I enjoy poetry, jazz, spirituality, politics and a potpourri of other interests that you will see reflected in this blog. I work in the field of mental health, education, and human rights. This blog represents the variety of my interests and thoughts on any given day and are strung together, like Pascal's Pensees, in no particular order. The title of this blog is an allusion to the famous work of Blaise Pascal. "Say what you like, but if I were not Alexander, I should like to be Diogenes."
He turned to his officers with the following words: "Yes," said Diogenes, "you can step aside a little so as not to keep the sunshine from me." "Diogenes, I have heard a great deal about you. When he saw the king he sat up and looked at Alexander. He found Diogenes outside the town lying on the ground by his barrel. When Alexander the Great came to that town he went to see the wise man. He spent his days sitting in the sun and saying wise things to those who were around him. The time is not specified, but it was during a sunny day that Alexander III of Macedon met Diogenes the Cynic, an interaction that spawned numerous paintings and philosophical and literary reinterpretations. The place is the Greek city-state of Corinth in the suburb of Craneion. He said that no man needed much, and so he did not live in a house but slept in a barrel, which he rolled about from place to place. Alexander and DiogenesGaetano Gandolfi, 1792 he year is 336 B.C. A humorous anecdote drives home the lesson and is instructive for us today as we are surrounded by consumerism of all kinds and people, including adults, ask "was Santa good to you" (sigh).ĭiogenes was a strange man. They actually believed that the goal of life was human flourishing by living a life based on reason.ĭiogenes was one of the most famous of the Cynic philosophers and the relevance for this season is his indifference to possessions. They lived on the streets and embraced voluntary poverty as a means to access wisdom. The Cynics were so named because they were described as "kynikos" or dog-like by the citizens of Greece. The term cynic, as we understand that today, has a different connotation than that of ancient Greeks. Some scholars have suggested that Cynical philosophy influenced the area around Palestine and Galilee at the time of Jesus' mission and that his teaching may have had this Hellenistic echo from the Cynics. His last wish was that, “My hands should be left hanging out of coffin because i want everybody to know that i am dying empty handed.Diogenes was an ancient Greek Cynic philosopher. Physicians said, “A man who is mortal should not give promises because tomorrow is never certain.” Therefore please save me, I want to meet my mother before i die.” I promised my mother that i would come back to her.
It is said that, He was just twenty four hours journey away from his home but got so ill that no physician could help him or cure his disease.Īt that time he said to his physicians, “I am ready to give whatsoever you want but please save me for at least twenty four hour. Thanking him, Alexander went to his conquest and after trying to conquer India, Alexander decided to return to Greece. One becomes a Diogenes as a Jump, It’s a Quantum Leap.” So don’t think that you will be able to fulfill your desires and then you can become Diogenes. Our desires are infinite, it’s impossible to fulfill them. Each desire goes on begetting new desires. Life is too short and our ambitions are so big, so many. First i have to finish that, then only can i think of it.”ĭiogenes replied, “Remember my words: you will not be able to finish it. If next time, God is kind enough to give me another opportunity, then i would like to be born as Diogenes, not Alexander.”ĭiogenes replied, “Then why wait for next time? You can be Diogenes this very moment.”Īlexander was surprised as this reply and said, “Right now? It is not possible, it is not practical. I can see your Heart is in a dance, your each breath is a song. My life feels barren, Empty like a desert. I may have whole Kingdom for world but i don’t see any Joy in my life.
Alexander said, “Still i feel jealous of you.
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