PUA is a form of brainwashing, but it doesn't fit the traditional definition of PUA. The basic principle of PUA is to cut off your ability to think for yourself. They do this by isolating you from other voices and repeating a single message to you over and over again. For example, they might lock you in a room and tell you "You are a loser, you are a loser, you are a loser." They might also hang a picture of a loser on the wall to reinforce their message. After a while, you will start to believe that you are a loser, even if you know it is not true. This is a type of brainwashing called "generation stage."
Engaging in the Generation Stage and Completion Stage practices during a retreat bears similarities to PUA in its intentional isolation from external influences, like phone restrictions. After all, attending a retreat while glued to your phone and TV shows seems inherently contradictory. The core principle is to shut down the outward pursuits of the six senses and focus on repetitive training with a specific method. However, labeling this "PUA" wouldn't be entirely accurate. These practices have a robust theoretical foundation and aim to guide individuals towards genuine happiness and liberation, unlike the manipulative intent behind typical PUA techniques.
True PUA aims to control, exploit, or mold you into their ideal image. To achieve this, they isolate you from outside influences, blocking your access to alternative perspectives. This manipulative tactic sadly creeps into relationships too. Imagine a man constantly telling his wife, "Other men are terrible, I'm the only good one for you." He might even restrict her social interactions, limiting her contact with family and friends. Over time, this isolation can make her vulnerable to believing his warped reality.
But it is important to remember: such manipulative behavior exists, but it is not ubiquitous. While some individuals strive to exert such control, their success hinges on maintaining that isolation. If the wife were to connect with someone like Mr. Wang who lives next door and discover he is so much better than you, the PUA's manipulation would crumble. That is why true PUAs prioritize information control, seeking to keep their victims trapped in their distorted world.
Buddhism is not PUA because it is open to discussion and debate. Any theory can be put forward, but it must be logical and based on reasoning. The Buddhist concepts of samsara and liberation must be supported by logic and direct experience. To date, no theory has been able to disprove the logic of Buddhism.
I am really looking forward to seeing a theory that could challenge Buddhism. I truly am. You might wonder, "Are you a Buddhist? Why are you looking forward to it?" Well, it is because I know it is not going to happen. I have spent a lifetime on this, exploring the possibility of a theory or doctrine that could dismantle the teachings of dependent origination and emptiness and the Tathagatagarbha. Whether in philosophy or science, it is simply not possible. Logically, theoretically, and in practice, it is out of the question. Even machines like particle accelerators, how could they possibly undermine these principles? It is just not happening!
Neuroscience, cutting-edge physics, and quantum mechanics are all highly regarded by ordinary people, but they are not enough to refute Buddhism. However, if you can logically and empirically prove that Buddhism is wrong (which is of course impossible, but I will assume that you have done so), I will immediately convert to you and renounce my former beliefs.
Why Buddhism? Because it is our path to understanding the nature of reality, the ultimate truth behind existence. Call it Buddhism, call it Siddhartha's teachings – the essence is the same. Now, what makes something true? Why would not other philosophies or religions hold truth? They might offer valuable pieces of the puzzle, local truths as it were. But in our eyes, Buddhism paints the whole picture, the complete perspective we are searching for. That is why diving deep into it is not superstition, as some might claim. It is the most rigorous, the most dedicated pursuit of true knowledge you can imagine, so meticulous it might even seem a little unconventional at times.
Science is not all airtight proofs. It sometimes embraces hypotheses. Take the theory of evolution, a pillar of biology, yet still technically a hypothesis. Similar is Stephen Hawking's Big Bang theory, positing a universe erupting from a singularity – another fascinating hypothesis. Both boast substantial evidence: evolution with its fossil record and genetic fingerprints, the Big Bang with intricate mathematical models and cosmic echoes. But neither are slam-dunk certainties. Science, at its core, demands testability. Theories must be internally consistent, hold up in experiments, and ideally, be repeatable. But how do you rewind and replay the Big Bang? Boom, and it is gone, a cosmic one-shot. That is why, despite its supporting evidence, it remains a hypothesis.
All the theories within Buddhism maintain internal consistency, and the experience of enlightenment is repeated in an individual way. Once a person achieves it, they are constantly in the state of enlightenment. They can come out of it and then re-enter during meditative concentration, a process referred to as "repetition." Therefore, both theoretically and empirically, Buddhism stands as a perfect and unassailable philosophy. Current attempts to challenge it appear absurd; Many people just come up and label Buddhism as superstitious. For them, that is the end of it! Or they might assert that "the world is material," deeming any claim that "the essence of the world is emptiness" as incorrect. However, the underlying issue is their lack of understanding of emptiness. In reality, when materialists claim "the world is material," there is no theoretical or material evidence supporting it; it's merely a hypothesis. Yet, they staunchly adhere to this view, establishing it as the mainstream of human cognition.
