Contemporary New Confucianism and the Ancient European Philosophy: Analysis and Comparison

Author(s): Hanzhen Liu / Language(s): English Issue: 1 (73)/2015

Looking back, both of the two great ancient civilizations in the world, China in the East and Greece in the West, benefitted from philosophies that evolved almost simultaneously: Taoism and Mo-Tzu Confucianism in the East, and the trilogy of Socratic, Platonic, and Aristotelian thought in West. This exploration of philosophy in Europe, from the movement into the Renaissance in the fifteen century in Italy to industrialization in the eighteen century in England, the ancient Greek civilization blossomed, and the value of the different philosophical thoughts and opinions concerning the livelihood of mankind and demands on the human being were honed until they reached the achievement of democracy. In China, by contrast, over several thousand years from Huang Di to the latest pres¬ident Xi Jinping, Confucian principles remained constant for the most part, with President Xi declaring at the first meeting at which he officially presided in November 2012 that “we are undertaking our Renaissance.”33 It is very late in the course of human history to proclaim it, and this re¬flects that China lags behind the Western world. The reason for this is that the autocratic values of Confucian thought have remained constant and not changed into the democratic values of Socrates, Plato and Aris¬totle that in turn precipitated more modern philosophical thoughts and forms of governance during and since the Renaissance.

O scriere budhistă fundamentală: Vasubandhu, VIMSIKAKARIKA cu VRTTI ( Tratatul în 20 de versete, cu Comentariul său)

Author(s): Ovidiu Cristian Nedu / Language(s): Romanian Issue: 1/2011

Vijñaptimatratasiddhi is one of the major works of Vasubandhu, the founder of Vijñanavada school of Mahayana buddhism. The text was put into written around the IV-th century, A.D. and consists of two treatises: Vimsikakarika (The Treatise in 20 Verses) and Trimsikakarika (The Treatise in 30 Verses). The Treatise in 20 Verses is an apologetical text, dealing mostly with the objections that could be raised against the idealist ontolgy promotted by it and which are refuted in the text, while The Treatise in 30 Verses represents an exposition of the idealist doctrine itself. Throughout the The Treatise in 20 Verses, Vasubandhu offers idealist interpretations to situations that seem to involve the existence of some external, objective entities. All such situations are dealt with in terms pertaining only to consciousness and representation. The work is written as a dialogue between Vasubandhu and a virtual opponent, supporting the realistic philosophy. The realist system of philosophy considered by Vasubandhu is the atomist school, Vaisesika, very influential in India, during that age. This wide recognition enjoyed by Vaisesika explains Vasubandhu’s particular interest in rejecting the atomist theory. Although the work is mostly polemic, sporadically, Vasubandhu also exposes his own idealist theories, as alternatives to the refuted realist interpretations. The very brief Treatise in 20 Verses was commented by Vasubandhu himself, at large, in the work Vimsikakarikavrtti. The translation of the commentary is given along with the translation of the verses.

Wprowadzenie do estetyki chińskiej. Kategorie harmonii i wieloznaczności

Author(s): Ewa Świętek / Language(s): Polish Issue: 2/2014

Artykuł przedstawia podstawowe założenia chińskiej estetyki. Filozofia i estetyka chińska są równie bogate jak estetyka zachodnia, dlatego też korzystanie z ich doświadczenia niewątpliwie pozytywnie wpływa na ogólny rozwój estetyki. W artykule omówiono źródła i etymologię jej podstawowych pojęć oraz zarysowano zakres badań porównawczych estetyki Chin i Zachodu. Przedstawiono wybrane kategorie chińskiej estetyki − wieloznaczność (analizowaną za pomocą idei hanxu) oraz harmonię. Przedstawiono także zasadę fǎ, uznawaną w tradycji chińskiej za wyjściową zasadę estetyczną.

Koniec sztuki w klasycznym konfucjanizmie

Author(s): Rafał Mazur / Language(s): Polish Issue: 2/2014

Sztuka i filozofia w Chinach związane są ze sobą mocno i od dawna. Jak twierdzą badacze sztuki, trudno odnaleźć w chińskich archiwach pisma nawiązujące do innych przykładów działalności artystycznej niż działalność filozofów. Sztuka była bowiem jedną z praktyk, jakim oddawali się filozofowie. Te dwa fenomeny ludzkiej działalności związane są ze sobą co najmniej od czasów najważniejszego filozofa Chin – Konfucjusza. W artykule przed-stawiam konfucjańską koncepcję sztuki, wykształconą w klasycznym (czyli starożytnym) okresie filozofii chińskiej.

