Sunday, 22 June 2025

Leaders and their choice between Light and darkness




Throughout history, people have often faced times of confusion, lies, and crisis. In these moments, good government becomes not just a sort of ideal but something we urgently need. Ancient philosophers and poets like Plato, Solon, and Theognis gave us wisdom that still makes sense today. Even though they wrote long ago, their words help us understand what makes a government just or unjust, especially now when Truth is often twisted, fear is used to control, and technology can dominate instead of help.

In The Republic (Book 6), Plato explains that only true philosophers should rule. He says philosophers are those who understand what is always true and unchanging. They love Truth and hate lies. "The true lover of knowledge must, from childhood, desire Truth above all things." Plato says that only these kinds of people can create fair and good laws. But if leaders are blind to the Truth, if they only chase power and lies, they can never guide a country in the right way. Today, we see a world where many leaders are more interested in money, control, or popularity than in Truth or Justice. Plato's warning seems very real in our time.

Plato also says that these philosopher-rulers should not care much for physical pleasures. Instead, they should care about the soul and about learning. He believes that unless philosophers become rulers, or rulers become philosophers, our world will never be free from problems: "Until philosophers rule as kings... cities will have no rest from evils." This idea fits today, where many in power seem to care more about fame or supremacy than about deep Wisdom.

In another work, Laws (Book 1), Plato says the greatest good is wisdom, and that others which are materialistic, such as wealth, are less important. "He who has the divine has the human added to him; but he who has lost the greater is deprived of both." Morevoer, a wise and fair leader must put Truth, Courage, and Justice first. If not, the laws and the people will suffer. In today's world, we often see the opposite: those with power focus on money or control, and forget higher values.

Besides, In Laws (Book 10), Plato tells us that the Ruler of the Universe has arranged everything to ensure the preservation and perfection of the whole. Every part has a specific role and state of action or experience, and even the smallest action is governed by a guiding principle. Each part of the Universe, no matter how small, exists for the benefit of the entire system. It is emphasised that creations are made for the good of the whole, not for the benefit of any single part. Just as a doctor or an artist works for the good of the whole body or work, each element functions for the common good. Therefore, what is best for one part is also, within the laws of creation, best for the entire Universe. This reminds us that good leaders must think of the common good, not just of themselves or their group. When selfishness rules, society falls apart. Today, when many governments focus on winning or staying in power rather than serving everyone, Plato's words ring true.

Furthermore, the poet Theognis also gives wise advice. In his verses (27-38), he urges his friend Cyrnus to be wise, not to seek glory, honours, or wealth through shameful and unjust actions, to stay close to good people and to avoid the wicked: "If you mix with the bad, you will lose the mind you already have." In our time, where the lines between good and bad are often unclear, and where lies are common, this warning is crucial. Being close to dishonest people can destroy us.

To say nothing of Solon, the famous lawgiver of Athens, gives a strong warning in Fragment 4. He says that bad leadership destroys a city from the inside. He blames greedy leaders who do not know when to stop or how to share fairly. He writes: "The leaders of the people think unjustly... and this causes great pain." Solon describes how injustice spreads like a fire or a disease, touching every home and every person, even those who try to hide. His words remind us of how modern problems, like inequality and corruption, affect all levels of society. "Even if a man should flee into the corner of his inner chamber, it finds him."

However, Solon also praises good government. He says it brings Peace, Fairness, and Balance: "Sound governance shows everything orderly and suitable... straightens crooked judgments, makes prideful deeds, to be mild, arrests the works of dissension, stops the bile of torturous strife, and so it is that through it everything concerning humans is made wise and harmonious." A just system brings harmony, controls greed, and fixes unfairness. These ideas are still true. When laws are fair, people trust each other more. When leaders are honest, people feel safe. But when lies and selfishness take over, trouble grows quickly.

Therefore, taken together, Plato, Theognis, and Solon show us what good and bad government looks like. Together, these voices from antiquity create a composite image of just and unjust governance. The good state is one where leaders are philosophers, guided by Wisdom and an Incorruptible Love of Truth. It is a place where Justice is not merely a legal system but a harmony of soul and society. The bad state, by contrast, is one where leaders are blind, self-serving, or worse, consciously deceiving. It is marked by fear, manipulation, planned wars, planned catastrophes, and an absence of Virtues. Such a state breeds inequality, spiritual degradation, and, as Solon saw, ultimately its own ruin.

