BAYESIAN THINKING

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“Critical thinking is an active and ongoing process. It requires that we all think like Bayesians, updating our knowledge as new information comes in.” Daniel J. Levitin,

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SEAGRASS MEADOW

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According to the empirical materials of Theravada Buddhism, if we regard each aggregate as an “awareness” which is the state of being conscious of something, then contemplating the five aggregates would reveal the existence of “awareness of awareness”, and discern that it arises a moment after each aggregate and they do not appear simultaneously.

Thus, the slowing down of “speed” in vipassana would reveal that the notion that there is a constant self always there knowing or observing all aggregates just results from “awareness of awareness” appearing between any two aggregates, something that under ordinary conditions happens very quickly. (That's like a torch spinning so fast that it looks like a ring of fire.)

This would lead to the insight of “non-self” in Buddhism which means no subject of awareness (or consciousness) at all. In other words, the essence of “non-self” is the single-tier reality versus the two-tier illusion.

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Many professions, such as physicians and judges, are expected to make critical decisions based on data. When evaluating a positive mammography screening, for example, Bayesian conclusions are frequently required. Several empirical studies have revealed poor judgments and even cognitive illusions among medical professionals who need to apply Bayesian thinking (Hoffrage et al., 2000; Operskalski and Barbey, 2016).

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The real benefit of studying the Buddha’s teachings and the statements of enlightened masters is to be inspired to change the way we think, speak, and behave, which will make us more civil, gentle, and peaceful. When we thoroughly investigate the value of the meaning presented, it becomes obvious that we can become free—each and every one of us. — Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche

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“Under Bayes' theorem, no theory is perfect. Rather, it is a work in progress, always subject to further refinement and testing.” Nate Silver

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“All sentient beings have within our minds loving-kindness—we all have that, everybody has; all sentient beings,” Rinpoche explained, gently smiling. “Broadly speaking, Buddhist practice is based on kindness; Buddhist ethics are based on kindness. In general, in Buddhist practice we talk about sila, samadhi, and prajna [Skt: moral virtue, meditative consciousness, and spiritual wisdom]. Sila, then, means ethics. Ethics means not harming anyone. What does it mean to harm? The five negative actions: killing; stealing; sexual misconduct; drinking or drugs that disturb the mind; and lying. This is a natural law and we all know that! This is not even necessarily a uniquely Buddhist way of practice; this is a natural, necessary thing.

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“Because all sentient beings are your own father and mother, and as such we need to help and serve all sentient beings!” he laughed. “Whether they hate you or love you, you need to help them, to serve them. You should never ever be angry, never ever hurt them. It might be very difficult, but it’s very logical!

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 If you’re doing full distance triathlons when you're in your 40s and 50s, your risk of atrial fibrillation increases by 500% to 800%

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• Every 1,000 steps you get on average per day reduces your mortality by 10% to 15%. Benefits plateau around 12,000 steps (6 miles) a day
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