Today, I discuss my thoughts and views on The Silk Road. As interesting as I find it, I will admit I was taken aback by the mention of Venice in the video; "The Silk Road: Where East Met West." I was floored to learn of the presence of many Arabian artifacts present in Europe, especially Venice!! Yes, you read correct....Venice!! "Wherever he looked, he saw the orient; windows everywhere that belonged to the Arab world. Venice is full of traces of the trade on which its wealth was based; memories of a network of business connections known today as The Silk Road, that once stretched across the Mediterranean sea into the very heart of Asia." (Silk 3:43-4:07)
The book mentions Tiantai Buddhism in China which the video fails to highlight. Exploring the origination and purpose of Tiantai Buddhism is intriguing while also complex and confusing. Reading about the monk, Zhiyi (Chih-i) who founded Gouqing monastery and initiated the teaching of "Tiantai" Buddhism is enlightening. "Although Zhiyi is recognized as the founder of Tiantai, he was (as is so often the case) largely responsible for pulling together and giving a coherent form to currents that had been developing for centuries before his time. Zhiyi played the role of a peacemaker, a compromise maker, who brought together the disparate and often feuding members of the family of Buddhist teaching in China." (Bresnan 382-383)
Transportation and Expansion- The Silk Road Camels
As I watched the video and made my notes on my read from Chapter 16: Early Buddhism in China by Patrick Bresnan, I could find myself wondering why there was no mention of the rich presence of Muslims in China in the book. The video, on the other hand, describes the impact of the Muslim traders in Chinese community and how religion came with them. "Hmmm, lamb kabobs, which I'm pretty sure was a Turkish dish. Everywhere I look, there are people wearing Islamic prayer hats and this is nothing new. It's not some recent wave of immigration. I think you'll agree I could be forgiven if I became confused. And the fact there has been a Muslim community here since the eighth century is entirely due to The Silk Road; to the lines of trade and communication it established. The Muslims who came here weren't tourists or captives; they were traders." (Silk 8:05-8:43)
"Trade brought these people here and religion came with them inevitably as naturally as their luggage." (Silk 10:49-10:56) This passage right here gives me a better understanding of how religion flows with people through their travels, trades, commodities and despite language barriers, it somehow still manages to flourish and leave a legacy behind for future generations to come.
Also learning of Zhiyi's emphasis on the nurturing of compassion in all things is enlightening. "The mortal enemy of acceptance is hatred. The strength of hatred (and its fellow traveler, anger) is the perfect gauge of the strength of ego. And the ego, the illusion of a private self, is what Buddha held to be the greatest obstacle to liberation. It was for this reason that Zhiyi emphasized the nurturing of compassion in all things. Compassion and hatred cannot dwell together under the same roof." (Bresnan 384)
Citations
National Geographic Society. “The Silk Road.” National Geographic Society, 22 July 2019, https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/silk-road/.
“R/Videos - India, China, and the Maritime Silk Road: More than Just a Trade Route.” Reddit, https://www.reddit.com/r/videos/comments/ngaqsd/india_china_and_the_maritime_silk_road_more_than/.
To say I was educated on the traditions of both Confucianism as well as Daoism would be a gross understatement!! Growing up and to date, I consider myself somewhat of a snobbish quote freak 😊😊 but is that really true? Whoaaaa....let's just begin our conversation by having my little acknowledgement or public service announcement shall I say with me saying I have a lot more research and learning to do.
I shall begin by introducing my reads for the day; Chapter 13: Confucius and Confucianism & Chapter 14:Daoism from 'Awakening' by Patrick S. Bresnan. These two chapters bring to light three influential non-Buddhist traditions native to East Asia.
As I started reading through chapter 13, I began to have the realization on how intrigued I already was on learning about the early life of this great philosopher named Confucius.
Confucius was born in 551 BCE. And was a native of Eastern China. Having lost his father at the age of three, he was raised by his widowed mother until the age of nineteen when he married and settled down. Confucius had a brilliant mind, was always interested in learning, especially the study of the ancient history and culture of his people.
As a scholar, the suffering of the common people was the central concern of Confucius. "Confucius was a very compassionate man, and the suffering he saw everywhere among the common people moved him to action." (Bresnan 307) As Confucius looked back to the past Zhou dynasty; a feudal era that would eventually give way to the Han dynasty, he identified prominent figures of the era, 'sages' to whom he attributed almost divinely inspired wisdom. With this knowledge, Confucius set out to bring a healing reformation of the social order, considering himself a transmitter. He would reveal the truth of Dao, which, to Confucius, meant the right "way" for men to live.
