The Use Of History Essay, Research Paper
The Use of History
History reaped itself in many cases. By knowing what happened before might give one the ability to predict the future if one encounter the same kind of situation. There is underlining significance behind each circumstance. Whenever people are confused about the current situation whether it is a question of policy, the way we think, or even the way we respond, we look back the past. Amazingly, the answers are usually within.
President Clinton is currently struggling for the better solution for world order. He has been trying to improve the situation in the Middle East, but he failed on every single attempt. He has been asked many experts about this issue, however none of the answers he got really worked. He feels frustrated, and he does not know what to do.
All of the sudden, he recorded that he learned the same kind of situations happen a lot in Asia in his Asian history class. And some Asian philosophers came up with pretty good solutions for that. Since the situation in the Middle East is really urgent, he wants to meet those wise people directly instead of reading their posthumous works. So he decide to be the first one to experience the time machine which will bring to anytime, and anyplace of your desire. He successfully got to China, and started his exploration of Chinese philosophy. First he went to Qu-fu, Shan-dong Province to see Confucius. Then Confucius took him to see Lao Tzu. Lao Tzu want them to wait for couple days since Buddha was on the way to visit Lao Tzu as well. After Buddha arrived, they started to have a series of discussion about the life.
Confucius started the discussion by complaining there is no order nymore.
Confucius: The world needs a better order!
Lao Tzu: The world is fine now if human stop interfering it (Hinz, Autumn, 99).
Buddha: Why do we need a better world order? The whole thing is illusion
Anyway (Hinz, Autumn, 99).
Confucius: What do you mean that the whole thing is an illusion. If you do not do anything to make it a better world, nothing is going to change.
Lao Tzu: You guys think too much! Just leave the world and people along. They will do fine if you let them to act and respond according to their natural decisions (Hinz, Autumn, 99).
Buddha: (to Lao Tzu) you are worrying about the wrong thing! The whole life is suffering no matter how you live it! We should try our best to try to entreat for a better afterlife.
Lao Tzu: OK! Then tell me what should I worry instead!
Buddha: You should try your best to eliminate your unnecessary desires, which is
the arch-criminal of this suffering world (Hinz, Autumn, 99)!
Confucius: What do you mean by that? Are you saying the whole suffering
world will not change no matter do you do.
Buddha: Basically that is correct!
Confucius: That is so wrong! The future is unpredictable! The past is
history, and the present is a gift! We should attach importance of present more than any other time. Only now is the reality. (Unknown)
Lao Tzu: Just relax, guys! It is not that big of deal! Do not think too much!Human nature is righteous as long as they have the availability to choose what do they want to do?
Confucius: Even though human nature is virtuous, we still need education to become a better person. Those who are born with knowledge are the highest. Next come to these who attain knowledge through study. Next again come those turn to study after having been vexed by difficulty. The common people who do not study are the lowest one. (Lau 140) I was not born with knowledge, but being fond of antiquity, I am quick to seek it. (Lau 88)
Buddha: I agree with you on the point that we all need to learn, but what do we need to learn? Learning how to eliminate desires is very important since it is the cause of the whole suffering (Hinz, Autumn, 99).
Lao Tzu: Desires? If you do not teach them to want something, they will not have requested it at all. The cause of suffering is human intervention instead of desires.
Confucius: Is it really right? We need to improve our lives. If we do not do anything, nothing is gonna change. And for change to happen, the
origination is the desire of wanting a better life.
Buddha: The existence is suffering! There is nothing you could do to help it! The best you could do is to follow the middle path, and hope your life after death will be better.
Lao Tzu: The existence is not suffering unless your presence is under human intervention such as rules, laws, and policies. To be is what we should do instead of to do. To do is the cause of suffering (Hinz, Autumn, 99).
Buddha: What do you mean by to do is the cause of suffering?
Lao Tzu: The nature of human being is good. And everything were all right until some human started to set the rules, and began to change the original order that was maintained by the goodness of human nature.
Confucius: So there is no need to have education!
Lao Tzu: That is right! The education is mainly teaching us the extra things that we do not need for living.
Confucius: Do not we need to learn the courtesy and righteousness? We need to learn those kind of things. Most of people are not born with it.
Lao Tzu: If it is describe, it is not the way I am talking about here. (Dao De Jing 1 )
Buddha: What is the goal of life then?
Lao Tzu: There is not goal of life. If I must say one, I would say, to be .
Confucius: What should we do during our life?
Lao Tzu: What is your opinion on that?
Confucius: The whole nature was following an order of operation. We should try our best to maintain this order. In that way, everything will be smooth (Hinz, Autumn, 99).
Buddha: There is no order of operation. The whole life is suffering. One minute you exist in this world; you will suffer for that minute. What we should really trying is to follow the eight folded middle path, and we will not suffer anymore in our eternal life (Hinz, Autumn, 99).
Lao Tzu: In some way, I agree with Confucius.
Confucius: What do you think we should do during our life then?
Lao Tzu: 1. We need to give up our selfish motives. Keep the mind in the original appearance which shows the natural truth. 2. I have three
treasure. First, the kindness. Second, the frugality. The third, to not to seek fame and gain (Dao De Jing). 3. The philosophy of weakness is also important. The weak seems so useless, but they are really powerful instead. It seems that they are on the down side, or feeble. But that is just what is looks like. Actually, it contains a whole lot of strength, and continuity. (Dao De Jing) For example the water seems so fragile, but indeed it s so powerful. It could break the stone. Not too much force could beat water. Another example that the females always win over males by using the quietness. That is my superficial opinion. And hopefully it will assist you later in the future.
At the end, Clinton was satisfied with what he got form those wise people. He does not agree on all of their aspect, but it gives him a whole new way of looking at things. He feels the trip was worth a while. He hopes he will come up with some good solution for the Middle East Issue soon before his presidency.
Works Cites
Christienne L. Hinz. Lecture of Asian Culture. Ohio State University.
Lao Tzu. Dao De Jing. Taipei, Taiwan: National Publish, 1994
D.C. Lau. Confucius Analects. London, English: Penguin Classics, 1979