EASTERN THOUGHT vs

WESTERN THOUGHT
Philosophy, Cultural Values, and Mindset
• Western society strives to find
and prove "the truth", while
Eastern society accepts the truth
as given and is more interested
in finding the balance.

• Westerners put more stock in

individual rights; Easterners in
social responsibly.
 EASTERN PHILOSOPHY WESTERN PHILOSOPHY

• Buddhism  • Christianity
• Confucianism • Rational, Scientific, Logical
• Hinduism schools
• Islam
• Taoism
 MAIN PRINCIPLES
East
• Cosmological unity
• Life is a journey towards eternal realities
that are beyond the realities that surround
us
•  Circular  view of the universe, based on
the perception of eternal recurrence
• Inner-world dependent
• Self-liberation from the false "Me" and
finding the true "Me". The highest state
is believed to be a state of 'no-self',
where neither self-worth nor self-
importance have any real meaning.
• Behavioral ethics
West
• Feeling oneself as an element of the
Divine
• Life is a service (to the God, money, 
business, etc.)
• Linear view of the universe and life,
based on the Christian philosophy where
everything has its beginning and the end.
• Outer-world dependent
• Self-dedication to the goal (big dream, 
life vision, happiness, personal success,
etc.)
 LIVING PRINCIPLES
East
VIRTUE
"To be able under all circumstances to practice five
things constitutes perfect virtue; these five things are
gravity, generosity of soul, sincerity, earnestness and  "One can live magnificently in this world if one knows
kindness." ~ Confucius
"Be satisfied with whatever you have, and enjoy the
same. When you come to know that you have everything,
and you are not short of anything, then the whole world
will be yours." ~ Lao Tzu
"The thought manifests as the word; The word manifests
as the deed; The deed develops intohabit; And habit
hardens into character. So watch the thought and its
ways with care, And let it spring from love born out of
concern for all beings." ~ Buddha
West
ETHIC
how to work and how to love." 
~ Leo Tolstoy
"Refrain from doing ill; for one all powerful reason, lest
our children should copy our misdeeds; we are all to
prone to imitate whatever is base and depraved." 
~ Juvenal
"There is no real excellence in all this world which can be
separated from right living." 
~ David Starr Jordan
Relationship with RELIGION

East West

• Integration • Opposition
 Search for ABSOLUTE TRUTH
East West

● HOLISTIC approach – all events in the ● More focused on INDIVIDUAL EVENTS and

universe are interconnected the role of the person
● Searching INSIDE YOURSELF – by ● Searching outside yourself - through research
becoming a part of the universe through  and analysis
meditation and right living

"Though he should live a hundred years, not

seeing the Truth Sublime; yet better, indeed, is
"The truth that survives is simply the lie that is
the single day's life of one who sees the Truth
pleasantest to believe." ~ H.L.Mencken
Sublime." ~ Buddha
 Search for TRUTH & Fundamental
Research
East West

• The truth is GIVEN is does not • The truth needs TO BE

to have be proved. PROVED.
• The philosophic base for and • The philosophic base for and
culture of fundamental research culture of fundamental research
is WEAKER. is STRONGER.
 BELIEFS and VALUES
East West

The true key is INSIDE. The inner world of a The main values are success and achievement.
human being and his or her ability to control and These that can be achieved in many ways, but
develop it is of the highest value. The way to the rarely through developing  inner strength. The
top is inside yourself, through self-development. majority of success  and achievement criteria
have an external nature (money, faith, popularity,
etc.). The way to the top is through
"Man is made by his belief. As he believes, so he active OUTSIDE intervention.
is." ~ Bhagavad Gita

"The superior man understands what is right; the "Happiness lies in virtuous activity, 
inferior man understands what will sell."  and perfect happiness lies in the best activity,
~ Confucius which is contemplative." 
~ Aristotle
"By chasing desires you will meet only the outer
surface." ~ Lao Tzu
 FUTURE
East West

Your future is determined by the past and your Your future is unknown, it was predetermined
deeds today. by God and is not much influenced by your
deeds.

