tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345918888953765241.post2756229528083948020..comments2023-10-16T13:06:42.360+01:00Comments on Happiness of Being: The Teachings of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi: To understand consciousness can we rely upon the observations and theories of neuroscience?Michael Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03460943269122289281noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345918888953765241.post-79346801917735029982019-03-10T19:53:44.889+00:002019-03-10T19:53:44.889+00:00Michael,
thanks for your reply.
When you consider ...Michael,<br />thanks for your reply.<br />When you consider our experience of the five kinds of sensory perception and associated thoughts, memories, desires, hopes, emotions and so on, in both states (waking and dream) as substantially of the same kind I can at best counter that there are at least many qualitative differences between both states.<br />Generally I would judge myself as seeking to know what is real and therefore as ready to reject all false /unjustified assumptions - so far as I am in the position to recognize them as false. <br />I hope to be able to keep gradually to the wise course that you mentioned.anadi-anantahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08815024045988099944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345918888953765241.post-18728861803503284142019-02-01T11:13:35.024+00:002019-02-01T11:13:35.024+00:00In a comment on one of my recent videos, 2019-01-2...In a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKXVfoGIA44&lc=UgwdOtmwRqtPp_oKbip4AaABAg" rel="nofollow">comment</a> on one of my recent videos, <a href="https://youtu.be/uKXVfoGIA44" rel="nofollow">2019-01-20 Yo Soy Tu Mismo: Michael James discusses the three states of awareness</a>, a friend wrote:<br /><br />“Of course most of us are willing and want to be able to understand and comprehend Bhagavan’s teaching completely. Michael, at time <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKXVfoGIA44&t=3240s" rel="nofollow">54:00</a> you keep saying that there is no evidence that waking is anything but a dream (or not just another dream). However, on the other hand what evidence do we have for believing that waking is not different from dream? Frankly we admit that both states are finally illusion. But according to our actual experience most of us would take for granted that there are many differences between our experiences in waking and dream. Why should we question our own experience of life only to claim that we are along the same lines as Bhagavan’s experience? Shall we believe anything only for the simple reason and the mere fact that it was told by Bhagavan Ramana although it is contradictory to experience?”<br /><br />In reply to this I wrote:<br /><br />Josef, what Bhagavan teaches us does not contradict our experience. What it contradicts and calls on us to question is our usual interpretation of our experience.<br /><br />In both waking and dream we experience five kinds of sensory perception, sights, sounds, tastes, smells and tactile sensations, and associated thoughts, memories, desires, hopes, emotions and so on, so we have absolutely no evidence that there is any substantive difference between these two states. Yet we assume that the sensory perceptions we experience in our present state are caused by external (mind-independent) objects and events, whereas the sensory perceptions we experience in dreams are created entirely by our mind without any external input. This is an unjustified assumption, because we have no evidence to support it.<br /><br />If we are seeking to know what is real, we must be ready to reject all unjustified assumptions, as well as all assumptions that we can logically deduce to be false, such as our most basic assumption, ‘I am this body’. When even our perception of ourself is false, why should we believe anything else? Therefore the wise course is to focus all our interest and effort on investigating what we ourself actually are.Michael Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03460943269122289281noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345918888953765241.post-10616112901493299312019-01-31T21:09:05.425+00:002019-01-31T21:09:05.425+00:00Michael, thanks again for your replies.
As you imp...Michael, thanks again for your replies.<br />As you imply to follow Bhagavan's advice if possible is good. Ah yes, the problem of evidence...:-)<br />I am happy to hear that your mother is blessed with your considerated care and all is happening smoothly according to the sweet will of Bhagavan. anadi-anantahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08815024045988099944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345918888953765241.post-70275438702812246782019-01-31T18:59:51.608+00:002019-01-31T18:59:51.608+00:00Josef, thank you for your kind enquiry about my mo...Josef, thank you for your kind enquiry about my mother. She is gradually declining, and is now extremely weak, so she sleeps most of the time, but whenever she is awake she continues to be calm, peaceful and as cheerful as ever, and we still see glimpses of her usual humour, so caring for her is a privilege and joy. All is happening smoothly according to the sweet will of Bhagavan.Michael Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03460943269122289281noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345918888953765241.post-84402709674031668342019-01-31T18:45:25.612+00:002019-01-31T18:45:25.612+00:00Josef, it is possible that there are fairies livin...Josef, it is possible that there are fairies living at the bottom of your garden (if you have a garden), but would you believe that they are living there without any evidence? Likewise, it is possible that phenomena exist even when we do not perceive them, but without any evidence why should we believe that they exist when we do not perceive them?<br /><br />Without evidence it is unwise to believe anything. This is why Bhagavan used to say: ‘Do not believe what you do not know’.Michael Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03460943269122289281noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345918888953765241.post-35236823668902629732019-01-31T17:00:01.317+00:002019-01-31T17:00:01.317+00:00Michael,
"These are metaphysical questions, s...Michael,<br />"These are metaphysical questions, so science can never answer them for us. In fact no one can answer them for us, because if this is all just a mental fabrication, we cannot find in it the answers we are seeking."<br />In this regard even Arunachala, Bhagavan and his teaching are just a mental fabrication and we cannot find in it the answers we are seeking.<br />As you say we can find the answers only within ourself, because we are the one who perceives all this, the one to whom it all appears.<br />So who or what am I, who now perceive all these phenomena ?<br />Without knowing oneself there is something wrong with our present awareness of ourself as this body.<br />As you further write: Awareness or knowledge of anything other than ourself is not real awareness or knowledge but only ignorance, because nothing other than ourself actually exists. Other things merely seem to exist in the self-ignorant view of ourself as ego...<br />Yes it should be clear that the appearance of phenomena depends upon consciousness, but consciousness does not depend on the appearance of phenomena. But can we trust such an evidence arisen only in that dreamlike waking ? <br />Why should we not assume that phenomena exist even when they do not appear ?<br />Why shall we deny that phenomena possibly do/can/could actually exist merely from the simple reason that they do not appear in sleep ? <br /><br />anadi-anantahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08815024045988099944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7345918888953765241.post-82433386742038556672019-01-31T15:03:32.597+00:002019-01-31T15:03:32.597+00:00Michael,
viewing the quantity of articles posted i...Michael,<br />viewing the quantity of articles posted in January 2019 in the field of sport we would say that you performed a strong finish.:-)<br />Many thanks for the high quality of your articles. Hope we are ready to benefit fully from them.<br />Because I am just in a hurry to prepare my luggage for my physical travel to Arunachala I can hardly get me away from asking you how the things are with the care for your own mother.<br /> <br /><br />anadi-anantahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08815024045988099944noreply@blogger.com