Ancient Sages Research Articles

On Ritual and Legislation

Confucian thinkers have traditionally stressed the importance of li 禮, or “ritual” as it is commonly translated, and believed that ancient sages had established an ideal set of rituals for people to follow. Now, most scholars of Confucianism understand li as distinct from law, and hence do not typically discuss Confucian sages as great lawgivers. Nevertheless, I suggest that there is something valuable to be learned from considering the similarities and dissimilarities between great lawgivers and the sages. In particular, this essay reviews some of the challenges for, and virtues of, great legislators, and compares and contrasts these with the challenges for, and virtues of, master inventors of ritual, with the aim of showing how such observations might deepen our understanding of the conception of sages in the Confucian tradition, while perhaps also bringing out certain insights about good lawgivers. I end by using these reflections to point to some challenges for developing rituals to fit our modern context.

Formation of the "Self-Made-Man" Idea in the Context of the Christian Middle Ages

The purpose of this article is to analyze the variability of the "Self-made-man" idea in the context of the Christian Middle Ages in its primarily historical and philosophical presentation. Research is based on the historical and philosophical analysis of the medieval philosophy presented foremost by the works of Aurelius Augustine, P. Abelard, Thomas Aquinas, and also by the modern researches of this epoch. Theoretical basis. Historical, comparative, and hermeneutic methods became fundamental for this research. Originality. The conducted analysis allowed to draw a conclusion that, despite the still existing view of the Middle Ages as a kind of an ideological gap in the formation of the self-determination idea, the Christian philosophy of this period not only does not reject but also gives essentially the universal character of the ancient intention to recognize the individual’s right to self-determination and self-government, makes it not only religiously acceptable but also obligatory. Conclusions. Despite to general theocentrism, providentialism and fatalism of Christian medieval philosophy and culture in general, at its epicenter there is a man of a special type, focused on preserving spiritual autonomy and identity in the social dimensions of their existence, and at the same time, on personal responsibility for their own destiny. Such focus became a logical and somewhat unexpected result of the complex interaction of numerous factors of medieval culture, as well as the ideas and intentions inherited from Antiquity. In particular, the idea that a person who does not act freely cannot be morally responsible for what he does, as well as the intentions of the ancient sage to autonomy, autarky, and apoliticism. In the Middle Ages, this intention became essentially universal, as it became a right, even an obligation of every Christian to be free, at least from the worldly, in determining and realizing his own destiny. The gradual compromise recognition that personal salvation is possible only as a result of synergy, i.e. the co-participation of God’s grace and human freedom, legitimizes and strengthens its focus on active personal efforts and personal responsibility for one’s own salvation, in fact for one’s own destiny. All this in historical perspective was found in its radicalized and purified from all sorts of mystical and religious layers of expression in the idea of "Self-made-man".

Dance in Indian culture: A cosmic manifestation of divine creation and a path to liberation

Dance is a human cultural activity aimed at non-verbal emotional communication, mentioned for the first time in the circle of European culture by Homer in the Iliad (8th/7th century BC). In Indian culture — the most extensive one of four contemporary civilizations of antiquity (next to Egyptian, Mesopotamian, and Chinese), whose cradle is the Indus Valley Civilization — the first material evidence of the presence of dance is dated between 2300–1750 BC. It is a bronze statuette of a dancing girl, making us aware of the fact that this type of activity has accompanied people since the dawn of time, regardless of their origin and cultural affiliation. India and its oldest religion, Hinduism, have made this art highly prized because of its original, pure spiritual character.
 The first treatise entirely devoted to dance, entitled Natyashastra (Treatise on Performing Arts), was written according to tradition between the 2nd century BC and the 2nd century AD, although many premises indicate that its beginnings date back to the 5th century BC, and the final version — to around 5th century AD. Its author was Bharata Muni, an ancient sage, theatrologist and musicologist who allegedly received knowledge of arts from the god Brahma himself to create a symbolic representation of the world which, by showing good and evil, would persuade both the viewers and the performers to act ethically. From Natyashastra it appears that dance was created by the gods for their worship. In its most original form, dance grew out of the sacrificial ritual, hence the knowledge of it was secret, highly codified and communicated in strict confidentiality. The patron of the dance and its divine performer par excellence is the god Shiva in the aspect of Nataraja (Lord of the Dance), who in one image combines god as the creator, protector and destroyer of the universe, while simultaneously containing the Indian concept of an endless time cycle. Accurate recreation of the mythical dance initiated by Shiva guarantees that the faithful achieve salvation by overcoming sin, ignorance, and laziness represented by the demon Apasmara, on whom the god treads in a dancing trance.
 For the Indian Hindu culture dance has a highly important ritualistic and mystical meaning, hence it is also present along with music and singing, which is a melodic recitation of sacred verses, in all literature, from the Vedas (sacred books of Hinduism), through encyclopedic Puranas, to epics such as Mahabharata and Ramayana. Dance is indispensable to the theater as well as visual and audiovisual arts, brings relief to those in mourning and sorrow, leads to liberation from samsara (the wheel of incarnations), and is a reflection of divinity in its purest, most dynamic manifestation: movement. Thanks to dance being a rejection of oneself, entering a mystical trance, one can connect with the Absolute here on Earth and experience divinity.

