Dave and Jenny -
In the spirit of living vicariously, I took a moment to map a
presumed route (by Nissan Patrol, Jeepney, Motorcycle and/or
foot)... with the help of course, of Google (long name for an
all-knowing God?) Acquiring a "Seep" like this
modified one,
might save some $$ on ocean transport.
Over 37K kilometers (37Megalometers?) and a suggested 633 hours of
riding... which I think would include sitting on the bike while
on the ship from Japan to Hawaii to Seattle... not required I
don't think, though "sitting" is an important part of Buddhist
practice isn't it?
At the risk of experiencing the locations out of chronological
order, this could be cut by about 6M and 70 hours?
Google is not quite all-knowing enough yet to give us public
transportation directions... but prescribed walking route is
similar to the driving one... slowing you down from 50kph to more
like 5kph and 6100 hours. Walking meditation is a higher form
than sitting isn't it? 254 days nominally... if you choose to
walk it, maybe Google will equip you with a ladybug and underwrite
your expenses in return for a complete Streetview sequence of the
whole route. Or bring Microsoft into the discussion and start a
bidding war?
Ironically Google Warns:
Walking directions are in beta.
Use caution – This route may be missing sidewalks or
pedestrian paths.
Google is like the Roman or Norse God of navigation, inheriting
many characteristics from the Greek version known as AAA,
presumably upgraded with modern features but lacking some of the
old school charm?
If you meet the Buddha (or Marco Polo) en route it is conventional
to kill him... good luck or karma or something. But I think you
already knew this.
I'm guessing you will be flying commercial... using local
transport... etc. It sounds like a great trip... Is Sarbajit's
location on your agenda? Any other FRIAMers vaguely on your
path?
Happy Travels... the rest of us will settle for rereading our
tattered copies of Siddhartha or z+Motorcyle Mtc. or Watt's "The
Book" or for the more mathematically inclined, Paul Erdos
imaginary book by the same name.
Paul Erdős, who often referred
to "The Book" in which God
keeps the most elegant proof of each mathematical theorem.
During a lecture in 1985, Erdős said, "You don't have to
believe in God, but you should believe in The Book."
I am a doubter (is that the opposite of a faither?), and doubt
that anyone can recognize, much less define "the most elegant
proof". I think this is an undecideable problem.
Decidedly Yours,
- Steve
If people are really interested in the evolution of Buddhism - Jenny
Quillien and I are planning a "Buddha Tour" - a month long study trip
starting at Bodh Gaya (birthplace) then proceeding to Dharmsala (Tibetan
variation) - Bangkok (Hinayana variation) - shaolin (the Taoist
infusion) - Nara Japan (Zen) - then San Francisco (Watts and Suzuki).
The focus of the study will be on epistemology and metaphysics with a
small amount of critical examination of the "Tao of Physics" "Quantum
Consciousness" claim that Buddhism and Taoism anticipated quantum
physics.
Let me know - off-list - if you are interested in being kept current
with out plans. (It will be pricey because of all the travel, but it
should be a good month.) Asian Philosophy was my undergraduate major
and I have been studying it since 1968.
davew ([hidden email])
On Tue, Sep 25, 2012, at 07:16 PM, Sarbajit Roy wrote:
Dear Russ
1. Religion / faith is not something which can be "bought", although
the US Televangelists who buy cheap advertising on my cable TV
channels to sell me JEEEESSSSSUSSS at 4:00 a.m may disagree.
2. "Buddhism is a religion indigenous to the Indian sub-continent"
(per wikipedia).
3. BUDDHUISM is a religion exogenous to the Indian sub-continent.
(per Sarbajit)
(FYI - The word buddhu means "fool, "idiot" or "moron ")
4. Western Buddhists are buddhus who by doing deep scholarly research
on fragments of bark containing the secrets of the Wise (Amida )
Buddha allegedly written 600 years after his death in 500 BCE (or was
it 400 BCE ?) think they "know" everything. These are the same Buddhus
who after looking at a dinosaur's bones conclude that dinosaurs had a
brain in their butt.
5. A Religion / Faith has to be experienced in its setting. Shifting
the setting causes it to lose its essence in translation. In computer
terms, the software is non-portable.
6. Whatever you chose to call it, there is no such thing as "modern"
Buddhism. Western (presumably United States of America Western)
Buddhuism is the concoction of tripped out frauds (who "experienced"
India/Nepal) and ranks on the same ersatz plane as American Chopsuey
and Chicken Tikka Masala. .
PS: Does (your ?) Western Buddhism model include "rebirth" ?
Sarbajit
On 9/23/12, Russ Abbott [hidden email] wrote:
I'm not really buying that. My sense of modern (and especially western)
Buddhism seems pretty God-free.
*-- Russ Abbott*
*_____________________________________________*
*** Professor, Computer Science*
* California State University, Los Angeles*
* My paper on how the Fed can fix the economy: ssrn.com/abstract=1977688*
* Google voice: 747-*999-5105
Google+: plus.google.com/114865618166480775623/
* vita: *sites.google.com/site/russabbott/
CS Wiki <http://cs.calstatela.edu/wiki/> and the courses I teach
*_____________________________________________*
On Sun, Sep 23, 2012 at 10:29 AM, Sarbajit Roy [hidden email] wrote:
Buddhism may not have "a God" but Buddhism belief has "gods" who are
superior beings existing at various planes of existence. Their gods,
called "Devas", apparently exist at the highest plane of existence
well above humans, and animals, and various beings condemned
in past lives to inhabit hell (the lowest planes). Buddhism's "demons"
called "Asuras" occupy another zone.
However, in Zorastrianism, conversely the gods are called "Ahuras" and
the demons are called "Daevas" (root terms of devil):
So it seems possible that all these zones / planes are actually
political statements referring to events in some hoary past at an
indeterminate location.
http://www.heritageinstitute.com/zoroastrianism/aryans/religion.htm
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/20583/20583-h/20583-h.htm
(page 287)
Re: Buddhism as a religion:
BTW: Are we referring to "God" as "creator- God" ?
On 9/23/12, Russ Abbott [hidden email] wrote:
Thanks, Sarbajit. As I understand it Buddhism does not have a God. Does
that mean you would not classify it as a religion?
-- Russ
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FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
============================================================
FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College