What does Buddhism add to a Stoic?
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Is there any thing that Buddhism can add to a Stoic Pursuit?
Below is a friendly laid-back discourse between a Stoic and a Buddhist, which could be used as a guide to what I’m trying to compare.
Buddhist: *Birth is suffering, aging is suffering, death is suffering; sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, & despair are suffering; association with the unbeloved is suffering; separation from the loved is suffering; not getting what is wanted is suffering. In short, the five clinging-aggregates are suffering.*
Stoic: *Yes, if you attach yourself to what is not given you will sure suffer. These five aggregates you counted must have been something not in your power. Have you nothing which is in your own power, which depends on yourself only and cannot be taken from you, or have you any thing of the kind?*
Buddhist: *what do you mean, there are only five aggregates there is no I or mine*
Stoic: *what? Is any man able to make you assent to that which is false or compel you to desire what you do not wish?*
Buddhist: *No*
Stoic: *In the matter of assent and desire then you are free from hindrance and obstruction?*
Buddhist: *Yes*
Stoic: *So, if we let go of the body which is subject to revolution of the whole and withdraw from externals, turns to our will to exercise it and to improve it by labor, so as to make it conformable to nature, elevated, free, unrestrained, unimpeded, faithful, modest, and virtuous will we not achieve tranquility and avoid suffering.*
Buddhist: *Well said, training an act of will is a noble did, but until you learn that there is no “I or my-self” you would remain in cycle of rebirth.*
Stoic: *what do you mean?*
Buddhist: *But what is that you call my-self or I?*
Stoic: *Sir, it’s my soul. If you ask me what is a soul I can’t say this or that, but I have just told you an attribute of mine which is not bound by suffering. Will you be kind enough to show me that my act of will is not mine?*
Buddhist: *If that you call mine is the volitional formation you should know that it has ignorance as conditions and he who assume volition to be the self will surely be afflicted in mind.*
Stoic: *I do not understand, you seem to me to be talking very obscure, you surly do not mean that the all wise will not act?*
Buddhist: *No, I’m saying you should not say volition is mine.*
Stoic: *Why?*
Buddhist: *Perhaps you will understand if you look at it from another angle. Answer my question, by acting virtuously and by wisdom you are training the will towards the good?*
Stoic: *Yes*
Buddhist: *When the will become all virtuous, all wise and attain the good with no trace of ignorance will you claim that all wise will to be yours.*
Stoic: *Far from it, there is but only one wise. If at all possible to reach of what you speak without quitting the body then the act of will be one with the one.*
HE
Asked by user10552
Dec 30, 2016, 10:09 AM
Last activity: Aug 27, 2018, 12:02 PM
Last activity: Aug 27, 2018, 12:02 PM