Daily Devotional: October 28th

Daily Prayer V

Blessed are those who shun the allure of speakers' vain,

With independent thought, virtue's path they gain.

Straight intelligence guides their discerning mind,

In pursuit of ordained virtue, wisdom they find.

They eschew the folly of endless possessions' chase,

Defining limits by the body's rightful space.

Measured pursuit aligns with well-determined needs,

Guardians of balance, their action succeeds.

Blessed are they who maintain a godly bound,

In pleasures that don't in virtue confound.

No invitation to harm, for soul or body,

Harmonious pleasure, in accord with virtue's decree.

Daily Meditation

"Don’t be overheard complaining about life at court. Not even to yourself.”

—Marcus Aurelius

Meditations, Book 8.9

Pythagoras says we should sit as a judge over ourselves. It isn’t enough to appear as though we are good in public. We must carry that watchfulness over the soul into all aspects of our lives. Pythagoras again says we should do nothing shameful in public or in private. We shouldn’t complain about our lives, for who are we to question providence and the fate incurred by our own choices. ‘Amor Fati’ Love your fate and keep a watchful eye on your immortal soul.

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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