Possible use of the Pythagorean exercise called "evening review" for Epicurean purposes.

    • New
    Quote from Cassius

    Yes I agree with your comments Don. And this is is a good example of being careful about the goal of techniques before they are used. Is your goal as to emotions to "let them pass" or "listen to what they are telling you and take appropriate action"?

    Here we have an example of the hidden philosophical assumptions behind meditation practices. Buddhist teachers often refer to the doctrine of anatta, the doctrine of non-self. Therefore, they recommend observing sensations and their transience and impermanence in all practices. They want people to recognize that sensations are not theirs and develop indifference to them. This is in clear contradiction to Epicurean philosophy.

    • New
    Quote from Kalosyni

    A word of caution here, that the writings by Hiram that are referred to in the above post can be characterized as unique interpretations of Epicurean philosophy that: at times incorporate elements and ideas from external sources -- and at times are speculative in nature (do not come from direct textual evidence).

    Kalosyni , I appreciate you reading and taking time to comment on my post.

    While I referenced Hiram Crespo based on his recent series of Eikas messages that made some references to meditation, I have also been studying the topic of meditation (meleta) from multiple sources. I find that Crespo provides an added perspective (not speculative), that still reflects the intent of the original Epicurean text. Epicurus clearly advocated that we engage in meleta on a regular basis ("day and night"), as he states that admonition twice in the Letter to Menoikeus.

    [Primary Source: Diogenes Laertius, Lives of the Eminent Philosophers, Book X.121-135 Meditate Οn Τhese Things: Epicurus’s Letter to Menoikeus - A New Translation with Commentary © 2021 by Don Boozer]


    Because it is a 'necessity' that we study and meditate daily; most of us need to plan, set-aside times for this type of deep meditation/reflection. So, while we can/should sing and repeat Epicurean quotes throughout the day; I usually need to set aside 15 to 20 minutes in the evening for a rigorous reflection, a nuktos meleta, the evening practice that Epicurus himself prescribed. My meditation usually follows reading/studying texts and articles for a couple hours earlier in the day .

    And in order to meditate on how to train my 'divine spirit' (daimonia) to be more benevolent, I reflect on how well I treated others throughout the day, and identify areas of improvement. Then I engage in deep meditation, while reflecting on impressions of "blessed and immortal beings", so I can better envision how to 'adjust my course' in order to be 'steering ourselves toward tranquility and flourishing'.

    This is how I understand the purpose and value in Epicurean meditation. This also fits with the description in the chapter on Theology in the Oxford Handbook on Epicureanism. They discuss using meditation, prayer to interiorize, to assimilate the blessedness of the gods.

    Quote

    The simulacra of the gods, then, bring benefits, and thus to participate in prayers and in religious ceremonies (cf. Diog. Oen. fr. 19 II 6– 11 Smith) means to “interiorize” in an effective way the (pleasurable) divine simulacra and to put into practice the commitment to become like a god among men.54 In this sense, the gods are not only ethical models and regulative ideals, introduced by Epicurus solely in order to render his philosophical system consistent with his recognition of beings that are eternally and genuinely imperturbable. Epicurus’s gods also become figures highly relevant to our ethical life, playing a role that is at least indirectly active (although without any deliberate intention on their part), in virtue of the benefits that their simulacra bring us in practice on the not always easy road toward assimilation to god (homoiōsis theōi), which has a Platonic pedigree (cf. Theaet. 176a– b) but is totally of this world and bounded by the limits of this life.55


    Chapter 5 - Theology, Emidio Spinelli and Francesco Verde, Oxford Handbook of Epicurus and Epicureanism (2020) (Kindle Locations 2638-2646). Kindle Edition.


    Daniel188 ,

    I hope these added references help to reinforce the Epicurean approach to meditation and reflection.

    Patrikios

    • New
    Quote from Don

    LOL it's still weird - but rewarding - to see my work quoted and referred to. I'm glad it continues to be of service.

    Well I and others are hoping your editorial output will continue in 2026 so that you will find many more opportunities for rewarding moments in the future! ;)

    • New

    Although not directly related to the topic at hand, I found this excellent summary of Dr. Austin's perspective on Epicurus' philosophy in an article I didn't remember her writing:

    How to live like an Epicurean | Psyche Guides
    Forget shallow hedonism. Follow this philosophy for wondrous, unexpected joys and resilience against inevitable misfortune
    psyche.co

    This forum and the podcast get great shout-outs, too!

    My reason for bringing it up here is that she brings up in several spots the fact that people often miss the joy and pleasure they have readily at hand. Epicurus calls us to recognize the pleasure we already have in daily life and to cultivate pleasure here and now to store up memories for future recall. Any tool that makes us slow down and appreciate the pleasure we have now seems to me to be beneficial.

    Granted, Epicureans reject the underlying Buddhist motive of mindfulness meditation, to realize anatta. We are not "no thing." Okay, maybe at the atomic level, there is no sweet, no color, etc. But we don't live at the atomic level. We live at the level of compound things and need a way to negotiate that world. Any practice, even those from the "enemy camp" that can be retrofit and retooled to run better and more practically for the use of slowing down, paying attention to what we're feeling here and now, and teaching us how to appreciate the joys in front of our eyes and how to avoid future pains is worth taking a look at.

    • New
    Quote from Patrikios

    Because it is a 'necessity' that we study and meditate daily; most of us need to plan, set-aside times for this type of deep meditation/reflection. So, while we can/should sing and repeat Epicurean quotes throughout the day; I usually need to set aside 15 to 20 minutes in the evening for a rigorous reflection, a nuktos meleta, the evening practice that Epicurus himself prescribed. My meditation usually follows reading/studying texts and articles for a couple hours earlier in the day .

    And in order to meditate on how to train my 'divine spirit' (daimonia) to be more benevolent, I reflect on how well I treated others throughout the day, and identify areas of improvement. Then I engage in deep meditation, while reflecting on impressions of "blessed and immortal beings", so I can better envision how to 'adjust my course' in order to be 'steering ourselves toward tranquility and flourishing'.

    I completely agree. It's worth having such a regular practice, if only because it reminds us of philosophy and teaches us to analyze daily life through its lens.

Finding Things At EpicureanFriends.com

Here is a list of suggested search strategies:

  • Website Overview page - clickable links arrranged by cards.
  • Forum Main Page - list of forums and subforums arranged by topic. Threads are posted according to relevant topics. The "Uncategorized subforum" contains threads which do not fall into any existing topic (also contains older "unfiled" threads which will soon be moved).
  • Search Tool - icon is located on the top right of every page. Note that the search box asks you what section of the forum you'd like to search. If you don't know, select "Everywhere."
  • Search By Key Tags - curated to show frequently-searched topics.
  • Full Tag List - an alphabetical list of all tags.