NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Eastern spiritualities

Eastern philosophy refers very broadly to the various philosophies of India, Iran (Persia), China, Japan, Korea, and to an extent, the Middle East (which overlaps with Western philosophy due to being the origin of the Abrahamic religions). The Death of Socrates, by Jacques-Louis David (1787) depicts the philosopher Socrates carrying out his own execution. ... Motto: de facto: EsteqlÄl, ÄzÄdÄ«, jomhÅ«rÄ«-ye eslÄmÄ« (Persian for Independence, freedom, (the) Islamic Republic de jure: Allaho Akbar (Arabic for God is Great)[1] Anthem: SorÅ«d-e MellÄ«-e ÄªrÄn Capital (and largest city) Tehran Persian Government Islamic Republic - Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali... Korea (Korean: í•œêµ or ì¡°ì„ , see below) is a geographic area, civilization, and former state situated on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia. ... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... Western philosophy is a modern claim that there is a line of related philosophical thinking, beginning in ancient Greece (Greek philosophy) and the ancient Near East (the Abrahamic religions), that continues to this day. ... Map showing the prevalence of Abrahamic (purple) and Dharmic (yellow) religions in each country. ...

The usefulness of dividing philosophy into Western philosophy and other philosophies, in contrast to a notion that there can be one philosophy, not many, is open to challenge, partly because some see it as condescending to non-Western philosophies.^{[citation needed]} To say this is not to deny that there are important traditions in philosophy that are intimately bound up with historical and geographical circumstances. At the same time however, there are examples of philosophers who are persecuted by the majority in their geographical circumstances and stand against the common opinions and practices of their specific time and place. Many claim that geographical and time notions of "Western" and "Eastern" philosophy is too vague and imprecise, committing the fallacy of over generalization. The Death of Socrates, by Jacques-Louis David (1787) depicts the philosopher Socrates carrying out his own execution. ... Western philosophy is a modern claim that there is a line of related philosophical thinking, beginning in ancient Greece (Greek philosophy) and the ancient Near East (the Abrahamic religions), that continues to this day. ... It has been suggested that Logical fallacy be merged into this article or section. ...

When the term "philosophy" is used in an academic context, it typically refers to the philosophical tradition begun with the ancient Greeks that provided us with an abundance of manuscripts and archeological sites to study and research. The "Eastern philosophical" manuscripts and archeological sites are often overlooked in many North American and European universities, just as ancient "Western" and monotheistic claims are also overlooked in the last few decades, unlike in the early 1900's. Ancient Greece is a period in Greek history that lasted for around one thousand years and was extinguished by the newly-powerful Christianity. ...

Philosophical and religious traditions

The following is an overview of the Eastern philosophic traditions listed in alphabetical order. Each tradition has a separate article with more detail on sects, schools, etc. (c.f.)rencyism

Buddhism

Buddhism is a system of beliefs based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, an Indian prince later known as the Buddha, or one who is Awake - derived from the Sanskrit 'bud', 'to awaken'. Buddhism is a non-theistic religion, one whose tenets are not especially concerned with the existence or nonexistence of a God or gods. The Buddha himself expressly disavowed any special divine status or inspiration, and said that anyone, anywhere could achieve all the insight that he had. The question of God is largely irrelevant in Buddhism, though some sects (notably Tibetan Buddhism) do venerate a number of gods drawn in from local indigenous belief systems. Buddhist philosophy is the branch of Eastern philosophy based on the teachings of Gautama Buddha, a. ... Standing Buddha sculpture, ancient region of Gandhara, northern Pakistan, 1st century CE, MusÃ©e Guimet. ... Media:Example. ... Tibetan Buddhism is the body of religious Buddhist doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet, the Himalayan region (including northern Nepal, Bhutan, and Sikkim), Mongolia, Buryatia, Tuva and Kalmykia (Russia), and northeastern China (Manchuria: Heilongjiang, Jilin). ... Veneration is a religious symbolic act giving honor to someone by honoring an image of that person, particularly applied to saints. ...

The Buddhist soteriology is summed up in the Four Noble Truths: The Four Noble Truths (Pali: Chattari Arya Sachchhani, Chinese: å››è–è«¦ SÃ¬shÃ¨ngdÃ¬), being among the most fundamental Buddhist teachings, appear many times throughout the most ancient Buddhist texts, the Pali Canon. ...

However, Buddhist philosophy as such has its foundations more in the doctrines of: Dukkha (PÄli à¤¦à¥à¤•à¥à¤– ; according to grammatical tradition from Sanskrit uneasy, but according to Monier-Williams more likely a Prakritized form of unsteady, disquieted) is a central concept in Buddhism, the word roughly corresponding to a number of terms in English including sorrow, suffering, affliction, pain, anxiety, dissatisfaction, discomfort, anguish, stress...

Most Buddhist sects believe in karma, a cause-and-effect relationship between all that has been done and all that will be done. Events that occur are held to be the direct result of previous events. One effect of karma is rebirth. At death, the karma from a given life determines the nature of the next life's existence. The ultimate goal of a Buddhist practitioner is to eliminate karma (both good and bad), end the cycle of rebirth and suffering, and attain Nirvana, usually translated as awakening or enlightenment. BIG BALLS ... Plato and Aristotle (right), by Raphael (Stanza della Segnatura, Rome). ... The doctrine of PratÄ«tyasamutpÄda (Sanskrit) or PaticcasamuppÄda (PÄli; Tibetan: ) Dependent Arising is an important part of Buddhist metaphysics. ... The philosophical concept of causality, the principles of causes, or causation, the working of causes, refers to the set of all particular causal or cause-and-effect relations. ... Look up Phenomenology in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Dharma (Sanskrit: à¤§à¤°à¥à¤®) or Dhamma (PÄli: à¤§à¤®à¤¾) (Natural Law) refers to the underlying order in Nature and human behaviour considered to be in accord with that order. ... For other uses of the word, see karma (disambiguation). ... [ (Devanagari , Pali: NibbÄna à¤¨à¤¿à¤¬à¥à¤¬à¤¾à¤¨ -- Chinese: æ¶…æ§ƒ; Pinyin: niÃ¨ pÃ¡n), literally extinction and/or extinguishing (ie, of the passions) is a mode of being that is free from mind-contaminants (Kilesa) such as lust, anger or craving. ...

See also: Buddhist philosophy — Schools of Buddhism Buddhist philosophy is the branch of Eastern philosophy based on the teachings of Gautama Buddha, a. ... There are many divisions and subdivisions of the schools of Buddhism. ...

Chan/Zen Buddhism

Chan (Chinese) or Zen (Japanese) is a fusion of the Dhyana school of Mahayana Buddhism with Taoist principles. Bodhidharma was a semi-legendary Indian monk who traveled to China in the 5th century. There, at the Shaolin temple, he began the Ch'an school of Buddhism, known in Japan and in the West as Zen Buddhism. Zen philosophy places emphasis on existing in the moment, right now. Zen teaches that the entire universe is a manifestation of mind, and encourages the practictioner to confirm this for themselves through direct insight satori. Zen schools have been historically divided between those which encourage the pursuit of enlightenment as a sudden event (Rinzai), or as a fruit of "gradual cultivation" (Soto). ChÃ¡n is the Chinese name for the school of MahÄyÄna Buddhism known in Japanese as Zen. ... Zen is a form of Mahayana Buddhism that places great importance on moment-by-moment awareness and seeing deeply into the nature of things by direct experience. ... DhyÄna is a term in Sanskrit which refers to a type or aspect of meditation. ... Relief image of the bodhisattva Kuan Yin from Mt. ... For other uses of the words tao and dao, see Dao (disambiguation). ... Bodhidharma was the Buddhist monk (usually Indian by most accounts) is credited as the founder of Chan/Zen Buddhism in 6th century China. ... Europe in 450 The 5th century is the period from 401 - 500 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian Era. ... Main gate of the Shaolin Monastery in Henan. ... Satori (æ‚Ÿ Japanese satori; Chinese: wÃ¹ - from the verb Satoru) is a Zen Buddhist term for enlightenment. ...

