Cosmos & Earth 13th April 2016

Intro: The etymological source tells us that cosmos goes back to order, right order, gracefulness, jewels and even the plant cosmos that grows in clean air. It also goes back to world order or order in a particular state. In antique history one of the first ones to use this word and describe reality with it was Pythagoras who was obsessed with numbers, saw this order of numbers in everything,…the harmony of the spheres and also the harmony in other relations. The earth was something they were discovering and starting to understand in numbers and other comparisons. The cosmos

JOY of LIFE, 30th March 2016

Intro : The two contradicting philosophies

…”there is a deep feeling of joy of life we get when dancing, drinking or making love,…that’s the blood knowledge of Dionysus”
- D.H. Lawrence about Dionysus

Dionysus  (Greek god of the grape harvest, winemaking and wine, of ritual madness, fertility, theatre and religious ecstasy) believed in the power of intuition and reaching out for our state of unconsciousness. He believed that the act of giving into our temptations brought us closer to our real selves and that is the real secret to achieving joy in living.

Socrates, on the other hand, was convinced that moderation, rationality and self-awareness through self-discipline was the way to go.

                                     

First associations from guests

It was clear early on that we wouldn’t end with a unanimous definition that suited all our assumptions, thoughts and beliefs about JOY of LIFE. We broadened the topic by listening to various examples. There were bright insights into what joy of life is, how to get it, keep it and whether it is even necessary to have!

A..: The pursuit of happiness has become an obsession.  I think that we all create