07-24-2010, 12:05 AM
Gonzo wrote:Tiff wrote:"Nothing is permanent...the essence of being is change." ~Gonzo
"To me, each of us has a permanent nature." ~Gonzo
Gonzo, in your belief are these "permanent natures" separate from each other? How does "essence of being" change from its essence to be still its essence of being?
Tough one. My teacher's wife once said nobody changes. Initially I argued with her, however, I've come to the conclusion she is right. In another discusion, this with the teacher, he was asked were we both to encounter one another as inorganic beings (assuming that state is our natural essence and it is returned to post physical death), would we recognize one another? His response was, "Yes. Instantly. And further, we would know one another in our entirety."
There are some major assumptions there I'll leave alone for the time being for the sake of discussion.
This implies a uniquely identifiable essence; i.e., permanent nature, which does not itself change...however, it does evolve, if evolution may be seen as a process of discovery. The process of discovery can be considered change.
I liked a comment by Joseph Campbell when he said the business of being human is just God trying to get to know himself.Yes, you are right, a lot of assumptions here.
You have presented inorganic beings as essence. And also God has been introduced again. Ok, how did this essence get created? If we are God, as you suggest here, then it could not have been us who created ourselves because then we need a time before creation in which we don't exist and thus cannot self-create if we don;t exisit to begin with. How did this essence begin? Who is the creator of essence? If essence is not created then what is essence? We can't call it God, because no creator. Do we call it human? Human essence? What about everything else, trees, animals, water, all phenomena? What is their essence? Does a tree always stay a tree because its inorganic essence is shaped like a tree, for example?
If you choose not to examine this, aren't you saying then that you believe things for reasons you are not even sure of why you believe them?
And Gonzo, just to make things simple (rather than respond to all the above questions if you like), I have truly just one question to this response to your post. The question I ask you is (and depending on your response will determine my reply) is this:
In your view, is essence something that has been created... or it was not , nor never will be, created?
"To me, each of us has a permanent nature." ~Gonzo
Gonzo, in your belief are these "permanent natures" separate from each other? How does "essence of being" change from its essence to be still its essence of being?
Tough one. My teacher's wife once said nobody changes. Initially I argued with her, however, I've come to the conclusion she is right. In another discusion, this with the teacher, he was asked were we both to encounter one another as inorganic beings (assuming that state is our natural essence and it is returned to post physical death), would we recognize one another? His response was, "Yes. Instantly. And further, we would know one another in our entirety."
There are some major assumptions there I'll leave alone for the time being for the sake of discussion.
This implies a uniquely identifiable essence; i.e., permanent nature, which does not itself change...however, it does evolve, if evolution may be seen as a process of discovery. The process of discovery can be considered change.
I liked a comment by Joseph Campbell when he said the business of being human is just God trying to get to know himself.Yes, you are right, a lot of assumptions here.
You have presented inorganic beings as essence. And also God has been introduced again. Ok, how did this essence get created? If we are God, as you suggest here, then it could not have been us who created ourselves because then we need a time before creation in which we don't exist and thus cannot self-create if we don;t exisit to begin with. How did this essence begin? Who is the creator of essence? If essence is not created then what is essence? We can't call it God, because no creator. Do we call it human? Human essence? What about everything else, trees, animals, water, all phenomena? What is their essence? Does a tree always stay a tree because its inorganic essence is shaped like a tree, for example?
If you choose not to examine this, aren't you saying then that you believe things for reasons you are not even sure of why you believe them?
And Gonzo, just to make things simple (rather than respond to all the above questions if you like), I have truly just one question to this response to your post. The question I ask you is (and depending on your response will determine my reply) is this:
In your view, is essence something that has been created... or it was not , nor never will be, created?