Exam 4- Eastern Philosophy

Reality Hinduism, Reality Buddhism, Reality Taoism + Hindu Self, Buddhism Self, Taoism Self

Metaphysics

More physics --> appearance/reality (shadow casters)

Idealism

 Reality is dependent on the mind only the mind and its idea are real (nothing exists outside the mind)

Realism

Independent of the mind

• Absolute Idealism & Naive Realism

Process Metaphysics (Hindu)

Examines becoming and process rather than being and products (change is the main feature in reality)

Atman is Brahman

Jiva thinks it is something different,  that the body is like a Jiva- not pure bliss

• Play-lila: Hide and seek with yourself (brahman is the world)

Gaudapada (Hindu philosopher) one substance and idealism

One independently existence thing -- Brahman

• Ex. Apple --> red

  • Not truly created projection of the mind

  • Doesn't exist outside the mind

Only one substance is Brahman = this is an example of idealism

Shaankurya (Hindu philosopher)

Maya

• A creative power of brahman

  • Creating an illusion that can lead to aviyda (ignorance

• Ex. Tortoise shell (turtle) or it is a rock in the river (both look alike)

Nirguna

Without characteristic -- Brahman -- Brahman is no characteristics -- indestructible, can't be put into words

Saguna

With characteristics

The story of the man shot by the arrow (start of buddhism reality)

Maiunkaputa got shot by an arrow, he wanted these questioned answered

• Before you take the arrow out he wanted to know who shot him

• Wanted to know he clan who did that and what the person looked like

• Buddha said that we don't always take care of the real problems first, like taking the arrow out

The Buddha as physician and the 4 Noble Truths

• Suffering

• The situation

• Diagnosis

• Treatment

Three marks of existence, Annica as a metaphysical view of reality

• Dukkha: suffering, unsatisfactory

• Anicca: impermanence; everything is changing --> Ex. Of process metaphysics

• Anatman: no atman

Sunyata-emptiness

Reality is impermanence in slow motion, Mahayana idea (no individual essence)

• Sunya: individual lacks essence, Buddhist teachings

• Swollen: looks full

• Positive essence: Taylor swift guitar pick she used for the Era Tour on amazon

• Negative essence: Old Nazi Art  (doesn't associate with positivity)

Dependent orientation / inter-being

Thinking of ourselves as an individual essence (each person separately)

Wu (start of taoism reality)

Non-being: going with the flow -- relationship between them, also be translated as nameless

Yu

Being: active

• Wu produces Yu

Li

Non physical: form/pattern (rituals)

Chi

Physical: staff/energy (ai) (notchin) --> Through the universe

Taoism

What is the nature of reality?

• Reality is the symphony- music

• Form/pattern

• Staff/pattern

Yin and yang

Complementary opposites, constantly transforming, interdependent and essential for the universe existence and change, forming a whole

Process Metaphysics

Dynamic flow of interdependent, Anicca (impermanence), Anatman (no self) and dependent origination

Tao & Te

Tao- Process metaphysics change, language

Te- Spontaneous, charisma; no formula

Tao called Tao is not Tao

The ultimate reality is beyond words, names and concepts, ultimate reality is dualism

Chaung tzu's dream of the butterfly

• Asleep, carefree

• When he woke up, he was back in his own body --> Am I Zhuangzi?

• Change + transformation --> all change is equally good

• Doesn't matter if he is Zhuangzi turning into the butterfly or if the butterfly turns into Zhuangzi

Knowledge of the Tao

Words don’t grasp, fundamental reality --> This is always changing

Empty mind and forgetting

• Empty mind- Has no thoughts, open-mind: being receptive rather than actively trying to remember

• Forgetting- Keeping the dualism

Hindu perspective on the self

• The soul: atman

• The self: atman (not the body or the brain)

The story of the fruit of the nyagrodha tree (fruit/body, seed/ego, essence/atman) and salt in water

• The self (the same)

• Fruit: the body

• Seed: the ego (thinking mind)

• Salt in water: same father and son dissolves water to explain there same thing that atman is brahman

• Essence: atman

  • Atman is brahman

  • Your truth self isn't some isolated thing like the brain

Samkhya

Understands the self as Purusha, which is defined as pure, eternal, and unchanging unconsciousness that is fundamentally distinct

Purusha

Spirit/self (atman) (unobserved observer)

Prakriti

"Original/stuff" (produces the ego)

• Shut off the ego in your head: silence the mind: chatting mind

Buddhist perspectives on self

• "Thoughts without a thinker"

• Continuity without identity

• No atman = no I behind thinking

Anatman

No self

The chariot example (reductive)

Reductive- Parts of something

Emergent- A thing is more than some of its parts

• Ex. H + H + O does not equal H2O

Karma and reincarnation

Reincarnation occurs but there is "no self" that gets past on/carried on but karmic residue (karma) goes forward which is continuity without identity

Siddhartha (story/plot)

Journey through enlightenment and seeing the unity in the world as being together

• Siddhartha ego which was extremely high in the beginning of the book and learned that he struggled with being arrogant and full of pride

• Ferryman was a Bode Safa hat helped him through

• River sent "om" and it is a guidance and unity

• Also, want the best for his son

• Starts out with a very big ego and as he goes on he changes his ways, after life with the samaras, meeting the Buddha and realizes his teachings bring peace, meets kamala to talk to him about his 3 skills which are think, wait and fast, has the encounter with the river and hears the word "Om", learn from the rivers to try to change his ways and then sees his son which he has to let go, finally reaches enlightenment and that he becomes unrecognizable and has changed and discovering the true meaning of existence through all his experiences

Why/how does the story of Siddhartha side with the Hindu view of the self (essay question)

• Atman is brahman (The soul- oneself is the ultimate reality)

• Unity (truth) rather than separation (illusion)

• Ex. The woods and the river (explain)

  • Woods: Unity through nature and that in nature everything is connected, awakening and starts to understand the meaning of reality and the essential unity

  • River: The flow of life and time and that the river knows everything and it is the flow of life and all the positive experiences, no such thing as past, present future they are all interconnected and flow

• Vison at the end of the book

  • Visions at the end realizes that all existence is one, the connection between everyone and like how someone is under someone and is like their shadow and how it talks about the father and son and the look alike in the river

Confucian perspective on the self

Activate the self - harmonize so I fit in with the world (don't believe In "forgetting the self")

Zen perspective on the self

• Form of the Buddhism- dualism

• There is no self (Zen master may say this doesn't make sense)

• Intuition- gut feeling/insight: just to say "ahh" there is no self

• Limit experience- push yourself and learn something about yourself

Chuang-tzu, forget the self, mirror mind

Dualism view- "Forget the self" --> mirror mind- doesn’t hold onto the image (Empty mind, walk  away from a mirror, you don't stay in the mirror)

• True self is harmony with the world

Confucianism and self as a member of a family and society

• Do not stick out in the world

• You are who you are in relation to other people (this is important)

Mu-shin

No mind

Koan

A riddle that's not a riddle

• Beyond language & logic

• Don't think about it (telling someone to think of a pink elephant)

• One hand clap (my never be arrived at the insight)

Mondo

Seemly logical series of questions and answers