Over the past few weeks, we’ve studied a variety of Eastern religions and philosophies that deal with self-sacrifice. Among these are Hinduism where the goal is to reach nirvana, Buddhism that is based on the teachings of the Buddha in the “Four Noble Truths” and Taoism that deals with Wu Wei. These three religions call for the detachment from desires in order to achieve a higher state of mind. I think that most of the teachings, but not all of them are healthy.
In Buddhism, suffering is cause by the attachments and cravings of desire. Therefore, if we end desire than suffering also ends. I think this approach is healthy because it teaches a person that desires like lust, bitterness, and cruelty are not the right way. In Hinduism, a person needs to realize the unity of all existence, knowledge of one’s self and be unselfish to be able to achieve nirvana where they are free from all suffering. I think that this is a healthy way because it benefit’s a person mentally and psychically when they don’t put themselves above everything else. For Taoism, however, I have a different opinion. The Wu Wei basically says that a person needs to do what everyone else is doing. They also need to let things unfold their own way so that there’s no desire outcome or manipulation. As a result, a person is always in a state of non-doing because they are letting others take the decision for them. It is wise to willingly give up our consciousness because you are in search of yourself by reaching higher spiritual levels.
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Wu wei means acting by not consciously acting or, using more contemporary phraseology, "go with the flow". Contrary to what you wrote above, I know of no place in any of the ancient Taoist texts where people are encouraged "to do what everyone else is doing." In fact, Taoists promote the precise opposite.
ReplyDeleteThe I also think that Buddhism presents a healthy way of self-sacrifice. Disconnecting yourself from basic luxuries can help you see the simplest things and understand that more things are important, thus allowing one to better understand the struggle of suffering.
ReplyDeleteFor Taoism I think you brought up a good point. If everyone needs to do what everyone else is doing then what would be the standard in life? Life needs some standards because with out them there would be mass havoc. Also if everyone is supposed to let things work out naturally, it would again create mass havoc. These ideas are not really suitable for a healthy life style.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations, Johanna on getting a post from an outside reader--that's a first. (Do you see the point he/she is making? Doing what everyone else is doing means following the crowd. It's not quite right to say Taoists let others make decisions for them, since they have decided to to live according to the Tao--the Tao is not an "other." I thought you said it better when you wrote, "They also need to let things unfold their own way so that there’s no desire outcome or manipulation." See the difference?
ReplyDeleteI'd also like to hear more about why you think it's healthy to end suffering the Buddhist way by abondoning our sense of self. Don't we also discard happiness when this happens?