Articles by Jorge Angel Livraga
The Crisis of the West and the Coming of the New Times
Author: Jorge Angel LivragaJanuary 26, 2023
Let us begin by saying that in Greek the word crisis means, in addition to problem, change. So it is not only problems the West is facing today, but also a period of change. To overcome this crisis stage, the first thing we must do is to recognize that our Western civilization is not unique. Throughout history there have been other civilizations that have also had their crises and [...]
For Your Soul to Grow
Author: Jorge Angel LivragaJanuary 3, 2022
I am not referring to your Divine Spirit which, because it is so, can neither grow nor diminish, be born nor die, but to that higher part in us which we commonly call Soul. It is common knowledge that physical exercise, for example, develops muscles, and that any learning must be based on tenacity in exercising that which we want to grow, whether it is the mastery of a language or that of any [...]
Sport Hunting – a Consensual Crime
Author: Jorge Angel LivragaApril 3, 2021
Since the earliest times our current level of research can reach, man has made hunting one of his primary activities. Human groups, today considered primitive (although there is a reasonable possibility that they are actually the worn-down remains of other civilizations, which having completed their biological cycle have been buried in an oblivion that is only scantily eased by the traditional [...]
The Universe as an Answer
Author: Jorge Angel LivragaMarch 8, 2020
We often speak about the stars, the planets, the animals, the sky, the Earth, water or snow and we forget the real sense and meaning of the word Universe. Man asks himself questions about the whole of Nature, of which he himself is a part, but he tends to lose the central idea to which it refers. ‘Universe’ means that which is going in a single direction, so what we must discover is where it [...]
An interview with H. P. Blavatsky
Author: Jorge Angel LivragaSeptember 13, 2018
In the first few weeks of 1991 I found myself in London; I had come for one of my regular meetings with the principal representatives of New Acropolis in the UK and Ireland, who had travelled there for the same purpose. On a typical cold and rainy morning, I was visiting one of my regular haunts, Portobello market, with its thousands of antiques, curios and handicrafts. I remembered that [...]
Reflecting on our Personal Progress this Year
Author: Jorge Angel LivragaApril 25, 2018
Human beings naturally need more or less contained spaces to live in; this is their living space… the “territory” that animals mark out for themselves. We all need to set ourselves certain goals, pass tests, suffer failures, celebrate successes and thousands of other things that show us the horror of emptiness we subconsciously feel. That psychological need is reflected in the fact that [...]
The Dawn and Decline of Technological Man
Author: Jorge Angel LivragaNovember 1, 2017
How important has technology been to the development of Humanity? By definition, technology relates to the means by which man attempts to rule over matter. However, technical elements alone are not enough to measure progress. Today we find ourselves engaged in a cult to technology, such that we judge the quality and excellence of civilizations by their higher or lower levels of technical [...]
A New Philosophy of Life and Death
Author: Jorge Angel LivragaAugust 22, 2016
Philosophy means "love of wisdom or knowledge". It is a route illuminated by the sun of truth. Anything which does not respond to this essential characteristic is not philosophy, but mere speculation and alternative repetitions of what others have said, taking as much advantage of the old teachings as a spoon takes nourishment from and enjoys the soup in which it is dipped. Life and death are [...]
The Inner Mirror
Author: Jorge Angel LivragaJuly 20, 2015
Today, as the myth of equality is losing force, it is easier to appreciate the wisdom of the ancients, who affirmed that all things and all beings have a different existence. More than that, even within the same person it is difficult to find two identical states of mind throughout the course of a day, a month or a year. Unfortunately, apart from the exceptions that prove the rule, these states [...]
Eclecticism, Searching for Truth Beyond Fanaticism
Author: Jorge Angel LivragaOctober 3, 2014
“Eclecticism” is the name given to the philosophical position which, without objecting to anything a priori, analyzes and considers things, compares and relates them in search of the best of them all, with a view to finally selecting the one that is most qualified as worthy of acceptance. But this clear and concise definition, squarely facing the truth, is often forgotten in the common use [...]
Gather Around the Fire
Author: Jorge Angel LivragaAugust 27, 2014
In the first of the twelve doorways that await us in this year 1983, it is good - or perhaps simply inevitable - to sharpen the sight and hearing of the Soul in order to detect what the future holds in store for us, based on the interaction between our own characteristics and the environment, under the curved shadow of the dented scythe of time. We will not consult the stars because we are [...]
The Myth of Unending Progress
Author: Jorge Angel LivragaAugust 26, 2014
The term “progress” derives from the Latin “progressus” which means, quite simply, the action of going forward. It is a mere illusion of the senses, intoxicated with hope, the supposition that every forward movement is synonymous with improvement, happiness and joy. The arithmetic progression of 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. does not mean that 2 is better than 1. If we humanize the process, it [...]
Rowing Against the Current
Author: Jorge Angel LivragaMay 13, 2014
"The difference between a floating tree trunk and a boat made of the same wood is that the latter has oars and can row upstream."Dr. N. Sri RamI heard these words from him in my distant youth. The phrase was not part of any of his lectures and I do not know if it is in any of his books. It came up spontaneously in a conversation. I have meditated much on this teaching, and when the time came to [...]