Multiple perspectives
All posts by Lao Xia
Chinese philosophy: two approaches
Last week I bought two new books on Chinese philosophy: The Path by Michael Puett and Christine Gross-Loh and Chinese Philosophy. An Introduction by Ronnie L. Littlejohn.
The books are both accompanied by a selection of original texts. The Path comes with a free downloadable e-book. The companion volume Chinese Philosophy: The Essential Writings is not available yet, but will be published soon.
This is where the similarities end. Both books take a completely different approach to Chinese philosophy.
The Path is a book for general readers without any previous knowledge of Chinese philosophy, based on a series of popular lectures by Harvard professor Michael Puett. More than just an introduction to Chinese philosophy it is a book for self-cultivation, aimed to show modern readers what ancient Chinese philosophers can teach us about a good life.
If you want to be inspired by Chinese philosophy in your own life, this book is an excellent starting point. Do not expect a balanced and complete account on Chinese thought. Professor Puett selected several ideas from classical Chinese teachers like Confucius, Mencius and Laozi and shows how they can offer new perspectives on our modern way of life. He also uses a lot of contemporary examples to show their relevance for us today.
In doing so he often shines a surprising new light on these classical Chinese teachers. The main point Puett makes about Confucius is his preoccupation with rituals. However, he does not portray Confucius as a conservative or a traditionalist. On the contrary, according to Puett Confucius used rituals in a new and provocative way to transform people. Confucius understood that through rituals we create “As-If” situations, alternative realities that can help us to break with old patterns and routines. “Overcoming the self and turning to ritual is how one becomes good”.
One of Puett’s main targets in his book is the western belief in an authentic and “true self”, a concept that according to him only restricts what we can become. In stead of searching for an authentic self, Chinese thinkers always took our surroundings as a starting point for self-cultivation. They teach us that we can cultivate ourselves continuously through connections and interactions with the world around us.
I really enjoyed reading The Path. It reminded me of Professor Yu Dan Explains the Analects of Confucius, another book that aims to make classical Chinese thought accessible to a broad audience. This book is based on lectures for the Chinese television and sold millions of copies in China and around the world.
Yu Dan is often criticised for her popular approach to Chinese philosophy and it is to be expected that Puett will soon receive similar criticisms from various specialists of Chinese philosophy. Such criticisms may be right or not, but in their lectures and books Puett and Yu Dan do exactly what the Chinese philosophers themselves intended to do: to educate people.
In Chinese Philosophy. An Introduction Ronnie L. Littlejohn takes a pure academic approach. The purpose of Littlejohn is not to educate his readers but to help them “understand how Chinese philosophers approach philosophical questions and what positions they take”. In his book he explores the historical, political and cultural significance of key texts, thinkers and movements from classical times to the present.
Littlejohn does not follow a chronological order, but he grouped philosophical questions into four thematic chapters: ontology, epistemology, ethics and political theory. In this way he is able to introduce Chinese concepts into existing debates of the (mostly western) philosophical academic world. This approach also has its disadvantages. The thematic division makes it more difficult to get a complete picture of a particular thinker or school.
Chinese Philosophy. An Introduction is certainly not an easy-reader (like The Path). For a book of less than 300 pages it touches upon a lot of topics and discussions. This is of course a great achievement in itself, but the explanations are often concise and difficult to follow for the general reader. On the other hand, the book is full of references that make the book very useful for further exploration. The forthcoming companion volume with essential writings will probably be very helpful as well.
In their own way, both books are good introductions to Chinese thinking. If you want inspiration for your own life, then The Path is a good start. If you want to learn about Chinese philosophy from a strictly historical or academic perspective, then Chinese Philosophy. An Introduction is probably the most up-to-date starting point.
I always read texts of ancient wisdom or philosophy from two perspectives: what do these texts say about the writer and the times they were written and then, more directly, I also ask myself what do these texts teach me? If you want to approach Chinese philosophy in these two ways, you can read Puett and Littlejohn side by side, no matter what these two authors themselves or others might think about that.
Happy Gamma Day!
Today is a special day. It is the first Gamma Day after the launch of this website.
Therefore I am at a special place now, the centre of the world according to the ancient Greeks. It was here in Delphi that Zeus looked for the centre of his “Grandmother Earth” (Ge, Gaea, or Gaia). Delphi was the place where the two eagles met that he had sent out flying from the eastern and western extremities.
This website is inspired by wisdom traditions of the East and West, so it is good to be here at such a central place. The temple of Apollo (in the background of the photo) was also the place where the famous Delphic maxims γνῶθι σεαυτόν (Know Thyself) and μηδέν άγαν (Nothing in excess) were carved in marble. These maxims were attributed to Apollo and to the Seven Sages of Greece.
These maxims have a prominent place on this website. I believe that in order to become wise you need to observe and know all that there is to know about the nature of your own mind. At the same time I am convinced that in everything we do we always have to find the just proportion, the Golden Mean or Golden Ratio. In these times of polarisation and extremism the wisdom of μηδέν άγαν is more important than ever.