Zen practitioners engage in zazen (sitting) meditation, as other schools do, but Zen is noted for shikantaza (just sitting) as opposed to following the breath or mantra use. The Rinzai school is noteworthy for the use of koans, riddles designed to force the student to abandon futile attempts to understand the nature of the universe through logic. Kodo Sawaki practicing zazen Zazen (åç¦…) is at the heart of Zen Buddhist practice. ... Shikantaza (åªç®¡æ‰“å) is literally translated as only focused on doing sitting. More often it is called: just sitting or silent illumination. It is the main meditation technique of the Soto school of Zen Buddhism. ... A koan (pronounced ) is a story, dialog, question, or statement in the history and lore of Chan (Zen) Buddhism, generally containing aspects that are inaccessible to rational understanding, yet that may be accessible to intuition. ...

Carvaka

Carvaka, also frequently transliterated as Charvaka or Cārvāka, and also known as Lokayata or Lokyāta, was a materialist and atheist school of thought with ancient roots in India. It proposed a system of ethics based on rational thought. However, this school has been dead for more than a thousand years. Carvaka, also frequently transliterated as Charvaka or CÄrvÄka, and also known as Lokayata or LokyÄta, is a thoroughly materialistic and atheistic school of thought with ancient roots in India. ...

Confucianism

Confucianism（儒学), developed around the teachings of Confucius(孔子) and is based on a set of Chinese classic texts. It was the mainstream ideology in China and the sinosphere since the Han dynasty and may still be considered a major underlying element of Far-East culture. It could be understood as a social ethic and humanist system focusing on human beings and their relationships. Confucianism emphasizes formal rituals in every aspect of life, from quasi-religious ceremonies to strict politeness and deference to one's elders, specifically to one's parents and to the state in the form of the Emperor. Confucian temple in Jiading district, Shanghai. ... Confucius (Chinese: , transliterated Kong Fuzi or Kung-fu-tzu, lit. ... Chinese classic texts or Chinese canonical texts are the classical literature in Chinese culture that are considered to be the best or the most valuable. ... The Han Dynasty (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Han Chau; 206 BCâ€“AD 220) followed the Qin Dynasty and preceded the Three Kingdoms in China. ... Ethics is a general term for what is often described as the science (study) of morality. In philosophy, ethical behavior is that which is good or right. ... Humanist may refer to: a scholar or academic in the Humanities a proponent of the group of ethical stances referred to as Humanism a long-running email discussion list on humanities computing in typography, a group of sans-serif typefaces with some calligraphic features, such as Humana, Optima, Frutiger, Johnston...

Neo-Confucianism

Neo-Confucianism is a later further development of Confucianism but also went much more differently from the origin of Confucianism. It started developing from the Song Dynasty and was nearly completed in late Ming dynasty. Its root can be found as early as Tang Dynasty. It has a great influence on the East Asia including such as China, Japan and Korea. Zhu Xi is considered as the biggest master of Song Neo-confucianism and Wang Yangming is the one of Ming's. But there are conflicts between Zhu's school and Wang's. This section does not cite its references or sources. ... This section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Song Dynasty (Chinese: ) was a ruling dynasty in China from 960-1279. ... The MÃng Dynasty (Chinese: ; pinyin: MÃng ChÃ¡o) was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644. ... The Tang Dynasty (Chinese: ; pinyin: TÃ¡ngchÃ¡o) (June 18, 618â€“June 4, 907), lasting about three centuries, followed the Sui Dynasty and preceded the Song Dynasty and the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period in China. ... East Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms. ... Korea (Korean: í•œêµ or ì¡°ì„ , see below) is a geographic area, civilization, and former state situated on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia. ... Zhu Xi or Chu Hsi (1130â€“1200) was a Song Dynasty (960-1279) Confucian scholar who became one of the most significant Neo-Confucians in China. ... A song is a relatively short musical composition for the human voice (commonly accompanied by other musical instruments), which features words (lyrics). ... Wang Yangming (çŽ‹é™½æ˜Ž, Japanese ÅŒ YÅmei, 1472â€“1529) was a Ming Chinese idealist Neo-Confucian scholarâ€“official. ... The MÃng Dynasty (Chinese: ; pinyin: MÃng ChÃ¡o) was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644. ...

Daoism

Daoism (道教, Taoism), whose essence is centered around letting things take their natural course, is the traditional foil of Confucianism. Daoism's central books are the Dao De Jing, traditionally attributed to Laozi (Lao Tzu), and the Zhuangzi (Chuang Tzu). The core concepts of Daoism are traced far in Chinese History, incorporating elements of mysticism dating back to prehistoric times, linked also with the Book of Changes (Yi Jing or I Ching), a divinatory set of 64 geometrical figures describing states and evolutions of the world. Daoism emphasizes Nature, individual freedom, refusal of social bounds, and was a doctrine professed by those who "retreated in mountains". At the end of their lives - or during the night - Confucian officers often behaved as Daoists, writing poetry or trying to "reach immortality". Yet Daoism is also a government doctrine where the ruler's might is ruling through "non-action" (Wu wei). For other uses of the words tao and dao, see Dao (disambiguation). ... The Tao Te Ching (道德經, Pinyin: Dào Dé Jīng, thus sometimes rendered in recent works as Dao De Jing; archaic pre-Wade-Giles rendering: Tao Teh Ching; roughly translated as The Book of the Way and its Virtue (see dedicated chapter below on translating the... ZhuÄngzÇ (pinyin), Chuang Tzu (Wade-Giles), Chuang Tsu, Zhuang Tze, or Chuang Tse (Traditional Chinese characters: èŽŠå; Simplified Chinese characters: åº„å, literally meaning Master Zhuang) was a famous philosopher in ancient China who lived around the 4th century BCE during the Warring States Period, corresponding to the Hundred Schools of Thought... Mysticism from the Greek Î¼Ï…ÏƒÏ„Î¹ÎºÏŒÏ‚ (mystikos) an initiate (of the Eleusinian Mysteries, Î¼Ï…ÏƒÏ„Î®ÏÎ¹Î± (mysteria) meaning initiation[1]) is the pursuit of achieving communion or identity with, or conscious awareness of, ultimate reality, the divine, spiritual truth, or God through direct experience, intuition, or insight; and the belief that such experience is an... Prehistory (Greek words προ = before and ιστορία = history) is the period of human history prior to the advent of writing (which marks the beginning of recorded history). ... Alternative meaning: I Ching (monk) The I Ching (Traditional Chinese: 易經, pinyin yì jīng; Cantonese IPA: jɪk6gɪŋ1; Cantonese Jyutping: jik6ging1; alternative romanizations include I Jing, Yi Ching, Yi King) is the oldest of the Chinese classic texts. ... Wu wei (trad. ...

