Daily Devotional: October 20th

Daily Prayer XIII

Justice, noble virtue, thy scales held high,

In fairness' name, beneath the open sky.

With blindfold on, impartial and true,

Guiding the hand to what is just and due.

In the heart of the city or a quiet glade,

Thy presence lingers in the choices made.

Equity's guardian, in the court's embrace,

Upholding truth and granting every case.

Oh, Justice, cultivate thy virtuous seed,

In the fertile soil of every noble deed.

Let righteousness bloom in each mindful choice,

In the harmonious symphony of Justice' voice.

Daily Meditation

"A little wisp of soul carrying a corpse.”

—Epictetus

Mediations 4.41

We are a soul first and a body a distant second. The body is not bad, but it is doomed to decay, weaken, and die. We carry it with us through life, but we make a grave error anytime we mistake it for who we really are. When we are hungry, we think I am hungry, not my body is hungry. If we realize the body is like a senseless animal and must be put under the control of rationality, then we can begin to lead a more Godly life.

Monthly Ascesis: Breath and the Pneuma

“In the Western classical tradition, the words for spirit and soul - pneuma, psyche, anima, and spiritus hold profound significance. Interestingly, each of these words also carries the meaning of breath or to breathe. This linguistic connection underscores the belief that breath is the essence of life. In the myth of Prometheus, for instance, it was Minerva’s breath that animated the clay figures of man, giving them life.”

The breath is one of our most powerful tools for spiritual practice and is directly linked to our souls. When we speed up our breathing, our mind speeds up. When we slow it down, our mind slows. Controlling our breath is a leap forward for control of the self and our passions.

“Once you have fixed your breath, you can start to focus on it and use it as an instrument to still the mind. With each breath, there will be a slight pause at the top of the breath and a slight pause at the end of each exhalation. To increase stillness, we will let our minds come to rest in the pause following the exhalation. Breathe out and rest in that moment between breaths. When you feel the need to breathe in again, then do so and come back around to the rest point of the next exhalation.”

-Excerpts from, Ascesis: the Handbook of Platonic Practice

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