Phillipe

Dirty dirt has its place, though ... if you just want to fill a hole in the ground, why pay extra for clean dirt? Unless of course you're in favor of supporting the local economy by helping pay the salaries of the dirt cleaners. One might also consider utilizing a DIY Dirt Cleaning Kit. Or, one could visit FreeDirt.com where you can buy, sell or give away dirt. A sort of dirty eBay ...

Kinda meta, indeed. I suppose it all depends upon what one considers "me". The toe that I lost still has my DNA - does that not make it "me"?

I have nine toes, having lost one to diabetes. Am I no longer Me?

Oh, you'd be surprised ... it keeps them from rusting up and boiling over, and they seem to enjoy the sweet taste. I know, and if they were regular macaques or spider monkeys, that would be true. But these are Finger Monkeys, too cute not to take orders from.

Actually, it is both a philosophy and a religion. The Buddha did discuss metaphysical aspects of reality that are typically associated with religion. While the Buddha stressed this wasn’t as important as the practice, he still mentioned them, and they are a part of Buddhist teachings. The most “religious” aspects of Buddhism are probably the Buddha’s discussions of the afterlife and the various realms of existence. Not necessarily. As the ULC itself has proven over the years, your "church" can be a third-floor walk-up flat in Brooklyn with no heat, and the "ordained minister" can be your dog Spot. No religion there (unless of course you CREATE one to surround Spot). 2

I've found that in the winter I get terrible mileage from my monkeys. They just refuse to imbibe the antifreeze ...

LOL! Yes, since there are 12 Monkeys, Your Monkeys May Vary. No, Mark: "Your Milage May Vary" I've picked up too much 'NetSpeak the past few years.

Hi, doggie!

Philosophy is all fine and good until you're actually IN a violent encounter ...

*raises hand* Yes. Have you fully explored ALL illusions? Or would that be a waste of your time? We're surrounded by illusions. From the moment we wake up we are engulfed in them. Once in a while we believe we can see through them for a moment. But then others take their place. Perhaps, too many to explore in one lifetime. So you are choosing to ignore them? Based upon your experience? That's certainly one path ...

Well said. Plus, of course, there is the fact of legitimacy within the issuing community. Just as my doctorate from NYU is accepted by them and their fellow "accredited" schools, and by the companies and institutions that buy into that accreditation, so too is my doctorate and ministerial title from ULC accepted within THIS community and all who accept the legitimacy of the titles in the world.

Forgive me. I thought I quoted him quite succinctly. YOU have been there. YMMV.

Is that because you do not believe in the usefulness of hypnotism? How do you know it's an illusory state if you don't try to enter it? If you refuse to use the tool, how can you gain the knowledge, even if that knowledge proves to be negative?

Sometimes doing "wrong" is the right thing to do, just as doing the "right" thing can often be wrong. Perception. There are no rights granted to us, not in the natural sense - only through the kindly interventions of your friendly neighborhood politician. They want - they NEED - to exert that control, that power over you, so they make up some new set of "rights" to "grant" you. And what is given can be taken away. Thus, power and control. If you choose to not play their games - if you "stand against the masses", as Atwater Vitki said is not possible - then you will not be controlled by them. But it takes strength, fortitude and character, traits sadly lacking in much of our society.

Gender-confused gods and goddesses make me nervous ...