VincentRJ

His new girlfriend forbids him to post details about her on this website. 😉

Cameroni, Congratulations! After reading this thread, which is a good story for a novel, I'm reminded of the background of the birth of Confucius. There are estimates that the father of Confucius, Shu-liang He, was 70 to 72 years old when he had a relationship with the mother of Confucius, Yan Zhengzai, who was a 17 year old concubine, although estimates of her age vary from 15 to 18 years. In essence, a concubine was a formally accepted, long-term sexual partner and household member, distinct from marriage, whose status depended heavily on her utility, favor, and ability to bear sons. The father of Confucius was previously married to a Lady Shi, with whom he had nine daughters but no healthy son to carry on the family name, which is why he had a relationship with a 17 year old concubine. Unfortunately, 'Shu-liang He' died when Confucius was only three years old, and his concubine,'Yan Zhengzai' lived as a widow in poverty, relocating with Confucius to the home of her father, Yan Xiang, where she focused on her son's upbringing and education.

Hi Rocky, It's good to see this thread continues. Regarding your above statement, I put the following question to Google. "What are the usual reactions when people discover that their true mother died shortly after their birth?" Here is the AI-generated response. 1. Shock and Disbelief: The initial reaction is often one of stun and disbelief, as this new information can fundamentally alter a person's sense of identity and personal history. 2. Grief and Loss: Individuals often experience a profound sense of grief, not just for the death itself, but for the life they could have had with their mother and for the bond that was lost. 3. Anger and Resentment: Anger may be directed towards those who kept the information a secret, feeling a sense of betrayal and a loss of the right to know one's own life story. 4. Identity Crisis: The news can trigger an identity crisis, leading the individual to question who they are and where they come from. 5. Empathy and Sadness for the Mother: There is often deep sadness and empathy for the mother's experience, imagining her final moments and the life she never got to live. Regarding your reference to Donald Hoffman's hypothesis that we live in a simulation, I find that to be an interesting speculation, which is why I call it a hypothesis. I haven't yet read his book, but I came across the following review which is very interesting. https://4gravitons.com/2024/02/23/book-review-the-case-against-reality/ May you have a happy Christmas, or at least an amusing Christmas, laughing at the absurdity. 🤣 I don't believe that true Buddhism, as taught by Gautama, is a religion.

"Vincent thinks his life has been real, but he is actually wearing a virtual reality headset which allows him to experience life as though it was real. In reality his experience feels real to him due to the sophistication of the virtual reality headset." Rocky, Are you suggesting that Vincent is eating virtual food, and wearing virtual clothes to keep warm, and living in a virtual dwelling to protect himself from the variability of the weather, and crapping and peeing in a virtual toilet, and so on? 🤣 I think most people understand there's a difference between fictional entertainment, and reality, although precisely defining that difference in certain specific examples can be a problem. Fiction can be presented as non-fiction, and some people can unwittingly accept the fiction as fact. And that also applies to animals. An example would be a bird crashing into a window because it interprets the reflection of itself as another bird. Prince Siddhartha, according to the story, lived the first 29 years of his life in an environment of luxury in a palace, frequently watching shows of beautiful dancing ladies, and unaware even that people can get sick and that everyone eventually dies. I was aware at the age of five, or so, that people eventually die. To be unaware of that until the age of 29, is extraordinary. If the story is true, I can imagine how traumatic that must have been for Siddhartha. There is also another issue that puzzles me. If Siddhartha didn't know that everyone eventually dies, as a result of being protected from all unpleasantness, he wouldn't have known that his mother had died shortly after his birth. Surely at some stage, perhaps at the age of 29, he would have been told that, and surely that would also have been a traumatic experience for him. Why is there no mention in the scriptures, of the Buddha's response to the discovery that his mother had died shortly after his birth?

