Socrates at the trial for his life said; “An un-examined life is not worth living“. He chose the hemlock rather than accept banishment from the life and society he knew.
His trial was due to the fact he believed in hearing the voice of a God within. He called it “the divine mind”. He questioned the Pagan gods; the “furies” of his age; the forces and powers of nature. His trial was for “corrupting the youth and teaching other gods” . In the light of his reason, the lies and deceptions of his age where exposed and his contemporaries where not pleased. They wanted him out of their way.
He helped changed the minds of men. Releasing them to see they where free to choose what reality was . He taught mankind to question and reason. His famous student Plato defined man as; “The being in search of meaning”
Van Morrison sang (I believe) of Socrates;
“I saw the light of ancient Greece standing within reach of the son” he went on to sing
” If my heart could do the thinking and my head begin to feel would I see the world in a new light and know what’s truly real”?
Can we know what’s truly real?
Plato asked “What is Truth”.
Can we live a life the leads us there?
The great architect Frank Lloyed Wright had a motto, “truth against the world”. A noble aspiration, but defining the truth, defining it for yourself is the first question of your life. It will be your strong tower against the pressures of the lies rampant in this world.
For me, to have life is to walk in reality=truth.
Christ said he came that we “might have life and that to the full”.
How do we have that full life? Is our spiritual life- our natural life somehow coordinated, integrated or dis-associated, are they separate or united?.
The ancient tradition of Gnosticism suggest that the spirit and body are separate and distinct one from the other. One is good the other bad.
I do not believe that to be true. Unity of person and the integration of spirit and body, mind will and emotions=the soul is required for a full life.
This is the topic of this musing of mine. Join me in the consideration of it.
What is the architecture for your life? Do you have a safe spiritual house ?
More to come…
works of words 