Irreverence

Bless me father for I have sinned, it has been two weeks since my last post... 
I could not resist, I just started reading AC Grayling, The Good Book... along with a secular Buddhist book....

Anyways, the first thing I realized that Buddhism teaches patience in a big way, but never bothers to state that. Secondly, with the habit of reflecting AM and PM... where have we heard that before? Buddhism, as practiced by Buddha was primarily a well organized philosophy, his followers converted it into a religion.

Buddhism teaches truth is a virtue, but never bothers to define that word, or what that really means. Casting about for a definition, like I was casting to hook a swamp shark, I fine little as a clear definition.  In accordance with fact or reality... ok.

So I set about to find a heavy duty definition of truth. Well we can eliminate anything that can be demonstrated to be untrue, or that doubt can be raised. That eliminated a great deal. Secondly, we must believe that it is true. We must be able to justify the truth, belief is not enough. It must be believed by others to be true....untrue. What others believe may be in fact untrue, just traditional or folk wisdom, but it may also be true.  So to recap, not demonstrably untrue, believed true, justifiable.  

So it is not about truth exactly, but what they believe to be true mostly. So a belief in any specific god is untrue, as there are many specific gods, which makes a true god demonstrable untrue to some. 

So what does this all have to do with not eating. We all need something to keep our minds and bodies busy. Expanding our minds is part of a full and flourishing life.  This same argument can be made against any diet that speaks of optimum diet. Without summing over a lifetime, there is no way of figuring an optimum, so these are false claims. There can therefore be no best. There are areas where people did tend to live longer, but some of that is in genes, and some is in memes. 

There is no doubt that I feel better on a Paleoish diet, without grains and sugars, but I am unable to say it is "better" for everyone. I also know I feel hunger at a "no weight gain, weight maintenance" level of intake. That is a problem for me, long term.

But what do I know?