Rocky, All rules are created by human beings, including the word 'rule', and including all philosophical and scientific concepts. We are all a part of nature, or what we perceive as our surrounding environment, or objective reality. When a person dies, it is reasonable and logical to claim that their human characteristics have been separated from objective reality, because such characteristics no longer exist. However, their inanimate form, in terms of a decaying corpse or ashes from incineration, still exist and are not separate from the external reality that surrounds us. As far as we know, matter and energy can never be destroyed. They can only be changed from one form to another. Does that answer your question?

"As indicated, if you don't have all the data, then you can't apply logic." Well, you can apply logic. We do it all the time. However, if the initial assumption or data are incorrect, then the results of the application of logic will be incorrect. I think the Kalama Sutta is suggesting 'Don't go only by logic', for this reason. "Did the Buddha break through the simulation we live in, or did he just learn how to live in the present?" I'm sure you already know, Rocky, that the Buddha refused to answer certain metaphysical and philosophical questions which he considered were not relevant to the goal of eliminating suffering. Examples of such questions are: Is the world eternal? Is the world infinite? Are the soul and the body the same thing? Does an enlightened one exist after death? Did I exist in the past? What was I in the past? Will I exist in the future? What will I be in the future? My personal view is that one cannot separate objective reality from the human characteristics of observation and experience through the 5 senses, and interpretation through the brain.

The religious conflicts, historically and also during the current times, are usually between different religions and/or different sects of the same general religion. For example, it is far more common for Protestants to go to war against Catholics, and Shia muslims to go to war against Sunnis, and Christians, in general, to go to war against Mulims, in general. I did an internet search with the question: 'How common was tribal warfare before religions were developed?' I got the following answer: "Tribal warfare was very common before the development of modern religions, with some sources suggesting as many as 90–95% of known societies engaged in it. Before complex religious systems, conflicts were often driven by disputes over women, resources, or revenge for past aggressions, and could be endemic or escalate to lethal conflicts with high casualty rates. Warfare was a near-universal feature of human societies before the development of formal states and organized religions. Despite the undeniable carnage and effectiveness of modern warfare, the evidence shows that tribal warfare was on average 20 times more deadly than 20th-century warfare, whether calculated as a percentage of total deaths due to war or as average deaths per year from war as a percentage of the total population."

Hi Rocky, There is indeed a barrier to believing in the validity of Buddhism, and the reasons why are interesting. Everyone is influenced by, and conditioned by, their experiences, culture, and education, from the time they are developing in the mother's womb. If, later in life, one comes across a theory or view that contradicts one's current belief, or acceptance of what is true, then most people will dismiss it without thoroughly examining the justification for the contrary view, especially if they haven't been taught to think for themselves and question everything. Buddhism has tended to deal with this problem by adapting to the different cultures it has spread to, resulting in lots of mystical, fairy-tale add-ons, which appeal to the people of a particular culture in different locations. For example, when the Buddha reached his state of enlightenment, he was initially doubtful that it would be worthwhile to teach his revelations which were contrary to the prevailing culture in India at that time, which specifically included a belief in various Gods. It makes sense that the Buddha was initially doubtful. A fundamental part of Buddhism is the concept that there is no God who can intervene in one's affairs, and that one must take control of one's own behaviour. The story of the Creator God, Brahma, who, having mystically perceived the Buddha's indecision to teach, appeared before him, bowed down, and requested that he teach the Dhamma, on the grounds that at least a few people would understand his teachings, is a story that would appeal to those who were brought up in a Brahmanical religious society. In other words, the original purpose of this episode in the canonical texts, was not to describe the Buddha's hestitation to teach, but to show that Brahma, who was representative of the Vedic religion during those times, was actually a follower of the Buddha. As a person who was educated in basic science, and who appreciates the fundamental processes of the 'methodology of science', I was very impressed when I came across the 'Kalama Sutta' some years ago. For those who are not familiar with this sutta, here are the fundamentals: Do not go by: Reports, legends, or tradition Hearsay or rumor Scripture or canonical authority Logic or conjecture Agreement with your own views or what seems plausible The appearance of competence or the authority of a teacher Instead, go by your own knowledge: When you know for yourselves that certain qualities are unskillful, blameworthy, and lead to harm and suffering, you should abandon them. When you know for yourselves that certain qualities are skillful and lead to well-being, you should adopt them. However, one part of the sutta did trouble me, 'Do not go by Logic or conjecture'. I can understand why one should not go by 'conjecture', which is an opinion or conclusion formed on the basis of incomplete information, but logical reasoning is a fundamental part of scientific enquiry. It then occurred to me that logic can be fallible if the reasoning is based on incorrect data. If you start with a false premise, any logical deduction from it will also be false.

Thanks, Rocky. That's a good summary of the reasons why Buddhist countries still engage in violence and killing, despite the core teachings of the Buddha. I'm reminded of the story about the Buddha's first thoughts regarding teaching others, after he became enlightened. He initially thought it would be a waste of time because it would be beyond the capacity of most people to understand his teachings and would be too difficult for them to practice his advice. However, he later decided to teach because he thought it would be worthwhile if only a few people understood and benefitted from his revelations and wisdom. I remember many years ago as a teenager, contemplating on the absurdity of the continual conflicts throughout history, by 'so-called' Christian countries, despite Christianity's fundamental concept of 'Love Thine Enemy'. When I later came across the Buddha's teachings, I got the impression that there was a much greater emphasis on avoiding all violence and killing, yet this doesn't seem to have a had a greater effect in reducing violence and wars, in Buddhist countries. I did an internet search for countries that have never engaged in war, and came across the following: San Marino, Vatican City, Iceland, Vanuatu, Greenland. None of them are Buddhist states or countries. What's interesting is that there's no record of Greenland engaging in battles, even during the Viking era. Greenland doesn't even have a military.

A practical purpose of religions, as I see it, is to keep communities united and in harmony, by creating rules of good behaviour for this life, and creating scenarios of dire punishment in the afterlife, as a consequence of bad behaviour in this life. Buddhism summarises these rules of good behaviour in the Noble Eightfold Path, describing a set of eight practices which leads to liberation from suffering. They are: Right View, Right Resolve, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration. Buddhism also stresses the importance of avoiding, anger, hatred, and all forms of killing. Buddhist monks are not even allowed to work in the field to grow their own food, because they will likely and perhaps unavoidably kill worms and insects in the ground. I find it very strange that countries that endorse the national religion of Buddhism, which advises people to avoid even killing ants by treading on them as they walk, should engage in such horrible wars and conflicts, resulting in the killing of that marvelous species called Homo Sapiens, which means 'The Wise Human'.

I've always been impressed by the rationality of Buddhism, in contrast to the mythological beliefs of other religions. Whilst it's true that there are many mythologies associated with Buddhism, which appear to have been created to satisfy local populations who need to believe in some sort of miraculous and divine intervention, the fundamental teachings of Buddhism, found in the Pali Canon which is the oldest textual reference describing the Buddha's teachings, make rational sense and are in alignment with modern science. I'm impressed with such basic teachings, such as, nothing is permanent, everything is subject to 'cause and effect', suffering is cause by greed, ignorance, and attachment to things and people, and so on. However, what I find very puzzling is the history of conflict between S.E Asian Buddhist countries such as Myanmar, Thailand and Cambodia, which are all Theravada Buddhist countries whose source is the same Pali Canon. Around 5 to 6 hundred years ago, the Thais ransacked the amazing Khmer civilization, causing the remaining population who had previously struggled with a series of major droughts and floods, to permanently leave their cities. Now, 5 to 6 hundred years later, the two countries are still squabbling about the location of their borders. This is crazy. What's going on?

I'm not following your logic. If the value of the baht increases in relation to the Aussie dollar, then more wine can be imported for the same number of baht. If the import duty remains the same, then the price per litre of Australian wine should be lower, to the extent that the Thai baht has increased in value. The same applies to all other imported products. However, the negative side is that all Thai products that are exported become more expensive in the countries that receive them, which has the effect of reducing the total quantity of Thai products that are manufactured or grown for export.

