DiscussWorldIssues - Socio-Economic Religion and Political Uncensored Debate - View Single Post - 4 Questions for Matthieu Ricard, Tibetan monk

**I9dydJrX** · 04-15-2011, 07:36 AM

I did not say memory is experiencing. I said memory creates the sense of continuity.

My question was: In terms of "function and continuity of experience"- what is experiencing the continuity of experience?

Your response: Memory, albeit imperfect.

So, I'll ask again- what is experiencing experiences?

If memory creates a sense of continuity, as I agree with you that it does, I am wondering if memory is exclusively a construct of the physical brain.

I think it is rather evident that subtle consciousness is not dependent upon the brain, and this corresponds to Tibetan Buddhism according to Ricard. I wonder if memory can also exist independent of the brain. This version of Buddhism also says that this is true, as it describes memory as patterning within the subtle consciousness- a patterning which persists between and into other lifetimes.

This, according to Tibetan Buddhism, is what allows for a continuity of experience after death, through the bardo, and into the next incarnation rather seamlessly.

So an interesting question would be: Does this sense of the continuity of experience continue after death and through death and into the next life?

04-15-2011, 07:36 AM	#29
I9dydJrX Join Date Nov 2005 Posts 345 Senior Member	I did not say memory is experiencing. I said memory creates the sense of continuity. My question was: In terms of "function and continuity of experience"- what is experiencing the continuity of experience? Your response: Memory, albeit imperfect. So, I'll ask again- what is experiencing experiences? If memory creates a sense of continuity, as I agree with you that it does, I am wondering if memory is exclusively a construct of the physical brain. I think it is rather evident that subtle consciousness is not dependent upon the brain, and this corresponds to Tibetan Buddhism according to Ricard. I wonder if memory can also exist independent of the brain. This version of Buddhism also says that this is true, as it describes memory as patterning within the subtle consciousness- a patterning which persists between and into other lifetimes. This, according to Tibetan Buddhism, is what allows for a continuity of experience after death, through the bardo, and into the next incarnation rather seamlessly. So an interesting question would be: Does this sense of the continuity of experience continue after death and through death and into the next life?
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