Wednesday, November 1, 2017

Book review: The Gordian Naught



PS: This review did not go unanswered. See Agent Bikethru's critique.

7 comments:

  1. I was really hoping he did not exist so therefore I could not exist either. Then on April 15, I would owe no taxes since I did not and do not exist!

    Great exposition, but like the author I exist also.

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  2. These guys need to switch to decaf...

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  3. When I see a rabbit hole, I often choose to step around it. Then there are those other times...

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  4. it's called zen, or in general, buddhism. the concept starts with the 3rd (of 4) noble truth -- the end of suffering -- and is elucidated in the heart sutra with the (in)famous line, "form is emptiness, emptiness is form."

    the earliest version was written in china, approximately 200 C.E., about the time the new testament was first compiled in the codex sinaiticus.

    "emptiness is not separate from form, form is not separate from emptiness... all [ways of being] are defined by emptiness... there is no sensation, perception, memory, consciousness..."

    it's far deeper than this, but only 35 lines. i recommend the translation and commentary by red pine if this interests anyone.

    in most buddhist schools, there are three insights one must know on the path to freedom/enlightnment. first is impermanence, second is suffering, third is absence of self.

    peace out, people.

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