Abert Einstein said something about this, I don´t remember the exact words, but it is something like this "A new discovery does not create new problems, but shows problems that already existed, but where hidden before." Thats what I think, it is not the knowledge that creates conflict, but knowledge make problems which already existed show up.
Thanks for the explanation. However, I always wondered about this. There was this philosopher who once said that knowledge in the sense of helping others is beneficial but using it as a tool to gain superiority may be disasterous. Furthermore, knowledge dulls your mind. Think about this example. You see a bird in the sky and immediately your mind, through knowledge, tells you that it is a bird that is flying, not a cow or a lion. But, are we actually looking at a bird and experiencing its beauty or are we supposed to accept it as a bird due to our knowledge?
Originally posted by tax
Thanks for the explanation. However, I always wondered about this. There was this philosopher who once said that knowledge in the sense of helping others is beneficial but using it as a tool to gain superiority may be disasterous. Furthermore, knowledge dulls your mind. Think about this example. You see a bird in the sky and immediately your mind, through knowledge, tells you that it is a bird that is flying, not a cow or a lion. But, are we actually looking at a bird and experiencing its beauty or are we supposed to accept it as a bird due to our knowledge?
Well, I think knowledge is not good or evil, but its a tool to be used, and can be used badly.
About what you was saying that knowledge dulls the mind, I´ve already thought about this, and even discussed it in other threads. Well, I think that is not exactly knowledge that dulls the mind, but its the people that are not open minded to new kinds of knowledge. For example, you were defending a perspective where "knowledge dulls the mind", but that perspective is still some kind of knowledge. Its like science, and religion, both are different types of knowledge, but people sometimes could be too close minded to one of those.
Originally posted by Atlantis001
Well, I think knowledge is not good or evil, but its a tool to be used, and can be used badly.About what you was saying that knowledge dulls the mind, I´ve already thought about this, and even discussed it in other threads. Well, I think that is not exactly knowledge that dulls the mind, but its the people that are not open minded to new kinds of knowledge. For example, you were defending a perspective where "knowledge dulls the mind", but that perspective is still some kind of knowledge. Its like science, and religion, both are different types of knowledge, but people sometimes could be too close minded to one of those.
I understand what you are trying to say but you must first understand the meaning of knowledge. Knowledge is from your past conditioning, whatever you have accumalated throughout the years. So, in everything you do, your perspective is based on that knowledge. However, to see a bird as a bird is not knowledge. It is a nameless experience and from there you see beauty.
Oh.. I think I got what you were trying to say...
In this way, I think that there are things that cannot be expressed, and we have a tendency to classify everything. Some people ignore things that cannot be explained, or can only perceive something when they can classify it. Sometimes this can be limitating since there are things that cannot be explained. Like a color for example, it does exist, and no one can explain it since it is a sensation. It needs to be sensed.
I think that true knowledge only exists when we know what we are talking about. I mean, we only know the bird, when we understand it by what it is. People who doesn´t do this are just associating the image of a bird, with the word "bird", and that is not knowledge.
Re: knowledge
Originally posted by tax
Knowledge has done wonders for us. However, does it bring conflict and with that suffering?
Well, when you put it that way, I would say Yes. Ignorance is bliss, a common expression to be sure, but there is truth to it or else it wouldn't be so common.
Personally, there have been times in my life where I was going along relatively happy and then gained knowledge of something I did NOT know and that changed my whole perspective of the situation of my life. And usually not in a good way. There are times though when I can gain some nugget of knowledge that actually changes my perspective of things for the better.
So it really depends on the situation, but 9 or 8 times out of 10 in my experience, knowledge usually does bring conflict and suffering.
Knowledge rules out all ignorance...Like the saying goes "Readers are Leaders."...They are usually the ones that have new ideas on how to approach things, can think outside the boxes that everyone else is stuck in, and can understand where others are coming from...they usually are thought of as "Way out there."...But they are truly more enlightened on many subjects.
The Buddha made ignorance out to be the true evil, all things, unnescarey desires, hatred, and other evils, come from ignorance.. Ignorance is the bane of our exsistance, and sometimes we can't help but just not be exposed to anything better, and sometimes do to a slight amount of ignorance, we grasp at it and don't move foward. This is where ignorance leads to attatchment..
People spend thier lives trying to overcome ignorance, some succeed, some fail, but ultimately it's never over. That's why alot of religons believe in reincarnation. To figure it all out, and believe me, there's alot to figure out..
Religoun is not to blame for the cause of suffering, to think that is well.. ignorant.. the problem comes in when people take what it said and hold onto it like a rope and they hang from it. That is the evil of attatchment. Take me for example, I've had dreams about talking to God, but do I claim to speak for God? No, because I am wrong more times then He by infinite. BUT, that doesn't mean I don't have my own ideas and feelings on subjects, ideas and and feelings that onflict with what I was told by God Himself!
So I never say I speak for God, that would be far more heretic then for me to say "what does God know?!" and give into my pride.. Then again I love going with my pride, which is probably why I was compared to Lucifer..
Originally posted by Spelljammer
[b]Ignorance is the cause of suffering, not knowledge. Knowledge is power.And it's not so much ignorance of what's around us, but rather what's inside us. The longer people remain ignorant of God, the longer they will suffer.. That is the one, simple, truth.. [/B]
From your point of view...starwars
Originally posted by Spelljammer
[b]Ignorance is the cause of suffering, not knowledge. Knowledge is power.And it's not so much ignorance of what's around us, but rather what's inside us. The longer people remain ignorant of God, the longer they will suffer.. That is the one, simple, truth.. [/B]
Knowledge is power? Why do you worship it so much? Knowledge is nothing more than a tool for development. Other than that, it is a burden. Free yourself without the knowledge of freeing yourself.