Random Thoughts, Appearance Of The World. (and additions)

As I recall, according to Thomas Aquinas, The one which moved at the start of space is the God. This is very interesting concept for me. Because there is no starting point and ending point in Buddha's world(at least, in Kegon buddhism).



Although I don't know much about Christian faith, I think the difference between Christian faith and Buddhism is that whether God of creation is or not.



Once, I tried to study about Aristotle's theology to confirm whether he thought there is any God of creation or not. However, I couldn't found it soon and I've forgot that I have the question. It is said that Aristotle's theology affected Thomas Aquinas's thought.



Once I was interesting in philosophy of Baruch De Spinoza who set up

"deus sive natura". It means "The God is the nature", "神即自然" (Kami-soku-shizen) in Japanese.



According to Spinoza, The God is nature because the God is the alone entity. However, I had a question whether he thought the God he mentioned is the God of creation or not. I couldn't find the answer and I've forgot that I had the question.



I want to learn about it. If someone knows it. Please tell me about it. The God they mentioned are the creator? I'll post this question to YAHOO Answers.



If pantheistic God created this world, that all things are buddha and that all things are the God are very different from each. Taishaku's net can't contain the God of creation. If a jewel was the God of creation, or if the net was the god of creation, we need to assume that there is a something created the net. But any thing can't exist out of the net. Existences in the net must interdepend. A existence can't make the net from inside of the net. If it could, it isn't the net.



This question is not my original. I know, as I recall, 本居宣長(Motoori Norinaga) who was a savant in Edo era made a similar question, rather, as for him, he criticized the thought of Christian faith. For me, I don't criticize Christian faith because I think I do understand about dark side of Buddhism and I just think about philosophy.



According to one my teacher who is a Zen monk, there is not any line expressing time length in Buddha's world(as far as I know, at least, Zen and Kegon buddhist world), and we can express time length with sphere. Then I realized there is no starting point and ending point in Buddhist world. I think if you write a starting point on the sphere, you will find there is no edge. In our common sense, there is two edges. One is starting point, the other is ending point. Our commonsense is not available on the sphere.



Therefore, if Aristotle and Spinoza thought the God is the God of creation, the world's appearance about "time" become very different from Buddhist world. Christian's is like measuring rule and Buddhist's world is a sphere.



Then how buddhists think about the creation? If someone ask Buddha about this question, Buddha could answer by silence. The silence is the answer. As I recall, a teacher explain about it that Buddha meant there isn't much point in thinking about metaphysical speculation. We call this answer 無記答(Mukitou). That is, it means no answer is the answer.



鈴木大拙(Daisetsu Suzuki) explained about this issue "松尾芭蕉(Matsuo Bashou) 's poem expresses the answer. "



古池や蛙飛び込む水の音

ふるいけや　かわずとびこむ　みずのおと

Furuike-ya Kawazu Tobikomu Mizu-no-oto



It means: A sound, a flog jump into an old pond.



According to Daisetsu Suzuki, perfectly horizontal surface of the old pond is the world which didn't begin. Then a wave arose. The moment is the start point of this world.



Once, I asked a teacher of Japanese classic literature whether Daisetsu's theory is right or wrong? Smiling, He said "I have no idea.". Anyway, I think this Daisetsu's explanation is artful.



My teacher said that according to 李通玄(Ri-tsugen) who was a chinese savant studied Kegon buddhism, past and future and present are present, present consists of past and present and future, past and future are mirage, like this, past and future are in our world, we always are in present, "get be strong on present.". I think this view is linked to Sado's 一期一会(Ichigo-Ichie).



As for The creation? Ultimately, I have no idea.=D



The photo: It is a garden in Tenryu-ji-temple in Kyoto. The pond was named 曹源池(Sogen-ike).



I wrote this blog with my wish someone has interst in philosophy of all ages and cultures.





In addition. (THU)

Some friends said there was time of imaginary number. However, it is not the answer of creation. Whoever made the time, and even if we can go to past or future, we can't elude from present. Because wherever we are, our mind is in present. Just past or future becomes present. And time traveling doesn't mean we can go to the starting point. If there was nothing we can't go, I think. If we can go there, and if there was only The God of creation, we who are the wold before starting point means we are the God. If there is only world of cycle of rebirth, what made this world? This is very thought provoking issue.