Oriental Wisdom Research Articles

Redefinition and Interpretation of “Religiosity” Based on the Reflection of Buddha Nature

Nowadays, scholars expect to measure religiosity in different ways, but these measurements run counter to the purpose for which “religiosity” was originally coined, which was to be highlighted and differentiated from “religion” under the “the crisis of modernity of religion”; so, this important concept should be redefined. However, the redefinition and analysis of religiosity needs to include the contribution of religious studies, thus correcting the bias of sociology of religion towards sociology, as well as the reflection on pluralism of religions. Among them, thinking about Buddha nature can provide a valuable reference for the redefining of “religiosity”. First of all, the discussion of Buddha nature can provide a philosophical and value-level supplement to the understanding of “religiosity”, making the originally flattened empirical interpretation three-dimensional; secondly, the reflection on Buddha nature influenced by Chinese culture can provide oriental wisdom for the definition of religiosity. For example, Chineseized Buddhist thought incorporates the traditional Chinese understanding of human nature. On the basis of the discussion of Buddha nature, it can be seen that “religiosity” has different emphases in different religions, but there are still areas of consistency under these different understandings and expressions. Thus, the redefinition of “religiosity” should both reflect these consistencies and address the reasons for the inconsistencies through a hierarchical division. Since the redefinition of “religiosity” is not only conducive to inter-religious dialogue, but also relates to the answer to a series of important questions, such as the prediction of the future of religions, its meaning needs to be updated in accordance with the changes in the times.

On the Construction of the SCO Community with a Shared Future for Mankind - From the Perspective of International Law

The 21st century is the century of organization. Against this background, General Secretary Xi’s proposition of “building a SCO community with a shared future” has pointed out the direction for the SCO’s development in the context of a century of change. The proposition of “SCO Community with a Shared Future for Mankind” was put forward by General Secretary Xi Jinping from the perspective of building a community with a shared future for mankind and in order to promote the construction of the “Belt and Road”. However, against the backdrop of profound change unseen in a century, international rule of law has been put on the governance agenda and has become a recognized necessary form of international governance. Therefore, the proposition of building a “SCO community with a shared future” needs to be examined from the perspective of international rule of law. First, in terms of causes, the rise of the argumentative international law paradigm has provided an opportunity to inject oriental wisdom into international rule of law, and the demand for international rule of law in the construction of the “Belt and Road” initiative has also put forward practical demands for the construction of the SCO community of shared future. Secondly, in terms of content, the SCO’s insufficient rule-oriented approach, imperfect legal system, and uneven rule of law among its member states are all specific contents that need to be improved in building a SCO community with a shared future. Finally, in terms of goals, building a SCO community with a shared future should achieve the multi-dimensional goals of common prosperity, universal security, openness and win-win cooperation, equality and inclusiveness, and consultation and construction in the dimension of international law, and inject oriental wisdom into the beneficial development of the current international legal system.

On the Construction of the SCO Community with a Shared Future for Mankind - From the Perspective of International Law

The 21st century is the century of organization. Against this background, General Secretary Xi’s proposition of “building a SCO community with a shared future” has pointed out the direction for the SCO’s development in the context of a century of change. The proposition of “SCO Community with a Shared Future for Mankind” was put forward by General Secretary Xi Jinping from the perspective of building a community with a shared future for mankind and in order to promote the construction of the “Belt and Road”. However, against the backdrop of profound change unseen in a century, international rule of law has been put on the governance agenda and has become a recognized necessary form of international governance. Therefore, the proposition of building a “SCO community with a shared future” needs to be examined from the perspective of international rule of law. First, in terms of causes, the rise of the argumentative international law paradigm has provided an opportunity to inject oriental wisdom into international rule of law, and the demand for international rule of law in the construction of the “Belt and Road” initiative has also put forward practical demands for the construction of the SCO community of shared future. Secondly, in terms of content, the SCO’s insufficient rule-oriented approach, imperfect legal system, and uneven rule of law among its member states are all specific contents that need to be improved in building a SCO community with a shared future. Finally, in terms of goals, building a SCO community with a shared future should achieve the multi-dimensional goals of common prosperity, universal security, openness and win-win cooperation, equality and inclusiveness, and consultation and construction in the dimension of international law, and inject oriental wisdom into the beneficial development of the current international legal system.

