Download Eastern philosophies

Final lecture
Eastern philosophies
Overview
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Hinduism
Buddhism
Confucianism
Daoism
Shintoism
Judaism
Sikhism
Overview
Thought
West
Critique of thought (philosophy)
East
Wisdom
Ethical, moral, spiritual, religious, & political views
Hinduism: background
• Combined ideas from Indus river people (3000
BCE) and Aryan immigrants to India (1500 BCE)
produced a more developed system: Hinduism.
• Basis of the caste system: A cosmic man on dying
divided himself to create different kinds of people
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the brahmins (priestly class) from his mouth
the warriors and rulers from his arms
the merchants and farmers from his thighs
the servants from his feet.
• Rebellion against the caste system led to the
development of Buddhism and Jainism.
Hinduism: Belief, Thought, Philosophy
• Brahman = soul of the universe; essence of all
things, has no beginning, no ending
• Atman = your soul, composed of Brahman,
animates your body, is also timeless
– when you die, it will inhabit another body 
substance dualism
Hinduism: Belief, Thought, Philosophy
• How to gain Liberation / Transcendence beyond need for
making distinctions between things: understand atman is
Brahman
• Suffering is due to seeing atman and Brahman as different
• Difficult; because Brahman is infinite, hard to comprehend
– Shankara (8th Century): non-dualist version of Hinduism: there is
only one true essence, Brahman, and everything else is an
illusion
– Ramanuja (11th Century): qualified non-dualism: no matter how
much we comprehend Brahman, we remain atman. Constant
remembrance and submission to Brahman gives us
enlightenment, yet we remain atman
Om
• This most sacred Sanskrit symbol represents
the reverberating sound of Brahman
throughout the universe. Om is the most
powerful (and shortest) mantra.
• Speaking and meditating on this sound leads
to a connection to Brahman and his power,
enlightenment, & immortality. Other mantras
(chants) do the same (the gods themselves are
swayed by the sounds)
Buddhism
• A charismatic leader Siddhartha Gautama, born in Nepal
around 500 BCE, reacted against the Brahmanical culture
which limited sacrificial practices to the priestly class (a
limited segment of society with high access to
enlightenment)
• His ideas spread throughout India and the rest of the world
because they are so adaptable to the customs of other
cultures.
• In the 7th Century, Muslims invaded and devastated
Buddhist universities and practically squashed out
Buddhism in India. Still, because Buddhism coexisted with
Hinduism in Indian culture, there are great similarities
(cross-influences) between these two religions.
The story of Buddha
• “Prince Siddhartha ventured beyond the palace
walls four times, accompanied by his Charioteer
Chandaka…” Seen on treks: old, sick, dead, monk
• From palace to a life of asceticism
• From asceticism to the Bodhi tree
• Enlightenment, and crystallized realization of the
Four Noble Truths: 1) suffering, 2) its origins, 3)
cessation of suffering, and 4) the path leading to
cessation
Buddhist belief, thought, philosophy
• We live in a causal universe (like determinism)
• Life is cyclic (as in Hinduism), and full of suffering
• Suffering could be a direct or indirect result of
deeds (actions, whether virtuous or immoral),
yours or those of others; deeds contribute to
systemic suffering within the community
• Enlightenment (escape from the cycle) is
achieved by fully understanding the cycle, and
how it works
– As in Hinduism, “salvation” is knowledge-based, not
action based
A branching in Buddhism
• Four main branches:
– Theravada (Thailand, Sri Lanka, Myanmar)
– Mahayana (China, Tibet, Japan)
– Zen (Japan)
– Tendai (Japan)
1. Theravada Buddhism: the ultimate goal is to
become an arhat (enlightened by meditating
on the Buddha’s Dharma).
A branching in Buddhism
2.
Mahayana Buddhism: felt Theravada Buddhists were
doing too little. They set the ultimate goal as becoming a
bodhisattva (one who will attain enlightenment via
perfection of wisdom and compassion)
• Through lifetimes of building wisdom and compassion to
reach enlightenment, nearing that final lifetime, one gains
powers, the ultimate one is the power to create “Buddha
Fields” or Pure Lands
– Righteous and devout people can be reborn into one of these
Pure Lands, where life is easier and more conducive to gaining
enlightenment
• The biggest difference between Theravada and Mahayana
is Mahayana campaigns. Followers teach to show
compassion and gain believers
A branching in Buddhism
• “Zen is the gate to enlightenment, and the koan
(riddle) is the guide.”
• Koans were posed by masters to pupils to ponder on.
When they could respond in a satisfactory way
(immediately or after years of pondering), the master
would reward them with another riddle.
– Consider the sound of two hands clapping. What, then, is
the sound of one hand clapping?
– As there is no gate [to enlightenment], come, let me tell
you how to cross it.
