baker

Children. I don't recal ever hearing in Theravada Buddhist doctrine about the spontaneous recollection of past lives. I searched ATI for it, no finds....

Scientism. Science wants to rule the world, have the say on "how the world really works". So of course there has to be an ideologically loaded, simpli...

I wonder though whether Rand's individualism is actually a case of defensive individualism. Rand's individualist is coming from a position of lack, fr...

I see two major kinds of individualism which are not to be confused: 1. Entitled/expansive individualism and 2. Defensive individualism. Entitled/expa...

From what I understood, philosophy is supposed to be about the way one thinks and talks about things, not about coming up with definitive narratives a...

The concept of reincarnation/rebirth has primarily an ethical importance, in several ways. One is that it helps to make sense of the world and it puts...

First answer why it would be necessary to "convincingly justify it in philosophical terms".

In Western cultures where the metaphysical norms are derived from Abrahamic religions. In contrast, go far East, and it would be woo not to believe in...

As expected ...

This is highly questionable. Even good friends and family can turn on you if you find yourself in trouble, what to speak of semi-stangers/acquaintance...

Well, if you have too much time on your hands ...

This is a Mahayana/Vajrayrana view. Other Buddhist schools would point out that by killing, one accrues "bad karma" for oneself. A Buddhist might also...

You seem to be starting from the position that a person has a "true self", a "core" and that this "core" is permanent, unchangeable, and knowable. Whi...

Actually, I know a similar situation first-hand. What I do is I make an effort to be professional and that's it. Don't smile, don't chit chat, don't g...

Should. Doesn't mean that it does. Look at arguments for antisemitism, racism, meat-eating: many of them are based on the idea that some beings are le...

Sure. I'm saying that people generally don't want trouble. And in an effort to avoid trouble, they will do things that can look racist, homophobic etc...

I remember when I was little, and still in elementary school and even into my teens, there were adults, including some teachers, who held that view --...

I think that the actual problem is that you're externalizing things that are, by their nature, private, personal. Indeed, you can point out that profe...

"Who are you to tell me what to think?!" is the reply you'll probably get from most people to your AN suggestions. If you, as an AN, care so much abou...

Our teeth continue to rot as if nothing happened.

*sigh*

What a rookie.

I don't experience those as my choices, though.

No. A bodhisattva is not yet a buddha, a bodhisattva is not yet enlightened, he doesn't have that status. The idea that the unelightened could lead ot...

While you, of course, are inevitably close to nirvana, or already there, right? Right.

I think only some people are like that; in fact, possibly the minority. A case can be made that a psychologically normal person does usually not refle...

Young jedi, you yet have a lot to learn.

Thank heavens you've got the alcohol to blame! And not perhaps that smoking pot induced the person to a number of other bad choices, such as drinking ...

You most certainly did not explain it. You just claimed it, with nothing further. How about you actually reading what I said? The you'll see that I do...

I never said that they are flawed. I don't think they are. I only pointed out that doing some practices and holding some views can lead to some troubl...

Yes, by all means, do. This is key. For a secular Westerner interested in Buddhism, it is indeed quite likely politically incorrect to propose that Bu...

Sure. But the issue is that relevant experiences are gained through doing a particular practice. Doing this practice to begin with requires that some ...

I think this problem of circularity/self-referentiality applies to many (if not all) fields of knowledge. To me, that it should apply to Buddhism, is ...

You're the one who said that I misunderstood. So it's on you to show me how, where, why I misunderstood.

This is anecdotal evidence, of course. I grew up in what was almost entirely a monoracial monoculture. I am certain that we were taught racism. From w...

This still does nothing to explain why you care so much about the lives of others (whom you'd prefer weren't born at all).

Has anyone actually done this experiment, or is there any anecdotal evidence of how actual people have acted in such situation?

While many other times, it's a act of submission and letting the other person have the upper hand. And to fuck with you. And once you make the mistake...

People who will piss on your lawn, slit the tires on your car ...

Once something is deemed "normal", it eventually becomes the norm, obligatory. Because STI's are such fun! Don't just think chlamidya or HIV, think tr...

Not for the one who casts the first stone. That person comes out the winner.

And you talk to them, greet them, as if all was well?

I think those films were exercises in stylization and were never meant to be taken at face value. The height of that stylization were then the Spaghet...

I suppose this is easier to handle when being neighbors in an apartment building where people can mostly ignore eachother without this having any bad ...

Even when they are said by a person living just a few meters away from you? Whenever you see that person, you know, "This person wishes me dead". Does...

It would be just another dogma, just another standard of behavior that would become normative and obligatory for all. And sexually transmitted infecti...

That's confused.

So you're favoring selective antinatalism. Some types of antinatalism are not destructive or harmful. In fact, they can help humanity toward a better ...

Expressing hatred is a breach of (potential) trust. It's a declaration of war terms. Can you live peacefully next to someone who tells you don't deser...

No, the scenario in the OP specifies that the racist clearly verbalizes their racist stance toward the target and that the rest of the community know ...