Buddhists, zombies & nirvana

[YetAnotherBloodyCheek]

Hi,

it appears my post-surgery meds have made my head a bit more spongy than usual. However, a question out of the utmost H.P. Lovecraftian corners of my mind has occurred to me this very morning. Simply put, would buddhists rather regard the zombie-apocalypse rather as a good thing or as a bad thing? I mean, it provides a technical loophole for them of LOST extent because becoming a zombie seems to go hand in hand with the loss of personally and self-determination. Therefore, would this not count as state of nirvana for a buddhist, thus the fulfillment of the ultimate goal in Buddhism? But well, there are some drawbacks: not all of the requirements of the Four Noble Truths might be met by the process of zombification as well as departing from Noble Eightfold Path:

- Viewing reality as it is, not just as it appears to be (might be fulfilled)
- Intention of renunciation, freedom and harmlessness (probably not due to the harmlessness constraint)
- Speaking in a truthful and non-hurtful way (*ggrrrr* yes!)
- Acting in a non-harmful way (yes, zombies have to eat, come on!)
- A non-harmful livelihood (hmmm? Will the eating thing be such a problem?)
- Making an effort to improve (Nope, zombies are a living flatline)
- Awareness to see things for what they are with clear consciousness; being aware of the present reality within oneself, without any craving or aversion (yes)
- Correct meditation or concentration, explained as the first four jhānas (do zombies meditate?)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism

Any thoughts?

[Osiris]

Interesting thoughts. Maybe they would simply view it as an event which is neither good nor bad. Hard to say. I'm not Buddhist.

[YetAnotherBloodyCheek]

Imagine the very moment they become a zombie: "Oh, so much bad karma in my life. It serves me right to be chased by a mindless zombie! Ouch! Please do not bite me, you bloody thing! Ah, look, I am dispersing into the nirvana..... BRAINS, BRAINS!!!"

[Osiris]

It's interesting how much of this article can be attributed to the state of being a zombie. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nirvana#Buddhism

I honestly hadn't connected the two ideas before, but now that you bring it up . . . I think I've got some books to buy.

[LiamKerrington]

Hi there.

A really interesting idea. But I am confused: I thought all this Karma- and Nirvana-stuff from Buddhists was based on the individual's spiritual enlightenment. The zombie-thing seems to be something based on an agent - something coming from the outside and changing people - and therefore would not be in any relation with the spiritual process of people. This makes the zombie-thing a fate-thing like death and then rebirth as a cokcroach or any other quite inferior form of being or something ...

Go on.

[YetAnotherBloodyCheek]

Well, what if there are part of the world in which the zombiecalypse would be just regarded as a necessary spiritual transformation into transcendence? Would people regard the z-plague as an agent from the outside as you implied? Yes, it could be. But in order to be consistent with their personal beliefs, it can otherwise be regarded to be the result of an higher spiritual process, why not? However, as you cannot start / continue to aggregate good karma no more and as you cannot be reborn to do so (the circle is therefor broken), this whole thing might serve as your very personal ticket into nirvana.

[LiamKerrington]

Am looking forward to reading your answers to those question. Since riligious stuff is not something I dump a lot of time into I hardly believe I can add anything to the discussion. The questions, though, are kind of weird and interesting alike.

Maybe we should meet some time again, drown our heads in tons of beer and wine and search for the answer to your questions ...

All the best!
Liam

[YetAnotherBloodyCheek]

Sounds like a good plan, pal.

Take care! :)

[LiamKerrington]

Sounds like a good plan, pal.

Take care! :)

Just shoot out a date, and we'll see ... If Karma is well enough, this should not be too much of a problem, should it?

All the best!
Liam

[scbubba]

Just shoot out a date, and we'll see ... If Karma is well enough, this should not be too much of a problem, should it?

All the best!
Liam

I'll message you guys the next time I'm on my way to Germany to join in the beer/wine/discussion festival. Since I've never been before and I have no idea when I'll head over there, I'm gonna keep the schedule kind of, um, flexible.... :cool:

[YetAnotherBloodyCheek]

You would be very welcome, scbubba!

[LiamKerrington]

You would be very welcome, scbubba!

100%

[Osiris]

It's like a bromance up in here.

[Osiris]

Mildly related, I picked up a copy of this yesterday: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Better-Off-Dead-Evolution-Post-Human/dp/0823234479

Haven't started reading it yet. It's on the shelf for now, but I'm pushing it up in line so I should get to it this year.

[YetAnotherBloodyCheek]

I did not even know that such books exist. Thanks a lot, Osiris!

[Osiris]

I did not even know that such books exist. Thanks a lot, Osiris!

I don't know how heavy into the philosophy it gets, the reviews I've read seem to indicate more pop culture references than anything. But I'll be a decent companion to the rest of the quasi-intellectual pop culture books on my shelf.

[Osiris]

Also, I hate this thread because I let it completely derail my progress. Instead of working on what I'm scheduled to work on today, I'm researching Nibbana. It's an interesting topic, but there's a lot of reading to do in order to understand the concept of the word itself, let alone how it applies to the state of a constant craving (zombism) as opposed to the absence of craving (Nibbana).

[scbubba]

It's like a bromance up in here.

Oh, someone needs a pound hug (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pound_hug)... (I'm hugging ya, but I'm hitting ya too)

http://i.imgur.com/sFz2tph.jpg