The quintessential rational mind: Buddha

The linked article gives no actual support for its claim that the Buddha's was "the quintessential rational mind". It cites a few of his opinions and draws tenuous connections with the findings of modern neuroscience.<p>It's pretty clear that the Buddha was a clever and insightful chap. It wouldn't surprise me to find that some of the things he said about minds and bodies and persons fit well with contemporary science. It would be interesting to read something about this written by someone with no axe to grind. The hyperbole of the linked article, though? A waste of space.

The author may be a top-notch neuro-scientist (for all I know), but he's not much of a Buddhist scholar. He's quoting texts that were written approximately 1000 years apart, and attributing them to the same author.<p>There's a lot of fascinating work being done in Buddhist Psychology; in fact, I'm in the middle of a course on precisely that subject as part of an M.A. in Buddhist Studies. Unfortunately, this article only hints at the subject.

"the day when he attained enlightenment at Gaya in India; and the day he attained Nirvana (Unity with the Absolute) in 480 B.C."<p>Because attaining enlightenment and nirvana are rational, factual, non-dogmatic "events" that can be dated.

The 'cleaner' copy of the same article: <a href="http://beta.thehindu.com/arts/magazine/article435036.ece" rel="nofollow">http://beta.thehindu.com/arts/magazine/article435036.ece</a>

rationality can only be evaluated in relation to goals. there is no "one rationality to rule them all". how you evaluate a decision tree depends on where you want to end up.

It would be very interesting (at least for me) if some Eastern hackers here can share their point of view over these subjects, mysticism and modern science, yoga, etc.

I'm tempted to point out that we evolved emotions for a reason. They're basically sugar methods for typically socially beneficial reactions.<p>Too much rejection of emotions may at best lead one to be a Buddha, or perhaps just dull, or maybe even worst, a sociopath.