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Introduction
Eastern
Philosophy encompasses many philosophies dating back nearly 5,000
years ago from today. Included in these philosophies are some of the
most popular, yet most intricate beliefs that coincide with ancient
religions. Beginning in small areas throughout Asia, the foundation
for western thought was established through eastern and Islamic
ideals starting in Ancient Greece.
One
of the most important elements within the Eastern world view is its
emphasis on unity and the mutual interrelation among all things and
events. In other words, this form of belief considers all experiences
to be a display of a fundamental oneness. Furthermore, it is
perceived that the primary component of the cosmos is Space itself,
and that without it nothing can exist. In ancient Indian culture, for
instance, it is believed that the Universe presents itself in two
ways; firstly being Space, which functions as our medium for
movement. Secondly is movement itself, which concerns the rhythm of
the cosmos and the way these experiences occur. For this first
installment I will be discussing some of the most popular Eastern
philosophies including Taoism, Hinduism, Confucianism, and Buddhism.
Taoism
Taoism,
also known as Daoism, can be traced back to at least the 4th
century B.C. Retrieving its cosmological ideals from the School of
Yinyang, the philosophy is heavily influenced by one of the most
ancient texts of Chinese culture, The Yijing. Within this text
is a philosophical structure that presents ways of keeping human
behavior in agreement with the ever-changing ways of the natural
world. In addition, the teachings provided in the book Teo Te
Ching and writings by the famous philosopher, Zhuangi, are the
cornerstones of the Taoist tradition.
This
Chinese philosophy stresses the importance of living in harmony with
the Tao, or “Way,” and focuses greatly on the naturalness
with which the universe functions. Unlike many ideologies, Taoism
does not exercise strict rituals or social order, but instead directs
its attention to the beauty of effortless action, simplicity, and
impetuousness. In addition, the Three Treasures lay the framework for
Taoistic beliefs. The first being jing, or the essence of a
physical body, the second being qi, human thoughts
and/or emotions, and lastly shen, the spirit of humankind.
By
the 3rd century C.E., the many sources of Toaism had
conformed into one intelligible tradition of religious organizations
and ritualistic practices in the state of Shu, known today as
Sichuan. In the year 440 B.C., Taoism became the state religion of
China, with Lao Tzu named as the founder. The main Taoistic belief
was that one thing connects to everything and that Teo, nature, and
reality are all a part of one entity. Early Taoists developed their
own organization which coincided with many of the shamanic beliefs,
however, these values would later be divided into two main groups as
they evolved: Quanhen Taoism and Zhengyi Taoism. These two ideologies
were considered the state religion up until the 17th
century. As a result, Taoism made a significant impact on Chinese
astrology, Chinese alchemy, Chan Buddhism, various types of martial
arts, traditional medicine, feng shui, and other essential elements
of the rich Chinese culture.
“There
is a thing, formless yet complete. Before heaven and earth it
existed. Without sound, without substance, it stands alone and
unchanging. It is all-pervading and unfailing. We do not know its
name, but we call it Tao. .. Being one with nature, the sage is in
accord with the Tao.” - Lao Tzu
Confucianism
Confucianism
is the philosophical and ethical practice based upon the teachings
from the Chinese philosopher, Confucius (551–479
B.C.E.). In a collection of his discussions, called The
Analects, he emphasized governmental and personal morality and
ethics, the importance of social relationships, as well as empathy
and equity. Because of this, he is seen by many Chinese civilians as
the greatest master. Rather than attempting to develop methodical
theory of life and society, he promoted the philosophy of bettering
and developing oneself and to study the outside world.
Throughout
the construction of this humanistic religion, Confucianism created
the Hundred Schools of Thought inspired by Confucius's writings and
thus brought light to ideas and notions that could be discussed among
the people freely. Over time, the social consciousness of the public
grew, leading to peripatetic scholars gaining power as advisors to
government regulations, war efforts, and diplomacy, thus changing the
Chinese culture forever.
The
worldly awareness of Confucianism is based on the belief that humans
are first and foremost good, improvable, and teachable beings that
have the ability to improve through self-cultivation and the
preservation of ethics. Included in some of the Confucian ethical
theories are ren, meaning “humaneness,” Yi,
concerning moral disposition, Li, a system suggesting how a
person should go about everyday life, and lastly Zhi, which
involves the ability to determine what is just from what is unjust.
With this being said, Confucianism holds the people accountable for
their failure to support these moral ethics.
Hinduism
Unlike
many Eastern philosophies, Hinduism stems from India rather than
China. Although it does not have a known founder, the first treasury
of Indian philosophy writing is known as the Vedas' the word “veda”
meaning knowledge. Although the exact date of their origin is
unknown, it is believed to have come into existence around 3,000 B.C.
The overall idea behind Hinduism is that reality is absolute,
perfect, changeless, and eternal, rather than our world having many
separate and finite things. In this ideology, meditation and purity
of one's mind can allow an individual to experience their proper self
(this being God or Braham) which connects us to all things, helping
us to find true enlightenment through self-realization. It is because
of of this characteristic that Hinduism is widely considered a
conglomeration of many Indian traditions and cultures.
Like
all philosophies, Hinduism has many objectives set as guidelines to
lead an enlightened life, called Purusarthas. Incorporated in
these guidelines are Dharma (involving ethics/obligations),
Artha (success/work), Kama (inclinations/impulses) and
Moksha (freedom/liberty). In order to attain a firm
understanding of these principles, the Hindi practice worship,
recitations, annual celebrations, meditation, and even pilgrimages.
Furthermore, it is believed that if one lives within accordance to
these standards, he/she should discover honesty, empathy, patience,
forbearance, self-control, and compassion.
Buddhism
Buddhism
is the moral religion/philosophy founded by Siddharrtha Guatama,
commonly referred to as Buddha (566 – 486 B.C.). In his teachings,
he proposed theoretical knowledge in order to lead people to a life
free from self-indulgence and self-uncertainty. The two main forms of
Buddhism are known as Theravada
(The School of the Elders), and Mahayana
(The Great Vehicle). Both of these categories of Buddhism involve
seeking refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and the Sangha, studying
scriptures, observing moral doctrines, practicing meditation, and the
refinement of wisdom, compassion and love. In Theravada, the main purpose is to attain the state of Nirvana (Absolute Truth) and to ultimately be reborn. Mahayana, on the other hand, involves one maintaining a cycle of rebirth through which one can help others reach enlightenment, or resurrection. With this being said, I will expand into further detail on Buddhism for my second installment.
For
some more info, look at the links below.
Yes! You should consider the possibility of Religious Studies as a minor, which was previously in the philosophy department. You will not only study these religions, but evaluate them and critically approach them.
ReplyDeleteActually, RS has just been merged officially with the Phil Dept. Their courses were informally listed under PHIL before, but now we're going to be re-dubbed the Dept of Phil & Rel Studies.
DeleteI love the Taoist concept of effortless action, "wu wei," trying not to try. Sounds paradoxical, as do most complex adjustments to life when shrunk to fit a linguistic cage, but harmony, balance, and flow are good approximations and worthy aspirations. I still go back to "The Tao of Pooh" for occasional doses of eastern insight.
ReplyDeleteAnd I love the Confucian "ren," the idea of staying human.
Hinduism is a bit harder for me to swallow, with its idea of reality as "absolute, perfect, changeless, and eternal" - that's not been my experience.
Some of my best friends are Buddhists. But, my nirvana is not "absolute" - it's relative in every way, relative to other persons, to nature, to the future of life, to the past. I do think the Buddhist emphasis on compassion and loving kindness have done as much to civilize the world as anything offered by the mainstream western religions.