Today, as technology expands its grasp over our bodies and thoughts, and as division and fear are amplified for political convenience, we had better remember these ancient guides. Their words caution against the path of tyranny masquerading as progress, of surveillance dressed as safety, and of governance devoid of soul. Perhaps, as Plato suggested, the wise may yet find shelter, waiting for the storm to pass, content only to live rightly in a world gone astray. But even they, as Theognis advised, must cleave to the Good, lest the corruption outside seep silently within.

In this reflective mirror of governance, what we see depends on what we seek: illusion or Truth, tyranny or Wisdom, ruin or Justice.



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https://www.perseus.tufts.edu

https://classicalanthology.theclassicslibrary.com/2019/07/26/justice-and-the-city-solon-fr-4/

Tuesday, 17 June 2025

Antigone the Heroine of Love




In Sophocles’ tragedies, Antigone shines as a heroine of deep love and unwavering loyalty, even though her fate is marked by sorrow and a dark family history. Born from the tragic union of Oedipus and Jocasta—both her parents—Antigone’s life is shadowed by incest and death. Yet, from this pain rises a woman whose nature is to love, not to hate. In Antigone, line 523, she declares with clarity:

“It is not my nature to join in hate, but in love.”

This short but powerful line reveals Antigone’s deepest truth: she exists to care, to serve, and to give. Her love is not abstract; it is lived out in every action, especially in her devotion to her blind and exiled father, Oedipus, in Oedipus at Colonus. While others turn away from him, she remains by his side, guiding him, speaking for him, comforting him. When he dies, she expresses grief not only for his passing but for the pain of not being there at the final moment:

“One laments the loss of even painful things.
That life for which I felt no love at all
I did love when I held him in my arms.
O my beloved father, now wrapped in the underworld’s eternal darkness,
even though you are no longer here,
my sister and I will love you always.” (Oedipus at Colonus, 1697–1703)

These lines express the paradox of human love, how one can love even despite suffering, especially due to that terrible curse. Antigone’s compassion grows deeper through grief. She does not hide her sorrow; she voices it with aching honesty:

“With tear-filled eyes I still grieve for you,
my father, and in my unhappy state
I do not know how I should relieve
the grief I feel with such intensity.
Alas! You wished to die in a strange land,
but when you died I was not with you.” (Oedipus at Colonus, 1709–1714)

This profound tenderness is also the force behind her most famous act of love: in Antigone, giving a proper burial to her brother Polynices, even though he is considered a traitor by his birthplace. By doing so, Antigone chooses to follow the eternal laws of nature and Divine Justice, not the laws of man. Her gesture is not political, but it is emotional, moral, and sacred. She is moved by love, not by ideology. In this courageous defiance, she honours what she believes is right, that is to say to care for the departed, to respect the bonds of blood, to act out of love.

These words and deeds paint Antigone as a figure of rare emotional depth, filled with tenderness and a desire to serve others through love. Her actions are never selfish. Whether burying her brother in defiance of the law or taking care of and mourning her father in solitude, Antigone gives all of herself, sacrificing her own life.

However, what makes this even more powerful is how Sophocles, a man and a dramatist of ancient Greece, lived during the 5th century BCE, manages to portray such rich inner life in a female character. His writing reveals not only poetic elegance and tragic intensity, but also a rare sensitivity and psychological insight. Antigone’s strength lies not in rebellion alone, but in her heart's immense capacity for love, making her not only a tragic heroine, but a timeless symbol of compassion.



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https://www.perseus.tufts.edu

Wednesday, 11 June 2025

Vessel of Inestimable Treasures

 



Oh my Marvellous God, You have desired that I strip myself of all that is superfluous. I am human, clothed in this form upon this Earth... Little by little, I free myself from those burdens that bring inconsistent joy, to fully embrace Your True Joy—loving You, serving You, doing Your Will, now and always.

Like a vessel completely emptied of all that belongs to this earthly experience—materialism, fleeting pleasures, and even what we cherish, such as study, work, pastimes, etc.—ready to be filled with what is worthy of Heaven, of Your Eternal Dwelling.

My thoughts soar toward You, in the Hope that I may one day bring this vessel filled with what pleases You.


