Oriental Philosophy Quotes & Sayings

The Copenhagen Interpretation is sometimes called "model agnosticism" and holds that any grid we use to organize our experience of the world is a model of the world and should not be confused with the world itself. Alfred Korzybski, the semanticist, tried to popularize this outside physics with the slogan, "The map is not the territory." Alan Watts, a talented exegete of Oriental philosophy, restated it more vividly as "The menu is not the meal. — Robert Anton Wilson

I had a teacher's degree and a degree in Oriental Philosophy from the University of Massachusetts. I thought I was going to India to study but all of a sudden, I had a career in music. It really surprised me. — Buffy Sainte-Marie

A metaphysician is one who, when you remark that twice two makes four, demands to know what you mean by twice, what by two, what by makes, and what by four. For asking such questions metaphysicians are supported in oriental luxury in the universities, and respected as educated and intelligent men. — H.L. Mencken

The Oriental philosophy approaches easily loftier themes than the modern aspires to; and no wonder if it sometimes prattle about them. It only assigns their due rank respectively to Action and Contemplation, or rather does full justice to the latter. Western philosophers have not conceived of the significance of Contemplation in their sense. — Henry David Thoreau

First of all you must understand that practising martial arts means studying a certain oriental philosophy of life, otherwise it's merely a vacuous sport devoid of any significance. — William C. Brown

[Alan] Watts did two main things for me. He opened up the connections between what I was doing and the traditional Oriental philosophies. And he pointed me toward the distinction between Self and Mind. — Werner Erhard

We live in an ocean of air like fish in a body of water. By our breathing we are attuned to our atmosphere. If we inhibit our breathing we isolate ourselves from the medium in which we exist. In all Oriental and mystic philosophies, the breath holds the secret to the highest bliss. — Alexander Lowen

As soon as a Western man comes into contact with the East
he's already confused. The West has sort of an international rape mentality towards the East ... Basically, 'Her mouth says no, but her eyes say yes.' The West thinks of itself as masculine
big guns, big industry, big money
so the East is feminine
weak, delicate, poor ... but good at art, and full of inscrutable wisdom
the feminine mystique. Her mouth says no, but her eyes say yes. The West believes the East, deep down, wants to be dominated
because a woman can't think for herself ... You expect Oriental countries to submit to your guns, and you expect Oriental women to be submissive to your men. — David Henry Hwang

It is one thing to teach a dynamic Oriental philosophy and religious code; it is quite another to put such a discipline to the test by successfully living it in the face of ridicule. — Frederick Lenz