A lull ...

I have been reading Buddhism again this week.
Doing so completely destroys my ability to write cogently.

A note there-on:
To the extent which the Buddha's first speech tells us to avoid pain and pleasure altogether, i find the theory revulting. I am still at odds with myself on whether it actually says that, or means that but is limited by the knowledge and language of the day.

Today we might say something like ... the pain and pleasure are there and are fineas basic sensations. Its our emotional reaction to the base sensations of pain and pleasure that need the controls, and our sensations thus, and our reactions to such sensations really are capable of being split apart. The phrase, "it still hurts just as much but it no longer bothers me," is physically quite possible. [see Antonio Damasio's neuroscience work].

If we can wall off the affect of pain and pleasure and, obviously in Buddhistic terms, accept what is there and not pursue (and perhaps, then, not avoid either ... though that becomes extremely tricky to state as a theory without finding oneself not looking both ways before crossing the street).


See