Obama nominates Dr. Francis Collins to head NIH [Evolution and Faith]

[Gabriella_San_S]

:** Anti-Realism **Rationality In Question /the_limits_of_thought.htm]Nagarjuna and the Limits of Thought

Nagarjuna’s view is*** contradictory. *** The contradiction is, clearly a paradox of expressibility.??? Nagarjuna succeeds in saying the unsayable,??? We can think (and characterize) reality only subject to language, reality is all conventional. conventional objects of reality do not ultimately (non-conventionally) exist.??? It also follows that nothing we say of them is ultimately true… is an ultimate truth about them. They hence cannot be thought to have that nature… nor can we say that they do…the ultimate truth is that there is no ultimate truth.???
**
]The emptiness of emptiness is the fact that not even emptiness exists ultimately,** that it is also dependent, conventional, nominal, and in the end it is just the everydayness of the everyday. Penetrating to the depths of being, we find ourselves back on the surface of things and so discover that there is nothing, after all, beneath those deceptive surfaces. Moreover, what is deceptive about them is simply the fact that we assume ontological depth lurking just beneath.

Jay Garfield, **“Empty words, **Buddhist philosophy and cross-cultural interpretation.” OUP 2002.[/indent]

rossum

With all due respect for our Buddhist friend, if I’ve chopped the above post up, it was in a desperate attempt to make some sense out of it. You spoke so eloquently about relevant Catholic teachings, and very intelligently regarding the scientific arguments on this topic,
but the quotes you have cited above, (my bold emphasis) sound like you have been duped by the despair of a rare few, who could scarcely be considered credible. Were you really being serious?

 

[rossum]

With all due respect for our Buddhist friend, if I’ve chopped the above post up, it was in a desperate attempt to make some sense out of it.

Buddhist philosophy can indeed get somewhat difficult. The Theravada tend to say little or nothing on the topic. The Mahayana tend to say everything, and then immediately deny it. Zen Buddhists hit you with a stick and tell you to meditate more.

You spoke so eloquently about relevant Catholic teachings, and very intelligently regarding the scientific arguments on this topic,

Thank you.

but the quotes you have cited above, (my bold emphasis) sound like you have been duped by the despair of a rare few, who could scarcely be considered credible. Were you really being serious?

Far from despair. Those quotes are all about change; change is absolutely neccessary if I am to change from unenlightened rossum to enlightened rossum. Despair is the absence of change.

rossum