Paradoxes in Buddhism: Unveiling Enigmatic Truths

1. Nietzsche on Christianity • Not refute, psychoanalyze: sick, self-hate • Original sin, natural man as enemy of God • And powerless—self-designed cage • Christianity lies—self deception • God sin heaven and soul • Deceptive hatred of life/self • Culprit Greco-Roman St. Paul (Socrates) • Hatred of “flesh” v Christ the evangel • Last Christian died on cross

2. Buddhism Honest • No god, heaven or soul • Suffering v sin • Honest about renounce life and seek nothing • Nihilism—value nothing • So not powerless—we can achieve our goal • Promises Nothing(ness) & delivers • V Christianity

3. Philosophers and Deception • Tricks of grammar and manufacture realities • Can’t get rid of God b/c still believe in grammar • Ontological argument and Parmenides “being” • Creating a “real world” • Denigrate apparent one • Descartes and “self” (soul)

4. Indo-European Concepts • Rationalism structure: real apparent • Reason v feeling, mind/body, eternal soul • Experience as a dream, illusion, phenomenon • Buddhism as heresy in Hinduism • Rejects ego and tied up with nirvana mystery • Some kind of extinction • 4 noble truths—Nietzsche take—honest • Decadent—renunciation of life, power, desire • But does have a plan—with a twist—paradox

5. Questions? Quiz on paradox of desire

6. Focus on Puzzles of Nirvana • No more rebirths = no more suffering • Escape from samsara—cycle of lives

7. Politics and Religious Growth • Grow with political support • Chosen for self-sacrifice and altruism • Typical results of orthodoxy • Schisms, councils, declarations of heresy • Major schism • Mahayana and Theravada (Hinayana)

8. Mahayana and Theravada • Hinayana—small vehicle v great vehicle 乘 • How many can be saved? • Represented as deeper insight • Buddha story: impurity or everyone • Metaphysical issue • Boddhisattva v arhat ideal • Historical Buddha and Buddha nature 如來

9. To China • Only Mahayana succeed • Exciting new ideas and concepts • Puzzling and "foreign" • Timing at the end of the Han dynasty • Boredom with Han superstitious cosmology • Neo-Daoism, Yi-ching, and what? (like today?) • 玄學 Dark learning, metaphysics, • 清談 pure conversation about non-being/nirvana • Serious handicap in Buddha story • Consider Confucian reaction

10. Bad Buddha! • Prediction at divine birth—father wants political fulfillment • Discovers suffering, abandons political/familial responsibility • Seeks his own release from suffering • Egoistic! (If Nietzsche likes it, how could Confucius?) • Enlightened and still needs moral persuasion to share the insight?

11. Paradox of Desire • Motivates the bodhisattva ideal • Desire for nirvana prevents entry into nirvana • Last desire to be conquered • No one worthy would ever choose to enter nirvana • Returns to help others achieve • Zen wrinkle—Why make it the last? • Reject real/apparent world (Nirvana/samsara)

12. Enlightenment Analysis • Changes accomplishment another way • Desires to insight • Some realization, point of view, insight that accounts for achievement • Intellectualizes Buddhism • Yogacara and Madyamika

13. Yogacara Analysis • Idealist—negative • Only illusions, no reality • If self is an illusion, the only global enlightenment has any significance • Time slices of world consciousness • Karmic role of desires • Desire for this perception (the ego) to continue to next moment • Explains coherence of ideas • 唯 心 (Consciousness only) to 華 嚴 (Hua Yen)

14. Madyamika • More popular in China: contradiction and silence • Paradox and Daoism • Spread as part of 玄學 (Dark learning) • Buddha nature neither exists 有nor does not exist 無, nor both, nor neither, nor • Daoist puzzles about 有 無

15. Other Paradoxes • "Being" school. Flip side of Yogacara • Only Buddha nature is real • Everything else is an illusion/unreal • If there are illusions, they are real (Buddha consciousness) • There are no illusions • Early tendencies to Chan • Even untouchables can be saved

16. Internal Story • Hui Neng 慧能and the Platform Sutra 六 祖壇 經 • Illiterate woodcutter becomes 6th patriarch • No words and easy enlightenment • Southern barbarian(?) • Poem story: no dust to wipe from the mirror • No illusions to dispel • Kyoto Stories

17. Never Allowed to Study • Pounds rice, carries wood • Enlightened before he went to the temple • Leaves monastery to return to Gwangdong mountains! • Throws away the robe signifying status

18. Background • Cultural revolution against Buddhism • Foreign, too intellectualized v practical native philosophies • Egalitarian tendencies • Southern movement • Internal reform of Buddhism along Daoist lines • Shift of center of Chinese intellectual culture

19. External Story • Shen Hui the real influence • Vanquished Shen Xiu and Northern 禪 Chan • Sudden v. gradual enlightenment • Cultivation to some goal v • Give up the goal!

20. Triumph at End • Exile and triumphant return • Story-telling skills • Politics and money • Authorship of the sutra • Daoist Wang Wei hypothesis