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VOLUME:
Vol.06 Issue04 2025
10.37547/philological-crjps-06-04-05
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Transcendence and Nature in Chinese Philosophy: Man,
Through the Eyes of Confucius, Laozi And Buddha
Berdiyev Umid Shoymurotovich
Tdshu Phase 3 Foundation doctoral student, Uzbekistan
Received:
16 February 2025
Accepted:
17 March 2025
Published:
16 April 2025
INTRODUCTION
The Revenge of nature on people indicates that the
conquest and control of nature cannot bring universal
prosperity to people, and people need to change their ways.
Today, the natural and environmental problems caused by
the rapid development of human civilization are becoming
more and more acute, forcing humanity to reflect seriously.
An important topic for reflection is the mobilization of all
cultural resources and access to dialogue to master the
ideological feed that can be used for information and
determine the right direction for future development.
Therefore, building a relationship between man and nature
based on theoretical research and research of man and
nature is very necessary and of practical importance.
Thoughts of Chinese Traditional Culture on the
relationship between man and nature
Chinese traditional culture is the sum of the spiritual
worldview, psychological state, way of thinking, direction
of value, etc. of the entire society, which is collected,
brought up and formed in the socio-historical development
of China. A distinctive feature of traditional Chinese
culture, based on a long-term agricultural civilization, is
that it never speaks of culture in isolation from nature, nor
does it form a humanistic tradition in the confrontation
between man and nature. On the contrary, traditional
Chinese culture develops a humanistic spirit in a
harmonious unity of Man and nature, that is, in traditional
Chinese culture, the idea of harmony between man and
nature is not an independent cosmic philosophy, but a
philosophy of life. Therefore, with the help of this feature
of Chinese traditional culture, the value and understanding
of respect for nature can be integrated into the daily
survival and life consciousness of people.
a.
Confucianism's "unity of nature and man"
Western philosophical thought and the fundamental issues
of being, in comparison with the fundamental issues of the
relationship between material and spirituality, the
relationship between heaven and man is a fundamental
issue in Chinese philosophy, and the “unity of Man and
nature” is the “fundamental spirit and exalted sphere” of
ABSTRACT
This article analyzes the concepts of transcendence and nature in Chinese philosophy based on the teachings of Confucius, Laozi,
and Buddha. While Confucius sees man as a social being adapted to moral standards in society, Laozi considers him to be a
natural being who must live in harmony with nature. In Buddhism, however, the central place is occupied by the attainment of
spiritual maturation, deliverance from illusion, and reaching a transcendental state. This article provides a comparative ana lysis
of the approaches of these three philosophical currents to human nature, its perception of the self and its spiritual and spiritual
elevation. Through philosophical ideas, the relationship between man and nature is revealed, as well as the content of
transcendence.
Keywords:
Chinese philosophy, transcendence, nature, man, Confucius, Laozi, Buddha, philosophical doctrine, spiritual maturation, harmony.
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Chinese philosophy [1, 7]. It is based on the experience of
the direct living of ancestors in the conditions of a long-
term
agricultural
civilization,
it
understands
the
inextricable connection between human survival and
nature by understanding the natural rhythm of changes and
the organic order of life. Confucianism had great results in
this opinion.
First of all, the"Analects of Confucius" says: "What does
the Sky say? How do the Four Seasons move and
everything appears? What does heaven say?"[2] according
to Confucianism, heaven is not a supernatural God, but a
true nature. The action of the four seasons and the growth
of everything is the "birth" of paradise; of course, a person
is also part of everything. Consequently, the origin and root
of Man and everything is one in nature, deeply rooted in
nature, not the owner of nature, but a flower that opens up
in nature [3, 17]. Secondly, the idea of" harmony between
man and nature " is based on a deep foundation of morality
and morality. The central value of Confucian moral
thought is Confucian“mehr - rén”, a concentrated
expression of the humanistic spirit, and "compassion", a
high virtue of the subject. But "humanism “has nothing to
do with Paradise; but rather”humanism “is given by talent,
and its main source is the” quality of life “or”principle of
life" of heaven and Earth. The quality or principle of life is
the same for everyone and everything, and there is no
difference between the inner and the outer, between things
and myself. That is,” the benevolence of Heaven, Earth and
everything “means that” Ré-rén " humanity means loving
not only people, but everything. Confucianism cares for
life unconditionally and is filled with love for everything
in nature, so Confucianism takes an example from heaven
and earth through the logic of the connection between the
Milky Way and the human way. Confucianism, full of love
for everything in nature, follows the logic of the connection
between heaven and humanity, takes an example from
heaven and earth, and extends “humanity”to nature,
thereby expanding interpersonal morality to natural
morality. Such an expansion is a “differential” relationship,
consisting of intimacy and distance between a moral
subject and a moral object, that is, “being close to relatives
is benevolence to the people, and benevolence to the
people is love for things. "The objects of moral care are
constantly expanding from people to inhuman animals,
plants and inanimate objects.
