Read Online The Wisdom of Hypatia: Ancient Spiritual Practices for a More Meaningful Life by Bruce J. MacLennan - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Bruce J. MacLennan
Ads: Link
how to analyze your desires so that you can decide which are worth pursuing and which less so. You will get help deciding how much is enough (of anything you want). You will get aid eliminating fear of death and fear of the gods, in case they trouble you. Finally, you will learn the Epicurean ways of dealing with ambition, justice, and friendship. All of this will help you live your life more tranquilly to promote your spiritual progress.
43
44 seeking tranquility in the garden
According to the study plan, you should take about a month learning the Epicurean
way of life and making it a habit. Of course it won’t take you long to read the chapter, but that won’t do much good unless you practice the philosophy. That may come quickly (you might be doing much of it already) or it might take more than a month, especially if it is a very different way of looking at the world for you. You’re not a race, so keep returning to the practices until they become habitual; practice them whenever tranquility and contentment seem out of reach.
The Garden
Nowadays “Epicurean” is nearly synonymous with “gourmet,” and Epicurean philosophy
would seem to be about indulging in pleasure above all else, but it is not. The ultimate goal is in fact pleasure, but this is achieved largely by avoiding pain and seeking tranquility.
Something of what Epicurus had in mind can be learned from a letter in which he wrote, I am thrilled with pleasure in the body, when I live on bread and water, and
I spit upon luxurious pleasures not for their own sake, but because of the
inconveniences that follow them.25
His philosophy is not so ascetic as this quote suggests, but it shows just how far the meaning of “Epicurean” has drifted! Rather, Epicurus taught how to live happily without too much effort, but before we get to the techniques, let me tell you a little about him.
Epicurus was born in 341 BCE of Athenian parents on the island of Samos (just off
the coast of modern Turkey), where Pythagoras too was born; this was when Alexander
the Great was sixteen years old and seven years after Plato’s death. He first became interested in philosophy in his early teens after he had become disenchanted with mythology.
His grammar teacher was presenting Hesiod’s Theogony , which describes the origin of the universe:
First, Chaos, next broad-breasted Earth was made …
Epicurus asked if everything came from Chaos, then where did Chaos come from?
His teacher said that if he wanted answers to this kind of question, he would have to go to the philosophers. “Then I most go to them,” said the boy, “for they know the truth of being.”26 In other words, Epicurus wasn’t satisfied with simply accepting the traditional stories about the gods; he wanted to know the reasons for things. He had a desire for wisdom , which made him a philosopher (lover of wisdom).
seeking tranquility in the garden 45
He studied with various philosophers in various cities but later claimed that he was largely self-taught. He started his own school at the age of 32, and after about five years he moved it to Athens, where he established the Garden. It adjoined a temple of Aphrodite, the goddess of love, beauty, and joy, who had a famous statue there. The Garden was renowned for the friendship among its members, as were other Epicurean communities,
so that “his friends were so numerous that they could hardly be reckoned by entire cities.”27 Women as well as men, slaves as well as free people, the rich and the poor were all admitted and treated as equals. They came from all over the Greek world, including the Middle East and Egypt. The Master of the Garden, who had a weak constitution, died in his seventy-second year (270 BCE), as I’ll discuss later. We have his will, which reveals his kindness and generosity.
Epicurus’ school continued to exist, under an unbroken succession of “Masters” or
“Presidents” for six hundred years, until the time of
43
44 seeking tranquility in the garden
According to the study plan, you should take about a month learning the Epicurean
way of life and making it a habit. Of course it won’t take you long to read the chapter, but that won’t do much good unless you practice the philosophy. That may come quickly (you might be doing much of it already) or it might take more than a month, especially if it is a very different way of looking at the world for you. You’re not a race, so keep returning to the practices until they become habitual; practice them whenever tranquility and contentment seem out of reach.
The Garden
Nowadays “Epicurean” is nearly synonymous with “gourmet,” and Epicurean philosophy
would seem to be about indulging in pleasure above all else, but it is not. The ultimate goal is in fact pleasure, but this is achieved largely by avoiding pain and seeking tranquility.
Something of what Epicurus had in mind can be learned from a letter in which he wrote, I am thrilled with pleasure in the body, when I live on bread and water, and
I spit upon luxurious pleasures not for their own sake, but because of the
inconveniences that follow them.25
His philosophy is not so ascetic as this quote suggests, but it shows just how far the meaning of “Epicurean” has drifted! Rather, Epicurus taught how to live happily without too much effort, but before we get to the techniques, let me tell you a little about him.
Epicurus was born in 341 BCE of Athenian parents on the island of Samos (just off
the coast of modern Turkey), where Pythagoras too was born; this was when Alexander
the Great was sixteen years old and seven years after Plato’s death. He first became interested in philosophy in his early teens after he had become disenchanted with mythology.
His grammar teacher was presenting Hesiod’s Theogony , which describes the origin of the universe:
First, Chaos, next broad-breasted Earth was made …
Epicurus asked if everything came from Chaos, then where did Chaos come from?
His teacher said that if he wanted answers to this kind of question, he would have to go to the philosophers. “Then I most go to them,” said the boy, “for they know the truth of being.”26 In other words, Epicurus wasn’t satisfied with simply accepting the traditional stories about the gods; he wanted to know the reasons for things. He had a desire for wisdom , which made him a philosopher (lover of wisdom).
seeking tranquility in the garden 45
He studied with various philosophers in various cities but later claimed that he was largely self-taught. He started his own school at the age of 32, and after about five years he moved it to Athens, where he established the Garden. It adjoined a temple of Aphrodite, the goddess of love, beauty, and joy, who had a famous statue there. The Garden was renowned for the friendship among its members, as were other Epicurean communities,
so that “his friends were so numerous that they could hardly be reckoned by entire cities.”27 Women as well as men, slaves as well as free people, the rich and the poor were all admitted and treated as equals. They came from all over the Greek world, including the Middle East and Egypt. The Master of the Garden, who had a weak constitution, died in his seventy-second year (270 BCE), as I’ll discuss later. We have his will, which reveals his kindness and generosity.
Epicurus’ school continued to exist, under an unbroken succession of “Masters” or
“Presidents” for six hundred years, until the time of
Similar Books
