PHILO (RELIGIONS)

• Oriental philosophy originated in the East, with main origins in India and China
• From India: Hinduism and Buddhism

  From China: Taoism and Confucianism
• Hindu concept of the human person:

  • Brahman is the ultimate reality
  • Atman is the individual reality
  • Goal is to be one with Brahman and reach Nirvana
  • Reincarnation if Nirvana is not attained
  • Cycle of samsara and liberation through enlightenment
  • Three paths to salvation: karma yoga, jnana yoga, bhakti yoga
• Buddhist teachings:

  • Founded by Siddhartha Gautama Buddha
  • Path from suffering to enlightenment
  • Nirvana as a state of emptiness
  • Four Noble Truths: life is suffering, caused by desires, can be eliminated through Eightfold Path
• Taoism's concept of man:

  • Universe follows universal laws
  • Wu-wei theory for perfect equilibrium with Tao
• Confucian concept of the human person:

  • Focus on proper conduct in society
  • Cultivation of human virtues
  • Jun tzu as ideal person
  • Virtues of jen, Yi, and Li
• Islamic understanding of man:

  • One, unique God (Allah)
  • Qur'an as Holy Book
  • Humans created from dust and womb
  • Importance of humility and submission to Allah
  • Gifted with tools for knowledge and learning
• Oriental philosophy originated in India and China
• From India: Hinduism and Buddhism

  From China: Taoism and Confucianism
• Islam also emerged from the East but has a different conception
• Hindu concept of the human person:

  • Brahman is the ultimate reality
  • Atman is the individual reality
  • Ultimate goal is to be one with Brahman and reach Nirvana
  • Nirvana is attained through purification, detachment from the world, and moksha
  • If Nirvana is not attained, reincarnation occurs
  • Cycle of death and rebirth is samsara
  • Liberation from samsara is achieved through enlightenment
  • Enlightenment begins with understanding that the world is an illusion or maya
• Vedas:

  • Oldest extant literary works of the Aryan people in ancient India
  • Upanishads are considered the end of the Vedas
  • Veda means "knowledge" in Sanskrit
• Law of karma:

  • Good actions lead to positive outcomes, bad actions lead to negative outcomes
  • Karma affects the cycle of samsara
  • Doing good deeds results in a better life in the next life until liberation is achieved
• Hinduism recognizes three paths to salvation:

  • Karma yoga: salvation through good deeds
  • Jnana yoga: salvation through knowledge
  • Bhakti yoga: salvation through devotion to gods or goddesses, manifestations of Brahman
• The development of Buddhist teachings can be traced to the life of its founder Siddhartha Gautama Buddha
• The history of Buddhism is based on the story of Gautama's spiritual journey from the bondage of suffering to enlightenment
• Siddhartha Gautama became known as the Buddha, which means "awakened one"
• Siddhartha was a prince who enjoyed the luxury of life and was protected by his father inside the palace
• Siddhartha first studied the life of religious men but did not find an answer to escape suffering
• Encountered an Indian ascetic who encouraged him to follow the ascetic life, a life of extreme self-denial and discipline
• Realized that attaining the highest meditative states was not enough
• Abandoned the strict lifestyle of self-denial and asceticism, pursuing the Middle Way, a life between luxury and poverty
• Under the Bodhi tree, after forty-nine days of meditation, Siddhartha Gautama was awakened to a new understanding of human life
• Buddhist teaching about the human person focuses on the right understanding of reality to attain enlightenment
• Nirvana in Buddhism is a state of emptiness or "no-thing-ness," a state of bliss without individuality, separateness, discrimination, or intellectualizing
• The essence of Buddhist teaching is contained in the Four Noble Truths
• The 4 noble truths in Buddhism:

  • Life is suffering
  • Suffering is caused by attachment to desires
  • Suffering can be eliminated
  • Elimination of suffering is through the practice of Eightfold Path:
  • Right view
  • Right aspiration
  • Right speech
  • Right action
  • Right livelihood
  • Right effort
  • Right mindfulness
  • Right concentration
• Taoism's concept of man is based on its view of the universe following universal and unchanging laws
• The way of the Tao is universal, and individuals must follow it as they are part of the universe
• According to Lao Tzu, the universe expresses harmony, purpose, order, and calm power when viewed holistically
• Separating things without understanding the whole leads to error, suffering, and unhappiness
• Lao Tzu explains the ultimate principle of "the way of all things" through invariables, which are eternal or abiding laws
• From the theory of "reversing" as the movement of the Tao comes the wu-wei theory
• According to the wu-wei theory, everything originates from the ultimate "wu" or "nothing," aiming for perfect equilibrium and alignment with Tao
• Wu-wei, translated as "having no activity" or "non-action," seeks a state of perfect equilibrium
• Taoist philosophy acknowledges that the universe operates harmoniously according to its own ways
• According to Confucius, every normal human being cherishes the aspiration to become a superior man
• Confucius wanted his disciples to be well-rounded men, literate and useful to the state and society
• Confucius focused on individual change within the context of human relationships
• Ritual and filial piety are important ways to act towards others, rooted in an attitude of humaneness