Confucianism believes that whatever mental state the
moral subject has, it treats all things in nature in a certain
way.” If you can fulfill the nature of people, you can fulfill
the nature of things; if you can show the nature of things,
you can confirm the change and upbringing of heaven and
earth; if you confirm the change and development of
heaven and earth, you can join with Heaven and earth”[4,
22]. Consequently, a person with a” human “nature and a”
humanistic " state is able to consciously protect all things
in nature and never destroy them at his own discretion; the
place of people in the universe as the soul of everything,
that is, the moral subject, is to take care of everything in
heaven and earth and help everything develop smoothly.
Here we can see an important feature of Confucian
humanist values: Confucianism emphasizes humanism
without breaking the relationship between man and nature;
he glorifies the dignity of man, but does not deny the
existence of natural objects.
As a philosophy of life, "the wise enjoy water, the
benevolent enjoy mountains" is a spiritual world promoted
by Confucianism [5]. Loving and wise people's love for
mountains and rivers fully reflects the feelings of loving
people and is also the backbone of the life of benevolent
people. Here " happiness
乐
-lè "is the experience of
Confucius 'world of" harmony between man and nature".
It is difficult for a person deprived of care for nature to have
such experience and such “happiness”. The joy of
mountains and rivers is undoubtedly the beauty of nature,
but happiness can be felt only when human vital feelings
are absorbed into the mountains and rivers of nature, that
is, when Man and nature enter a state of harmony.
Confucianism responds in its own way to the question of
the “good final nature” of life, that “harmony with Heaven
and Earth” - a person returns to earth and Heaven through
an “aesthetic process” - purifies his life, soul, and achieves
Infinity.
Although limited by time and empirical thought,
Confucius's theoretical thought is still limited to simple
theoretical categories, but the idea of "the unity of nature
and man" considers the relationship between man and
nature from a fundamental point of view. It promotes the
human nature of "love, humanity, compassion, generosity
(
仁
爱
)" to all things in the universe, and promotes the
aesthetic field of harmonizing man with natural
landscapes, providing much inspiration for future
generations on how to look at the relationship between man
and nature. The German sinologist Bu Sonshan [6] argued
that at one time, "the unity of nature and man" was a
thought of Man and nature with the characteristics of
traditional Chinese culture and that it was also a worldwide
thought. "In a context where the ecological crisis and
CURRENT RESEARCH JOURNAL OF PHILOLOGICAL SCIENCES (ISSN: 2767-3758)
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ecological balance are severely disrupted, emphasizing the
Confucian unity of nature and man can prevent humanity
from following a dangerous path. Traditional Chinese
Confucianism emphasizes the unity of nature and man,
with valuable and practical significance that transcends
national boundaries” [7, 396].
"The path of heaven and nature”in my Taoism Suppose
Confucianism uses the path of humanity to form the path
of paradise with a positive attitude towards the world. In
that case, Taoism uses the path of Heaven, which is free
and unnatural, to explain the path of humanity. The main
category of Daoist theory is "
道
-dào"-path, highest tamoil,
perfection [8, 1]. As the essence of everything, "
道
"is
impartial and selfless, giving its essence to everything in
the world. The "
道道
"of everything has a basis for
existence, so "
道道
" is the universal source of the final
value for Ontology and everything in the universe.
Humanity must observe everything from the height of the"
Dao " and respect the nature of Heaven, Earth, and all life.
That is," from a Daoist point of view, things are neither
noble nor inferior and "things and I are the same" [9]. In
what sense does" Dao " exist? "Taoism and nature" is the
answer to this question. "Dao" exists in a "natural" way.
Instead, "nature" is the existence or state of "Dao". The
harmonious and perfect order of all things in the world and
universe is the natural descendant of the "Dao", which
move and change according to the natural order.
In this eternal transformation, things cannot be separated
from each other, and their transformation eventually leads
to a harmonious unity. Likewise, man exists in nature, and,
among all things in nature, man must follow the path of
paradise and follow nature, be in harmony with everything
according to the laws of nature, respect everything, allow
himself to find his place and live in his own way. Similarly,
the interpersonal order is within the natural order of heaven
and earth, and the order of human society must also mimic
the natural functioning of heaven and Earth. Therefore, the
sage manages to do nothing, "to support the nature of
everything and not dare to do anything." If something does
not follow the laws of nature and develops excessively, it
will become its opposite. That is, the law that follows the
action of everything "must change the extreme state of
things" and the so-called "reverse dao Action" [9, 40], so
that human activity cannot disturb nature and act
arbitrarily. Needham once had a deep conclusion about this
natural attitude of Taoism. He noted, "there are two famous
maxims of Taoism:" nature "and" inaction (
自然
..)".
Nature means the natural development of things according
to their nature; "inaction" means not coercion, but allowing
things to develop according to their nature according to
their laws, and not breaking the will of nature at all. It is
even believed that everything will be harmonious if people
follow the order of their nature, putting their way into
nature.
