An adult conversation on KZfaq...how refreshing.

Love the early Stoic ideal of having no need for temples. You are in the universe. That is already your “temple”.

This is my third time listening to this episode. A lot to decompress here. Very enjoyable.

Very interesting point about the paradox of cognitive distancing. That had me pause to think for a bit. Great talk!

Great discussion, thanks for the upload.

Two of my favorite authors on two of my favorite subjects! It can hardly ever get any better than this!

Great discussion - hope you two get together on these subjects again

Great discussion -- Buddhism has a higher standard for morality than most religions. To live the ideals of Buddhism is difficult in modern society.

very helpful philosophies of life to practice peace and rational thinking to respond to reality

Thanks for this conversation!!!

Thank you.

Great talk, thank You so much.

Excellent conversation. Thanks for sharing.

Hi Bob! A very good talk with Massimo! Thanks a lot! Have one problem by solving a problem like anger... by dimming down my own emotions, cause I think the other deserves my true expression to hisher behavior, not in a cruel but honest way. I think, i's kind of selfish, to let the other stay in the mist, when you could probably inspire them out to clearity, by speaking out in a moderate way, your thoughts about the theme. Everyone is unique and therefore resposibel for hisher uniqueness which should always come out in a loving but unfiltered manner. Lots of esotherics only found a way to flee responsability, by acting holy in an unholy way, by telling others, it's only maya... Dont mean you, cause think, you are confronting in a constructive way ; )

Brilliant discussion, thank you

Great interview Very very interesting

A wonderful conversation.

Great comparison and I do see a lot of similarities between Buddhism & Stoics. One of the big differences is Bodhicitta doing everything (8 fold path) from a view of emptiness/without judgement or even loving kindness. And stoics are more concerned with dealing with daily activities with integrity. Not that much different.

This is awesome thank you

What a wonderful gift! My two worlds colliding. Thank you for this conversation.

great missionaries of light. spot on.

" chop wood carry water" enjoyed your conversation. The basics of stoicism and Buddhism are very similar. Both help a person regulate their neurotransmitters especially dopamine. Kind of a chicken and egg thing. Ty

As a buddhist this is what i want to see A mature and logical conversation

Nice conversation thank you

Dharma is, to me, the recognition that the laws of the universe, its order, are physical, spiritual and moral, even social so in that sense intelligent in a way that even the gods and spirits were subject to. This seems to accord with the Logos, the pantheist immanence talked about here. One problem with Buddhism, inherited from Hinduism, that Christianity shared until the reformation is that senses and everyday life are enemies of enlightenment, of being good, of the sacred and so they have monasteries, desert and forest retreats, celibacy etc. In Zen/Chan there are stories of people who receive enlightenment in and through daily life yet it is still considered the fast track to the insights at its core. This also sets up an economy of spiritual specialists supported by the local societies. I Love Buddhist practice and have been at it for 50 years. But I am aware of its weaknesses, One of which is the way it is practised in the cultures of origin is that it supports very hierarchical political systems. That though the Buddha's teachings were very egalitarian, there is no sociopolitical system that starts from the assumption of equality and recognising this is not a true reality works towards correcting it, as best as it can. This has only happened in Eurocentric Christian inspired societies since the reformation. It seems Stoicism, with its integration into daily life, is egalitarian though you do need the education to know what previous wise men might have said. Both seem present attitudes of mind that are natural and commonsense ways of coping with life the slings and arrows of suffering life.

Goob job! :) Keep it up!

Are they really in competition; stoicism and Buddhism seem to go hand in hand?

Massimo love your book. Read it after being dissolutioned by Christian extremists.

Read the Dhammapada, it's the basic book of Buddha's word's on everyday situations for the layperson & monk. It's subjects like anger with his response in his words to his original students. Why dosent this man know of this common Buddhist book? It's carried like the Bible by Buddhist's in all sects all over the world. I get an impression the host is a knowledgeable person regarding Buddhism generally scolasticlly not from a life's practice. The guest is verry interesting & seems to already grasp simalarities between the two philosophy's.

Complete Reality Taoism has a view that there is the innate primal mind verses the temporal mind, and the practice is overcoming of conditioned mundanity by detachment and allow the awareness uninhibited by conditioning. There is a lot of subtle nuances involved in coming to know the psychological structure. The Christians may say we are born with original sin and need salvation from a messiah, but the philosophy in the Complete Reality school is more like we have an original goodness that is corrupted, and in a way, we have to unlearn the things that misguided us, that society or our own confusion may have conditioned us during our development. The concept in Hindu schools of Neti Neti, might be to learn what is actually not real...you can gain freedom by learning the BS that you thought was real isn't. By doing that you come to a greater clarity that then makes it easier to continue to see what needs to be purified within your psychology. Easier said than done, but the effort is worth it. Of course we never get rid of the temporal mind, but we just need to learn what is the master, and not mistake the slave as the master.

