1. If ignorance has been the beginingless state of things, then
wouldn't that be the natural state? What's the difference
between the term beginingless and eternal? If ignorance arises due
to conditions, then ignorance is contingent. But what is it
contingent upon? And how can it be contingent yet eternal? http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/beginningless
2. Legal laws are enacted based on circumstances, but stll they
are ultimately based on moral laws that are discovered. No human
made the law that murder is wrong. No human decided for everyone
else that murder is wrong. Murder is considered wrong every
where.
3. If ignorance has been the eternal state, then so has
suffering. And since that is the natural law, why go against
it?
4. It is true that nobody can escape from natural laws.
So is it impossible to escape from karma and be free of
it?
5. The idea of cause and effect is certainly not unique to
Buddhism. Causes have effects, this is not disputed or denied at
all. The question is whether adequate causes are identified for
certain effects. For example, why do we feel pain? That's because
we have nerve cells. Humans therefore are "hardwired" to feel pain
and respond physically to external things that hurt us. What
accounts for that? To say causes and conditions is not to say
much.
1. Natural has the connotation of being inherent, not causal,
etc. But yes, ignorance is conditioned, is dependent on conditions,
and those causes and be removed. That is the purpose of the whole
Buddhist path.
Here the sutta teaches:
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.009.than.html
Saying "Good, friend," having delighted in and approved of Ven.
Sariputta's words, the monks asked him a further question: "Would
there be another line of reasoning by which a disciple of the noble
ones is a person of right view... who has arrived at this true
Dhamma?"
"There would. When a disciple of the noble ones discerns
ignorance, the origination of ignorance, the cessation of
ignorance, and the way of practice leading to the cessation of
ignorance, then he is a person of right view... who has arrived at
this true Dhamma.
"And what is ignorance? What is the origination of ignorance?
What is the cessation of ignorance? What is the way of practice
leading to the cessation of ignorance?
"Any lack of knowledge with reference to stress, any lack of
knowledge with reference to the origination of stress, any lack of
knowledge with reference to the cessation of stress, any lack of
knowledge with reference to the way of practice leading to the
cessation of stress. This is called ignorance.
"From the origination of fermentation comes the origination of
ignorance. From the cessation of fermentation comes the cessation
of ignorance. And the way of practice leading to the cessation of
ignorance is just this very noble eightfold path: right view, right
resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right
effort, right mindfulness, right concentration.
"Now, when a disciple of the noble ones discerns ignorance, the
origination of ignorance, the cessation of ignorance, and the way
of practice leading to the cessation of ignorance in this way, when
— having entirely abandoned passion-obsession, having abolished
aversion-obsession, having uprooted the view-&-conceit
obsession 'I am'; having abandoned ignorance & given rise to
clear knowing — he has put an end to suffering & stress right
in the here-&-now, it is to this extent, too, that a disciple
of the noble ones is a person of right view... who has arrived at
this true Dhamma."
2. I would rather say that murder is causing harm and pain and
suffering, and because nobody wishes to be killed, and because
anyone with a kind heart would not wish anyone else to be killed,
laws are enacted out of a compassionate, well wishing heart, or
sometimes out of fear, etc. Laws are enacted on the basis of
whether an action is unwholesome or wholesome...
3. Ignorance and suffering is not eternal - they are without
beginning as a stream that arises and ceases and re-arises out of
latent conditions again and again, but those causes and conditions
can be treated and ended.
4. Yes. Just like you cannot escape the natural effects of cancer
Only if you chain smoke (you cannot escape the effects of smoking),
and the solution is just to stop or not start smoking, likewise you
can avoid karma by no longer planting the seeds of karma. But karma
can only truly be 'escaped' in liberation. The noble eightfold path
is the way.
5. Yes. Buddha is very precise and teaches us the twelve links of
dependent origination, both forward and reverse.