Food thy be medicine – A perspective from ancient Tamils

The global burden of epidemic diseases coupled with lifestyle based non communicable disorders has compelled us to revisit our ancestral way of living with a hope for salvage and to improve our present quality of life. Our historical literatures reveal some interesting facts from our rich heritage about our ancestors and their secrets for longevity, especially of Siddhars and Sages who lived amongst us across several decades. The present study has explored relevant scriptures of ancient sages like Agasthiyar and Theraiyar. Their prescriptions were analyzed from a scientific perspective based on its composition, consumption, regional prevalence, processing techniques etc and their significance of incorporating them in present day diet modifications for major and minor illnesses. In present scenario customized dietary therapy is being highly recommended for various illnesses upon diagnosing the cause and to effectively recover optimal health. Hence the study is felt necessary and need of the hour to revive our historical culinary recipes/ practices for a healthier society.

Pharmacological Action of Kankasavain Bronchial Asthma Based on Practical Experience: A Review

Ayurveda is among the most important systems of Indian medicine, and as we all know, it is a science of life. After much research, observations, experiments, thoughts, trials, and judgements, the ancient sages developed several types of Ayurvedic remedies.Ayurveda provides us with this health expertise. As opposed to many ailments that may be related to contemporary man's lifestyle, asthma is an old sickness. Bronchial Asthma is caused by a combination of factors. The illness is linked to geographical location, environmental, racial, and behavioral and lifestyle variables. Tamaka Shwasais a condition described in Ayurvedic literature that, based on clinical signs, is quite similar to bronchial asthma. According to conventional medical science, there is no treatment for asthma. Ayurvedic medicines have the potential to be a viable and successful therapy option for bronchial asthma. Ayurvedic medications are utilized for illness treatment all around the globe, thus people all around the globe may have trust in them based on scientific proof. The current study was a review to determine the effectiveness of Kanakasavaon Tamaka Shwasa(bronchial asthma). Kanakasavais a composition that has been used for thousands of years by Ayurvedic physicians to alleviate the symptoms of Tamaka Shwasa.

Religious and Scientific importance of Vastu Shastra

The ancient sages created Vastu Shastra with great efforts for the protection of the human body and the biochemical reactions occurring in the body. In ancient times, the scientific architecture of the common man did not seem to be factual.Therefore, all this should be understood by them and if they feel right, they can accept it with devotion. From this point of view, Vastu Shastra was easily created by giving different shapes and names to these objects.In the present paper, scientific and religious analysis of Vastu Shastra has been presented in the context of Indian literature, Vedic and Valmiki Ramayana etc.