"Study the past if you would like to divine the "You can never plan the future by the past." 
future." ~ Confucius ~ Edmund Burke
 JUSTICE
East West

SPIRITUAL practice CEREBRAL practice

"There is a higher court than courts of justice

and that is the court of conscience. It supercedes "At his best, man is the noblest of all animals;
all other courts." ~ Mahatma Gandhi separated from law and justice he is the worst.
" ~ Aristotle
 INDIVIDUALISM / COLLECTIVISM

East West

• A human being is an integral part • A human being has an

of the universe and the society. individualistic nature and is an
People are fundamentally independent part of the universe
connected. Duty towards all and the society. 
others is a very important matter.  • INDIVIDUALISM is stronger.
• COLLECTIVISM is stronger.
 IMPROVEMENT / EVOLUTION

East West

• CYCLIC development, hence  • LINEAR development, hence

improvement is a improvement has a goal.
never ending journey that has no Development stops when the 
limits. goal is reached.
 RADICAL INNOVATION /
REVOLUTION
East West

• The fundamentals of the status • The fundamentals of the status

quo should not be questioned. quo can – and often should – be 
The culture of considering and questioned. The culture of
introducing radical changes considering and introducing
 is WEAKER. radical changes is STRONGER.
 PASSION & VENTURING
East West

Entrepreneurial creativity and venturing Entrepreneurial venturing is ENCOURAGED

 is CONTAINED by the habit to control one's emotionally.
passions.

"Nothing is ever achieved by reasonable men." 

"Desires are the cause of suffering. If desire, ~ J Fred Bucy of Texas Instruments
which lies at the route of all human passion, can
be removed, then passion will die out and all "Nothing great was ever achieved without
human suffering will be ended."  enthusiasm... Always do what you are afraid to
~ Buddhism do... Do not go where the path may lead, go
instead where there is no path and leave a
"Vain indeed is all overweening pride in the trail." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
conquest even of the entire universe if one has
not conquered one's own passions."  "If you want to succeed, you have to 
~ Sri Aurobindo forge new paths and avoid borrowed ones." ~
John Rockfeller
 ACHIEVEMENT & WINNING
East West

Winning is INSIDE yourself.  Winning is OUTSIDE yourself.

"Though he should conquer a thousand men in

the battlefield a thousand times, yet he, indeed,
who would conquer himself is the noblest
victor."  ~ Roger Moore
~ Buddha
"He who conquers others is strong; he who
conquers himself is mighty." ~ Lao Tzu
"The most excellent Jihad is that for the conquest
of self." ~ Mohammad
"You're not a star until they can spell your name
in Karachi." 
"Life affords no higher pleasure than that of
surmounting difficulties, passing from one stop of
success to another, forming new wishes and seeing
them gratified." 
~ Samuel Johnson
 IMPLEMENTATION
East West

SPIRITUAL and MISSIONARY approach. PRAGMATIC and EMOTIONAL approach.

"To create and develop without any feelings of "The supreme accomplishment is to blur the line
ownership, to work and guide without any between work and play." 
expectation and control, is the best quality"  ~ Arnold Toynbee
~ Lao Tzu
"Since most of us spend our lives doing ordinary
To achieve self-liberation and nirvana you need tasks, the most important thing is to carry them
to perform your duties without expecting any out extraordinary well." 
reward for it. ~ Vedanta, Hinduism ~ Henry David Thoreau

"Action can be achieved by inaction, where the "Every minute you spend in planning saves 10
result is achieved by "Not-Me" ~ Zen minutes in execution." ~ Brian Tracy
 GOALS & Key to SUCCESS
East West

SPIRITUAL MATERIALISTIC

"Live a virtuous life and adhere to performing

"The secret of success in life, and subsequently of
your duties." ~ Confucianism
making money, is to enjoy your work. If you do,
nothing is hard work – no matter how many hours
"The Three Armies can be deprived of their
you put in." ~ Sir Billy Butlin
commanding officer, but even a common man
cannot be deprived of his purpose." ~ Confucius
"Success is that old ABC – ability, breaks and
courage." ~ Charles Luckman
"If you really want everything, then give up
everything." ~ Lao Tzu
"Flaming enthusiasm, backed by horse sense and
persistence, is the quality that most frequently
"He is able who thinks he is able." ~ Buddha
makes for success." ~ Dale Carnegie
 Establishing Control Over Your EMOTIONS
East West

Through MEDITATION Through ANALYSIS

A man can separate his/her mind from his/her "I can control my passions and emotions if I can
emotions and control them. ~ Taoism understand their nature." ~ Spinosa
 LEADERSHIP
East West

SPIRITUAL HANDS-ON
Walking behind people; silence is golden Walking ahead of people; speech is golden

"In order to guide people, the leader must put "Leadership is done from in front. Never ask
himself behind them. Thus when he is ahead they others to do what you, if challenged, would not be
feel no hurt." ~ Lao Tzu willing to do yourself." ~ Xenophon