Eastern philosophy is a combination of Asian philosophies and includes philosophies from the Chinese, Iranian, Japanese, Indian and Korean cultures. Most people believe that the Eastern philosophy originated in China. Several common terms that originated from Eastern philosophy include karma, nirvana, yoga, and yin and yang. Many people also relate Confucius with Eastern philosophy. This philosophy contains numerous positions on thinking. One common thought of this is that the universe has layers of reality. This philosophy also believes in the use of meditation.
The four main religions in the Eastern philosophy are Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism. It is important to note, however, that the Eastern philosophy itself, is not a religion. It is much less ritualistic and focuses on answering questions relating to the cosmos. Eastern philosophy is also much different than Western philosophy. In western philosophy, the creator of the universe is God; while in the Eastern philosophy, there is no explanation of who created the universe. It is just simply there.
The Eastern Philosophical approach envelopes physical health much more than traditional Western thought. Philosophy literally translates as “love of wisdom,” and in Eastern Philosophy wisdom is integral to the development of health. Eastern Philosophy maintains a healthy life is a balance between body and mind. The Buddha’s great feat of enlightenment was the ability to self-manage his mental suffering by conscious awareness practices. The Indian yoga tradition still combines physical exertion and meditation to therapeutically treat mental disorders like anxiety and depression.
Historically the oldest form of alternative medicine is based on the ancient Chinese Taoist and Buddhist philosophical principals where healing involves the body and mind being balanced. Also important to Chinese tradition is the belief that a person and their environment are closely interlinked. The Yin and Yang principle, another element of Chinese Philosophy, exemplifies how forces opposite but important to each other create harmony within the body to keep disease at bay. Balance is a key tenet to all Eastern Philosophy, balance between body and mind, and balance between the self and the world. Spiritual happiness and physical health are intertwined and dependent on each other for the balance necessary to be well and whole.
Eastern philosophy is fast becoming one of the most popular subjects of study world over, be it colleges, cultural institutes and independent studies. Eastern philosophy is the study of Asian philosophies; it encompasses countries in Asia like China, Japan, India, Nepal, Iran, Korea, Sri Lanka and many other countries found in the region. Eastern Philosophy covers cultural, religious and personal philosophies of the people living in these countries, these philosophies can originate from other regions and countries, that lie outside of Asia but if they are embraced by the people of Asia and become a part of their lives, these philosophies can also be studied under Eastern philosophies.
Since most philosophies in Asia stem from the religious beliefs of the people, the region is generally divided for study according to religious standing. Hinduism, Buddhism, Islamic Monotheism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucian and Jewish beliefs and traditions are generally part of Eastern philosophy studies. In today’s global world Eastern philosophy is increasingly becoming one of the most popular subjects simply because as the world grows smaller, people want to understand and learn about other cultures and philosophies to communicate with each other and to facilitate globalization.
In the The Dhammapada, which is a fundamental text of Bhuddism, the Bhudda postulates that suffering flows from evil thought. The relationship between suffering and evil is an old idea. As a child I read the story of Pandora’s box. The idea of the all the evil and the suffering flowing out of this box followed by a glimmer of hope has stuck with me. In the Eastern Philosophy of the Bhudda I can see the same image of evil and suffering flowing out from our thoughts. I believe that our thoughts also contain hope.
In Eastern Philosophy the search for inner peace is a bulwark against evil thoughts that rise from our subconscious. If we fill our thoughts with hope and peace perhaps we become that in the world. The link between our thoughts and our actions is tenuous, but even the glimmer of hope is bright in a sea of darkness.