 124. Philosophy � Greek |
In order to transform the world about us, with its misery, wars, unemployment, starvation, class divisions and utter confusion, there must be a transformation in ourselves. The revolution must begin within oneself - but not according to any belief or ideology, because revolution based on an idea, or in conformity to a particular pattern, is obviously no revolution at all. To bring about a fundamental revolution in oneself, one must understand the whole process of one's thought and feeling in relationship. That is the only solution to all our problems - not to have more disciplines, more beliefs, more ideologies and more teachers. If we can understand ourselves as we are from moment to moment without the process of accumulation, then we shall see how there comes a tranquility that is not a product of the mind, a tranquility that is neither imagined nor cultivated; and only in that state of tranquility can there be creativeness.
-J. Krishnamurti
The theory of forms by Plato, is the theory of spirit and energy.
The true reality is spirit, or consciousness. The force, or energy of spirit manifests and materializes as the material realm. The material realm is a "secondary reality," i.e., it is not truth. Truth is something that cannot change. The material realm is constantly changing. Only consciousness in the form of universal self-awareness never changes.
Plato states that souls originate in this 'Platonic Heaven' and have recollection of it even in life.
When a person attains (actually returns to) spiritual self-realization, even if only for a moment (a satori), they are having a "recollection" of the (and their) spiritual state, or condition (as called Nirvana, Samadhi, Tao, Heaven, etc., etc., etc.).
A true philosopher must first attain (actually return to) the state of spiritual-self-awareness, in that superior state of be-ing one does not need to "know" anything; one already understands (intuits) all things. Meditation (the Greek mystery schools) is the way to attain (return to) one's true and natural (prior) self. Meditation is the shutting down of the body and brain and the intellectual mind (function) until one experiences a pure state of consciousness which is superior to the lesser consciousness of the physical animal body (a divine animal, holy temple, etc., etc.).
True philosophy is the study and research (meditation) of the nature of knowing one's self to be eternal spirit, without the necessity of any religion.
Philosophy is the love of the superior state of spiritual self-realization with the wisdom of intuition, insight and is truly "one's first love."
The Socratic method of "dialetics" is the same as the "dharma combat" of an enlightened zen master. The true purpose of "dialetics" and "dharma combat" is to tear down the mental structures (concepts) of the intellectual mind (function) in order to reveal the truth, and hopefully to get the other to EXPERIENCE the truth, which is to KNOW-THY-SELF to be eternal consciousness (spirit).
The term "knowledge" used by Socrates is referring to the spiritual knowledge (spiritual knowing, or intuition) of understanding after one achieves the state of spiritual self awareness and not the artificial knowledge of the conceptual mind or the intellectual capacity of the physical brain (a bio-computer).
