Acropolis Quarterly, October-December, 2013

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ACROPOLISquarterly

VOL 4: OCTOBER DECEMBER 2013www.acropolis.org.in

Schedule o Public Events Inside


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message from Director

We learn rom ancient traditions that the process o creation o theuniverse can be understood as a process o limitation, a transitionrom the unlimited to the limited, Arupa to Rupa.

The Egyptians spoke about the Nun, the primordial shorelessocean which is the source o all lie potential. It is rom the Nunthat Atum-Ra, the rst creative orce, emerged, symbolically asthe rst island. It was a orce that was able to limit itsel and thuscreation began. It was also said that The One limited himsel inorder to know himsel; who knows, maybe that is why the universewas created?

The wisdom o the Kabbala speaks o lie as a fow o energy thatmoves through various planes, consisting o 10 spheres. The rstone is known as Keter (Crown). While it is described as the sourceo lie and creation, it is also mentioned that beyond this sphereo origin there exist much higher planes o lie, so divine andunlimited, that they stand beyond our ability to grasp. They areknown as Ein, Ein So, Ein So Or (Nothingness, Endless andUnlimited Light). Here again we see that the process o creationis viewed as contraction and restriction.

The book o the Kybalion describes the third law o creation (Manas)as a orce o separation, a distinction o orms within the oneness olie; a necessary step in order to create the multiplicity that exists inour world. Our growth lies in the recognition o these undamental

orms as the intelligence o the divine, a Manasic ability. Here wespeak not o the illusion o limitation that stops us ar beyond ourreal challenges in lie, keeping us always handicapped, as in a dark

cave. Manasic ability enables concentration on the essentials ormso nature around, and within, us; an ability we might describe asViveka, the ability to distinguish the Real rom the Unreal.

We may reer to this orce o limitation, that allows The One toexpress itsel through multiplicity, as the power o limits and acreative ability that transorms the invisible to the visible. Thispower o limits strangely seems like a gate that opens both ways;as it also acts as a means by which to lead rom the visible to theinvisible world, a necessary practice in order to expand ourawareness to the spiritual realms. Thus we can say that walking thepath o a disciple-philosopher requires an ability to concentrate,to ocus on the essential o lie. Thereore, we learn to constantlyprioritize the multiple acets o our lie. First we clearly understandand dene the top priorities; what is my goal, the most importantthing? Then we implement it while moving with the current oour lie. It requires both fexibility and durability; fexibility to adjustto all circumstances that we may ace but durability in ollowingthe essential.

Another aspect o the power o limits is the ability to ocus onthe essential, while the storms o lie pull us away rom our centre.This is more relevant than ever beore, as we ace the endless

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Table of Content

6 article: What is lie aboutpublic events

12 Oct 26: Film Screening

Unmistaken Child13 Nov 9: Lecture

The Lost City DiscoveringMachu Picchu

14 Nov 23: LectureTalking Trees

15 Nov 25: Open HouseIntroductory Lecture

16 Dec 2: New CourseWorld o Wisdom

17 Dec 14: LectureLand o Mysteries

Ancient Egypt

18 Dec 28: LectureLeonardo Da Vinci The Philosopher

29 ood or thought

20 article: Laziness...Who?Me?

22wise men o the past

29activities at na mumbai

30suf story

33 testimonials

Publisher:New Acropolis Cultural Organization

National Director:

Yaron Barzilay

Public Relations Manager:Harianto H Mehta

Design:Art Department, NA

Printed By:Nensey Oset Pvt. Ltd.For Advertising Opportunity Contact+91 22 3192 0515

New Acropolis Cultural Organizationis an Indian Non-Prot Sec. 25 Company(Registration No: U92412MH-

2010NPL200490) led with the Registraro Companies. No part o this publicationor any part o the contents thereo may bereproduced, stored in a retrieval system,or transmitted in any orm without theexplicit prior permission o the publishersin writing.

For eedback and suggestions, pleasewrite to us at [email protected]

distracting voices that surround us today. In addition to the manynatural voices we tackle, we must also ace the multitude o digitalsights and sounds, making it more dicult to avoid them. In this

context, it is especially necessary to learn the art o limitation,to learn to draw lines where our attention need not be diverted.The Stoics use to say that the real poor man is the one who hastoo many needs. How true they were?! How many more needlessneeds have we developed since then? We are alling into theillusion that with more possibilities, we have more capability. Butthe truth can sometimes be exactly the opposite!