Hinduism

Hinduism (सनातन धर्म; Sanātana Dharma, roughly Perennial Faith) is generally considered to be the oldest major world religion^[1] and first among Dharma faiths. Hinduism is characterized by a diverse array of belief systems, practices and scriptures. It has its origin in ancient Vedic culture at least as far back as 3000 BC. It is the third largest religion with approximately 1.05 billion followers worldwide, 96% of whom live in the Indian subcontinent. Hinduism (Sanskrit: , , also known as , ) is a religion that originated on the Indian subcontinent. ... Image File history File links Mindsenses. ... Image File history File links Mindsenses. ... Bhagavad Gīta भगवद्गीता, composed ca the fifth - second centuries BC, is part of the epic poem Mahabharata, located in the Bhisma-Parva chapters 23–40. ... Major religious groups as a percentage of the world population in 2005. ... Dharma (Sanskrit: à¤§à¤°à¥à¤®) or Dhamma (PÄli: à¤§à¤®à¤¾) (Natural Law) refers to the underlying order in Nature and human behaviour considered to be in accord with that order. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... (31st century BC - 30th century BC - 29th century BC - other centuries) (4th millennium BC - 3rd millennium BC - 2nd millennium BC) Events 2925 - 2776 BC - First Dynasty wars in Egypt 2900 BC - Beginning of the Early Dynastic Period I in Mesopotamia. ... One thousand million (1,000,000,000) is the natural number following 999,999,999 and preceding 1,000,000,001. ... Satellite image of the Indian subcontinent Map of South Asia (see note) This article deals with the geophysical region in Asia. ...

Hinduism rests on the spiritual bedrock of the Vedas, hence Veda Dharma, and their mystic issue, the Upanishads, as well as the teachings of many great Hindu gurus through the ages. Many streams of thought flow from the six Vedic/Hindu schools, Bhakti sects and Tantra Agamic schools into the one ocean of Hinduism, the first of the Dharma religions. Also, the sacred book Bhagavad Gita is one of the most revered texts among Hindus. The Vedas (Sanskrit: à¤µà¥‡à¤¦) are the main scriptural texts of Hinduism, also known as the Sanatana Dharma, and are a large corpus of texts originating in Ancient India. ... Dharma (Sanskrit: à¤§à¤°à¥à¤®) or Dhamma (PÄli: à¤§à¤®à¤¾) (Natural Law) refers to the underlying order in Nature and human behaviour considered to be in accord with that order. ... The Upanishads (उपनिषद्, Upanişad) are part of the Hindu Shruti scriptures which primarily discuss meditation and philosophy and are seen as religious instructions by most schools of Hinduism. ... Guru - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Hindu philosophy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Bhakti yoga is the Hindu term for the spiritual practice of fostering of loving devotion to God, called bhakti. ... Tantra (Sanskrit: weave), tantric yoga or tantrism is any of several esoteric traditions rooted in the religions of India. ... Bhagavad Gīta भगवद्गीता, composed ca the fifth - second centuries BC, is part of the epic poem Mahabharata, located in the Bhisma-Parva chapters 23–40. ...

What can be said to be common to all Hindus is belief in Dharma, reincarnation, karma, and moksha (liberation) of every soul through a variety of moral, action-based, and meditative yogas. Still more fundamental principles include ahimsa (non-violence), the primacy of the Guru, the Divine Word of Aum and the power of mantras, love of Truth in many manifestations as gods and goddessess, and an understanding that the essential spark of the Divine (Atman/Brahman) is in every human and living being, thus allowing for many spiritual paths leading to the One Unitary Truth. Dharma (Sanskrit: à¤§à¤°à¥à¤®) or Dhamma (PÄli: à¤§à¤®à¤¾) (Natural Law) refers to the underlying order in Nature and human behaviour considered to be in accord with that order. ... Reincarnation, literally to be made flesh again, as a doctrine or mystical belief, holds the notion that some essential part of a living being (or in some variations, only human beings) can survive death in some form, with its integrity partly or wholly retained, to be reborn in a new... For other uses of the word, see karma (disambiguation). ... Moksha - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... A woman practising hatha yoga Yoga (Devanagari: à¤¯à¥‹à¤—) is a family of ancient spiritual practices originating in India. ... Ahimsa is a religious concept which advocates non-violence and a respect for all life. ... Guru - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Aum (also Om or Ohm, ) is the most sacred syllable in Hinduism, symbolizing the infinite Brahman and the entire Universe. ... In Tibet, many Buddhists carve mantras into rocks as a form of devotion. ... According to Advaita Vedanta, a philosophical branch of Hinduism, Ätman is the all-pervading soul of the universe. ... Brahman (Devanagari: à¤¬à¥à¤°à¤¹à¥à¤® ) in the Vedantic schools of Hindu philosophy, is the signifying name given to the concept of the unchanging, infinite, immanent and transcendent reality of all things in this universe. ...

See Also: Hindu philosophy -- Hindu scripture -- Samkhya -- Yoga -- Nyaya -- Vaisesika -- Vedanta -- Bhakti -- Carvaka -- Indian logic Hindu philosophy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Hindu scripture is overwhelmingly written in Sanskrit. ... Samkhya, also Sankhya, (Sanskrit: à¤¸à¤¾à¤‚à¤–à¥à¤¯, IAST: SÄá¹ƒkhya - Enumeration) is one of the schools of Indian philosophy. ... A woman practising hatha yoga Yoga (Devanagari: à¤¯à¥‹à¤—) is a family of ancient spiritual practices originating in India. ... Nyaya (pronounced as nyÎ±:yÉ™) is the name given to one of the six orthodox or astika schools of Hindu philosophy - specifically the school of logic. ... Vaisheshika, also Vaisesika, (Sanskrit: वैशॆषिक)is one of the six Hindu schools of philosophy (orthodox Vedic systems) of India. ... Vedanta (Devanagari: , ) is a school of philosophy within Hinduism. ... Bhakti - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Carvaka, also frequently transliterated as Charvaka or CÄrvÄka, and also known as Lokayata or LokyÄta, is a thoroughly materialistic and atheistic school of thought with ancient roots in India. ... The development of logic in India dates back to the analysis of inference by Aksapada Gautama, founder of the Nyaya school of Hindu philosophy, probably in the first or second centuries BCE, and so stands as one of the three original traditions of logic, alongside the Greek and Chinese traditions. ...

