Buddhism and Postmodernism
Puma
I was just thinking about how well zen buddhism and postmodernism mix. They
both value impersonality, and share the belief that everything you believe
about your personality/psychological composition is an illusion, and that
you must discard any notions of reality outside the "world text" you have
created. Buddhism says that the world is a dream, and postmodernism says
that it does not exist outside your own mind. Sounds more or less the same
to me.
Both centre on individualism, and instead of creating patterns of behaviour
(metanarratives) to control experience, they value the "spiritual" freedom
of the individual.
The final goal of buddhism is serenity of the soul - there is no such thing
as "learning", and thus art becomes nothing but obstacles on the road to
freedom. The exhausted literature of postmodernism is more or less cooked
down to being nothing but entertainment. Both aim to bring happiness to the
individual, not wisdom.
Any comments?
James Whitehead
<es...@zybermail.dk> writes
Zen Buddhism was very popular amongst the high moderns of the 50s and
60s, so perhaps it has more to do with modernism. After all it shares a
goal oriented project, and a belief in some absolute - even if this is a
void. Perhaps post-modernism is the very opposite of Buddhism in that
what is given now is enlightenment. I think Hinduism might be better
suited to po-mo, it seems to offer an alternative to religious hegemony,
embracing thuggery, aestheticism, sexuality (tantra) .... and more
divinities than you can shake a stick at.
--
James Whitehead
Arthur Williamson
"Puma" <es...@zybermail.dk> wrote in message
news:dGZM5.958$1d.7...@news101.telia.com...
>
>
> I was just thinking about how well zen buddhism and postmodernism mix.
They
> both value impersonality, and share the belief that everything you believe
> about your personality/psychological composition is an illusion, and that
> you must discard any notions of reality outside the "world text" you have
> created. Buddhism says that the world is a dream, and postmodernism says
> that it does not exist outside your own mind. Sounds more or less the same
> to me.
> Both centre on individualism, and instead of creating patterns of
behaviour
> (metanarratives) to control experience, they value the "spiritual" freedom
> of the individual.
> The final goal of buddhism is serenity of the soul - there is no such
thing
> as "learning", and thus art becomes nothing but obstacles on the road to
> freedom. The exhausted literature of postmodernism is more or less cooked
> down to being nothing but entertainment. Both aim to bring happiness to
the
> individual, not wisdom.
>
> Any comments?
>
I never new Buddhism was that bad. Thanks for telling us.
We're coming full circle, it seems. Now PoMo is the same as PreMo.
Puma
I may be wrong in my assumptions, but Zen to me is not about enlightement -
it is about stopping all logical thoughts and conceptions about the world.
Why? Because they are of no use.
It is not a "belief" - it is a condition. The condition of realising that
everything is an illusion.
Zen does not say anything - it stops the saying. The only absolute in Zen is
the thoughtless mind.
What is "the goal oriented project" you mention?
James Whitehead
<es...@zybermail.dk> writes
>
>I may be wrong in my assumptions, but Zen to me is not about enlightement -
>it is about stopping all logical thoughts and conceptions about the world.
>Why? Because they are of no use.
>It is not a "belief" - it is a condition. The condition of realising that
>everything is an illusion.
>Zen does not say anything - it stops the saying. The only absolute in Zen is
>the thoughtless mind.
>
>What is "the goal oriented project" you mention?
Satori - Enlightenment- Zen is a practice - which has an aim - its not a
condition because it has stages - novices and masters and an idea or
belief in transcendence of some sort through practice. Post Modernism if
it has to be essential becomes a statement about modernity -. The
logical assumptions are still there within Zen - Zen monks eat, sleep,
and communicate about the trivial - wear clothes which get dirty and are
washed, if it was a condition then the condition of logically cooking
the rice to prevent the feeling of hunger is of as much significance as
some brain state produced by meditation.
