How to cope with the belief that nothing exists?

Pessimist

Well-known member
  • Mar 6, 2018
    20,665
    1,562
    113
    🌎
    How to cope with the belief that everything is a lie ?

    Simple answer is you can't. If everything is a lie how could one even hope to explain the origin of, say, amoebas ? And if nothing exists what stops him/her from jumping out of a building ? Even the falling, crashing, pain and death don't exist. If none of these exist, it shouldn't matter.

    Therefore the most common and simplest way is to reject the belief and say at least somethings exist. Another common response is saying nothing exists is an extreme that should be avoided. But it's not clear how extremes are defined. How is that saying somethings exist isn't an extreme ? Does extremes are defined simply by all and none ? That is if one says all has the property p or none has the property p they are extremes and non extremist way is to say only a some has property p ? This seems to be the stand many hold. According to this kind of reasoning, even the statement every crow reincarnates must be an extreme too. Generally any general statement must be an extreme. This does anything but solves the matter. It's just a wordplay. But there's a way around.

    So how could one avoid running into problems with the belief everything is lie or nothing exists ? To understand this, here's a precept from a book which is said to have said by Niels Bohr.

    In 1949, Bohr, who was by then recognized as one of the great minds of the century, was asked: "What is complementary to truth ?" Bohr's answer, after some reflection, was: "Clarity."

    This is the problem. Some things are complementary. Truth and clarity are a pair of them. That's why it's nonsensical to ask how amoebas are formed if nothing exists or nothing is true. In order to explain the formation of amoebas some degree of clarity is necessary. But if it's the nature of truth we are seeking to explain, it's inevitable the degree of clarity decreases. It's as nonsensical as asking the position of an electron of which we have measured the momentum to a higher degree of accuracy.

    So how did amoebas formed ? One answer is they don't exist. And the other answer is through evolution.
     
    Last edited:

    MR BOLD

    Banned
    Oct 5, 2017
    1,070
    169
    0
    Good explaination bro....

    But lord Buddha had already rejected this 'opinion' of yours as false.

    I will give you the 'sutra' which is relavant to this context.
     

    Pessimist

    Well-known member
  • Mar 6, 2018
    20,665
    1,562
    113
    🌎
    Good explaination bro....

    But lord Buddha had already rejected this 'opinion' of yours as false.

    I will give you the 'sutra' which is relavant to this context.

    I'm sure if he rejected this at all it was done on the basis of it's impracticality. Being impractical doesn't imply it's wrong. Only this position itself does.
     

    Emios

    Well-known member
  • Dec 10, 2009
    74,367
    66,781
    113
    It's basically come to this.Everything that we see here as one unit doesn't have an existance of it's own.its a collection of different elements.So therefor the apperance of one unit is an illusion created by senses.So it is considered empty because nothing exist as a one unit.So can we say nothing exist yes nothing exists in it's true form.But exists on the image created by the senses and it's real.
     

    Pessimist

    Well-known member
  • Mar 6, 2018
    20,665
    1,562
    113
    🌎
    It's basically come to this.Everything that we see here as one unit doesn't have an existance of it's own.its a collection of different elements.So therefor the apperance of one unit is an illusion created by senses.So it is considered empty because nothing exist as a one unit.So can we say nothing exist yes nothing exists in it's true form.But exists on the image created by the senses and it's real.

    But how can u say the elements are true ? At least we perceive the whole. The elements is just a logical inference. That's y everything is an illusion. Even emptiness is a concept. Is there anyway for us to know for sure that emptiness exists ?

    nothing exists. Even non-existence is a lie. it doesn't exists either.
     

    Emios

    Well-known member
  • Dec 10, 2009
    74,367
    66,781
    113
    But how can u say the elements are true ? At least we perceive the whole. The elements is just a logical inference. That's y everything is an illusion. Even emptiness is a concept. Is there anyway for us to know for sure that emptiness exists ?

    nothing exists. Even non-existence is a lie. it doesn't exists either.

    emptiness doesn't exist.Yeah it's true nothing exists.
     

    MR BOLD

    Banned
    Oct 5, 2017
    1,070
    169
    0
    It's basically come to this.Everything that we see here as one unit doesn't have an existance of it's own.its a collection of different elements.So therefor the apperance of one unit is an illusion created by senses.So it is considered empty because nothing exist as a one unit.So can we say nothing exist yes nothing exists in it's true form.But exists on the image created by the senses and it's real.

    yes.. very correct!. that's what the Lord Buddha had said. Imagine that you are playing a computer game. In that game, you are destroying a game character and therefore you 'feel' happy afterward. then what did really exist? the game character was just an our interpretation of elements. but the 'feeling'?

    Our 'feelings' are real atleat for now. Until we fully understand it.

    We all can agree to that 'physical things' aren't real. How can we know? may be we are just playing a giant video game? or as hawking says our universe is just an projection of blackhole's even horizon..

    however our 'feelings' are real..
     
    Last edited:

    Pessimist

    Well-known member
  • Mar 6, 2018
    20,665
    1,562
    113
    🌎
    so?, there is not 'time'? no 'universe'? no 'good' or 'bad'???

    time ? are u even sure about spatial dimensions ? time is yet another concept we have made in order to explain the world around us. That is not to say I believe in the existence of an objective world surrounding me. It's just that language is made on the basis that there exists a reality separate from us. Therefore language only hinders my ability to express what I believe. Which means I must speak in a contradictory way with the help of metaphors that aren't slightly related to what I believe.

    Nope. There's no time, no spatial dimensions, no nothing. It's all a simulation inside our mind including our mind. It's our inability to understand this emptiness, non-existence what gives rise to our sufferings. Understanding everything is a lie including this very statement, understanding nothing exists including the non-existence is, as I believe, what releases one from suffering.
     

    MR BOLD

    Banned
    Oct 5, 2017
    1,070
    169
    0
    time ? are u even sure about spatial dimensions ? time is yet another concept we have made in order to explain the world around us. That is not to say I believe in the existence of an objective world surrounding me. It's just that language is made on the basis that there exists a reality separate from us. Therefore language only hinders my ability to express what I believe. Which means I must speak in a contradictory way with the help of metaphors that aren't slightly related to what I believe.

    Nope. There's no time, no spatial dimensions, no nothing. It's all a simulation inside our mind including our mind. It's our inability to understand this emptiness, non-existence what gives rise to our sufferings. Understanding everything is a lie including this very statement, understanding nothing exists including the non-existence is, as I believe, what releases one from suffering.

    'Time' is not a concept inside our 'mind', but it's true that there is no 'time'
    but the 'time' is created by our 'desire'.
    we all have individual time frames which are created by our 'desire' but not 'minds'.
    actually, 'desire' is the creater of all the concepts, including time, universe,dimentions,ect...
    but not by the mind.
    because primitive biologies like amoeba can create the time for itself too..

    please don't tell me that 'mind is a concept!' I know that mind is a concept.:yes:

    if you are referring as 'mind=desire', then I will agree with you..:shocked:
     
    Last edited: