Comparative World Philosophies Final
As we can see with Sri Aurobindo’s essay, before we can begin discussing notions such as reincarnation, it is important to get to know ourselves first, and to understand the notion of the Self. An understanding of the Self for the Vedantist ultimately results in our understanding that we are ultimately part of something much larger—we are all Atman. Atman is the unchanging reality that underlies all things; everything that we perceive as real is actually Maya, or illusion. Our bodies are created by Atman, and are made of everything that is not Atman. Bodies are merely surface work, a matter of convenience, which allow us to concentrate on the present. Ultimately, however, we are largely determined beings, determined by a divine universal moral law, which takes the form of the notion of Karma. According to the law of Karma, we reap what we sow. If we hope to someday achieve immortality from the constant cycle of rebirth we, must partake in correct action in life, and become enlightened of Atman.
In many ways, this would be complementary to the idea of the Western God, which has provided us with directions on how to live our lives. This divine law has already determined the consequences of our actions. This idea, however, is in direct contrast to Sartre’s atheistic view of the world that stems largely from the idea that nothing would change if God does not exist. In complement with Vedantist thought, Sartre feels that it is important to understand the true nature of the self, but he does not feel that we are determined and will-less.
Sartre would agree that correct action is necessary—but not because there is a doctrine that dictates it. The necessitation of correct action is brought about by the “doctrine” of the eyes of humanity that are upon you. We are constantly keeping ourselves in check because we are always considering the effect of our actions, not just on a personal, immediate level, but also, on a societal, timeless level. Our actions are very likely to have a ripple effect through time, and for this reason, we must be responsible in our actions.
This is not too different from Buddhist thought. In Buddhist thought, which is non-theistic, there is the notion of Anatman. Anatman refers to the Buddhist idea that there is no unchanging reality that people are all part of. Instead, the Buddhist sees reality as constantly changing. We are part of this reality and our identity is made up of Karma flowing apparently uninterrupted, and constantly changing through time. Similarly, to Sartre, we are nothing else than our acts.
One problem with free will is the problem of evil. Without God or some form of divine guidance, are we inherently evil? As with many of the religions that had split from Hinduism, the imperfection in the universe—the suffering and evil—led to doubts in God. To Sartre, the notion that God does not exist is “distressing” since there is no longer the notion of the Good, and “all possibilities of finding values in a heaven of ideas disappears.”
The question of evil also arises in the Chinese tradition, also an atheistic tradition. There is, however, still belief in the heaven—not in terms of looking for a doctrine, but to see what works, and in doing so, finding the knowledge of the Way. There is no value in telling people the Way, but we are all, by nature, good, and listening to our hearts and not to our sensory organs, helps get us there.
Mencius’ idea that we should to follow our heart, which can think, rather than our sensory organs, which cannot, is similar to Sartre’s idea that man should follow a plan rather than a want. In fact, it is not too dissimilar from Buddhist thought, which says that to live is to suffer, suffering comes from desire, to end suffering we must end desire, and desire can be ended through the Noble Eightfold Path. The Noble Eightfold Path, in turn, is a set of advice about correct living.
All of these philosophies embrace the idea of education. For Mencius, although humans are innately capable of becoming good, the influence of society and our surroundings can corrupt us. If our society and surroundings do not nurture us, we can become bad. Similarly, the Buddhist idea that the source of suffering is desire can be related here—with many of the desires we have stemming from desires created by the influence of society, for example material desires. Aurobindo’s essay does not discuss the idea of goodness in Buddhist or Vedantist thought, but the implication of an enlightenment from a correct way of living suggests that we strive for the Good. While Sartre feels that there is no human nature, he does feel that we are all inclined to do good since our actions will involve all mankind. The teaching of society—experience and history—are our textbooks, and ultimately, we are our own teachers.
In all three cases, the nurturing of the understanding of the self is most stressed. Aurobindo ends by urging us to detach ourselves from our physical bodies and to come into contact with our true Self. Sartre points out that we are just our plan, we are nothing other than our acts. As such, we are urged not just to act and create ourselves, but to have a plan—to think at a level higher than the individual, day-to-day, sensory level. Mencius ends his discussion saying that we need to get in touch with the “great man” within us—the teaching of our hearts. Denying the teaching of our hearts cripples us, just like, in Aurobindo’s mind, denying the Self is missing the secret of our being. As J. Krishnamurti put it, “Society is what you and I, in our relationship, have created; it is the outward projection of all our inward psychological states. So if you and I do not understand ourselves, merely transforming the outer…has no significance whatever.”
Whether or not we believe in God, or in an after life, it is important to be able to detach yourself from the individual—from the small self, the ego-self—and realize that we are part of a bigger “plan” or reality. Reality is not just our lives, for in a sense, we do persist in the consequences of our actions. This brings up the importance of education in our society. In many ways, it is not so much education as much as it is providing people with an environment that promotes social growth and well being. It can be dangerous to offer solutions, especially if we are, as Aurobindo feels, quick to accept ideas in a rough, crude, unexamined manner. Considering that, perhaps we should place more faith in humanity and encourage the individual to find their place in the world.