>
>
>> Zen Buddhism was very popular amongst the high moderns of the 50s and
>> 60s, so perhaps it has more to do with modernism. After all it shares a
>> goal oriented project, and a belief in some absolute - even if this is a
>> void. Perhaps post-modernism is the very opposite of Buddhism in that
>> what is given now is enlightenment. I think Hinduism might be better
>> suited to po-mo, it seems to offer an alternative to religious hegemony,
>> embracing thuggery, aestheticism, sexuality (tantra) .... and more
>> divinities than you can shake a stick at.
>> --
>> James Whitehead
>
>
--
James Whitehead
Franklin Cacciutto
The goal of zen is indeed wisdom achieved through a transcendence of suffering
through meditation.
Postmodernism in contrast cannot be construed to have a goal beyond the pose,
which you exemplify, of philosophicality, which I would agree in the general
instance of postmodernism certainly is an illusion.
G*rd*n
Franklin Cacciutto <shad...@earthlink.net>:
| Facile nonsense.
|
| The goal of zen is indeed wisdom achieved through a transcendence of suffering
| through meditation.
|
| Postmodernism in contrast cannot be construed to have a goal beyond the pose,
| which you exemplify, of philosophicality, which I would agree in the general
| instance of postmodernism certainly is an illusion.
Zen does not have a goal. There is no transcendence because
there is nothing to transcend.
Someone asked Mumon why he was polishing a brick. "In order
to see the face of a fool", he answered.
| Puma wrote:
|
| > I was just thinking about how well zen buddhism and postmodernism mix. They
| > both value impersonality, and share the belief that everything you believe
| > about your personality/psychological composition is an illusion, and that
| > you must discard any notions of reality outside the "world text" you have
| > created. Buddhism says that the world is a dream, and postmodernism says
| > that it does not exist outside your own mind. Sounds more or less the same
| > to me.
| > Both centre on individualism, and instead of creating patterns of behaviour
| > (metanarratives) to control experience, they value the "spiritual" freedom
| > of the individual.
| > The final goal of buddhism is serenity of the soul - there is no such thing
| > as "learning", and thus art becomes nothing but obstacles on the road to
| > freedom. The exhausted literature of postmodernism is more or less cooked
| > down to being nothing but entertainment. Both aim to bring happiness to the
| > individual, not wisdom.
| >
| > Any comments?
Postmodernism is a monkey which can be made to jump through
many hoops. Zen is a monkey which jumps through only one
hoop. But the emptiness of the many hoops, and of the one
hoop, are one and the same.
James Whitehead
>
>Postmodernism is a monkey which can be made to jump through
>many hoops. Zen is a monkey which jumps through only one
>hoop. But the emptiness of the many hoops, and of the one
>hoop, are one and the same.
some monks in Burma who taught cats do this. oh lesley says its small
dogs... maybe giraffes would be harder? However there is always the
camel and the eye of a needle - some trick!
--
James Whitehead
G*rd*n
| >Postmodernism is a monkey which can be made to jump through
| >many hoops. Zen is a monkey which jumps through only one
| >hoop. But the emptiness of the many hoops, and of the one
| >hoop, are one and the same.
James Whitehead <jl...@jliat.demon.co.uk>:
| I thought it was horses re hoop jumping - through i recently saw on TV
| some monks in Burma who taught cats do this. oh lesley says its small
| dogs... maybe giraffes would be harder? However there is always the
| camel and the eye of a needle - some trick!
All is one. Or maybe zero.
James Whitehead
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--
James Whitehead
Jazz
> Postmodernism is a monkey which can be made to jump through
> many hoops. Zen is a monkey which jumps through only one
> hoop. But the emptiness of the many hoops, and of the one
> hoop, are one and the same.
G*rd*n,
Has Garden returned to the living?
--
*Gassho*
- Jazz
http://home1.gte.net/sawyerj/index.html
ICQ: 27846834
G*rd*n
Rupam sunyata sunyateva rupam
Emptiness engenders and sustains all forms,
therefore it is said, "Emptiness is form."
All forms come from and return to emptiness,
therefore it is said, "The form is empty."