Mirror of Zen Blog

How Does Matter Give Rise to Consciousness?

How Does Matter Give Rise To Consciousness? - Sam Harris

I saw this explanation by Sam Harris when it came out less than one year ago, and thought it an excellent tool for presenting the matter to people who wonder why there are those who feel so strongly about the need for meditation. It was so incredibly gratifying to see such a clear and accessible way for people to begin to grasp the fundamental issue of mind. He basically restates the essential teaching of the Avatamsakka Sutra: “If you wish to understand the nature of the whole universe, you must perceive that everything is created by mind alone.”

But what is most mind-blowing about this presentation is the very last sentence.

Pure Sam. (And why I respect him so much.) Pure Zen. (And why we need it so much.)

Some drier-cognition followup (I really shouldn’t post this — people might gum up their thinking and practice with it).

Sam Harris - The hard problem of consciousness

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