Islamic philosophy

The rise of Islam led to emergence of various philosophical schools of thought. Amongst them sufism established esoteric philosophy, mu'tazilah (inspired from Greek Philosophy) reconstructed rationalism while asharites cast significant impact on the non-reliability of reason and reshaped logical and rational interpretation of God, justice, destiny and universe. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (540x768, 121 KB) Summary A statue of Ibn Rushd in Cordoba,Spain. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (540x768, 121 KB) Summary A statue of Ibn Rushd in Cordoba,Spain. ... Averroes (1126 - December 10, 1198) was an Andalusi philosopher and physician, a master of philosophy and Islamic law, mathematics and medicine. ... Ibn Rushd, known as Averroes (1126 â€“ December 10, 1198), was an Andalusian-Arab philosopher and physician, a master of philosophy and Islamic law, mathematics, and medicine. ... Aristotle (Greek: AristotÃ©lÄ“s) (384 BC â€“ March 7, 322 BC) was an ancient Greek philosopher, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. ... Islamic philosophy (Ø§Ù„ÙÙ„Ø³ÙØ© Ø§Ù„Ø¥Ø³Ù„Ø§Ù…ÙŠØ©) is a part of the Islamic studies, and is a longstanding attempt to create harmony between faith, reason or philosophy, and the religious teachings of Islam. ... Islam (Arabic: ) is a monotheistic religion based upon the Quran, its principal scripture, whose followers, known as Muslims (Ù…Ø³Ù„Ù…), believe God (Arabic: Ø§Ù„Ù„Ù‡ ) sent through revelations to Muhammad. ... Sufism is a mystic tradition of Islam encompassing a diverse range of beliefs and practices dedicated to Allah/God, divine love and sometimes to help a fellow man. ... Classical (or early) Greek philosophy focused on the role of reason and inquiry. ... The factual accuracy of this article is disputed. ... The Asharite school of early Muslim philosophy were instrumental in drastically changing the direction of Islamic philosophy, separating its development drastically from that of philosophy in the Christian world. ... Reason is a term used in philosophy and other human sciences to refer to the faculty of the human mind that creates and operates with abstract concepts. ... This article discusses the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ... J.L. Urban, statue of Lady Justice at court building in Olomouc, Czech Republic Justice is the ideal, morally correct state of things and persons. ... Destiny refers to a predetermined course of events. ... The deepest visible-light image of the cosmos, the Hubble Ultra Deep Field. ...

Sufism (تصوف taṣawwuf) is a school of esoteric philosophy in Islam, which is based on the pursuit of spiritual truth as a definite goal to attain. In order to attain this supreme truth, Sufism has marked Lataif-e-Sitta (the six subtleties), Nafs, Qalb, Sirr, Ruh (spirit), Khafi and Akhfa. Apart from conventional religious practices, they also perform Muraqaba (meditation), Dhikr (Zikr or recitation), Chillakashi (asceticism) and Sama (esoteric music and dance). Sufism is a mystic tradition of Islam encompassing a diverse range of beliefs and practices dedicated to Allah/God, divine love and sometimes to help a fellow man. ... Etymology Esoteric is an adjective originating during Hellenic Greece under the domain of the Roman Empire; it comes from the Greek esÃ´terikos, from esÃ´tero, the comparative form of esÃ´: within. It is a word meaning anything that is inner and occult, a latinate word meaning hidden (from which... Islam (Arabic: ) is a monotheistic religion based upon the Quran, its principal scripture, whose followers, known as Muslims (Ù…Ø³Ù„Ù…), believe God (Arabic: Ø§Ù„Ù„Ù‡ ) sent through revelations to Muhammad. ... Spirituality, in a narrow sense, concerns itself with matters of the spirit. ... Common dictionary definitions of truth mention some form of accord with fact or reality. ... The English word spirit comes from the Latin spiritus, meaning breath. ... A large statue in Bangalore depicting Shiva meditating The term Meditation describes a variety of practices with a variety of goals. ... Ascetic redirects here. ... Etymology Esoteric is an adjective originating during Hellenic Greece under the domain of the Roman Empire; it comes from the Greek esÃ´terikos, from esÃ´tero, the comparative form of esÃ´: within. It is a word meaning anything that is inner and occult, a latinate word meaning hidden (from which... Music is a form of art that involves organized and audible sounds and silence. ... Dance (from Old French dancier, perhaps from Frankish) generally refers to human movement either used as a form of expression or presented in a social, spiritual or performance setting. ...

al-mu'tazilah (المعتزلة) or Mu'tazilite is another controversial theological school of philosophy in early Islam. They called themselves Ahl al-'Adl wa al-Tawhid ("People of Justice and Monotheism"). They were the first who advocated free will and expanded the (western) rationalism in Islamic society. They also developed Kalam based on Greek dialectic. They ascended dramatically during 8th and 9th century due to support of intellectual and elites, but could not appeal to the masses. Later in the 13th century, they lost official support and most of their valuable works were destroyed. Mutazilah (Arabic Ø§Ù„Ù…Ø¹ØªØ²Ù„Ø© al-mu`tazilah) is a theological school of thought within Islam. ... The Death of Socrates, by Jacques-Louis David (1787) depicts the philosopher Socrates carrying out his own execution. ... Free will is the philosophical doctrine that holds that our choices are ultimately up to ourselves. ... Kalam (Ø¹Ù„Ù… Ø§Ù„ÙƒÙ„Ù…)is one of the religious sciences of Islam. ... In classical philosophy, dialectic (Greek: Î´Î¹Î±Î»ÎµÎºÏ„Î¹ÎºÎ®) is an exchange of propositions (theses) and counter-propositions (antitheses) resulting in a synthesis of the opposing assertions, or at least a qualitative transformation in the direction of the dialogue. ... As a means of recording the passage of time the 9th century was that century that lasted from 801 to 900. ... (12th century - 13th century - 14th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 13th century was that century which lasted from 1201 to 1300. ...

See Also: Sufism — Sufi philosophy — Mu'tazilah — Asharite Sufism is a mystic tradition of Islam encompassing a diverse range of beliefs and practices dedicated to Allah/God, divine love and sometimes to help a fellow man. ... // Cosmology Subtle bodies Rooh ( Soul ) Nasma ( Astral Body ) Physical body Concepts in Gnosis Fana Baqa Haal Maqaam Other concepts Haqiqa Marifa Ihsan Categories: Sufi philosophy | Mystic philosophy ... Mutazilah (Arabic Ø§Ù„Ù…Ø¹ØªØ²Ù„Ø© al-mu`tazilah) is a theological school of thought within Islam. ... The Asharite (Arabic Ø§Ù„Ø£Ø´Ø¹Ø±ÙŠØ© al-ash`aryah) is a school of early Muslim philosophy that wasinstrumental in drastically changing the direction of Islamic philosophy, separating its development radically from that of philosophy in the Christian world. ...

Jainism

Jainism was founded by Mahavira, a teacher and religious leader who lived around the same time as the Buddha. The word Jaina comes from the title Jina, or victorious one, referring to those who have achieved victory over their own passions. Jainism teaches asceticism - acts of self-discipline, self-deprivation, and self-denial - as the way to enlightenment. The original Jains were among the world's first monks, retreating from ordinary life to devote themselves to fasting and meditation. The Jain population is concentrated in India and has crossed 10 million. Jains are among the most prosperous of business communities in India. Jaina redirects here. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Ascetic redirects here. ... A Roman Catholic monk A monk is a person who practices monasticism, adopting a strict religious and ascetic lifestyle, usually in community with others following the same path. ...

Jewish philosophy

Jewish philosophy is continually shaped by the Torah, Tanakh, Talmud, Midrash and Kabbalistic traditions. Much of philosophy (Hashkafa) is also considered in reference to mussar: self-improvement and education to attain a higher purpose - to become close to the Creator ^[2]. Philosophical discussions in the Talmud usually center around legal issues, and the legal implications of having a particular philosophy. Midrash and Kabbalah follow a more overarching philosophical style which deal with issues such as ein sof - without end. The main feature is that the Eternal Creator is a given and that he is One and unique. Rambam (Maimonides) in is classic: Moreh Nevuchim (Guide to the Perplexed), clarifies this principal in Greco terms. Jewish philosophy refers to the conjunction between serious study of philosophy and Jewish theology. ... The word Jew ( Hebrew: יהודי) is used in a wide number of ways, but generally refers to a follower of the Jewish faith, a child of a Jewish mother, or someone of Jewish descent with a connection to Jewish culture or ethnicity and often a combination... Torah () is a Hebrew word meaning teaching, instruction, or law. It is the central and most important document of Judaism revered by Jews through the ages. ... Tanakh â€Ž (also Tanach, IPA: or , or Tenak, is an acronym that identifies the Hebrew Bible. ... The first page of the Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Berachot, folio 2a The Talmud (Hebrew: ×ª×œ×ž×•×“) is a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, customs and history. ... Midrash (Hebrew: ×ž×“×¨×©; plural midrashim) is a Hebrew word referring to a method of exegesis of a Biblical text. ... This article is about traditional Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism). ...