Historia ceremonii herbacianej w Japonii

Author(s): Michał Sokołowski / Language(s): Polish Issue: 4/2014

Ceremonia herbaciana jest czymś niezwykle złożonym i prostym zarazem. Z jednej strony może być traktowana jako wyraz filozofii, duchowości, kultury i estetyki Dalekiego Wschodu, może być analizowana przez pryzmat buddyzmu zen, pośrednio także taoizmu, który do jego wykształcenia się przy-czynił, może być umiejscawiana w chińskiej i japońskiej kulturze i historii. Jest także ceremoniałem obostrzonym mnóstwem niezwykle szczegółowych i precyzyjnych reguł i zasad. Z drugiej strony pozostaje prostą czynnością wspólnego wypicia herbaty w atmosferze życzliwości i harmonii, bardzo przy tym uniwersalną i naturalną. Z jednej strony jest wyrafinowaną sztuką, z drugiej – całościową drogą życia. Złożoność nie wyklucza prostoty, gdy to, co najprostsze, okazuje się najtrudniejsze. Zen i ceremonię herbacianą łączy przekonanie o możliwości sięgnięcia w głęboki wymiar codzienności i znalezienia głębi w tym, co zwyczajne. Zarówno w zen, jak i w ceremonii herbacianej ważniejsze od zamkniętego systemu reguł są wskazówki i własna praktyka – nie jest możliwe dotarcie do ich sedna poprzez słowa ani poprzez teorię.Ceremonia herbaciana w duchu zen uczy sięgania do Doskonałości, której doświadczenie „tu i teraz” umożliwia osiągnięcie szczęścia nieuwarunkowanego od spełniania pragnień –w tym sensie pozostaje też aktualna i żywa niezależnie od obowiązującej etykiety, form, sposobów nauczania, interpretacji.

On Poetic Discourses and Ways of Expression of ‘Empty’ and ‘Silence’ Categories in the Chinese Lyric Poetry of Six Dynasties (Liu Сhao, III‒VI A.D.) and Tang (VII‒X) Epochs

Author(s): Martina Kravtsova / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2014

The written Chinese language has a broad scale of lexical meanings for articulating the ‘empty’ and ‘silence’ categories in all their essential aspects. The present study is limited to a discussion of the kong 空 cognitive term, in its single semantic case only, as ‘empty’ (‘emptiness’), coinciding normally with ‘silence’ (ji 寂, jing 靜); and of two poetic scenarios, which can be roughly defined as ‘dwelling in empty mountains’ and ‘dwelling in [an] empty chamber.’ The first of these is most typical of Tang lyric poetry, especially the works of Wang Wei 王維 (ca 701‒ca 761); the second, of poetry on amorous themes beginning with the individual verses of the second century A.D. In this paper I argue that in spite of all essential differences between these scenarios ‒ one praising living alone as escaping from social existence, the other representing living alone as loneliness, i.e. having an utterly negative sense ‒ both are grounded at bottom on ancient views of vision and audial perception. Their archetypical background is formed by the idea of spiritual movement, implying the ‘cutting off ’ of sensory perception in favour of self-concentration, which leads to the sharpening of receptive faculties for gaining keener and keener perception of all external things. Above all, the ‘empty’ and ‘silence’ categories appear to universally express the abundance of one’s surroundings and inner conditions, including mentality and feelings, which places these categories among the chief artistic techniques of Chinese lyric poetry.

The Interpenetration of Art and Philosophy in East Asian Poetry: the Metaphysical Threat to the Platonic Hierarchy

Author(s): Sandra Wawrytko / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2014

