From: Robert Owen (rowen@technologist.com)
Date: Sat Sep 25 1999 - 22:45:54 MDT
J. The Zen Doctrine of No-Mind asserts that the belief that
one possesses a self is a delusion; that the self is, in
reality, nothing.
B. Let me rephrase this for the sake of illustration: No-Mind
asserts that the dreamer is the dream, the dancer is the
dance, the hearer is the sound, the perceiver is the
perception.
There is nothing in the stream of consciousness except a
fleeting succession of images and feelings; there is that
which is seen, but no seeing of seeing, there is that
which is felt, but no feeling of feeling.
Descartes' "Cogito ergo sum" means simply "there is the
thought of thinking" then "the thought of a thinker" and
finally the thought "if thought then thinker" and that is all.
"Believer" can be directly substituted for "thinker" and
"belief" for "thought". Thought if and only if thought.
J. However, if one does indeed possess a self, then there
is no delusion involved in believing that one does.
B.But the Zen position denies the substantiality of any
temporally self-identical entity within the stream of
consciousness. There is no dreamer and the dream
of a dreamer is a dream. What happens to the dreamer
when awakening is precisely what happens to the lap
when standing up.
J. On the other hand, if one does not possess a self, then no
delusion can occur, either, for delusion requires a self in
order to have a subject to delude - a deludee, if you will.
B. But, once again, although there is no dreamer there is
still dreaming; dreaming that the dream-state is reality
requires only the dream just as the dance requires only
dancing.
J. There must be a believer for a belief to occur, and a
nonexistent belief cannot be deluded
B There must be a believer for a belief to occur to a believer,
is tautological, like "Snow is white if and only if snow is
white."
J. In addition, delusion in the absence of one who is indeed
deluded makes no sense whatsoever, since such a concept
cannot meet the sine qua non test.
B. Delusion is a property of consciousness that mistakes its
reflexivity for a subject-object duality. Delusion is then
simply a state of the unawareness of consciousness of its
own "true nature".
J. So, whether or not there is such an entity as a self in
existence, there can be no delusion, and there is no
room between the twin horns of this dilemma, since the
either-or alternatives encompass all the possible situational
alternatives. Q.E.D.,
B. There is a disintegrated state of consciousness that can
be called "delusion" or "ignorance", but there is no one
who is deluded or ignorant. The eye cannot see itself
seeing because there is nothing to see.
J. The Zen Doctrine of No-Mind, which asserts that such a
belief is necessarily deluded, when in fact it cannot be,
must be false. There is a way around this argument.
B. You can continue dualistically thinking that the doctrine
of No-Mind is false, as long as you continue to think
dualistically.
J. Have fun, Joe
B. All fun is Zen, Joe, because it makes you laugh!
One monk said to the other, "The fish has
flopped out of the net! How will it live?"
The other said, "When you have gotten
out of the net, I'll tell you."
Lux et Veritas,
Bob
=======================
Robert M. Owen
Director
The Orion Institute
57 W. Morgan Street
Brevard, NC 28712-3659 USA
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