In main religions, the concept of self occupies an important place as determines the relations between God and the person. The main differences between Western and Eastern conceptions of self reflect their understanding of the world and divine power. Buddhism is one of the oldest religions in the world which is based on old traditions and cultural norms of the Eastern hemisphere. The main peculiarity and distinction of this religion are that it emphasizes meditation practices. Zen Buddhism shows the universal character based on the ritual doctrines and unique practices which awake human spirit and consciousness. Western and Eastern conceptions of self offer different ways of thinking about the good life, and one need not be a person of religious faith in order to be ethically engaged. In both worlds, religion is one way of thinking about morality but is not the measure of it. Zen philosophy and traditions represent a unique combination of religious faith and practical advice for those who want to improve their lives and achieve happiness.
Zen Buddhism and Daoism see the concept of self as part of spiritual practices. Zen is a philosophy that can be applied by everyone who wants a good life free from worries and anxiety. As long as knowledge remains a subject-object relationship it adheres to the sphere of the unknown and its predominantly collective values. Zen scholars propose the fateful plunge into the unknown. The best principle of Zen is that knowledge assumes the aura of individuality and subjectivity. The individual has reached a clear mind realizes that his very own knowledge bears the mark of universality (Eberhard 4).
In contrast to Eastern understanding of the self, Western tradition defines and explains it as a part of social formation and individual qualities rather than a divine nature of humans. The people acquire quite extensive knowledge of religious doctrines and history. The information is limited by traditional prejudices and misinterpretations and by social concerns. On the historical level, Western studies provide arguments that reduced the role of self in personal development to an inauthentic deviation from original teaching. On this level, the self is demonstrated to be inferior to Christianity. And on the practical level, the critical state is used as proof of the inadequacy of doctrines (Moeller 36).
Even those who gradually arrived at an understanding attitude to the self concluded that it would certainly have to yield to Christianity. Following Suzuki, the straightforward frankness of the self as it comes to life each instant, even without effort, even without training, you are beautifully born each instant. If a person of the Eastern religion is faced with a complicated problem or has to accept a decision, he just steps back and views the problem in contemplative objectivity. Though the everyday reality is reaffirmed, subject-object duality is now overcome with the realization of everything being really just as it is, the realization that takes place in the absolute present. Within this absolute present, the Eastern person tries to realize things as they are, in their individuality, but without opposing and impeding one another (Suzuki 73).
The western men dismiss propaganda as stereotyped and reactionary slander and interpreted the methods of the religion as expressions of an outdated faith, hopelessly condemned to Self-destruction. At the same time, it is apparent that the meetings exerted a strong influence and, especially in the provinces, stirred up further resistance and often resulted in violent obstruction of religious work As rejection is closely related to obvious signs of social expansion, it is almost predictable that all sorts of social interactions are disturbed. In the western world, while social relations and communication practices coexist in an established harmony, religious traditions come as an intruder, overturning the rules and disrupting the harmony. The natural response of the society is to defend itself by excluding the intruder through social sanctions (Moeller 39). As one of the fundamental units in Western society, the household would usually find it intolerable to accept faith among its individual members. The Eastern tradition is established as the religion of the household, it was very difficult for people to withstand the pressure. Even though the records have little data about such pressure, it is probably one of the main factors that kept people away from contact with work (Eberhard 6).
Following basic Daoism principles such as bravery tinged with heroism and honor and glory, people have been convinced that between personal traits, personal ethics, everyday life, there are universal relations and that they could not change anything without ruining the small personal world. This moral disquiet gets represented in the division between calm and chaos, which substitutes for the opposition “good versus bad.” Regulating personal views and feelings, emotions, and reactions towards events help to affirm for ourselves and for others that we have not abandoned all our principles (Watts 22). The principle of self-control in the face of any event is crucial in my life. In Eastern religion, meditation helps people to concentrate on building a self-contained alternative world, somehow parallel to and preferably insulated from, the world of patience. Moreover, the attempt to impose collectivism creates a universe where individual personalities become all-important and in which you can’t criticize anyone’s performance of a particular task without it being seen as a total attack on the person. It thus becomes impossible to distinguish “doing a bad job” from being a bad person (Moeller 40).
The Western traditions influence the formation of the Self through socialization practices and social communication. The background of this consternation is a desperate recognition of the weakness of religion and a terror of the power of Christianity. The interrogations were characterized by a strong nationalistic feeling and an overwhelming sense of inferiority. In the West, educational institutions influenced the formation of the Self, while in the East religion is the main source of Self-development. The Taoist protest is not only directed against the loss of traditional privileges; it also criticized clauses that deprived the main abbots of their authority to decide internal supremacy and religious matters and instead allowed the government to interfere in religious matters without granting Buddhism any privileged status (Moeller 65).
In sum, the search for “the self” is a very interesting and captivating process that attracts many people. Principles of Daoism can help me to change my life and, probably, find the truth. Principles and concepts of Daoism can be used as a moral and emotional guide for everyone who needs support and understanding. Locating Buddhism on which different authors seem to agree on offers a way assert the moral coherence of a particular view; it invests a particular argument with an air of objectivity and fairness. The Eastern tradition has been “coined” by ancient philosophers and their followers. In contrast to the Western world, the Eastern understanding of the Self makes nature close to common people helping them to become a part of universal spirit and wisdom. Eastern understanding teaches that the way of thinking and interpretation of the world is crucial for human happiness and consciousness. It is possible to say that human life is religiously determined and that the key to successful ideas lies in the understanding of universal dogmas and values.
References
Eberhard, W. A Dictionary of Chinese Symbols: Hidden Symbols in Chinese Life and Thought. London: Routledge, Chapman and Hall 1988.
Moeller, Hans-Georg. Daoism Explained: From the Dream of the Butterfly to the Fishnet Allegory. Chicago: Open Court 2004.
Suzuki, D.T. Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind. Weatherhill, 1973.
Watts, A. The Spirit of Zen: A Way of Life, Work, and Art in the Far East Grove Press, 2000.