the voice of the silence
Untitled 1960 - Mark Rothko
“ SILENCE IS SO ACCURATE Mark Rothko
”
A NOTE FROM THE DIRECTOR
We have already passed the middle of 2015, it seems that time is passing faster and faster every year. The velocity of time relates to our approach to life and as everyone is in a hurry (although it is not always clear to where) time is passing faster. Being in a hurry we notice less things on our path and therefore it seems like it is moving faster. Every now and then we find ourselves in a moment of “frozen� time, a special moment where everything slows down and stops. In those moments we can catch our breath and maybe even remember who we are and why we do whatever we do. This issue is dedicated to those moments. THE MOMENTS WE ARE OURSELVES. Guy Hazon National Director
CONTENTS 4 DIRECTOR’S NOTE 6 WHO WE ARE 7 ABOUT US 10 ARTICLE THE VOICE OF SILENCE 13 TALK LIVE YOUR DREAMS -BRAAMFONTEIN-
14 ARTICLE TRANQUILLITY 16 ARTICLE SOUTH AFRICAN HEROES 18 COURSE LIVING PHILOSOPHY -RANDBURG-
20 ARTICLE MONSTERS
23 EVENT INDIAN CELEBRATION -RANDBURG-
24 COURSE THE KEY TO INNER WISDOM -BRAAMFONTEIN-
26 ADVERT HEALTHY BEGINNINGS MONTESSORI ELEMENTARY & PRE-SCHOOL 29 EVENT PHILOSOPHY IN ROCK -RANDBURG-
31 EVENT PHILOSOPHY SYMPOSIUM -RANDBURG-
32 EVENT NIGHT OF THE MASKS -RANDBURG-
35 CONTACT US
NEW ACROPOLIS
WHO WE ARE New Acropolis is an international organization of philosophical, cultural and humanitarian nature. Our mission is to revive philosophy and promote the timeless values that have been at the heart of all civilizations offering a holistic education. New Acropolis understands philosophy in its classical sense as love of wisdom. Wisdom is something practical and active rather than purely intellectual. It is knowing how to act, learning to discern what is right and knowing which ends are worth striving for. Philosophy is a quest for the profound meaning of life and for the understanding and mastery of oneself.
NEW ACROPOLIS
ABOUT US PHILOSOPHY when practical, helps us to know and improve ourselves. It is a way of life, not an intellectual attitude, committed to the best aspirations of humanity. CULTURE broadens our understanding of life, and fosters a spirit of mutual respect and solidarity, strengthening human dignity and facilitating harmonious coexistence. VOLUNTEERING is the natural expression of a spirit of union with life and humanity, which manifests in the practice of values such as unselfishness, commitment and striving for the common good.
THE VOICE OF
SILENCE by Guy Hazon
It seems like a paradox how can a voice be silent? Or is there even a voice when there is silence?
MANY ASPECTS OF OUR LIFE ARE A PARADOX. For example, we are in a rush all the time, but then we are always searching for relaxation or rest. This is a ridiculous paradox. Surely many of us have experienced once or twice our rush on the road in order to reach home as soon as possible, and have some rest.
Do
you
like
this
imbalance?
Do you like this paradox? A Stoic philosopher and a Roman emperor, Marcus Aurelius, had a solution. He said that we should search for cheerfulness (happiness) in our lives, and when we find it we would be more independent in our path, we will not need external help, not even rest! Now, I am not trying to tell you that you shouldn’t rest. I wouldn’t dare ask anyone to give up those precious moments of rejuvenation. Especially in our time, life is in such a velocity that rest is essential. What Marcus Aurelius meant is that if you find the path you can follow with happiness, you don’t really want to rest. You will find happiness if you do what you love doing; that is essentially what you are meant to do. Eastern wisdom calls this SvaDharma, or destiny. If you follow your SvaDharma, you become so passionate and involved in your life that you forget to eat, sleep, rest and many of the other basic “needs” of your personality. At the same time, you are as happy as you can be. While an artist is working on a piece of art, they do not want to stop until the idea
is manifested. It is more disturbing for them not to create, than to create tirelessly. So now we know, that “all” we need in order to resolve that constant paradox of hurry up and rest, is to find our SvaDharma, our destiny. And how are we going to do that? There is a book called “The Voice of Silence”, written by H.P. Blavatsky. In this book she speaks about the need to find an inner voice that will appear only if you succeed to silence all the external voices. Those external voices are the ones destructing/diverting/distracting you from the truth.
