Western civilisation
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Summary
In these texts, Western civilisation has been idealistic for more than 2,000 years, biased towards the conceptual and towards achieving goals or perfection, and it has learned to separate thinking from doing. Its results are wonderful, but we interpret Buddhism through these European glasses, which are difficult to take off.
Part of ↑ religion and science ↑ way of life
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For more than 2,000 years Western civilisation has been idealistic
Opposites and Being Upright July 2009 — Brno
The most important texts
- Buddhism Through European Glasses ●●● August 2014 — Banský StudenecEuropean glasses · pragmatic way of living · understanding Buddhism in Europe · Western idea of a perfect world
we are all wearing European glasses. So when we try to interpret Buddhism, we do it through European glasses
- Dogen and Modern Life ●●● August 2012 — DibbavanaDogen's writings in modern society · extracting principles as a modern ability · harmonizing zazen with other teachings
his writings from the 13th century are not enough to live in modern society
Other texts
- Intuition Covered by Thinking ●●● August 2012 — Dibbavanabreak between body and mind · separation of thinking and doing
I would like to suggest that thinking and doing are not separate in the natural world
- Uji 3: The Complete Present ●●● Summer 2007 — Ujimind elsewhere · preferring words to reality
we prefer the words to the state, and that's the kind of habit of our civilization
- Three Teachings from Japan ●●● September 2013 — Banský Studenecseparation of thinking and doing · virtual worlds
in the West, thinking about things before we do them became much, much more important
- One Moon, Two Moons ●●●Greek and Zoroastrian roots of dualism · Western mind-body dualism
the powerful influence of the mind/body duality on Western thought and religion, it is extremely difficult to grasp exactly what Dogen is teaching
- Uji 2: A Crack in Our View of Time ●●● Summer 2007 — Ujiship called civilisation · Western bias towards the conceptual
Western civilization is biased towards the conceptual
- Zazen Without an Intentional Aim ●●● February 2009 — Cholínseparation of thinking and doing
for thousands of years in Western civilisation, we have learned to separate thinking from doing
- Opposites and Being Upright ●●● July 2009 — BrnoWestern idealism
For more than 2,000 years Western civilisation has been idealistic
- Kodo Sawaki and Concrete Teaching ●●● August 2011 — Dibbavanaintellectualising from concrete situations
modern society is based on intellectualising from concrete situations very quickly
- Two Things, and the Rest Is Fashion ●●● August 2012 — Dibbavanasport as antidote to intellectualism
the answer is physical activity. Stop just thinking so much.
- Reading Dogen from Experience ●●● May 2014 — Banský Studenecfinding a way past the screen
Finding a way past the television. Finding a way past the books, into this world here and now.
- Why We Practice Zazen ●●● August 1987 — Gudo Wafu NishijimaRenaissance discovery of the physical body
In the Renaissance, human beings found the very important fact that they had physical bodies.
- Nagarjuna’s Mulamadhyamakakarika ●●● January 1996 — Gudo Wafu Nishijimacriticism of our civilization
Nagarjuna's idea is a strong criticism of our civilization, which we are enjoying now
- Ikka-no-myoju 2: Undivided Reality ●●● Summer 2006 — Ikka-no-myojumind elsewhere
So sometimes, although I’m doing something, my mind is elsewhere.
- MMK 3: Cutting Through Categories ●●● Summer 2008 — Nagarjuna’s Mulamadhyamakakarikacivilisation based on planning
our whole civilisation is based on planning, in other words, ordering our reality in our mind in an abstract way
- Ceremony and Everyday Life ●●● February 2009 — Cholínfalse values of modern life
So living in modern society, we give everything a value: more important, less important. But those values are often false values.
- Effort for Its Own Sake ●●● July 2009 — DibbavanaWestern bias towards achieving goals
Christian spiritualism and Greek idealism combined gave Western civilisation a very strong bias towards achieving goals or reaching perfection.
- The Empty Trappings of Transmission ●●● September 2009 — Earth Spiritvirtual world and daily life
it’s easy to mistake that virtual world for the world of tying our shoelaces and cleaning our teeth
- Old Writings and Our Own Life ●●● September 2013 — Banský Studenecvaluing cleverness over physical work
in England we were taught to value cleverness, intellectual excellence. And using your hands, physical work, is at the bottom
- Right Action from Balance ●●● August 2014 — Banský Studenecseparation of thinking and doing
we are all educated to believe that first we think what is best or what is right, and then we make ourselves do it
- Practice and Theory in Buddhism ●●●modern world of reason
The modern world is an intellectual world. It is a world in which we need explanations for everything we do.
- Genjo-koan 4: Realisation as Wholeness ●●● Summer 2002 — Genjo-koanmind elsewhere
we have this peculiar way of taking ourselves out of where we are, although we don’t move from it
- Introductions 2: Reality in Ordinary Moments ●●● Summer 2003 — Introductions to Shobogenzo Chapterssport as antidote to intellectualism
the reason that sport is so popular in modern times is because it’s a wonderful antidote to our very intellectual civilisation
- Bussho 4: Real Present Time ●●● Summer 2004 — Busshoflowers in a vase
the flowers are in a vase, don’t forget the water!
- Bussho 4: Hearing and Understanding ●●● Winter 2005 — Busshovirtual worlds
we will be able to create virtual worlds which human beings will feel real in. To me that’s absolute twaddle
- Bussho 5: Our Fundamental Nature ●●● Winter 2005 — Busshomodern loss of belief
A problem for us in the modern world is that we’ve lost our belief
- Dropping Off Heart, Mind and Body ●●● June 2007 — Padmafarmameaningless chants
to chant these meaningless chants is a nice way for us Europeans to throw away our habits
- One Real Teacher and Simplicity ●●● August 2014 — Banský Studenecà la carte meal of information
just like in a restaurant, we can have a big meal on all this information
Keywords
Ideas (6) mind elsewhere3 break between body and mind extracting principles as a modern ability intellectualising from concrete situations meaningless chants pragmatic way of living
Themes (20) separation of thinking and doing4 virtual worlds2 civilisation based on planning criticism of our civilization Dogen's writings in modern society false values of modern life Greek and Zoroastrian roots of dualism harmonizing zazen with other teachings modern loss of belief modern world of reason preferring words to reality Renaissance discovery of the physical body understanding Buddhism in Europe valuing cleverness over physical work virtual world and daily life Western bias towards achieving goals Western bias towards the conceptual Western idea of a perfect world Western idealism Western mind-body dualism
Images and stories (6) sport as antidote to intellectualism2 à la carte meal of information European glasses finding a way past the screen flowers in a vase ship called civilisation