One who wishes to expand himsel, to live a worthy lie o a realphilosopher, should use the power o limits in order to dive into thedepth o his lie, ull with richness, meaning and joy, rather than thesuperciality o the endless stimulations o the surace.

With the return o autumn, the natural fow now moves inward,and as the trees shed their leaves, we too must put aside what wealready know is an empty sound, and learn to ocus inward.

Yaron BarzilayNational Director, New Acropolis India (Mumbai)

54 Image courtesy: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AMaple-leaves-all.jpg


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what is life aboutFernando Schwarz

What is living?

Is it to live depending oncircumstances, in comort,ullling urges and desires, oris it to act in ull reedom, withdiscernment and intelligencein order to reach serenity andhappiness?

Lie has the value that we give itin relation to what we are.

For a stone, lie is to resist.

For a plant, lie is or growing.

For an animal, lie is or eelingand ullling ones pleasure.

The human being has withinhimsel mineral, plant andanimal elements.

What dierentiates the human

being rom these elementsis the ability to ask himsel

questions.

What use does lie have? ForPierre Hadot, a philosopherspecialized in Antiquity, philoso-phy is not a theoretical systembut an experience which is lived,and it is a conrontation toreality, to ones ideas, dreamsand decisions and a questioningo onesel without, which thereis no lie.

Life is a movementWhat is living? Is it to live in astate o inertia seeking the easylie, or is it to live while ulllingonesel with determination,decision, responsibility andintelligence?

ARTICLE To live is a movement. Thingsare alive because there is move-ment. But i this movementbecomes inert, mechanistic,articial, repetitive, dependent,resistant and routine, then lieades and dies. To move romcomort, laziness, living day today, and rom the instinct opreservation which protects us,we need to take risks, to give a

purpose to our movements.

The more ambitious our goalsand dreams are, the more weare capable o putting ourselvesin motion.

To live in autonomyLie is characterized by autono-my. It is capable o repairing it-sel, and healing its wounds. Aninanimate object cannot do thatwithout human intervention.

Lie reproduces itsel. We canprogram ourselves to directour existence towards some-thing else. We can reproduceourselves biologically or throughideas and sentiments.

Lie sel-regulates and balances

itsel. This is the basis o ecology.

I our body was not able to regu-late itsel, it would constantlybe ill. Lie is to be in movementand to understand the laws omovement. Some encounterthese laws through simply beingimpacted by the movement.They run ater lie but do notlive. They live unconsciously

and are moved by instincts andurges. Others question them-selves: Where am I going, whoam I? What use does lie have?They seek a goal, a meaning.They marvel beore lie, the uni-verse and all that inspires themand enables them to learn withintelligence.

The Expression of consciousnessMovement is ound in the wordsto express, that is, to realize

the potential we have within.But what are we expressing?This is where the notion o con-sciousness comes in. We canexpress that which is goodwithin, our need or socialrecognition, our desire or selrealization; our quest or Good,the Truth and Beauty, and we

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Image courtesy: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ADa_Vinci_Vitruve_Luc_Viatour.jpg

can also express the alse,supercial and apathetic side oourselves. In other words, wecan express living or appearingto live.

Socrates introduced to theWestern world, the concept oconscience.

He said: I have within me a

little voice, a daemon, (not ademon but a genie/angel, aconscience) which sometimestells me what I shouldnt do butnot what I should do. There isa conscience within each oneo us, and sometimes this con-science makes us suer and issuppressed in the subconsciouswhere it continues to act on thebody or the eelings.

The expression of a destiny

Expression implies to accept tobe conronted by others, and toexperiment in order to improvethat which we think we are,or are becoming. To live is toexpress that which is positive,creative, harmonious, simplebut beautiul and good. It is notto express onesel guided byurge or desire, or in other words

to let o steam and engenderviolence or onesel and others.To express a destiny is not toexpress the uture throughortune telling. From a philo-sophical viewpoint, the classicalauthors o antiquity explain thatin ancient Theatre, the Greektragedy presents the story oa character that has a choicebetween living a tranquil peace-

ul lie, and accomplishing anexploit which will transcendhim, transorm him, sometimesat the cost o his lie (the Hero).

We all have a destiny in poten-tial. This destiny will expressitsel in our choosing to notact like everyone else, to takeownership or our own lie, tobe what we want to be and notto become what others expecto us. Lie is to conront the

unknown, to accept the mystery,to live with it.

