Inter- Faiths Dialogue

Detachement > from desires

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H e who understands virtue will have a sufficient amount, that is all. He will not allow sensual desires to be a burden to his mind, the small to injure the great, or the secondary to destroy the fundamental.

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quote 2384 | Chang Tsai
Chang Tsai, Cheng-meng, Ch.6, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 30

A s people have abundance, their desires are aroused. Their feelings become dominant and they are guided by advantages and disadvantages. Consequently they would attack one another without cease. They would destroy themselves and human relations would be ruined.

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quote 2333 | Chow Tun-i
Chou Tun-yi, penetrating the Book of Changes, Ch 36, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 28

T he superior man is active and vigilant and is unceasing in his sincerity." But he must "restrain his wrath and repress his desires," -move toward good," and "correct his mistakes” (1) before he can achieve his objective.

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quote 2330 | Chow Tun-i
Chou Tun-yi, penetrating the Book of Changes, Ch 31, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 28

(1) These phrases are from the sections on the three hexagrams. Cf. Legge, Yi King, pp. 3 17, 3 19, 4 10.

C an one become a sage through learning?" -Yes."
-Is there any essential way?" -Yes."
-Please explain it to me."
-The essential way is to [concentrate on] one thing. By [concentrating on] one thing is meant having no desire. Having no desire, one is vacuous (hsu, being absolutely pure and peaceful) while tranquil, and straight forward while in action. Being vacuous while tranquil, one becomes intelligent and hence penetrating. Being straightforward while active, one becomes impartial and hence all embracing. Being intelligent, penetrating, impartial, and all-embracing, one is almost a sage.

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quote 2327 | Chow Tun-i
Chou Tun-yi, penetrating the Book of Changes, Ch. 20, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 28

Confucianists had never advocated having no desire. Mencius merely advocated having few desires (Mencius, 7B: 3 5.). The Taoist influence here is obvious. Hitherto, it was only a Taoist and Buddhist method of moral cultivation, but from now on, it became a Confucian method too.

T he sage settles these affairs by the principles of the Mean, correctness, humanity, and righteousness (for the way of the sage is none other than these four), regarding tranquillity as fundamental. (Having no desire, there will therefore be tranquillity.) (1)

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quote 2316 | Chow Tun-i
Chou Tun-yi, An Explanation of the Diagram of the Great Ultimate, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 28

(1) This insertion and that immediately following the sentence are Chou's own annotations.

C lose the mouth.
Shut the doors (of cunning and desire)
And to the end of life there will be (peace) without toil.
Open the mouth.
Meddle with affairs,
And to the end of life there will be no salvation.

quote 2205 | Lao Tzu
Laozi 52, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 7.

W hich does one love more, fame or one's own life?
Which is more valuable, one's own life or wealth?
Which is worse, gain or loss?
Therefore he who has lavish desires will spend extravagantly.
He who hoards most will lose heavily.
He who is contented suffers no disgrace.
He who knows when to stop is free from danger.
Therefore he can long endure.

quote 2202 | Lao Tzu
Laozi 44, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 7.

T herefore let people hold on to these:
Manifest plainness,
Embrace simplicity,
Reduce selfishness,
Have few desires.

quote 2184 | Lao Tzu
Laozi 19, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 7.

T he superior man does not seek fulfillment of his appetite nor comfort in his lodging.

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quote 2136 | Confucius
Analects of Confucius, 1:14, in Wing-Tsit Chan, Chinese Philosophy, Chapter 2.

S uppose a man who was not blind beheld the many bubbles on the Ganges as they drove along, and he watched them and carefully examined them; then after he had carefully examined them they would appear to him empty, unreal and unsubstantial. In exactly the same way does the monk behold all the corporeal phenomena, feelings, perceptions, mental formations, and states of consciousness-whether they be of the past, or the present, or the future, far or near. And he watches them, and examines them carefully; and, after carefully examining them, they appear to him empty, void and without a Self.

temple_buddhist

quote 2114 | Buddha Sakyamuni
Samyutta Nikaya, XXII. 95

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