AI-Based Yoga Pose Estimation for Android Application

The importance of yoga is renowned worldwide and its health benefits, which were preached by ancient sages, have stood the test of time. Even though yoga is becoming preeminent, there are important challenges faced while doing yoga such as performing it with incorrect form, the classes being expensive and the shortage of time in our busy lives. Computer vision techniques exhibit promising solutions for human pose estimation. However, these techniques are seldom applied in the domain of health or exercise, with no literature or projects cited specifically for yoga. This paper surveys the various technologies that can be used for pose estimation and concludes the best method based on the usability for an android application. The paper then discusses the methodology that will be used to deploy the yoga pose estimation on an android application, how the app is modeled and the working of each component is explained.

Depression and Yoga A review

Yoga is a system of physical and mental self-improvement and final liberation that people have been using for thousands of years. Yoga is a science which is common to all and whole humanity in its true nature of efficacy, results and applications. Yoga is a centuries-old guide to healthy living developed by ancient Indian sages. With its unique blend of physical exercises, psychological insight, and philosophy, it can help you to bring your body, mind, and spirit into better balance. Yoga takes a holistic approach to life, enabling you to experience complete equilibrium inside and out. Depression is one of the most common mental illnesses in the world. It is estimated that there are 350 million people worldwide who have some form of depression. Indians are among the worlds most depressed, according to a (WHO) World Health Organization-sponsored study. So to addressing such type of huge problem in present scenario we have to take help of yoga and mind relaxing technique. Present study intended to review research work has been performed on using yoga to alleviate depression. This review will focus on how yoga is being useful to treat depression. Findings from this review will be used to determine areas of further study and implications for clinical social work practice.

How to corner a poem (and watch it thrive): A timely confession

The medieval tradition of Hebrew liturgical poetry (called Piyyut, after the Greek Poesis) treated ritual time with reverence, allotting poems their specific slots in liturgical events. Later in history, those same poems crossed boundaries of time and custom. Instead of remaining fastened to their original timing, some of the poems changed their temporal setting several times, acquiring a new liturgical and temporal context. In this essay, I confess my love to both gestures: to the attachment of a poem to its time, and to its recurrent uprooting and recontextualization. To love poems this way means one must adhere to the most traditional philological procedure of reconstructing an original context for a poem, just so one could bear witness to the loss of these origins, and to the unique, perhaps utopian possibility that such loss reveals. One corners these poems, simply to watch them thrive elsewhere. Through personal scenes from my upbringing and through brief readings in the words of ancient sages, medieval poets, and continental philosophers, I wish to think through this passion for the time and counter-time of poetry.

COVID-19 & The Art of Unclenching Your Fist

Dr. AP, a senior doctor of a large teaching hospital, retired. A happy go lucky person with a large group of admirers consisting largely of fellow doctors, both young & old. He is a great party man, drinks & smoke on the house with his devoted fanfare partaking his lavish offerings. And then, one fine day, he contacts COVID-19 & is admitted in the very hospital where he had spent 30 years of his life. He develops respiratory distress… As I rush to attend the call, I am appalled by the look of the deserted corridors & waiting areas. I don’t see any known faces, none of his fanfare for sure. He lies struggling for breath on non invasive ventilation, confused & hypoxic. As he is intubated & put on ventilatory support at the insistence of his son, I reflect back on those days when he used to be surrounded by his friends, treating them to drinks. But today, when he needs their support the most, he is left alone, in his suffering, to fend for himself. Truly, we are indeed a death denying society. ‘O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?’ (St.Paul, I Corinthians, 15:55) When it began, people thought, ‘It can’t affect me’. However, with time, they were increasingly confronted with the looming threat which threatened to disrupt the ‘web of illusion’ that they had created for themselves…an illusion, for the very world of existence is actually akin to an illusion, characterised by its transient nature. No wonder, our ancient sages called the world of existence ‘maya’. Then came the period of ‘lockdowns’ & the web of uncertainity surrounding it. People were in a fix, for in today’s tech-savvy existence, fostered by science & reasoning, they were now unprepared to spend time with ‘themselves’! The very Self was now seen as an alien being & was avoided. But as the lockdown prolonged, the monkey nature of the mind grew increasingly restless, demanding for more stimuli from the outgoing senses…and as the stimuli gradually dwindled amidst the lockdown, most c