초등학교 방과후 학교의 수업 프로그램을 활용한 주산교육에 관하여

In this study, in order to examine the importance of abacus education using the abacus, the history and flow of the abacus and the Chinese knowledge and use of abacus were recognized as intangible cultural heritage of humanity by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) through a literature review. It was intended to provide an opportunity to re-aware of the current meaning of abacus learning, which is receiving attention again through after-school class programs in Korea. Abacus education, which was evaluated as ‘oriental wisdom’, gradually fell out of favor with the development of computers, but its value and usefulness are still recognized in the ‘After-School Programs in Elementary Schools’, which began to be operated separately from the regular curriculum. The continued participation of students is evaluated as a positive phenomenon. The main purpose of operating after-school is the educational system of‘complementing and expanding school educational functions’. It can be seen that it has unlimited development potential to resolve the ‘education gap’ by ‘supplementing and expanding the regular curriculum,’ such as the purpose of reducing parents ‘private education costs and meeting care needs, and to develop the concept, specialty, and aptitude of care classes. It is hoped that such after-school education programs will provide effective satisfaction so that elementary school students can develop basic computational skills such as numbers and calculations with familiarity with numbers.

Using Chinese Wisdom to Rekindle Strategy Consulting

Abstract Strategy consulting has plateaued since 1995, argues former Harvard Business Review editorial Walter Kiechel III. Kmind, the top Chinese strategy consulting firm, has found the spark to reignite the industry: Oriental wisdom. By repeatedly transforming firms from obscurity to market leaders by directly implementing their solutions, they provide a solid proof-of-concept for the next generation of strategic consulting.

New insights into alkalinity regulation in microflocculation-ultrafiltration process: Synergistic mechanisms for scale inhibition, enhanced flocculation and mitigation of membrane fouling

“Ancient Oriental Wisdom” refers to the fact that the Chinese traditional drink boiled water since ancient times, and boiling is the most common method of disinfection and water treatment in household, however, boiling may also generate scale which is harmful to human health. Surface water frequently suffers from issues such as scaling after boiling and natural organic matter (NOM). The microflocculation-ultrafiltration (MUF) process cannot inhibit scale, NOM removal requires improvement, and membrane fouling is still a major limiting factor in its application. The alkalinity regulated microflocculation-ultrafiltration (ARMUF) process can provide three effects simultaneously by regulating alkalinity: (i) significant scale inhibition and almost complete retention of beneficial Ca2+ and Mg2+ in the raw water; (ii) enhanced flocculation effect, increased NOM removal, forming a loose floc and larger floc size, which helps to mitigate membrane fouling; (iii) mitigation of membrane fouling, the ARMUF process showed the lowest total resistance, with significant recovery of membrane characteristics after chemical cleaning. Notably, the ARMUF process was used as the basis for the design and fabrication of a 150 tonnes/day device, demonstrating the engineering application potential of the ARMUF process and providing theoretical and data support for its promotion.

The Two 'Greek Buddhas'

This article discusses the influence of Indian Buddhism on Greek Skepticism and their philosophical method of stress management through the Greek philosopher Pyrrho of Elis. That influence was the subject of two books with similar titles mentioning the “Greek Buddha,” as Pyrrho was called by Nietzsche. Both books, one written in Greek from a layman’s perspective approximately 40 years ago and one written in English from a scholarly perspective approximately 6 years ago, discussed the similarities of the Eastern and Western traditions in terms of the goal of serenity, ataraxia. The book published in 1984 was the first one in Greece to link Greek Hellenistic Philosophy to Oriental Wisdom and especially to the early Philosophy of Buddhism. Both traditions offer a practical way of philosophical management of everyday stress and suffering through the mentality of suspension of judgement and non-attachment to certainties.

