LibGuides: Basic Philosophy: Eastern Philosophers

Eastern Philosophers

Eastern Philosophers
Eastern Philosophies

Buddha: Topic Page

Religion and philosophy founded in India c.525 B.C. by Siddhartha Gautama, called the Buddha. There are over 300 million Buddhists worldwide.
Chu Hsi (1130 - 1200)

From The Encyclopedia of Ethics
Commonly regarded as the greatest Neo-Confucian philosopher, Chu Hsi lived in the Sung Dynasty (960 to 1279).
Chuang Tzu (BCE 369 - 286)

From The Columbia Encyclopedia
Chinese Taoist writer. Little is known about his life. He was a native of the state of Meng, on the border of present-day Shandong and Henan provinces, and is said to have lived as a hermit.
Dalai Lama: Topic Page

Dalai Lama is the title given to the one who enjoys the highest spiritual rank in Lamaism, a Tibetan form of Buddhism introduced into Tibet in the seventh century A.D.
Lao Tzu

From The Essentials of Philosophy and Ethics
Lao Tzu seems to have been a contemporary of CONFUCIUS (sixth to fifth century BCE), and is traditionally viewed as the author of the classic of TAOISM, the Tao Te Ching, or the ‘Classic of the Way and Its Power’.
Mencius (BCE 371 - 288): Topic Page

Chinese Confucian philosopher. The principal source for Mencius' life is his own writings. He was born in the ancient state of Ch'ao, in modern Shandong province.
Mohandas "Mahatma" Gandhi (1869 - 1948): Topic Page

Ghandi mobilized the largest nonviolent mass movement known in world history under the banner of satyagraha—the active pursuit of truth through love and nonviolence (ahimsa). Gandhi’s ideas of truth and justice have contributed immensely to the development of moral and political thought, and his demonstrations of the positive and revolutionary power of nonviolence has had a worldwide impact.
Mou Zongsan (1909 - 1995)

From Biographical Dictionary of 20th Century Philosophers
Mou responded to the challenge of Western positivism with a synthesis of idealist neo-Confucian philosophy and German idealism, particularly that of Kant and Hegel.
Ramakrishna (1836 - 1886)

From The Columbia Encyclopedia
Hindu mystic. He was born of a poor Brahman family in Bengal, and his given name was Gadadhar Chatterjee.
Tenzin Gyatso (1935 - )

Feom Chamber's Biographical Dictionary
Tenzin Gyatso was born into a peasant family in Taktser, Amdo province, and was designated the 14th incarnation of the Dalai Lama by the monks of Lhasa in 1937.

Hinduism: Topic Page

The Western term for a religious tradition developed during the first millennium and intertwined with the history and social system of India. Hinduism does not trace its origins to a particular founder, has no prophets, no set creed, and no particular institutional structure. It emphasizes the right way of living (dharma) rather than a set of doctrines, and thus embraces diverse religious beliefs and practices.
Reincarnation: Topic Page

Belief that after death the human soul or the spirit of a plant or animal may live again.
Shinto

From The Columbia Encyclopedia
Ancient native religion of Japan still practiced in a form modified by the influence of Buddhism and Confucianism.
Taoism: Topic Page

Refers both to a Chinese system of thought and to one of the four major religions of China (with Confucianism, Buddhism, and Chinese popular religion).
Vedanta: Topic Page

One of the six classical systems of Indian philosophy. The term "Vedanta" has the literal meaning "the end of the Veda" and refers both to the teaching of the Upanishads, which constitute the last section of the Veda, and to the knowledge of its ultimate meaning.
Yin and yang: Topic Page

The Chinese concept that everything is explicable in terms of two complementary but opposing principles. Yang represents heaven, and is the positive, male force.
Zen: Topic Page

Form of Buddhism introduced from India to Japan via China from the 12th century. Rinzai Zen (founded 1191) features kōan (paradoxical questions), intense meditation, and sudden enlightenment (satori).
Buddhism: Topic Page

Religion and philosophy founded in India c.525 B.C. by Siddhartha Gautama, called the Buddha. There are over 300 million Buddhists worldwide. One of the great world religions.
Confirmation: Topic Page

Rite practised by a number of Christian denominations, including Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Orthodox, in which a person who has undergone infant baptism confirms the promises made on their behalf, and is admitted to full membership of the Christian community.