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Yes, I would consider this form of knowing and reaching truth to be valid. I chose the photograph of a dog and a similar-looking person to represent the similarities between Buddhism and my idea of ultimate truth, idealism. I can appreciate the Buddhist way of determining whether or not something is knowledge, and I find that the method of reaching the truth is in-depth and valid. The validity is proven in my opinion in the factors required for one to reach the truth. The Eight-fold Path brings forward many crucial elements that align with my morals. The similarities to idealism make me more inclined to believe that the form of knowing is valid.

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Many philosophers and knowledge-seekers have vocalized their opinions on Buddhism in relation to modern philosophy, and those crucially important are Einstein, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Arthur Schopenhauer. Einstein's quote was chosen to illustrate his opinion on Buddhism and Buddhist thought in his own words. Einstein is most famous for his scientific theories, foremost the theory of relativity, which encompasses special relativity and general relativity. Essentially what Einstein was trying to get across is that there is a strong connection between Buddhism and science. Buddhism has largely influenced several scientific developments, including the Quantum theory, as both Quantum theory and Buddhism are investigations of nature and value empirical evidence. The second image is a photo of Friedrich Nietzsche, a German philosopher who studied many topics, from morality to psychology. He is well known for making extremist claims in regards to philosophical concepts and in some of his writing, he mentioned that God is dead, referenced radical perspectivism, and make remarks against Christianity. Nietzsche harshly criticized Buddhism, claiming it to be nihilistic in nature. Nihilism suggests that life has no objective meaning, and Nietzsche struggled with the concept of accepting that existence is unstable but also sustaining a true meaning of life. The final image is an abstract painting of a composer that represents Arthur Schopenhauer's philosophy, German idealism. The portrayal of colour exploding from the brain of in the painting represents the presence of idealism as the ultimate truth. Schopenhauer's ideas were found to be similar to the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism, key to knowledge. He believed that the direct object of life is suffering, and suffering is one of the truths that prove knowledge of existence.

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“Buddhism has the characteristics of what would be expected in a cosmic religion for the future: It transcends a personal God, avoids dogmas and theology; it covers both the natural and spiritual; and it is based on a religious sense aspiring from the experience of all things, natural and spiritual, as a meaningful unity."
– Albert Einstein.

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The image chosen is a visual representation of the Two Truths doctrine common in Buddhism to explain relativity and absoluteness in truth. The image portrays the difference between perverted relative truth and pure relative truth, as well as absolute truth. These ideas are important to establish type of knowing in Buddhist philosophy. Perverted relative truth and pure relative truth are conventional, and describe common human perceptions of everyday life. Knowledge in this sector of truth is divided into three types; empirical, illusory, and transcendental, transcendental knowledge exceeding the rest in value in the Buddhist philosophy. Transcendental knowledge is knowledge of the eternal-self. Philosopher Immanuel Kant introduced this term to modern philosophy, stating that transcendence makes it possible for humans to experience objects as objects, and therefore is superior knowledge. Relativity presents itself in the variability of perception and interpretation of non-absolute truths. The image gives an example of a perverted relative truth as mistaking a rope for a snake using preconceptions, and as such is a perception, the same situation can be interpreted differently based different individual's life experiences and emotional responses. The absolute truth according to Mahayana Buddhism is that there are no distinctions between things and beings. The two truths are not separate, but should be considered two parts of the same reality, both relative and absolute.

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The Yin Yang symbol was chosen to signify the balance between rationality and empiricism in the Buddhist school of thought. Rationalism and the Dhammapada go hand in hand in the respect of knowledge. Rationalism in Buddhist thought is shown in Buddha's refusal to incorporate superstition and mythology into his message. His thoughts were based on rational thought, that including explanation and discussion. His rationalistic thoughts form the basis of Buddhist knowledge today. Proof of rationalism in Buddhism lays also in Samma Ditti, the first step of Buddha's Eight-fold Path. The Eight-fold Path is the guide to the end of suffering consisting of eight steps; right view, right resolve, right speech, right conduct, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right samadhi. The first step, right view, or Samma Ditti, presents a rational outlook on the world. In order to practice this, one must look upon the world without illusion, superstition, or ignorance. This is rational because of the rejection of emotion and religious concepts in the view of life. Equally, empiricism, when combined with perception and verifiable inferences,  is used in Buddhist thought to prove truth and assure knowledge as opposed to belief. For something to be considered knowledge, it must stimulate one or more of the five senses humans have.

