Back to the beginning: the cave

[Aegon]

Fun fact: I dabbled in Hinduism for a couple years. I credit the corresponding meditation practice for bringing me the clarity to realize that I was drawn to the religion more for its symbolism and philosophical elements than actual belief in the deities I was supposed to be worshipping. I guess it's one of the rare cases where chanting a god's name leads to disbelief in that god.

The philosophies of Taoism and Zen are the backbone to my current beliefs. Hinduism, a tad, on a smaller scale. Stoicism as well, I guess, but not relevant to the discussion)

[bennyboy]

I think the idea is that through total surrender of the self, one comes into contact with all of existence in some way.

One way I've heard it described is that all the stuff we sense is a painting-- but under it lies the canvas.

The "self" is a very nebulous concept to begin with. I don't know what it would mean to surrender it, or how it would aid the situation. It sounds like either delusion or trance-like meditation. I expect some/most animals aren't even capable of having a concept of "the self" but I doubt that helps them in this regard.

Maybe animals, for this reason, spend their entire lives outside the cave. I think, though, based on my interaction with my pets, that they DO have some concept of self, of fairness, and so on. But surely, they live lives on a more fundamental, and more truthful, way than I do.

[The Grand Nudger]

The philosophies of Taoism and Zen are the backbone to my current beliefs. Hinduism, a tad, on a smaller scale. Stoicism as well, I guess, but not relevant to the discussion)

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