Papers by Shaun C R Ramsden
Asian Culture and History, 2022
This paper is divided into two sections. Section one is a translation of the Dàodéjīng in English... more This paper is divided into two sections. Section one is a translation of the Dàodéjīng in English. Section two is an in-depth analysis and explanation of the translation of the Dàodéjīng in section one. This paper includes both Chinese versions of the standard Wáng Bì and a reconstructed Mǎwángduī version of the Dàodéjīng with the addition of appropriate commas and full stops. The two key aspects in regard to this paper's commentary that may be somewhat different to previous works, is that this paper has defined the Dào as that action (or movement) within emptiness that cannot be seen with the naked eye but has brought all life into existence and also maintains it. Therefore, the translation of Lǎozǐ's cornerstone philosophy could be a play on words, where wúwéi 無為 not only takes wú 無 to mean "no" or "non" but also takes wú to mean "emptiness." The translation of wúwéi would therefore, also be, "emptiness [in] action," which refers to the actions that are happening within emptiness which cannot be seen by the naked eye. The second aspect is in relation to dé 德. The English and Confucian meaning of virtue is having high moral standards. Lǎozǐ's dé appears to have had little to do with morals in the modern sense of the word. From the 5 "virtues" mentioned by Lǎozǐ, we can clearly see that Lǎozǐ's virtue was based on following the principles of Dào. This paper therefore proposes that the dé can be translated as "quiescence."
The International Journal of Social Sciences World, 2022
This paper endeavours to depict the Oroqen story by shedding new light on their culture and moder... more This paper endeavours to depict the Oroqen story by shedding new light on their culture and modern situation by discussing the author’s experience of visiting them for a period of time. The paper also covers a variety of literature on the Oroqen in a short and succinct manner, so that much of what is known about them can be summarised in one manuscript. The paper conveys a wide variety of topics which include the following: the physical appearances of the Oroqen and what their traditional clothes were and how they were made, traditional dwellings, hunting, birch bark, religion, Oroqen shamanism, language, music, dance, folk tales, genetic studies and discusses the relationship the Oroqen have had with the Chinese government. This paper concludes that the Oroqen losing their way of life is attributable to numerous causes, the key one regarding more recent times is the dramatic local forest exploitation that has taken place on a grand scale. The Oroqen story is similar to that of many other native and aboriginal peoples from around the world, where a more powerful foreign country came in and made the original native majority become a minority, while also removing any chance of self-government and forcing modernity upon them by specifically taking away their shamans and religion. While modernity brought many negatives to the Oroqen, there does appear to be just as many positives in regard to access to health care, heating and education.
Asian Culture and History, 2022
Philosophical systems of the East have long been researched in the West. With the flux of recent ... more Philosophical systems of the East have long been researched in the West. With the flux of recent scholarship, especially in the last fifteen years, many new discoveries have been made. These discoveries have shed much light on comparative studies and reveal many new and previously unknown connections. This paper has used the scholarship of various contemporary authors to compare and contrast the main philosophical systems of the East which includes Buddhism (both Theravāda and Mahāyāna), philosophical Daoism, Brahmanism, yoga and sometimes Jainism. This paper has used as many early classical textual references as possible from a variety of sources to establish precisely and clearly what the various ancient philosophies were and how they were used. The paper not only compares their theories but also their techniques of cultivation. Comparisons are made between, the idea of a self/soul or no-self, the notion of liberation, the use of breathing techniques, the theories of sending energy in a certain direction and the different key textbooks used by the varying philosophical systems. The key findings are that even though each system is different to the other, they have also taken ideas and concepts from each other and mixed them into their own systems of cultivation. They do though seem to all share one common denominator which is at their base and this is that they all follow some form of theory related to the concept of non-action.
Journal of Chinese Medicine, 2021
The concept of yin fire (陰火) has been discussed and debated throughout the history of Chinese med... more The concept of yin fire (陰火) has been discussed and debated throughout the history of Chinese medicine. This paper explores different interpretations of yin fire and looks for the common denominator that allows them to be grouped together. The article further discusses the treatment of yin fire in a clinical setting, as well as its relationship to the five phases and health cultivation.
Sino-Platonic Papers, 2021
This paper was designed with two purposes in mind. The first is to convey the idea that there may... more This paper was designed with two purposes in mind. The first is to convey the idea that there may have been a tribe of Indo-Europeans that conquered the Shang of the Yin dynasty, resulting in the establishment of China’s longest lasting and possibly most influential dynasty, the Zhou. The second purpose is to investigate, if this is the case, whether the myths and legends of China are in fact those of this Indo-European conquering tribe, and to suggest also that their systems of science and philosophy heavily influenced the ancient Chinese.
Talks by Shaun C R Ramsden
Throughout early human history, two common themes in ancient texts and oral stories can be observ... more Throughout early human history, two common themes in ancient texts and oral stories can be observed across most of the ancient world. The first is maintaining order over chaos, and secondly, the importance of knowledge, and especially knowledge which was regarded as secret, sacred or hidden.
A lay person's guide to practising Buddhism in accordance with the Theravada school and in partic... more A lay person's guide to practising Buddhism in accordance with the Theravada school and in particular the Thai Forest tradition of Ajahn Chah
In this presentation I present some new ideas in regards to understanding the taiji or yin yang s... more In this presentation I present some new ideas in regards to understanding the taiji or yin yang symbol, and a possible new version of the symbol, which further incorporates important ideas that have dominated Chinese philosophy over the past 2 millennia.
Books by Shaun C R Ramsden
Forty-Nine Verses, 2024
Combining cultivation practices from both the East and West, and a Middle Way emerges—one that fo... more Combining cultivation practices from both the East and West, and a Middle Way emerges—one that fosters wisdom, daily cultivation practises and an inspiring philosophy to strive toward.
The Book Reality Experience, 2023
The Book Reality Experience, 2018
This is not an academic paper. This short book is a basic compilation of ancient wisdom and ideal... more This is not an academic paper. This short book is a basic compilation of ancient wisdom and ideals in regards to healthy living and psychology from the peoples of South, Central and East Asia. It has come about from nearly twenty years of living in East and S.E. Asia, the studying of different Asian philosophies and living with people from central, south and east Asia. This book was written with the hope that whoever reads it may gain at least a small piece of wisdom or knowledge that can be used in a positive way to help others or yourself.
Available on: https://www.amazon.com/Balance-Emptiness-Shaun-Ramsden-ebook/dp/B07HMTL75M?ref_=ast_author_dp
Uploads
Papers by Shaun C R Ramsden
Talks by Shaun C R Ramsden
Books by Shaun C R Ramsden
Available on: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BWFG2DPM?ref_=ast_author_mpb
Available on: https://www.amazon.com/Balance-Emptiness-Shaun-Ramsden-ebook/dp/B07HMTL75M?ref_=ast_author_dp
Available on: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BWFG2DPM?ref_=ast_author_mpb
Available on: https://www.amazon.com/Balance-Emptiness-Shaun-Ramsden-ebook/dp/B07HMTL75M?ref_=ast_author_dp