See also: Jewish Philosophy Jewish philosophy refers to the conjunction between serious study of philosophy and Jewish theology. ...

Legalism

Legalism advocated a strict interpretation of the law in every respect. Morality was not important; adherence to the letter of the law was paramount. Officials who exceeded expectations were as liable for punishment as were those who underperformed their duties, since both were not adhering exactly to their duties. Legalism was the principal philosophic basis of the Qin Dynasty in China. Confucian scholars were persecuted under Legalist rule. Legalism, in the Western sense, is an approach to the analysis of legal questions characterized by abstract logical reasoning focusing on the applicable legal text, such as a constitution, legislation, or case law, rather than on the social, economic, or political context. ... Legalism has several meanings. ... The Qin (Chin) Dynasty (Chinese: ; pinyin: QÃn ChÃ¡o; Wade-Giles: Chin Chao) (221 BC - 206 BC) was preceded by the Zhou Dynasty and followed by the Han Dynasty in China. ... To burn the classics and to bury the scholars (ç„šä¹¦å‘å„’) refers to a policy in the Qin Dynasty. ...

Ayyavazhi

Ayyavazhi (அய்யாவழி) is the system of beliefs and philosophical system which is based on the teachings of Ayya Vaikundar and the scriptures Akilattirattu Ammanai and Arul Nool. The philosophy of this religion applies a common formula for the creationism of Human beings and Universe. It also says that what ever exists externally to human beings exist also internally. The dharma concept applied to Ayyavazhi primarily deviates into two. The social as well as spiritual conception. The format of mixing exclusivism and inclusivism in Ayyavazhi is unique and not found else where in the world. Unlike other dharmic religions the time conception in Ayyavazhi is linear projecting into a world of bliss, Dharma Yukam. The concept of personifying a foremost evil as Kroni, and the personification of the evil of the age as Kaliyan in Ayyavazhi were in contrast to other dharmic systems of philosophy. Ayyavazhi (IPA: )(Tamil:à®…à®¯à¯à®¯à®¾à®µà®´à®¿ -Path of the father), is a monistic religion, originated in South India in the mid 19th century. ... According to Akilattirattu Ammanai, a scripture of the Ayyavazhi, Ayya Vaikundar à®…à®¯à¯à®¯à®¾ à®µà¯ˆà®•à¯à®£à¯à®Ÿà®°à¯, was a Manu (father, sovereign) avatar (the incarnation of a deity) of Narayana. ... Akilathirattu Ammanai à®…à®•à®¿à®²à®¤à¯à®¤à®¿à®°à®Ÿà¯à®Ÿà¯ à®…à®®à¯à®®à®¾à®©à¯ˆ (Tamil: akilam (world) + thirattu (collection) + ammanai (ballad)), also called Thiru Edu (venerable book), is the main religious book of the Southern Indian Ayyavazhi faith, officially an offshoot of Hinduism. ... Arulnool considered to be the supplementary to akilathirattu, is a collection of a few short litratures composed by different Arulalarkal whose names are unknown. ... Human beings are defined variously in biological, spiritual, and cultural terms, or in combinations thereof. ... The deepest visible-light image of the cosmos, the Hubble Ultra Deep Field. ... The practice of being exclusive; mentality characterized by the disregard for opinions and ideas other than ones own. ... Inclusivism, one of several approaches to understanding the relationship between religions, asserts that while one set of beliefs is absolutely true, other sets of beliefs are at least partially true. ... The Dharma Yukam or Satya Yuga is the eighth or final yukam (aeon or age), according to Ayyavazhi mythology. ... Kroni is a mythical figure found in Ayyavazhi mythology. ... Kaliyan was the sixth fragment of the primordial manifestation of Kroni (evil) according to Akilam, the source of Ayyavazhi mythology and the holy book of Ayyavazhi religion. ...

The primary commandments (virtues) of Ayyavazhi is stated as Neetham. Neetham à®¨à¯€à®¤à®®à¯ is the primary Virtues of Ayyavazhi Religion. ...

Maoism

Maoism is a Communist philosophy based on the teachings of 20th century Communist Party of China revolutionary leader Mao Zedong. It is based partially on earlier theories by Marx and Lenin, but rejects the urban proletariat and Leninist emphasis on heavy industrialization in favor of a revolution supported by the peasantry, and a decentralized agrarian economy based on many collectively worked farms. Maoism or Mao Zedong Thought (Simplified Chinese: ; pinyin: MÃ¡o ZÃ©dÅng SÄ«xiÇŽng), is a variant of Marxism-Leninism derived from the teachings of the Chinese communist leader Mao Zedong (Wade-Giles Romanization: Mao Tse-tung). It should be noted that the term Mao Zedong Thought has... This article is about communism as a form of society and as a political movement. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999... The Communist Party of China (CPC) (official name, though almost universally known in English as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)) (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ZhÅngguÃ³ GÃ²ngchÇŽndÇŽng) is the ruling political party of the Peoples Republic of China, a position guaranteed by the countrys... (December 26, 1893 â€“ September 9, 1976) (also Mao Tse-Tung in Wade-Giles transliteration) was a Chinese Marxist military and political leader, who led the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to victory against the Kuomintang (KMT) in the Chinese Civil War, leading to the establishment of the Peopleâ€™s Republic of... The proletariat (from Latin proles, offspring) is a term used to identify a lower social class; a member of such a class is proletarian. ... Vladimir Lenin in 1920 Leninism refers to various related political and economic theories elaborated by Bolshevik revolutionary leader Vladimir Lenin, and by other theorists who claim to be carrying on Lenins work. ...

Many people believe that though the implementation of Maoism in Mainland China led to the victory of communist revolution, it also contributed to the widespread famine, with millions of people starving to death. Chinese Communist leader Deng Xiaoping reinterpreted Maoism to allow for the introduction of market economics, which eventually enabled the country to recover. As a philosophy, Deng's chief contribution was to reject the supremacy of theory in interpreting Marxism and to argue for a policy of seeking truth from facts. The highlighted area in the map is what is commonly known as mainland China. Mainland China (Simplified Chinese: ä¸å›½å¤§é™†; Traditional Chinese: ä¸åœ‹å¤§é™¸; pinyin: ZhÅnggÃºo DÃ lÃ¹; literally The Chinese Massive Landmass or Continental China) is an informal (disputed â€” see talk page) geographical term which is usually synonymous with the area... A famine is a social and economic crisis that is commonly accompanied by widespread malnutrition, starvation, epidemic and increased mortality. ... Deng Xiaoping with US President Jimmy Carter Deng Xiaoping (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: DÃ¨ng XiÇŽopÃng; Wade-Giles: Teng Hsiao-ping; August 22, 1904â€“February 19, 1997) was a leader in the Communist Party of China (CCP). ...

