Annotated outline

A. I want to compare the Buddhist bodhisattva with the Confucian sage.

B. I want to do this because my family was very conservative and conventional, so Confucianism

reminds me of them. But I am very into yoga and meditation and stuff, and so Buddhism appeals

to me.

C. My thesis is that the Confucian sage actually can be more revolutionary than the bodhisattva.

II. The Confucian Sage.

A. Point about social order, from notes.

B. Point about virtues, from notes and Penguin, p. XX.

C. Point about traditionalism and revolution from class notes.

D. My take: a firm foundation give you a solid launching pad.

III. The Buddhist Bodhisattva.

A. Theravada and Mahayana, from Penguin, pp. XX-XX.

B. The bodhisattva as the Mahayana ideal, because compassion is the best de-selfer.

C. Quote from Novak, p. XX.

1. Comment: See how compassion trumps worship and even no-self?

D. My take: how the bodhisattva does and does not change everything for people.

IV. Comparison.

The bodhisattva can do her job by changing people's thoughts, without changing actual stuff about their lives. The sage has to try to make a difference in order to still be virtuous.

V. Conclusion.

I think I have shown that the Confucian sage can actually be more revolutionary than a bodhisattva. I feel like I can keep exploring Buddhism and other spiritual stuff, but maybe there is more good stuff to my upbringing than I thought when I started.