John Dunne: The Theory of Exclusion (Concept Formation): Varela International Symposium 2022 (7 of 8)

The only things that are real are things that we can actually touch, taste, smell—particulars: things that we actually come into contact with. There is no such thing as a universal. John Dunne explains why all “sameness” is constructed, and done so in order to get what we want and avoid what we don’t. We can’t help but create explanatory systems that generalize. But we can create and live out of conceptual frameworks that ultimately undo themselves, understanding with Dharmakirti that “conceptuality itself is ignorance” and the root of suffering. In the end, any view has to be abandoned, because it is distorted and false. The question, then, from the Mahayana perspective, is how to bring all sentient beings out of a fixation on view, which, in the end, includes moral views. The goal of practice, John explains, is to no longer make a world for yourself, based on getting what you want and avoiding what you don’t, but creating a world for others. To access the resources page for this program, please sign up by clicking here. For Program/Series description and to access the entire series, please click on the link below: Upaya Podcast Series: Varela International Symposium 2022