1 00:00:01,702 --> 00:00:05,025 Francesca Donatella says, you just made me scared. 2 00:00:05,505 --> 00:00:07,207 So much freedom seems dangerous. 3 00:00:12,152 --> 00:00:14,514 Lucas, Lucas looks scared. 4 00:00:14,854 --> 00:00:15,935 Are you scared of freedom? 5 00:00:20,099 --> 00:00:22,821 Well, we don't even know what freedom is. 6 00:00:22,841 --> 00:00:26,765 How can you be scared of something you don't know about? 7 00:00:27,706 --> 00:00:28,467 Nothing about. 8 00:00:28,547 --> 00:00:30,088 Well, xenophobic. 9 00:00:32,313 --> 00:00:35,998 It's called xenophobia, fear of the unknown. 10 00:00:36,619 --> 00:00:38,021 To me, it makes perfect sense. 11 00:00:38,061 --> 00:00:42,627 It's like, suppose you had a bottomless pit. 12 00:00:45,411 --> 00:00:46,954 Or no, maybe that's silly. 13 00:00:46,974 --> 00:00:56,247 The idea of infinity, of having no bottom, or of having nothing to cling to, of infinite possibility. 14 00:00:56,527 --> 00:00:58,850 It's quite scary, no? 15 00:00:58,870 --> 00:01:00,352 There's no reference point. 16 00:01:00,432 --> 00:01:02,235 There's no guiding point, right? 17 00:01:03,565 --> 00:01:09,513 It's scary to have no reference point. 18 00:01:10,694 --> 00:01:11,896 Nothing to fall back on. 19 00:01:11,916 --> 00:01:14,179 I mean, it's really easy to believe in Jesus Christ, right? 20 00:01:14,459 --> 00:01:15,100 Okay, that's easy. 21 00:01:15,280 --> 00:01:15,481 Right. 22 00:01:15,601 --> 00:01:15,981 Bible. 23 00:01:16,021 --> 00:01:16,302 Got it. 24 00:01:17,723 --> 00:01:18,885 There you've got a reference point. 25 00:01:19,245 --> 00:01:25,954 Buddhism, in the sense that I'm explaining it, doesn't have a reference point. 26 00:01:27,857 --> 00:01:28,898 But... 27 00:01:29,266 --> 00:01:32,490 In my other video I did qualify that because there is one. 28 00:01:32,551 --> 00:01:34,133 Nibbāna is a reference point. 29 00:01:34,814 --> 00:01:37,097 So you strive towards Nibbāna. 30 00:01:39,901 --> 00:01:42,825 Here and now would be also the reference point. 31 00:01:42,945 --> 00:01:43,966 That's another good one. 32 00:01:46,169 --> 00:01:49,714 So yeah, you don't need purpose to have a reference point. 33 00:01:49,894 --> 00:01:55,642 You don't need to be going... Another thing you might say is you don't need to be going somewhere to have a reference point. 34 00:01:55,763 --> 00:01:56,083 So... 35 00:01:56,570 --> 00:02:25,564 well yes we have freedom and that makes you scared to do anything well in a sense Buddhism is not about doing something it's about coming back to in a sense not doing anything so yeah the present moment is an excellent it's an excellent point that we have we have something to cling to in a sense it's the present moment yeah 36 00:02:29,223 --> 00:02:58,656 I Lucas yeah I just want to re I one more time there was a film philosopher called Seneca and he said that if you still have a fear in you you're definitely are not free to carry on the fear then you could become a free or know the freedom so how you can be afraid of 37 00:02:59,834 --> 00:03:01,436 being free. 38 00:03:02,978 --> 00:03:08,064 It's a state without fear. 39 00:03:08,164 --> 00:03:11,207 There's another thing as well, is that the fear itself is a reference point. 40 00:03:11,267 --> 00:03:21,059 The fear itself is something to not cling to, but quote unquote cling to, in the sense of you're afraid of this and it paralyzes you. 41 00:03:21,940 --> 00:03:26,145 Well, don't go further than the fear, which is of course the present moment. 42 00:03:27,138 --> 00:03:56,082 that's I think a general important point is that when you are angry about something well the anger is the most important thing when you're afraid of something well the fear is the most important thing so this goes with such philosophical questions as is there a purpose to life well how do you feel about the question how do you feel about the answer it makes me afraid well much more important is the fear welcome Troy Troy do you want to tell us about yourself where are you 43 00:03:56,602 --> 00:04:00,286 I'm in Canada, and I have two small kids here, so I might go on mute. 44 00:04:00,466 --> 00:04:03,048 And if it becomes disruptive, please let me know. 45 00:04:03,068 --> 00:04:03,969 What part of Canada? 46 00:04:05,030 --> 00:04:05,851 I'm in Toronto. 47 00:04:06,351 --> 00:04:06,472 Cool. 48 00:04:06,492 --> 00:04:09,775 I think you were originally Canadian, or a Canadian citizen, should I say? 49 00:04:10,095 --> 00:04:12,057 I am Canadian, eh? 50 00:04:12,077 --> 00:04:13,018 That's right, eh? 51 00:04:14,679 --> 00:04:16,621 No, I'll be in Toronto in April. 52 00:04:16,822 --> 00:04:17,662 I'm coming back to Canada. 53 00:04:17,682 --> 00:04:17,983 Oh, really? 54 00:04:18,243 --> 00:04:20,025 Yeah. 55 00:04:20,045 --> 00:04:20,966 I'm going to try to set up. 56 00:04:20,986 --> 00:04:25,630 I'll be staying in Caledon and trying to set up a center there. 57 00:04:26,707 --> 00:04:27,428 Oh, excellent. 58 00:04:28,309 --> 00:04:31,674 If there's any posts you put up in that regard, I'll be paying attention. 59 00:04:32,015 --> 00:04:42,189 Yeah, you can also join our... If you'll go to my web blog, I think my latest post at utadamo.syriamanglo.org is... There's a link to our mailing list. 60 00:04:42,309 --> 00:04:51,883 If you're Canadian, if you're in Canada, you want to get on our mailing list, find out, get emails about updates and get involved, and you're welcome to join that. 61 00:04:53,205 --> 00:04:53,806 Thank you. 62 00:04:53,826 --> 00:04:55,448 Sorry, I'll put myself on mute. 63 00:04:56,272 --> 00:04:58,294 In fact, I probably should go and pick up my phone. 64 00:04:58,535 --> 00:04:59,375 Okay, okay. 65 00:04:59,395 --> 00:05:02,799 Well, thanks for coming. 66 00:05:05,262 --> 00:05:05,542 Bye-bye. 67 00:05:07,524 --> 00:05:08,105 Fellow Canuck. 68 00:05:12,770 --> 00:05:12,910 Yeah. 69 00:05:17,455 --> 00:05:19,077 You're done recording, right? 70 00:05:19,097 --> 00:05:19,277 No. 71 00:05:20,219 --> 00:05:20,659 Oops.