@Cyracuz,
Cyracuz wrote:
I rarely think in terms of free will. That is a leftover concept from theism.
Indeed.
Quote:And it may be impossible to predict the long-term outcome of our actions, but that seems to be a bit beside the point. What we know for a fact is that the capitalistic system (which I benefit greatly from just by being born in one of the richest countries in the world) is made so that someone has to fail in order for someone else to succeed. This premise doesn't exaclty pave the way for selfless action, but in my experience, selfless action is always most rewarding. The motive is perhaps more important in judging the moral value of actions, but that is another debate. I am capable of experiencing the interconnectedness of everything, and I see the illusory nature of all things (not trying to brag or anything, I'm just saying that I value this perspective), but that doesn't mean I should ignore these illusions. But having seen them for what they really are, I am more capable of navigating this world of illusions without getting sidetracked, mired down and miserable. From the perspective of oneness we cannot really do anything, since doing anything would break the perspective. But we have to act, it is the way of life, and it seems to me that clinging to the "true state of reality" by severing all attachments is a denial of the gift of life.
I highlighted 3 places and will reply to them in order:
1. While the win-lose aspect of capitalism does exist, there is also the cooperative aspects that are integral to its functioning. I think you can see either aspect as dominant, depending on how you look at it.
2. In my soliloquy above, I wrote, "Not try to force this or that outcome, but instead do what comes naturally and let go of the consequences." This doesn't mean total inaction; it does mean detaching from your own actions and their consequences, though. Doing so reduces one's self-importance, or conversely, reducing one's self-importance can help you detach from your own actions. Why would anyone want to do this? Because the result is a great dimunition in stress.
3. This seems like a very value-laden statement. That's not to negate it, just to point out that there are other ways of looking at it, other values that may be applied without slipping into extremes. Life can be seen as a gift, but it's a gift we will all lose. Clinging to something you're bound to lose brings about stress and suffering. Maintaining a state of equanimity and detachment isn't clinging, as far as I know. It's cultivating a minimal-stress existence. For me, it's bringing the meditative awareness of things as they are into one's everyday life and applying that awareness to one's mental and emotional state of being. I have a feeling you do something much like this, too. Maybe we just differ in a few nuances here and there. No biggie.