The power of life and freedomAs Hegel said, true con-sciousness is not a theoreticalaculty but a power o living andreedom. To live is to expressa power over onesel whichleads us towards reedom. For

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a human being to become ree,he should not be conditionedby circumstances or by his pas-sions. He must decide and actwith intelligence.

One can live as an animal, astone or a tree. To live as a hu-man being, one needs to havespirit. From a philosophicalviewpoint, spirit is that capac-

ity we have to understand theworld and to ree ourselvesrom it. This capability may beassociated with intelligence(intellegere in Latin: to be ableto enter). The spirit enables thehuman being to understandwhat is real, and to take actionwhile becoming independento circumstances and not beingoverwhelmed by them.

One keeps a clear spirit in spite

o situations. Spirituality is astruggle in order to maintainintelligence, discernment andthe possibility to see thingsin their unity and not in theirvarious parts. Reason enablesus to divide things; intelligenceenables us to reunite them.

To live intelligently is not only tolive reasonably. The ultimategoal o lie is happiness. Not animmediate, ephemeral, happi-ness satised by urge, but whatSocrates calls eudemonia; aninner state o serenity, wisdomand calm, a state o beingwithout attachment, and withdiscernment.

To live life is an opportunity tobe happy.Fernando Schwarz is the NationalDirector o New Acropolis France

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Schedule o Public EventsOct Dec 2013

Kabir Event


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The Buddhist concept o reincarnation, while both mysterious andenchanting, is hard or most to grasp. Unmistaken Child ollows

the our-year search or the reincarnation o Lama Konchog, aworld-renowned Tibetan master who passed away in 2001. TheDalai Lama charges the deceased monks devoted disciple, TenzinZopa, to search or his masters reincarnation. Tenzin sets o onthis unorgettable quest through remote Tibetan villages. Alongthe way, Tenzin listens to stories about young children with specialcharacteristics, and perorms rarely seen ritualistic tests designedto determine the likelihood o reincarnation. He eventually presentsthe child he believes to be his reincarnated master to the DalaiLama so that he can make the nal decision.

Oct 26: Saturday6 pm [2 hrs], FREE ADMISSIONFilm Screening

New Acropolis Centre, Mumbai

Unmistaken Child

Image courtesy: http://www.impawards.com/2009/unmistaken_child_xlg.html12

The Lost City

Discovering Machu Picchu

The latest entry to the 7 Wonders o the World, this orgotten cityhidden above the clouds o the Peruvian Rain Forests, gained ame

with its discovery by Hiram Bingham in 1911. Its awe-inspiringarchitecture is perhaps the best known testament to the Inca way olie. Hidden within its walls are clues to understanding Inca mythol-ogy, symbolism, and ceremonies, which suggest a wondrous abilityto connect with Lie. Join us on our journey through this Lost City,and begin to understand the important role o Philosophy in thelives o the Incas.

Nov 9: Saturday6 pm [2 hrs], FREE ADMISSION

Lecture


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Talking Trees

When we speak o nature, the rst element that comes to mind isthe tree. Standing tall and strong through the ages, trees represent

eternal values. Some trees play an important role is ceremonies,some are held in high regard in mythology. Yet others are thoughtto reveal secrets o Lie to him who knows how to listen. Why do welook or inspiration elsewhere when it is right here beore our eyes?Cant we draw rom the example o the tree to live more meaning-ully every day, as have cultures throughout the ages? Together, wewill explore these concepts through the symbolism o the tree.

Nov 23: Saturday6 pm [2 hrs], FREE ADMISSIONLecture


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Nov 25: Monday7:30 pm [2 hrs], FREE ADMISSION

Open House


Be happier! Live a more meaningul lie! Live up to your truepotential, and make a real dierence in the world around you! At

New Acropolis we oster an active and practical approach to LivingPhilosophy with an acute awareness o the World around us. ThisOpen House gives you the opportunity to learn about the introduc-tory course (beginning 2nd Dec 2013, Every Monday, 15 Sessions) World o Wisdom where you will learn what it takes to becomea true philosopher through a comparative study o the Teachings othe Great Masters o the past.

