UNDERSTANDING-THE-SELF-GROUP-3.pdf
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EASTERN PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVE ON THE SELF EASTERN PHILOSOPHY ❑ They believe that “the self”, composed of each person’s personal identity, consciousness, and core principles, is an illusion. They deny the existence of the independent entity of...
EASTERN PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVE ON THE SELF EASTERN PHILOSOPHY ❑ They believe that “the self”, composed of each person’s personal identity, consciousness, and core principles, is an illusion. They deny the existence of the independent entity of self that Westerns posit does exist. FIVE MAJOR EASTERN PHILOSOPIES BUDDHISM ❑ Founded by Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha) in the 5th century BCE in India, Buddhism focuses on the path to enlightenment and liberation from suffering. Teachings based on Siddhartha Gautama (“the awakened one”) ❑ Anatta- “no self” ❑ The concept of a elf is an illusion. There is no permanent concept of the self. All things are not permanent. ❑ Rejection of a permanent, self- existent soul (atman) The five aspects or five skandhas: Physical Sensation manifestation Conceptualization Dispositions to act 05 Consciousness Eight (8) paths to Nirvana (freedom from “attachments”): The four (4) foundations of mindfulness: 1. Contemplation of the body 2. Contemplation of feeling (repulsive, attractive, or neutral) 3. Contemplation of the state of mind 4. Contemplation of the phenomena. HINDUISM HINDUISM is one of the oldest religious traditions in the world, originating in the Indian subcontinent. It encompasses a range of beliefs, practices, and philosophies. CORE CONCEPTS: MOKSHA DHARMA KARMA SAMSARA Liberation from the The moral and The principle of cause The cycle of birth, cycle of samsara, ethical duties or and effect where one’s death, and rebirth. achieved through self- responsibilities. actions determine their realization and future experiences. spiritual practices. EXAMPLE The Bhagavad Gita, a part of the Mahabharata epic, discusses the nature of duty, righteousness, and devotion through a dialogue between Prince Arjuna and the god Krishna. “True knowledge cannot be known but perhaps it can be understood” TAOISM TAOISM Taoism, also known as Daoism, is an ancient Chinese philosophy and religion that emphasizes living in harmony with the Tao (pronounced “Dao”), the fundamental nature and guiding principle of the universe. This philosophy, influenced by the venerable Lao Tzu, emphasizes flowing with life’s natural currents. By following the Tao, adherents seek to achieve a state of peace and balance, resonating deeply with the rhythms of the universe. Tao is a system of guidance. Phrases that can describe Tao: TAOISTS PRINCIPLES Te Awareness of the Tao together with the capabilities that enable a person to follow the Tao. Tzu Jan That which is naturally so. Condition something will be in if it is permitted to exist and develop naturally. TAOISTS PRINCIPLES Wu Wei Knowledge tries to figure out why round pegs fit round holes, but not square holes. Cleverness tries to devise ways of making them fit. Wu Wei doesn’t try. It doesn’t think about it. It just does. And when it does, it doesn’t appear to do much of anything but Things Get Done. T’ai Chi Ch’uan – wear the opponent out by sending his energy back at him or deflecting it away, in order to weaken his power, balance, and position for defense. Live through life and accept the totality of reality. Believe in the power within and use it TAOISTS PRINCIPLES Yin and Yang Natural and complementary forces, patterns, and things that depend on one another. Darkness and light, wet and dry, etc. Chi or Qi Cosmic vital energy enables beings to survive and link them to the universe as a whole. TAOISTS PRINCIPLES Inner Nature Things as they are. Knowing where you belong; everything has its own place and function “A fly can’t bird but a bird can’t fly.” Do with what you have TAOISTS PRINCIPLES Simplicity Things in their original simplicity contain their own natural power, power that is easily spoiled and lost when that simplicity is changed. Knowledge and Relativity Knowledge is always partial and affected by the standpoint of the person claiming that knowledge. Scholarly intellect may be useful for analyzing certain things but deeper and broader matters are beyond its limited reach. “There is more to knowing than just being correct.” TAOISTS PRINCIPLES Way of Self-Reliance