Some Buddhists might ask, "Is this lecture on cognition helpful for our practice?" It is because it involves some more advanced concepts. For example, what is enlightenment? Enlightenment is actually a kind of cognition, but it's not directed outward. It's a cognition of cognition itself. In Buddhism, this is called "the mind knowing the mind." This cognition is called "self-knowing."
Cognition is helpful for Buddhist practitioners. In everyday practice, you're essentially honing your cognitive abilities. For instance, when someone mistreats you and you feel irritated, it reflects a cognitive response. This response incorporates the concepts of self and others, requiring, at the very least, a belief in the existence of "you." You cannot claim that "nothingness bullied me." How could nothingness bully you? It takes a person to do that. Bulling involves two parties. The one who is bullying, and the other one who is being bullied. In your case, if someone bullies you, the person who bullies you must exist, and "you" being bullied must exist as well. You cannot say, "that person mistreated nothingness." This would imply a realized being. Realized beings no longer harbor a sense of self and others, making it impossible to bully them. As unrealized individuals, we always have a strong sense of self and others. How do we react after being bullied? According to our habitual tendencies, we feel anger. If we do not, we are already practicing in a way reminiscent of a Bodhisattva.
Even though learning these general concepts may seem a bit "out there" to Buddhists, the language and logic involved may seem different from the theories we commonly study. However, in reality, the underlying principles are the same, and it even involves theories from the doctrines of Madhyamaka and Yogacara. Thus, it is beneficial for our practice. For example, the “reductio argument expressing a contradiction” and “the similarity of probative reason and probandum” (The four types of arguments in Prasangika: the “reductio argument expressing a contradiction and the similarity of probative reason and probandum and Inference based on what others accept and argument from the parallelism of similar reasons). You may be familiar with these terms, but chances are you have not applied them in practice. Here, we will learn these theories to elucidate some cognitive logic within Buddhism.
We will dedicate four hours over the next two days in this meditation retreat to explore these concepts. This is not just theoretical. While learning meditation techniques is valuable, expecting instant enlightenment or an "Aha moment might not be the most realistic approach. It is a gradual process and comparing it to a TV show's quick-fix narratives can be misleading. Let us approach this journey with open minds and realistic expectations and see where it takes us.
Movies and TV shows often portray idealized versions of love and marriage. They make it seem like everyone is in a perfect relationship, but the reality is that this is not the case. In fact, it is a rare occurrence. For every 10,000 couples, there may only be one that is truly happy and fulfilling. But because movies and TV shows are so pervasive, it is easy for people to be misled into thinking that this is the norm.
Every woman thinks she's destined to be a princess, and that she'll meet her prince charming just by stepping outside. Every man thinks that even if he's poor, he'll find a princess on the street, take her home, and live happily ever after. But what they don't realize is that even love at first sight can fade with time. Movies make it seem like these unlikely events happen all the time, but in reality, you're being sold a dream.
Then, you take this cognitive framework and perspective into your relationships, your interactions with the world, and your search for romantic partners. Soon, you'll start to feel disappointed and depressed, and you'll think that the whole world is hopeless. But the irony is, everyone lives this way. So how can you say that there is no hope? In fact, you have been brainwashed by a pick-up artist (PUA).
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