was stoicism influenced by buddhism

This is similar to upekkha in Buddhism, which refers to a sense of looking upon the goings-on in the world with a balanced awareness, without getting too involved in the ups and downs of the eight worldly conditions. Both traditions saw themselves as providing a kind of treatment for this delusion. And to describe this they both adopted what we could call medical metaphors. December 14, 2016. In particular, for the Stoics the disease was the faulty judgements that attribute good or bad to things other than virtue or vice (and which are inseparable from emotions, which are like the symptoms of the disease), and philosophy is the cure. Stoicism would certainly hold to the position of there being many things that cannot be changed or influenced such as the fact that we are all going to die, that we, as conscious beings, will cease to exist and this is outside of our control and so must be accepted as such, if we are to proceed wisely focussing our energies and attention on those things in our lives that can be changed. One of the things I love about Stoicism is that it operates on an open-minded mindset. The average Buddhist meditates about as much as the average Christian prays. So these philosophies are brothers and sisters rather than enemies. Yes, valuing these things will make us more vulnerable to suffering, but it seems a price worth paying for the sake of a richer life. There are things that have great importance in our lives and should be valued in full appreciation of their impermanence, such as relationships with people. illness is dukkha, Certainly, Buddhism has influence on Greek Philosophies, Christianity, Avesta, Post-Vedic Hinduism, Islam. Some buddhist tendencies are heavily influenced by superstitous beliefs, mainly because it is designed as a religion. This could be called flourishing.Although some think of Stoic as being emotionless, what Stoicism actually teaches is how to avoid unhealthy feelings and … Stoicism as a philosophy didn't promise prosperity in this life or salvation in the next life, but did promise happiness in the present life. The new model of psychotherapy was influenced by Stoicism, and that’s filtered down through self-help and psychological literature in general. Sign up to join this community Buddhism was founded in present-day Nepal around 500 B.C and Stoicism began in Athens, Greece around 300 B.C. Stoicism and Buddhism Thread starter madness; Start date May 31, 2009; May 31, 2009 More than Happiness: Buddhist and Stoic Wisdom for a Sceptical Age, Similitudes: Stoicism and Buddhism | Stoic & Zen, Buddhist and Stoic wisdom – Antonia Macaro, Stoicism in Action After Lockdown by Christopher Gill, Podcast #16: Mick Mulroy, and Where Philosophy and Soldiering Intersect, Women Don’t Need Stoicism; Stoicism Needs Women by Sharon Lebell, On Anger and Impulse Control in Boxing by James Southwood. (for ex. Thank you! Is this not the case? You will achieve this, if you perform each action as if it were your last…”. A Definition and 3 Stoic Exercises To Get You Started, Negative Visualization: An Ancient Stoic Technique For Creating Happiness, https://stoic-leaders.com/the-stoic-reading-list-stoicism-books/. It's not surprising, really, because while Stoicism is not considered a religion, it's core principles align perfectly with the teachings of the Buddha. Life is full of suffering, but that suffering is a path to understanding a larger good. Would that be just a few tips to be happier, as is often the case in the more popular versions of both Buddhism and Stoicism? I agree the two are complimentary. We don’t have to agree with either Buddhism or Stoicism about what cultivating each of these means exactly, but we can readily see that they are important areas to develop in a good life, and that this is independent of any good feelings arising from them. A Buddhist influence on Pythagoras and the stoics is also likely, and a later influence on Christian monasticism is possible; the claims of the Persian scholar Al Biruni (973-1048), that the ‘ samaniyya ’ religion existed in Iraq and Syria before imperial Persia extended its support to Zoroastrianism, must therefore be taken seriously. The only difference a Stoic practitioner will do is to practice enlightenment and meditation more seriously. When you indulge in fantasies, stories, anxieties and regrets, you make life unnecessarily complicated, difficult and stressful. If we learn to notice these impulses we’ll be more able to take some distance from them and avoid acting on them automatically, therefore we’ll also be more likely to respond to things in a more reasoned and balanced way. Editor of Stoicism Today, president of ReasonIO, adjunct professor at Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design | Sadler's Lectures podcast - https://soundcloud.com/gregorybsadler | YouTube channel with 1700+ philosophy videos - https://www.youtube.com/c/GregoryBSadler In any case, I like to think that both the Stoic philosophers and the Buddha would have approved of this kind of questioning approach, even if it were to lead to conclusions that are at odds with traditional ones. Although there is no historical proof of significant influence from Buddhism on Stoicism or the other way around, some believe that this was the case. As you practice these character traits of virtue, you’ll attain a state of stillness and tranquility. Like compassion, equanimity runs the risk of being corrupted, in this case by indifference, and therefore it needs to be tempered by compassion. 