School Of Philosophy

A talk on Plato's Philosohpy by Dr Stephen J Costello

Awareness exercise with Brian for Introductory Course students

Awareness Exercise with Valerie for Introductory Course students

Everybody has it. How to access it. This talk examines what is inspiration? - is all of mankind naturally creative and thus is everybody an artist? - the useful arts and the fine arts - what is the highest art? - how much of the art is due to the artist? - ultimately, who is the artist? - what gets in the way of creativity or inspiration - understanding the source of all inspiration - removing the impediments that prevent us from being inspired all the time - Ralph Waldo Emerson and the practical aids to inspiration - the inspired life.

Surely you are perfectly happy as you are? This talk examines whether you are perfectly happy as you are - what is it that you really need to know - who am I in truth - do we know who we really are? - the creation of the false 'I' - the effects of the false 'I' on our lives - the role of philosophy in discovering the truth about your Self and the difference this makes - 12 questions we all need to ask ourselves.

How often are you full of bliss? This talk examines the true nature of Man - is misery real at all? - the difference between pleasure, happiness and bliss - the various ways we create misery for ourselves - 8 key ways we may grow in bliss.

How to achieve what I really want. This talk examines the mistake of every generation in achieving what it wants - the aim of human life - the three factor necessary to fulfil our ambitions - how the decisions we make determine our life - the different levels of consciousness and thus different capacities we enjoy - examining our life - how to achieve what we really want.

How aware are we really? This talk examines the difference between awareness and attention. - What is awareness - The price we pay for not being aware - 6 practices to assist with increasing awareness - Living in awareness

If you are not being true to yourself, who or what are you being true to? The need for a philosophy for our lives - life when untrue to ourselves - our mistaken identity - the domination of fear and subtle pain - how are we to become true to ourselves? 1. Conscious endeavor 2. Service 3. Embracing the unknown 4. Cultivating stillness 5. Working with nature 6. Answering your calling 7. Adherence to idealism - the authentic man or woman

If you don't, who will? This talk examines what is it that needs caring for - why energy is so important to us - the ways we waste energy physically, mentally and emotionally - getting to the source of energy - how to conserve energy - how to generate energy - the importance of measure and discrimination - discovering a balanced way of living - 3 practices that each of us can do - the benefit of a life endowed with full levels of energy.

The marriage of two minds. This talk examines what is communication and its importance - the two purposes of communication - the various means of communication - false communication - the factors for true communication - impediments to communication - the three ways to participate in conversation and their effects - 10 ways to improve communication.

Are you strong enough to be compassionate? This talk examines the real nature of love - how compassion arises - the difference between true compassion and false compassion - the price we pay for not being compassionate - compassion is not pity - the need for a strong heart - how we may grow in compassion.

Decisions determine your life. This talk examines how decisions arise - 10 important decisions that each one of us will make - the 5 bases for making a true decision - the functioning of the mind under different states - impediments to true decision making - 8 aids to decision making - how we can come to know whether a decision is right or not and the ultimate decision that the real philosopher has to make.

Are desires the eternal enemy of man? This talk examines why desire is the enemy of Man - the effect of desires on our bodies, minds and hearts - the mistaken belief that fulfillment of desires leads to happiness - the fundamental error that happiness is external to ourselves - the 3 beliefs behind all desires - how or why do desires arise? - what actually is a desire - are there any desires which are beneficial and what are they? - 7 ways to eliminate harmful desires - the desireless state and resultant happiness

The man who knows himself knows no fear. This talk examines how fear arises - the role of the ego with regard to fear and what are its characteristics - the false knowledge that produces fear - the types of fear - the results of fear on the life - how to deal with fear when it arises - the means to living a life totally free of fear.

Truth does not challenge your freedom: it is your freedom. This talk examines what true freedom is - what truth is it that sets you free - why all seek freedom - why so few succeed in being really free - what is it that traps the mind - how does bondage come about - the role of desire in entrapping the human being - the ways to attain the real freedom.

Are you living a life or are you living a lie? This talk examines what a human being is and what a human life is - do we have a life? - 5 areas of our lives that need examination - how to get our lives back - 4 ways to enlarge our lives - enlarging our hearts - enlarging our minds - the need for self-analysis - making our lives complete.