It was on 1 April 2013 that the Gamma symbol got its final shape. After many years of searching for a life philosophy or religion that I could follow wholeheartedly, this symbol has brought a basic clarity in my mind. It combines several basic principles that will continue to guide me in my personal quest for wisdom.
The symbol does not represent the final truth. It is both philosophy and religion for beginners. The gamma way is only about the basics and does not replace any philosophy or religion. On the contrary, the gamma symbol has really opened up my mind for all wisdom traditions in the world. There is something to learn from everyone and everything.
This gamma holiday also does not replace existing rituals and traditions. In fact, in my mind the gamma way has only reinforced the meaning and value of rituals from other traditions. 1 April 2013 was also Eastern Monday. Since that time this Christian holiday has also has acquired more significance to me.
I hope that it is clear that on this website I am not looking for followers (I am not new kind of guru or priest). On the other hand, I do hope that the gamma symbol will be helpful for others too and that it can bring them the same kind of clarity of mind and direction that I have found because of it.
Even though I do not want to attract followers, I am always happy to meet like-minded fellow travelers and other wisdom seekers, because we can all learn from each other.
To all of you, I wish you Happy Gamma Day!
Potentially…
Paths of the Soul
Last week I saw the film Paths of the Soul by Zhang Yang. The film follows a group of Tibetan pelgrims on their way to Lhasa and Mount Kailash.
Every few meters the pelgrims prostrate themselves to the ground. In this way they travel thousands of kilometers. The film documents in a partly fictional, partly documentary style the whole organisation and execution of this peaceful Buddhist ritual.
Very impressive and highly recommended!
Golden ratio
“Nothing in excess” (μηδέν άγαν: mēdén ágan) was one of the famous phrases carved into the temple of Apollo at Delphi. These phrases were attributed to the Seven Sages of Greece. In our own times full of extremism and polarisation words like these seem more actual than ever.
Ancient Greek thought has always been a source of inspiration for me. Aristotle built a whole ethical theory around the principle of the golden mean, the desirable middle between two extremes. Interestingly enough, a doctrine of the mean or Middle Way can be found in many wisdom traditions around the world. To name only one, it was also central to the ethical theories of Confucius.
The golden mean has therefore become one of the three treasures of the gamma way. It is the “rational” treasure.
The first meaning of the word “rational” is: based on or in accordance with reason or logic. The ancient Greeks played an essential role in the development of logical thinking.
Rational thinking should be applied whenever it is appropriate, but the rational treasure of the gamma way does not only refer to what is reasonable or logical, it is also related to the mathematical concept of ratio. This second meaning of “rational” is: based on proportion.
The golden mean therefore not only indicates what is logical or reasonable, but also what is proportional. In this appearance the rational treasure can also be expressed as the golden ratio.
The golden ratio is an important concept in geometry, photography and art. It is not only a concept of the human mind. The golden ratio can also be discovered in many forms of creation in nature.
While the golden mean may seem to be a rather conservative and static concept, the golden ratio can more easily be associated with (efficient and natural) growth.
The presence of the golden ratio and so-called Fibonacci numbers in sunflowers is a well-known phenomenon. Apart from their beauty and constant movement towards the sun, the golden ratio is an important reason why sunflowers are to the gamma way what lotus flowers are to Buddhism.
The beauty and symbolism of the gamma sunflower is that the seeds all have different black-and-white patterns. These patterns represent our present conditions. From these seeds we need to grow and flourish as human beings, proportional to our natural potentials. And in our lives, just like sunflowers, we always create multiple seeds and conditions for the future.
The gamma way represents a cycle from seed to seeds.
The gamma way always stays within the basic realms of religions. It can be a stepping stone to and from other traditions.
There is nothing on this way that withholds anyone from going beyond the gamma and to flourish as a lotus flower or something else equally beautiful that will contribute to the wonderful diversity of life in her or his own unique way.
Personal religion
Best wishes!
Creativity
Creativity is for me the essential quality of human beings. I even prefer to call our species the homo creativus, the creative human being.
This name seems to me much more appropriate than homo sapiens (from Latin: “knowing human being”, often also translated as “wise man”). The scientific name for our species seems to imply that we are already knowing or, even more pretentious, that we are already wise.
We sure know a lot of things, but it is much wiser to be modest and aware of the limits of our knowledge.
We are certainly not born as knowing beings. We have to learn an awful lot before reaching adulthood and even as adults we actually can never stop learning.
Creativity, on the contrary, is something we all share from an early age. Creativity has often been a matter of survival for human beings. It is a key to our success as a species.
Creativity is so essential for human beings that for most religious people a Creator is also the highest form of divinity. If we are really created in Its image, our own creative potential may very well be the quality that most likens us to this Creator.
Creativity comes in many forms. It is not limited to the arts, even though art is one of its highest expressions.
Creativity is not only to be found in the things we create, there is a lot of creativity in our behaviour as well. Whether we have a free will or not, creativity is probably the clearest expression of our freedom.