Despite this, Maoism has remained a popular ideology for various Communist revolutionary groups around the world, notably the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, Sendero Luminoso in Peru, and an ongoing (as of early 2005) Maoist insurrection in Nepal. Some of the Khmer Rouge leadership during their period in power. ... Shining Path poster supporting an electoral boycott The Communist Party of Peru (Spanish: El Partido Comunista del PerÃº), more commonly known as the Shining Path (Sendero Luminoso), is a Maoist guerrilla organization in Peru. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Shinto

Shinto is the indigenous religion of Japan, a sophisticated form of animism that holds that spirits called kami inhabit all things. Worship is at public shrines, or in small shrines constructed in one's home. According to Shinto practice, relationship with the kami that inhabit this world is foremost in a person's duties. The kami are to be respected, and in turn, they will return our respect. Shinto further holds that the "spirit" and "mundane" worlds are but one in the same. Purity is the most stressed of its tenants, with acts that create harmony pure, and those that are disharmonious to in the scheme of the universe considered impure. Shinto, as a faith, bears heavy influences from Chinese philosophies, such as Taoism, not to mention Buddhism. Shinto() is the native religion of Japan and was once its state religion. ... Animism is the belief in personalized, supernatural beings (or souls) that often inhabit ordinary animals and objects, governing their existence. ... Megami redirects here. ...

Sikhism

The Sikh religious philosophy is covered in great detail in the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh holy text. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (603x768, 79 KB) Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (603x768, 79 KB) Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... The term Simran refers to the vocal repetition or recital of the God Names - Naam or of the Holy Text from the Two Granths of the Sikhs - the Sri Guru Granth Sahib and the Dasam Granth. ... SEWA is the Self-Employed Womens Association of India, a trade union founded in 1972 after a split in the Textile Labour Association. ... Sikhism (IPA: or ; Punjabi: , , IPA: ) is a religion that began in sixteenth century Northern India with the teachings of Nanak and nine successive human gurus. ... A Sikh (IPA: or ; Punjabi: , , IPA: ) is an adherent of Sikhism. ... The term Naam refers to the act of worship of God by Sikhs. ... The term Simran refers to the vocal repetition or recital of the God Names - Naam or of the Holy Text from the Two Granths of the Sikhs - the Sri Guru Granth Sahib and the Dasam Granth. ... A large statue in Bangalore depicting Shiva meditating The term Meditation describes a variety of practices with a variety of goals. ... SEWA is the Self-Employed Womens Association of India, a trade union founded in 1972 after a split in the Textile Labour Association. ... Selfless is Godfleshs third official album. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Treaty of Maastricht which established the European Union, divided EU policies into three main areas, called pillars. ... Guru Nanak (Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ, Devanagari: गुरु नानक) (20 October 1469 - 7 May 1539), the founder of Sikhism and the first of the ten Gurus of the Sikhs, was born in the village of Talwandi, now called Nankana... NÄm JapÅ (Punjabi: ), refers to the meditation, vocal singing of Hymns from the Sri Guru Granth Sahib or of the various Names of God, specially the chanting of the word Waheguru, which means Wonderful Lord. ... A Sikh (IPA: or ; Punjabi: , , IPA: ) is an adherent of Sikhism. ... A large statue in Bangalore depicting Shiva meditating The term Meditation describes a variety of practices with a variety of goals. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Kirat Karni is one of three primary pillars of Sikhism. ... ... A Sikh (IPA: or ; Punjabi: , , IPA: ) is an adherent of Sikhism. ... Dasvand means to donate 10% percent of ones harvest to the Gurdwara. ... FIVE EVILS or five thieves or pancadokh or panj vikar as they are referred to in Sikh Scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib, are, according to Sikhism, the five major weaknesses of the human personality at variance with its spiritual essence. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... The lower part of the Bashgul Valley of Nurestan (Afghanistan) is known as Kam. ... KRODH is derived from the Sanskrit word krodha which means wrath or Rage. ... Lobh is a Gurmukhi word which translates in English to greed. ... MOH is an acronym which may refer to: the Medal of Honor, the highest military decoration awarded by the United States. ... This page meets Wikipedias criteria for speedy deletion. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... The SAT Reasoning Test, formerly called the Scholastic Aptitude Test and Scholastic Assessment Test, is a type of standardized test frequently used by colleges and universities in the United States to aid in the selection of incoming students. ... Daya (大雅, Taiwanese: Tāi-ngé) is a rural township in central Taichung County, Taiwan Province of the Republic of China. ... Santokh means Contentment and is one of five virtues that is vigorously promoted by the Sikh Gurus. ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ... Pyare means Love for the Lord and His creation. ...

See also

Sikhism (IPA: or ; Punjabi: , , IPA: ) is a religion that began in sixteenth century Northern India with the teachings of Nanak and nine successive human gurus. ... // Ek Onkar There is only one God who has infinite qualities and names. ... Diagram showing some of the important Sikh beliefs The Basic Tenets of Sikhism can be summarised as follows: // Nam Japna - Rise in the Amrit Vela and meditate on Gods Name. ... // Ek Onkar There is only one God who has infinite qualities and names. ... Guru Granth Sahib (Granth is Punjabi for book, Sahib is Hindi meaning master, from Arabic, meaning companion, friend, owner, or master) or Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji or SGGS for short, is more than a holy book of the Sikhs. ...

Zoroastrianism and Dualism

Zoroastrianism is the earliest known monotheistic religion, which originated in Iran. Zoroastrianism has a dualistic nature (Ahura Mazda and Angra Mainyu), with an additional series of six important angel-like entities called the Amesha Spentas. In modern Zoroastrianism they are interpreted as aspects or emanations of Ahura Mazda (the Supreme Being), who form a heptad that is good and constructive. They are opposed to another group of seven who are evil and destructive. It is this persistent conflict between good and evil that distinguishes Zoroastrianism from monotheistic frameworks that have only one power as supreme. By requiring its adherents to have faith and belief in equally opposing powers Zoroastrianism characterizes itself as dualistic. Zoroastrianism is the religion and philosophy based on the teachings ascribed to the prophet Zoroaster (Zarathustra, Zartosht). ... Monotheism (in Greek monon = single and Theos = God) is the belief in a single, universal, all-encompassing deity. ... Ahura Mazda is the Avestan language name for an exalted divinity of ancient proto-Indo-Iranian religion that was subsequently declared by Zarathustra (Zoroaster) to be the one uncreated creator of all (God). ... Angra Mainyu (Avestan) or Ahriman (Middle Persian Ø§Ù‡Ø±ÙŠÙ…Ù†) is the evil counterpart of the deity Ahura Mazda in Zoroastrianism. ... In Zoroastrianism, Amesha Spentas are the Holy Immortals, the equivalent of Archangels in Christian theology. ...

Zoroastrianism may also be known as Mazdayasna ("Worship of Wisdom") by some of its followers after the Zoroastrian name of God, Ahura Mazda ("Divine Wisdom"). A modern Persian form is Behdin ("Good Religion/Law," see below for the role of daena Law). Zoroastrians may refer to themselves as Zartoshti ("Zoroastrians"), Mazdayasni ("Wisdom-Worshippers") and Behdini ("Followers of the Good Religion"), and Zarathustrian. Ahura Mazda is the Avestan language name for an exalted divinity of ancient proto-Indo-Iranian religion that was subsequently declared by Zarathustra (Zoroaster) to be the one uncreated creator of all (God). ... Persian, (local name: FÄrsÄ« or PÄrsÄ«), is an Indo-European language spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and by minorities in Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Southern Russia, neighboring countries, and elsewhere. ...