Recognizing who we are, what we’ve got to work with, and what works best for us. The Great Nothing Some things are just unexplainable and that’s okay because not everything needs explaining. “Why does a chicken, I don’t why” SUFISM SUFISM ISLAM Hekma (in the Islamic view of the universe, society, ethics and life) Overview of Sufism The aspects of Islamic tradition SUFISM What is Sufism? Mystical Islamic belief and practice in which Muslims seek to find the truth of divine love and knowledge through direct personal experience of God. It consists of a variety of mystical paths that are designed to ascertain the nature of humanity and of God and to facilitate the experience of the presence of divine love and wisdom in the world. A way of life in which a deeper identity is discovered and lived. This deeper identity, or essential self, has abilities of awareness, action, creativity and love that are far beyond the abilities of the superficial personality. SUFISM What is Sufism? A way of life in which a deeper identity is discovered and lived. This deeper identity, or essential self, has abilities of awareness, action, creativity and love that are far beyond the abilities of the superficial personality. The ultimate aim of the Sufi is communion with God through spiritual realization, which is achieved through the knowledge revealed by Quran (ilm) and the practice of Islam (amal). Sufism’s claim to universality is founded on the broad recognition that there is only one God, the God of all people and all true religions. SUFISM What is Sufism? If there is a single truth, worthy of the name, it is that we are all integral to the Truth, not separate. Sufism is about realizing the current of love that runs through human life, the unity behind forms. Love as the highest activation of intelligence, for without love nothing great would be accomplished, whether spiritually, artistically, socially, or scientifically. Sufis regards the soul as the agency for communication with God: (1) Calb (heart), (2) Ruh (spirit), and (3) Sirr (conscience) LEVELS OF THE SELF IN SUFISM: Sufism outlines a progression of self-development, with each level representing a stage in the spiritual journey: 1. Commanding Self: Self that succumbs to evil Seeks to dominate individuals No sense of morality or compassion and marked by unbridled selfishness Similar to the id; closely linked to lust and aggression. LEVELS OF THE SELF IN SUFISM: 2. Regretful Self: Where effects of the first state of state are realized/ made apparent At this level, wants and desires still dominate, but the person is repentant from time to time. People do not yet have the ability to change their lives, but they can see their own fault which fosters regret and encourages change LEVELS OF THE SELF IN SUFISM: 3.Inspired Self: The individual begins to taste the joys of the spiritual experience. Considered the beginning of the real practice of Sufism, where the seeker is truly motivated by ideals such as compassion, service and moral values. New level reduces the power of the desires and the ego. The goal is to live in terms of higher values LEVELS OF THE SELF IN SUFISM: 4. Pleased Self: Individual is content with life and even with the trials and difficulties, realizing that they come from God. A difference in the way that the world is experienced. LEVELS OF THE SELF IN SUFISM: 5. Self-Pleasing to God: Realization that the power to act comes from God and that nothing can be achieved on one’s own. Inner marriage of the self and the soul wherein genuine inner unity and wholeness is achieved LEVELS OF THE SELF IN SUFISM: 6. Pure Self: This is the ultimate goal of Sufism, a state of complete surrender and union with God, where the individual realizes “There is no god, but God.” CONFUCIANISM Confucianism Confucianism, founded by Confucius in China, is a system of ethical and philosophical teachings that focus on personal and governmental morality, justice, and sincerity. CORE CONCEPTS: LI The Path REN (Tariqa) Ritual propriety or The spiritual Benevolence or journey through humaneness, the proper conduct, which includes various stages of quality of enlightenment compassion and social rituals and norms. and purification. kindness towards others. EXAMPLE Confucian teachings emphasize the importance of family and societal harmony, as seen in the practice of respecting elders and upholding traditional values. EXAMPLE Resistor Transistor Homemade laptop’s Buzzer temperature sensor Av Battery circuit Diodes THANK YOU!