There is no future in the past. This talk examines the commonly held views about grief - what is grief - understanding life and death - the two erroneous causes of grief - how grief can be eased in ourselves and others - the four ways to be free of grief in our lives.

To be happy, Man must simply give up being miserable. This talk examines the nature of true happiness - that happiness is our natural state and we can never be separated from it - when is happiness possible? - why all of mankind seeks happiness - how we become miserable - one false self-image and its resultant misery - the false search for happiness - not selling your happiness for anything - how to be happy at all times in all circumstances.

Lead, follow or get out of the way. This talk examines external leadership and self-leadership - Plato and leadership - the five types of leader - the five types of individual - how we develop the true leader in ourselves - what is true following and what is real leadership - what is not real leadership - 9 qualities of the true leader - how does the true leader lead - Edmund Burke and real leadership.

Are you making full use of yours? Man is pure intelligence - it is not that he has it; he is it - we think because we do not understand - living life stupidly according to the wise - how intelligently do we live our lives? - what are the barriers to our limitless intelligence - understanding the true use of the mind - three states of mind - accessing intelligence through (1) purification, (2) development of will-power, and (3) perfection of concentration - the highest use of intelligence.

How one can love everyone. This talk examines the creation as an enactment of love - how we see ourselves - the 3 characteristics of true love - 8 false ideas about love that mislead us - 5 impediments to true love - loving yourself - directing love to substance not form - how to love everyone.

True parenting in the formative years. This talk examines the need for parenting of a human being - what is the nature of a child - fulfilling the needs of the child - the need for love and discipline - the different stages of the child's development and how parenting changes from stage to stage - dealing intelligently with misbehaviour - providing the best of material and company for the child - examining the family legacy - carrying out a parental audit - the three types of child - the three styles of parenting - having a vision for your child and its glorious future.

Paving the way for adulthood. This talk examines why parenting is required for the human being - the nature of the child - the different stages of its development and how parenting needs to change from stage to stage - the essential needs of the child - the development of reason and reasonable behaviour - helping them with reason - the granting of increasing respect and responsibility - the need for house rules - the relative roles of fathering and mothering - dissolving harmful characteristics in their nature - after 16 treating them as a friend.

Without patience there can be no peace. This talk examines how to gauge our spiritual strength - the petty irritations that plague our daily life - what is true patience and what is not true patience - the effects of impatience on our being - the fruits of patience - the fundamental cause of impatience - 4 ways to help us grow in patience - how we may perfect patience.

Do you know how great yours is? This talk examines the true potential of the human being - 6 reasons why we have not realised our potential - 5 ways to help us realise our potential - 5 goals that we may set ourselves - the life of one who has realised their potential.

Those with reason are free from error. This talk examines what is Man in truth - the two great aids to his living a true and full life - what is reason - why should we be reasonable? - what is not reason - what causes us to be unreasonable - how reason works - the two levels of reason - the 3 states of mind, in only one of which does reason operate properly - the 4 factors which help reason to grow in us - the role of reason in the human life.

How to enjoy relationship with everyone. This talk examines the nature of relationship and why we seek them - the 3 bases of relationship - how relationships go wrong - 5 effects of the ego on relationships - how we may enjoy true and fulfilling relationships - 5 practical steps to help relationships - true relationship.

When are you going to accept it? This talk examines what we are responsible for - collective responsibility - self-responsibility - lack of responsibility - the ability to respond and its effects - the choice between reaction and response - our world of reactions - 9 ways to develop responsibility - the responsible human being and the life they lead.

This creation causes no stress. This talk examines the real nature of this creation and our false experience of it - why we do not experience people and events as they really are - the false uses of mind and heart which causes us stress - practical ways to live stress free.

