I suppose it all turns around the issue of
individual identity. Who am I, actually? Or what am I? Buddhists believe that the whole notion of an individual self is actually an illusion -- just like a wave on an ocean believing it actually has an individual, distinct identity separate from the ocean, which is false. In truth it is always one continuous piece with the ocean -- just as I am actually one piece with the whole cosmic process right now: there's no me to speak of actually. There's only the Cosmos. 'My' consciousness is actually that of the Cosmos, manifesting itself as 'individual minds' in the same way the ocean manifests itself as waves.
The
illusion of a
separate, individual consciousness may perish, but consciousness itself... I reckon that's a different matter.
[ 11-02-2002, 02:09 AM: Message edited by: K T Ong ]