The goal is the fulfillment of a life of learning such that one comes to accord with the Way of Heaven, not in some eschatological point beyond life, but within one's life itself. And what of the afterlife? Simply of no concern and thus no articulation.
By focusing on the common source inherent in each individual, instead of on the differences that separate us, we can begin to transform the world around us from the inside out.
Wisdom is the Bodhisattva perfection that brings true and lasting happiness as well as the end of all suffering. With the attainment of this virtue, a Bodhisattva becomes a fully-enlightened being. He or she knows, from experience, the complete path to enlightenment.
Where world religions are often seen to incorporate the metaphor of darkness and light, little has been considered of a Confucian view of darkness and light or the nadir of light at Winter Solstice.
As with every religious tradition, there are often stereotypes that frequently belie the subtlety or complexity of a worldview to the detriment of a full understanding of its teachings and practices.
So, you think you're enlightened? So did our three intrepid inanimate objects at the end of our previous episode. But if you don't stay conscious, enl...
You are not alone in your quest for enlightenment. The three most neurotic inanimate objects in the universe are on the same quest. And in the latest...
In this episode, the discussion branches off into art and creativity. Surely the desire to express ourselves cannot be excluded from any argument about the purpose of existence?
When you are seeking inner peace, sometimes nothing else will do but to watch a rock, a piece of paper and a pair of scissors discuss the meaning of life.
You need to see inanimate objects discussing the meaning of life. This series of videos features inanimate objects discussing the meaning of life. Talk about a win-win.
Have you ever gotten to a point in your life where you feel like the old paradigms just aren't cutting it? Have you entertained the thought that maybe "all is vanity and striving after wind"?
Does all suffering come from desire? What is desire, anyway? What would we be without it? The debate continues in this, the second installment of an ongoing philosophical discussion among three strangely-vocal inanimate objects.
This is a genuine inquiry into the nature of life, desire, suffering and happiness. I hope you will enjoy taking this philosophical journey with the three most neurotic, supposedly non-sentient beings in the universe.
The philosophy of Ubuntu derives from a Nguni word, ubuntu meaning "the quality of being human." Ubuntu manifests itself through various human acts, clearly visible in social, political, and economic situations, as well as among family.
The point of a resolution is the establishment of a goal and the commitment to that goal. We want to be a better person whatever our religious or non-religious persuasion and we make a resolution to pursue ways to fulfill that goal.
And so, in turning toward Confucius we will look for what he believed to be that highest ideal of which he felt each and every person was capable. Such an ideal was captured for Confucius in the term chün tzu, Noble Person.
Could the Confucian perspective on learning be the reason for Russell's great admiration of Chinese thought after his visit to China in the early 20th century?
We need to understand that in the centuries following Confucus' death, his teachings became the official ideology of the Chinese state, a position held with virtually no break into the 20th century.
There are moments in which your mind becomes so entirely absorbed in the activity that you "forget yourself" and begin to act effortlessly, with a heightened sense of awareness of the here and now.
The Eastern philosophy makes perfect sense for anyone who has ever noticed that no matter what you may do or ingest in your physical body, what works for one person may not work equally for another.
Stephen Batchelor does not look like a man at the center of a storm. But the calm, bespectacled 57-year-old Englishman is in the eye of a hurricane of...