First of all, I'm not denying the positive effect of technological advance.
The problem with that is, like much Eastern spiritual
thought, it doesn't scale. Sure, we could all be Zen
practitioners, but we'd have no fast computers, cool
phones, or footprints on the Moon to show for it.
Are we really feeling better because of these modern comforts?
Faking it, as the Zen school of thought advocates, isn't going to cut it.
Ok, there're different ways to feel better. But which one is a fake? Is there any fake? Or is it just cultural habit?
Are we really feeling better because of these modern comforts?
I can only speak for myself, but: well, yes.
Ok, there're different ways to feel better. But which one is a fake? Is there any fake? Or is it just cultural habit?
That was a bit of a troll, on my part. I don't consider Zen to be "faking it," necessarily -- it may well be the Right Thing for some people. But I do think we'd have even cooler stuff and greater knowledge of both ourselves and the universe around us if, instead of endlessly creating and destroying mandalas to force ourselves to accept the impermanence of all things, we all fought impermanence tooth and nail.
The problem with that is, like much Eastern spiritual thought, it doesn't scale. Sure, we could all be Zen practitioners, but we'd have no fast computers, cool phones, or footprints on the Moon to show for it.
Are we really feeling better because of these modern comforts?
Faking it, as the Zen school of thought advocates, isn't going to cut it.
Ok, there're different ways to feel better. But which one is a fake? Is there any fake? Or is it just cultural habit?