The greatest difference between Western philosophy and
Eastern (from my understanding anyway) is the relationship between the mind and
body. Western thinking embraces the mind and all it is capable of. It lends
itself to analytical, linear thinking and rationality. On the other hand
Eastern philosophy, and thus Yogic, Taoist, and Buddhist ethics also embrace
the capability of the mind but do not forsake that what the mind is capable of
understanding is linked to what the body
can experience.
Our “true self” cannot be reached by simply exploring the
boundaries of rational thinking but by engaging the world around us physically.
Our path to our true identity is not a set of linear paths but an ocean of
experiences we must me faced with and overcome. They are not necessarily set in
a step by step process, although some are only attainable after others have
been mastered.
I too have struggled with this at times, having been raised in
the Western Hemisphere where the age old stories of Greco Roman culture still
bear significance and it is easy to lose sight and forgot the Eastern Philosophy
is not as straightforward as Western is. They both may hope to reach a similar
goal but Eastern philosophy has hopes that if you seek enlightenment of any
kind it is not to be done by neglecting one’s body but by using it.
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