I typically don't like to link other articles to express my own views, but this article from
American Thinker is too rich to pass up. Written by a professor at Berkeley, it really does put into perspective much of what I have been trying to convey on this blog. At the very least, it will alert any closet-conservatives at Berkeley that they are not alone in the world! Read the article
here.
That was a great article over at American Thinker Scott! I missed that one somehow. A few years back, when I was studying Buddhism to see if it appealed to me (I was already heavily conservative by then), I thought many of the same things about the Buddhist doctrine...that it seemed to me that it was ultimately very conservative in many regards (the pacifism thing didn't appeal to me--but, that's a separate issue). The Buddhist attitude towards excessiveness whether in drugs, alcohol, food, etc. is very conservative in nature. Thanks for sharing that article--I enjoyed it!
ReplyDeleteI'm curious, Scott, how, in your mind, do you reconcile the Buddhist tenet that "life is suffering" with the Objectivist view Ayn Rand promoted in which joy is to be found with your self-esteem and individuality in tact? I would be very interested to hear your thoughts on that...
ReplyDeleteActually, I think I answered my own question. From what I recall from when I studied Buddhism and from what the article seems to be saying is that Buddhism teaches that suffering comes from our unrealistic expectations about life and that it is only by embracing reality that one can steer away from suffering...
ReplyDeletethat is exactly it- it is by embracing TODAY and now that you can steer away from suffering. I don't know if it is necessarily expectations about life. You can set goals, strive for excellence, etc...just keep in mind that ultimately you will not be here, so therefore whatever you do, it is always good to keep the well-being of others in mind. I used to drive myself CRAZY worrying about tommorrow, and clinging to things, or desiring things. Once I let them go and started living in the moment, I felt better overall. I still enjoy success and luxury, but it doesn't kill me inside when things threaten it. I still strive for success, because I know that with my own success, I will be able to benefit others in many ways... I part ways with Rand in some of the nuances of objectivism in regards to charity, but the overall stance on reason, logic, personal responsibility and science guiding your life is very close to what I understand of the dharma.
ReplyDelete