Today I saw a droplet of water. It’s interesting how much we need to see, and over a long period of time, in order to truly notice a droplet of water. When the demands are too big, we often dream about big things, knowledge, big mysteries, and big words… So, what is so interesting about … Read more
“Who teaches about dying, teaches about living.” – Michel de Montaigne “Where do we come from and where are we going? This question seems to reverberate from the depths of ancient times to our present day, leaving us equally amazed and confused, just as the first humans likely were. Across different regions and throughout different … Read more
“I know you still observe the abode and dwelling of humans. If it seems small to you, as it indeed is, always look at the celestial and despise the human: for what fame and glory can one hope to achieve among people? (…) Who in the far east or west, north or south will hear … Read more
Who can more fervently encourage virtue than a speaker? Who can more sharply deter wickedness? Who can more vehemently rebuke evildoers? Who can more beautifully praise the good? Whose attack can more powerfully break greed? Whose consolation can more gently silence pain? For what is as foolish as the empty sound of words, highly chosen … Read more
One who relates to everything that exists is an equal companion of Nature. (6) Chuang Tzu, along with Lao Tzu, is the most famous representative of early Taoism and the most prolific prose writer of his time. When representatives of the Taoist philosophical school began to explore their roots in the 1st century BC, they … Read more
One question that is frequently asked about Buddhism is whether it is a religion or a philosophy, and different experts give different answers. According to Indian philosopher Mysore Hiriyanni (Basic Features of Indian Philosophy), Buddhism “started as a religion and was soon forced to become a philosophy as it had to defend itself against the … Read more
One of the great cradles of martial arts is ancient India. Already in the oldest Indian epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, we read that young people were expected to be well-versed and skilled in military strategy, archery, wrestling, and other forms of these arts. Thus, the Mahabharata narrates: Two of Drona’s disciples, Duryodhana and … Read more
Part of a miniature depicting Boethius teaching. Medieval transcript of The Consolation of Philosophy. Boethius’ life Manlius Anicius Severinus Boethius, the last great philosopher of antiquity, born in 480 AD, will make it possible through his works for at least a part of ancient learning to be transmitted to the Middle Ages, which “officially” began … Read more
The great Greek philosopher Aristotle was born in 384 BC and was most likely not Greek, but Macedonian. His father, Nicomachus, was a physician to the Macedonian king Amyntas. At the age of eighteen, he joined Plato’s Academy in Athens. He stayed there for nineteen years, until the death of his teacher, with whom he … Read more
In the teachings of this great Greek philosopher, virtue occupies an important place; it is present in all of his works. For Aristotle, virtue is the foundation of an ideal human community, and for the individual, it is the best choice – the path that leads a person to fulfilling their role. The importance of … Read more
