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Michael Palomino: Truths 03: Asia's philosophies - citations and words
by Michael Palomino (2003 / 2010)
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from: Jean Herbert: "Asien" ("Asia"). Photos: Heiri Steiner. Consultants: Elsa F. Gasser, Huguette Herbert, Gottlieb Duttweiler. Edited by Migros cooperative association, Zurich, 1957
-- European "civilization" has it's base on the cultures of Asia and Arabia
-- the existence of man is a bipolar world which is a natural law. So, man is living like a horse which is torn back and forth.
The spiritual movements in Indian and in China are:
Taoism
Hinduism
Confucianism
Buddhism
Zen
Lamaism
Jainism
Caodaism
Shintoism
Islam
1. About sciences and wisdom of the East
[Europe's "civilization" has it's base on the cultures of Asia and Arabia]
The old civilizations of Asia with their populations of the Phoenicians, Babylonians, Persians, and populations of India, China and Japan all have worked on all sectors and made many inventions, and European "civilization" has got it's profit from these until now yet. Almost all of European culture has it's base on Asian products, above all on Arab culture from 700 to 1500.
From Asia came to Europe:
-- the alphabet
-- the numbers from 1 to 10 with the 0 (there was no 0 in Roman Empire)
-- algebra and it's application in geometry
-- the chess game
-- astronomy and compass and science of navigation
-- silk
-- paper
-- alcohol
-- potash
-- ammoniac (for the production of fertilizers and for the production of urea for plastics)
-- the main acids
-- many chemical procedures
-- medical cures and methods
-- in agriculture grafting of trees which was known in Babylonia in 2,000 before 0 already (p.126).
For many centuries the East gave "technical emergency help" to the West before there was a technical development in Europe (p.126).
Bipolarity of the human existence: nature law
When there is pressure - so comes counter pressure. When there is an action - there is a sudden reaction or a hesitated reaction. Chinese call this pair of forces Yin and Yang, the Koreans call it Li and Ki; for the Hindus these are gods and demons; for Jews, Muslims and Parses there are the two principles, the good principle (Jehovah, Allah, Ahura Mazda) and the evil principle (Satan, Iblis, Ahriman); Buddhist have the pair of the illusion and truth (p.1).
[This principle of "good and bad" is very aggressive and destructive with calumniations and bad propaganda and has nothing to do with wisdom. But Europe with it's "Christianity" just took over this principle and is making wars since 300 after "Christ", and since 1492 there is a world war for 500 years with racism just against these cultures of whom Europe has got it's bases of knowledge for further development].
Man as a horse torn back and forth
"The base of spiritual exercise in Asia is the horse which is representing man in it's development. Two forces are attracting the horse: one force is dark and deep in the earth has not got the courage to show it's face and wants to retain the animal. The other one, the positive force, is bright and showing it's face and has it's position over the horse already and is tearing the horse with it without any violence." (p.1)
Asia in the 1950s: also torn back and forth
One could say that this horse is representing Asia in the 20th century in the 1950s. In these years Asia is torn back and forth between the own tradition and the desire to be a part of the rich West. Asia is also spiritually torn back and forth. Asia has a big spiritual high ranked tradition against materialism (p.1).
2. Spiritual movements in India and China
Taoism
"Taoism was preached in China in 6th century before 0 (of "Christ") by Lao Tse (Laozi). There are moral sayings of high quality, with simple kind of practicing. These sayings are showing in an easy stile the abstract philosophic ideas." (p.207)
Hinduism
"The origin of Hinduism and it's philosophy in it's holy books are in a very early time. Hinduist religion has got many variations for nature and life and cannot be described in just some sentences - as Western science cannot be described in some sentences. [...] For a Hindu the holy texts, the pictures of the gods and the rites are precious and practical tools to get to the aim where all is superfluous. For a Hindu the example and the testimony of the wise of it's time are very important. These wise had the privilege to be able to see the truth or God. These wise understand manipulating the masses so the masses follow them." (p.192)
Confucianism
"Confucianism is not a real religion but is a philosophy of the great wise men of Chinese old times describing the laws of Cosmos, of social order, and describing the art of governing, and describing moral. Confucianism has got a great influence on Chinese thinking until now (1950s). It was above all Confucius in 6th and 5th century before 0 ("Christ") who represented this thinking." (p.205)
Buddhism
"First Buddhism was a variation of Hinduism which has many variations. Then Buddhism was developing itself to a separated religion spreading almost all of the Far East in a peaceful way. From India Buddhism has almost disappeared. The total of Buddhist believers is today [1957] equal with all Christian churches.
Buddhism is highly intellectual and ascetic and is a factor of peace and of love for all beings. His importance for the collaboration of a big part in Asia is underestimated." (p.199)
Zen
"First Zen was in China, then also in Japan. Since the 6th century there was the development of a very strict Buddhist group, this is Zen, with rules for moral, social and art's life in these countries. The Zen insiders have to consider all human activities as elements for reaching the mental aim. These activities are also sports and games, shooting with bow and arrow and arts of ordering flowers and exercises." (p.202)
Lamaism
"Lamaism is a special form of Buddhism in Tibet and Mongolia. There are many monks, the lamas. The lamas have occult forces and have executed a dominant influence in these two countries, even in political matters." (p.204)
Jainism
"Japan religion was created at the same time like Buddhism, but also is existing in India yet where it has never disappeared. The Jainas are the great apostles of non-violence." (p.207)
Caodaism
"There has appeared a new religion in Cochin china [South Vietnam and Eastern Cambodia] since a short time and has some million fans already: this is Caodaism. There are the prophets Buddha and Christ - but also Pasteur and Victor Hugo." (p.203)
Shintoism
"Shintoism is an essential national religion in Japan and is as old as the country itself; Shintoism is connecting culture, religion, government and cult of the gods." (p.206)
Islam
[Islam is a variation of "Christianity" in Asia]. From the beginning of 7th century
- [there is an official change of time: scientist indicate that there are missing 300 years and Islam just began after the breakdown of Roman Empire] -
Mohammed began in Arabia preaching Islam. By "holy wars" [in combination with tolerance and discrimination] his successors installed an empire over the whole old world from Atlantic to Pacific, and until now Islam is gaining territory [1957]. In Asia Islam is dominant from Turkey to Pakistan and Indonesia; there are significant Islamic groups also in USSR, in India, in China, in Indochina, and even on the Philippines (p.189).
