Philosophy means wisdom-aspiration, wisdom-revelation and wisdom-manifestation.
If we approach philosophy with the mind, for the fulfilment only of the mind, then it is nothing short of dryness. If we approach philosophy with the heart, for the heart and life proper, then it is most useful and fruitful.
Earth-bound philosophy is afraid of entering into Heaven-free philosophy because Heaven-free philosophy is unbounded. Heaven-free philosophy is afraid of entering into earth-bound philosophy because it may be caught in earth’s quagmire.
Eastern philosophy has tremendous fondness for the ever-transcending Beyond although it does not see the Beyond, not to speak of having a free access to the Beyond. But it feels that there shall come a time when it will be able to see the Beyond, be with the Beyond and be for the Beyond. Uncertainty looms large in the Western philosophy when it has to convincingly and completely accept the Reality-Existence of the Beyond.
Two philosophies: the outer and the inner. The outer philosophy thinks that its source is sound founded upon power. The inner philosophy feels that its source is delight founded upon silence.
The supreme philosophy of the God-seeker and God-lover is the awareness of God-Eternity, God-Infinity and God-Immortality founded upon Omnipresence-God-Oneness.
Philosophy loves wisdom-light. Each human being thinks that he is wiser than others. His wisdom surpasses others' wisdom; therefore, he gives advice, sought and quite often unsought.
We are all self-styled philosophers but our hearts are not vast enough to claim the entire world as our own, very own. Socrates, the philosopher of philosophers, had an all-pervading oneness-heart. Therefore, he was able to say “I am not an Athenian. I am a Cosmopolitan.”
There are two kinds of philosophy: the human philosophy and the divine philosophy. The human philosophy is nothing short of division-mind-supremacy. The divine philosophy is oneness-heart-intimacy.
The human philosophy is a mind-jungle that is all dryness or darkness. The human philosophy likes to dictate and not to listen or embrace.
The divine philosophy is: give wisdom and take wisdom. The divine philosophy is not satisfied just by saying something great and good but by becoming the perfect embodiment of greatness and goodness.
The philosophy of the East and the philosophy of the West. The philosophy of the East tells us: “Go beyond, go beyond! Truth abides in the Beyond, the ever-transcending Beyond.”
The philosophy of the West tells us: “Go around, go around! Spread out, spread out new capacities, quantities and qualities.”
The philosophy of the East: God-invitation, God-expectation and God-union.
The philosophy of the West: God-multiplication, God-revelation and God-distribution.
The philosophy of the East: who I was, who I am and who I shall become. Who was I? God the Dream. Who am I? God the Reality. Who shall I become? A prototype of God.
The philosophy of the West: “Go forward, go forward! Look not behind. Look not sideways. The Merciful God is beckoning you.”
The philosophy of the East and the philosophy of the West have a common goal: satisfaction, satisfaction infinite. This satisfaction comes into existence only from one thing: self-giving, sleepless self-giving and nothing else.
Let us invoke Pushkin to bless us with his nectar-flooded wisdom:
“But, friends, I do not want to die.
I want to live, so as to think and suffer.”Descartes declares his inner awareness and outer assertion:
“I think, therefore I am.”
The seeker in me soulfully proclaims:
I am because God there is.
I am an eternal Now, for my Source is so.What is my Source?
God the Eternity’s Cry and God the Infinity’s Smile.What Plato, the philosopher par excellence, said about philosophy is at once charming, deep and prophetic: “Philosophy is the highest music.”
The philosopher and mathematician Whitehead said, “Philosophy asks the simple question: ‘What is it all about?’” We know the answer. It is either all about God the Creator or all about God the creation.
Plutarch said, “Philosophy is the art of living.” We may safely add, “Philosophy is the art of self-searching and truth-becoming.”
“There are more things in Heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.” So said Shakespeare. Indeed, every day, every hour, every minute, every second, God creates countless things, countless thoughts, countless ideas, countless ideals and countless goals for the betterment of the world and the transformation of the earth.
[Then Sri Chinmoy extemporaneously set music to the following poem which he wrote for this occasion.]
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O vast philosophy,O great philosopher,
Higher worlds’ message-secrecyDown you bring to offer.
```From:Sri Chinmoy,I prayerfully bow to the soul of Russia, Agni Press, 2004
Sourced from https://srichinmoylibrary.com/pbr