What is true success? This talk examines what real success is. - The pursuit of success under ignorance - Success under ignorance and its 6 effects - The 6 factors which guarantee failure in life - Success and mastery of body, mind & heart - 6 ways to enjoy mastery of our mind - 3 ways to enjoy mastery of our hearts - What life is like for the truly successful person

To understand it is to be free of it. This talk examines the true nature of this creation. - The difference between pain and sorrow, happiness and bliss - The cause of suffering - how suffering may be created, added to or prolonged - False ways of dealing with suffering - How to make use of suffering - Helping others with their suffering - Various ways of reducing suffering and finally how to eliminate suffering from our lives

The principles for great family living. This talk examines the importance of family to society and to the individual. - Who are the members of a real family - The principles of happy family life - The importance of true communication - Developing high self-esteem in the family members - Encouraging a strong sense of responsibility - The values, traditions and customs of the family - Spending time together - Creating a family charter

What treasures lie in your heart? This talk examines the emotional centre of the human being. - The purpose of the heart - The state of one's heart - What causes the heart to operate falsely - How we can know whether desire or love is fueling our hearts - The true functioning of the heart - 8 ways to help our hearts open

Are we living naturally in relation to our universal nature? - The master key to natural living is discipline - Understanding true discipline and its attractiveness - Factors that inhibit living a disciplined life - Life with little or no discipline - Life under false discipline - Life under true discipline - Benefits of the disciplined life - Self-mastery - Seven practices to bring about the natural life - The instruction of the wise

To be light is to become enlightened. This talk examines that if our true nature is light, what makes us go dark. - How the adult differs from the child and its brightness - The darkening effect of false reason and conditional love - The light of the present moment - What life in the darkness or shadows is like - Why we won't drop our burdens - How we may live in the light and lighten up

Only when you awake will you realise that you have been asleep to life This talk examines if we are awake right now - Is there a need to wake up? - When do we go asleep? - What is it like to live in this state of sleep? - How are we going to wake up? - Life in the awakened state

You say you love but do you practise it? This talk examines how important love is. - What is true love - What is the test of love - All have love in their hearts - How some become unfit to love due to non practice - What gets in the way of love - The effects of impure love - 8 ways to practice love

Where were you when your life was happening? This talk examines where we live normally - the dominance of past and future in our lives - the joy of the present moment - what causes us to leave the present moment - the experience of life lived in the past and future - what life is like when we live in the present - how we can bring the mind to live in the present moment - a sage's description of the present moment

Have you discovered the true purpose of your life? This talk examines how everything has a purpose. - What is the real purpose of Man? - The universal and individual aspects of our purpose - Purpose under ignorance and its effect on our lives - 8 practices to help us live lives of true purpose

The unexamined life is not worth living. This talk examines why we should have the spirit of enquiry. - The falsity in our lives - How does real enquiry begin? - 4 ways to awaken the spirit of enquiry in ourselves - What hinders the spirit of enquiry - 3 requirements for there to be true and substantial enquiry - The 3 approaches to any enquiry - What is the ultimate enquiry for the human being and where will it lead us? - What the life of enquiry is like

Where is the world going? This talk examines the decline in the world according to three traditions: - The state of the world today - 5 prevalent aspects of modern living (negative behaviour of man, materialism, isolation, confusion, inequality) - Our reaction to all this - true spirituality the cure - how to make the world a better place - 8 simple practices for each of us - conclusion

Is there anybody out there who could meet my particular requirements? This talk examines what is true love. - How to measure how much we love someone - What it is that we love in the person - What the mark of unconditional love is - What effect love has on the one who loves - The fruits of conditional love - The fruits of unconditional love - How we may grow in love

Going with the flow. This talk examines the nature of true acceptance and what it means to ‘go with the flow’ - what is false acceptance - the effects of resistance - what stops us going with the flow - developing a positive, intelligent response to all of life - taking full responsibility for our part in life - the fruits of acceptance on the events of life, our relationships and on ourselves - practical directions.

Why do we justify something so destructive? In a recent report, anger was seen as the root cause of mental and physical health problems. Problems in relationships including social, family and even working relationships where it is described as more likely to have a negative effect than any other emotion. Chronic and intense anger is linked to heart disease, stroke, cancer and even common physical illness including colds and flu. As well as poor health it gives rise to increased risk taking, poor decision making and even substance abuse. This talk shows how all anger can be reduced to a single cause and offers practical ways to escape its terrible grip.

Philosophy & The Power Of Attention by School Of Philosophy

Journeying straight to the centre. This talk analyses the process of concentration or giving attention by looking at examples of people who have succeeded in mastering attention, at some relevant practices for ourselves, and at the potential benefits to each of us of progress in this area.

