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Heraclitus and Democritus the Weeping and Laughing

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Heraclitus and Democritus the Weeping and Laughing Heraclitus and Democritus The Weeping and Laughing Ancient Greek Philosophers From a Rosicrucian manuscript HERACLITUS water to supply the tears which flowed continually from the eyes of Heraclitus. (ca. 576–480 BCE) The philosopher’s manner had not eraclitus of Ephesus, son of always been thus; when he was young, Blyson, was born around the time he said that he knew everything and Hof the Sixty-ninth Olympiad. that nothing was unknown to him. Yet He was usually called “the dark this statement did not reveal all of his philosopher,” for he spoke very little, thinking. In reality, he disliked most and when he did speak, it was always people and shunned their company, in riddles. When people asked him the preferring to play games with the village reason for his silence, he would reply children in front of the Temple of Diana. sorrowfully, “It is to make you speak.” To the Ephesians who would gather to It is thought that he never had a teacher, stand and stare at him, he would say, and that it is because of his profound “Poor wretches, why does it surprise meditations that he became so learned. He grieved at human wickedness, and you to see me play with these little was saddened by humanity’s blindness. children? Is it not more worthwhile for Human wrongdoing made him so me to do this, than to be a party to your sorrowful that he was continually in mismanagement of the affairs of the tears. The poet Juvenal contrasted this Republic?” The Ephesians once asked philosopher with Democritus who Heraclitus to give them some laws but was always laughing. It was said that he declined to do so; the morals of the anyone can learn to tolerate the folly and people were already too corrupt and he corruption of the times by laughing, but saw no means by which he could make there were no springs containing enough them change their ways. He said that Page 29 citizens should struggle with as much quickly forgotten by everyone. The zeal to preserve their laws as they would book, in fact, gained an extraordinary to defend their city walls. reputation, for as Lucretius tells us, no one could understand its true meaning. He also said that people should act King Darius of Persia, upon hearing of more swiftly to quell resentment than to the book, wrote to Heraclitus and asked put out a house fire, for the consequences him to come to Persia so that the book of the one were infinitely more dangerous might be explained to than the consequences him. Darius offered of the other. A fire, in a considerable fact, seldom spread to recompense and involve more than a quarters in his palace few houses, whereas if he would agree resentment could cause to this proposition. cruel wars leading to Heraclitus, however, the ruin and sometimes refused. total destruction of the people. Heraclitus believed that fire, One day an drawn from out of the insurrection broke out Ether, was the First in the city of Ephesus. Principle of all things. Certain individuals He thought that as HERACLITUS entreated Heraclitus this first element to speak to the people condensed, it was to tell them ways in changed into air; that as air condensed, it which such revolts might be avoided. changed to water; and that water in turn, Heraclitus climbed upon a raised as it condensed, changed into earth. He platform and asked for a drinking glass added that in moving backward through which he proceeded to fill with water. He these same steps, becoming more rarefied then added to the water a few wild greens with each change, earth changed to which were growing nearby. He drank water, water to air, and air to fire – the this mixture and went away without First Principle – which returned to the saying a word. By doing this he wanted Ether. He said also that Earth was to make the people understand that to saturated with a divine Fire, and that at the ward off revolts, luxury and indulgence end of time, it would perish by fire. should be banished from the Republic, According to him, everything which thereby making the citizens learn to be took place in the universe could be content with only a few things. ascribed to the workings of fate, Heraclitus wrote a book on the rather than to the gods and goddesses. subject of Nature and had it deposited One of the truly great philosophers, in the Temple of Diana. This book he compared the behavior of matter to was written in a very obscure style, so human nature. As is true of both, he said that no one but those initiated into the mysteries could read and understand it. that all is forever changing and on the His fear was that if the general populace verge of becoming something else. Only Rosicrucian Digest found the book interesting it would the law underlying all things is immutable No. 1 become too commonplace and hence and eternal. He asserted that all death is 2017 Page 30 a birth into a new form, and that all birth within us. Unable to cease his weeping is the death of the previous form. In his at human weaknesses, and finding no opinion, that which is dead is the same as pleasure in life because of the ignorance that which is living, that which is asleep he saw all around him, he decided one day is the same as that which is awake, that to separate himself completely from the which is old is the same as that which world. He withdrew into the hills where is young, because through change, “this” he saw no one, to spend the remainder of is “that,” and “that” in turn is “this.” He his life meditating and lamenting the state said, “We never touch the same thing of humanity, eating what he could find of twice, just as we never step twice in the the herbs and vegetables growing there. same river, for in the moment of reaching out our hand to touch something, it has already ceased to be what it was.” And he The rigors of such a life caused added, “Strife is the father of all things, Heraclitus to become ill with dropsy. He the ruler of all beings. No deity made this returned to Ephesus to seek help from world of ours, since it has always been, doctors there. Since it was his manner is, and will always be, like an ever-living to speak only in riddles, he said to them fire, kindling in measures and being when referring to his illness, “Could you extinguished in measures.” change the rain to fair weather?” As the doctors did not understand what he meant, In speaking of the nature of the soul, Heraclitus left them, found refuge in a he said that it is eternal and that it is stable with cattle, and attempted to treat futile for us to try to look for it as it is his illness himself. It is related by some impossible to find, so deeply is it hidden that he died there. DEMOCRITUS After spending a considerable length of time under the tutelage of (ca. 460–370 BCE) Leucippus, Democritus decided that It is generally thought that the he would travel to study with sages of philosopher Democritus was born at other countries in order to broaden his Abdera. However, others believe that knowledge. He was to share with his Miletus was his birthplace and that he brothers the inheritance of his father’s was considered an Abderite only because estate, and he took his part in cash. It he later withdrew to Abdera. His love for was the smallest share, but it would be learning became apparent early in his the most valuable to him in meeting life when he began studying the science the expenses he would incur in his of those Magians and Chaldeans whom philosophical studies and travels. He went King Xerxes had given as servants to to Egypt where he learned geometry, his father, in whose house the king had and from there he journeyed to Ethiopia, stayed when he came to make war on the Persia, and Chaldea. His curiosity led Greeks. From them Democritus learned him finally to India to be instructed in theology and astronomy. Later he the science of the Gymnosophists. While studied with the philosopher Leucippus he delighted to be in the company of who taught him physics. His passion for sages and initiates, he desired anonymity study was so great that he could remain for himself. It is said that he visited occupied for entire days shut away in a Athens for several days, where he saw little shed in the middle of his garden. Socrates, but never met him. Such was Page 31 the extent of his desire for privacy. exempt from the law and worthy of his Sometimes Democritus would even forefathers. He was presented with 500 dwell for periods of time in caverns or talents, and statues honoring him were crypts so that no one would know where erected in the public squares. he was. He did, however, appear at the In contrast to Heraclitus, Democritus court of King Darius seemed to be always and was present at the laughing. His laughter time of the death of was based on his the most beloved of profound insight Darius’s wives. In an into the weaknesses effort to console the of humanity and it broken-hearted king, prompted him to hold Democritus promised up to ridicule the that he would bring ignorance and vanities his wife back to life if of his fellow citizens.
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