See also: Manichaeism — Mazdakism — Persian philosophy Manichean priests, writing at their desk, with panel inscription in Sogdian. ... Mazdak was a proto-socialist Persian philosopher who gained influence under the reign of the Sassanian king Kavadh I. He was hanged and his followers were massacred by Khosrau I, Kavadhs son. ... Iranian philosophy can be traced back as far as to Old Iranian philosophical traditions and thoughts which originated in ancient Indo-Iranian roots and were considerably influenced by Zarathustras teachings. ...

Arguments against the "Eastern philosophy" designation

Many have argued that the distinction between Eastern and Western schools of philosophy is arbitrary and purely geographic and to certain extent, Eurocentric. It crosses over three distinct philosophical traditions, Indian, Chinese and Persian philosophy which are as distinct from each other as they are from Western philosophy. It could be argued that the idea of some distinct "Eastern" philosophy as opposed to Western Philosophy is simplistic to the point of absurd inaccuracy. Moreover, this artificial distinction does not take into account the tremendous amount of interaction within Eurasian philosophical tradition, and that the distinction is more misleading than enlightening.

For example, Indian and Western schools of thought, with their robust mind-body conceptual dualism, share consequent tendencies to subjective idealism or dualism. Formally, they share the rudiments of Western "folk psychology" --a sentential psychology and semantics; for example, belief and (propositional) knowledge, subject-predicate grammar (and subject-object metaphysics) truth and falsity, and inference. These concepts underwrote the emergence (or perhaps spread) of logic in Greece and India (In contrast to pre-Buddhist China). Other noticeable similarities include structural features of related concepts of time, space, objecthood and causation -- all concepts hard to isolate within ancient Chinese conceptual space. It has also been suggested that the ancient Greek philosophers Pythagoras and Heraclitus were both influenced by ideas that originated in China. Folk psychology (sometimes called naïve psychology) is the psychological theory implicit in our everyday ascriptions of others actions, and includes concepts such as belief (he thinks that Peter is wise), desire (she wants that piece of cake), fear (Alex is afraid of spiders) and hope (she hopes that he...

The perception of God and the gods

Because of the influence of monotheism and especially the Abrahamic religions, Western philosophies have been faced with the question of the nature of God and His relationship to the universe. This has created a dichotomy among Western philosophies between secular philosophies and religious philosophies which develop within the context of a particular monotheistic religion's dogma regarding the nature of God and the universe. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (500x713, 74 KB)Source: [1] Fair use in Hinduism the photo is only being used for informational purposes. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (500x713, 74 KB)Source: [1] Fair use in Hinduism the photo is only being used for informational purposes. ... Krishna with Radharani, 18th C Rajasthani painting Krishna (à¤•à¥ƒà¤·à¥à¤£ in Devanagari, in IAST ), according to various Hindu traditions, is the eighth avatar of Vishnu. ... map showing the prevalence of Abrahamic (purple) and Dharmic (yellow) religions in each country. ... Dogma (the plural is either dogmata or dogmas) is belief or doctrine held by a religion, ideology or any kind of organization to be authoritative and not to be disputed or doubted. ...

Eastern philosophies have not been as concerned by questions relating to the nature of a single God as the universe's sole creator and ruler. The distinction between the religious and the secular tends to be much less sharp in Eastern philosophy, and the same philosophical school often contains both religious and philosophical elements. Thus, some people accept the metaphysical tenets of Buddhism without going to a temple and worshipping. Some have worshipped the Taoist deities religiously without bothering to delve into the philosophic underpinnings, while others embrace Taoist philosophy while ignoring the religious aspects. On the other hand, the followers of Hare Krishna sect in western countries give more emphasis to meditation and yoga and tend to ignore other traditional Hindu rituals. Plato and Aristotle (right), by Raphael (Stanza della Segnatura, Rome). ... Buddhism is a dharmic, non-theistic religion, a philosophy, and a life-enhancing system of psychology. ... Taoism (sometimes written as and actually pronounced as Daoism (dow-ism)) is the English name for: Dao Jia [philosophical tao] philosophical school based on the texts the Tao Te Ching (ascribed to Laozi [Lao Tzu] and alternately spelled DÃ o DÃ© JÄ«ng) and the Zhuangzi; a family of organized... Hare Krishna Mantra in Devanagari. ...

This arrangement stands in marked contrast to most philosophy of the West, which has traditionally enforced either a completely unified philosophic/religious belief system (for example, the various sects and associated philosophies of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam), or a sharp and total repudiation of religion by philosophy (for example, Nietzsche, Marx, Voltaire, etc.). This article is becoming very long. ... Judaism is the religion of the Jewish people. ... Islam (Arabic: ) is a monotheistic religion based upon the Quran, its principal scripture, whose followers, known as Muslims (Ù…Ø³Ù„Ù…), believe God (Arabic: Ø§Ù„Ù„Ù‡ ) sent through revelations to Muhammad. ... Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (October 15, 1844 â€“ August 25, 1900) (IPA: ) was a German philologist and philosopher. ... Marx redirects here. ... FranÃ§ois-Marie Arouet (21 November 1694 â€“ 30 May 1778), better known by the pen name Voltaire, was a French Enlightenment writer, essayist, deist and philosopher. ...

Gods' relationship with the universe

Another common thread that often differentiates Eastern philosophy from Western is the belief regarding the relationship between God or the gods and the universe. Western philosophies typically either disavow the existence of God, or else hold that God or the gods are something separate and distinct from the universe. The obvious exception here is the Greek and Roman pantheon of gods and goddesses during ancient times, which is very distinct from the influence of the Abrahamic religions, which teach that this universe was created by a single all-powerful God who existed before and only partially separately from this universe. Some aspects of the true nature and properties of this God would be incomprehensible to us as creations. map showing the prevalence of Abrahamic (purple) and Dharmic (yellow) religions in each country. ...

Eastern philosophic traditions generally tend to be less concerned with the existence or non-existence of God or gods. Although some Eastern traditions have supernatural spiritual beings and even powerful gods, these are generally not seen as separate from the universe, but rather as a part of the universe, just as Greek and Roman supernatural beings. Conversely, most Eastern religions teach that ordinary actions can affect the supernatural realm.

The role and nature of the individual

It has been argued that in most Western philosophies, the same can be said of the individual: Many Western philosophers generally assume as a given that the individual is something distinct from the entire universe, and many Western philosophers attempt to describe and categorize the universe from a detached, objective viewpoint. Eastern philosophers, on the other hand, typically hold that people are an intrinsic and inseparable part of the universe, and that attempts to discuss the universe from an objective viewpoint as though the individual speaking was something separate and detached from the whole are inherently absurd.

Syntheses of Eastern and Western philosophy

There have been many modern attempts to integrate Western and Eastern philosophical traditions.

German philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel was very interested in Taoism. His system of dialectics is sometimes interpreted as a formalization of Taoist principles, but it also has similarities to the dialectical method used by Socrates as described by Plato. Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel [] (August 27, 1770 â€“ November 14, 1831) was a German philosopher born in Stuttgart, WÃ¼rttemberg, in present-day southwest Germany. ... Taoism (sometimes written as and actually pronounced as Daoism (dow-ism)) is the English name for: Dao Jia [philosophical tao] philosophical school based on the texts the Tao Te Ching (ascribed to Laozi [Lao Tzu] and alternately spelled DÃ o DÃ© JÄ«ng) and the Zhuangzi; a family of organized... Broadly speaking, a dialectic (Greek: διαλεκτική) is an exchange of propositions (theses) and counter-propositions (antitheses) resulting in a disagreement. ... Hegelian dialectic, was invented by Georg Wilhelm Freidrich Hegel, a transformational Marxist social psychologist. ... Socrates (Greek: Î£Ï‰ÎºÏÎ¬Ï„Î·Ï‚, invariably anglicized as , SÇ’cratÄ“s; 470â€“399 BC) was an ancient Greek philosopher who is widely credited for laying the foundation for Western philosophy. ... Plato (ancient Greek: Î Î»Î¬Ï„Ï‰Î½, PlÃ¡tÅn, wide, broad-shouldered) (c. ...

