A forum

This Blog is a forum, intended for the exchange of philosophical and spiritual ideas shared among a group of friends. Many traditions will be drawn from, with the goal of seeking those Truths that lie at the heart of all traditions but belong to none exclusively. Questions, comments, and responses are encouraged.

One of my hero's, Plato, refused to explicitly state his views on "that to which he devotes himself," spirituality and pure philosophy. He, in the "7th Letter" gives valid reasons why this is, in his opinion, not possible or wise due to the nature of language and the inherent difficulty in transmitting this sort of information. In part he says;

"I did not, however, give a complete exposition, nor did Dionysios ask for one. For he professed to know many, and those the most important, points, and to have a sufficient hold of them through instruction given by others. I hear also that he has since written about what he heard from me, composing what professes to be his own handbook, very different, so he says, from the doctrines which he heard from me; but of its contents I know nothing; I know indeed that others have written on the same subjects; but who they are, is more than they know themselves. Thus much at least, I can say about all writers, past or future, who say they know the things to which I devote myself, whether by hearing the teaching of me or of others, or by their own discoveries-that according to my view it is not possible for them to have any real skill in the matter. There neither is nor ever will be a treatise of mine on the subject. For it does not admit of exposition like other branches of knowledge; but after much converse about the matter itself and a life lived together, suddenly a light, as it were, is kindled in one soul by a flame that leaps to it from another, and thereafter sustains itself. Yet this much I know-that if the things were written or put into words, it would be done best by me, and that, if they were written badly, I should be the person most pained. Again, if they had appeared to me to admit adequately of writing and exposition, what task in life could I have performed nobler than this, to write what is of great service to mankind and to bring the nature of things into the light for all to see? But I do not think it a good thing for men that there should be a disquisition, as it is called, on this topic-except for some few, who are able with a little teaching to find it out for themselves. As for the rest, it would fill some of them quite illogically with a mistaken feeling of contempt, and others with lofty and vain-glorious expectations, as though they had learnt something high and mighty."

He chose to reveal these truths in dialectic, subtly in dialog between friends. So that a spark might be kindled in one soul, by a flame that leaps to it from another, thereafter sustaining itself. Perhaps this dialog might be some small semblance of that noble task.