The School of Practical Philosophy Internationally:
The impulse with which the School began came as an idea to Leon MacLaren (1910 - 1994), at the age of 16, that truth and justice could be discovered and taught. In pursuance of that idea he started the School in 1937 with courses in economics to which were added, in 1955, courses in philosophy. That original impulse has continued to guide and inspire the School and remains the essence of its work. The words, 'truth' and 'justice' are used commonly enough and form the slogans of all kinds of parties and associations. But what does it really mean to live a life which is true and just? How can this be made practical both for individuals and societies? Is mankind forever destined to suffer the ills of misery, poverty and the like, or may a life of freedom and prosperity be availed for the benefit of all? These are questions that have fired the work in the School, and they remain as pertinent today as they were in 1937.
By grace, in 1965 Leon MacLaren met with Shri Shantananda Saraswati. He, until his passing in 1997, was a greatly revered custodian and exponent of the ancient philosophic teaching of Vedanta. Over a period of nearly 30 years numerous meetings took place in the course of which an entire system of knowledge was evolved. This however was not just a mere repetition of an old teaching. It was the product of the most penetrating questions by Leon MacLaren arising out of the actual work of the School as it developed and the profound wisdom of Shri Shantananda Saraswati in response to those questions. The teaching that emerged was tailor-made to show how the ancient wisdom of mankind can light and guide life in the modern age. It is universal in nature, belonging to no particular creed, tradition or place. Indeed the experience of people from many different creeds, traditions and places is that with this knowledge the understanding of their own origin is greatly enhanced.
The teaching which the School has inherited is that the individual spirit is not different from the universal spirit. When it is allowed to reflect without obstruction it illuminates everything so that the nature of truth, consciousness and happiness may manifest everywhere. Such manifestation is possible only by and through the laws of nature which govern creation in its entirety. Wisdom is to know these laws and to live by them, thereby experiencing freedom and prosperity.
Branches of the School exist in the following countries:
England, Northern Ireland & Eire and Scotland
- Bath
- Berkshire
- Bristol
- Cambridgeshire
- Croydon & Bromley
- Dublin
- Droheda
- East Anglia
- Edinburgh
- Glasgow
- Guilford
- Kent
- London
- Manchester
- Midlands
- Oxford
- St Albans
- Sussex
- Wessex
- Yorkshire & North East
United States of America
www.practicalphilosophy.org | www.practical-philosophy.org
- Georgia
- New York
- Rochester
- Santa Fe
Australia
- Melbourne
- Perth
- Sydney & Brisbane
- Wagga Wagga
New Zealand
- Auckland
- Hamilton
- Wellington & Masterton
As Well As...
- Canada (www.schoolofphilosophy.org)
- Wales
- Spain
- Malta
- Netherlands
- Belgium (www.soph-be.org)
- Greece
- Trinidad
- Venezuela
- Ukraine
- Cyprus
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