The Leadership approach of Chinese Entrepreneurs in Africa: A Case Study of TECNO

The definition of leadership, as popularly conceived, comes from the West. In Chinese culture, the term ‘leadership’ is mainly reflected in the Chinese ‘Confucian culture’. Based on the analysis of the African market of Chinese enterprise ‘TRANSSION’ and its subsidiary TECNO, this article examines entrepreneurial leadership on the basis of Confucian culture. This article discusses the differences in entrepreneurial leadership in the context of traditional Chinese leadership culture vis a vis Western leadership approaches. It argues that the success of Chinese multinationals lies in a unique oriental wisdom that combines modern entrepreneurial ideas with traditional Confucian culture, and continuous improvement and upgrade of corporate practice. Through an analysis of the activities of TECNO and the company’s engagement with the African societies where it operates, this paper sheds light on the leadership of multinational companies in different contexts and the outcomes of their activities.

A New Interpretation of the Traditional Ethnic Rational Spirit Presented by Ancient Chinese Myths

Ancient Chinese myths are the source of Chinese culture, contain the emotions and thoughts shared by the Chinese nation, and embody the spiritual soul of the Chinese nation. Ancient Chinese mythology is deeply rooted in China's long-standing cultural soil. It is a unique myth that grew up in China, and it permeates the light of oriental wisdom. Purposefully and selectively inheriting the precious spiritual cultural heritage in mythology has positive practical significance for us. The content of ancient Chinese myths is rich and allencompassing. The main feature is that it advocates reason and morality, and emphasizes ethics. It conveys the spirit of dedication, fighting and struggle of the primitive people in the confrontation with the natural and social environment. This kind of spirit allows people to draw strength and courage from it, so that human beings can go through all kinds of difficulties and come to today with a smile. This paper mainly uses the method of literature analysis to excavate and sort out the salient features of the concept of rationality in ancient Chinese mythology, try to judge and reflect on ancient mythology with today's value and vision, and provide theoretical and practical support for the promotion of our country's traditional culture and national spirit and historical references.

KAZAKH LITERATURE OF THE INDEPENDENCE ERA IN THE AZERBAIJANI LANGUAGE

The article describes the features of Kazakh-Azerbaijani inter-literary relations in the post-Soviet period, and also analyzes the works of Kazakh authors and folklore works of the Kazakh people translated into Azerbaijani. The paper notes the high intensification of inter-literary contacts between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. Such an expansion of interpersonal relationships among creative figures is, of course, determined by the general state of interstate relations. 
 In the post-Soviet period, Turkic-speaking writers, representatives of various national literatures began to feel their inner involvement in the general Turkic processes with particular clarity due to deep historical and socio-political changes and the strengthening of creative contacts. For example, such works translated into Azerbaijani as "Turkestan", "And me, you, death, lull me to sleep" ("Olum, mane agi de") Magzhan Zhumabayeva, "Kazakhstan's Way", "The Heart of Eurasia" by Nursultan Nazarbayev, "The Clay Book" by Olzhas Suleimenov, "When the Wolves Howled" by Sabit Dosanov, "Idikut" by Akhmetzhan Ashiri were highly appreciated among Azerbaijani readers. "Alash Arystary" in the Azerbaijani language shows that translators in their creative activity go not only beyond the national geographic framework, but expand the internal boundaries of the national artistic worldview.
 The works of the Kazakh genius confirm that the historical and cultural ties of the Kazakh and Azerbaijani peoples go back centuries. In particular, in the "Words of Edification", in the poems "Iskander", "Masut", "Tales of Azim" traces of centuries-old oriental wisdom are found. In the era of independence, the fame of classical Kazakh writers went far beyond the borders of their country. Many of them have become internationally significant personalities. So Abai as a universal cultural phenomenon at the turn of the century became an essential fact of world culture. The interrelation and literary contacts between writers of Turkic speaking countries have given rise to well-known Turkologists to talk about the concept of a single "Turkic speaking literature" and the need to accelerate the creation of a "new era".

