Buddhist atomism - Links

Buddhist atoms in the tradition of Buddhist atomism underwent a very rich period during the time of Dharmakirti. In discussing Buddhist atomism, Stcherbatsky writes: ...[T]he Buddhists denied the existence of substantial matter altogether. Movement consists for them of moments, it is a staccato movement, momentary flashes of a stream of energy... "Everything is evanescent“,... says the Buddhist, because there is no stuff... Both systems [Sānkhya, and later Indian Buddhism] share in common a tendency to push the ...

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Epicureans

Followers of the Greek philosopher Epicurus (341-270 BC). The Epicurean school in Athens consisted of a number of people living together in accordance with the master's teachings.

Most of our knowledge of these teachings comes from Diogenes Laertius's Lives of the Philosophers and Lucretius's On Nature. Epicurean physics derived from the atomism of Democritus: there exists nothing but atoms moving in void, and their rearrangement accounts for all change. Our cosmos is one of many such temporary arrangements of atoms, brought into being by purely natural forces. Our souls are also perishable collections of atoms, perceiving the world by means of the atoms emanating from the surfaces of objects.

Perfect, imperishable, blessed gods exist, but, contrary to popular opinion, their perfection entails that they cannot have any projects or concerns and so do not intervene in our world. It is good for human beings to respect and admire these beings but not to expect rewards or punishments from them.

Epicureanism was concerned, above all, with ethics, with providing a practical guide to living a happy life. Notoriously, Epicureans saw this as a matter of fulfilling the natural human desire for pleasure. But contrary to the ancient prejudices against them, they did not advocate a life of reckless, sensual pleasure seeking. Rather, they recommended only those pleasures caused by the satisfaction of natural, necessary desires (e. g. , for food) and not those that are unnecessary or involve pain (e. g. , desire for delicious but unhealthy food). The ideally happy life was one of bodily health and "freedom from anxiety. "

(See also: Epicureans , New Age Spirituality, Body Mind and Soul)

Buddhist atoms in the tradition of Buddhist atomism underwent a very rich period during the time of Dharmakirti. In discussing Buddhist atomism, Stcherbatsky writes: ...[T]he Buddhists denied the existence of substantial matter altogether. Movement consists for them of moments, it is a staccato movement, momentary flashes of a stream of energy... "Everything is evanescent“,... says the Buddhist, because there is no stuff... Both systems [Sānkhya, and later Indian Buddhism] share in common a tendency to push the ...

Including:

• Buddhist atomism - Links

Read more here: » Buddhist atomism