BSABE 1-1 UTS The Self in Eastern Thought.pdf

THE SELF IN EASTERN THOUGHT Presented by group 5 SELF INSELF IN EASTERN THOUGHT There is no single Eastern philosophy of self. It is often argued that in the East there is no meaning of the self that is independent of a person's relation to others. T...

THE SELF IN EASTERN THOUGHT Presented by group 5 SELF INSELF IN EASTERN THOUGHT There is no single Eastern philosophy of self. It is often argued that in the East there is no meaning of the self that is independent of a person's relation to others. The self is fundamentally social. The different aspect of the self may receive greater or lesser emphasis in different culture. The Eastern self is connected, changeable, flexible, committed being that is bound to others. This social- oriented self-view emphasizes interdependence, role- obligation, moderation and harmony within one's social relationships. Eastern social customs, institutions and the media all combine to foster the relational way of being , emphasizing roles, statuses and in-group membership.  The Self Many Asian cultures advocate priority of collective welfare over personal interests and reward self-control and diligent role performance. In so doing, group welfare and social harmony are ensured. Asian's frequently exhibit tendency to self-criticism and The self-effacement which help to cultivate a modest self who is considerate to other's needs and sensitive to social mandates making him a better member of society.  THE SELF IN INDIVIDUALISTIC AND COLLECTIVE CULTURES Culture influences how people behave as well as how self-concept is constructed. In an attempt to promote an appreciation for diversity among individuals, it is important to understand what cross-cultural perspective is. This perspective examines differences in expressions of the self in individualistic and collectivistic cultures that represents the Eastern concepts of the self. INDIVIDUALISM is defined as a situation in which people are concerned with themselves and close family members only, while COLLECTIVISM defined as a situation in which people feel they belong to larger in- groups or collectives which care for them in exchange for loyalty and vice-versa (Hofstede and Bond, 1984) Individualism and Collectivism are so deeply ingrained in a culture that they mold self- conception and identities. According to Markus and Kitayama (1991), most North American and European have an independent view of the self as an entity that is distinct autonomous. NOTIONS OF THE SELF IN CLASSICAL EASTERN THOUGHT Hinduism is a religion, a way of HINDUISM life, a philosophy as well as a social system. Hinduism centers on the Vedic notion of ATMAN or SOUL. The Atman is the true self that lies at the inner core of man's human identity, and it is only this inner core that is identical with Brahman. The BRAHMAN is essentially the sacred, the SELF-GOD who is the God of the Cosmos - the Universe. Within each individual, there is the Self-God, Brahman. HINDUISM The Hindu philosophy conceives of three (3) states of existence. 1) Waking (Jagrta), 2) Dream (Swapna), and 3) Deep Dreamless Sleep (Supahupti). These states are based on another states that form the unobservable framework - the Turiya. The Turiya has been variously descirbed as the self that is identical with the larger self. Further, the three states of existence - Deep Sleep, Dream and Waking are linked to the three forms of bodies the Hindus believed in - Causal body (Kaarana), Subtle body (Sukshma) and Gross body (Sthula) respectively. BUDDHISM Buddhism was founded in India by Gautama Siddharta (563-483 BCE) better knows as Buddha, a term wich means the "Enlightened One". Buddhism in essence, is not a religion nor is it a philosophy. It is rather a way of salvation, a way of life. It enables a person to achieve a sense of detachment from the inherent problems of existence. The foundation of all Buddhist teaching is the four (4) Noble Truths - 1) Life is suffering, 2) The cause of suffering is desire, 3) The end of suffering is achieved by extinguishing the desire. This is the state of NIRVANA, meaning "to extinguish" and 4) Nirvana is achieved by adopting a series of moral attitudes, beliefs, and actions which Buddha collectively calls the Noble eightfold paths.  1. Adopt RIGHT VIEWS that are free from superstition or delusion 2. Have RIGHT AIMS that are high and worthy of THESE the intelligent person 3. Practice RIGHT SPEECH which is kind, open, ARE and truthful THE EIGHT 4. Perform RIGHT CONDUCT that peaceful, honest and pure (8) 5. Adopt a RIGHT LIVELIHOOD that brings no harm or danger to living things PATHS 6. Put forth the RIGHT EFFORT in self-training and self-control 7. Have RIGHT MINDFULNESS insofar that you are fully aware of the present moment and not preoccupied with hopes and worries 8. Engage in RIGHT CONCENTRATION wich involves proper meditation that leads to Nirvana CONFUCIANISM Confucius (551-479 BCE) was born in China's Shandong province. His family name was "Kung" and the name "Confucius" is Latinized version of "Kung- fu-tzu" wich means Master King  CONFUSIANISM Confusianism, the teachings of Confucius, has played an important role in forming Chinese character, behavior and way of living (Eliot 2001; Guo 1995). It's purpose is to achieve harmony, the most important social value Confucianism strongly emphasizes mercy, social order, and fulfillment of responsibilities. This is achieved by everyone having well defined roles and acting towards others in a proper way. "Ren" is the central ethical principle and equivalent to the concepts of love, mercy, and humanity. It is based explicated by Confucius in the Golden Rule: "Do not do to others what you do not want to done to yourself"  CONFUSIANISM Confucianism is humanistic in seeking goodness and happiness not in nature or beyond nature but in humanity itself. It is pragmatic which believes in the unity of thought and action. Confucian ideals were brought more "down to earth", made more concrete and practical, more utility-based and oriented at the welfare of others. A central value in confucianism is FILIAL PITY wherein the family is the center/core and comes before the individual.  CONFUSIANISM There are five (5) cardinal relations 1) Ruler and Minister, 2) Father and Son, 3) Elder and Younger Brother, 4) Husband and Wife, 5) Between friends. With regard to filial pity, sons, especially the oldest son, have specific obligations toward the family and are expected to respect and care for parents. Taoism/Daoism the founding of Taoism/Daoism is credited to two Chinese philosophers, Lao-tzu and Chuang-tzu. The path of understanding Taoism is accepting oneself. Live life and discern who you are. The Taoist concept of the self is like a deconstructed Western self. Taoism represent the Chinese counter culture. To them, the good life is the simple life, spontaneous, in harmony with nature, and unaffected by societal regulations. Taoism/Daoism The Taoist's is without a center and is not hierarchically organized. It does not seek sovereignty. He is a selfless person whose mind is likened to a mirror according to Chuang-tzu. By seing through the self and others, the person is able "to mirror things as they are." Taoism teaches a person to live in his heart, to accept life as it is, and following his breath to find peace. Taoism also teaches a person to drop expectations. The expectations a person has in his life, the less he will become. Taoism/Daoism The Tao has three (3) jewels (virtues) that they endear - 1) compassion, kindness, love (ci),2) moderation, simplicity, frugality (jian), and 3) humility and modesty (Bugan wei tian xia xian,) THANK YOU