Ancient Oriental Wisdom still Works: Removing ARGs in Drinking Water by Boiling as compared to Chlorination

Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in municipal drinking water may not be effectively removed during centralized treatment. To reduce potential health risks, water disinfection at the point-of-use scale is warranted. This study investigated the performance of boiling, a prevalent household water disinfection means, in response to ARGs contamination. We found that boiling was more efficient in inactivating both Escherichia coli and environmental bacteria compared to chlorination and pasteurization. Boiling of environmental bacteria suspension removed a much broader spectrum of ARGs and mobile genetic elements (up to 141 genes) than chlorination (up to 13 genes), such better performance was largely attributed to a stronger inactivation of chlorine-tolerant bacteria including Acinetobacter and Bacillus. Accumulation of extracellular ARGs was found during low-temperature heating (≤ 80°C) and in the initial stage of chlorination (first 3 min when initial chlorine was 5 mg/L and first 12 min when initial chlorine was 1 mg/L). These extracellular ARGs as well as the intracellular ARGs got removed as the heating temperature increased or the chlorination time prolonged. Under the same treatment time (30 min), high-temperature heating (≥ 90.1°C) damaged the DNA structure more thoroughly than chlorination (5 mg/L). Taking into account the low transferability of ARGs after DNA melting, boiling may provide an effective point-of-use approach to attenuating bacterial ARGs in drinking water and is still worth promoting in the future.

Oriental wisdom for interpersonal life: Confucian ideal personality traits (Junzi personality) predict positive interpersonal relationships

Junzi personality refers to traits of ideal persons in Confucian philosophy and is a key to East-Asian indigenous personality studies. We proposed that Junzi personality predicts positive interpersonal relationships, mediated by internal and external attributions in affiliation goal areas. Participants from China (N = 337) completed self- and peer-rated questionnaires in three stages over a 4-month period. Results showed that Junzi personality significantly and positively predicted self-rated interpersonal competence and satisfaction and peer ratings of interpersonal performance. These effects were significantly mediated by internal and external attributions for affiliation. This research provides personality and interpersonal psychology insights by culturally compatible measures and frameworks rooted in East-Asian philosophy and also contributes to the literature on antecedents and consequences of affiliation attribution.

Editor’s Note: New Baggage for Old Masters

Editor’s Note: New Baggage for Old Masters

Al-Farabi and the question on existence

Farabi’s (also Al Farabi) fundamental question is the question of existence. Metaphysics, physics, ethics, politics and civil science of Farabi can be understood and evaluated within the problem of existence. Exploration of the meaning of existence has overshadowed his whole philosophy. Farabi must be seen as the systematic beginning of Islamic Philosophy not as its fountain-head. Farabi owes his own ontological system more to the religious teachings, Islamic culture and thought and Iranian wisdom, heritage and tradition. Precisely speaking, main and true origin of Islamic philosophy is not Greece rather Quranic verses and prophetic traditions as well as prayers and scriptural texts. Emergence or uncovered-ness of existence in Farabi becomes connected with thinking. Wherever there is no thinking, existence will be in covered-ness or hiddenness. In search of the meaning of existence, Farabi does not ask of its quiddity (what-is-it-ness). Question of quiddity of existence is basically wrong and makes one to get stuck in the swamp of verbalism and more dangerous than it, turns the existence into an object. Existence is not separated from thinking. Existence is not an object along with other objects in the outside world so that we can ask of its nature or quiddity. Existence is of uncovered-ness (Unverborgenheit) only within the horizon of thinking. Question of quiddity or what-is-it-ness of existence is tantamount to its forgetfulness and covered-ness. Has Farabi had any innovation in the domain of ontological issues that would make him distinguished by us as compared to his predecessors? Does he speak of a type of novel ontology that can serve as an alternative to the existing ones? What are differences between his philosophy and those of Plato and Aristotle? Are we encountered with different definitions, types of notions, categories or approaches in Farabi? If there are such inventions, would they be to the extent that could they lead to the establishment of a system within the sphere of ontology? Examination of these questions shows that Farabi has a distinguished concern in philosophy different from those of the Greek philosophers. Religious teachings, paying attention to the role and influence of oriental wisdom or Sophia Iranica in philosophical thinking, search for true wisdom and separation from Greek notions and finally providing a theory of synthesis and reconciliation of religion and philosophy constitute Farabi’s main approach. Key words: Farabi, Existence, Epistemic Detachment, Greek Tradition, Aristotle.

