On 4/9/2014 1:21 PM, Share Long wrote: > True, not as much as Richard does. > Maybe they don't need as much spiritual help as I do, Share. They want us to think they have everything all figured out, but they really suck as spiritual teachers. This thread is a case in point - instead of telling us how to overcome our spiritual doubts, they try to turn the whole debate into a conversation about Richard. Go figure.
We are the Materialists, one of the ancient schools of Indian Philosophy, founded by our founder, Brihaspati and our tradition is very old. We have always existed, and we will exist at the end of time. Our texts have been lost, so we offer this manifesto: "We believe in four elements. Direct perception is the only valid means of knowledge. We reject inference as a leap in the dark. Verbal testimony is a lie. Earth, water, fire, and air are reality. Consciousness is a product of the elements and the senses are the by-product of matter. There is no other world and no individual soul: death is liberation. There is no returning here again. The three authors of the Vedas were clowns, buffoons, and knaves. Eat, drink and be merry. Pleasure is a fact, desired by all. No pleasure should be neglected. After all, man is an animal, and satisfaction is as natural as life itself. Our motto is emphasize the substance, ignore the shadows. Enjoyment is the true end of human existence."
