This question did not ever occur to me. Did it occur to you?
We should always challenge status quo.
I came across an article that neuroscience and Buddhist beliefs agree that "the self" ever-changing.
Doesn't seem far-fetched to me. I have seen numerous people who have changed so radically between their childhood and adult lives or even between two adult ages. We have heard the expression "you are not the same person anymore."
Most mainstream religions seem to suggest that self is fixed. Some say self is indestructible, not even death eliminates the self. But interestingly radical transformation of "self" is visible in people who were not religious before became deeply religious (e.g., George W. Bush).
Do you think Dalai Lama would be such a kind-hearted person if he were not chosen as the Lama and instead his life as farmer or a bank clerk?
Religion always muddies up the water, if you ask me. While it says "the self" is fixed, it also says, if you do good deeds you go to heaven and if you do bad deeds...
Who is doing the good deeds or bad deeds? Is deed-doer different from the self? If that is the case why is "the self" punished or rewarded for what the deed-doer does? So, religion in this case seems to fold the deed-doer into the self. If that is true, a reformed convict who is now serving the society is a different self than he was before.
The neuroscience explanation seems to entirely base "the self" constant change to processes in the brain and the body.
Neuroscience will say "the self" is the manifestation of the brain and the body, while religions and spirituality separate the two (self and the brain/body). According to the religions the self only requires the brain/body to express itself.
A very complicated subject. Will last as long as the humanity itself.
We should always challenge status quo.
I came across an article that neuroscience and Buddhist beliefs agree that "the self" ever-changing.
Doesn't seem far-fetched to me. I have seen numerous people who have changed so radically between their childhood and adult lives or even between two adult ages. We have heard the expression "you are not the same person anymore."
Most mainstream religions seem to suggest that self is fixed. Some say self is indestructible, not even death eliminates the self. But interestingly radical transformation of "self" is visible in people who were not religious before became deeply religious (e.g., George W. Bush).
Do you think Dalai Lama would be such a kind-hearted person if he were not chosen as the Lama and instead his life as farmer or a bank clerk?
Religion always muddies up the water, if you ask me. While it says "the self" is fixed, it also says, if you do good deeds you go to heaven and if you do bad deeds...
Who is doing the good deeds or bad deeds? Is deed-doer different from the self? If that is the case why is "the self" punished or rewarded for what the deed-doer does? So, religion in this case seems to fold the deed-doer into the self. If that is true, a reformed convict who is now serving the society is a different self than he was before.
The neuroscience explanation seems to entirely base "the self" constant change to processes in the brain and the body.
Neuroscience will say "the self" is the manifestation of the brain and the body, while religions and spirituality separate the two (self and the brain/body). According to the religions the self only requires the brain/body to express itself.
A very complicated subject. Will last as long as the humanity itself.
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