![]() “Let nothing enter here but what is good”ĭiogenes asked, “Then where will the master of the house go in?” “With greater pride”, mildly added Plato.Īn Athenian (as was customary with that people) had caused the following inscription to be placed over the door of his house: “And you,” retorted Diogenes in the same tone, “if you had only learned to live on lentils, would not have to flatter King Denys.”ĭiogenes visited Plato one day and perceiving that the floors were beautifully covered with carpets of the richest wool and finest dye, stamped his foot in scorn exclaiming: Seeing Diogenes washing some vegetables, he said to him disdainfully, “If you would only learn to flatter King Denys you would not have to be washing lentils”. The politic philosopher Aristippus, by paying court (praise) to the tyrant Denys, had acquired a comfortable living and looked down upon his less prosperous fellow sages with no small degree of contempt. His nickname was Dog, from which the word Cynicism. He would court insult to test the subjugation of emotion in his mind.ĭiogenes’ own life as a stateless beggar sleeping where he could in Athens was a practical demonstration of endurance of hardship. Plato said about Diogenes, “He is a Socrates gone mad”ĭiogenes embraced bronze statues in winter to train the body in hardship and eradicate physical desire. ![]() He lived in Athens and Corinth, becoming the prototype of cynicism. ![]() He was exiled about the middle of the fourth century BCE, allegedly for defacing the currency. Here are more anecdotes about the great philosopher:ĭiogenes was a prominent citizen of Sinope. He wandered through Athens with a lamp in day time! When people laughed at him, he told that he was looking for an honest man! When Alexander the Great came to him and asked what he could do for him, Diogenes asked him to move away so that his shadow would not block the sunlight! I wrote a post in 2013 with the title “Philosopher who carried Lantern in day Time!” posted here on J.ĭiogenes was said to have lived in a big broken jar. But he was a great saint and senior to Ramana Maharishi. Many of his acts were categorised as a mad man’s activities. He was like Seshadri Swamikal, a sage who lived in Tiruvannamalai during Ramana Maharishi’s time. Greeks thought it is a dog’s life.ĭiogenes life was like a Hindu ascetic. People who belonged to this sect lived like Hindu ascetics sacrificing all comforts. The English word Cynic (doggish) came from this sect. He came to Athens (now capital of Greece) and founded the Cynic sect with his Guru Antisthenes. He belonged to Sinope in modern Turkey, an ancient Greek colony. The solution to their problems was found in minimalism, which is the process of reducing unnecessary things in one's life, and maximizing the things that add value to one's life, such as time, and freedom.Diogenes (410- 320 BC) was a Greek philosopher. ![]() People who have experienced situations like these, have been propelled to question their materialistic beliefs, and decide to simplify, and organize their lifestyles. When you look at them, you can hardly see a smile on their faces due to the fact that they live stressful lives resulting from too many responsibilities and commitments. ![]() For instance, we have observed a lot of millionaires who believe that hustle culture is a good thing, as they are constantly on a hamster wheel. The need to discern internal factors from external influences cannot be overstated. The act of owning and possessing things robs people of their peace of mind and happiness. They should keep in mind that everything has its dark side. It is a common misconception among people that the more they acquire, the better their lives will be. ![]()
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