The Path of a Spiritual Master: A Means to an End or an End-in-Itself?

Throughout history there has been a division between the East and the West, which goes beyond the Pacific and the Atlantic oceans. In short, the world has been separated by Eastern and Western philosophy, cultures, traditions, and religions. However, with the spread of globalization, various religious and philosophical movements made its way across the oceans from East to West, and vice-versa. Even though there is a heavy presence of Eastern religions, traditions, and philosophies in the West, some of the concepts associated with them are yet to be accepted or taken seriously by many in the Western society. To name a few of these concepts, immortality, self-perfection, and asceticism, are just some of the prominent concepts in one particular Eastern religious tradition, Daoism. However, contemporary philosophers and scholars of Eastern thought and tradition are trying to establish an open discussion about these ancient ideas and beliefs that are alive and well in the 21st century Eas tern Asia. While there is a strong belief among Western society that â€Å"no one is perfect†, the adherents of Daoism are focused on achieving â€Å"self-perfection† through attunement with the Dao. The ultimate goal for adherents of the Daoist tradition is to reach a state of immortality, which requires self-transformation through the cultivation of the self by practicing a series of Daoist attainment models. All the while, the Western scientific community is yet to crack the immortality code with all its technology and innovation. Nevertheless, in contemporary times, and with the arrival of Eastern philosophy, religions, and traditions in the West, many people are turning inward and using a tool believed to have more power than an atomic bomb, the human min... ...eration, but it remains unclear if asceticism a necessary and sufficient condition to becoming an immortal. At the very least, it will bring one peace. Works Cited Eskildsen, Stephen. Asceticism in Early Taoist Religion. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press, 1998. The Encyclopedia of Taoism, ed. Fabrizio Pregadio. (New York, NY: Routledge, 2008), s.v. â€Å"Religious Practice and Experience: Asceticism.† The Encyclopedia of Taoism, ed. Fabrizio Pregadio. (New York: Routledge, 2008), s.v. â€Å"Transcendence and immortality.† The Encyclopedia of Taoism, ed. Fabrizio Pregadio. (New York: Routledge, 2008), s.v. â€Å"Taoist Views of the Human Body.† Komjathy, Louis. The Daoist Tradition: Views of self. New York, NY: Bloomsbury Academic, 2013. —. Cultivating Perfection: Mysticism and Self-transformation in Early Quanzhen Daoism. Leiden: Brill, 2007.