---Hsuan Hua on fate: Most people are of the opinion that a person's fate has a fixed arrangement. This is illustrated by the saying, "When one's fate only allows for eight feet, it's difficult to seek for ten." Not bad! However, this is only spoken with reference to ordinary people. If one is a cultivator of the Way, then one doesn't fall into this sort of fate. Those who cultivate the Way shouldn't be consulting The Book of Changes. That's something which is used by the normal run of common person. Those who cultivate the Way are even able to put and end to birth and death, how much the more so are they able to deal with other forms of "fate." There even more able to leap over such things. So, don't pay any attention to those things. (p.119)
***** In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "mainstream20016" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, t3rinity <no_reply@> wrote: > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "mainstream20016" > > <mainstream20016@> wrote: > > > > > Curtis, this is addressed to you and I'm sure you will respond, > > but.....may I ? > > > Trinity3, why would you doubt that he doesn't feel independent of > > unconscious processes, > > > and that he uses them (uncoscious processes) for his art ? It seems > > that Curtis is fully one > > > with the creative expressions from their inception, through their > > expression through his > > > art, in his case blues music performance. The concept of control of > > the process was > > > introduced by your question, and isn't what he asserts. He seems > > to be a fully > > > enlightened artist, at one with the first creative impulse, through > > its relative expression of > > > his own voice, guitar, and physical expression. Expanding the range > > of awareness of the > > > conscious mind to percieve the first impulses of creativity is what > > FFLers have been doing > > > naturally for a very long time. > > > -Mainstream > > > > Mainstream, maybe I am doing injustice to Curtis, I am certainly not > > doubting his creative process. Its simply my understanding of atheism > > as a philosophy of life. Religion, any religion certainly questions > > the independence of our mind /ego (while I am aware that Christianity > > makes it a special point that God gave man freedom of decision - not > > my belief) and makes it dependent on another entity, atheism asserts > > us that we alone are in control of our lives. At least thats what I > > have understood it to mean until now. Of course, everyone is aware of > > 'limitations' we all have,imposed to us by nature. But there is a > > fundamental belief that we are ourself in charge of what we believe > > in, that we with our mind can logically understand life and should > > reject irrationality. In fact religion is seen as 'irrational' by > > atheists, which implies that they believe in a rational understanding > > of life. IOW they regard ratio higher than feelings or experiences (as > > Curtis is never tired to point out that he regards the same mystical > > experiences many of us share in a different way and strips them of > > any religious meaning they could have.) In fact he tries to understand > > them rationally only, as I believe. Thus he places ratio highest, and > > I always understood this to mean a place where intellect is 'in control' > > > > t3rinity, you have a polar opposite view from atheism regarding the authorship of any > person's thoughts. While atheism denies the existence of God, you attribute all thoughts > to God - Even the thoughts of atheists' that deny God's existence!! > > Why do you believe that humans do not have free will ? Is the concept of free will too > removed from the belief that God authors all ? What if God authored free will ? How would > that concept fit for you ? >
