Socrates his Life and Death - The Father of ethics, morality and spirituality.

Socrates was the ancient Greek, Athenian philosopher who lived and died teaching the importance of  ethics to the youth of Athenian society. Even  today, after centuries have passed he stands  immortalised for his contributions to  the field of ethics, morality and spirituality.  

A  quote from The Stanford University website describes Socrates best :

"In the late fifth century B.C.E., it was more or less taken for granted that any self-respecting Athenian male would prefer fame, wealth, honors, and political power to a life of labor.... . Socrates,  embraced poverty and, although youths of the city kept company with him and imitated him, Socrates adamantly insisted he was not a teacher and refused all his life to take money for what he did. .... Rather, he helped others recognize on their own what is real, true, and good (Plato, Meno, Theaetetus)—a new, and thus suspect, approach to education.
He was known for confusing, stinging and stunning his conversation partners into the unpleasant experience of realizing their own ignorance, a state sometimes superseded by genuine intellectual curiosity."

"Socrates was usually to be found in the marketplace and other public areas, conversing with a variety of different people—young and old, male and female, slave and free, rich and poor—that is, with virtually anyone he could persuade to join with him in his question-and-answer mode of probing serious matters.

Socrates' lifework consisted in the examination of people's lives, his own and others', because “the unexamined life is not worth living for a human being,” as he says at his trial (Plato, Apology 38a). 

Socrates pursued this task single-mindedly, questioning people about what matters most, e.g., courage, love, reverence, moderation, and the state of their souls generally. ... He had a reputation for irony, though what that means exactly is controversial; at a minimum, Socrates' irony consisted in his saying that he knew nothing of importance and wanted to listen to others, yet keeping the upper hand in every discussion."

 

Socrates the Father of Scientific Spirituality in the "West" (A quote from the book "Pioneers of Scientific Spirituality") :

"Socrates the great man who sowed the seeds of scientific spirituality in the West, was one day roaming in the streets of Athens. The clothes he was wearing were torn and also dirty as they had not been washed for many days. The state of his footwear was worse than his clothes. It had been sewn many times, but was still tattered. However, none of these affected him. There was soft smile on his lips and bright light in his eyes. Though he was now seventy, the spring in his step and the energy in him made him appear many years younger. 

Though the body showed signs of aging, his mind and inner being showed the same youthfulness and was a sea of joy in which people around him would take a dip always.Even now, he was surrounded by Xenophon, Crito and Plato. 

Walking with them, he came upon a market where vegetables, vessels made of metals and mud, idols, grains were being sold and bought. 

He moved on and came to a shop selling idols. He lifted an idol, looked at it for some time and then kept it back and laughed out loudly. When Plato politely asked him the reason for laughing out thus, Socrates replied - "Seeing it, I was reminded of my past. My father was master idol maker and wanted me to make idols. I told him that I would make idols, but they will be alive. I would be an artist; but the art would be that of living. I will teach the same to others." 

On seeing Socrates arrive at the market, many people surrounded him. Many of them were the youth of Athens. No one knew what the youth of Athens saw in Socrates - a man of less than ordinary face. However the youth used to feel a strong magnetic pull towards this old man. This was what the ruling powers of Athens could not digest, but Socrates was not bothered.

He asked the youth around him "Tell me which deity gives its blessings immediately on being worshipped? Tell me also the method of worshipping this deity." On hearing these two questions, there was a wave of discussions among the youth. Some said Atlas while someone else said Pterelaos. The discussion of gods and modes of worshipping them developed into an argument. 

Socrates moved away from this argument and started explaining to Plato - "Thoughts are born out of questions. The continuity of thoughts shows the intellect. If intellect is deep and permanent, then out of it springs curiosity. In the fields of true and strong curiosity is discernment born. If the intensity increases in discernment, then the light of inner wisdom breaks forth. From this field of inner wisdom sprouts the experience of solutions to curiosity. This experience is comprehension and knowledge." Even Xenophon and Crito were listening to this conversation.

Socrates continued - "In the laboratory of life, I have conducted experiments on the science of life and that of spirituality. I am sharing with others the same thing. The knowledge obtained by such experiments is not limited to theories and imaginary things, but are applicable for living a worthwhile life and has the power to transform one's lifestyle completely. I believe in the doctrine that man is the measure of his own sensations and feelings. The best way for people to live was to focus on self-refinement rather than the pursuit of material wealth." 

As Socrates was explaining this, the arguments among the youth continued. A youth came towards Socrates and said that there is no such deity as defined by Socrates. At this, another youth came forward and said - "There is one deity; the deity of life. If he is worshipped with noble qualities, then he fulfils all desires immediately". Socrates asked "Youth, what is the biggest noble quality?" The youth replied "Knowledge is the greatest noble quality."

Socrates smiled and cast a meaningful glance at Plato and said "It appears that my teachings and the importance of knowledge in life are being slowly understood by the youth of Athens. If this experiment of knowledge expands, then there won't be dogmatism, superstitions and blind belief. This is the goal of the science of spirituality which you people have to fulfill. My inner voice is telling me that this is my last class in the street of Athens." Before he could say more, soldiers of Athens surrounded them and arrested Socrates.

Socrates was tried and convicted by the court of democratic Athens on the charge of corrupting the youth and disbelieving in the ancestral gods. He was told that if he apologized for his actions and promised not to repeat them, he could be forgiven. Socrates did not do so. As a result, he was convicted and sentenced to death by poison.

Socrates laughed out loud at the allegations and the punishment and said "O judges! When death knocks on your door, then accept him with the courage with which I am accepting him. Always remember that no calamity befalls a person of truth either in his life or after his death. The Lord never is indifferent about the destiny of such a person."

He continued - "The punishment that you have meted out is actually not a punishment, but a divine plan. My inner voice that always guides me has said that my experiments on life will spread out from here. My job is done. It is now better for me to leave this body and be freed of suffering. I am neither angry on those who made the allegations nor on those who passed this judgement. Now the time has come for us to move on - I on to death and you on to living. But among my death and your living, which is the greater one?" Thinking for some time, he continued -"This death of mine is not death. This is the last in the series of experiments I conducted on life."

Saying thus, he walked towards the prison. On the day of his death, his students came to meet him in the morning. Socrates was sleeping peacefully. When the guard got the vessel of poison, he was happy and took it from the guard excitedly. He told his students "Come and sit near me. All these days I have explained about life. Now I will explain about the experience of death."

Drinking the poison he started explaining the changes happening in him both physiologically and mentally and slowly the body started losing the life force and became sluggish but the light of his inner peace spread everywhere. In the end he said "I am being established in the heavenly light. The death of the body and the poison given could not harm me." 

Then looking at Plato he said "Tell everyone about my experiments with life and tell them that one who worships the deity of life not only remains free of all sadness during his lifetime, but also achieves a much higher state in death and is happily established in the light of heaven." With this, his eyes closed shut."

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Source and credits to the above article:
To read the wonderful and informative book "Pioneers of Scientific Spirituality" by Dr Pranav Pandya, please click the link below:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/87376761/The-Pioneers-of-Scientific-Spirituality-by-Dr-Pranav-Pandya
Stanford University Website: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/socrates/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socrates
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shriram_Sharma