Open House

Introductory Lecture

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Dec 2: Monday7:30 pm [2 hrs], PRIOR REGISTRATION REQUIREDNew Course, Rs. 4,500


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This course establishes the oundation o every aspiring Philosopher.The curriculum comprises o traditional knowledge, presented as a

comparative study o Classical Philosophies, and helps each studentto develop a sensitive ability to internalize the undamental Lawsthat govern Nature, and Humanity. The course material serves asan introduction to ancient cultures and investigates the origins ohumanity a time when the Invisible World was respected, drawinga sense o wonder and esoteric mysticism. New Acropolis strives topreserve this universal heritage, by oering it as an integral part oits scholastic development. Course Duration - 15 Sessions. Mondays,7:30 pm 9:30 pm. Fees Apply.

world of wisdom

1st Lecture of new course

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Dec 14: Saturday6 pm [2 hrs], FREE ADMISSION

Lecture


Land of Mysteries

Ancient Egypt

For thousands o years, Ancient Egypt has served as a source owonder and mystery or countless explorers and philosophers.

The Pyramid o Khuu built at Giza stands testament to this - beingclassied as one o the Seven Wonders o the Ancient World. Didthe Ancient Egyptians know something dierent? How were theyable to impact humanity with such permanence and magnitude?Join us on a journey o discovering this ancient culture, otenreerred to as the Land o Mysteries.

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An artist, an architect, a scientist, an engineer and an inventor.This most dynamic gure, at the heart o Renaissance movement,

is a true enigma. Who was Leonardo Da Vinci? What are the secretsbehind his genius? Lets delve deep into the mind o this belovedRenaissance icon. Lets celebrate his lie and work by understand-ing his achievements, inspirations and infuences in the context othe Renaissance as a whole.

Dec 28: Saturday6 pm [2 hrs], FREE ADMISSIONLecture


Leonardo Da Vinci

The Philosopher

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A society grows great when old men plant trees whose

shade they know they shall never sit in. Greek Proverb

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

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LazinessWho? Me?Delia Steinberg Guzman

In general, we understand lazi-

ness to be the sluggishness orprocrastination o doing things.(Procrastination: to postponeeverything or later. Sluggish-ness: to spend excessive timedoing what should have beendone immediately.)

It is easy to understand lazinessin relation to the movementso our body, with the laxitywe conront actions, with theexcessive time needed to reachan objective, this is exactly whytime, seems distant.

But laziness can be ound inall planes o the personality.It doesnt aect us so muchthat it paralyzes our eelingsand thoughts; but it can beelt and thought in everythingthat becomes comortable and

agreeable, that doesnt require

eort or perseverance.

Psychological eort is thedetermining element o thiskind o laziness: to avoid anydisturbance.

What does a lazy person do?He knows he has varioussentimental situations to deneor resolve, but he preers notto see them. He thinks thattime will deal with it erasingthe clouds o his emotionalpanorama and that, urther on,he will nd everything xed.When there is no other remedybut to conront these situations,he gets agitated, attacking thosewho dared to show him what hewill not accept. Driven by angera palliative ormula is created,or his lack o determination.

ARTICLE

In the eyes o others, he may

appear as a calm person, buthis tranquility is a ruit o hisinability to conront the chal-lenges that lie sets beore himin a natural manner. This personmakes a liestyle rom comort.But deep inside, he knows helives in a bubble that couldexplode at any moment. He maybe an admirer o the spiritualideals, ethical or esthetic, helikes them, but he is incapableo applying any o them in hislie, because in doing so hewould have to change his dulltranquility. He would have tointroduce changes, battle withdiculties. As all these wouldrequire eort, he hides oncemore behind comort, continu-ously, stating that it is impos-sible or him to change.

The lazy person, however, has a

hidden ear that he never con-esses: he is araid o time ando the many things he will neverdo. In this case, he blamesdestiny or his bad luck, his lacko opportunities. And he preersto cry eeling hounded by hisbad luck instead o moving asingle physical or psychologicalmuscle.

Remedy or laziness: Attention.

Remedy or Procrastinating:Adding value to every singleminute.Delia Steinberg Guzman is theInternational Director o the IONA(International Organization o NewAcropolis)

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WISE MEN OF THE PAST

Plato

The son o Ariston and adescendant o King Codrus andPerictione, who was a descen-dant o the great lawgiver, Solon,he was born in Athens in 429/28B.C. and died in 347 B.C. His

real name was in act Aristoclesand Plato was a nickname whichmeans broad-shouldered. Itwas apparently given to him byAriston, his wrestling teacher.

