scholarly journals The Significance of Ramana Maharshi's Self-Enquiry for Meditation

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 47-58
Author(s):  
DAYEONG PARK ◽  
SURESH L. BARNAWAL

Seeking happiness has become a crucial part of human beings due to a consistent rise in anxiety and stress over the passing years. As a result, the importance of Indian meditation practices has risen worldwide. Especially, Ramana Maharshi's Self-enquiry is one of the significant meditation practices found in India. The purpose of this paper is to show that Mokṣa (liberation), where one is free from suffering, can be attained by the practice of Self-enquiry, which is simple but powerful because it immediately pierces to the core, the Self. Ramana is the ancient traditional master in India, and he is also known for using silence in the instruction of his disciples. The essence of Self-enquiry is that it is not to realize something anew but to abide as the Self, in the here and now with aware affirmation "I am already Thou." Ramana's life, the experience of his great awakening, the Self, 'I'-thought, the body, the theoretical aspect of Self-enquiry as meditation by Ramana and the practical aspect of Self-enquiry as meditation by Prof. Kim Kyeungmin are presented to illustrate the significance of this method. It is pointed out that Maharshi's Self-enquiry is more valuable and productive than other meditation techniques.

Author(s):  
John L. Culliney ◽  
David Jones

We describe the foundations of the fractal self in relation to the Chinese notion of personal development and enhancement of adeptness in the world and mutualism with the other. This seeking, described in the codified system of Daoism, is a pathway that may progress to the highest level of achievement of such a self: that which defines a sage. The chapter introduces the view that a sage is a fractal self that achieves a peak of intimacy and constructive interaction with the world. We detail the development of human beings on this pathway, emerging beyond the core embodiments of empathy, sympathy, and rudimentary morality observed in apes. The self for the early Chinese was always a being that was embedded in the world and dynamic flow of forces. This self was defined in intimate terms as adaptable and adept, seeking to be a microcosmic contributor to some holistic macrocosm. In this chapter, Daoism leads our thinking on how the fractal self engages with the world. In turn, this way of understanding selfness and its potential to enrich its system from within resonates with discussions of the interactive self of Buddhism and was also in the minds of Pre-Socratic thinkers in the West.


Scrinium ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 242-260
Author(s):  
Dirk Krausmuller

In the sixth and seventh centuries the belief in an active afterlife and its corollaries, the cult of the saints and the care of the dead, came under attack by a group of people who claimed that the souls could not function without their bodies. Some defenders of the traditional point of view sought to rebut this argument through recourse to the Platonic concept of the self-moved soul, which is not in need of the body. However, the fit between Platonism and traditional notions of the afterlife was not as complete as might first be thought. This article focuses on two Christian thinkers, John of Scythopolis and Maximus the Confessor, who were deeply influenced by Platonic ideas. In his Scholia on the writings of Pseudo-Dionysius John states clearly that after death the souls of ordinary human beings are inactive whereas the souls of the spiritual elite have entered the realm of eternal realities, which is entirely separate from this world. The case of Maximus is more complex. One of his letters is a spirited defence of the posthumous activity of the soul. However, in his spiritual writings he outlines a conceptual framework that shows a marked resemblance to the position of John of Scythopolis.



Author(s):  
Nor Atiqah Mohd Naaim ◽  
Jaffary Awang

Buddhism is the oldest religion still in practice today. The arrival of the religion was a reaction against the oppression by the self-centred Brahmins. The founders of Buddhism were Kshatriyas (warriors) who suffered discrimination towards the lower-class citizens. Most of the religions ever existed in India long time ago are non-existent to date.  However, the teachings of Buddha (Dhamma) persevere as a need to its followers up until today. For that reason, Buddha considers himself a religious teacher to propagate enlightenment and wellbeing for all mankind.  Fundamentally, Buddha leads his followers to a normal life that is a life void of extremism such as denial of self-indulgence or total obedience to self-desire and self-dependence on a substance for the sake of pleasure.   There is a variety of teachings of Buddha to his followers. One in particular is the concept of moderation. Therefore, this article will explain the concept of moderation by Buddha. The methodology used in this research is qualitative method by referring to library research from theses, journals, newspapers and books related to the research topic. Based on the research, the researcher noted that the concept of moderation comes in two aspects namely theoretical and practical aspects. The theoretical aspect recorded an explanation by Buddha on the Law of Dependent Origination known as patticasamuppada.  Meanwhile the practical aspect centres around the Eight-Fold Path which has eight principles and has to be applied by every follower.


