Thread: Sentience; you reckon ha?

We are a small part of Mind. Consciousness.

Just enough to know we are here, but not what it is we are.

But then sentience has only been here a short time, rising like a bubble from the primaeval. We are a short way into a long journey and we are Porters.

I yearn to know. To put things, knowledge, experience, into that Mind. But they are 'contents'. And as I am temporary, it is a waste to think that I do this for me.

There is a Mind that I am a small part of.

I yearn to know. To experience.

I have some practice.

I experience and I grieve.

My heart cannot bear the small grief that it has experienced so far. What could my heart contain of the grief of all of life?

My small mind cannot embrace it all. Neither can my heart.

It is as well that I cannot know all and experience all, else I would be overwhelmed.

I hope God's heart is better able to bear the pain than mine is.

Quote from Percy

We are a small part of Mind. Consciousness.

Just enough to know we are here, but not what it is we are.

But then sentience has only been here a short time, rising like a bubble from the primaeval. We are a short way into a long journey and we are Porters.

I yearn to know. To put things, knowledge, experience, into that Mind. But they are 'contents'. And as I am temporary, it is a waste to think that I do this for me.

There is a Mind that I am a small part of.

I yearn to know. To experience.

I have some practice.

I experience and I grieve.

My heart cannot bear the small grief that it has experienced so far. What could my heart contain of the grief of all of life?

My small mind cannot embrace it all. Neither can my heart.

It is as well that I cannot know all and experience all, else I would be overwhelmed.

I hope God's heart is better able to bear the pain than mine is.

What if our perceived "temporariness" is really an illusion....and death is a rebirth of sorts rather than an ending?

Much of what you wrote deserves a considered return, but that part of my mind that can consider these views just isn’t up to the required quality today. In fact, even those days when i get close, are getting less frequent.

As a godless person, when I stretch my awareness to consider my impression of any religions interpretation of god; I sometimes also wander about the concept you’ve expressed here:

Quote from Percy

I hope God's heart is better able to bear the pain than mine is.

If your hope is in vain, then I could also wander; what if this whole mind that you feel you’re a small part of, also can’t take the pain of the whole mind. What could god feel if the pain is too much for him/her/it? Would god not also require relief? If you find your small part unbearable then what of the whole? Is the presumption of infinite love that is a theme of most beliefs that valid, or is it what we require of our god (s)? Has it ever been considered that even for god; all this may also be just too much? Such high requirements leads me to wander if we are the creation of god; or our view of god is a creation of us.

Quote from TERA

What if our perceived "temporariness" is really an illusion....and death is a rebirth of sorts rather than an ending?

I do feel there is strong reason to consider our being and existence as illusion. To me that idea just becomes reason (amongst others) to regard ourselves as sub-sentient.

I thought it was always in our spirit to strive for more. But I’m beginning to wander that even that is also just illusion and motivates us to embrace lower states.

Quote from Trauma Fried Brains

Much of what you wrote deserves a considered return, but that part of my mind that can consider these views just isn’t up to the required quality today. In fact, even those days when i get close, are getting less frequent.

As a godless person, when I stretch my awareness to consider my impression of any religions interpretation of god; I sometimes also wander about the concept you’ve expressed here:

If your hope is in vain, then I could also wander; what if this whole mind that you feel you’re a small part of, also can’t take the pain of the whole mind. What could god feel if the pain is too much for him/her/it? Would god not also require relief? If you find your small part unbearable then what of the whole? Is the presumption of infinite love that is a theme of most beliefs that valid, or is it what we require of our god (s)? Has it ever been considered that even for god; all this may also be just too much? Such high requirements leads me to wander if we are the creation of god; or our view of god is a creation of us.








I do feel there is strong reason to consider our being and existence as illusion. To me that idea just becomes reason (amongst others) to regard ourselves as sub-sentient.

I thought it was always in our spirit to strive for more. But I’m beginning to wander that even that is also just illusion and motivates us to embrace lower states.

I had to embrace my "lower state" in order to embrace a higher one. I don't know about God...maybe he exists, maybe he doesn't...but something created this entire universe from what might possibly be a piece of matter smaller than an electron......how is that possible?

How indeed!

The universe doesn’t exist for the convenience of human minds to comprehend. What we know of the subject of cosmology is very un-human to perceive. Most people do not have the aptitude and the type of imagination to digest the subject. To them the concepts would seem unacceptable. This can lead to people asking questions as you have:

Quote from TERA

..but something created this entire universe from what might possibly be a piece of matter smaller than an electron......how is that possible?

How indeed!

I stoped trying to answer that type question decades ago because it’s like explaining the joys of sex to hermaphrodites. Instead you could ask why you would expect a human mind to have infinitely understanding parameters. Why do most people insist on absolute answeres from a subject that is incomplete and but increasing. It is a subject of current learning and not providing absolutes – yet.

There are many more intellectually convenient explanations to believe in if what is learned of cosmology isn’t agreeable. There is also nothing stopping the individual creating their own personal ultimate answeres. I know I understand very little from the depth of cosmology we have gained; but experience confirms to me that most people ‘understand’ vastly less; yet they presume ultimate statements from it which I know are not valid.

People can see a rainbow; but there is no ‘rainbow base or foot’ they can physically go to. Most people understand this of rainbows, but not of cosmology; in my experience.

People can see a rainbow; but there is no ‘rainbow base or foot’ they can physically go to.

A very slight apprehension of basic physics will tell you that the rainbow ends right where you are standing. You don't have 'to go to' it.

Indeed it does, as we consider, the optical paths of what we behold. But I would be surprised if you though I was really making a statement of physics; rather than popular perception and comprehension.

I not sure what I can express of personal dilemmas and discontent. It is a difficult area to examine and I already wandered if I was failing by moving into the tangibles of existence like physics. I’m going to bed now as I don’t think I should write more because a deeper gloom than in the previous fortnight has consumed me. My apologies.

I was indeed following the several levels of your analogy, TFB. Sleep easily. Remember this, the Grail goes to the pure, not the simply the knowledgable.

Quote from TERA

What if our perceived "temporariness" is really an illusion....and death is a rebirth of sorts rather than an ending?

Then we are all doomed. As long as life is finite, only a finite amount of evil can befall you.

Originally Posted by TERA
What if our perceived "temporariness" is really an illusion....and death is a rebirth of sorts rather than an ending?

We can 'what if' about 'illusion' all we like Tera. When I was a small boy, it seemed real enough, especially when I had scraped knees and scratches dripping blood. But it didn't last. Teenage adventure discovering a new me with additional powers, came and went.

The most common phrase in the Bible is, - "and it came to pass".

Rebirth? What as? A Tibetan might imagine that a worm is his great-grand-dad but I have a brighter imagination. I will be 'posted' soon to my next role as the spirit-drive in a small planet on the far side of the Andromeda Galaxy. It is waiting for me to arrive so that life may burst out upon it. It might take a while for thinking to evolve but that's fine. I do far too much of that already - without much illumination - and can do with a break for a few billion years.