A dialogue in mental clarity

In terms of its techniques, philosophy is like any art. The student begins by learning the methods and processes of thinking of the past.

Philosophy as an art, in its first stages, studies the nature of natural language and formal languages. Familiarization with the use of language and the terminology of thought provides the necessary tools to argue and reason with clarity and consistency.

Not everyone is equally inclined toward the techniques of speech, toward the Logos, and not every student delves equally deeply into the dualistic way of thinking we call "logic." But a minimal understanding of the origin and scope of language is essential in order to produce clear thinking. One of the practical use of clear rational thinking is its relevance in professional careers.

Human beings are social beings and cannot be understood from mere isolated perspectives. As affective neuroscience shows, and as corroborated by the old "Aeschylus paradox," our physiological and emotional identity is not individually created, nor is our linguistic capacity an individual matter.

Understanding ethics requires a deep understanding of the social valuations that humans have made since the dawn of time. Ethics is the basic mental substance of our daily social actions. We are continuously challenged by ethical dilemmas; furthermore, knowing how to navigate life in ethical terms is fundamental to leading a psychologically healthy and fulfilling life. Well founded ethical thinking is a basic tool for the understanding of the organization of socia life.

There is a mindset that is a storehouse of clarity and beauty. It is not the ordinary mindset of everyday experience and survival, but a turning of the mind inward. This mindset has no center or periphery, it knows no distinctions between inner and outer, it is directionless and limitless, pristine, simple, and ineffable. We spontaneously enter its realm through compassion and love. It is not a mindset to be attained through effort, but the deep nature of being human. Philosophical mentoring leads to its entry without teaching any particular doctrine, acting simply as a sequence of signposts on a path of nonduality.