Forcing people to do things they don't want runs the risk of
harming and putting them under pressure. When everyone
acts at their discretion, some kind of natural cooperation
and natural happiness arises, so that the world becomes a
paradise of real life [10, 17] . Like Confucian philosophy,
Taoism speaks of" nature "and" the study of the
relationship between heaven and man", in fact, it is not"
learning", but the study of the method of "going the real
way (
为道
)" in life. According to the Daoist point of view,
the vital activity of a person is part of the natural order.
"Nature" is both a source and a goal for a person. It is the
original and true state of human existence and the final
destination of life activity, which is called "return to its
roots and return to life"[9, 16]. Laozi promotes a" return to
nature "and the acceptance of nature as his home, a
purposeful aspiration, that is, the realization of personal
virtue and the achievement of a" natural " state.
Regarding how this state can be achieved, Laozi has the
"three treasures"(
三
. - sānbǎo): “the first is compassion, the
second is thrift, the third is not daring to be the first in the
World” [9, 16]. A righteous person can treat everything
with compassion, "saving things" instead of "leaving
things", he has no bad intentions towards all creatures, does
not harm animals for his lust. Each of the humans and
animals can find their place, live in their own home and
live harmoniously in nature. A good person can lead a
frugal life. Daoists believe that excessive desires are
contrary to nature and harm the natural nature of people.
"Five colors make a person blind, five tones deaf, five
tastes delight a person's mouth (feel good and lose it - the
author's note), speed drives the heart crazy, and rare moles
make travel difficult” [9, 67]. If you constantly strive for
external things, you lose your human nature, disturb your
mind, behave disobediently and even “drive crazy” [9, 12].
Consequently, Laozi opposes lavish pleasures in favor of
“contentment with low desires”, “silence without desires”
[9, 37] when it comes to material things; but spiritually,
Laozi is a very high aspiration, that is, the cultivation of
goodness and the realization of the high state of “dao”,
which also means a harmonious union of Man and nature.
When everything in the world follows the concept of
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harmony and finds its coordinates in a rich and colorful
nature, they can flourish. How do you look at these Daoist
"inaction" ideas that do not correspond to the progress we
are promoting today? I believe that the value of culture
should not be measured only in terms of pragmatism or
utilitarianism. For us today, Laozi's attitude to material and
spiritual things provides information about how modern
people react to nature and how modern people look at their
aspirations for a luxurious life.
There is no doubt that the material aspiration to meet the
needs of survival, spiritual search, that is, the thinking of
people about the meaning of life, is to some extent lagging.
However, when people are not at all worried about food
and clothing, the question of the meaning of life becomes
important. The great achievement of modern civilization is
the release of unprecedented productivity and the creation
of the brilliance of material civilization; that is, it is
believed that people can strive for the meaning of life in
the form of material benefits and strive for a self - sufficient
state of life. In fact, when people seek the meaning of life
only with material benefits, they are far from the
framework of self-sufficient life. This can even lead to the
fact that people cannot get rid of the trap of material
desires, which leads to personality disorders and alienation
of human nature. Based on the current state of the dualistic
separation between material civilization and spiritual
civilization in modern society, humanity seems to have
already forgotten the meaning of life and the need to strive
for extraterrestrial (transcendence)through spiritual search.
Laozi believes that the meaning and dignity of life comes
from nature, and according to the laws of nature, it is
transcendence in life. Man is part of nature, nature is
infinite, but people are limited. Only by being one by the
way of nature can we realize the ultimate meaning of life
and achieve an infinite sphere. a. Buddhism "all living
things are equal" The universal transformation of" Dao
"produces everything and everything survives by
obtaining" Dao". Therefore, Taoism says:" If you look at it
from the point of view of something that is the same,
everything will be the same." Buddhism begins with the
inner nature of Buddha Nature, in terms of the fact that
everything can become Buddha, "all living things are
equal." In general, all Buddhism recognizes that all living
things have Buddha nature and are equal in nature to
Buddha and all living things. In addition, Zen-Buddhism
not only confirms that living beings have a Buddha-nature,
but also recognizes that insensitive plants and trees have a
Buddha-nature. "Green and green bamboo are full of
Dharma bodies; gloomy yellow flowers are nothing more
than Prajna, "says that every plant and tree in nature is full
of life, and Zen all has its own value of Buddha nature. and
deserves the attention of the people. From a philosophical
point of view, Zen takes care of flowers, plants and trees
based on the universal existence of Buddha nature, a
combination of subjective moods and objective objects.
Zen Buddhism requires respect for the dignity of life to
evoke the caring attitude of people towards life. Ralston,
an American environmental ethicist, noted, "Zen knows
how to coordinate everything broadly, without losing its
inherent meaning to everything in the universe. Zen knows
how to reconcile the science of life with the holiness of life
". This Buddhist thought reveals its unique life values,
survival and lifestyle.
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