From who you really are! So, if we invest so many hours every day in order to gain some moments of relaxation; and we would like to make our lives a reflection of happiness, which is so exciting and full of passion, and elevates us far beyond a life of mere survival, we should start with the search of this: The Voice of Silence. To confront ourselves, as we truly are, and build our lives around our own self-realisation.
NEW ACROPOLIS INITIATIVE NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT! As a section 18aPBO (for public benefit organisation) NGO, we are structured as follows: • The Philosophy School: Ancient wisdom, culture and volunteering • Healthy Beginnings Montessori Pre & Elementary School: the financial support of the organisation; and • A Youth Leadership Programme titled: “DWYL: Do What You Love, Don’t Waste Your Life”
New Acropolis is a nonprofit seeking self-sustainability, YOU CAN HELP: By supporting any one of these initiatives you ensure that we can continue to do our work... We are in need of the following: • Join any of our courses • Rent our space for a workshop, yoga or dance class • Montessori equipment and school materials • Advertise in this magazine • Donate and get a portion back • Cash or equipment donations gain tax benefit receipts
PLEASE CONTACT 072 300 1274 info@newacropolis.org.za
THANK YOU!
Date
Thursday 9th July 7PM
Venue
Bannister Hotel, Braamfontein
e v i L your
s m a e r D
We all have dreams for the future, but often dreams are just dreams. This inspiring talk will look at how we can be the stuff of legends - and pull our dreams into life!
TRANQUILLITY DON’T WE WISH WE HAD A LITTLE MORE OF IT? Tranquillity – defined as peace, calm, quiet and stillness. Yes, many people wish that they had more of these qualities in their lives. In their modern fast paced lives, jam packed with plans, hopes, dreams, deadlines and demands. People have wanted this for quite some time now. An indication today could be the range of prescription and over-thecounter medications available to chemically induce some tranquillity. by Michael Herd Is it not strange that we are geared to achieve, work hard, and always try our best to excel? So quite naturally, we stampede off on a lifelong quest of material establishment and acquisition; while all the time within us there is a little voice saying “Please, can we just stop to catch our breath? Can I not ever just get a break, to relax, to unwind?”
Yet still we charge forth unyielding, each one building his or her own fiefdom; which as it grows, demands even more time and effort to maintain and expand. STOP. Literally. Right now. Stop reading, close your eyes, quiet your mind, and take seven deep breaths. Is that not better, even just a little bit?
The thing is, we all live in this fast paced world, we all need to function in it, and to do that most certainly does require a substantial amount of busyness. But what we often forget is: we are in control. We can stop, and have timeout whenever we want, our own little quiet time – disconnected from the outside, listening to what is inside. Sure, we cannot be like this all the time. This is not what I am suggesting. Who would want to be in a constant state of calm and stillness? I think it would get very boring, very quickly (not to mention the lack of productivity)… But, by the same token, who would want to constantly be busy, rushing from one thing to the next, never resting, and never stopping? That sounds equally as horrible, but then why do so many of us do it? The answer lies in balance – the middle way – and most of us already know this. So why are we so constantly busy – being pulled this way and that, by multiple crises constantly demanding attention? Why, when we do rest; is it not so much rest but more of a mini-collapse at the end of the day, when we reach the point where either the demands stop, or we have simply reached our ceiling of capacity to deal with them?
