Natasha wrote...
>I don't think that conventional Buddhism ties in so neatly to extropianism,
>mainly because of reincarnation and the acceptance of suffering and that
>it can only be eliminated by a spiritual overcoming. Accepting suffering
>is accepting death. Overcoming suffering through spirituality is a fairy
>tale reality and pseudoscience.
Yes I agree, Buddhism does not tie neatly into Extropianism, rather I said it the most Extropian of the established religions. As for reincarnation, many, esp in Zen, are agnostic. One master when asked "What happens after you die?", answered, "How would I know, I am not dead !". Yes, life is suffering, but it is not grim, for with dilligence, one can transcend it. Regardless of the possibility of a fairy tale, the psychological /mental aspects of the Buddhist practice is a powerful example of conscious(ness) development. Buddha asked that the methods not be taken on faith, but be tried with a critical and emprical attitude.
Hence, Extropianism, being eclectic, draws the best ideas and methods from all sources. Not just the Zen, but Pirsig's ideas on Quality also.