• Fewer than 10% of Buddhists in Japan are Zen
A branching in Buddhism
• Tendai is an eclectic version of Buddhism influenced by
a monk who returned from a visit to China
• In the 12th Century, lots of fighting fueled belief that
people who died in battle were eligible to be reborn in
the True Pure Land (a heavenly rebirth); anyone can
achieve rebirth in this heaven by reciting the name of
Amida (the Buddha of the western Pure Land of Jodo)
• All classes could access heaven; very appealing
• This is the main form of Japanese Buddhism (over 33%)
Confucianism
• Kongzi, or “Confucius” (~500 BCE) was a teacher
who tried to bring back traditional values (care
for family, etc)
• With support of the Han dynasty, Confucianism
was infused in Chinese schools and has been until
recently (a long history of support)
• Confucianism lacked spiritual substance, which
led to its downfall with competitors Buddhism
and Daosim
• But Neo-Confucianism made a strong recovery
Confucianism
• Confucius opened education beyond the aristocrat
class, quickly attaining thousands of students, and 72
disciples.
• When asked what kind of man he was, he said,
someone who learns and teaches tirelessly
• Confucian (traditional) ideals were hindrances to social
upheaval; these were not based on Confucius but on
writings of his predecessors
– maintaining status quo (the yin-yang of things)
– filial piety (the government being the social extension of
one’s parents)
• However Mohists argued caring for friends and family is biased
caring, and the ethical person should practice impartial caring
Neo-Confucianism
• Skipped based on time restriction
Then Communism came
• skipped
Daoism
• How should we live an authentic life, in harmony with the Dao?
What’s the best way to preserve life and avoid injury? It’s best done
in isolation. Another way is through non-action, or “action which
does not disrupt the natural way of things (p.139).” For example, by
standing still, one can make muddy water clear.
• Everything begets its opposite. Daoism critiques Confucianism,
saying rightness begets wrongness, as when caring for some results
in partiality toward them. Daoists argue for spontaneous caring
action (as opposed to premeditated caring which results in being
partial)
• Confucianism and Daoism are opposite with respect to government
– Confucianists honor the government who takes care of them as an
extension of parents
– Daoists feel government is an obstruction to personal freedom,
oversteps individual rights
Daoism
• Lao Zi, founder of Daoism, saw the world
getting uglier, so he got on his water buffalo to
leave the world to find solitude and peace
(hence valuation of solitude among Daoists).
A gatekeeper near Tibet, sensing the master
would leave this world, asked him to please
down his wisdom, which he did in the Dao De
Jing (Daoist Bible) as a collection of aphorisms
meant to give a sense of serenity and mystery
to readers / listeners.
Defining Daoism
• All things came from Dao, but Dao has no beginning
• Water, like the Dao, is soft, yet it prevails against stronger
things, like stone or metal. Following the Dao:
– Governments should do nothing, let the state develop by itself
– People should not aspire to greatness or focus on objects of
desire because this leads to its opposite—reversal of fortune.
– We should live simple, peaceful, meek lives, “holding fast to the
submissive [nature of self]” to find strength.
– Confucius instructed us to follow the active yang / laws of
Heaven: take action, right wrongs
– But Lao Zi instructed us to follow the inactive yin / laws of
nature: be passive, meek, and content with non-interference
Shinto
• Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism, & especially Shinto
tend to adapt and integrate features of one another
• Shinto is defined by belief in the kami (gods): the sun,
moon, earth, storm, darkness, etc. There are countless
gods. The gods animate the universe (reminiscent of
Brahman and atman in Hinduism)
• Evil? Gods have bad sides, demons have good sides.
There’s no devil—only evil within certain contexts
– priests exorcise fox spirits from people, but the same fox
spirits aid the rice god as his messengers
– Tengu is a “demon” but also a guardian of the gods
Shinto & Buddhism
• skipped
Jewish philosophy
• skipped
(Hughes, 2005)
Sikhism
• Inner turmoil and societal problems are because humans are selfish,
wanting to dominate and exploit others, which leads us to hate and fear
one another, causing anxiety and fear. The solution is to strengthen the
“self” in you, to strive for values consonant with your needs and your
environment.
• To be rejoined with the Creator, we must cultivate His character traits:
love, truth, wisdom. Also, we should have well-being through internal and
external efforts (correct understanding; good diet).
• When you have the capacity to remain aware of yourself and of the forces
in the world, you will not feel threatened and anxious by them. “Lead a life
of contentment, adjusted to the environment. God’s directions are within
us to act in a particular way…”
• Asceticism (common in Hinduism and Buddhism) is important in Sikhism:
Ascetics cultivate inner control and enhance awareness of their needs so
that, once finished with an ascetic lifestyle, life is sweeter. This is contrary
to other religions which emphasize the painfulness of the ascetic lifestyle
as a way to curb desire for pleasure or fear of pain.
Singh, 1979
References
• Littleton, C. S. (Ed.) (1996). Eastern wisdom:
An illustrated guide to the religions and
philosophies of the East. (main source)
• Harrison, V. (2013). Eastern philosophy: The
basics.
• Hughes, A. W. (2005). Jewish philosophy A-Z.
• Singh, D. (1979). Sikhism: A modern and
psychological perspective.
Final exam
• Ch.6,7,8,10,12