(August 28, 2018 at 9:40 am)robvalue Wrote: I agree, theists are trapped in a cave of sorts. Some more than others.
Escaping that cave still leaves us in a larger cave, one from which I can never see any way out. We can't directly experience reality, because any information we get must go through at least one filter, most likely several, before we can interpret it. At most we can model our observations of reality as accurately as possible.
I'd wonder, if in escaping that larger cave, you'd have to leave behind all vestiges of humanity, including all the senses and the way we organize their input, and arrive at some more elemental truth.
It seems to me the goal of some branches of meditative Bhuddism could be described as an attempt to step out of the cave in that way. (and please note that I'm referring to philosophical and meditative practices, not institutional Buddhism with temples and prayer wheels and all that)