Hegel's rival Arthur Schopenhauer developed a philosophy that was essentially a synthesis of Hinduism and Buddhism with Western thought. He anticipated that the Upanishads (primary Hindu scriptures) would have a much greater influence in the West than they have had. However, Schopenhauer was working with heavily flawed early translations (and sometimes second-degree translations), and many feel that he may not necessarily have accurately grasped the Eastern philosophies which interested him. Arthur Schopenhauer (February 22, 1788 â€“ September 21, 1860, [1] IPA: ) was a German philosopher, often considered a pessimist. ... Hinduism (Sanskrit: , , also known as , ) is a religion that originated on the Indian subcontinent. ... The Upanishads (Devanagari: à¤‰à¤ªà¤¨à¤¿à¤·à¤¦à¥, ; also known as and ) are part of the Vedas and form the Hindu scriptures which primarily discuss philosophy, meditation and nature of God; they form the core spiritual thought of Vedantic Hinduism. ... This article discusses the adherents of Hinduism. ...

Recent attempts to incorporate Western philosophy into Eastern thought include the Kyoto School of philosophers, who combined the phenomenology of Husserl with the insights of Zen Buddhism. Watsuji Tetsurô, a 20th century Japanese philosopher attempted to combine the works of Søren Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, and Heidegger with Eastern philosophies. Some have claimed that there is also a definite eastern element within Heidegger's philosophy. For the most part this is not made explicit within Heidegger's philosophy, apart from in the dialogue between a Japanese and inquirer. Heidegger did spend time attempting to translate the Tao Te Ching into German, working with his Chinese student Paul Hsaio. It has also been claimed that much of Heidegger's later philosophy, particularly the sacredness of Being, bears a district similarity to Taoist ideas. It may even be that Heidegger's philosophy might be read ultimately as an attempt to 'turn eastwards' in response to the crisis in Western civilisation. This however is only an interpretation. There are clear parallels between Heidegger and the work of Kyoto School. The Kyoto School was a philosophical movement primarily active in the first half of the 20th century. ... Look up Phenomenology in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Edmund Husserl Edmund Gustav Albrecht Husserl (April 8, 1859 - April 26, 1938), philosopher, was born into a Jewish family in Prossnitz, Moravia (Prostejov, Czech Republic), Empire of Austria-Hungary. ... A woodblock print by Yoshitoshi, (Japan, 1887) depicting Bodhidharma the founder of Chinese Zen. ... Watsuji Tetsuro (å’Œè¾» å“²éƒŽ Watsuji TetsurÅ, March 1, 1889 - December 26, 1960 in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture) was a Japanese ethicist, philosopher, cultural historian, intellectual historian. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999... SÃ¸ren Aabye Kierkegaard (IPA: ; 5 May 1813 â€“ 11 November 1855) was a 19th century Danish philosopher and theologian, generally recognized as the first existentialist philosopher. ... Martin Heidegger Martin Heidegger (September 26, 1889 – May 26, 1976) was a German philosopher. ...

The Twentieth century Hindu guru Sri Aurobindo was influenced by German Idealism and his Integral yoga is regarded as a synthesis of Eastern and Western thought. The German phenomenologist Jean Gebser's writings on the history of consciousness referred to a new planetary consciousness that would bridge this gap. Followers of these two authors are often grouped together under the term Integral thought. This article discusses the adherents of Hinduism. ... Guru - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Sri Aurobindo Sri Aurobindo (Bangla: à¦¶à§à¦°à§€ à¦…à¦°à¦¬à¦¿à¦¨à§à¦¦ Sri Ã”robindo, Sanskrit: à¤¶à¥à¤°à¥€ à¤…à¤°à¤µà¤¿à¤¨à¥à¤¦ SrÄ« Aravinda) (August 15, 1872â€“December 5, 1950) was an Indian nationalist, freedom fighter, scholar, poet, mystic, evolutionary philosopher, yogi and guru [1]. His followers further believe that he was an avatar, an incarnation of the Absolute. ... German Idealism was a philosophical movement in Germany in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. ... Integral yoga or purna yoga (Sanskrit for full or complete yoga) refers in Sri Aurobindos teachings to the union of all the parts of ones being with the Divine, and the transmutation of all of their jarring elements into a harmonious state of higher divine consciousness and existence. ... Look up Phenomenology in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Jean Gebser Jean Gebser (August 20, 1905 â€“ May 14, 1973) was a prodigy, a student of the transformations of human consciousness, a linguist, and a poet. ... Consciousness is a quality of the mind generally regarded to comprise qualities such as subjectivity, self-awareness, sentience, sapience, and the ability to perceive the relationship between oneself and ones environment. ... This article is about integral thought in philosophy and psychology. ...

Swiss psychologist Carl G. Jung's idea of synchronicity moves towards an Oriental view of causality, as he states in the forward to Richard Wilhelm's translation of the I Ching (Book of Changes). He explains that this Chinese view of the world is bases not on science as the west knows it, but on chance. Carl Jungs autobiographical work Memories , Dreams, Reflections, Fontana edition Carl Gustav Jung (July 26, 1875, Kesswil, â€“ June 6, 1961, KÃ¼snacht) (IPA: ) was a Swiss psychiatrist and founder of analytical psychology. ... Synchronicity is a word coined by the Swiss psychologist Carl Jung to describe the temporally coincident occurrences of acausal events. ... The philosophical concept of causality, the principles of causes, or causation, the working of causes, refers to the set of all particular causal or cause-and-effect relations. ... Alternative meaning: I Ching (monk) The I Ching (Traditional Chinese: 易經, pinyin y jīng; Cantonese IPA: jɪk6gɪŋ1; Cantonese Jyutping: jik6ging1; alternative romanizations include I Jing, Yi Ching, Yi King) is the oldest of the Chinese classic texts. ...

References

Contents

Philosophical and religious traditions

Buddhism

Chan/Zen Buddhism

Carvaka

Confucianism

Neo-Confucianism

Daoism

Hinduism

Islamic philosophy

Jainism

Jewish philosophy

Legalism

Ayyavazhi

Maoism

Shinto

Sikhism

See also

Zoroastrianism and Dualism

Arguments against the "Eastern philosophy" designation

The perception of God and the gods

Gods' relationship with the universe

The role and nature of the individual

Syntheses of Eastern and Western philosophy

References

See also

External links

Contents

Philosophical and religious traditions GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

Buddhism

Chan/Zen Buddhism

Carvaka

Confucianism

Neo-Confucianism

Daoism

Hinduism

Islamic philosophy

Jainism

Jewish philosophy

Legalism

Ayyavazhi

Maoism

Shinto

Sikhism

See also

Zoroastrianism and Dualism

Arguments against the "Eastern philosophy" designation

The perception of God and the gods

Gods' relationship with the universe

The role and nature of the individual

Syntheses of Eastern and Western philosophy

References

See also

External links

Philosophical and religious traditions