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**mv37afnr** · 08-20-2010, 04:45 AM

The writer says:

"Of course, from a certain point of view, none of these thinkers is right. And none of them is wrong because none of these positions or opinions is "provable" in some objective, scientific sense."

What the writer fails to grasp is that there is indeed a "position" that is clearly falsifiable ("provable") to be found here: Both the claim of reincarnation and karma, and the claim of "No-reincarnation and no-karma", are speculative views, irrelevant to the Buddha's liberative teachings.

Further, the writer asks the question, "Without a time machine, how does one "prove" what the Buddha really taught? We are all just making educated guesses. "

That might seem like a valid (albeit self-serving) question and proposal to a Jodo Shinshu-ist, but for one who pays attention to the Buddha's liberative teachings in the Nikayas it is quite clear what the Buddha really taught, and that we are not "making guesses" at all.

His characterizations of "anyone who holds this-or-that to be 'fundamental' to Buddhism" seems rather a crowd of straw men. Also, his characterizations of Batchelor's position are inaccurate.

08-20-2010, 04:45 AM	#6
mv37afnr Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 412 Senior Member	The writer says: "Of course, from a certain point of view, none of these thinkers is right. And none of them is wrong because none of these positions or opinions is "provable" in some objective, scientific sense." What the writer fails to grasp is that there is indeed a "position" that is clearly falsifiable ("provable") to be found here: Both the claim of reincarnation and karma, and the claim of "No-reincarnation and no-karma", are speculative views, irrelevant to the Buddha's liberative teachings. Further, the writer asks the question, "Without a time machine, how does one "prove" what the Buddha really taught? We are all just making educated guesses. " That might seem like a valid (albeit self-serving) question and proposal to a Jodo Shinshu-ist, but for one who pays attention to the Buddha's liberative teachings in the Nikayas it is quite clear what the Buddha really taught, and that we are not "making guesses" at all. His characterizations of "anyone who holds this-or-that to be 'fundamental' to Buddhism" seems rather a crowd of straw men. Also, his characterizations of Batchelor's position are inaccurate.
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