New Group ‘Wisdom Questions’, St Augustine and Perennial Philosopy

December 12, 2012
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Wisdom Questions

 

“Wisdom is the faculty of making the use of knowledge, a combination of discernment, judgement, sagacity and similar powers. If knowledge is the accumulation of facts and intelligence the development of reason, wisdom is emotional and spiritual discernment. More than knowledge, it is the right application of knowledge in moral and spiritual matters, in handling dilemmas, in negotiating complex relationships. Wisdom is nine-tenths a matter of being wise in time. Most of us are often too wise after the event! It is insight into the heart of the matter.” Wise people see beyond the facts and figures. They avoid problems before they occur. Wisdom is gained through experience, patience and listening.       Definition by Evan Owens CEO of CentreSource – HERE

Some questions to ‘kick-off’

 

Does anyone want to make out a case for the wisdom of woman being different to, or the same as, the wisdom of men?

 

Is science the only method for connecting to reality?

 

Do the great wisdom traditions really teach the same about what it is to be wholly & fully human – in the world with others – in relation to the mysterious Whole?

 

Are the arts a means to reality – or just self indulgence?

 

If we base the education of our children on whole-person leaning might they contribute toward a better world?

 

Do we agree with Evan Owens in his definition (see above) ?

 

 


Are (some) children wiser than many experienced adults – if yes why & how is this?

 

Some friends and I are starting a new group – both locally in Brighton and online.  Online details below.

 

The suggested group title is a play on a) the wisdom we have (should) question – ourselves, our world and reality – AND we can have fun, enjoyment and learning in framing questions to ask of ‘our accumulated, or realized, wisdom’!

 

THE WIDER CONTEXT OF PERENNIAL PHILOSOPHY

 

Here is an ancient poetic summation of the state of being human, and implicitly of The Perennial Philosophy –  from the Bhagavad Gita;

 

“Like two birds of golden plumage, inseparable companions, the

individual self and the immortal Self are perched on the branches of the

self same tree. The former tastes of the sweet and bitter fruits of the

tree; the latter, tasting of neither, calmly observes.

 

“The individual self, deluded by forgetfulness of his identity with the

divine Self, bewildered by his ego, grieves and is sad. But when he

recognizes the worshipful Lord as his own true Self, and beholds his

glory, he grieves no more.”

 

This so beautifully describes …. well what do you think?

 

Stunningly just yesterday I discovered that St Augustine wrote……….

 

The fact, which is now called the Christian Religion,” he boldly says, with the earlier Apologists, “existed among the ancients, and was never lacking from the origin of the human race.”  -

C C Martindale SJ –  SOURCE

 

 

Those who want to dig deeper can compare the above two quotations with the contemporary re-presentation of Perennial Philosophy in Aldous Huxley’s The Perennial Philosophy or Eckhart Tolle’s The Power of Now or Stillness Speaks – or Ken Wilber or Karen Armstrong, or Wayne Teasdale, or Thich Nhat Hanh, or Thomas Merton or Shaikh Helminski etc. – each I suugest speaks in different language and cultural clothing but teach the same message?

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This is St Augustine not me! –  Lol

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Picture source and helpful list of facts on Augustine & Aquinas by Jeffrey Hays - HERE

 

 

The ‘Wisdom Questions group ON-LINE

 

My contributions to this group’s interests will go to my general blog – http://sunwalked.wordpress.com/ – along with my other core projects

 

1 whole-person learning,
2 photographic art,
3 social justice,
4 inter-spirituality
5 transforming IPF, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis into something life-enhancing

 

i.e. http://sunwalked.wordpress.com/ is a metablog of all my blogs

 

however the dedicated site for Wisdom Questions and inter-spirituality is – http://universalistspirit.wordpress.com/ – you can comment on or add ‘gems’ to either or both!

 

 

All good wishes

 

 

Roger

 

 

 

 

 

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