4- Temperance (Self Control) – The ability to act in according to nature. The Stoics used the term apatheia to refer to their ideal of being free from passions. They share: 1. One of these life philosophies is Buddhism. For instance, Seneca writes that joy based on external things is constantly subject to turning into suffering: we often say that we are overjoyed that one person was elected consul, or that another was married or that his wife has given birth, events which, far from being causes for joy, are frequently the beginnings of future sorrow. Like Buddhism, modern Stoicism is grounded in the insights of ancient teachers who believed that overcoming self-caused suffering should be at the center of philosophical inquiry. The overarching commonality is the diagnosis of the human condition. Disclaimer: Advice and information is provided on this site as-is and may not suit your specific circumstances. Zeno of Citium (334-262 BCE) Born in Cyprus, of Phoenician origin, moved to Athens, 312 BC Immediate founder of stoicism, which became dominant phil in Hellenistic and Roman eras Established his own school at Athens in 300 BC Lectured/wrote on ethics, logic and physics Only fragments of his writing survive death is dukkha; It is also about a healthy scepticism and humility, about realising that our powers are limited and there’s a lot about the world and ourselves that we can probably never know. Stoics also have their morning meditations to get prepared for the day ahead and night rituals to learn from their mistakes and improve their lives the next day. Even though ancient Stoics had some strong (and somewhat dogmatic) opinions on what the good life is, modern stoic practitioners like William Irvine, Massimo Pigliucci, Donald Robertson and Ryan Holiday are cultivating more of an open and respectful attitude towards other life philosophies. It is just life transforming. Again this has a parallel in Stoicism. not to get what one wants is dukkha. What are your favourites? Of course there are many differences between Buddhism and Stoicism, but here I focus on some of the similarities that seem most striking to me. We should, of course, do the opposite: appreciate that everything is impermanent, empty of self and inseparable from suffering, and therefore realise that what looks lovely on the surface actually isn’t. Avenue of Influence #6. Due to this approach – even though Stoics advocate many meditation practices –  they don’t make meditation and consciousness work as the chief priority as Buddhism does. And this should not be a surprise given the radically different context in which these traditions have emerged and then developed. So buddhism and stoicism teach there the same: “Let go of things outside your control”. Sensing pleasure in suffering View all posts by Gregory Sadler. Many following teachers produced a huge literature, most of which was lost. I know little about stoicism, but I don't believe it to be necessarily influenced by Buddhism, based upon this. I noticed that she’s an “existential psychotherapist.” Does that mean that in her professional role she uses counseling techniques based on Existentialist philosophy? The idea of “amor fati” – the love of fate. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading Stoicism & Western Buddhism: A Reflection on Two Philosophical Ways of Life. Both traditions have a very high ethical ideal. Like Buddhism, Stoicism is often caricatured and misunderstood in the West. It might look like this doesn’t have a parallel in Stoicism, but we only have to scratch the surface to see that it does. Stoicism appears clear and logical since it is a pure philosophical school. A sub-virtue of justice is social intelligence. The first Stoic was Zeno of Citium (334-262 BCE), himself a student of a radical homeless philosopher named Crates of Thebes. Stoicism was likely influenced by Buddhism through contact with India during the wars of Alexander the Great, and shares a lot with Buddhism: the whole universe is one vast, living, divine whole. It was a cultural consequence of a long chain of interactions begun by Greek forays into India from the time of Alexander the Great. a person sits by a sick friend, we approve. Mindfulness can help to de-automatise habitual responses. Contrary to this caricature, Stoicism emphasized human … I was also interested in exploring the similarities and differences between the traditions. There are also sub-virtues to these main ones. It is definitely a mistake to think in a black and white fashion. Related article: The Dangers of Being Close Minded: Embracing Open Mindedness. So given the way reality is (impermanent and dukkha), we are completely deluded when we believe, as we do, that the things of the world can make us happy or determine our unhappiness. Their aim wasn’t simply to feel better or function better, or even to achieve any particular mental state. Seneca has a good analogy for this: Just as in a field that has been ploughed for corn some flowers grow up in between, yet all that work was not undertaken for this little plant, however much it pleases the eyes … so too, pleasure is not the reward or the motive of virtue but an accessory. The second element of the Buddhist path is ethics. Others might choose to highlight different aspects. HOW TO FIND PEACE EVEN IF YOU ARE HOMELESS, JOBLESS AND LONELY? Both Buddhism and Stoicism tells us the importance of mindfulness – to be present in the moment. In Buddhism … Sensing the unlovely as lovely. According to the texts the Buddha agreed to teach