RE: what is the point of it all

[Guest guest]

Hi Patrick,

 

Yes, I remember we had 'exchanges' for a while and seem to recall that we

agreed to disagree on certain issues!

 

I think perhaps the title of my post was a bit unfortunate in that it did

indicate frustration and unhappiness with advaita, if not life itself. I am

not actually unhappy with the fundamental precepts of the philosophy and I

do agree with the way in which Direct Path teachers express it. My confusion

was that the Upanishads etc. are treated by traditional advaitins as

unarguably authentic sources of wisdom, while modern sages say things which

seem almost contradictory.

 

I don't think that either my (pure advaita) views or your materialistic ones

lead to nihilism. Whether there is or is not a point to it (life) and

irrespective of any ultimate reality of the world, it can be seen as a

beautiful illusion to be simply enjoyed and marvelled at.

 

There is a series on UK TV at present which will appeal to you, called

'Brain Story', presented by Professor Susan Greenfield. It aims to show how

everything about us can be explained by physical interactions in the brain.

Watch out for it in Canada. (I've already written to the TV magazine letters

page pointing out that consciousness can never be rationalised in this

manner!)

 

Regards,

 

Dennis

>

> Patrick Kenny [pkenny]

> 10 August 2000 20:43

> dwaite

> what is the point of it all

>

>

> Dear Dennis,

>

> You may rememeber that we corresponded in the past. I was never able

> to make a secret of my heretical tendencies when participating on the

> advaitin list and I eventually ceased to take an active part when it

> was suggested that I ought to find my self a guru. I was of course

> extremely interested (and I confess not a little amused) by your

> heartfelt exclamation about the point of it all (i.e. Advaita).

>

> The passage below (from your message) seems to me to be a succint

> statement of how things are: there is no free-will, no soul, no sin,

> no karma and no reincarnation. (And I might add that consciousness is

> just an epiphenomenon of matter although of course I know you won't

> agree with that statement.) What puzzles me is that you seem feel that

> there is something that you are missing ('self-realization') as if an

> honest appraisal of the way things are leads inescapably to nihilism

> and despair....

>

> Regards,

> Patrick

>

>

> There is no individual who could become realised.

> There is no 'path' that can be followed.

> We cannot 'do' anything.

> There is no such thing as choice or free will, only

> the illusion of this;

> everything that will happen is effectively already

> determined. We act

> irrevocably according to our natures and events

> around us.

> There is no one who could die (only the material

> body reverting to its

> elements) and there is no one who could be born or

> re-born. There can be no

> such thing as reincarnation.

>