Gongsheng — ancient wisdom on our entangled reality, acknowledging that the conditions of life are created through mutual dependence: "Gongsheng derives from the biological concept of symbiosis in which organisms are not singular entities of defined individuality, but can only “live together” in co-dependence, the generative thriving of each conditioned by the other. Translating this notion into philosophical terms, BI China Director Bing Song writes that the traditions of “Confucianism, Daoism and Buddhism all contributed to the modern notion of gongsheng, which speaks to the conviction and the worldview of mutually embedded, co-existent and co-becoming entities. The notion of gongsheng, shaped by these traditions, behooves us to question the validity of the notion of an individual being as a self-contained and autonomous entity and reminds us of mutually embedding, co-existent and entangling planetary relations. It also inspires within us reverence and care toward creatures, plants and other co-inhabitants and even inorganic things in the natural surroundings.” Gongsheng is rooted in the common ontology, or foundational belief about the nature of being, of all three ancient philosophies. In Confucian thought, alignment with the natural order of the cosmos, of which humans are an indivisible part, is the ethical basis for a harmonious society. Daoism posits the “oneness of all being,” in which opposites co-exist and determine each other. Buddhism sees that forms and appearances, not least the individual, are an illusion that disguises the unity and “dependent origination” of all phenomena, which are inextricably connected." #interbeing #symbiosis #regeneration #philosophy
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Charmaine Che you'd find this article interesting! It references Ivan Illich 😉
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5moGongsheng beautifully illustrates our interconnectedness. In a world often focused on individualism, it's essential to recognize that we are only as strong as the weakest link.