More of an Introduction to Asian Philosophies Part 1

Introduction of sorts

We will start off with China, everyone knows where it is, if you don't, I don't think people would have survived geography. Anyway, let's begin, China was at one time largest educated are of Asia in the world, they had a lot of things that even the West did not have. So basically it isn't a surprise that countries would trade back and forth with it.

China had a huge trade in India at one time, and also that is how Buddhism came into the country and spread through out Asia. There were millions of people who traveled through to China along the silk road passing many villages and many of the teachings of the Buddha must have been passed on.

Buddhism (Tabetian, Chinese, and Japanese)

Buddhism as many people might already know is not from China or Japan, though it grew in popularity in those locations, these are far from the facts on the religion in itself. The most I know is that it focuses less on the physical idea of pain and suffering and more on the idea of escaping that kind of torment. The world is full of suffering and also it can have joy in it as well, which is the main focus, it isn't about how much one suffers to gain what is in the next life. Even teachers like Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche and Dogan were more on the idea of work and education, lesson trying to lessening the pain. One needs the pain to grow and even though the pain might not be good, sometimes it is waht drives us to do what we can to succeed in the world.

Though Khenpo who is a Tibetian monk has many teachings at times that are just as important it is about the stages of meditation on emptyness that become almost amazingly important. He emphasised this on five stages:
1. the Shravaka stage
2. the Cittamatra
3. Svatantrika-Madhyamaka
4. Prasanguja-Madhyamaka
5. Shentong Madhyamaka
(Progressive Stages of Meditation on Emptiness, page 5)
These stages focus on different set of thoughts and forms, sometimes setting the thoughts of what is considered forms or concentrations on what is form or formless. You have to read at least a few of the books to get what I am trying to get at.

Progressive Stages of Meditation on Emptiness. By Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche
The Two Truths. By Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche

To progress into the Zen side of the research, the Buddhist minds of Japan have a totally different set of thoughts, though they focus on a sort of mind set of the two paths, that people can walk through life and cross these paths at all times. There is also the thought of the Buddhidharma or even the study of the Heart Sutra which is the mainstay at times. And also added to it is the Kanzeon Sutra.

"Many paths enter the Way, but they do not go beyond two basic kinds. The first is entering throug principle, and the seoncd is through practice." (Zen Source book. Page 11)

This is emphasized through out the texts, it is the need to practice and walk through it without being forced into the thoughts or have it drilled in. Many times even Buddhist monks were given strange answers from their teachers when they spoke to them.

Case Eighteen
Tung-shan was asked by a monk, "What is Buddha?
Tung-shan said, "Three Pounds of Flax."

Wu-men's Verse:
Out pour three pounds of flax,
Intimiate words and intimiate meaning;
The Person who explains this and that
Is also a this-and-that person.

(Zen Source Book, page 99)

What is this-and-that? This is a concept that people are considering that people will put a catagory on just about everything, which is the this-and-that mind. Personally, I hate this concept of this-and-that, because it doesn't explain a thing to a person and causes many people to even hate Buddhism for that whole abandonment of this-and-that catagory.

Put it in a manner that might work. If something is red and someting is pink, then you put the two said items next to each other, one will be a bit more red than the other. So then the person who is looking will immediately start to catagorize it as red or pink, not red and lighter red, is that a little easier to see? I don't know its like the glass is either half full or half empty.

Zen Sourcebook. Edited By Stephen Addiss, Stanley Lombardo and Judith Roitman
Moon in a Dewdrop. Edited by Kazuaki Tanahashi

Commentary

There is much to be said on this topic, the ideals that were illustrated no matter brief as it looks, there is the conceptual thought. This is less on a religious side I found and more on a philosophical and thought basis, this is about the thoughts on everything about what is the world. Buddhists by nature are generally not interested in the aspect of just existing, they are more interested in helping people too. The idea of enlightenment isn't just the thoughts on the basis of considering who is what and what is there, it is that everyone is capable of finding a sense of enlightenment, even if they are Christian or otherwise, Buddhism isn't about believing in God, it is believing in the idea of bettering the mind before you leave it.

There is also the fact that there is the idea of the this-and-that, it is going to show up even in Confucianism as something that is considered important.

Confucianism

Who was Confucius? He was a man who lived during a waring states period in China, he voiced the idea that there shouldn't be a type of war going on and people should unit. He brought up the ideals that were brought forth from the earlier periods of peace which was the Zhao period of China. His students who later went on to copy and re-copy his works went out to hopefully educate rulers in the manners of the state. These lessons went on to be part of the exams used by dignitaries to fill in positions at the courts or even govenors.

Though it isn't clear how this works out, but it is evident that the system worked up until the 1890s when the unfair treaties and the wars in China with the Western governments made the country weaker.

The philosophy of Confucius still remains with the concept of "Felial Piety," "Respect of the Ruler," "Respect of the wife to the husband," and "Respect among Siblings," and "Respect of friends." These are still practiced even though it is not enforced anymore. Families in China and most of Asia still use that concept to maintain order or even more importantly keept the families together.

"Master You said: 'It is a rare thing for someone who has sense of filial and fraternal responsibility to have a taste for defying authority. And it is unheard of for those who have no taste for defying authority to be keen on intiating rebelion. Ememplary persons concentrate their efforts on the root, for the root having taken hold, the way will grow thereform. As for filial and fraternal responsibility, it is I suspect, the root of authoritative conduct.' (Analect of Confucius. page 71, 1.2)

This speaks of the family and also the need to obey authority, even though sometimes we don't agree with it, though in some cases, there is a loophole in Confucianism that makes sense. If the Ruler is a bad person and the people know it, they don't have to deal with it, they just need to agree on it, they can rebel!

The Analects of Confucius. Translated by Roger T. Ames, Henry Rosemont. Jr.

Commentary

What do you know of Confucius? Not much, I suppose, he worked with the idea that being filial helps, but also obeying the ruler, but sadly, this can cost people. Some people believed that rebelion was a bad thing, for China's history it was the fact the waring states went on for centuries and no one was in clear agreement of what was going on. You can even see that in video games like Dynasty Warriors.

The problems that persisted were what Confucius wanted to stop. He was hoping that people would agree with his concepts, sadly, these were not to come until after his death. His followers were similar to the followers of Jesus if you think about it, many of these people were hunted by an Emperor who was a legalist, someone who was way too literal and decided to kill anyone who didn't agree with him. He basically was the one who built the teracotta warriors and became almost known as the Dragon Emperor, he was not only a tyrant, but soon after his fall, knew emperors took over and allowed the new emperors to use the Confucian teachings.

Though in the end it was still a failure at times, but Confucius brought in a practical air at times, that even I find amazing, it is great to respect your elders.