Why should art matter to a philosopher? In the context of Asian philosophy it is clear that a distinctive aesthetic underlies artistic expression encountering reality in such diverse art forms as Japanese haiku, Chinese landscape paintings, contemporary Ko-rean cinema, and even Bollywood films. Art has informed and guided politics in Asia, where artist philosophers continue to function as reformers and revolutionaries chal-lenging the status quo en route to connecting with reality. This is especially true in the case of Asian poets. In sharp contrast, the Euro-centric tradition of philosophy has ten-ded to marginalize and even denigrate the arts. Plato famously observed ‘there is an old quarrel between philosophy and poetry’ (Republic, 607b5‒6), seeking to circum-scribe the role of poets in his ideal state. This essay will focus on East Asia, both in terms of its historical embrace of poetry and contemporary manifestations. Special emphasis will be given to Buddhist poets from China, Korea, and Japan who wield po-etry as a form of upāya or skillful means to evoke, provoke, or document awakening. Buddhist epistemology challenges and dissolves the dualistic preconceptions that assume the existence of an insurmountable divide between ‘self ’ and ‘other,’ inner and outer, human and Nature. This may also yield important insights into why Plato and his followers have been so obsessed with the inherent power of the poet to undermine their vision of philosophy and the task of the philosopher.

Tension Between Illusion and Reality in Zhuangzi’s ‘Dream of the Butterfly.’ Philosophical Analysis of Western Reception

Author(s): Agnė Budriūnaitė / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2014

One of the most important allegories of Daoism is the ‘Dream of the Butterfly’ in the second chapter of the Zhuangzi (Qi wu lun). Sometimes it is supposed to be a rep-resentation of all Daoist or even all Chinese philosophy in the West. This allegory encompasses fundamental Daoist notions, such as spontaneity, ‘free and easy wan-dering,’ non-action (wu wei), natural self-alternation (ziran), the no-perspective of a sage and the understanding of correlation between life and death. The purpose of this paper is a philosophical analysis of the relationship between illusion and real-ity in the Zhuangzi looking from the ‘Western’ perspective. To achieve this, I will re-view some of the most distinct English translations of the allegory that show possible multiple meanings of the allegory and many fundamentally different, sometimes op-posite interpretations of it and discuss the significance of the relationship between illusion and reality. There is a huge body of academic literature about translating and interpreting the texts ascribed to the Zhuangzi. I will mention only some of the commentaries and will pay more attention to other stories of the Zhuangzi, looking there for the explication and explanation of the main ideas found in the ‘Dream of the Butterfly.’

To Be Harmonious with the Heaven, the Others and the Self: Late-Ming Christian Literati Li Jiugong’s Meditation and His Comparative Scriptural Interpretation

Author(s): Bin You / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2014

From the perspective of comparative scripture, this paper is using the Shen si lu (Med-itations) by Catholic Literati Li Jiugong as a case study to investigate the dialogue and interaction between Confucianism and Christianity in the late-Ming period. Li’s theol-ogy, incorporating the three aspects of being in harmony with Heaven, other people, and oneself, is expressed in Confucian terminology. It represents the late-Ming Chi-nese theological understanding of God, human nature, and society. The paper analyses Li’s strategy of comparative scripture by which Confucian scriptural resources were reinterpreted, appropriated, and intertwined with the Christian meaning system. Fi-nally, the paper also discusses the significance of using the methodology of compara-tive scripture in interreligious dialogue and in furthering the indigenization of Chris-tianity in China.

The Virtue Reality of Humanistic Buddhism by Ven. Yinshun

Author(s): Chengyou Liu / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2014

Samadhi is one of the most important ways in Buddhist practice. Why must we prac-tice samadhi? What is the effect of practicing samadhi? Has it limitations? Ven. Yin-shun, who was called the spiritual mentor of the Humanistic Buddhism, had written an important article named To Practice samadhi: To Practice One’s Mind and Idealist Mystery. According to Ven. Yinshun, someone will easily lead to deviating from the Buddhism if he practices meditation without prajnā. I think this is the problem about the virtue reality in Humanistic Buddhism.

Filozoficko-environmentálna reflexia učenia starých Číňanov

Author(s): Vladislav Dudinský / Language(s): Slovak Issue: 1/2012

As with any culture, the Chinese one has also been developing in the process of continuous confrontation of humans with their surrounding environment. On the broader historical background these relations had determined the formation of the ancient Chinese worldview and the development of the relation between culture and nature within this framework. This very experience had become the foundation, which influenced the formation of later more or less coherent paradigms of thinking. Reflections on dynamic balance and “harmony” between humans and nature were preceded by the projects which had dramatically affected the environment at the time of their realisation and had to be disasters for ecosystems at those times. From our perspective, we have a tendency to ex post evaluate the state, which has been reached, which has been knowingly and purposefully maintained by tens of generations of Chinese, but we do not mention that also the Chinese had in the beginnings deeply embedded their thought structures in nature (which is usually a matter of criticism against the European culture and tradition).

