Wonhyo, Motoori Norinaga, and Confucius.
Wonhyo was a leading Buddhist monk of the Silla period. His philosophy focused on harmoniously integrating the doctrines of various Buddhist sects. One of his key concepts was “Hwajaeng(和諍; 화쟁)”. Hwajaeng refers to his effort to harmonize doctrines rather than opposing them, based on his belief that the teachings of the contemporary Yogacara school and Madhyamaka school essentially point to the same truth. Motoori Norinaga advocated for Japan’s indigenous culture and identity through the Kokugaku movement. He viewed “Shinto(神道; しんどう)” as a pure Japanese religion that had not been influenced by foreign ideologies. Consequently, he believed that the kami (gods) of Shinto are closely connected to the daily lives of the Japanese people, thereby maintaining their moral values and social order. Confucius ’ “知之者不如好之者” (Zhī zhī zhě bùrú hào zhī zhě) literally means “Those who know are not as good as those who like, and those who like are not as good as those who enjoy.” In other words,...