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Scriptures are the main authority of Buddhist knowledge. The link chosen is a translated version of the main Buddhist scripture, the Dhammapada, which was chosen because of its popularity in Buddhism. This scripture is thought to be a collection of verses originally spoken by the Buddha, and summarize his teachings during the time he was alive, and carry on his legacy. The Dhammapada contains many verses ranging from various emotions, self-development, morality, and the world, among other things. The key concepts outlined in the scripture are the lack of a supreme leader or creator, all sensations and perceptions are impermanent, the self does not have substance, the Eight-fold Path, and enlightenment. The common form of the verses are short phrases, often containing metaphors and similes to strengthen the message.

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Buddhists have three key factors when deciphering between belief and knowledge. These factors include perception, verifiable inference, and empiricism. For something physical or conceptual to be considered knowledge, it must fall into all three categories. The first image represents perception, and shows an image that can be be perceived as both a vase or a pair of faces. This was chosen to represent the variability of interpretation of stimuli within human beings, and the potential for each individual interpretation to be considered knowledge. An important aspect of perception that should be considered when determining knowledge in buddhism is correct and incorrect direct perception. Direct perception is a phenomena of perception where there is no involvement of deduction in the perception of something. Correct direct perception would be perceiving that if your finger were to be hit with a hammer, that it would hurt. An incorrect direct perception would be perceiving that you see Bigfoot in the forest, but then upon closer inspection, it turns out to be bear. Incorrect direct perception is not perception that can be considered knowledge. The second visual representation of the question is a video on verifiable inferences. The video defines and exemplifies inference in a real world scenario, and provides the basis for knowledge of Buddhist verifiable inferences. Verifiable inferences are the second factor to knowledge in Buddhism, and verifiability must be present to verify beliefs, rendering them knowledge. An inference is a truth derived from other truths, and for it to be verifiable, the definitions and results must be consistent. Another way of verifying truth is Kathavatthu, which is a method for critical analysis of two topics in relation to one another. It is similar to the questioning method developed by Socrates, wherein he would demand questions to question the extent of a person's belief on a certain topic. The final image chosen is a GIF of Spiderman to represent empiricism. Spiderman uses his senses to alert himself of danger, or his "spidey senses", and empirical analysis relies on experience to verify truth as opposed to rationalization. In Buddhism, experiencing something with one of your senses can verifies its truth and ability to be considered knowledge. Overall, consistency and personal experience remain key to Buddhist knowledge.

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This is a quote about prajna, Buddhist insight into the truth of reality. It explains the capabilities of people to be able to see, not only physically, but also metaphorically in the sense that they are enlightened. Madhyamakavartara informs that wisdom, or prajna, is essential in the ultimate path to enlightenment. Although prajna has several interpretations, the main understanding of prajna is that it is the knowledge of three characteristics, impermanence, no-self, and suffering. Impermanence is the doctrine of inconstancy and lack of permanency, and according to Buddha, is a key characteristic of existence. For something to exist, whether mental or physical, it is not permanent, and is ever changing. The second characteristic of existence is no-self. No-self refers to the Buddhist doctrine that no living being is unchanging or permanent. The final trait of existence among Buddhists is suffering, which suggests that physical and mental pain associated with different stages of life are an indicator of existence. Along with prajna lies the importance of the four noble truths, or what Buddhists know to be true. These include suffering, the cause of suffering, the end of suffering, and the path.Buddhist knowledge is founded on the basis of self-knowledge, leading to enlightenment.

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Overall, do you consider this way of knowing a “valid” form of knowing and reaching the truth? Why or why not?

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Overall, do you consider this way of knowing a “valid” form of knowing and reaching the truth? Why or why not?

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What do famous philosophers/knowledge-seekers say about this way of knowing?

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What do famous philosophers/knowledge-seekers say about this way of knowing?

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Is truth absolute or relative in this way of knowing (or both, or neither)?

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Is truth absolute or relative in this way of knowing (or both, or neither)?

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Is this way of knowing rational or empirical (or both, or neither)?

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Is this way of knowing rational or empirical (or both, or neither)?

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Where is the authority of this type of knowledge located? (i.e., In scripture? In personal experience? In certain individuals? etc.)

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Where is the authority of this type of knowledge located? (i.e., In scripture? In personal experience? In certain individuals? etc.)

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How is this considered knowledge and not belief?

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How is this considered knowledge and not belief?

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A single man, endowed with eyes,
Can lead unseeing multitudes with to where they wish to go.
And so it is with wisdom, here;
It takes the sightless virtues, guiding them to Victory (buddhahood). - Madhyamakavatara, Chandrakirti

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How does one “know” something in this way of knowing?

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How does one “know” something in this way of knowing?