Samodoskonalenie xiu shen – naśladownictwo wzoru osobowego junzi w Analektach

Author(s): Katarzyna Pejda / Language(s): Polish Issue: 9/2016

The following paper presents Confucius’ view on self-cultivation. The paper also contains analysis of two concepts: de – virtue and xiao – filial piety. The author argues that those two concepts are basis for moral development as described in Analects. De is inborn, given by tian (heaven) whilst xiao, obedience towards parents and relatives, is aquired by proper education. Furher, the paper outlines three stages of self-cultivation which, in Analects, is learing how to behave morally and according to norms li . First stage of cultivation means that one follows li without any alteration, second stage – one can apply them knownig that some changes can be made. The third stage – junzi stage means that norms li no longer limit a moral person. Junzi follows them because it is his ren nature.

Zdravlje kao vrijednost te pravo na zdravlje u ranoj kineskoj kulturi

Author(s): Ivana Buljan / Language(s): Croatian Issue: 03/143/2016

This paper investigates the relationship between health and early Chinese culture, and especially considers the concept of health as value and right in the early Chinese cultural context. In the 4th century B. C. E. in China medical manuscripts began to appear, dealing with the questions of health maintenance and the achievement of longevity. They argue that health is not sinply given, but is an achievement which requires permanent investment. In these texts, health is understood as a condition that is greater than the mere absence of illness. It is considered as the state of being in harmony, a reflection and a result of the appropriate governing of life’s breath (qi). Following this argument, medical texts develop methods for controlling the qi, such as an appropriate diet, breathing exercises, physical activity etc. They are used to “cultivate life” (yang sheng), that is, to achieve the preservation of health. However, the tradition of “cultivating life” was also criticized in texts coming from different backgrounds, especially in the text of Master Zhuang and Confucian texts. This paper analyses their fundamental arguments. It specially focuses on the Confucian reaction because Confucianism became a leading ideology since Han dynasty (200. B. C. E. – 220 C. E.), and thus a dominant form of thinking which marked the traditional Chinese culture. The paper sets out the concept of health as value and right in relation to the Confucian ethical principles, as well as Confucian understanding of the individual and its relation to the society.

Czego muzyk improwizator może się nauczyć od mistrza sztuk walki?

Author(s): Rafał Mazur / Language(s): Polish Issue: 2/2013

In the Confucian cultural circle it is believed that the efficiency and quality of one’s actions is closely determined by the quality of one’s “work with qi.” This belief is found equally in philosophical writings, texts on aesthetics, and notes of masters of the martial arts, as well as within the so-called “folk/common wisdom.” The phenomenon of “working with qi” is related to working on one’s mind, and on closer examination seems adaptable and applicable in contexts other than that of Chinese culture. In this article I will try to explain what the “work with qi” consists in on the example of Taijiquan martial art, and then sketch a theoretical possibility of “working with qi” in the practice of free improvisation in contemporary music.

Budistinė Samdhinirmocana Ir H. G. Gadamerio Hermeneutika: Lyginamoji Analizė

Author(s): Tadas Snuviškis / Language(s): Lithuanian Issue: 90/2017

Gadamer’s hermeneutics and Buddhist samdhinirmocana are two different traditions of interpretation that have common parallels between them. Samdhinirmocana is closely related to the Buddhist religious context and developed as guidelines to interpret the words of Buddha (Buddhavācana). The similarities between Gadamer’s hermeneutics and Buddhist samdhinirmocana can be indicated at various levels. In the paper Sache selbst of Gadamer and paramārtha of samdhinirmocana are highlighted as examples of providing ways for any interpretation of an object. In both theories the interpretation process is grounded in a particular situation. The hermeneutics of Gadamer and Buddhist samdhinirmocana do not seek objective understanding, but the one, which preserves the intention of the other, while exploring it in different profiles.

