Postive spiritual symbols

[Mouroux]

What has Sun Tzu got to do with complementary healing? I would not consider it a philosophical text, nor would I consider its teachings any more than generic or strategic axioms, ..... "If your enemy has less food than you, you will defeat him" IMO it is overrated and popularised in the '80s by business writers wanting a theme to make a quick buck from.

So what does qualify as a philosophic text then, in your mind? I take you are an expert in the field of Chinese Philosophy... or are you just one of those 'general experts'?

[fun tzu]

Moroux, my username should be a give away that while I wouldn't consider myself an expert on Eastern thought I'm certainly not entirely ignorant of it either.

I would also consider myself quite spiritual and by no means a Dawkins fanboy. However I don't see spirituality requiring belief in spirits or mystic energies. I consider spirituality to be close to philosophy in that it is the study of your own human condition, the study of the subjective if you will. It is how you make sense of all the things that science can say nothing about.

To my mind reiki, with it's belief in mystic energies is pop spirituality. I do not see why you would want to invoke mystic energies that influence reality when there are already plenty of things in your reality that science cannot help you with.

[Mouroux]

So you are a good western philosopher, reflexively mistrustful of the 'dark orient'?

I have no time for 'new age' religions -but you appear to throw them in the basket along with mainstream eastern philosophies,culture and history on the basis that you are "not entirely ignorant"??

[martino]

If it makes you happy and getsbyou through the day, then more power to you.

Thanks for being generous enough to share it with us.

[fun tzu]

When did I say anything about eastern philosophy, culture or history? I'm not mistrustful of the orient at all. You couldn't be further from the truth there. My personal philosophy or spirituality is very much influenced by eastern thought.

I'm not sure what you imply by saying that you have no time for new age religions? Is it the age or the religiosity that you have a problem with?

[Oppenheimer]

So what does qualify as a philosophic text then, in your mind? I take you are an expert in the field of Chinese Philosophy... or are you just one of those 'general experts'?

What qualifies to me as philosophical text is irrelevant. You put forward Sun Tzu's "The Art of War" as a philosophical work that it patentedly is not, IMO. Just because it has been wrapped up in a marketing jacket that gives it an air of wisdom does not mean it is anymore an insight into the plight of man.

I doubt you to be a specific expert of any kind so guessing what sort of expertise others have or have not would not be a good starting point to building a credible position.

[fun tzu]

The Art of War is philosophical in the sense that many of it's teachings illustrate the principle of wu wei which is an important concept in chinese philosophy.

[Lightning Rod]

Thomas Jefferson (1782): "Ignorance is preferable to error, and he is less remote from the truth who believes nothing than he who believes what is wrong."

The Art of War is a military treatise with a strong a philosophical sub-text. Sun Tzu's musings cover many subjects including weather, military tactics, administration, even how to win at Go.
One of my most prized books.