2021 ◽  
pp. 221-228
Author(s):  
Наталия Васильевна Коптева

В условиях глобального антропологического кризиса, связанного с распространением технологий, которые не соответствуют телесному опыту человека (В. А. Подорога), явно недостаточно психологических исследований, ограничивающихся констатацией феномена, называемого развоплощением (disembodiement), бестелесным статусом, дематериализацией, анонимностью пользователя в киберпространстве. Предлагается основанный на концепции британского экзистенциального психолога Р. Лэйнга авторский конструкт невоплощенности в интернете, представляющий собой последствие его нормативного применения. Формула «я» ↔ (тело–другой), «я» ↔ (тело–мир), которой Р. Лэйнг определяет клинический способ невоплощенного бытия в самом общем виде, соответствует как факту технологического развоплощения, так и технологическому способу невоплощенного бытия (при интернет-зависимости) со свойственным ему структурированием и ненормативной границей в ядре. Невоплощенность в интернете, создающая предпосылки путаницы на границе между Я и не-Я, сопоставляется с системообразующим измерением последствий нормативного применения информационных технологий в модели Е. И. Рассказовой, В. А. Емелина, А. Ш. Тхостова – изменением психологических границ. Делается вывод о том, что в информационную эпоху они устанавливаются в опыте двух Я, реального, подлинно основанного на своем теле, и виртуального, применительно к которому самовыражение «границы тела» теряет смысл. Расширение и размывание психологических границ соотносятся с виртуализацией Я-пользователя. Его субъективные убеждения в доступности и контролируемости других людей, объектов, информации, являющиеся критериями изменения границ, рассматриваются как вполне применимые к невоплощенности. В качестве ее собственных критериев, помимо рефлексии отстраненности от тела, названы чувство безопасности (в связи с анонимностью) и ощущения утраты реальности Я, неполноты, иллюзорности онлайн-бытия. While we live in times of anthropological crisis caused by spread of technologies which do not match to people’s body experience (V. A. Podoroga), only the insufficient number of psychological studies acknowledge the phenomenon of disembodiment. Some researchers refer to it as the bodiless state, dematerialization or anonymity of a user in cyberspace. In this study we suggest a theoretical construct of disembodiment on the Internet as the effect of normative use of information technologies. It is based on the conception by the British existential psychologist R. Laing. His formula of the self: self ↔ (body-other), self ↔ (body-world), which describes a clinical way of unembodied being, broadly corresponds to both the fact of technological disembodiment and a technological way of disembodied being in Internet addiction with its inherent structuring and a non-normative border in the core of the self. We compare the disembodiment on the Internet, which leads to confusion on the boundary between the self and nonself, to the framework consequence of the normative use of information technologies in a model by E. I. Rasskazova, V. A. Emelin and A. Sh. Tkhostov – changes of psychological borders. We come to a conclusion that In the digital age the borders are set in the experience of two selves. The real self is genuinely based on the body and the virtual self isn’t, to the extent when the very expression «boundaries of a body» becomes meaningless. Indefinitely expanded blurry borders correspond to the virtualization of a user’s self. The user’s beliefs that other people and information objects are available and controllable are symptoms of changes of borders and can also describe the disembodiment. The disembodiment is also characterized by feeling of disengagement from the body, sense of security on account of anonymity, deficit of reality of the self and incompleteness and illusiveness of the online existence.


Author(s):  
Dale B. Martin

The Bible, taken in its ancient historical context, says little explicitly about the nature of the human being, certainly not in any kind of scientific or philosophical way. It provides no explicit “theological anthropology.” Yet the New Testament, if read with care and creativity, may be seen to teach that the human person is a product of social and cultural construction; that the body, though a unity in some sense, is also made of various parts; that the self is social. The New Testament may help Christians accept the necessary finitude of human beings as a good, not as a flaw of human existence. It may come as a surprise to many people to see what may be learned from an innovative reading of the Bible about human sexuality and desire. Moreover, the value of some very traditional doctrines not popular with most modern people, such as the doctrines of original sin and predestination, may also be rediscovered for our time. And certainly the New Testament is rich for imagining the meaning of salvation and the resurrection of the body—even the “deification” of human beings—for Christians in the 21st century.