Creativity in itself is neither good or bad. Human history is full of harmful creativity. If you follow the news, it is very easy to become quite pessimistic about human affairs and the state of our world today.
As a species however we cannot afford to become pessimistic. How big the challenges of our times might be, in order to survive, as always, we have to rely on our creativity.
One of the the biggest challenges now and in the future will be to find a sustainable balance between the cultural environments we have created ourselves as human beings and the natural world.
The natural world can survive without us, but we (and many other living beings with us) cannot survive outside the present condition of the natural world.
Call me a bit “optimystic“, but I still believe that it is possible to find solutions for this huge challenge before us. Never in human history there has been so much human creative potential in the world.
Unfortunately most of this creative potential is wasted. Therefore it is important to lead creativity in the right direction and move it away from self or group interest.
This is why I am trying to indicate a sweet spot of creativity. This is the spot where the creativity of our heads meets the guidance of our hearts. Creative thinking without the guidance of our hearts becomes cold and calculating. Creative thinking led by our hearts will lead to joy and happiness.
The sweet spot of creativity is also the spot where our creativity will really become inspired and be inspiring at the same time.
May this lead to positive γ-waves of creativity!
Apology Week
It must be hard to be a Muslim in the west these days. Whether you are an open-minded, moderate Muslim or not, you will probably meet several people that expect you to speak out against extremist violence.
It is good for Muslims to stand up against extremist violence. No doubts about that, but it makes me wonder how fair it is to expect a firm stance from others and at the same time expect nothing much from ourselves. Are we aware enough of our own collective responsibilities?
Not all acts of violence are as visible as a brutal bomb attack. Violence has many forms. In our modern societies we have become alienated from the effects of our collective actions. I am afraid that in the end we are all big shareholders of violence.
While I was thinking about this last week, I wondered why there is no International Apology Day? We have special days for everything.
I googled a little bit and found out that Australia already has a National Sorry Day to remember and commemorate the mistreatment of the country’s indigenous population.
Is one day enough?
Most of these special days pass unnoticed and have no lasting effect. If we are to apologise for all the violence in the present and the past committed by all the groups we belong to or descent from, we need a whole week at least!
Only a full week of apologies and reflection may actually change something in our hearts.
It is a crazy idea. I do not expect it to become very popular. Nobody likes to make apologies. Sorry really seems to be the hardest word. Even the easiest spontaneous excuses for small discomforts we cause to others seem on the decline these days.
Collective apologies are always extremely delicate. Especially nations have huge difficulties with this. If national apologies are ever made, they often take place many years after the facts.
Apologies have no value if they are imposed. An Apology Week can be facilitated in many ways, but the apologies should always remain voluntary.
If there is ever going to be a public Apology Week, it has to start with a few individuals or small groups of individuals.
So why not give it a try? This website is my personal breeding ground for religious (or philosophical) experiments. Apology Week week could very well become part of my personal religion.
The week before winter solstice (15 to 21 December), just before Christmas and the New Year, seems to be a perfect timing. All these festive days are related in various ways and mark a new beginning. It is always a good idea to have a period of reflection before a celebration and especially before good resolutions.
There is only one “problem” with this timing. My first personal Apology Week will start already in two weeks! This leaves me with very little time to think it all over and make proper arrangements.
So this first year will most likely only be a test: a week of meditation and reflection on how an Apology Week could be celebrated in a meaningful way.
Since this website is so small and the whole idea so new, I am a bit reluctant to ask already for ideas and support. But I may be wrong…
Apology Week needs some structure. I think each day should be directed to a different category of apologies.
For example:
- Day 1: Apologies to the Earth
- Day 2: Apologies to animals
- Day 3: Apologies to social groups
- Day 4: Apologies to women
- Day 5: Apologies to cultures (or nationalities)
- Day 6: Apologies to minorities
- Day 7: Apologies to individuals
As you can see, this is already quite a list!
There can be no apologies without true feelings of guilt. Still, it is not my intention to feel terribly bad about myself during this week.
Apologies often lead to feelings of relief, but I am afraid that in this case such effects will be limited. I do not feel particularly guilty now. There will be no acceptance. No absolution. During Apology Week feelings of guilt and apologies will only increase reciprocally.
It all has to be a matter of proportion. Collective feelings of guilt and apologies should always stay within a just collective proportion for an individual person.
It is no use for anyone to put all the blame of the world on his or her shoulders.
The main purpose of my first personal Apology Week will be to increase my own collective sensibilities.
If Apology Week would ever go public, this main purpose can probably stay als it is. No need to aim for reconciliations, most of us have still work to do on our non-selective collective sensibilities.
Our collective capacity to inflict harm upon the world and others has way surpassed our natural sensibilities as human beings. An Apology Week could very well prove to be a useful ritual to increase our collective sensibilities.
If so, an International Apology Week week will almost naturally lead to more compassion in the world and eventually also to collective acts of compassion as well.
Collective acts of compassion are more needed than ever.