The Concept of Zhong 中 in the Baoxun Testament 《保訓》: Interpreted in Light of Two Chapters of the Yizhoushu 《逸周書》

Zhong, as it appears in the second story in the Baoxun Testament (保訓 BX), is both a physical object that can be lent, as well as an admirable idea to be passed down the generations. Where Zhong appears in the Changmai Chapter (嘗麥 CM) of the Yizhoushu (逸周書 YZS), it appears to be a document on punitive laws that is as an object that can be transferred from person to person; it is a receivable object but also as a representation of the idea of Great Rectitude (da zheng 大正), which is of key importance in the realm of politics. The CM Chapter, like the BX, also makes appeal to the stories of ancient sage kings to argue the rationality of the views it transmits and refers to ‘ancient lost teachings’ (gu yi xun 古遺訓) and sayings attributed to King Wen of Zhou (Wen Kao zhi yan 文考之言). Taken together, these points of similarity form the basis for comparison between the BX and the YZS: CM. Furthermore, when we compare the BX with the Duxun Chapter (度訓DX) of the YZS, we find confirmation of the legal import of the term Zhong as it appears in the first story of the BX. The common ground shared between the BX, as one of Qinghua University’s collection of Bamboo Manuscripts, and the YZS makes the latter a suitable key for interpreting terms seen in the former text.

The Power of Repentance: Penitents (Baalei Teshuvah) of the Talmud and Midrash

Talmudic stories are a method used by the ancient sages to teach us about ethics and morality. The stories in this paper deal with penitent (baalei teshuva) who returned to God. It is clear from these stories that it is vital for people to help others repent. One great sage even offered his daughter in marriage to someone if he would give up his life as a sybarite. Moreover, penitence works even shortly before a person dies.

Greatest Insights of the Talmudic Sages: A Roadmap for a Gratifying and Meaningful Life

This paper examines the sayings, maxims, stories, and aphorisms of the Talmud and Midrash in order to better understand the philosophy of life of Judaism’s ancient sages. More than 800 such recorded insights are examined and categorized. The sages of the Talmud were active from about 10 BCE until 500 CE, a period of more than 500 years, while most Midrash collections were written from the 2nd–10th centuries.

Transmitting rather than innovating: confucius as skeptical conservative

Confucius, widely perceived as a champion of learning, is also frequently thought of as a conservative. I will argue here that Confucius is in fact a type of conservative whose preference for present arrangements involves strands of skepticism. Confucius’s conservatism is unique in that he is moderately skeptical of making innovations to accord better with the Dao, and he is also moderately skeptical of using history as a model for the present. While acknowledging the accomplishments of the ancient sage kings, Confucius registers his preference for the Zhou, which can be better known. Analects 3.9 strongly suggests that important knowledge from the Xia and Shang has been lost, thus diminishing the value of ancient history as a guide for present arrangements. Analects 2.23 on the other hand suggests that the arrangements of the Xia and Shang are well known. This tension between 2.23 and 3.9 can be ameliorated by understanding Confucius’ teaching style. To the objection that Analects 2.23 refers only to a failure of documentation, not to a general failure of knowledge, I argue that documentation is Confucius’ only acknowledged pathway to historical knowledge. Turning from the past to the future, Confucius claims not to have the knowledge possessed by the innovative sages, but only the knowledge of them and their actions. Doesn’t Confucius, however, seek to innovate in his home state of Lu? I answer, no, that he is resisting the innovations of the great families. Confucius turns out to be, then, a moderately skeptical conservative.

The Catholic Yijing: Lü Liben’s Passion Narratives in the Context of the Qing Prohibition of Christianity

Yijing benzhi 易經本旨 (original meaning of the Yijing, 1774) constitutes a unique piece of Christian literature produced by the Chinese Catholic believer Lü Liben 呂立本 in the Qing period. Following in the footsteps of Jesuit missionaries such as Joachim Bouvet (1656–1730), Lü represents a rare Chinese voice of the Figurist interpretation of the Yijing by claiming that ancient Chinese sages had received and recorded God’s divine revelation in this venerated Chinese classic. Focusing on his narratives of Christ’s Passion, this paper examines the ways in which Lü interprets the symbolic meanings of the trigrams/hexagrams and deduces their theological connotations in light of Catholic thought. The interweaving of religious devotion, tradition and experience underpinned a creative re-interpretation of the Passion narratives, which strives to sustain the faith of Chinese Catholic communities in the context of the Qing prohibition and persecution of Christianity.

