Guest guest Posted February 1, 2003 Report Share Posted February 1, 2003 The following is an excerpt from a post of Bihkku Dammapiyo to another list. " The problem 'whether man has a free will' does not exist for, the Buddhist, since he knows that, apart from these everchanging mental and physical phenomena, no such entity as 'man' can be found, and that 'man' is merely a name not relating to any reality. And the question, 'whether will is free', must be rejected for the reason that 'will', or volition, is a mental phenomenon flashing forth only for a moment, and that as such it had not any existence at the preceding moment. For of a thing which is not, or is not yet, one cannot, properly speaking, ask whether it is free or unfree. The only admissible question would be whether the arising of 'will' is independent of conditions, or whether it is conditioned. But the same question would equally apply also to all the other mental phenomena, as well as to all physical phenomena, in other words: to everything and every occurrence whatever. And the answer would be: whether will arises, or whether feeling arises, or whether any other mental or any physical phenomenon arises, the arising of anything whatsoever is dependent on conditions, and without conditions nothing ever can arise or enter into existence. According to Buddhism, everything mental or physical happens in accordance with laws and conditions; and if it were otherwise, chaos and blind chance would reign. But such a thing is impossible and contradicts all laws of thinking. Cf. Fund. III (end). The Buddha has said (D. 15): " Profound, Ananda. is this dependent origination, and profound does it appear. It is through not understanding, not penetrating, this law that this world resembles a tangled ball of thread, a bird's nest, a thicket of sedge or reed, and that man does not escape from the lower states of existence, from the course of woe and perdition, suffering from the round of rebirth. " And further (M. 28): 'Whoso understands the dependent origination understands the Dhamma; and whoso understands the Dhamma understands the dependent origination. " Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 3, 2003 Report Share Posted February 3, 2003 I am a simple country boy but do notice that the birds all get up at the same time in the morning and I can sleeeep as long as I want. Free will - do I have it? Kinda' depends on how my day is goin'. Well, is it me doin' this or awl-mighty Nature? What if there wasn't a difference? Nisargadatta , pete seesaw <seesaw1us> wrote: > The following is an excerpt from a post of Bihkku > Dammapiyo to another list. > > " The problem 'whether man has a free will' does not > exist for, the Buddhist, > since he knows that, apart from these everchanging > mental and physical > phenomena, no such entity as 'man' can be found, and > that 'man' is merely a > name not relating to any reality. And the question, > 'whether will is free', > must be rejected for the reason that 'will', or > volition, is a mental > phenomenon flashing forth only for a moment, and that > as such it had not any > existence at the preceding moment. For of a thing > which is not, or is not > yet, one cannot, properly speaking, ask whether it is > free or unfree. The > only admissible question would be whether the arising > of 'will' is > independent of conditions, or whether it is > conditioned. But the same > question would equally apply also to all the other > mental phenomena, as well > as to all physical phenomena, in other words: to > everything and every > occurrence whatever. And the answer would be: whether > will arises, or > whether feeling arises, or whether any other mental or > any physical > phenomenon arises, the arising of anything whatsoever > is dependent on > conditions, and without conditions nothing ever can > arise or enter into > existence. > > According to Buddhism, everything mental or physical > happens in accordance > with laws and conditions; and if it were otherwise, > chaos and blind chance > would reign. But such a thing is impossible and > contradicts all laws of > thinking. Cf. Fund. III (end). > > > > The Buddha has said (D. 15): " Profound, Ananda. is > this dependent > origination, and profound does it appear. It is > through not understanding, > not penetrating, this law that this world resembles a > tangled ball of > thread, a bird's nest, a thicket of sedge or reed, and > that man does not > escape from the lower states of existence, from the > course of woe and > perdition, suffering from the round of rebirth. " And > further (M. 28): 'Whoso > understands the dependent origination understands the > Dhamma; and whoso > understands the Dhamma understands the dependent > origination. " > > > > > > Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. > http://mailplus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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