2/13/96

This is really loosely thrown together, so I apologize for the lack of 
continuity. Usually my thoughts on such subjects are better organized. I 
hope it at least conveys some of my present philosophical ponderings.


I think the most important idea that I developed in my beginning stage of 
development was that the individual is all-important. The way I justified 
this position was simple: Who else are you with, 24 hours a day for every 
day in the rest of your life? If you can't live with who you are, then 
you've got some serious problems. 

The notion that the individual is all-important certainly would apply Ayn 
Rand's definition of selfishness. However, she tends to fit selfishness 
within the capitalistic society that we exist in. She felt that the 
capitalistic structure, beliefs, and values are most conducive to selfish 
behaviour. A problem that I see with Ayn Rand's definition is her 
stubborn unwillingness to reconcile her definition with the conventional 
meaning of the word. Certainly Taoism has individualistic tendancies and 
values, while still maintaining rejection of selfish desires. In the 13th 
chapter of the Tao Te Ching, Laotzu says: "No trouble can befall a 
self-free person." 

The only person in this world you can change is yourself. This doesn't 
mean that your actions don't affect other people. I certainly subscribe 
to the notion of cause and effect. The better one understands how causes 
produce effects, and the closer one observes causes within one's power, 
the more capable one becomes of controlling both cause and effect. It 
seems possible (to me, anyways) that one could conceivably control one's 
surrounding simply through understanding cause and effect. 

Turning to Mahayana Buddhism, it seems that forgoing the goal of 
"enlightenment" is rather silly. I can accept the Theravada idea of 
impermanence, and the idea that no "self" exists. Mindfulness seems to be 
a particularly attractive aspect of Theravada Buddhist practice. A 
heightened awareness of cause and effect is certainly helpful, no matter 
what your religious or philosophical beliefs may be. I have a pretty good 
understanding of the basic ideas underlying Theravada Buddhism. I'll try 
to develop my ideas about Mahayana Buddhism as I study more deeply into 
the difference between the two traditions.

Right now I'm trying to form some plausible reconciliation between 
varying trains of thought. However, I strongly believe that whatever hope 
there exists in this world lies in the individual.