I think that the same willingness can simply be brought to letting go of effort and resting in what is, as it is, for now. Then maybe we can do it with death as well. That will be quite a journey - I've been meditating on it often of late. I am blessed in that my job gives me a chance to make contact with it daily.

Illusion or not, faith is the fuel that can allow some to take the journey you so eloquently describe. When's its been felt, that can be felt in the words. Thank you for your post.

You are all awesome

Hi Nickolai, Nice of you to share and cultivate your vulnerability as you are doing. For me, I try to notice the one that is feeling these feelings. As that becomes clearer, I get the sense that there is a feeling there - sometimes good and sometimes very bad, but that feeling is not who I am. Our error (ignorance) is to over-identify with that feeling. Then it is a problem. When we do not identify with it strongly, it is seen for what it is. A feeling that is there for a time, then gone as another feeling comes. The one who feels and experiences all of these things is "something" altogether different. It transcends feeling, harm, even death, although sometimes it doesn't feel like that. That is the refuge to seek when the feelings are threatening for me. And when I can rest there, I know that I cannot be harmed by those feelings. Good luck and blessings to you.

Butter, salt, and white pepper...

Does anyone have interest in a thread sharing inspirational or interesting images and photos related to the Dharma? Here's a very cool photo taken in the 1970's or early 1980's I came across that I'd like to share - In the center is Yongdzin Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche, to his left is Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, and behind is Chogyal Namkhai Norbu.

Baguazhang is a wonderful compliment to qigong and taijiquan if you can find a teacher. That said, when I was putting a lot of focus into the martial arts, meditation, and qigong for many years I also felt like I was missing something. That something turned out to be opening my heart, practicing love and compassion - now nothing seems to be missing.

Nicely said It seems to me that faith is inseparable from the spiritual path. The seeker is unsatisfied and looking beyond mind. Faith is that which gives this endeavor meaning, direction, and sustenance. It is both a beacon and a support, depending on where you are on the path.

Please follow these simple guidelines: 1. Post the title of the book and author as the topic title. Feel free to abbreviate if the title is long but try to make it clear what is being discussed. 2. In the first post in your book topic, lead off with the full title, the author's full name, and a link to the book on a retail site if possible, to facilitate others getting the book. 3. In the first post, also include a brief summary of why you chose the book, what it's about, and when you would like to begin the discussion. Feel free to lead a formalized discussion or just open the floor to generalized discussion at your discretion. 4. We'll leave these topics ongoing so that people can dig up old threads and continue discussions as they read books that might interest the group. 5. Please search the subforum prior to posting a new topic to avoid duplication. Many thanks to Adeha for the idea.

I'd rather you be open and honest than careful, like you usually are. This takes us to the comments made by "the1gza." It is my opinion that believing that "we have the truth first hand" is a type of faith. In fact, the presumption that we "have the truth" is generally a mistake, IMO. Our brain creates an image which it then interprets, then reifies that image and equates it with reality. Your experience of the tree is quite different from that of other people and other lifeforms - it is not truth, just perception.

So much good stuff - thanks CT

You made me an offer I couldn't resist... Me too

If that's not a statement of faith, I don't know what is.

It's not that clearcut in the scientific community. There are those that classify evolution as fact, as theory, and as both. But that's mostly a matter of definition of terms - not worth that much time and energy to debate, IMO.

I would suggest that it takes a very special quality of mind to awaken. I suspect that spending a month in skillful 'self-inquiry' is more likely to move one along the path than most other activities one can engage in. Although sometimes I wonder if anything we do really has any effect at all.... or is it simply a matter of karma, blessing, or delusion?

I agree that the scientific method is powerful indeed! And scientific theories and views are still only as stable as the axioms and data they are founded upon. Major revolutions in scientific thought occur regularly. On the other hand, there are elements in religious traditions and practices that are quite internally consistent, empirical, and have significant predictive value. And when one adopts a practice and sees consistent and predictable changes in one's life as a result, there is nothing more empirically convincing. I think that we can take advantage of the best of both worlds without compromising either, provided that we are open. I listened to part of a talk this morning on the development of Mahayana Buddhism from a Theravada perspective which basically framed it in a negative light, making it seem gratuitous and without solid foundation. But if you look at the spread and success of the Mahayana schools, I would argue that we are seeing an evolution, a process of selection. And if you accept the axiom that Buddhism attempts to apply an empirical method to the problem of human suffering and behavior since its very inception, one could even consider this 'evolution' to be more of a 'revolution' based on an empirical method. Not as far removed from science as we might normally imagine perhaps, but that's just me and my random musings. I appreciate the good spirit of this discussion.