The devil is in the detail. Really. That myriad of things we need to do right now, because they are important, and the equally long list of things we need to do just now which we will get to as soon as we have finished what we are doing right now. All those little things, when we are in a reactive state – pull us this way and that, always keeping us busy. Simply taking a few moments to stop, breath, and take a step back will give us a tranquillity which transcends the 60 seconds the physical action takes - because it allows us to centre ourselves, and move from a reactive state into a proactive state. Now, that list of a million and one things is only one thing – what I’m busy with now – and I can dedicate myself to it without being distracted by all the other things I will be doing just now. We are in a space where we do not feel overwhelmed. We have a firm and clear mind, which can proceed to carry out any busyness in a calm and centred manner. The more we do this – take the time to listen to ourselves – the more we will experience being in control – and just that sensation alone will alleviate the majority of the stress which plagues us. So take the time – to stop, and listen within. We constantly have tranquillity – it is all just a matter of perspective as The Buddha told us:
“Nirvana is here and now”
SOUTH AFRICAN
HEROES
A hero helps those in need. South African youth are at a loss when it comes to career choices and simply trying to get a job. Too many options and very little career counselling at schools leaves them confused. The Spread Luv Movement (SLM) has found a simple way to be available to those faced with the difficult choices regarding their future. A mentor can make the difference between a mistake and an informed decision. SLM, an NGO started in 2009 by a group of women; make themselves available to the youth for career guidance. From those difficult questions only professionals can help with, to the basic ABC’s of job hunting, they do it all. In a country where education is failing the youth and job - more importantly career - development is only starting to take off; mentorship is a quick short cut to career guidance. Their formulas work: get a mentor, aim for a job/career, later with your success, come back and mentor others. With this constant reinforcement of helping others, this NGO is filling many of the skills gaps in South Africa. SLM: we applaud you. You can too. Like them on Facebook or get involved. spreadluv.org.za
LIVING PHILOSOPHY Discover. Awaken. Transform. T ............................................. Course Syllabus, 16 Weekly Sessions (32 Hrs) ............................................. KNOW THYSELF Living Philosophy - Need for Inner Change 7 Fold Constitution of Man The Ethical Life of a Disciple THE GREAT UNIVERSAL WAR The Internal Battle of Kurukshetra Svadharma and Karma Yoga Themes from The Bhagavad Gita BUDDHA AND THE PATH TO LIBERATION Lessons from the Life of The Buddha Process of Self-Transformation The Middle Path - 4 Noble Truths HEARING THE VOICE OF SILENCE Symbolism of Tibetan Vajrayana Tradition H.P. Blavatsky and the origins of a mystical manual for disciples Themes from The Voice of the Silence PRACTICAL PRINCIPLES FROM THE ANCIENT WORLD Making your Actions meaningful and sacred Justice, Ancient Egypt Harmony, Confucius Path of Happiness, Aristotle THE ARTIST, THE LOVER, THE PHILOSOPHER WHO ARE YOU? The Living Universe True Freedom, Stoic Principles 3 Paths to expressing Unity, Plotinus Neo-Platonism
INTRODUCTION TO SOCIO - POLITICS The role and importance of Society Socrates & Plato Education and Justice in Society THE ALLEGORY OF THE CAVE Pythagoras and the school of Pythagoras Allegory of the Cave, Plato The Political & Philosophical Ideal Founding Principles of New Acropolis TYPES OF GOVERNANCE 4 Types of Man Models of Governance, Plato The Triumphs and Challenges of Democracy Organisational structure of Traditional Society PATH TO MYSTERY Mystical and Magical Initiation WHEN MYTH AND HISTORY MEET Reliability of History Myths: Truths hidden in Mythology Chronological Time, Sacred Time, Mythical Time CYCLES WITHIN HISTORY Law of Cycles Cycles of Time: Hindu Yugas, Great Year of Plato Challenges and Opportunities of our times ESOTERIC HISTORY OF MAN 7 Kingdoms of Life Manas & the Evolution of Human Consciousness The Discipular Path: Devotion, Investigation, Service SUMMARY So, where do we go from here? PRACTICAL EXERCISES
Monsters are a common image throughout our histories. From the Devil, to zombies, and everything in between, and they have played prominent roles in our stories as the essential evil. The prevalence of images in our pop culture of demons possessing young girls, monsters attacking cities, haunting of both the self and/or the home -all reflect our belief that these creatures are not like us, not Human. The Monster is defined in its very inhumanity, its ‘Otherness’, its separation from the Human race. Nowadays the application of the word Monster and its implicit meaning, are reserved for those individuals who behave and commit acts reminiscent of the literary Monster - acts of an animalistic and a barbaric nature, which confound and terrify us. Fear in this sense leads us to categorising them as Other, and therefore incapable of Human emotion. This labelling of individuals’ such as Hitler or Jeffrey Dahmer, who raped, murdered, and ate parts of his male victims, separates US from THEM – creating a sense of security for us in the idea we are not Monsters and so could never do such a thing. The issue of labelling someone as such, is that we inevitably end up believing it.
