Our world is nothing but a mode, a phase of Existence in Itself, the Tao, which no word can describe nor any thought comprehend. Taoism does not envision a veritable beginning of the universe, an absolute commencement. However, I am not proposing to trace the history of Taoism here but rather to examine some of the ways in which Taoist adepts and those of the Chinese more or less akin to them have envisioned the problem of survival after death and its solution.įirst of all, let’s look at how Taoism represents the world in which man has emerged. What was the original Taoist philosophy as it existed several centuries before Christ? ¹ One would think that it resembled Indian Vedanta at numerous points. In our time Taoism is hardly more than a blend of beliefs and practices borrowed from ancient Chinese religion and popular Buddhism. TAOISM IS AN EXCELLENT EXAMPLE OF A CHINESE PHILOSOPHY that includes a belief in immortality. I will confine myself here to territory that is familiar to me: China, India, and Tibet. Detailed information can be gleaned from the scholarly works of specialists of the different civilizations. This is beyond the measure of my capabilities and certainly extends well beyond the framework of this book. To be complete, the investigations of this subject should be extended to all peoples. He is stubbornly persistent, creating myths, doctrines, and practices that are all intended to comfort him and confirm his cherished faith in his own immortality. But this painful verification does not prevail over his innate desire for immortality. However, in all situations, reality imposes on man the deposition of the transitory character of all that surrounds him. The same does not apply to those who subscribe to different notions concerning the constitution of their person. It’s the principle of immateriality: the soul continues to exist even though the body is destroyed. Your duration? What are you, you? What does this you consist of? When you say: "It’s I that desires to continue to exist," what is this I?įor the majority of westerners, whether they follow the definition provided by their catechisms-"man is composed of a mortal body and an immortal soul"-or analogous meanings that establish a well-defined division between spirit and matter, it is not a subject that is up for discussion. Isn’t the response quite simple? "It is my duration that I want, or It’s I that will continue to exist," those questioned will respond, according to their religious or philosophical convictions. It is evident that the idea one has of the ego and the manner in which its mental representation has been fashioned dictate the conceptions of which modes of duration are applicable to it.Īsk any individual: You wish to continue after death, perhaps you believe that you will continue? But what in reality is that thing you want to continue? What is it, according to you, that continues to exist after death? It is probable that your respondent will find these questions absurd or, at least, that a great number of those you ask will find them ridiculous. The problem of eternal life is intimately linked to the ego. No matter how low his station in life, the individual longs with all his might to endure for a long time, to live on indefinitely and eternally. The idea of ceasing to exist is odious and horribly painful to every individual. It reveals itself under multiple disguises, both in the collective life of society and in the individual physical and mental life of each one of us. It also suggests something that counters our desires and signifies a quest for the proper means of surmounting the obstacle and attaining the desired objective.Īccordingly, it is normal to hear talk of political, economic, and religious problems, among countless others, but there is a problem rarely cited that nonetheless remains at the foreground of our conscious and subconscious concerns. Could this be a response to the particularly gripping concerns that currently prey upon us?Ī problem consists of a question that is resolved by finding a solution. The term problem is currently among this group. Writers and speakers make wide use of them at every turn. Others find themselves suddenly in vogue. As they cease to be written or heard, they fall into oblivion. VOCABULARY IS NOT SHELTERED FROM THE WHIMS OF FASHION.
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