Eastern Philosophy for Beginners

Writers & Readers Documentary Comic Book #91

by James N. Powell

The spiritual rewards and intellectual challenges of Eastern Philosophy are revealed in this visually stunning book, illustrated by Joe Lee and with 19th Century engravings. Eastern Philosophy is not an intellectual pursuit, but one that involves one's entire being. Much of it is so deeply entwined with the non-intellectual art of meditation, that the two are impossible to separate. In this accessible survey of the major philosophies of India, China, Tibet, and Japan, Jim Powell draws upon his knowledge of Sanskrit and Chinese, as well as decades of meditation. Whether tackling Buddha, Confucius, Lao Tzu, Dogen, the Dali Lama or Pantajal - Powell's insights are deeply illuminating. All the major philosophies of India, China, Tibet and Japan are explained and everyone - from beginner to expert - will find Eastern Philosophy For Beginners a beautiful and insightful overview.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Religion, History, Spirituality, Buddhism

192 pages, Paperback

Published August 21, 2007

About the author

~ New York Times

Most people think they use language to communicate. But language is insidious; it determines the way we think. Modern philosophers say we live in a universe limited by our language. Ludwig Wittgenstein even said we were ''bewitched.'' James Powell goes a little further. He examines the symbols of language the way a biologist examines cells. By inquiring into the nature of symbols themselves, he hopes to show the transcendental capacity of language not for mere communication but for ''communion.'' He assures us that the universe is a silent partner in a dialogue that goes on all the time and that throughout history certain images and techniques of meditation have led consciousness to break through the limitations of language.

Mr. Powell argues that we tend to underestimate the volatility of symbols. In world politics, we can easily see the danger of a breakdown in communication. When one world of meaning has no reality for the other, dialogue stops, sometimes violently. If the breakdown is taken as a failure in communication, in which each side sees the other as willfully irrational, the result is explosive. If, however, the failure is seen as a collision of symbol systems, each of which has absolute internal reality, then dialogue may be pursued with a different understanding. 'The Tao of Symbols is Mr. Powell's attempt to bring occupants of different worlds together (Buddhist and Moslem, scientist and sage) and to suggest the basis for a new kind of dialogue.

Some Suggestions for Interreligious Dialog



In addition to his published works, Jim Powell collaborated with Imogen Cunningham on a photographically illustrated translation of the verse of St. John of the Cross. James Powell: As a boy, James’s chores included keeping coyotes out of the chickens, riding fence, branding, milking, and harvesting. Since then, his jobs have changed quite a bit. He cut line for Smokey on many western wildfires–working winters surveying and building trails, while gradually awakening to Chumash and Vedic wisdom of fire ecology.

James has also taught meditation around the world, including to Michael Jackson's Neverland staff, Beach Boy Mike Love’s family, and Lithuanian-born archeologist Marija Gimbutas. The California meditation center he chaired for ten years provided ongoing instruction for over ten thousand Santa Barbarans. What’s more, he was Ayurvedic consultant to Deepak Chopra and Arianna Huffington at the Center for Perfect Health–which he co-founded–with Deepak's lectures drawing audiences of over 1,000. He collaborated with Group f/64 photographer Imogen Cunningham on a photographically interpreted book of his translations of the verse of Spanish mystic San Juan de la Cruz. The project was under consideration at various publishing houses when Imogen passed away.


Prologues to What Is Possible

1.

There was an ease of mind that was like being alone in a boat at sea,

A boat carried forward by waves resembling the bright backs of rowers,

Gripping their oars, as if they were sure of the way to their destination,

Bending over and pulling themselves erect on the wooden handles,

Wet with water and sparkling in the one-ness of their motion.



The boat was built of stones that had lost their weight and being

no longer heavy

Had left in them only a brilliance, of unaccustomed origin,

So that he that stood up in the boat leaning and looking before him

Did not pass like someone voyaging out of and beyond the familiar.

He belonged to the far-foreign departure of his vessel and was part of it,

Part of the speculum of fire on its

Reviews

[John Fredrickson · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is a huge amount of information in this book, but the presentation of the material was very dry. This in spite of an "Alice in Wonderland" theme that feels like it should be humorful, but instead comes across as tiresome.

The book is very India-centric in its content. Towards the end of the book, consideration is given to Chinese and Japanese and Tibetan philosophical characters and schools, but these feel very much like afterthoughts, as they are given extraordinarily light treatment compared to Hindu philosophies. I was disappointed in the treatment of the Tao.

Even though there is a fair amount of negative content in the above paragraphs, the treatment of Indian philosophies seemed fairly exhaustive and informative (albeit somewhat exhausting as well). There is a lot of material here that I will refer back to over time.

[Spencer Johnston · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very simple introduction to Eastern wisdom traditions, I quite enjoyed it though. Soon to follow will be the Three Pillars of Zen.

There was a strange amount of anti-communist rhetoric in here. Just an observation.

[Ashley · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is the perfect book for you if you:

- Like reading glossaries that consider a cohesive narrative to be a cutesy afterthought

- Enjoy actual "Confucius say..." snark and big Black nostrils-type racial/ethnic cartoons

- Think 3/5 India, 2/5 China, and one paragraph each -- not kidding -- for Zen, Judo, and Tibetan Buddhism is a fair ratio of coverage

- Want a clear Indian bias; for example, Hinduism "shows" and "teaches" us while East Asian traditions "allege"

- Feel the ideal author to learn from should appear to have the same base-level, fetishized understanding and outlook of a guy who took a Western yoga class at a co-op or spent a weekend at a retreat in Taos and is now "really spiritual"

I read this because I wanted to try this series out. It took me months to get through it because I kept putting it down in horror at the utter disrespect for the topic. And I don't even believe this stuff! This book insults the cultures and ideas it covers and insults the intellect of its readers.