According to Diogenes Laertius,he was born on the 7th day oThargelion, which corresponds

to the month o April, althoughthe Neoplatonic Academy oFlorence celebrated his anniver-sary on 7th November. He hadtwo brothers, Adeimantus andGlaucon and a sister, Potona,who was the mother o Speu-sippus, his successor at the

Academy.

Little is known o his earlyyouth, except that he cultivatedwrestling, painting and com-posed dithyrambs, songs andtragedies.

His rst philosophy teacher,

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according to Aristotle, wasCratylus, who in turn had been aollower o Heraclitus. At the ageo twenty he met Socrates, whoon the previous day had dreamto a cygnet taking fight. Hestayed with him until his mas-ters death, eight years in all.

As he himsel recalls in his Sev-enth Letter, as a young man he

wanted to enter politics, desir-ous o taking part in public liein an age o decline and crisisor his city.

The trial and death o Socratesmarked a turning point in thecourse o Platos lie and a pe-riod o seeking and learning be-gan. In this period he has beenidentied with some very signi-cant philosophical schools andprobably with some schools oinitiation as well. He let Athensand moved to Megara, to hearthe teachings o Eucleides, andthen to Cyrene, where he learntmathematics with Theodorus. InItaly he became a disciple o thePythagoreans, Philolaus and Eu-rytus. The last stage o his jour-ney took him to Egypt, where heell seriously ill and was healed

by priests who immersed him inthe sea - although this may bea reerence to a ritual alludingto his initiation in the Egyptianmysteries.

On his return rom Egypt hemade his way back rst toCyrene and then to Magna Grae-cia, visiting Tarentum and Syra-cuse, two decisive cities in his

biography. The rst, governedby the Pythagorean Archytas,oered him the model or thegovernment o the philosophersand the whole Pythagoreansystem which was so essentialto his philosophical work. Itwas Archytas, the philosophicalprince, who put him in touchwith Dionysius, the tyrant oSyracuse. A relationship was ini-tiated with the tyrant Dionysiusthe Elder and his nephew Dion,ull o vicissitudes, which endedwith his being sold into slaveryin Aegina and being reed byAnniceris o Cyrene.

Ater his release, Plato returnedto Athens and a long period oteaching and research began,which was to last some ortyyears, briefy interrupted by two

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journeys to Syracuse, in 366 and361. His philosophical school,the Academy, then came intobeing, in a modest gymna-sium situated three kilometresrom the Dipylon gate nearthe district o Colonus, whereSophocles had been born.

Among the disciples o Plato,in addition to Speusippus as

already mentioned and Aristotle,were two women: Lastenia oMantineia and Axiotea, a Philas-ian, who dressed as a man.

WorksThe writings o Plato take theorm o dialogues or letters,characterised by an exquisiteand rened style, designed toexpress in the most rational waythe most abstract mysteries oknowledge. His philosophicalarguments appear through thespeeches o Socrates and otherwise men, such as Timaeus thePythagorean, who take part inhis dialogues.

Among the many possible wayso cataloguing his thirty-vedialogues and thirteen lettersthat have been carried out by so

many centuries o commentariesand ollowers o the Divine Plato,as he was called in the Renais-sance, the chronological classi-cation seems to be the one thatbears most relation to the courseo the philosophers lie:

1. Socratic period: Apology oSocrates, Crito, or Duty, Ion, orthe Iliad, Laches, or Courage, Ly-sis, or Friendship, Charmides, orTemperance, Euthyphro, or Piety.

2. Period o transition: Euthyde-mus, or the Arguer, HippiasMinor, or Falsity, Cratylus, or theAccuracy o Words, Hippias Ma-jor, or the Beautiul, Menexenus,

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or Funeral Orations, Gorgias, orRhetoric, Republic I, or Justice,Protagoras, or the Sophists,Meno, or Virtue.

3. Period o maturity: Phaedo,or the Soul, The Symposium, orLove, Republic II-X, or Justice,Phaedrus, or Beauty.

4. Period o old age: Parmenides,

or the Ideas, Theaetetus, orKnowledge, Timaeus, or Nature,The Sophist, or Being, TheStatesman, or Royalty, Philebus,or Pleasure, Critias, or Atlantis,The Laws, or Legislation, andEpinomis, or the Philosopher.

