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"Nothing ever really happens" seems to suggest that the flow of time is an illusion, albeit a very convincing one, which in fact Kevin you are seconding. I don't think Rinpoche or whoever wrote that would claim that reality itself is "not real." He would probably acknowledge that the brick wall is very real. I think the suggestion is that we exist in discrete moments of time and our minds fill in the gaps to create the illusion of flow and "passage" of time. Maybe there is no such thing. Events "happen" over time -- I don't think anything is truly "instantaneous." Even the Big Bang took some time. I think Rinpoche is talking about stripping away *all* the illusions we bring to reality (and this is just one) until all you're left with is a very stark, bare reality. That's when you can be objective about the world. Won't happen in my lifetime, but that's what I get out of that quote.
Steve
PS - No one is questioning your existence, either -- unless you're just some automatic "bot" posting messages to Techwhirl. :)
-----Original Message-----
From: On Behalf Of McLauchlan, Kevin
Sent: Tuesday, February 28, 2012 7:46 AM
To: Wanda Phillips; techwrl
Subject: RE: Typography for gui items
Wanda Phillips quoted:
> ------------------
> ...in order to understand the true nature of reality, we must realize
> that nothing ever really happens.
> Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso, Rinpoche, Sun of Wisdom (Shambhala
> Publications), 3-4.
> ------------------
"... nothing ever really happens." It just appears to happen,
so strongly, so pervasively, and with such a complete lack of
possibility to evade/escape (short of death), that we must
deal with what appears to happen pretty much exactly as we
would if it really was happening. Try not happening to breathe
for a few minutes. Distress happens. Truly.
I can make all the philosophical assertions I wish to make,
about the non-reality of "physical reality", but when I
attempt to walk through that brick wall over there, my
non-existent nose gives a very convincing approximation
of breaking, spurting non-existent blood down the non-
existent front of my non-existent shirt, and hurting like
a very existent sonovabitch! Furthermore, when that blood
stain dries, it's going to be amazingly hard to remove,
for something that isn't actually "there", and didn't
actually happen... or such has been my experience, as it happens. :-)
-k (currently existing and semi-happening between frightening deadlines, as you can tell... or could, if you existed)
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