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Compare 2 to 3 eastern philosophies and descibe how they compare?

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Compare 2 to 3 eastern philosophies and descibe how they compare?

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  1. all paths lead to the same place internally and eternally.  The path you choose to go to get there may be very different from the path another choosed to take but in the end they all end up in the same place.  That is what makes them all the same, not just one or two.


  2. The sages in the Upanishads (as does the Buddha) call for the eradication of all ignorance. We are told that when ignorance is dispelled, “the infinitely great outside of us becomes the infinitely great within us,” which is another way of saying that our inner self, atman, merges with our outer self, Brahman. In the Buddhist philosophy of Nishida’s self-awakening, we hear pretty much the same refrain. He says, “When the ego awakens to its radical finitude--its nothingness, realization occurs.” In all these spiritual teachings we hear the echo of the “outside” and “inside” becoming one. Again, “at the point of total openness and freedom,” says Nishida, “the self is no longer separate from, but realizes its oneness with all the myriad things of the universe.” When the ego realizes the illusion of its “I,” “me,” “mine,” identity, and stops seeing itself as an independent entity, it looks straight through itself and sees “wholeness.” The realization that atman equals enlightenment, the realization that “nothingness of self” equals enlightenment. Are we really talking about two different things here? In the Chandogya Upanisad, we hear once again, --upon the realization of atman, “the formed and the unformed, the mortal and the immortal, the abiding and the fleeting, the being and the beyond” all become one with Brahman. In the absolute nothingness of self, says Nishitani, “you find the convergence of opposites—self and non self, being and nonbeing, the personal and the impersonal, the unique and the universal.” How often do we have to hear this refrain before the connection becomes obvious? In Brahman, we find the realization of the unity of reality. In the  ÃƒÂ¢Ã‚€Âœnothingness of the self,” according to Nishitani, we find the dissolution of “all contradictions of the world, such as inside and outside, one and all, evil and good.” In the yogi’s “moksha,” and the Buddha’s “nirvana,” enlightened experience all, where is the difference? Maybe it-- the difference-- lies in getting there.

    The Upanishads teach that liberation will not be found “in outward movement into the world.” It is the inward journey into the self that permits liberation. According to the teachings of the Upanishads, it is the longing for meaning and purpose, plus a desire to end human restlessness that leads a person down the path toward enlightenment.



    The Bhagavad-Gita, gives us another approach to liberation. “He who knows Atman overcomes sorrow,” and here, overcoming sorrow means practicing yoga. The Gita tells us that the final liberation, the state where the self-imposed boundaries of individuality are transcended, is the goal of yoga. In the Upanishad’s the yogi is called away from society, but in the Gita, in order to progress spiritually, the aspirant is called to duty, in honor of society. The practices of Karma Yoga and/or Bhakti Yoga (the yoga of duty and love, respectively), if done whole-heartedly, bring liberation. In the Bhagavad-Gita the god, Kishna, told Arjuna, the warrior prince, that his “jiva self,” his mind-body self, was not his atman. But, if he did his duty, if he met the Pandavas, his cousins, on the battlefield (while remaining unattached to the “fruits” of his actions), then he would realize his atman and win release (moksha). It was no longer necessary, taught the Gita, to renounce the world to achieve Brahman. It should be noted that although the Gita emphases the practice of Karma Yoga and Bhakti Yoga, it was not critical of other forms of yoga, e.g., Hatha, Laya, Raja, etc. In that regard, its teachings remained consistent with the earlier Upanishadic teachings.

  3. Compare to what? I presume you mean the non-eastern (semitic) traditions - Judaism, Christianity, Islam. Well here goes (and this is entirely a personal interpretation, distilled from my own observations). The most striking difference I see is that in the Eastern traditions, ultimate salvation (moksha, nirvana) is of the INDIVIDUAL; while in the Semitic traditions it is of the COLLECTIVE (umma, chosen people, Christains). So this leads to a marked difference on how the two ethical systems have evolved. For example, in the East, the self (and by extension, family, kith, kin) are all important and behaviour such as 'nepotism' is just not considered unethical (you owe it to your family to favour them). Moreover, the semitic concept of a 'day of judgment' being absent, it is your individual 'karma' which damns or redeems you. In the semitic traditions, on the other hand, the larger good prevails over the individual need, and coupled with a sense of ultimate accountability, leads to a different code of ethics. Which is why I think international measures of 'corruption' for instance are flawed - instead they should look at the institutionalised means of 'corruptibility' in each society.

  4. Confucism

    Buddhism

    Taoism

    Taoism deals with the nature of the Universe, the Path (Tao) and life in harmony with the Tao

    Confucism is more a practical guide to life  (virtue, knowledge)

    Buddhism is religion and/or philosophy dealing with the nature of suffering, self-awareness, enlightenment etc.

    *very simplified answer

  5. Hinduism is a conglomeration of Brahmanism, Jainism, and Buddhism with their own development over the last 2000 years. There is as much variety in the variety of practices and beliefs as there are practitioners. The end aim is to merge with the ultimate reality and transcend this vale of pain and delusion.

    Jainism is a more commit ed form because Jains avoid any chance of killing an animal.

    Buddhism has many varieties and the aim of most Buddhist sects is to merge with the ultimate reality which is beyond knowing and naming. The methods vary.

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