Philosophical Speculations

As I said, nobody denies agency and responsibility here, it's just that agency does not need the "agent" to be able to act. I wish that were true, Eugene, but the pattern of comments shows otherwise. This is why you feel the Earthly kingdoms cannot evolve to more spiritual stages through ...

Without something (entity, individual, identity, object, patient -- many possible words here) to act upon, there is no action, only chaos. Which is why for there to be action, there must also be this something, which, in turn, can be an agent. Action and acted upon are a polarity, like permanence a...

The landscape of one’s character, inclinations, preferences and etc. fall into the category of ‘the world’. But it’s very natural and honest, there is equal gratitude for gifts like forests, family, as well as the gift of one’s likes and dislikes. This landscape is not our true nature, these are no...

OK, Eugene, you like to call the reality of Being "stream of ATW" - fine. If you feel more secure speaking of your first-person existence in third-person - that's OK. But when this is taken as an ideal, it is not without repercussions. When you get used to this mode of cognition, everythi...

First of all, I have never claimed that my I has eternal existence. In fact, I would deny it, since my I did not exist when I was a baby, and humans in general did not acquire I's until some point in their evolutionary development. Whether, now that I am an I, this will last forever, I don't know. ...

I'm really enjoying the back-and-forth in this thread and learning much along the way I have not done the meditations (I'm a terrible meditator) but contemplating the dialogue I was moved to a commonplace thought. We've all had the experience of being in a tense or conflictual situation and being t...

However, I would say that, from a practical perspective, this is a stretch, it's not necessary and it's not for everyone. I agree with you that once we break through the bubble of the separate-self, it is good enough to still carry and refer to this mysterious feeling of the One Cosmic Being, the C...

Here is an interesting discussion where they also mention the "falling away of I" at 1:20:30 in the path of tantric Shaivism. But the whole discussion is good for anyone interested.

This response of attempting a sort subdued shaming is also typical you. You wrote this before. Not super effective, if I may say. But interesting, to say the least, coming from a no-self who is supposedly developing "its higher capacities and compassion and becoming transparent and open to the...

Whoever wants to be my disciple must... you have quoted that verse so many times Eugene. Around in circles. These words are so much your typical last resort since they lay themselves open wide enough for you to mistreat them as "linguistic labels" and enroll them at the service of your pr...