smmu said:

Icelander said:

smmu said:

I think that Kant was a little off his rocker... to put it in less-than-philosophical terms. What do you all think about one of his assertions in 1781:

"It remains completely unknown to us what may be the nature of objects in themselves and apart from the receptivity of our senses. We know nothing except our own way of perceiving them, a way peculiar to us, and which does not necessarily pertain to every being, though it surely pertains to every human being." -Immanuel Kant in his momentous Critique of Pure Reason

My own take on it:

First off, how can anyone be "completely" sure of anything? We can be aware of our own true nature, and in that, we can be aware of the nature of other things that exist in the universe.
Kant's statements above use the words "our" and "our own" as if our ego-self is possessive over what it sees and experiences in the world. However, this is an assumption that we can't afford to make in such a world that exists both on an individual, egotistical level... as well as a unified oneness; a Universe where Everything is Everything, where I am you and You are me. Mystics, Zen masters, and many of you on P&S will understand what I am saying here.

I don't think Kant understood this, or at the very least, I don't think that he had experienced oneness or unification with the Universe before he said this... and I think that without the experience of this, you will believe what Kant said above...

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I'm a zen master and I say you don't have a clue. Just because you had an emotional experience you think that means something about reality. But you remain encased in your body and perceptions. On the atomic level we are all the same. So what? Show me how that knowledge does anything but relieve your death anxiety.

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Sorry, Icelander, do you want to elaborate? Have you been ordained? Who have you studied under? I am not trying to call you out; I am honestly very interested to meet a Zen master on the Shroomery!
Honestly I am a little weary of seeing an ordained Zen master on the Shroomery... simply because most Zen sects must take a vow to abide by the 5th precept, which is to refrain from drugs. I like to say for myself that it is to refrain from drugs leading to heedlessness.

You see, I am learning and experiencing as much as I can about Zen Buddhism. It is a difficult path... I only recently (5 months ago) begun my practice... but you should know the Buddha's last words; and I take them to heart and remember them always.

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Yes I'm ordained. I studied under the sky. The sky containes the earth and all the things of the earth and this includes what you call drugs which you judge to be this or that.

The Buddha was just another never ever forget this.

Veritas said:

Quote:

When we become one with nature and truly experience it... we CAN understand it through and through.

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You mean when we think that we have become one with nature?  There is no evidence that suggests it is possible for an individual human to become one with nature.  The mental experience of oneness is quite moving and worth pursuing, IMO, yet cannot be taken as having occurred outside of our own mind.

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