Showing 593 articles
The Lessons of Prosperity
Author: Gilad SommerNovember 2, 2024
‘No society can surely be flourishing and happy, of which the far greater part of the members are poor and miserable.’ (Adam Smith) “The best things in life aren’t things.” (Art Buchwald) The twenty-first century has provided mankind with one of its most important experiences and lessons – material prosperity is not enough for human flourishing. Like [...]
Speed Reading or Slow Reading
Author: Antonin VinklerJuly 27, 2024
Speed reading has its benefits – it saves time where there is a lack of available hours or days, and the volume of pages is staggering, or where the attractiveness of the content does not exceed that of an instruction manual. The problem generated by speed reading, though, can be summarised with the following quote [...]
Traveling Beyond: Egypt Explorations with New Acropolis India Part 2 – The Egyptian Temple as a Metaphor for Life
Author: Rahil MehtaJuly 8, 2024
Traveling Beyond: Explorations with New Acropolis India, is active travel for the aspiring philosopher; to come closer to the rich human heritage of lands and cultures across the globe. The philosophical way encourages us to come closer to what lies “beyond” – the invisible causes of what we observe, such that we may recognize the [...]
The Dichotomy of the Mind & the Heart
Author: Archana SamarthJuly 8, 2024
We seem to live in a world of dichotomies, a world where sharply contrasting ideas exist. For example, we can say that with all the modern technological breakthroughs, humanity is advancing and yet, we can also say that there is regression of human values as evident in the strife, separation, poverty, malnourishment and disease of [...]
Many Traditions, One Essence: Seeking Beauty through a Diversity of Expressions (Celebrating Arts Day 2024)
Author: Manjula Nanavati (compiled by)July 8, 2024
New Acropolis, a school of practical philosophy present in over 50 countries, celebrated Arts Day 2024, in recognition of the value of art and culture in all their myriad expressions, to individuals and to societies. India North, comprising the main centre Mumbai and the Pune branch, hosted an event at each location on June 9th, [...]
Many Seeds, One Garden: Learning from the Sacred Groves of India
Author: Manjula Nanavati (compiled by)July 8, 2024
This is a write-up based on an event celebrating International Mother Earth Day held at New Acropolis, Colaba, Mumbai. UNESCO has designated April 22nd as International Mother Earth Day to raise public awareness of the challenges to the well-being of our planet, and to recognize our collective responsibility to promote harmony with nature. At an [...]
The Ancient Tradition of Kalaripayattu: In conversation with Lakshmanan Gurukkal
Author: Axelle DefrasneJuly 8, 2024
Shri Lakshmanan Gurukkal hails from a traditional Kalaripayattu family. His father and guru, Shri Veerasree Sami Gurukkal who trained under Guru Govindankutty Nambiar, established the Hindustan Kalari Sangam in Calicut, in 1952, to preserve and promote this traditional martial art form. His children Shri Lakshmanan, Shri Shatrughnan and Smt Radhika are now carrying forward this [...]
Building The Future
Author: Carlos AdelantadoJune 8, 2024
The path of philosophy is long but not hard. It is a path of searching, of always learning. We like to define a philosopher as a seeker, a lover of wisdom. A philosopher is the one who asks questions about life and tries to find answers; answers that can be valid and useful to find [...]
Unity Through Diversity: The Universal Language of Rhythm
Author: Manjula NanavatiMay 5, 2024
Unity of all mankind may seem at first a lofty and utopian concept, but the actualization of this intention is perhaps the realization of one principle: recognition and respect for the diversity of the human race. We must understand each other, honour each other’s cultural identity, and value each other’s way of life. To attempt [...]
Smart Slavery
Author: Antonin VinklerMay 2, 2024
Thanks to the benevolent faith there are over a hundred letters preserved from my favorite philosopher – Lucius Annaeus Seneca, in which he is mentoring his younger friend Lucilius. In one of those letters (No 27) Seneca mentions Calvisius Sabinus – a rich fellow, who wanted to become a memorable part of the society of [...]
Travelling Beyond: Egypt Explorations with New Acropolis India
Author: Sukesh MotwaniMay 1, 2024
Part 1 – Upper Egypt. New Acropolis India’s ‘Travelling Beyond’ initiative curated its inaugural exploration, a 10-day journey to Egypt in January 2024. Led by a senior instructor on Egyptian Symbolism and a very good local Egyptologist guide, the trip immersed its 32 participants in the culture, history, mythology, and philosophy of ancient Egypt. While [...]
Zen Gardens As A Portal To Contemplation
Author: Manjula NanavatiMay 1, 2024
“To study Zen is to study the self. To study the self is to forget the self. To forget the self is to be awakened by all things.” – Dogen Zenji. It is said that the founder of Buddhism in Japan, the monk Mahakashyapa, received his illumination directly from Shakyamuni t [...]