I can't remember the last time I had such a visceral response to a text. Just truly, truly terrible. If you are the type of reader who is smart and engaged enough to read book reviews before making decisions about what's next, you deserve to pick anything but this. You will hate the format, the content, and the waste of your time.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun illustrated overview of the major Eastern religions and philosophies. I learned a great deal about Hinduism, Confucianism, Taoism, etc. It is all certainly very different from the Western, Christian worldview I have grown up with. Not being much of a theist at this point in my life, I appreciated the secular nature of many of the Eastern traditions, especially Buddhism in all its varied guises and expressions. The language barrier can be tough for me since I have no background in any of the source languages these texts and traditions are born from. Still, fascinating stuff. I can see why Westerners go ga-ga over what seem like exotic, mysterious ideas and practices.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun way and approach to an otherwise deep and fact-filled history that could be quite boring. The book is in fact as the title suggests. At times sadly the book seems to be judgmental and jests about the beliefs of others. Fun is a great way to learn basic history, but making fun of others may not be the best approach frankly.

[J.D. Combista · Rating 3 out of 5]

A tad inconsistent. Some sections elaborate on specific philosphies and teachings, while others feel sorely lacking in a general sense. For those starting out, the book is an adequate introduction to Eastern Philosophy.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, this book was good, but the satire must be tolerated at times.

[Quicksilver Quill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eastern Philosophy For Beginners by Jim Powell takes you on a wonderful journey through the fascinating world of Eastern philosophy. Contained herein are explorations of all the major religions and philosophies of the East in India, China, Japan and Tibet, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Zen, and many more.

With his scholarly yet lighthearted approach, the author makes what could have been a dense and difficult subject matter feel as airy and carefree as a butterfly flitting among spring blossoms. Infusing a wonderfully poetic quality into his writing, Powell helps the reader get into the spirit of whichever of the many Eastern philosophies or religions that he happens to be discussing at any given time.

Profusely illustrated throughout, the amusing drawings provided by Joe Lee are fun and humorous, and augment the text with plenty of entertaining moments while driving home many of the author’s salient points and ideas.

Of course, it would be impossible—and in fact undesirable—for a book intended for beginners to cover every aspect and nuance of Eastern philosophy. But this guide does a great job in giving a solid introduction to all of the main ideas while still allowing for many an excursion into more obscure and interesting side stories that depart from or run parallel to the central plot.

In short, I would absolutely recommend this fun and informative book to anyone who is interested in learning more about Eastern philosophy, but who does not necessarily want to wade in too deep right off the bat. Consider this an excellent overview and a great place from which to begin your own further explorations of the many fascinating Eastern philosophies, religions, myths, and literary works that are introduced in this book.

[Joseph Inzirillo · Rating 5 out of 5]

The "For Beginners" series has always been amazing. So much so that I have decided to re-read all of the ones I own. (Thus why you will not see them in my "read" shelf.)

Eastern Philosophy is a complicated web of amazing thinking to say the least. Trying to grasp the simplest concepts of Tao or Zen can often be difficult and confusing. The "For Beginners" series, courtesy of Jim Powell, employs Alice (from Wonderland) and the Caterpillar to take you through each of the major thoughts of Eastern Philosophy. Moving from India to China to Japan and eventually ending in Tibet, they cover every aspect of thought to come out of those regions. Covering everything from Vedic Scripture to Bon, Jim Powell presents the philosophies and mythologies in a straightforward and easy to understand manor, often employing metaphors to show his meaning. In many places he even ties them together and references the reader to the source texts for further reading.

The book is an invaluable resource for anyone who is wanting to delve into the many facets of Vedic and Oriental thought.

An amazing series, an amazing book and a highly recommended read!

[Joseph Santiago · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading about Taoism and traveling to China I wanted something that would help me bring synthesize these philosophies so I could understand and compare them. Just like in the US each book approaches these bodies of faith in the same way different churches, temples, and synagogues will. When asking about stated significant principals in the book there was almost always a gap where personal and regional differences manifested. The illustrations in this book were wonderful and helped me to imagine the concepts described. The author approached each philosophy with respect and reverence that made it natural expectation to appreciate the differences between them as cultural distinctions. That in itself is a great perspective to travel with. I recommend this book!

Mr Joe

[Tsanu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very detailed book filled with descriptive illustration that explains several eastern religions and their origins and connections to each other. Some of the terminology is difficult to understand for someone with no prior knowledge of eastern religions. But for those with some basic knowledge this book can definitely build on that as well as explain some aspects of eastern religion that many do not understand. I really enjoyed the illustrations in this book. They make it much easier to understand.

[Alex Wolff · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a graphic novel I picked up at NY Comic Con this fall. I wish I read more of it before teaching literature from India, China and Japan because I have a vague concepts of the philosophies for these parts of the world. So far, I have gained a pretty comfortable understanding of Taoism, but I still have a lot more to process on the rest.

[Kelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a book to read in one sitting. The material can be dense and needs to be gained slowly. The old engravings are splendid; the newer illustrations are dippy. And I didn't like to 'dialogue' format. Nevertheless, this was a good book to read in preparation for our trip to India.

[Ryan Patrick · Rating 2 out of 5]

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[Ztu · Rating 2 out of 5]

Way too many ideas jammed into too few pages. But okay for general overview.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love these books.