On the positive side, a strong Baht means that imported products, such as Australian wine, should be cheaper, at least for the local Thai population.

Because there are no Jewish countries with the same Jewish religion and culture, but there are many nearby Moslem countries with religions and culture similar to that of the Palestinians, who are mostly Moslem. Got it?

A major part of the problem here is well-described in Buddhism. A fundamental cause of suffering is attachment to things, whether house and land, wealth, or cultural identity, and so on. I've heard comments on the media, from many Palestinians, who say they would rather die than leave their property. I find it difficult to understand a state of mind which considers attachment to a particular property and its cultural associations, more important than life itself. If the state, or country, of Palestine is restored in the same location, the inhabitants will likely maintain their hatred of the Jews, and even if Hamas is not allowed to resume power, that hatred will likely result in future terrorist attacks on Israel, especially when young palestinians who survived the war, become adults with a strong memory of the horror of the war and the loss of friends and family. A better solution would be to arrange an agreement with surrounding Moslem countries to accept the immigration of all surviving Palestinians, including inhabitants of the West Bank, and pay each Palestinian a sum of money to enable them to establish a good life in their new homeland.

Or maybe he flew out to get health records of a serious ailment which had been only partially addressed in Dubai and Singapore before he returned to Thailand.

The knickers belong to you. 🤣

I think you do not understand the basics of Buddhism. There's an interesting story in the Buddhist scriptures that describes the Buddha's response to insults. In the story, a man hurls insults at Buddha, and Buddha responds by asking, "If someone offers you a gift and you refuse it, to whom does the gift belong?" When the man answers, "To the one who offered it," Buddha explains that the same principle applies to anger and insults; if he chooses not to accept them, they remain with the person who offered them. I assume that someone who commits crime and corruption in the name of the Buddha, is equivalent to insulting the Buddha. Wouldn't you agree?

No, he wouldn't. The true goal of Buddhism is, no cringing, no anger, no craving, no attachment, and no suffering. The Buddha would probably just laugh at how his teachings have been distorted over the centuries.

The point I was making is that everyone's money that is used to buy the lottery tickets, goes into a pension fund, no matter how many people buy the lottery tickets. The number of tickets bought are capped at 3,000 baht per person each month, for obvious reasons. However, whilst the 15 million baht in prizes might be much smaller than the total amount spent on the lottery tickets, that 15 million has to be paid for by the government, including the costs of operating the lottery program and paying the vendors. A search on the internet reveals that the normal Thai lottery system pays 60% of the total sales revenue in prizes, and the remaining 40% is used to cover administrative costs and fund social programs. It would appear that this new lottery system will pay 100% of total sales revenue to fund social programs, that is, the pension fund. All administrative costs and prizes will be an additional cost to the government, or a government subsidy, presumably paid for by additional taxes, or additional government debt.

"Every Friday at 5pm, participants stand a chance to win one of five top prizes worth 1 million baht each, or be among the 10,000 lucky ones to secure a second prize of 1,000 baht." That totals 15 million baht in prizes. If participants who don't clinch a prize get their ticket's cost turned into savings, then who pays for the 15 million baht of prizes?

I guess the explanation is: Trump is a true Christian. Love thine enemy.

Don't you want to give her a big kiss?

The love of money is the root of all evil. Don't Buddhists understand this? 😒

In case anyone is confused. From the article: "Iceberg A23a, a massive block of ice covering around 3,500 square kilometres – an area over twice the size of Greater Bangkok – has been lodged off South Georgia Island, near Antarctica since it detached from the ice sheet in 1986." In other words, the ice of Iceberg A23a was already in the sea in 1986. The detachment from the ice sheet does not cause any sea-level rise. When sea water freezes, there is no fall in sea level. When the ice melts, there is no rise in sea levels. However, when the origin of the iceberg is due to a melting glacier on land, which slides into the sea, then the sea-level immediately rises because of the additional water in the form of ice, but the sea-level does not continue to rise as the iceberg melts.