Eric Said:
[snip]
> But I see now that really the image of a kitten chasing it's own tail is
> the prefect representation of enlightment. The cat does not understand
> that its tail is part of itself. The cat does not see the duality of
> subject and object that so rules our life. The cat /is/ the Buddha; so
> long as it chases its tail. And so while the cat appears stupid to our
> way of thinking, that is only because the cat has transended "sanity" in
> our view. This is why "The Forth Way" says that self consciousness is
> the way to enlightment. Become aware of the "illusion" of self and you
> can abolish it and acheive enlightment.
> So lets all try and be like the innocent little kitten who chases her
> own tail. Understand the futility of trying to "catch" yourself and you
> will have understood the entire point behind Zen.
I have made several attempts to reply to this message. It seems to have some
meaning to it but the more I try to pry the meaning out, the more it eludes me.
You may have intended this as a Zen Koin. If so forgive my unenlightenment.
Are you trying to say:
1) the kitten is unaware of self.
2) "self" is an illusion.
therefore: kitten is achieved enlightenment.
If the forth way says that self consciousness is the way to enlightenment then have you not
contradicted the argument?
This is how I would interperate the kitten story using my own memes. let me know how
they affect (infect?) you.
1) The kitten is unaware that its tail is part of itself.
2) you and your sister believe the tail is part of the kitten, and it will move when the kitten moves.
3) the kitten is unable to catch its tail.
therefore some of the kitten's self awareness concepts (memes) flawed.
Further you go on to say:
> Self awarness is a kind of an illusion.
We agree on this point. By saying this, your self awarness memes are more
developed and are more useful than someone that does not say this. Your
self awarness memes are so much beyond the kittens, in richness and subtly that
comparisons are difficult. Why you would ever want to emulate the kittens mode
of self awareness is beyond me.
> "Become aware of the "illusion" of self and you can abolish it."
Err.. who is doing the abolishing? :)
Think of a hologram. The image it forms is a kind of an illusion. Knowing that the object
the hologram depicts, does not exist in physical space, does not cause the illusion to go
away. It does mean however, that you are capable of seeing the hologram on two levels. You
perceive the hologram just the way you always have. You can also perceive that the
object viewed is caused by a trick of physics and light.
The physics of how holograms form images is known. It is my belief that the mechanisms that
the brain uses to form the image of the "self" will also be known. For now, it is worth considering
just how useful having an image of "self" is to an organism's survival.
Alan "Functionalist" Ferguson.
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