Comments on: First, the footnote… http://iswhatido.org/2005/08/22/first-the-footnote/ like it says Thu, 04 Dec 2008 21:24:04 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 By: Dave Hudson http://iswhatido.org/2005/08/22/first-the-footnote/#comment-32 Dave Hudson Wed, 09 Nov 2005 02:35:59 +0000 http://richard.blumberg.org/2005/08/22/first-the-footnote/#comment-32 Richard, there's a lot to ponder here, which is why I did not respond when I first read this piece. It is very lucid and makes perfect sense to me - responsibility and opportunity as opposed to reward and punishment. I know very little of Buddhism - enough only to know that it holds great appeal for me. What little I know is also from the writings of Thich Nhat Hahn - "The Miracle of Mindfulness" and "The Raft Is Not the Shore" (with Daniel Berrigan). Really understanding how we are all linked through kammic responsibilty and opportunity must be at the core of "knowing" our interrelatedness - the oneness of the universe (or creation, if you like). Good work! Richard, there’s a lot to ponder here, which is why I did not respond when I first read this piece. It is very lucid and makes perfect sense to me - responsibility and opportunity as opposed to reward and punishment. I know very little of Buddhism - enough only to know that it holds great appeal for me. What little I know is also from the writings of Thich Nhat Hahn - “The Miracle of Mindfulness” and “The Raft Is Not the Shore” (with Daniel Berrigan). Really understanding how we are all linked through kammic responsibilty and opportunity must be at the core of “knowing” our interrelatedness - the oneness of the universe (or creation, if you like). Good work!

]]> By: jeb http://iswhatido.org/2005/08/22/first-the-footnote/#comment-20 jeb Fri, 16 Sep 2005 17:27:26 +0000 http://richard.blumberg.org/2005/08/22/first-the-footnote/#comment-20 I just recently found your site. I enjoyed reading this article. It was a clear discussion of rebirth from the Buddhist perspective vs. the "reincarnation of souls" that people usually offer up. I explored this a bit in my own <a href="http://growingpeace.com/bblog/?p=5" rel="nofollow">blog</a> because I struggled a little with the idea of justice and rebirth in which there is not a "self" to reap what one sows. I concluded that in the same way the illusion of self is maintained now despite at least daily discontinuities, the illusion wouldn't be shattered by death. The impersonal karmic inheritance the illusion picks up would be just, even if it weren't the continuance of some personal karmic thread. One is presumably free to keep the illusion alive as long as one chooses. As a local monk put it. "Go directly to hell for your evil, and stay as long as you want to." :-) I just recently found your site. I enjoyed reading this article. It was a clear discussion of rebirth from the Buddhist perspective vs. the “reincarnation of souls” that people usually offer up.

I explored this a bit in my own blog because I struggled a little with the idea of justice and rebirth in which there is not a “self” to reap what one sows. I concluded that in the same way the illusion of self is maintained now despite at least daily discontinuities, the illusion wouldn’t be shattered by death. The impersonal karmic inheritance the illusion picks up would be just, even if it weren’t the continuance of some personal karmic thread. One is presumably free to keep the illusion alive as long as one chooses. As a local monk put it. “Go directly to hell for your evil, and stay as long as you want to.” :-)

]]> By: Fred Lanphear http://iswhatido.org/2005/08/22/first-the-footnote/#comment-12 Fred Lanphear Mon, 05 Sep 2005 15:21:51 +0000 http://richard.blumberg.org/2005/08/22/first-the-footnote/#comment-12 A not so quick list of parallels between Jesus and Buddha, but quite profound, is provided by Thich Nhat Hanh's excellent book "Living Buddha, Living Christ". I highly recommend it. Your explanation of the concept of rebirth as "kamma" is helpful. In my early struggles with the Christian concept of "eternal life", I turned to a (kammic) interpretation similar to what you have articulated as an interpretation of rebirth, although at the time, I was not familiar with the buddhist notion of kamma. A not so quick list of parallels between Jesus and Buddha, but quite profound, is provided by Thich Nhat Hanh’s excellent book “Living Buddha, Living Christ”. I highly recommend it.

Your explanation of the concept of rebirth as “kamma” is helpful. In my early struggles with the Christian concept of “eternal life”, I turned to a (kammic) interpretation similar to what you have articulated as an interpretation of rebirth, although at the time, I was not familiar with the buddhist notion of kamma.

]]>