Papanca wrote: ↑Sun Sep 05, 2021 11:44 pmLook at the related wikipedia links, you will find "Open individualism" that basically agrees with your position.AshvinP wrote: ↑Sun Sep 05, 2021 11:01 pm I think this entire way of reasoning is missing the most foundational aspect of idealism - we are all One in essence. It may actually reach that conclusion, but it comes at the expense of flawed reasoning which then undermines the entire efficacy of reaching the conclusion. Basically it asks us to identify with a "personal" ego (as we normally do now), and then reason from there what our "chances" are of having any experience from that perspective under different ontologies. So then it concludes the only reasonable odds come under idealism. In doing so, it perpetuates the modern fantasy that there are "personal" ego-perspectives within the One, rather than all perspectives being microcosmic expressions of the One.
Right, but the main criticism I have is in bold above. We have a tendency to think conclusions, as concepts and beliefs we hold, have some sort of inherent value in themselves. But that really goes against the grain of all spiritual traditions which have expressed these views, especially the ancient Eastern ones. The value is in the experience and, for esoteric Western spirituality, reasoning through that experience to the conclusion. That is where we find the "praxis" for our daily lives which is at the core of all these traditions. We have forgotten that in the modern age. Even the people who associate with Eastern mystical tradition seem to undervalue that aspect and feel that, apart from their personal times of meditative solace, endless abstract speculation about these things is the best path forward because it is the only path they perceive. But that speculative process can end up undermining the very core of the spiritual approach. So I was just pointing out the "what are the chances?" lottery ticket argument seems like one of those counter-productive speculative ones.