Tag Archives: Delphi

Happy Gamma Day!

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Today is a special day. It is the first Gamma Day after the launch of this website.

Therefore I am at a special place now, the centre of the world according to the ancient Greeks. It was here in Delphi that Zeus looked for the centre of his “Grandmother Earth” (Ge, Gaea, or Gaia). Delphi was the place where the two eagles met that he had sent out flying from the eastern and western extremities.

This website is inspired by wisdom traditions of the East and West, so it is good to be here at such a central place. The temple of Apollo (in the background of the photo) was also the place where the famous Delphic maxims γνῶθι σεαυτόν (Know Thyself) and μηδέν άγαν (Nothing in excess) were carved in marble. These maxims were attributed to Apollo and to the Seven Sages of Greece.

These maxims have a prominent place on this website. I believe that in order to become wise you need to observe and know all that there is to know about the nature of your own mind. At the same time I am convinced that in everything we do we always have to find the just proportion, the Golden Mean or Golden Ratio. In these times of polarisation and extremism the wisdom of μηδέν άγαν is more important than ever.

It was on 1 April 2013 that the Gamma symbol got its final shape. After many years of searching for a life philosophy or religion that I could follow wholeheartedly, this symbol has brought a basic clarity in my mind. It combines several basic principles that will continue to guide me in my personal quest for wisdom.

The symbol does not represent the final truth. It is both philosophy and religion for beginners. The gamma way is only about the basics and does not replace any philosophy or religion. On the contrary, the gamma symbol has really opened up my mind for all wisdom traditions in the world. There is something to learn from everyone and everything.

This gamma holiday also does not replace existing rituals and traditions. In fact, in my mind the gamma way has only reinforced the meaning and value of rituals from other traditions. 1 April 2013 was also Eastern Monday. Since that time this Christian holiday has also has acquired more significance to me.

I hope that it is clear that on this website I am not looking for followers (I am not new kind of guru or priest). On the other hand, I do hope that the gamma symbol will be helpful for others too and that it can bring them the same kind of clarity of mind and direction that I have found because of it.

Even though I do not want to attract followers, I am always happy to meet like-minded fellow travelers and other wisdom seekers, because we can all learn from each other.

To all of you, I wish you Happy Gamma Day!

Golden ratio

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Golden-ratio2

“Nothing in excess” (μηδέν άγαν: mēdén ágan) was one of the famous phrases carved into the temple of Apollo at Delphi. These phrases were attributed to the Seven Sages of Greece. In our own times full of extremism and polarisation words like these seem more actual than ever.

Ancient Greek thought has always been a source of inspiration for me. Aristotle built a whole ethical theory around the principle of the golden mean, the desirable middle between two extremes. Interestingly enough, a doctrine of the mean or Middle Way can be found in many wisdom traditions around the world. To name only one, it was also central to the ethical theories of Confucius.

The golden mean has therefore become one of the three treasures of the gamma way. It is the “rational” treasure.

The first meaning of the word “rational” is: based on or in accordance with reason or logic. The ancient Greeks played an essential role in the development of logical thinking.

Rational thinking should be applied whenever it is appropriate, but the rational treasure of the gamma way does not only refer to what is reasonable or logical, it is also related to the mathematical concept of ratio. This second meaning of “rational” is: based on proportion.

The golden mean therefore not only indicates what is logical or reasonable, but also what is proportional. In this appearance the rational treasure can also be expressed as the golden ratio.

The golden ratio is an important concept in geometry, photography and art. It is not only a concept of the human mind. The golden ratio can also be discovered in many forms of creation in nature.

While the golden mean may seem to be a rather conservative and static concept, the golden ratio can more easily be associated with (efficient and natural) growth.

The presence of the golden ratio and so-called Fibonacci numbers in sunflowers is a well-known phenomenon. Apart from their beauty and constant movement towards the sun, the golden ratio is an important reason why sunflowers are to the gamma way what lotus flowers are to Buddhism.

The beauty and symbolism of the gamma sunflower is that the seeds all have different black-and-white patterns. These patterns represent our present conditions. From these seeds we need to grow and flourish as human beings, proportional to our natural potentials. And in our lives, just like sunflowers, we always create multiple seeds and conditions for the future.

The gamma way represents a cycle from seed to seeds.

The gamma way always stays within the basic realms of religions. It can be a stepping stone to and from other traditions.

There is nothing on this way that withholds anyone from going beyond the gamma and to flourish as a lotus flower or something else equally beautiful that will contribute to the wonderful diversity of life in her or his own unique way.