Odysseus fakes insanity, early 17th century tapestry. Ptuj Ormož Regional Museum, Ptuj Slovenia Although he is a major character in some accounts of the Trojan War, Palamedes is not mentioned in Homer's Iliad. After Paris took Helen to Troy, Agamemnon sent Palamedes to Ithaca to retrieve Odysseus,...
Many people have but one resource to sustain them in their misery; to think, "circumstances were against me, I was worthy of better. I HAD NO GREAT LOVE because I never met anyone worthy of me. I wrote no great book because I had no time. I...
There’s a story of a spiritual teacher whose daily sermons were powerful and inspiring. Hours of preparation often went into creating such messages of hope, love, forgiveness, and joy. One morning, before standing to deliver the day’s sermon, the teacher focused on the message about...
Most religions teach that God exists somewhere outside the world, perhaps in heaven. Baruch Spinoza (1632-1677) was unusual in thinking that God is the world. He wrote about 'God or Nature', to make this point — meaning that the two words refer to the same...
Upon this a question arises: whether it be better to be loved than feared or feared than loved? It may be answered that one should wish to be both, but, because it is difficult to unite them in one person, is much safer to be...
I wonder how many people in this city live in furnished rooms. Late at night when I look out at the buildings I swear I see a face in every window looking back at me and when I turn away I wonder how many go back to their desks and write this...
The next point is that everybody has his own path. There are a thousand paths to discovering yourself, to becoming. Every one of you will find your own way. Don't let anybody impose theirs on you. There's a wonderful book called Teachings According to Don...
I am reminded of Abraham Lincoln. When he became the president of America, his father was a shoemaker. And, naturally, egoistic people were very much offended that a shoemaker's son should become the president. They were aristocrats, super rich, who thought that it was their...
Although there are certainly differences between Eastern and Western philosophical systems, they both aim at the same goal of apprehending Truth and understanding the best way to live one's life. Modern-day scholarship often makes a serious, and arbitrary, distinction between the two which is unnecessary...
I believe that each of us has a dream placed in the heart. I’m not talking about wanting to win the lottery. That kind of idea comes from a desire to escape our present circumstances, not to pursue a heartfelt dream. I'm talking about a...
