Wisdom is the Way: The Timeless Art of Leading a Life
Upcoming Perennial Course (Jan-Mar)
Dear Readers,
Beginning early next month, we are starting the new year with wisdom! The course is titled Wisdom is the Way: The Timeless Art of Leading a Life (beginning the first week of January). The meditation below provides a general introduction to the course. Expect more info to follow in the coming weeks.
***As always, the course is free for Perennial Meditations members. If you cannot afford a membership, feel free to request a complimentary one or use this discount link.
The Timeless Art of Leading a Life
How are you leading your life?
Do you have a way of making sense of life during good and bad times?
The French philosopher and historian Pierre Hadot described philosophy as a way of life in three parts: metaphysics (how the world works), ethics (or virtues), and practices (or exercises).
1. Perspectives
Here are three universal perspectives across wisdom traditions:
Impermanence — The Buddha taught, “All conditioned things are impermanent — when one sees this with wisdom, one turns away from suffering.”
Interconnectedness—In Meditations, Marcus Aurelius wrote, “You should meditate often on the connection of all things in the universe and their relationship to each other.”
Beginner’s Mind — Shunryu Suzuki wrote in Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind, “In the beginner’s mind, there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s, there are few.” However, one might also think of humility, wonder, or an openness to learning new things.
When it comes to navigating life — our perspectives (or views and beliefs) shape the principles we put into practice. For example, understanding the nature of impermanence helps us realize that tomorrow is not promised.
2. Principles
When it comes to principles to live by, we are wise to adopt a set of time-tested virtues. Plato identified the four cardinal virtues with the character of a good city as described in The Republic. According to Plato, “Clearly, then, it will be wise, brave, temperate, and just.”
The cardinal virtues of courage, temperance, justice, and wisdom are four near-universal principles adopted by Christianity and most of Western philosophy. Although virtue can feel outdated or old-fashioned, it is relevant and practical. Virtue (or Arete) translates as excellence or moral virtue.
Courage — In Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle observed, “Our aim is not to know what courage is but to be courageous; not to know what justice is but to be just.” When thinking of virtue, we must view virtue as action.
Temperance —Think of temperance as moderation or simply self-control. The Stoic philosopher Musonius Rufus suggested, “If we were to measure what is good by how much pleasure it brings, nothing would be better than self-control.”
Justice — The virtue of justice is described as fairness and kindness. The novelist Henry James put it this way, “Three things in human life are important: the first is to be kind; the second is to be kind, and the third is to be kind.”
Wisdom — Socrates transformed our understanding of wisdom. It is not just a matter of having skills, knowledge, or a long life of experience. It is primarily realizing how little you understand about yourself, others, and the world around you.
Our principles help us to navigate life; one could think of them as points on a compass. Seneca urged Lucilius, “Adopt once and for all a single rule to live by, and make your whole life conform to it.” The principles we choose set our direction and help us to be intentional about leading our lives.
3. Practices
When it comes to practices (or exercises), there are many to choose from across wisdom traditions. Think of practices like meditation, journaling, prayer, memento mori, and many others.
Here are three from both philosophical and spiritual traditions:
Meditation — “The practice of meditation teaches us how to relate to life directly,” explains the teacher and writer Pema Chödrön, “so we can truly experience the present moment, free from conceptual overlay.”
Journaling — The practice of journaling enables us to examine our day in an objective and non-judgmental way. In On Anger, Seneca put it this way, “When the lamp is taken out of my sight…, I pass the whole day in review before myself, and repeat all that I have said and done.”
Contemplation — Aristotle called “contemplation is the highest activity of human life.” Similarly, the theologian Meister Eckhart suggested, “What we plant in the soil of contemplation, we shall reap in the harvest of action.”
Although there is much more to be said about leading a life, it starts with creating (or adopting) a philosophy to lead your life. The art of living involves thinking about how you see (perspectives), how you live (principles), and what you do (practices) to lead your life.
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Thank you for reading; I hope you’re excited to start the new year searching for wisdom!
Until next time, be wise and be well,
J.W.
P.S. As a reminder, if you’re interested in becoming a member but unable to afford it. Feel free to request a complimentary membership or use this discount link if you need a little help.