For all New students that join one of our foundation courses they will receive a blue booklet which explains the structure of our courses.
You will be invited to our Foundation Group which will be studying one of the First Year ‘Parts’ – Part 1 (Wisdom), Part 2 (Happiness) or Part 3 (Love) and will cover all three Parts in the first year.
Each ‘Part’ stands on its own, so students can ENROL anytime in the cycle of three ‘Parts’.
After three terms students move on to the next group studying Parts 4-6. The introductory Parts are as follows:-
Foundation Group (Parts 1-3)
Part 1 – Practical Philosophy & Wisdom:
- The Wisdom Within – How philosophy can help us enjoy richer, less stressful and more useful lives. We introduce a simple awareness exercise in mindfulness.
- Know Thyself – Practical ways to explore who we really are and how to tap into our true potential.
- Being Awake – The truly wise are awake, perceptive and curious. How to become more awake to ourselves, our surroundings, and the events we meet.
- The Present Moment – The power of attention either centred, captured, open or scattered, and how they relate to the past, present and future.
- Living Justly – Plato suggests justice and injustice begin within ourselves and that we must be alert to six potential ‘tyrants’ within ourselves.
- Understanding energy and using it wisely – Recognising differing qualities of energy; and how to conserve energy and use it wisely.
- The Light of Reason – Ways of accessing the power of reason.
- The Power of Beauty – in many different forms. Plato – is beauty one or many?
- Unity in Diversity – The unifying factor behind the apparent diversity.
- The Desire For Truth – not theoretically, but in our own experience. The way forward.
Part 2 – Practical Philosophy & Happiness
- Tolstoy’s view of happiness. The effect of a unified view.
- Is happiness natural? Relationship of happiness and law
- Happiness and utilitarianism. The effect of listening
- Happiness and pleasure, Epicurus, Aristippus, Plato. Natural happiness.
- The Platonic divine and human goods which lead to happiness
- An introduction to Marsilio Ficino and full immersion in the present.
- Lao Tzu – finding inner equilibrium. Tea ceremony.
- Happiness: contentment, Patanjali and yoga. Meditation. Ambition.
- Finding happiness in work. A practical exercise.
- Happiness and wisdom. The wisdom of Marcus Aurelius.
Part 3 – Practical Philosophy and Love
- Three forms of love, in Greek – eros, philia, agape
- The expression of love through wisdom, attachment or delusion / Thomas à Kempis – ‘love knows no measure’
- Love and constancy / Boethius – while in prison, Philosophy spoke to him
- The beloved / Great Debates in the Forest.
- Causes of conflict, hostility & duality / Ways of meeting people
- Love and gratitude / The Inner organ of mind
- The love poetry of Rumi / The book of Mirdad
- Epictetus – what you can change and what you can’t change / Phillis Wheatley
- Love and work / Work is love made visible; Khalil Gibran
- Wanting to be loved / Love and wise law
Presence / Meditation Group (Parts 4-6)
Part 4 – Practical Philosophy and Being Present
- Significance of being present. Learning takes place in the present
- Stillness & unity – the power of a quiet mind
- Discrimination between substance & form, transient & eternal
- The moving mind: circling thought, dream & procrastination
- Absolute existence: unlimited, infinite and complete.
- Relative existence: changing, transient and dependent.
- The power of thought – As a Man Thinketh, James Allen
- What in reality actually is present? Power of illusion
- The difference between form & substance
- The ‘Now’ & absolute existence
- Playing one’s part – connecting with the natural rhythm.
- Quality of thought. The power of decision & bases for decision making
- The Heart and the power of love
- The Ego and the power of Will. Will and reason
- Step by step in the present
- Universal powers of thought, decision, love. The self as the owner of these powers
- Mantra Meditation & tradition
Part 5 – Practical Philosophy and Freedom
- Freedom, Truth and Love
- Freedom and the play of life, going backstage
- Freedom of speech, the four levels of speech, meditation
- Discussion, dialogue and dialectic.
- Journey to freedom, myths, the Odyssey
- Emotional freedom
- Freedom and the Heart
- Valuing freedom, Guides for living
- Freedom from tyranny, the subtle realm of mind
- Freedom and humanity, Ubuntu, Sanatan Dharma
- Freedom, True being, Meditation
Part 6 – Practical Philosophy & Freedom in Action
- Free v Bound
- Motive & action
- Attention & action
- Meditation & action (Students take up the practice of meditation)
- Love & action
- Service & action
- Flow & action
- Bhagavad Geeta & action
- Knowledge & action
- Four Principles of Action
At this point students who decide to take up the practice of meditation move on to embrace deeper realms of Non-duality. This is where Practical Philosophy and Meditation can together become most transformative if that is what you are seeking.
The Practical Philosophy with Meditation Course Begins Here:
Part 7 – Emotional Freedom: This Part continues seamlessly on from Part 6 to the ‘Philosophy with Meditation’ Programme. This is for students who have decided to take up the life-enhancing practice of mantra-based meditation in Parts 4-6. This simple authentic method of meditation from the Advaita (Non-dual) tradition suits all our active and busy lifestyles. It provides a wonderful complimentary balance to the study of philosophy and from Part 7 onwards it goes hand-in-hand with the programme of Non-dual Philosophy. So the course offers growth in Knowledge and Being together in a balanced way.
After Part 7 we offer a continuous stream of support for your practice of philosophy and meditation for years to come. Ask your tutor or senior students for details.
(Other Options: Those who do not currently wish to, or are unable to, avail themselves of the opportunity to explore the deeper realms in the ‘Practical Philosophy with Meditation’ Programme (Part 7) would be offered the options below. These options could of course offer a growth in Knowledge but would not be expected to effect growth in Being as mentioned above:
1) Consolidate Parts 1-6 in the Foundation Group: You could study any of the Parts 1-6 you missed or, as many have done before, revisit them with a different group in Kingston which can be hugely beneficial; occasionally we introduce alternative Parts in the Foundation Group depending on the need.
2) Horizons Online groups in Kingston studying the Plato Dialogues or the Conversations with Sri Shantananda Saraswati and possibly Bhagavad Geeta.
3) Horizons groups in Mandeville: Alternatively you could join the Horizons Programme which is offered at our Central London School in Mandeville Place W1 studying from a large selection of philosophical topics ‘In Person’ or online.* There is also the popular online Philosophy Cafe on Friday evenings which is open to everyone.)