1993 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 397-412 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juha Heikkala

In the practical discourse of sport the focus is on the individual athlete as the autonomous and independent locus of action. This discourse is deconstructed from a, poststructuralist perspective. It is argued that in sport the disciplinary techniques of the body and self, as depicted by Michel Foucault, are both an instrument and an effect of competing. Disciplinary and normalizing practices such as bodily exercises or filling in a training diary are instruments for athletes to transcend their current performance, which is the core of the logic of competing. Furthermore, disciplining is the outcome of this “rationale” to excel. Giddens’s notion of structure is used to explicate the structure of competing. Yet his Cartesian conception of agents as knowledgeable is qualified, that is, within the practices of training and the structure of competing, some consequences of these practices escape athletes’ intention. The constitution of athletes’ subjectivity and even the consequences of the process of competing may be beyond their control.


Author(s):  
Junxiang LIU ◽  
Guanhui WANG

LANGUAGE NOTE | Document text in Chinese; abstract also in English.健康是醫學哲學中最基本的概念之一。不少人認為,健康概念如同疾病一樣,受到不同價值觀念的影響,其內涵是多元化的,存在多種健康概念。筆者認為,我們所講的健康主要指人的健康,對健康的理解應當與對人的理解與界定聯繫起來。儘管不同哲學文化、思想觀念對人的界定各有側重,但都有共同的方面,健康概念也是如此。筆者認為, 世界衞生組織[World HealthOrganization (WHO)]的健康概念比較全面地揭示了健康的本質,已成為大多數人追求的健康目標。儒家對健康的理解主要基於人的道德意識和道德價值,強調修身養心、精神健康對維護軀體健康、構建和諧人際關係、社會環境的重要性,這與WHO 的定義有異曲同工之處。考察儒家思想對健康的理解,不僅有助於我們推進個體及人類健康,同時也有助於我們在價值多元化的後現代潮流中,為探尋不同民族文化、歷史傳統等之間的共同點提供思想基礎和實踐的可能性。Health is one of the basic concepts in the philosophy of medicine. Some philosophers hold that just as there are different concepts of diseases, there are different concepts of health, because such concepts are deeply influenced by value judgments. This papershows that health as we often talk about is the health of individual human beings, and that the concept of health should be based on an understanding of the essence of individual human beings. From this viewpoint, there is some common ground among the different concepts of health.The key issue discussed in this paper is what Confucian philosophy can contribute to the understanding and promotion of human health. Confucian philosophy claims that the essence of individual human beings lies in the virtues that distinguish human beings from animals. The main Confucian virtues are “ren,” “yi,” “li,” and “zhi” “Ren” means showing love to others, which is the core virtue and principle of perfecting oneself and having proper relationship with others. It emphasizes that personal mental health, good relationships with others, and a harmonious society are important factors of personal health. This paper argues that this Confucian viewpoint is closely aligned with the World Health Organization’s definition of health, and addresses the following relevant issues.1. In Confucian philosophy, “shen” (usually translated as “body”) has three meanings, referring not only to the physical body, but also to the unity of body and mind, and sometimes also to virtue. “Xin” mainly refers to the mind, but also refers tomoral consciousness.The holistic unity of body and mind urges people to pay attention to everyday life, especially diet, nutrition, and sleep. Mind is not another entity, but is embodied in the body.2. Confucian philosophy emphasizes that “xin” (mind) dominates “body.” It urges us to pay more attention to “xiu shen,” or perfecting ourselves. Emotions deeply influence health. In Confucian philosophy the “seven main emotions” are “love, anger, grief, joy, sadness, fear, and shock.” If these emotions are excessive, then they will cause illness and disease. Virtue can cultivate our character and help us to regulate these emotions correctly. Those who have virtue are always peaceful and long-lived. “Xiu shen” involves trying to be a “junzi,” or one who has moral virtue.3. Confucian philosophy emphasizes “xiu shen” and the individual’s obligation to personal behavior and health. Although the social environment and life conditions influence personal behavior and health, we are also responsible for our bhavior and health. A “junzi” is a kind of man who can persist with his virtue and resist lures. Medical knowledge and technology cannot cure all diseases, so everyone should take preventative measures.However, this does not mean that health is the result of virtue, or that disease is the result of immorality. Virtue is a necessary but not a sufficient condition for health. “It is a misfortune to lose health, but not misconduct.”4. Confucian health emphasizes that “xiu shen” and good interpersonal relationships are important to personal health. The core meaning of “ren” is to love and help others: what you do not want to be done to yourself, do not do to others. This principle helps one to get along well with family members, neighbors, and friends, and to construct ordered, harmonious interpersonal relationships and a favorable social environment. This benefits personal health and the welfare of human beings as a whole.In brief, Confucian philosophy promotes health, and helps people to live a happy life by developing perfect virtue. It is worth sharing with other nations.DOWNLOAD HISTORY | This article has been downloaded 768 times in Digital Commons before migrating into this platform.


