Are we more than just body, mind and spirit? Do we really understand what we are? Will observing nature help us to learn about the human experience?

Hinduism’s major sacred epic The Bhagavad Gita, still extensively studied worldwide, tells us life is a joyous battlefield…. Why? Can we recognize and tackle life’s challenges? What are the pitfalls we can avoid? How can we surpass ourselves?

We all have our inner battles: the teachings of Karma and Dharma and the art of right action and Yoga, can aid us on this battlefield in our quest to fully realize our potential.

The Voice of Silence: Introduced to the West in the 20th century, the ancient Tibetan text “The Voice of the Silence” has enchanted readers with its profound insight and powerful imagery. What are the many faces of reality? Do I need to see it to believe it?  Three stages on the inward journey: ignorance, learning and wisdom; illusion and reality.; the training of mind.

So simple and yet so vividly truthful, the Buddhist Four Noble Truths shed light on the nature of a reality known to every human being: suffering.  Is it possible to better understand and overcome it, and how can we walk the practical path leading to personal fulfillment?  The life of Buddha; the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path; is liberation from pain and suffering possible?

Land of enigmas. The pyramid as a symbol of man and society. The moral teachings of Ptahotep, Kagemni, Imhotep, Merikare and others.

6. Classical Greece: Socrates, Plato  and Aristotle

Socrates – The founder of Western Philosophy and teacher of Plato. Although he left no written works at all, the legacy left by Socrates can be described as gigantic, in addition to the example of a life dedicated to philosophy with extraordinary moral integrity. His disciples gave rise to schools, such as those founded by Plato and by Antisthenes the Cynic. For Socrates, the fundamental knowledge is that which obeys the imperative inscribed on the oracle at Delphi: "Know thyself". Virtue and reason are in no way contradictory and philosophy is not a mere intellectual speculation, but a way of life.

Plato -The writings of Plato take the form of dialogues or letters, characterised by an exquisite and refined style, designed to express in the most rational way the most abstract mysteries of knowledge. His philosophical arguments appear through the speeches of Socrates and other wise men, such as Timaeus the Pythagorean, who take part in his dialogues.

Aristotle – A Greek philosopher, student of Plato, and the teacher of Alexander the Great, his philosophy encompasses morality, ethics and logic.

Neoplatonism – A School of Philosophy founded in Alexandria. Some of the investigations include: the nature of the Soul; Organization and contemplation; why do we fall in love; andthe dialectic method.

Stoicism was one of the most important and influential traditions in the philosophy of the Hellenistic world. It claimed the adherence of a large portion of the educated people in the Greco-Roman world. It also had considerable influence on the development of early Christianity.
The Roman Stoics, Epictetus, Seneca, and Marcus Aurelius were widely read and absorbed by Western cultural tradition. Indeed, the very word 'stoic' has become synonymous with “philosophical attitude” and has come to represent courage and calmness in the face of adverse and trying circumstances, the hallmark of the ancient Stoics.

Introduction to Sociology of Politics - The Individual, Society and the State; the problems of modern societies; the concept of Justice. The practice of philosophy in society.
Plato’s Republic – The Republic is Plato’s best known work, dealing with the place of the individual within society.  Also contained in this work is the Myth of the Cave, in which humanity is symbolized as a group of people chained in a cave facing their own shadows.  A philosopher is like a prisoner who is freed from the cave and comes to understand that the shadows on the wall are not reality, but merely limited projections of reality.

“Never doubt that a small group of people can change the world. In fact it is the only thing that ever has.” M. Meade

Summer and winter, night and day. There are many cycles in our world. Why to civilizations rise and fall? What is the summer of life? Is there a winter of life? Is the the human as a part of nature affected by these cycles.

The Greek format of dialogue employed the art of instruction by using the art of rhetoric.

3 Practical Workshops – Gain some further insight into the tendencies of your body, emotions and mind