[Since the 1960s Islam is spreading by Algerians and people from Morocco in France, and is spread by Turkish workers families in Germany, and since the 1980s Islam is spreading also by refugee families from the Islam dictatorship states in the "USA"].
[Islam is backward and dictatorial because there is no separation of religion and state. So, in many Muslim states only Muslims can get married, and most of Muslims think this is right. Secularization of Islam has hardly developed until now, and reproach of racism against Islam is more than right. A new structure of Islam in the name of human rights would be desirable. The problem is - as in any change in a religious community - that nobody wants to take the initiative because the person who is changing something is rated not "Islamic" any more by strict Islamists...].
3. Citations and words
China: Lao Tse
Create and do not possess.
Have an effect, but don't win.
Let overgrow, but don't overwhelm.
(Lao Tse, p.208)
Origin of the things is not changing. (Lao Tse, p.8)
People with courage are not violent. (Lao Tse, p.141)
Lao-Tse, translated by Feng Wo
"Courageous is who truthfully loves,
Generous is who is living in a simple way,
And persons who have no desire to be in the upper ranks
they will be adored by all the world." (p.438)
Source: Howard Fast: "The Immigrants" 1977
Tschu-Li a.o.
Spirit who gives life to all things - this spirit is love.
(Tschu-Li, p.164)
Meditation is the way which is leading to peace and luck.
(Pai Tchang, p.142)
The wise man is looking for that what is in himself,
the little man is looking for that what is outside of him. (Confucius, p.205)
There once was a Japanese bowman who never could retain an arrow and he always shot too early. One day his wife took her loved child in her arm and took position in the line of the shot. So he was forced to retain his arrow. And by this he became a famous bowman. (Mitsukuri, p.202)
Fr. Schuou
Man of another race
is as if there is coming a forgotten aspect of ourself
and by this is showing us a forgotten mirror of god.
(Fr. Schuou, p.23)
Hsiuh-Tcheu i Tcheu T'Eou Tch'an
One is taking a dust particle,
and this dust particle contains the whole Earth in all its size;
when there is a flower blossoming, so the whole universe.
(Hsiuh-Tcheu i Tcheu T'Eou Tch'an, p.24)
Bedouins
The tents have to be erected in some distance one to each other,
but the hearts shall be near one to each other.
(Saying of the Bedouins, p.55)
Cural
Behind the plow the whole world is marching.
(Cural, p.58)
Buddhism
Brothers, when someone wants to be my servant, so he shall serve to an ill person.
(Buddha, p.117)
Moon light is mirroring in the pond, without provoking marks;
the shadows of bamboo are cleaning the stairs without raising dust.
(poem of Zen Buddhism, p.78)
Rice is Buddha himself.
(Japan saying, p.60).
Living breath of spirit in the rhythm of the things.
(Okakura Kakuzo, S.151)
God lets pass the complete man many tragedies.
(D.T. Suzuki, p.132)
[because complete man or women are aware of the tragedies, the blocked people not].
The farmer is drying it's face with an end of his clothes.
Rain of May is falling on the rice field.
(Hai-Kai, little Japanese poem, p.86)
Khalil Gibran
Work is visible love.
(Khalil Gibran, p.68)
India
The person who is eating will be eaten by this what the person is eating.
(Wisdom from the Vedas, p.95)
Selling corn is commerce,
to purchase it for usury, this is murder.
(Indian saying, p.84)
The really strong man is the man who has got the courage to stay with God alone.
(T.L. Vaswani, p.198)
Take care not be possessed by your stomach.
(Ananda Mayi, p.94)
The body is only a vessel, but is serving divinity as a flat.
(Ramakrischna, p.116)
The truths confirmed by rationality are not the only ones.
(Ghazzali, p.123)
The person knowing nothing is like a boring swamp. He is;
more there is not to say.
(Kural, p.124)
Oh, our ears should hear only the right thing,
and oh, it would be great to live in peace.
(Devi-Upanishad, p.129)
World is tired of hatred.
(Gandhi, p.130)
Get to know the joy, and you will get to know God.
(Aurobindo, p.142)
A master peace of oriental art has to be contemplated in loneliness, in an isolated area only with our person, in moments in which one can enter in a deep meditation, and in moments charged with as less as possible conventions of material life.
(Aurobindo, p.181)
Arab area
There is no God but God.
(Quran, p.184)
When you bring Christ to us, then show it to us not as a civilized European
but as an Asian ascetic,
which assets are the communion and which richness is the prayer.
(Keschab Tschunder Sen, p.187)
The nights in the desert are that beautiful and holy that the angels are asking God be allowed coming down of the sky to pass the night on Earth.
(Arab saying, p.9)
For us the death is nearer than the eyelid.
(Arab saying, p.38)
The real honor is nomadic life.
(Emir Abd-el-Kader, p.55)
