Research Article No.1996
Written by London swaminathan
Date 15th July 2015
Time uploaded in London: 20-33
Diogenes (410- 320 BC) was a Greek philosopher. He belonged to Sinope in modern Turkey, an ancient Greek colony. He came to Athens (now capital of Greece) and founded the Cynic sect with his Guru Antisthenes. The English word Cynic (doggish) came from this sect. People who belonged to this sect lived like Hindu ascetics sacrificing all comforts. Greeks thought it is a dog’s life.
Diogenes life was like a Hindu ascetic. He was like Seshadri Swamikal, a sage who lived in Tiruvannamalai during Ramana Maharishi’s time. Many of his acts were categorised as a mad man’s activities. But he was a great saint and senior to Ramana Maharishi. Diogens was also like him.
I wrote a post in 2013 with the title “Philosopher who carried Lantern in day Time!” posted here on June 17, 2013 .
Diogenes was said to have lived in a big broken jar. When Alexander the Great came to him and asked what he could do for him, Diogenes asked him to move away so that his shadow would not block the sunlight!
He wandered through Athens with a lamp in day time! When people laughed at him, he told that he was looking for an honest man!
Here are more anecdotes about the great philosopher:
Diogenes was a prominent citizen of Sinope. He was exiled about the middle of the fourth century BCE, allegedly for defacing the currency. He lived in Athens and Corinth, becoming the prototype of cynicism.
Plato said about Diogenes, “He is a Socrates gone mad”
Diogenes embraced bronze statues in winter to train the body in hardship and eradicate physical desire. He would court insult to test the subjugation of emotion in his mind.
Diogenes’ own life as a stateless beggar sleeping where he could in Athens was a practical demonstration of endurance of hardship. His nickname was Dog, from which the word Cynicism.
FLATTERY
The politic philosopher Aristippus, by paying court (praise) to the tyrant Denys, had acquired a comfortable living and looked down upon his less prosperous fellow sages with no small degree of contempt. Seeing Diogenes washing some vegetables, he said to him disdainfully, “If you would only learn to flatter King Denys you would not have to be washing lentils”.
“And you,” retorted Diogenes in the same tone, “if you had only learned to live on lentils, would not have to flatter King Denys.”
PRIDE
Diogenes visited Plato one day and perceiving that the floors were beautifully covered with carpets of the richest wool and finest dye, stamped his foot in scorn exclaiming:
“Thus do I tread on the pride of Plato!”
“With greater pride”, mildly added Plato.
Alexander meeting Diogenes
HOME LIFE
An Athenian (as was customary with that people) had caused the following inscription to be placed over the door of his house:
“Let nothing enter here but what is good”
Diogenes asked, “Then where will the master of the house go in?”
LEARNED MEN
“Bury me on my face”, said Diogenes, and when he was asked why, he replied, “ Because in a little while everything will be turned upside down.”
When the mighty Alexander the Great asked the ragged philosopher Diogenes what favour he could grant him, the cynic who was reclining on the ground, remarked quietly:
“Now please little out of my sun.”
LAWYERS
A lawyer and a doctor having a dispute about precedence, referred it to Diogenes, who gave it in favour of the lawyer in these terms:
“Let the thief go before and the executioner follow.”
PICTURES ARE USED FROM VARIOUS SOURCES;THANKS.
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