Teaching in the Age of Digital Reason

Teaching, born of the period of the ancient sages, developed as the moral art of living that introduced humanity to teaching as a moral pursuit, to the formation of value, to a moral and religious mode of being, and to a set of moral principles that have survived into the modern day. The idea that the ‘future of teaching’ represents a technological disruption of moral traditions of teaching and what teaching might become has become a serious concern for the current generation of philosophers in both China and the West. This editorial examines these issues and introduces this special issue.

The Corrected Interpretations of the Five Classics (Wujing zhengyi) and the Tang Legacy of Obscure Learning (Xuanxue)

AbstractThe Corrected Interpretations of the Five Classics (Wujing zhengyi) is a surprisingly neglected source for the study of medieval Chinese intellectual history. Often considered more of a political performance than an intellectual one, the series has been charged with heterogeneity in its attempt to put an end to the intellectual disputes of the period of division and to craft an orthodoxy for the nascent Tang dynasty. This paper will show, however, that the Zhengyi subcommentaries do articulate a coherent intellectual position with regard to a set of crucial questions about the cosmos, the ancient sages, and the culture that they inaugurated. Repurposing xuanxue arguments about the inherent obscurity of the dao and the cosmos, the Zhengyi argues that most of us cannot understand the source of normative values, and that therefore our only recourse is to limit our intellectual presumptions and follow the models provided by the ancient Sage Kings.

Life Cut Short: Death as Divine Punishment in Talmudic Stories

The ancient sages of the Talmud used stories as a method to teach people how to behave ethically. Stories, more so than cases, have the ability to rouse emotions and teach important ethical lessons. This paper examines Talmudic stories to determine which behaviors result in Divine punishment and a shortened lifespan. Five behaviors are found to result in premature death: these include hurting another person’s feelings and disrespecting the Torah.

Talmudic Ethics: Lessons from Rabbinic Stories About Elijah, the Prophet who Never Died

The ancient sages of the Talmud used stories as a method to teach people how to behave ethically. Elijah stories remain extremely popular today and he becomes an important figure in Jewish folklore and Chassidic tales. Elijah is supposed to show up at every Jewish circumcision and at the Passover Seder. This paper will examine the Elijah stories that appear in rabbinic literature, principally the Talmud. The diverse roles he plays include: (a) miracle worker, rescuer, and healer; (b) discloser of heavenly secrets; (c) helper and comforter of the poor; (d) promoter of social justice; (e) teacher and scholar; and (f) punisher of the wicked.

Features of Protocategorical Thinking in Ancient China

The article deals with to the early forms of categorical thinking. The conceptual schemes are formed independently of each other in various ancient civilizations, and that is an evidence of the universal nature of some fundamental features of early categorical thinking. The author proceeds from the idea that defning characteristics of categorical thinking (according to the prominentGermanphilosophersI.Kant and M. Heidegger) are the apriority and the extreme generality of concepts. Thus, a category is an extremely generalized concept, the last basis for the explanation of the all being by reducing it to a few defning beginnings; and this is an original, structuring perception form of conceptuality, which man has before any empirical experience (i.e. a priori). The same, with some reservations, can be said about the ancient sages’ elemental principles of being because these principles meet the above mentioned requirements of categoricity. These basic conceptual constructs (such as the binary, ternary and quinary classifcations inChinaand the four elements of the early Greek philosophers) with extreme generality reflect the structure of the world around and serve as the structural basis for less general concepts. Proposed explication of the conceptual nature of the Chinese “fve elemental forces” is appealing to the Kantian idea of the transcendental scheme. This idea brings us closer to understanding the early forms of categorical thinking in general and the schematism of Chinese thinking in particular. The article also considers the original interpretation of the Kantian scheme by Umberto Eco.