(11/06/25. 22:25–30)

 

Sunday, 8 June 2025

The Cosmic Eden we cannot enter


The Love which moves the Sun and the other stars” (Dante - Paradiso, XXXIII)



Humanity is confined here, on this Earth. Despite our dreams of reaching the stars and other dimensions, of stepping on distant worlds and becoming a cosmic species, we remain trapped on this small blue planet, not by technology, but by our own hearts. The Earth is not our prison, but our mirror. As long as we still bring war to our neighbors, we are not ready to go beyond. If we cannot love those close to us, how could we be entrusted with contact with other civilizations, that is to say those living in Peace, far ahead in Spiritual Evolution?

The book Angels in Starships by Giorgio Dibitonto tells us of a journey to a higher world (chapter 15), a planet of Immense Beauty, Harmony, and Peace, inhabited by beings who live in Total Union with nature and with Divine Laws. The description is simple yet breathtaking: a vibrant world with golden light, lush vegetation, joyful animals, and advanced beings who have chosen Love over hatred. Unlike Earth, no cities dominate the land. Instead, people live immersed in nature, in communities that respect life and the will of our Creator.

Reading this chapter, we are faced with a deep question: What would humanity bring to such a world? Would we bring our love, our peace, our wisdom, our knowledge, our culture, or… our pride, our divisions, our wars? The Truth is painful but clear: we are not ready. As the beings in the story say, these advanced civilizations follow the Universal Law of Love. This law is not only spiritual; it is practical. It is the foundation of their technology, their society, their way of life.

And yet, these beings do not reject us. In the amazing gathering described at the end of the chapter, a shining figure—one who many may recognise as Christ in Celestial Form—speaks of Love, Forgiveness, and the Transformation of Earth. He adds: “Soon I will make all things new.” He declares that the time will come when humanity, purified and reborn, that will have pursued the Love Path, will join the Big Universal Family.

But first, we must learn. We must give up hatred and violence. The Earth, as it is now, is a test. It is here that we must prove ourselves capable of choosing Peace. Until then, the other dimensions and stars will remain out of reach. Not because of distance, but because of our choices and their consequences.

This is why, as the Celestial Spirit says, even the Angels stand guard. The Cherubim, the watchers, will not allow us to spread destruction across the Universe. God and His Messengers will not let us colonise, exploit, or corrupt other worlds as we have our own.

Therefore, the final message is clear: the other worlds and stars are not for the evil, the proud, and those who are against Love, but for the virtuous, the humble, the peaceful, those who are full of Love, Lights in a world full of darkness. Only when Earth becomes again a Garden of Eden—not through escape, but through transformation—will humanity be free to travel beyond, welcomed as brothers and sisters among the stars.


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https://avalonlibrary.net/ebooks/Giorgio%20Dibitonto%20-%20Angels%20in%20Starships%20(1951).pdf

Monday, 2 June 2025

Toward True Freedom




In the face of such atrocities, which are still being carried out in various parts of the world, many would be driven by hatred, aggression, and violence when faced with such injustices. However, this would only play into the hands of the forces of evil, which are built on hatred, division, violence, destruction, and so on. They want us divided, blind, and ignorant, as the fault does not lie with populations, rather with those who actively take part in this evil plan!

It would be better to help and to speak out, to act without violence, and who knows, may God intervene in a drastic and decisive way! Then, we must rise above all that dehumanizes us, all that corrodes our souls and spirits. We think we are truly free when we enjoy things that have low vibrations — like vices, sins, harmful addictions, corruption, and so on — but in reality, we are more enslaved than we think.

True Freedom lies in going beyond the veil of Maya — that veil that clouds our senses, our reason, our heart, our soul, and our spirit — and in grasping the True Truth. The more we gain this higher awareness, the closer we come to this Truth, and the more we become truly free. We will be free to love unconditionally, in soul and spirit; we will be free to live beyond time, in Eternal Joy, in Harmony, Righteousness, and Peace. We will be free to access amazing realities that humanity has never known, and we will be free to love all that has been created.

After all, Creation is an act of Love. God is Love, and all His creatures are a reflection and symbol of this love — as is this Earth, which suffers so much because of human wickedness. So who knows how many souls will be able to make this leap, to reach higher levels of knowledge! But as long as human beings make war against their brothers and sisters in other parts of the world, how can we expect to travel beyond space, if humanity itself is a cancer to the Earth,  to its flora and fauna, and to the peoples who suffer from war, poverty, and more?


Living in Harmony with Lao Tzu's wisdom

  The Tao-Te-Ching, by the ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu, gives us timeless lessons on living wisely and peacefully. His lessons shows...