Daoism, on the contrary, is undoubtedly a reaction to the teaching of Confucius. The Daoist tradition is divided into two very different species: Philosophical Daoism and Religious Daoism. The central teaching of Philosophical Daoism is found in two fascinating works; the Dao De Jing and the Zhuang Zi.
"Daoism is founded on a deep love of nature, a love of the organic wholeness of nature. Mankind- that is, human society- is seen to be an integral part of the natural order, and as such, human life is potentially a perfect expression of the play of the Dao. To the Daoist, restoring humanity's proper harmony within the natural order thus becomes the only matter of real importance." (Bresnan 338)
After the demise of the Zhou dynasty, the four centuries preceding it- ravished with feudal warfare, ravaging armies, brutal conquest , ruined crops and villages, contributed towards the formation of the Period of Warring states. Unsurprisingly enough, this period also became known as the Period of the Hundred Philosophers. Upon Confucius's demise, he was survived by a community of disciples dedicated to preserving the teaching of the Master. One such disciple who remained steadfast was Mencius (his Chinese name was Meng Zi). One can almost think of the relationship between Confucius and Mencius as that of Socrates and Plato. Both Confucius and Mencius had commonalities they shared; both were itinerant philosophers who failed in their desire to hold powerful public office, both were products of the Period of Warring states, they were from the same general region.
What I found rather interesting is how both men had equitable agreements as well as vast disagreements on their teachings and thoughts. "Of greatest importance was the basic agreement between them as to the truth of Dao, theright "way" (that is, the natural right way) of conducting one's life. Both men believed that right education could transform the wild infant into a man of junzi, a "Superior Man", a sage- and that achieving sage-hood was the only legitimate goal of life. Mencius fully agreed with Confucius that the family is the basis of the social order and that the maturing of compassion begins within family. Then through right education, compassion can be directed to move outward, ultimately to encompass the universal family." (Bresnan 318)
"Perhaps the most salient point of difference between Mencius and Confucius concerns purpose. Confucius, was the Superior Man's reason for being in terms of government service. On the other hand, Mencius, focused on right living, not right governing, as the proper goal of the Superior Man." (Bresnan 318) While Confucius focused on building an elite system of scholars, selected through a series of examinations to enter the ranks of the governing class and dedicate their lives to serving wisely and being a model for all, "Mencius believed that everyone is at least potentially capable of becoming a sage because he believed in inherent "goodness" of human beings. Mencius added this element to the teaching of Confucianism." (Bresnan 319) I must say I am glad he chose to add this element as it brings much more depth to the teaching. The story Mencius shares about the child about to fall into an open well is quite relatable and pulls definitely pulls a string in the heart. It's a pulsating pressure cooker of emotions comprising of empathy, compassion for the fellow human beings, morality and human goodness.
Quote by Mencius
Daoism seems to be the very antithesis of Confucianism. As noted in chapter 14, when the young Confucius ventures out to meet Lao Zi- an older contemporary of Confucius, he comes out of the meeting having a profoundly moving experience. "Don't have anything to do with that man. He is a very dangerous man!" (Bresnan 336)
The Dao De Jing comprises of only 5000 Chinese characters and is arranged into eighty-one "chapters". "Like the Analects, the Dao De Jing is largely addressed to the ruler, offering that person many sage and often, ambiguous pieces of advice. The Daoists were passionately opposed to the Confucian system but why? "The problem, in the eyes of the Daoists, was the nature of the remedy that Confucius proposed for reestablishing the harmony that had been lost. The Confucian "system" aroused the ire of the Daoists, because, basically, they felt that not only did it fail to restore man to his natural state, it actually made things worse! The simple, natural life that the Daoists cherished was seen to be smothered in the complex, highly formalized way of the Confucian system." (Bresnan 339)
Religious Daoism talks about the Yin&Yang.
"All of nature exhibits a wonderful harmony. The harmony results from the interworking of the basic forces of nature, which the Daoists refer to as yin&yang. Derived originally from the Chinese words for moon and sun, yin&yang stand symbolically for the dual forces of nature that are the most elementary of all. Yin, the passive force , associated with the feminine principle, is the force that maintains and regulates. Yang, the active force, associated with the male principle, is the force that initiates action." (Bresnan 352)
The most important and fascinating aspect of Religious Daoism is the quest for immortality. "Immortality could be had by ingesting a drug!" (Bresnan 355) However, that didn't quite pan out. What drug? Where would it be produced? What were the ingredients? Such were the many questions that never flourished and though there might have been drugs made, they resulted in many deaths, including those of some Tsang emperors. Ouch!
Citations
Bresnan, Patrick. Awakening: An Introduction to the History of Eastern Thought. Routledge, 2022.