2020 ◽  
Vol - (5) ◽  
pp. 23-40
Author(s):  
Mykhailo Boichenko

The article is devoted to identifying the potential of using the results of the study of non-discursive social practices to understand the behavioral basis for the possible practical use of social theories. The example of the field of education focuses on the distinction between cognitive, affective and psychomotor dimensions of social communication. Assumptions have been made about the underestimation of the affective, and especially the psychomotor realm, to identify the resource and limits of discursive practices. Classical studies in educational psychology, primarily the works of Benjamin Bloom, David Krathwohl, Anita Harrow and their followers, are involved in philosophical analysis as its object. Educational practices are bodily practices no less than discursive ones. However, it is impossible to reduce these practices to the entering either to the self-sufficient universe of the text or into the self-sufficient universe of the body. The realm of the emotional serves as a link between the bodily and the cognitive, and applying to the emotional experience of values can be the best way to consolidate both bodily and cognitive practices. One of the important conclusions is the recognition not only of the relative autonomy of the cognitive, affective and psychomotor realms in the theoretical aspect, but also the identification of their practical interdependence. The sphere of education appears as a model for observing how a person masters the levels and, parallel and mutually determined, dimensions of the pyramids of the development of personal abilities. Achieving perfection by a person in one dimension is impossible without the simultaneous development of his abilities in the other two. Discourse appears for the person as a situation in which he/she experiences the integral result of the development of his/her abilities in all three dimensions — cognitive, affective and psychomotor.


Author(s):  
ONGAGNA Serge Roland

This article attempts a discussion of the philosophy of Rene Descartes, about the relationship between the human body and its passions, in the process of learning the morality of virtues. Descartes has repeatedly mentioned the decisive role that the true knowledge of the good must play and trouble by regulating our passions, but without ever providing us with the answer satisfying the following question: where does and what exactly does this awareness? Even if do not find a complete answer to our question in the last great work of Descartes, we still see several elements emerging from it important in some articles of the Passions of the Soul. Thus we learn in article 143 that desire "is always good when it follows a true knowledge”, but this true knowledge only seems to be reduced to a distinction fundamental that takes place inside the soul of things "which depend entirely on us, of those which do not depend on it”. But if true knowledge, that is true, does not seem to have any other criterion apart from what it depends entirely on us, here we are in full philosophical modernity. To what Descartes immediately adds that if one succeeds in one's life in distinguishing fatality from posture, "one easily gets used to regulating his desires in such a way that, especially as their fulfillment depends on us, they can always give us complete satisfaction ” (article 146). Theoretical aspect, practical aspect, thus reconciled and harmonized with each other, it remains for us to ask one more question: why the true joy, which makes the greatest happiness of human life (felt, for example, by the husband mourning his wife in section 147) can only be a "joy secret ”? René Descartes frequently mentioned the importance of the real knowledge of good and evil, supposed to rule our lives. However he never clearly explained what this knowledge really meant to him. If there's no full answer to that to be found in his work, at least it seems that the real knowledge, meaning the truth, is totally dependent on us. Quite a modern vision of Philosophy was suggested by Descartes but also, in this article, an unusual point of view of the philosopher's work.


2003 ◽  
Vol 53 ◽  
pp. 141-157
Author(s):  
David Cockburn

We may think of the core of Cartesian dualism as being the thesis that each of us is essentially a non-material mind or soul: ‘non-material’ in the sense that it has no weight, cannot be seen or touched, and could in principle continue to exist independently of the existence of any material thing. That idea was, of course, of enormous importance to Descartes himself, and we may feel that having rejected it, as most philosophers now have, we have rejected what is of greatest philosophical significance in Descartes' conception of the self. That would, I believe, be a mistake. Something akin to the Cartesian mind-body contrast still has a pervasive grip on philosophical thought across a whole range of issues. The contrast is, I believe, reflected in common philosophical versions of the contrasts between mind and body, fact and value, reason and emotion, word and deed, reason and persuasion, and no doubt others. My central concern in this paper is, however, a familiar philosophical understanding of the relation between, on the one hand, belief and its articulation in words and, on the other, action or feeling.


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