„Nowy” konfucjanizm w krajach Azji Wschodniej

Author(s): Roman Sławiński / Language(s): Polish Issue: 1/2010

ANALYSING THE SYSTEMATISATION OF JUCHE AND ITS OUTPUT

Author(s): Timo Schmitz / Language(s): English Issue: 1-2/2022

The North Korean state doctrine Juche regards itself as philosophical system, though from a Western angle, it fails to fit into the definition of philosophy. Nevertheless, it is interesting to analyze whether it shares the basic characteristics demanded of a philosophical system with emphasis to system, because if it is a systemized thought, then it might be transferred into a philosophical stage. To do so, it must have a philosophical nature as ground which has to be excavated from all the non-philosophical elements and laid bare to unfold. In this paper, we will see that though Juche itself is not fully systemized, it consists of principles which are of philosophical nature, as well as extensions to accelerate the power in the hands of a few and guarantee obedience. If these undemocratic features are given up, several doctrines might unfold that could give a perspective, while Juche as it is now has no future to lead into transformation to a democratic nation-state.

Religia și arhitectura. Explorând budismul contemporan în Templul Wat Rong Khun din Thailanda

Author(s): Andre Magpantay / Language(s): English,Romanian Issue: 14/2022

Forms of religious architecture such as temples serve as a testament to people’s ability to create and construct meanings related to faith and spirituality. In Buddhism, temples are holy grounds for meditation and spaces where different symbols, icons, and imagery meet. In 1997, the Wat Rong Khun temple in Thailand was opened to visitors. This paper examines the materiality, materialization, and the subsequent perception of the White Temple as art through the analysis of its visual semiotics and of its context. Important perceptions of the Buddhist faith such as the samsara and the trikaya are reviewed and related to the temple structure. The four elements and parts of the architecture are the focus of this study: the golden building, the bridge of the cycle of rebirth, the gates of heaven, and the Ubosot or the principal building. The analysis reveals that the material and its specific image, as well as its materialization are used to reflect religious perspectives, predominantly through the combination of materials with intrinsic meanings such as concrete, wood and glass as well as through the juxtaposition of the two key colors: gold and white. The intermingling of different materials and of symbolism from different religions, folk beliefs, and popular culture connotes the unity of the past and the present. The nature of contemporary Buddhism as eclectic, syncretic and hybrid is observed throughout the “unlimited semiosis” of the temple. Hence, the Wat Rong Khun temple in Thailand serves as a prominent example of architectural experimentation using both material and perception to communicate perspectives of contemporary Buddhism in today’s world.

From Curiosity to Knowledge, from Knowledge to Wisdom: Two Tales from Ancient Asian Thoughts

Author(s): Alfredo P. Co / Language(s): English Issue: 32/2/2022

This thought piece is taken from two legendary teachings created during the axial age in China and India. It was written to introduce to the Polish agenda of how to introduce young men in transition from pupil to the student of philosophy. The story from China exemplifies the traditional Chinese culture of emphasizing tenacity and hard work to introduce people to understand the phenomenon of life and to show how a man can overcome great obstacles in the world. The story examines a variety of insights into the human disposition of perseverance, audacity, and transformative power of man with determined heart. Where seemingly absurd ideas can be carried out to fruition when people have the collective heart to push even a utopian vision aimed at changing society through symbolic interventions from heaven. The second tale from India is taken from the immortal conversation between the father and his son extracted from the Vedic text of the Upanishad. The tale reminds us of the natural foolish disposition of a young student in his study of life. He learned, the importance of human discovery of that which is permanent and unchanging and eternal. At the end, the young student realized that the trajectory of human pursuit of knowledge is to liberate himself from the drudgery of existence burdened by the sensible world. Such plight of a human pilgrim is aimed at his being taught to rise from the unreal to Real, from untrue to Truth, and from death to Immortality.

In the Beginning: Chinese Cosmogonic Myths and Taoist Philosophy

Author(s): Tetiana Danylova / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2024

The paper aims to analyse the Chinese cosmogonic myths, cosmogony, and cosmology elaborated by the ancient Chinese philosophers, particularly the representatives of Taoism. Chinese cosmogony and cosmology are most fully represented in philosophical texts, not mythological narratives. Chinese thinkers elaborated on the complex scheme of the emergence and development of the world. The source of the world's origin is not a transcendent external force. Just the opposite, this source is immanent and is based on the principle of constant changes. Chinese philosophers understood the universe as a continuous interaction of complementary forces. The interaction of complementary forces is the path of changes, i.e., the constant creation of the world and the flow of life processes. With special attention given to the Chinese Hundun myth and chaos-hundun concept, the author analyses "Tao Te Ching", "Zhuangzi", "Huaninanzi", and "Taijitu shuo".