Distinguishing between Li and Xing

In ancient China, the morphemes li 理 and xing 性 were monosyllables, and both literally and semantically, their signifiers and signified greatly differed from lixing 理 性 (reason) as a holistic concept in the sense of pragmatics. The concept of li in Chinese culture was the principle of practical reason, and the intuitive expression of practical wisdom; reason in the West is a theoretical reason, the logical expression of theoretical wisdom. The concept of xing in ancient China strictly delimited human nature and biological properties; for li 理 and de 德 within the concept of xing, what was more important was the ethical and value meanings embodied in xing that highlighted man’s conscious moral pursuit. The xing of ancient China can be taken to be ethical. The discrimination and analysis of li and xing in ancient China, and the discrimination and analysis of li in ancient China and lixing or reason in the present, provide new clues for the construction of a hermeneutic theory and system. In view of the original meaning of li in the East, interpretation starts from xing, proceeds in light of li, and reveals the origin of xing; respecting the original meaning of li (principle) in the West, hermeneutics starts with principles and sets to work with analysis, featuring synthetization. Oriental practical wisdom and Occidental theoretical reason complement, refer to and are integrated with each other, revealing the full value and meaning of interpretation, and approaching the cognition of truth in endless reflection. Following the cultural and philosophical tradition of ancient China while referring to Western philosophy and its method of reason can serve as an important ground for the basic rules of contemporary hermeneutics.

Axiomatization of the Symbols System of Classic of Changes: The Marriage of Oriental Mysticism and Western Scientific Tradition

Classic of Changes is a Chinese cultural classic born more than 3000 years ago. Its profound philosophical thoughts and the use of divination have brought Classic of Changes to a strong oriental mysticism. The view of the heaven and man of yin and yang and the five elements states of Classic of Changes are completely different from the Western elemental theory of ancient Greece. The latter gave birth to classical and modern scientific theories, and the yin and yang and the eight trigrams symbol has become synonymous with oriental mysticism. In fact, the cosmology of the Holism of Classic of Changes is a precious scientific heritage of mankind. The axiomatization of the symbolic formal system of Classic of Changes aims to unveil the veil of oriental mysticism and provide oriental wisdom for the development of modern science. Transforming the symbolic system of Classic of Changes into a formal axiom system is the crystallization of the fusion of wisdom between the East and the West. The axiomatization of the symbolic formal system of Classic of Changes shows that the oriental and the western scientific tradition harmony but not sameness and there is no conflict. Classic of Changes can also be interpreted by the axiomatic system like Euclid’s Elements. The main contribution of this paper is that the author skillfully uses mathematical language to formulate the system of Classic of Changes, reconstructs the ideological system of Classic of Changes with the axiomatic method and realizes the scientificalization of Chinese classical natural philosophy. The formal axiom system of Classic of Changes may give us such a revelation: the gap between the oriental and western scientific traditions is mainly in the axiomatization, but the lack of oriental scientific tradition may be the bottleneck of the development of modern science.

Eco-Translatology Perspective on the English Translation of Subtitles in the Documentary Eight Hundred Years of Chu State

Based on the concept of translational eco-environment, oriental ecological wisdom, and the Darwinian principle of natural selection, the concepts of eco-translatology and relevant theoretical ideas were proposed and explained by Professor Hu Gengshen from 2001 on. This interdisciplinary theory of translation studies and ecology considers translation as a translator's adaptation and selection activities, and its translation methods include the linguistic, cultural, and communication aspects. Eight Hundred Years of Chu State is a large-scale documentary about Chu culture. It systematically tells about the great history of the 800 years of Chu State, interpreting the brilliant and splendid civilization of Chu with its magnificent cultural relics, and revealing the laws worth pondering behind its ups and downs. Taking as examples the Chinese-English subtitle translations of the documentary Eight Hundred Years of Chu State, this paper aims to take the interdisciplinary theoretical perspective of eco-translatology to explore its implications for documentary translation from the linguistic, cultural, and communicative dimensions. Aiming also to improve the English translation of Chinese-made documentaries to a higher level, this paper hopes to promote the spread of Chinese traditional culture, especially Jingchu culture, and to enhance the world's understanding of China and its splendid culture.

