The word schism is often used in a context of conflict or disharmony. Some schisms or “splits” are profound as in the split between homo sapiens and nature, or between religions or sects within religions. Belief in the other promotes schisms among nearly everyone in the global village based on the illusions of skin color, religion, ethnicity, or sexual preference, to name a few.
Examples of splits are the Hebrews into the tribes of Israel and Judah, Christendom into the Eastern and Western Churches (The Great Schism), the Western Church into Roman Catholicism and Protestantism into Lutheran, Methodist, Baptist, etc. denominations. Obviously, schisms are a source of much suffering in the human community.
Schisms in paradigm B characterized by duality can be found throughout the institutions and cultures of the Global Village. [i]
| Classicists | Romanticists |
| William James | |
| “tough-minded” | “tender-minded” |
| politics | |
| Republicans | Democrats |
| people | |
| independent | interdependent |
| mind | emotions |
| head | heart |
|
Buddhism |
|
| Theravada | Mahayana |
| Man as an individual | Man as involved with others |
| Man on his own in the universe | Man not alone |
| (emancipation by self-effort) | (salvation by grace) |
| Key virtue: wisdom | Key virtue: compassion |
| Religion a full-time job (for monks) | Religion relevant for laypersons as well |
| Ideal: the Arhat | Ideal: the Bodhisattva |
| (awakened person) | (serves humanity) |
| Buddha a saint | Buddha a savior |
| Eschews metaphysics | Elaborates metaphysics |
| Eschews ritual | Includes ritual |
| Confines prayer to meditation | Includes petitionary prayer |
| Conservative | Liberal |
.
[i] Smith, Huston. The Religions of Man. New York: Harper, 1958, pp. 133-134.