In the allegorical resco o Phi-losophy painted by Raphael oUrbino and entitled The Schoolo Athens, Plato appears hold-ing the text o the Timaeus, thusreerring to the most signicantwork o Platonic philosophy,which has been one o themost studied throughout thecenturies, and is ull o Pythago-rean reerences and a wisdomoriginating in the Mysteriesconcerning the doctrine o theWorld Soul.

Plato and philosophyIt can be armed that Platotransposes the mystery traditioninto philosophy, as can be seenrom his use o the concepts oreminiscence and purication.In this respect he sets out twoprinciples: that o the progres-sive transmutation o being asthe sensible world rises towardsthe intelligible world, and that

o Theophany or the union othe soul with the divine. See theSymposium and the account giv-en o the teachings o Diotima.

The Platonic philosopher islike Eros, the son o Poros andPenia. Only the gods are wise.The philosopher stands midwaybetween wisdom and ignorance,because he is conscious o hisignorance. In the Symposium,the denition o philosophyis given as love or desire orwisdom. The philosopher is notonly an intermediary, but a me-diator, since he reveals to mensomething that proceeds romthe world o the gods, rom theworld o wisdom. Philosophy, inthe Symposium, appears as anexperience o love. Wisdom isone o the most beautiul things

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and Love is love or the beauti-ul, so Love must be a philoso-pher and must thereore liemidway between the wise andthe ignorant, he declares inthe above-mentioned dialogue,through the mouth o Socrates.Philosophers are, like Love, in-termediaries between the godsand men. Love is the aspira-tion o men to happiness. It isthe desire or immortality, the

impulse o intelligence towardsthe idea o the Good.

Philosophy is also an exercise indying, since death is the separa-tion o the soul rom the body,which is what the philosopherstrives to achieve. The philoso-pher is one who truly knows thescience o dying.

In the Theaetetus he describes

the way o lie o the philoso-pher, which lies in becomingjust and holy in the clarity ointelligence.

Knowledge or Plato is nevertheoretical: it is the transorma-tion o being, virtue, as well aseeling.

In his dialogue, Parmenides,

he speaks o the relationshipbetween ideas and things. Platospeaks o the participation othings in Ideas. He reconcilessuch a principle by saying thatwhat exists, reality, is neitherpure unity nor pure multiplicity.

The doctrine o the Ideas isthe central core o the Platonicphilosophy, as well as beingthe aspect most disputed byAristotle and his ollowers. Theideas are the truth o things, theessences which sustain reality,the models that govern thecosmos. The soul can gainaccess to the ideas, once it hasbeen reed rom the condition-ing o the sensible world anddiscovers that perceptible realityis no more than the shadow othe ideas. The interpretation o

the relationship betweenideas and things has led to thequestion o whether Plato isdeending immanency or atranscendent position thatseparates essences rom things,although in eect he reconcilesthese two apparently antagonis-tic interpretations.

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ACTIVITIES AT NA MUMBAI

New Acropolis is an interna-tional not or prot organization,represented in over 50 countries,having values based on Philoso-

phy, Culture and Volunteering.The organizations fagshipcentre in India was established inMumbai in 2006. Today we havealmost 100 active members andhundreds o regular visitors.Our centre in Mumbai serves asa community space or culturaland social exchange, where weconduct lectures, workshops,and various activities related toart, dance, and theatre. Our work

is entirely supported by volun-teers and member contributions.We are currently looking or alarger space o approximately4000 sq. t. to continue our workand house our fagship centre inMumbai. Ideally, the new spacewould consist o:

A free use space in which tohost public events to seat a 100 Smaller rooms to conductclasses, intensive training

sessions, and an oce space A pantry/kitchen Access to an open outdoorspace or physical and ecologyrelated training activitiesWe seek the valuable support oindividuals and organizations,which share in our commitmentto humanity and take cognizancein our work and ideals. Guidanceor reerrals to philanthropic indi-viduals or organizations would

be deeply appreciated.

To assist in our search, pleasecontact us at [email protected] or +91 99200 18204.

search for space for a Cultural

Centre in Mumbai

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ness, and happiness Truth, andpeople have believed us, there-ore you, too, have until nowimagined that happiness must

be the same as Truth. But happi-ness makes you its prisoner, asdoes woe. Then the man oundhimsel back in the garden withKhidr beside him. I will grantyou one desire, said Khidr. Iwish to know why I have ailedin my search and how I can suc-ceed in it, said the man. Youhave all but wasted your lie,said Khidr, because you havebeen a liar. Your lie has been inseeking personal gratication

when you could have been seek-ing Truth. And yet I came to thepoint where I ound you, saidthe man, and that is somethingwhich happens to hardly anyoneat all. And you met me, saidKhidr, because you had su-cient sincerity to desire Truth orits own sake, just or an instant.

