Sam Harris

How do I figure?  Cause and effect, i.e., animate matter is fundamentally different from other cosmic material.

paulyr2 - 18 February 2012 06:22 AM

How do I figure?  Cause and effect, i.e., animate matter is fundamentally different from other cosmic material.

You earlier posts mentioned that you are a believer of Jesus, and it is strange that you asked: “How do I figure?”

It is either your belief is not strong, or you did not follow the teachings of Jesus and thus unsure of your salvation.

Only those who follow the teachings with their heart, mind and deeds can receive salvation. However, the key is the cognition of salvation. Different being have different understanding of salvation due to their resident cognition ability.

What is salvation to one may not be salvation to another as beings resides at different level, dimensional, realm of existience.

True salvation is being free from all the locks and shackles of different world, dimension, realm and it is a cognition beyond most beings even at higher plane, or dimensional existence.

Most beings are tied to their perceptions and cognitions of possibly only 3 realms.

Their current existence, a realm where they wish to go (free from the pains of their current existence) and a realm that they are afraid to go (full of pains much more than their current existence). 

All animate matter or inanimate matter, cosmic material, non-cosmic material, matter, anti-matter, non-matter, non-non-matter, dimensional existence or non-dimensional existence, these are fundamentally the same as these all arise from the cognitions of sentient beings.

The only difference is the level of cognitions of the sentient beings.

Cause and effect, karma, random events, are all “name” given by sentient beings to provide meaning to cognitions in time series.
Due to the different level of perception/cognition, A random event to one being, can be understood as cause and effect by another being. A cause and effect to one being can be understood by another being as karma.

What is “animate” ? What is “cosmic” ? What is “dimensional” ? What is “realm” ?
All these are perceptions and cognitions of beings and each being will understand it differently due to differences in their level of cognitions.

When the Void/Emptiness is being emptied, then there is existence. All cognitions are void and emptiness, yet when one can empty all cognitions to reach a void and then further empty the void, one will then know about existence.

To sgxbroker:  I had said “how do you figure” because I was responding to Aaron who asked this question in his post {#255}.  I do think living beings are very different from non-living things.  I think living things, even a simple one-celled organism, indicate a system, a systematic organizing of material, implying some purpose or intention, going beyond randomness in the universe.  Purpose or intention would be an attribute of a Being able to manipulate matter at sub-atomic levels intelligently,  We, that is, modern humans, are delving into sub-atomic layers of the cosmos with technology, applying our intelligence.  I don’t think it is irrational to hold that complex matter, i.e., life, arose by design and not by accident.  This is a basic teleological argument for a Creator.  Obviously, it is open to debate.  As for your use of void, emptiness and existence, this seems like a combination of existentialism/phenomenology with Indian metaphysics.  If existence is your first principle, logically, all essences (e.g., causes, effects) would be secondary and without meaning.  I would not want to say that God, a man, a woman, a flower, is without meaning.

“If existence is your first principle, logically, all essences (e.g., causes, effects) would be secondary and without meaning.  I would not want to say that God, a man, a woman, a flower, is without meaning.”

You misunderstood my post.
Existence is a perceived cognition of sentient beings within a single time series. The essence understood by you as (cause, effect, karma) are the intertwining of cognitions through multiple time series.

Meaning is resultant interpretation by the sentient being experiencing these cognition, and other sentient beings observing the time series.

“God”, “god”, “Gods”, “gods”, “man”, “woman”, “flower”, “dog” , “....” and etc are but names given by sentient beings to interpret their cognitions within a single time series if they can only experience one time series or names given by higher level sentient beings who can experience and interpret cognitions of multiple time series.

Thanks.

I am agree with you. Yes there is not a single proof about existence of God. But I am a strong believer. I feel that God is here around us. He helps us in our need. 

@belowforty;  God is amazing!  He or she covers herself in a cloak of mystery.