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 easterly 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. withal though there is a heavy presence of Eastern religions, traditions, and philosophies in the West, some of the concepts associated with them be yet to be accepted or taken bad 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 vigorous in the 21st century Eastern Asia. While there is a strong belief among Western society that no one is perfect, the adherents of Daoism are focused on achieving 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 serial publication 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 ashes unclear if asceticism a necessary and sufficient condition to becoming an immortal. At the very least, it will bring one peace. Works CitedEskildsen, Stephen. Asceticism in Early Taoist Religio n. Albany, NY State University of new York Press, 1998.The Encyclopedia of Taoism, ed. Fabrizio Pregadio. (New York, NY Routledge, 2008), s.v. Religious Practice and Experience Asceticism. The Encyclopedia of Taoism, ed. Fabrizio Pregadio. (New York Routledge, 2008), s.v. Transcendence and immortality. The Encyclopedia of Taoism, ed. Fabrizio Pregadio. (New York Routledge, 2008), s.v. 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.