choi@mundil.cs.mu.OZ.AU (Yong Joo CHOI) wrote: > It is necessary to point out that the interpretation of Mr. swami on > "civilisation" is has gone wrong direction. My intention when I used the > word "civilisation" is to describe the notion where there is no addiction > to materialistic pleasure, where there is no notion of being brainwashed > by any religious dogma, where we find our true self, where we are no longer > servants to external frame ( it could be another religious body or political > system ), which leads to the idea where numerous monk in past have actually > achieved in their life time. Yes. I wasn't sure what you meant by "civilization". I also have a different idea of "civilization" to the one generally accepted by most people. I think when the majority of people hear the word "civilization" they think of the big western cities, the motorcars, the technology... But this "civilization" is all based around satisfying the animal desires of eating, sleeping, sex life and defence... We have made very grand "civilized" arrangements for eating. So many expensive restaurants, nice furniture, silver and crystal eating utensils.. But the taste of the food is the same. We haven't improved the process. It is still the same animal desire, eating. Real civilization means minimizing the animal desires and using our energy for spiritual advancement instead. There is a great cost associated with this western "civilization"... To "enjoy" it we have to give up our lives to it. To have a nice house, a nice car, lots of money, we have to work very hard, spending most of our valuable time... Then with the little spare time we have there are so many diversions to "enjoy"... the television, the clubs, the durgs, the sex, the music... So we end up with no time to think about the important questions: Who am I?, Why am I here?, Why am I suffering? and Where do I go after death? These are the questions that can free us from repeated birth and death in this material world and these are the questions the monks have been pondering and finding answers to... > Serving "God" is one way Do you believe in God? I think you indicated before that the Tibbetan monks may believe in God. It would be really nice to see the Buddhists believe in God... A revolution even! > and finding our true self is another way, But it is not the Buddhist way! At least traditionally Buddhists don't accept we have a "self" at all. The philosophy is we are a combination of elements and we continue to exist as long as the combination continues but when everything is returned to its original source "I" am no more... "I" was the combination of elements... They believe in reincarnation and karma. Samsara goes on until one is free from karma.. then Nirvana, nothing, the void, finished! But there is no void, we exist eternally... >both of which lead to a same goal. Yes. Agreed. But Buddhism is not about either alternative. It is about finding there is no self, not finding our "true self". > The moment we say there is only one way we are way out of truth, we only > fall into waht we call bigotry. There are many ways, and there are many destinations as well. Not all roads lead to the same destination. If you leave Sydney to head to Melbourne but you take the road to Brisbane [because "all the roads are the same"] it will be a VERY LONG journey... Thank you. Hare Krishna! Madhudvisa dasa (madhudvisa@krishna.org) /sudarsana All glories to His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada!
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