Philosophy & Confidence by School Of Philosophy

Philosophy & Devotion by School Of Philosophy

Philosophy & True Discipline by School Of Philosophy

How can we learn, how do we teach? What is education here for, how should we do it and how should we not do it? A lot has been written and said about education, but what is the essence of it? What really must take place so that it can really be given the name of true education? What type of qualities and skills are taught by the best education?

Philosophy & Energy by School Of Philosophy

Philosophy & The Facts Of Life by School Of Philosophy

Philosophy & Faith by School Of Philosophy

There can be no peace without forgiveness. This talk examines the nature of forgiveness: what is it? what impedes it? what nourishes and establishes it? It also considers what the great religious traditions of the world say about forgiveness and explores what has been discovered by people who work in a social and political context.

Philosophy & Free Will by School Of Philosophy

How we get the government we deserve. If our efforts to improve our society and the world we live in meet with frequent failure and sometimes with disaster, is there some very fundamental point which we are missing? Are we perhaps looking at all of the issues which concern us, be they economic, political social, personal or ecological in completely the wrong way? 2,500 years ago Plato in his philosophic masterpiece The Republic described one perfect form of government and four lesser forms in an analysis of human character and political institutions which is eerily prophetic of our current plight.

Philosophy & Gratitude by School Of Philosophy

The foundation of good health is self-knowledge. This talk is based on the ancient principles of Ayurveda - a traditional medical system that has been practiced in the East for thousands of years. It looks at the constitution or blueprint for the individual without forgetting the universal context of the individual. Based on these intrinsic designs and instructions offers guidance on how to live stress free, what and when to eat, and how to behave so that you can enjoy the art of healthy living and be happy.

Philosophy & Individuality by School Of Philosophy

Philosophy & Measure by School Of Philosophy

Can meditation possibly be the master key? In our busy active world there is not much value placed on stillness and silence. Indeed, stillness and silence, the core of meditation, are more often than not regarded as a waste of time in the drive for success in the world and its alluring promises of fulfillment. This talk attempts to show that this is a mistaken view and that the master key to coping with the trials and demands of the world is to take refuge in the peace and contentment afforded by meditation as the very best way of restoring balance in the life and coping with a turbulent world.

Philosophy & The Mind by School Of Philosophy

Philosophy & Finding Peace by School Of Philosophy

Philosophy & The Play Of Life by School Of Philosophy

What we should pray for? And how? The talk looks at what prayer is, what types of prayer are powerful and purposeful,and what types lack validity and power. It looks at the fall-out of prayer on those who pray, and on the intended recipients of prayer. The wisdom of past masters in this area is presented to advise us on what we should be doing and achieving through prayer.

In search of the real medicine. Fundamental questions are explored as we seek to discover a way to maintain a disease free state. Are there true principles at the heart of medicine? can philosophy help? and how do they sit with modern science? Is there a way to stay healthy? Who should do the therapy? How can we keep body, mind and spirit in shape so that we can contribute to life until the last day of departure?

Are they opposed to each other? This talk examines the relationship between Philosophy and Religion and their importance to one another. Religion is favoured by those who like to worship while philosophy is favoured by those who like to know. The proposition is that while religion is directed through faith in the search for God and philosophy through reason in the search for truth, in the final analysis God and Truth are two aspects of the same single underlying reality. Further than that, religion and philosophy need each other. Without philosophy, religion might be seen as mere superstition while philosophy without devotion become little more than a dry intellectualism.

Is speech the essence of man? Using examples of some of the world's most famous speeches, this talk considers the amazing power of speech and the source of its power to influence how we think feel and act including the insidious silent speech in the head. Whether appealing to our heads our hearts or our guts speech has the power to bind us and that can be for good or ill. When it comes to how we think, feel, or act, we need to be awake to the power of speech and whether it is for good or ill. A practical guide is whether it unites or divides, whether it is appealing to universal principle or selfish populist ends. In a word whether it is coming from Knowledge or Ignorance.

Philosophy & Spiritual Endeavour by School Of Philosophy

Philosophy & Truth by School Of Philosophy

Philosophy & Unity by School Of Philosophy

Philosophy & The True Use Of The Mind by School Of Philosophy

Philosophy & Virtue by School Of Philosophy

Philosophy & Vision by School Of Philosophy