From: platootje@netscape.net
Date: Mon Sep 05 2005 - 11:38:41 BST
Hello Ham,
I wrote among other things:
>> Yes, your body provides you all the right circumstances for developing an
>ego.
You replied:
>I'm not sure I agree with your last statement. If it were true, animals
>would develop egos. I think self-consciousness is a prerequisite for ego
>development. And, to the best of my knowledge, man is the only
>self-conscious creature.
Hard to tell really, it may well be possible that ego develops along a sliding scale. For the record, I define (maybe incorrectly) ego as the awareness that there is an 'I' and a not 'I' (others).
>> This empirical knowledge is just as illusionary as a 'self',
>> albeit on a different level maybe...
>
>Technically you're right, of course. All experience is a subject's mental
>image or construction of sensory data. Hence, all experience is proprietary
>awareness.
>Since "otherness" is patterned by the intellect, existence is essentially
>subjective. And that subjectivity -- proprietary awareness -- is quite
>special and unique. That's really the point I was aiming for.
True
>> [Self-awareness] is probably the very last thing that separates us
>> from the source/Essence/unity....
>
>Why the last? I would say it's the only thing that divides us.
Yes, you have a point. I say last from a 'buddhistic' (I'm not a buddhist so I may be wrong here) point of view, it's one of the last illusions to dissapear when meditating.
Sorry for the confusion.
>> I'll wait a little longer before drawing too many conclusions.
>
>Good idea. Actually, I don't see any fundamental conflicts in your ideas.
>But it's inevitable that some will crop up.
Well, the reason for replying was because of the stove example, of which I? still think it's not completely accurate.
Best regards,
Reinier.
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