all cultures of the world have sought to develop an understanding of themselves, their realities and search for deeper truths. while the scientific and reductionist worldview of European thought has worked to formulate and postulate about the world, a divergence of thought also flourished throughout the East with a more holistic view of existence. these different ideals and thoughts have certainly cross-pollinated and crossed over the years. Today, the old dichotomy and division of Eastern and Western thought has largely dissolved or converged. in the last century or so, these worldviews were more alienated from each other.
In a seemingly faster-paced world with no sanctuary or peace of mind, it’s time we got back to these books on Eastern philosophy. discover what has been lost and what can be found again.
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This influential and widely known Chinese text is attributed to the great sage Lao Tzu. Brief and whimsical, the “Tao Te Ching” is more like Aesop’s folk fables than fundamental religious doctrine. it is a thin and fast-reading book, but it leaves behind new depths about the nature of being and reality. Stephen Mitchell’s poetic translation keeps the wisdom intact.
Considered the founding text of Taoism, the “Tao Te Ching” takes its reader to a new harmonious way of existing in the world. Taoism is the paradoxical concept of non-action or “doing-not-doing”. Mitchell writes in the introduction that: “The game plays the game; the poem writes the poem; we cannot distinguish the dancer from the dance.”
“fill your bowl to the brim and it will overflow. keep sharpening your knife and it will dull. chase money and security and your heart will never loosen. worry about people’s approval and you will be their prisoner. do your work, then step back. the only path to serenity”.
– lao tzu
“the analects” are a collection of Confucian sayings after the fact; they were written sometime after his death in 497 BC. Confucius’ goal was to create and defend the ideal vision of what a man should be. he wanted to perfect one’s moral character and develop the methods to achieve such a grand goal.
Based on many different ancient Chinese texts and philosophies already in existence, the philosophy or religion of Confucianism has gone through many iterations. It shares a similarity with Christianity and the works of Socrates, as both these philosophies and religions had the words of their leaders written down by their devotees after their deaths.
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one of the great classics of world literature, “the analects” must be read firsthand to be truly understood.
“Not arguing with a man worthy of conversation is wasting the man. to argue with a man who is not worthy of conversation is to waste words. the wise waste neither men nor words.” – confucius, “the analects”
“the i ching” has had an immense influence on the world. it has influenced Chinese thought for thousands of years and has radically changed Western notions of mathematics and psychology in recent centuries. As the basis for binary code and a host of other interesting phenomena, “the I Ching” is one of the oldest efforts to try to reconcile the human mind in the grand cosmic scheme of things.
richard wilhelm’s translation is the definitive book on “the i ching”, serving as a reference, commentary and faithful interpretation of the original text. the book can be used in various ways, and stands as the source of Confucian and Taoist philosophy.
Nowhere is there a more complete picture of the rich spiritual realm and world of the Hindu faith. Regarded as a masterpiece of Sanskrit poetry, “The Bhagavad Gita” is one of our best sources for ancient Hinduism. it is part of a larger epic called the “mahabharata”, but it is the cornerstone of the religion.
The story describes a battle between two great armies when the god Krishna descends in the middle of the battle to enlighten the warrior Arjuna. The epic is a long-running, non-linear philosophical treatise on notions of freedom, understanding, the meaning of life, and the nature of reality. the concepts of the cyclical nature of time and the cosmic unity of the universe are expressed in this book.
“The impermanent appearance of happiness and anguish, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of the seasons of winter and summer. they arise from sense perception, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed.” – “the bhagavad gita”
Herman Hesse’s classic has resonated with countless generations and remains an inspiring novel. the story is written in simple verse and follows a wealthy Indian Brahmin who leaves a life of privilege and religiosity to try to find true spiritual fulfillment. Hesse’s treatment of religious enlightenment is diverse, as it intertwines with classical Eastern thought, Jungian psychology, and existentialism.
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siddhartha leaves home with his friend govinda and journeys through the many iterations of the quest for enlightenment. he is not confined to any piety or guru worship, as he joins the ascetics, follows the buddha and even rejects him before becoming a rich man and experiencing the pleasures of the world. he soon realizes that all experience is provisional and self-dependent. only the individual can find his own enlightenment.
“Words do not express thoughts very well. they always become a bit different immediately after they are expressed, a bit distorted, a bit silly. and yet I am also pleased and right that what is of value and wisdom to one man should appear foolish to another.” – herman hesse, “siddhartha”
this is the account of a life of experience and spiritual search of the man who would begin his journey as dr. Richard Alpert and Transcend in Baba Ram Dass. At once a biography, an exploration of mysticism, and a 1960s counterculture period piece, “Be Here Now” is a fascinating and offbeat book. it is a book to be experienced. there are many illustrations and wonderful poetic distillations of the world’s many religions.
ram dass has a simple message and that is to live in the present moment.
“At the beginning of the journey, you wonder how long the journey will take and if you will make it in this lifetime. later you will see that where you are going is here and you will arrive now… so stop asking.” – baba ram dass, “be here now”
Alan Watts wrote and lectured on Zen Buddhism for much of his life. he had an amazing way of explaining his practices and principles to the curious early Western readers of the mid-twentieth century. Watts considered Zen to be “one of Asia’s most precious gifts to the world”. he wrote:
“Since opposing principles, or ideologies, are irreconcilable, wars fought on principle will be wars of mutual annihilation. but wars fought out of simple greed will be much less destructive, because the aggressor will be careful not to destroy what he is fighting to capture. Reasonable, that is, human, men will always be able to compromise, but men who have become dehumanized by becoming blind worshipers of an idea or an ideal are fanatics whose devotion to abstractions makes them enemies of life. alan watts, “the way of zen”
watts explains how far zen can take you before the switch clicks and you’re plunged into cosmic laughter. Although Zen is a branch of Buddhism, it is more concerned with the ideals of spontaneous thought and action. emptiness, detachment from desire and even giving up the idea of enlightenment are principles of zen that watts exposes in a playful and profound way.
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