out of compassion, despite being initially reluctant. Doing this requires developing what we could call mindfulness. Even though ancient Stoics had some strong (and somewhat dogmatic) opinions on what the good life is, modern stoic practitioners like William Irvine, The goal of Buddhism is to eliminate suffering (dukkha) and reach nirvana. I think you're correct that Buddhism, Stoicism and Epicureanism are related in certain respects. At the end of time, the dead will rise, Christ will return to separate the sheep from the goats, and the Kingdom of God will be established on Earth. Possible that stoicism was influenced by Buddhism from the East, but no hard evidence. Like Stoics, Mahayana Buddhists generally believe in the sacredness of nature and not in supernatural being… In Buddhism these things are known as the eight worldly conditions: The Stoics would have been very comfortable with the view that attachment to the things of the world is misguided. The first wouldn´t be the great problem if the second (control) would be full possible in the changes. (Ench. ), Buddhism … Stoicism has its roots in Athens, Greece and was “founded” around 300 B.C. Stoicism was likely influenced by Buddhism through contact with India during the wars of Alexander the Great, and shares a lot with Buddhism: the whole universe is one vast, living, divine whole. It's not surprising, really, because while Stoicism is not considered a religion, it's core … Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Emphasis on Discipline. Stoicism talks about eudaimonia, which roughly translates to happiness as being attained when humans are in agreement with nature. If you let this doctrines go you can say stoicism is a kind of modern buddhism , Other the stoics (live according nature, and all in nature is good and has it value, we are alle living with and out of the logos ). In Christianity, this world is but a shadow of the world yet to come. Equanimity is a central goal in both Buddhism and Stoicism. In more general terms, seeing clearly is about critical thinking, valuing reason, looking for evidence, cultivating curiosity, awareness, reflection and intellectual honesty. Each year, after the Stoicon conference, we ask the speakers and workshop leaders to provide transcripts or summaries of their presentations, so that our readership can enjoy some of the same opportunities for learning as the conference attendees. Epictetus defended this by saying that some detachment is actually essential for fellow feeling, because if we allow love, for instance, to follow its natural course it can easily turn into its opposite. What happens in the present moment is simple, beautiful and effortless. Real joy is a by-product of other things, and the main ones I found are these: It’s interesting that one formulation of the Buddhist path points to these very areas as the fundamental ones to develop: Some scholars have argued that it’s sīla and pañña that are the essential elements. If you want to acquire these worldly pleasures like money, success, relationships, Stoics would encourage you as long as these pursuits would not conflict with your virtuous personality. By signing up, you'll get thousands of step-by-step solutions to your homework questions. And this is the foundation of ethical behaviour, because by creating that space between impulse and reaction we give ourselves the opportunity to respond to things with kindness and wisdom instead of greed, aversion and delusion. This is something that would surely come in handy for most of us in our daily lives. It is a choice. Both the sage and the awakened person are thought of as having internalised morality to such an extent that their moral judgements are always correct and appropriate, and wholesome actions always flow effortlessly. What are Stoicism and Zen Buddhism:intro [Part 1/3] (2 min read)By Ma DingdingYou may have the image of Zen Buddhism as being a bunch of people in yoga pants meditating mindfully in from of a small Buddha statue… but Zen is also Steve Jobs, Leonard Cohen and Jack Kerouac discovering the benefits Zen meditation can bring in terms of mental clarity. This is why we need some kind of spiritual practice (the third element of the path). 5) Epictetus He is alone between two villages, both far away. The message is that we should be concerned about other people being free from suffering. Instead, I suggest that we all see these two practices as complimentary activities. Another is that of a gatekeeper of a town. Stoicism and Buddhism have both been misconstrued as individualistic or quietist because of their focus on tranquility and self-discipline. A long, long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, I started followed Buddhism. She is the author of Reason, Virtue and Psychotherapy. Of course this is a central part of the Stoic path too, as virtue is synonymous with living according to our rational nature. We present here a review of a new book exploring common ground between Buddhism and the philosophical tradition of Stoicism:More Than Happiness: Buddhist and Stoic Wisdom for a Sceptical Ageby Antonia MacaroIcon Books, London, 2018. Moreover, some clients, and therapists, find Stoicism more congruent than Buddhism with their own cultural concepts and values. By Amiel Pineda September 23, 2018 Buddhism v. Stoicism. In the early beginnings of Stoic philosophy Zeno of Citium, the founder of the Stoic school was deeply influenced by a certain philosopher who wasn’t a Stoic himself. 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