Greek Philosophy, Spiritual Philosophy, Western Philosophy & Psychology

18th Dinner – The Western Stoic and the Hindu Sattva

Anna & Ben

Western Stoic Philosophy and the Sattvic Hindu Philosophy share similar aspirations. They motivate us to acquire a desirable harmonious mindset that is free from inner turbulence to achieve a more elevated and virtuous human experience. But it is not easy and there are some loopholes.

The Invited Philosophers Anna & Ben This was the 18th dinner, a vegetarian dinner at my house. Menu Appetizer: Boursin Garlic & Fine Herbs with Multigrain Bread from the Marie Blachère Bakery Main course: Sicilian Fettuccini with Zucchini, Mushroom, Tomatoes, and Beyond Meatballs Italian Style Plant-Based Meatballs Drinks: Apple Cider London Dry by Schilling Hard Cider The Philosophies Stoic Philosophy started in Greece in 300 BC with Philosopher Zeno but

it was the Romans during the Roman Empire who developed it into what it is known today. It emphasizes living virtuously and finding inner peace by accepting what is beyond our control. In another continent, the three guṇas, sattva, rajas, and tamas, are now a key concept in nearly all schools of Hindu philosophy and refer to the interplay of the guṇas in defining the character of someone and determining…

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Spiritual Philosophy, Western Philosophy & Psychology

17th Dinner – Will AI join Merrell-Wolff’s Nirvana?

Alain

Franklin Merrell-Wolff agrees with Emmanuel Kant that the world we see is only a result of our limited capacity to experience it, through 2 cognitive means: reasoning and the senses. But he goes further than Kant in defining a third source of knowledge that leads us to experience an otherworldly reality, or Nirvana, and he calls it “Enlightenment”. We discussed whether AI, which by learning from human words is surpassing human intelligence, will be capable of Enlightenment.

How would AI reach Nirvana

The Invited Philosopher Alain This was the 17th dinner and we met in person in my house. Menu Main course: Cuban traditional food with white rice, black beans, kidney beans, and grilled churrasco (Alain’s favorite) Wine: French Red Wine “Cabernet – Syrah, Maison Barboulot - 2021”. The Philosophy In the introduction of the website that summarizes the philosophy of Franklin Merrell-Wolff, it is written that Wolff’s philosophy “is based upon a series of mystical insights—or ‘realizations’—that Wolff had over a period of fourteen years, and which culminated in ‘fundamental’ realizations

in 1936” . He then wrote “The Philosophy of Consciousness Without an Object” and refined it into the “Three Fundamentals” of his philosophy, which I will summarize here in my own words: Consciousness is the true reality and in it, there are no objects and there is no “I”, no spatial space, no time. It is Nirvana, and from it, the world is created. Our ordinary experience involves a subject that is aware of objects (e.g. “I see a tree”) and includes thoughts (e.g. “I had this thought”) but in…

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Spiritual Philosophy

11th Dinner – Toltec Wisdom: Be Impeccable with Your Word

pao

One of our most important activities in this world is our communication with others. And we get it wrong so often. The Toltecs are an ancient Mexican civilization that studied what is needed to lead a good and happy life based on our interaction with others. Don Manuel Ruiz summarized the Toltec wisdom into 4 agreements of which the first is the most important.

Be Impeccable with Your Word

The Invited Philosopher Pao Menu Dinner: Miso soy glazed cod fish with basmati rice and zucchini Dessert: Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Drinks: 19 Crimes 2019 Red Blend The Philosophy The book “The 4 Agreements” shares some ancient wisdom by the Toltecs, a pre-Columbian Mesoamerican culture from Mexico (ca. 900–1521 AD). Toltec knowledge is most accurately described as a way of life, distinguished by the ready accessibility of happiness and love. The first Agreement is said to be the most important: “Be impeccable with your word”. Words have great power and we

should use them carefully. Impeccable comes from the Latin pecatus, which means "sin." The im in impeccable means "without," so impeccable means "without sin." The Summary The Toltec believed that life is a dream and that we are always dreaming, even when awake. Using a modern-day analogy, the Toltec concept of a dream is similar to starring in our own movie, following a script we write ourselves. All those around us are starring in their own movie based on their realities and concepts of the world. The script is written with…

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Spiritual Philosophy

9th Dinner – 5 Yogas: Bhagavad Gita and Beyond

Rob & Lucmar

The Bhagavad Gita introduces through a battlefield theme, the concept of the “Self”, a reality that lives in all of us, that is infinite, changeless, and exists beneath the world of change, the world we see. The purpose of life is to discover this reality experientially through the different paths of Yoga

The Invited Philosophers Rob & Lucmar Menu Indian Dinner to fit the theme of the evening, with a diary-free and gluten free twist: Chicken Vindaloo, Malabari Shrimp Curry, Aloo Gobi, Baingan Bharta Dessert: Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Drinks: Joel Gott 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon The Philosophy Yoga is both a path and a destination, the destination being Samadhi, the union of the ‘limited’ consciousness, our ego, or little self, with the ‘limitless’ universal consciousness, the big Self. The Bhagavad Gita (I recommend this translation by Eknath Easwaran), a classic Hindu spiritual text composed about

200 BCE, explores four paths of yoga:  Raja yoga (yoga of meditation),  Jnana yoga (knowledge or self-study), Bhakti yoga (devotion, recognition of the Divine in everything) and Karma yoga (action, selfless service towards others), towards spiritual liberation and self-realization or “enlightenment”. Hatha Yoga is the yoga we know best, yoga as an exercise, and it can include some of the other yogas, especially Raja Yoga, but it is not mentioned in the Bhagavad Gita. The Summary Bhagavad Gita is a 700-verse Hindu scripture with philosophies about the meaning and purpose of life. Although it takes place…

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Spiritual Philosophy, Tao Te Ching

2nd Dinner – The Life Traveler

Paula

Chapter #27 of the Tae Te Ching teaches us that we all can be masters of life if we are open-minded, if we embrace any situation and any person we encounter in our life. It asks us to view life as a journey and our actions as a creation process, in art, science, teaching, in any area, making the best of each situation.

The Invited Philosopher Paula The Menu One Course – ladies eat less: Spicy Tunisian Chickpea Tagine Drinks: California Red Wine* *Courtesy of Paula The Philosophy Chapter #27 of the Tae Te Ching is one of my favorite chapters in the Tao Te Ching. The link I posted has a great interpretation of the chapter and I made sure during the dinner we did not repeat what was already said there but to find fresher and more personal insights into the

teachings. Summary The chapter starts with these two lines: A good traveler has no fixed plans And is not intent upon arriving The rest of the lines convey a similar message with the example of a good artist and a good scientist, and a master.  The chapter teaches us, by painting these different situations around people who engage in different activities, that we all can be masters of life, if we are open-minded and embrace any situation and any person…

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