WE ARE NOT MONSTERS This prevents us from seeing that a choice was made, by a person, NOT a monster. And while undoubtedly these individuals actions are horrifying, essentialising them as evil results in the belief that at no point in their lives did they feel or desire approval and love. Recognising the need to not categorise them as Monsters brings us one step closer to understanding that while we are capable of extreme things, we are all connected and human. This shift in perception fosters a collective sense of responsibility. That of Oneness and keeps us cognisant of ourselves and others.
MONSTERS by Aidan Dixon
PHILOSOPHY IS ...the love of knowledge and the mission to apply that knowledge into everything. ~ Kelly
...being, becoming and understanding the micro & the macro. ~ Aidan
...how I met myself. ~ Michael
...a way of life. ~ Thapelo
...love. ~ Katherine
...the beauty of knowledge accumulation into wisdom of recognising my authenticity and applying it with diplomacy. ~ Sally
...the love and pursuit of wisdom and the practice thereof. ~ Paula
Indian Celebration
India, a land with thousands of years of spiritual legacy. Her philosophical teachings will mesmerise and entice all. Dress up welcome. Date: Friday September TBC Venue: New Acropolis Randburg Cost: R50 finger food will be served
SpaceforRent
Have an event and need space? Rent one of our comfortable rooms for any event. New Acropolis can accommodate you! From R100 per hour, package deals (with advertisement) are available.
EVENTSINCLUDE
Various workshops from art, photography, meditation and lectures. Host a lunch or dinner party for friends or business, meet-up evenings: book / movie clubs, networking, launch a product or exhibition, dance, yoga, martial arts, company functions.
Garden Area For unconventional workshop, party or event
CafĂŠ Gaia A large cafĂŠ to suit your product launch, lunch or dinner party
Studio Space 072 300 1274 info@newacropolis.org.za www.newacropolis.org.za 411 Vale Avenue, Ferndale
Host lectures, workshops and physical activities
Library Classroom Audio visual equipment available for use
PHILOSOPHY IS A LIFESTYLE
A LEARNING JOURNEY Following on from the foundation course, we offer classes in successive levels which cover topics including: • • • • • • • • • • •
Psychology Eastern and Western wisdom Rhetoric (3 levels) The Pranic body History of philosophy (4 levels) Symbolism (Egypt, Inca, Aztec, Hindu, African...) Comparative study of religions Philosophy of Science Aesthetics and Metaphysics Anthropogenesis Cosmogenesis
PHILOSOPHY SYMPOSIUM COME AND REVEL IN INSIGHTFUL CONVERSATION ABOUT PHILOSOPHICAL TOPICS FROM THE ANCIENTS. LET’S SHARE OUR KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE ABOUT THOSE KEY QUESTIONS THAT INSPIRE A MEANINGFUL LIFE.
DARE TO BE DEEP.
DATE: FRIDAY 21st AUGUST 7PM VENUE: NEW ACROPOLIS RANDBURG COST R50 FINGER FOOD WILL BE SERVED
Join us for an enchanting evening when we revive an ancient esoteric tradition to set alight your mind and soul. Masks will be provided, bring your own if you like.
Date
Friday 13th Novmeber 7pm
Venue
New Acropolis Randburg Cost: R50 finger food will be served
NIGHT OF THE MASKS
ADVERTISE
IN THIS MAGAZINE SINGLE PAGE R250 SINGLE PAGE REPEAT R200 DOUBLE SPREAD R350 DOUBLE SPREAD REPEAT 350
BRANCHES RANDBURG 411 VALE AVENUE, FERNDALE, RANDBURG CORNER OF VALE & OXFORD COORDINATES: S 26° 04.819’ E 27° 59.385’
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“For me, I am driven by two main philosophies: know more today about the world than I knew yesterday and lessen the suffering of others. You’d be surprised how far that gets you.” — Neil deGrasse Tyson
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