Robert Wright speaking "I'm doing fine" at the beginning is funny, because his eyes and mouth expressions show some kind of bad mood all over his face. By the way... It was a very nice talk!!!!

Buddhism is like physics. Stoicism is like biology. Ultimate reality vs Worldly reality These wisdom schools are complimentary!!

I’d like to know what Stoics thought about an after life. I guess I going to have to read and listen to more about Stoicism.

The serenity prayer was invented by Marcus Aurelius, not by christianism.

someone once said that the Buddha would have had to speak 24/7 to say all of the things attributed to him.

Buddhism was huge and more ancient Has Influenced all corners of Asia. I’m pretty sure it got to the west and raise some eye brows for stoic to stem off

In early Buddhism, not really "equanimity" is the goal, also have Metta(loving kindness), Mudita, compassion, mindfulness, Samadhi, right view, etc The real goal is to end the suffering . In early Buddhism, not only philosophy, also have the path to end the suffering, which is still practice by the forest monk nowadays. Example, Ajahn Chah and his disciple.

👍

Audio only may be a good idea.

I think the Buddhist view of Logos would be "cause & effect" nothing is permanent. The universe was created by the big bang theory that was the effect of other causes and and the right conditions.

Smile. Stoics smile more.

Paralyzed with bodily pain permanently. How does that square with foot in the mud.

Interesting but not worth listening to due to excessive ads.

read steve hagen's book. this robert wright dude is smart, but doesn't have an ounce of poetry in him. nada.

Enlightenment and Nirvana /Buddhahood are not the same thing. The former can happen by accident while practicing 3rd dhyana. The latter has to be attained after much pravtice with 4th dyana while enlightened.

This part of the stoic teaching that you as a foot have to step in a mud is obviously political statement. That is what some general would use to tell the solider.

I'd like more discussions about the Logos. It seems to me even the modern stoics have not updated their understanding. As things are based on logic, mathematics, physics (you need mathematics to do physics) and ethics. Physics and our understanding has moved on. There's an important piece they haven't added or missed. I know! It' the reason why the good are rewarded and the bad suffer. Also why using violence is the dumbest thing to do. And don't forget the four prime concepts; Wisdom, Temperance, Justice and Courage.

I have noticed a lot of similarities between Stoicism and Islam as well.

..........

oh happy face etc did Buddhism achieve this

The Buddhist four noble truths hurt my feelings and now I have lost everything.

Your family members may very well be wiser than you are assuming them to be.

Why be a stoic or a buddhist, when you can be a Daniel Dennett?

Vs? 🤣🤣🤣🤣

If it means including "UHHH & UMMM" I DONT WANT TO BE PART OF IT!!

The closeness of these people's faces is making me uncomfortable

The place you find yourself in when you write a book on Budhism, take the time to deride family members who voted for Trump, and then have the Dalai Lama come out and say that "Europe is for the Europeans!" Lol.

boo-dhism

You could learn something from your siblings.

The stoic guy's answers are too long winded. It made me think that he has some insecurity around the foundations his answers are built on.

there is no original sin. the original meaning of sin is: 'to miss the mark' not to do wrong. this was another product of the egoistic originators of Xianity as Christianity was genocided by the prior named. stoici thought may have roots in asis as the buddhist missionaries were found to have made it to greece and maybe even to ireland as evidenced by similar architecture there in that style. perhaps they were the original stoics in greece b.c.e. names are after all only labels. the Xians did not invent monotheism. an egyptian document c. 2600 bc stated that they, the egyptians, recognized One God but did workship with the manifestations of that One. Ausar, as egyptians called the God/Love/Consciousness/One God manifests Itself as the many forms, energies, names in existance. buddhism calls this the void or the beyond.

They are describing buddhist religion, not realizing its utterly different to real buddhist philosophy, e.g. no gods in the philosophy.

Aristotle produced Alexander the Great. Seneca produced Nero.... Marcus Aurelius produced Commadus...... So.....yeah. Why did the Stoics have such a terrible track record for pupils?

Stoicism is dead Buddhism is not