Thomas Merton's Deep Christian Learning across Religious Borders

Thomas Merton's Deep Christian Learning across Religious Borders Francis X. Clooney SJ In his September 2015 address to the US Congress, Pope Francis evoked the memory of Thomas Merton, who, along with Martin Luther King Jr. and Dorothy Day, captured the modern Christian and Catholic consciousness: A century ago, at the beginning of the Great War, which Pope Benedict XV termed a "pointless slaughter," another notable American was born: the Cistercian monk Thomas Merton. He remains a source of spiritual inspiration and a guide for many people. In his autobiography he wrote: "I came into the world. Free by nature, in the image of God, I was nevertheless the prisoner of my own violence and my own selfishness, in the image of the world into which I was born. That world was the picture of Hell, full of men like myself, loving God, and yet hating him; born to love him, living instead in fear of hopeless self-contradictory hungers." Merton was above all a man of prayer, a thinker who challenged the certitudes of his time and opened new horizons for souls and for the Church. He was also a man of dialogue, a promoter of peace between peoples and religions. It was not entirely surprising that the pope should invoke Merton, for so long so well known a figure in American religious culture. In the postwar era, when America dominated the world stage, Merton offered a powerful witness to the best of Catholic values, and he did so in a way in keeping with his times—and ahead of them. William Shannon explained well the kind of prophet Merton was: "The prophet is not necessarily one who has the correct response to everything; he is one who knows, at a precise moment in history, the true problems which humanity has to face, the goals to be sought, the real questions to be put."1 Merton rose to the opportunities and challenges of his precise moment in history, and in that way marked off a fresh perspective on how world and Church might positively relate. But then too we ought not to expect Merton to be a prophet for our times, any more than other figures of the 1960s would be expected to address directly what concerns us. We in the West know, or can know, much more about the religions of Asia than did Merton's generation, and our learning experience, amid today's pluralism, raises new questions and pushes us in different directions. But we—whichever our home tradition, and whichever other traditions we study—share with him the same [End Page 49] overall challenge: a renewal of the contemplative life grounded at home, yet also truly open to other traditions as well. For those of us who are Christian, the challenge is not all that different: to deepen our Christian contemplative practice while learning all the more deeply from the contemplative traditions around us. In the next pages, I will reflect on the core of Merton's legacy, the enrichment of the Christian contemplative life by integral learning from other religions. merton's theological disposition At first ahead of his times, and then in keeping with the spirit of Vatican II, Merton highlighted the value of interreligious learning. Already in his 1962 essay, "Christian Culture Needs Oriental Wisdom,"2 for instance, he was clear in his diagnosis regarding the spiritual crisis of his times and its remedy: "It is absolutely essential to introduce into our study of the humanities a dimension of wisdom oriented to contemplation as well as to wise action. For this, it is no longer sufficient merely to go back over the Christian and European cultural traditions. The horizons of the world are no longer confined to Europe and America. We have to gain new perspectives, and on this our spiritual and even our physical survival may depend."3 But he is careful enough to ask, "Does this mean that the suggestion given in our title is strictly true? Does Christian culture need Oriental wisdom? It would certainly be rash to state this without further qualification."4 He explains how this is so. On the one hand, "the 'universality' and 'catholicity' which...

Translation as adaptation and selection: a feminist case

ABSTRACTThe notion of ‘translation as adaptation and selection’ was first proposed by Hu Gengshen in 2001 with reference to the Darwinian principles of adaptation and selection. Based on oriental wisdom and occidental concepts, it has gradually developed into eco-translatology, an ecological approach to translation, clarified and refined in Hu’s later studies. Since its emergence, eco-translatology has attracted increasing scholarly attention, mainly in China, with some interest from outside China. However, little research concerns translation of feminist texts. This paper presents a feminist case of translation as adaptation and selection through the comparison of two Chinese translations of The Vagina Monologues. From a feminist vantage point in general, it examines the translators’ adaptive transformations in their linguistic, cultural, and communicative dimensions and the effects of the adaptive transformations in the translational eco-environment to explain why one translation gains better survival than the other in the specific translational eco-environment. It will demonstrate how the translators’ different degrees of multi-dimensional transformations influence the survival of the translations and/or the reception of Western feminism in China. It hopes to provide better understanding of eco-translatology and contribute to the further development of eco-translatology, as it is still in the process of growth.

Thyroid Hormones and the Heart; a Paradigm of Exquisite Fine Tuning, Combining Ancient Hellenic and Oriental Wisdom

Thyroid Hormones and the Heart; a Paradigm of Exquisite Fine Tuning, Combining Ancient Hellenic and Oriental Wisdom