When we look at some of the ancient disciplines practiced thousands of years ago we must realize some basic differences between schools of learning then and now.
Many of the ancient philosophical schools looked upon knowledge as a way of life. One of the more profound ancient schools was the Pythagorean School at Crotona. Individuals were instructed and conditioned on how to ‘live well.’ In our modern schools the emphasis on education deals with learning facts, figures, ideas and concepts, but there is not sufficient time spent on how to ‘live well.’
Many of the ancient philosophical schools looked upon knowledge as a way of life. One of the more profound ancient schools was the Pythagorean School at Crotona. Individuals were instructed and conditioned on how to ‘live well.’ In our modern schools the emphasis on education deals with learning facts, figures, ideas and concepts, but there is not sufficient time spent on how to ‘live well.’
Emphasis in the ancient teachings dealt with educating an individual to be a well-balanced individual who was capable of administering self-discipline in their own life. In many of these ancient academies, emphasis was not on how to attain financial wealth, but the attainment of the highest aspects of self-control.
Individuals were instructed in how to use their own inner resources and to trust their own counsel which would lead them to becoming a true independent thinker that could meet every situation with a view-point coming from the highest source within themselves. Looking from the highest viewpoint one has a different perspective of any situation.
It was said that Plato would often take his students to a little hill overlooking the area in which he taught. He made it quite clear that in order to arrive at the highest and best decision, one must be observing from the highest view-point.
The question remains; is this heavy emphasis upon self-discipline impractical for today’s living or is there some real value in receiving an education that stresses self-discipline rather than just learning facts and opinions? Many of the ancient teachers believed that ‘the person who can govern himself is greater than the one who can capture a city.’ The individual who attains a great measure of self-discipline seems to have need for far less outer ‘things’ while the individual who captures a city never seems content.
In today’s world we seem to be living in an era of individual and collective insecurity. We have a great number of outside ‘things’ that keep us uneasy and we seem constantly aware that our world could change in an instant if some unwelcome event takes place. The purpose of the ancient approach was to build an internal security that would allow an individual to face any of the pressures that might manifest from any new and unwelcome circumstance.
For many people today, they do not feel secure, they do not feel completely safe, they panic easily and they are not happy.
The Pythagorean School (circa 525 BC) highlighted three branches of science as a core part of their teaching of inner discipline.
Through mathematics an individual’s mind is trained toward exactitude and a good mathematician is not a scattered thinker. Through the discipline of mathematics a person was ‘trained to live in an orderly way, causing all of his actions to stem from adequate causes, being thoughtful before action. The Pythagorean’s accepted the fact that they lived within a pattern of cosmic principles which cannot be violated.’ They believed that ‘God geometrizes, and the whole universe bears witness to the mathematical wisdom of the Creating Power.’
Individuals were instructed in how to use their own inner resources and to trust their own counsel which would lead them to becoming a true independent thinker that could meet every situation with a view-point coming from the highest source within themselves. Looking from the highest viewpoint one has a different perspective of any situation.
It was said that Plato would often take his students to a little hill overlooking the area in which he taught. He made it quite clear that in order to arrive at the highest and best decision, one must be observing from the highest view-point.
The question remains; is this heavy emphasis upon self-discipline impractical for today’s living or is there some real value in receiving an education that stresses self-discipline rather than just learning facts and opinions? Many of the ancient teachers believed that ‘the person who can govern himself is greater than the one who can capture a city.’ The individual who attains a great measure of self-discipline seems to have need for far less outer ‘things’ while the individual who captures a city never seems content.
In today’s world we seem to be living in an era of individual and collective insecurity. We have a great number of outside ‘things’ that keep us uneasy and we seem constantly aware that our world could change in an instant if some unwelcome event takes place. The purpose of the ancient approach was to build an internal security that would allow an individual to face any of the pressures that might manifest from any new and unwelcome circumstance.
For many people today, they do not feel secure, they do not feel completely safe, they panic easily and they are not happy.
The Pythagorean School (circa 525 BC) highlighted three branches of science as a core part of their teaching of inner discipline.
Through mathematics an individual’s mind is trained toward exactitude and a good mathematician is not a scattered thinker. Through the discipline of mathematics a person was ‘trained to live in an orderly way, causing all of his actions to stem from adequate causes, being thoughtful before action. The Pythagorean’s accepted the fact that they lived within a pattern of cosmic principles which cannot be violated.’ They believed that ‘God geometrizes, and the whole universe bears witness to the mathematical wisdom of the Creating Power.’
Through the study of astronomy, students became orientated to the vastness of space and ‘no true and well-grounded astronomer can be an egotist, because he cannot remain untouched and unmoved by the immensity of which he is only a small and infinitesimal part.’ This taught students that they are not the center of any universe except their own. The students learned that each is a part of ‘a great moving order of life – vast beyond calculation and eternal.’ But rather than dwell upon the immensity outside of oneself, the point was made that each individual learns that they have their place and are a ‘citizen of space.’ Students were taught that ‘each individual has their own nature, and combined with innumerable other natures, they are moving toward ultimate fulfillment, not of their own purpose, but of a higher purpose of which they are a unique part.’
Through the discipline of music, the ancients believed that the principle of beauty is awakened within individuals. Through the use of ennobling music, an individual learns about the concept of harmony, as it relates to tones, notes and intervals. The ancient Pythagoreans believed that music is ‘the great source of the instinct to worship and of the natural ability of the individual to pour out of his own soul his deepest and most beautiful chords of harmony and melody.’
Obviously there were much deeper teachings associated with these disciplines. If people study these three disciplines strictly from the academic level then the end result will be the accumulation of facts, figures, laws and tables. The ancients spent time meditating upon the spiritual significance of these disciplines. Looking deeper within, and recognizing the core that resides at the center of any person, action, activity or substance, will always provide a deeper level of understanding than that of just reacting to a surface effect.
It was an important Pythagorean axiom that, ‘no person ever graduates from the school of life. One is a student to the end, and in his last breath he may still learn.’
To inspire and empower.
Obviously there were much deeper teachings associated with these disciplines. If people study these three disciplines strictly from the academic level then the end result will be the accumulation of facts, figures, laws and tables. The ancients spent time meditating upon the spiritual significance of these disciplines. Looking deeper within, and recognizing the core that resides at the center of any person, action, activity or substance, will always provide a deeper level of understanding than that of just reacting to a surface effect.
It was an important Pythagorean axiom that, ‘no person ever graduates from the school of life. One is a student to the end, and in his last breath he may still learn.’
To inspire and empower.
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