It was that sincerity, in that singleinstant, which made me answeryour call. Now the man eltan overwhelming desire to nd

Truth, even i he lost himsel.Khidr, however, was starting towalk away, and the man beganto run ater him. You may notollow me, said Khidr, becauseI am returning to the ordinaryworld, the world o lies, or thatis where I have to be, i I am todo my work. And when the manlooked around him again, herealized that he was no longern the garden o the sage, butstanding in the Land o Truth.

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The Land of TruthIdries Shah

A certain man believed that theordinary waking lie, as peopleknow it, could not possibly becomplete. He sought the real

Teacher o the Age. He readmany books and joined manycircles, and he heard the wordsand witnessed the deeds o onemaster ater another. He carriedout the commands and spiri-tual exercises which seemed tohim to be most attractive. Hebecame elated with some o hisexperiences. At other times hewas conused; and he had noidea at all o what his stage was,or where and when his search

might end. This man was review-ing his behaviour one day whenhe suddenly ound himsel nearthe house o a certain sage ohigh repute. In the garden o thathouse, he encountered Khidr,the secret guide who shows theway to truth. Khidr took him toa place where he saw people in

great distress and woe, and heasked who they were. We arethose who did not ollow realteachings, who were not true to

our undertakings, who reveredsel-appointed teachers, theysaid. Then the man was taken byKhidr to a place where everyonewas attractive and ull o joy. Heasked who they were. We arethose who did not ollow the realSigns o the Way, they said. Buti you have ignored the Signs,how can you be happy? askedthe traveller. Because we chosehappiness instead o Truth, saidthe people, just as those who

chose the sel-appointed chosealso misery. But is happinessnot the ideal o man? asked theman. The goal o man is Truth.Truth is more than happiness.The man who has Truth can havewhatever mood he wishes, ornone, they told him. We havepretended that Truth is happi-

SUFI STORY

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World of Wisdom

From Philosophy to Mystery

Refer to Pages 15 and 16 for details

Oering a truly enriching Way o LieCourse Begins: Monday, December 2nd 2013

Man and the CosmosAncient Egypt & IndiaMysteries o TibetBuddhist PhilosophyConucius

Greek TraditionWisdom in Rome, Stoics

Neoplatonism and PlotinusAstrology, Alchemy and Yoga

History and Myth

With the help o New Acropolis I havestarted my voyage towards my highersel. I would quote Rumi by sayingLovers dont fnally meet somewhere.They are in each other all along. New

Acropolis is practically helping me tochange and become able to eectivelystart bridging this gap.

Shraddha Shetty

Over the last year, New Acropolishas been a breath o resh air aninsightul and eye-opening reminder o

who we really are and why we arehere. It has helped me look beyond thedaily noise o lie and ocus on what isreally important.

Trishya Screwvala

TESTIMONIALS

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EVENT PROMOTION

Every Friday, 7:45 am-9:15 amFees: 1500/monthVenue: New Acropolis Centre

Krav Maga is an Israeli orm o sel-deence. It is ecient andocused on real-world situations. The name in Hebrew translatesas contact combat. Krav Maga emphasizes threat neutralizationand is used by the Israeli Deence Forces and several other lawenorcement organizations.

Today, we are oten surrounded by mindless violence and generalsense o lawlessness. It is not hard to imagine being conronted

by a situation threatening the lie o a ellow human being. Thisbeginner level course, guided by an instructor aliated to The In-ternational Krav Maga Federation, will develop ecient sel-deenceskills to enable participants to protect themselves as well as ellowMumbaikars.

To register, please contact us at [email protected].

34

New Acropolis Centre,A-O Ground Floor, Connaught Mansions, Opp. Colaba Post Oce, Mumbai

+91.22.3192.0515 | [email protected] | www.acropolis.org.in


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New Acropolis Centre,A-O Ground Floor, Connaught Mansions, Opp. Colaba Post Oce, Mumbai+91.22.3192.0515 | [email protected] | www.acropolis.org.in

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Acropolis Quarterly, October-December, 2013

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