Eastern Philosophies

[OMG12]

I just wondered why so many westerners are attracted to Eastern Philosophies. From the proliferation of Buddhas in suburban gardens to chakra related designs in jewellery etc. nearly everyone I know who has got really deep into these things has come to a full stop after a few years due to language or cultural barriers.

is it the ease of access compared to more western esoteric traditions? Or something else? I’ve tried delving into various traditions from the East but personally find them very jarring which is prob a very personal thing but wondered what the experience of others is.

Personally, I don't get the garden Buddhas or chakra jewellery etc. Not my thing at all, but I assume these tend to be more for aesthetic reasons for a lot of people, rather than anything deeper.

In terms of the philosophy, I can definitely see the attraction, particularly of something like Buddhism, for people who are seeking some kind of spiritual connection but find the Abrahamic faiths deeply off-putting and just not very credible.

What is it that you find jarring, out of interest?

I think fundamentally for me the non dualism, the flow of energy largely being up and out rather than down and in. Some of the issues around free will or lack there of are some of the ones that come to mind (I also object to some of the ways it’s sold as being the thing everything in the west has copied). Personally I have some issues with the language and cultural references which are very alien to me. And IME it’s these latter two

There are so many western traditions which may or may not make reference to Abrahamic traditions (even where they do it’s very rarely what people think). They reference things people are familiar with, in familiar languages and history.

what would draw you to Buddhism?

Sorry … these latter two things which cause a block for westerners getting deeper into study.

I think if you ever did an acid trip or took psilocybin mushrooms, you'd get it.

I'd study it for the mythological perspective and consider the philosophical main points.

I don’t know. I have techniques that can get me into a deep altered state of consciousness which sound a similar level to that reached in say a mushroom ceremony speaking with friends so I’ve never really found the need to do it.

Have you had experiences that particularly drew you to an eastern philosophy if you don’t mind me asking. One of my friends was particularly drawn to Amazonian shamanism after a few mushroom ceremonies.

Would you do this with other systems? Or is there something specific about Buddhism?

As I'm a fan of Graham hancock (author), and Sydney fox (fictional) i always prefer more sources and systems to build a bigger picture of all the different aspects and myths ect

So it's been a while... 😁 but what I experienced directly was an understanding of oneness, i.e. all things being interconnected... including apparent opposites. Everything is captured perfectly in the yin yang symbol. Wikipedia has a good description of it all here. The concepts of good and evil become redundant, especially if you discount linear time.

Did this feeling of non- dualism come from out of no where or was it something you had considered before?

Do believe in a perennial philosophy?

I'd considered it as a sort of intellectual curiosity without any particular commitment to it. Experiencing it directly was something else.

Basically there is an elephant and different people have chosen different parts of the elephant and used those parts to create different religions , philosophy, ect but in the end they are all parts of the same truth.