Philosophia Perennis, Vol 1
Chapter #6
Chapter title: Logos: Power: Necessity
26 December 1978 am in Buddha Hall

	Archive code: 	7812260
	ShortTitle: 	PEREN106
	Audio: 	Yes
	Video: 	Yes
	Length: 	112 mins


STILL IT IS GIVEN THEE TO FIGHT AND OVERCOME THY FOOLISH PASSIONS: LEARN THOU TO SUBDUE THEM.

BE SOBER; DILIGENT, AND CHASTE; AVOID ALL WRATH. IN PUBLIC OR IN SECRET NE'ER PERMIT THOU ANY EVIL; AND ABOVE ALL ELSE RESPECT THYSELF.

SPEAK NOT NOR ACT BEFORE THOU HAST REFLECTED; BE JUST.

... REMEMBER THAT A POWER INVINCIBLE ORDAINS TO DIE;

... THAT RICHES AND THE HONOURS EASILY ACQUIRED, ARE EASY THUS TO LOSE.

AS TO THE EVILS WHICH DESTINY INVOLVES, JUDGE THEM WHAT THEY ARE; ENDURE THEM ALL AND STRIVE, AS MUCH AS THOU ART ABLE, TO MODIFY THE TRAITS. THE GODS, TO THE MOST CRUEL, HAVE NOT EXPOSED THE SAGE.

EVEN AS TRUTH, DOES ERROR HAVE ITS LOVERS; WITH PRUDENCE THE PHILOSOPHER APPROVES OR BLAMES; IF ERROR TRIUMPH, HE DEPARTS AND WAITS.

PYTHAGORAS WAS THE FIRST TO COIN AND USE THE words 'philosophy' and 'philosopher'. 'Philosophy' means love of wisdom, and 'philosopher' means a friend of wisdom. Before Pythagoras, other words were used for the same purpose. For philosophy, the word SOPHIA was used -- SOPHIA means wisdom; and for the philosopher, SOPHOS -- SOPHOS means the wise man, the sage. They were beautiful words, but they had fallen, they had become associated with wrong people. They had fallen on bad times. Words also have good times and bad times, days of glory and days of humiliation...