Western and Eastern Values are Complementary

• Main Author: Ashok Natarajan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Risk Institute, Trieste- Geneva 2018-05-01
• Series: Cadmus
• Online Access: http://cadmusjournal.org/article/volume-3/issue-4/western-and-eastern-values-are-complementary

All values are spiritual in their essence, even those that appear to be physical. For all values seek perfection of the whole. The widest and highest perfection is based on the totality and oneness of reality. Such a perfection is comprehensive and inclusive. It is founded on truths that complete other truths rather than compete with them. Despite their vast cultural differences, Eastern and Western values reflect complementary aspects of a unified whole. But the process of developing values in any society depends on its underlying cultural perspective. The nature of mind is such that it divides and analyzes reality, and concentrates on one thing at a time, whereas spirituality is founded on the perception of the whole. This vast difference in underlying cultural orientation helps explain the immense gulf in understanding that has long distinguished and separated the cultures of Asia and Europe.