--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "curtisdeltablues" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Those that are 'enlightened' live in a different > > reality than those that live in ignorance. The > > enlightened have an experience of 'gnosis' in > > that they realize the illusory aspect of reality. > > First, excellent detailed answers. Here is the fundamental problem > that I have. How could we possibly know what a person's internal > experience is? I can't really separate your points from a bunch of > beliefs that any fundamentalist Hindu would have. > > The "enlightened" person is just making a claim of having special > internal knowledge with no evidence. Most of your points were right > out of scriptures. So anyone can claim to "know" in this special way. > I think the difference is that some people get others to buy into the > claim. Ones view doesn't necessarily need to be upheld by anyone. My view doesn't usually change because you don't see it that way. It may be good feedback and all, but my state is not dependent on anyone's approval.
Evaluating "mistakes' is quite relative to the evaluation criteria. And the definition of a mistake. Do cartoon characters make mistakes? Did the roadrunner make ANOTHER mistake that got him blown up one more time? Does Charlie Brown make a mistake when ready to kick the football when Lussy lets go of the it once again? Are spelling errors mistakes? In some contexts yes, in other's no. Spelling is anarbitrary convention. As are words. I choose not to buy into that convention, and spell Lucy as Lussy -- did I make mistake? Again -- by what standards, from what view, pursuant to which objective, and to what consequence. What if the maid slipped, fell down the stairs, mistakenly and accidently bumped Hitler over the rail, where he plunged to his death in 1940. Did the maid make a mistake? Did Scott McClellan make a mistake by not speaking up while press Secretary? He said this morning that he didn't figure out a lot of stuff until year ago. Are some things a mistake in hindsight, or with more knowledge, and not a mistake "at the moment"? One view, which I like, and which may be a mistake, is that everyone is doing the best with what they have. Is a '64 VW Beetle, on its last legs, choking and coughing to get to the end of the street, making a mistake? Or is it doing the best it can with what it still has? If everyone is doing their best, given all of everyone's limitations, where is are the mistakes? I flunked a course -- took it again, and now know more than anyone in wither class. Did I make a mistake in failing the first time? I hit 63 out of 478 balls into the net this morning. Were those mistakes -- or simply useful feedback to adjust the angle of my racquet head a bit? A child is learning to talk and is a bit "inarticulate" at times. Is she making a mistake --or on a "perfect" path to learn the language. I don't claim to have special knowledge, particularly the woo woo kind. I do have specialized knowledge that no one else has on this Forum. (Or ever had in the history of the universe -- for that matter). But its personal, or career, or academic training, or simply what I had for breakfast 2 days ago. And my specialized knowledge affects by views -- and vice versa. I picked up 6 instead of my intended 4 oranges at the store. Was that a mistake? Was it consequential? A man loses his fortune -- by various "mistakes". And learns a shitload of valuable life lessons as a result. Was that a mistake? Mistakes are very relative to "what". What view, objective, context, evaluation criteria, consequence, etc. Its possible to posit views in which "every cloud has a silver lining" and "things happen for the best". Many people, far beyond enlightenment traditions, have some or much of this view. In that view, "its all good good" -- in the larger context. One step back, two steps forward. In that view, there are no mistakes. While I am not necessarily subscribing to such, it is a legitimate view.