[mercuryrising]

Originally Posted by John Freestone

I wasn't going to come back, but your post made me feel like it. It was such a simple and clear explanation of your position it helped me clarify my own. To me, the fact of an objective broken cup is more important than it seems to you (although I certainly agree with all that relativity of responses stuff). In a way, this is kind of what my original Buddhist point was, that Buddhism is about seeing the objective reality (The monk sees a cup fall. It breaks. That is all.) All of the emotional reactions - which to you I guess are like a menu you can choose from - are, in the kind of Buddhist philosophy I'm talking about, just as unreal and distracting and problematic as all others. Of course, it's a choice, and my way is dry and joyless to some, I'm sure. Still, it is freedom, and you can even still choose one - but with awareness that you are creating it in your mind, since it is not objective, it is not actual.

Besides, it is very easy to spout warm fuzzy philosophy about the non-tragedy of a broken cup.

I'm not sure why you don't apply this philosophy to people. People are irrational for the most part. That's all.