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Wonhyo, Motoori Norinaga, and Confucius.

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  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,...

A Quiet and Flowing Life Like Water

 A Quiet and Flowing Life Like Water When someone asks me, "How do you live?" I reply, "I live like water." This doesn't mean that I do nothing amidst the situations and events given to me. It simply means I continue doing something without much thought or attachment. When Wonhyo described the state of Nirvana as "deep and tranquil like true suchness, far removed from the ten marks," I cannot fathom what that tranquility is or whether it is the same as the tranquility I feel. However, at least when I express my state in words, my mind is neither cluttered nor confused. This quiet and flowing life like water is not stagnant. When facing phenomena, I do not refuse the will and effort to interpret them subjectively. Nevertheless, I do not cling to them. The vitality of the fish, wind, and moss that I encounter as I flow like water is an unavoidable situation given to me. When Merleau-Ponty spoke of "being-toward-the-world," might he not have m...