XPost: talk.religion.buddhism, alt.zen, alt.philosophy.zen   
   XPost: alt.buddha.short.fat.guy   
   From: oxtail@nowhere.org   
      
   Catawumpus wrote:   
      
   > Catawumpus :   
   >   
   > [Apannaka Sutta]   
   >   
   >>>                       Thus far all   
   >>> you've done is overlook the Buddha's reported assertion "There   
   >>> actually is the next world," apparently because you came to a stop at   
   >>> the title.   
   >   
   > oxtail :   
   >   
   >> Is that why he kept on talking about the skillfulness of the Dharma,   
   >> instead of about the truthfulness of ontological speculations?   
   >   
   >      "There actually is the next world. ... Because there   
   > actually is the next world, when he persuades another 'There is a next   
   > world,' that is persuasion in what is true Dhamma."  So in the Apannaka   
   > Sutta, the Buddha asserts there is actually a next world.  Rather than   
   > referring to any "ontological speculation," he calls that assertion   
   > right speech and true dhamma.   
      
      
   And how many times did he say that   
   it is skillful to practice the Dharma?   
      
   Kindly note that he was not even   
   arguing for the truthfulness of the Dharma,   
   but skillfulness of it as a safe-bet,   
   regardless of whether the next world exists or not.   
      
   --   
   Oxtail is not doing what he thinks he is doing here.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)