Hiram Crespo - Tending the Epicurean Garden

Tending the

Epicurean

Garden

Hiram Crespo

Copyright 2014 by Hiram Crespo

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Printed book ISBN: 978-0-931779-53-4

Ebook ISBN: 978-0-931779-52-7

Cover design: Lisa Zangerl

This book is dedicated

to all the Epicureans of the past, present and future

whose commitment to the teaching mission of the Gardens

has allowed our tradition to continue to flourish

Contents

I: Where Is Wisdom Hiding? The Need for Philosophy Today

"Imprudente!" ... That is the word that my mother, and many proper Spanish ladies, used when I was growing up for people who lacked prudence and it's part of how we learned proper, common sense behavior. If a gossipy, nosy old woman didn't know when to shut her mouth, "Imprudente!" If the child of your house guests was running around and out of control, "Imprudente!" If a snotty pupil insulted his well-meaning teacher, "Imprudente!" ... and it was assumed that people had an intuitive understanding of what was expected and considered as prudent behavior.

I think part of why I love the word is that it's so much less insulting and obscene than most other words that could be used, perhaps even more accurately, to call out people in these situations. But also, those of us with a philosophical demeanor like to analyze life. I grew up cognizant that lack of prudence ( imprudencia ) was a bad thing, and that therefore everyone takes for granted that prudence is a value and a virtue, a good that should be sought for its own sake.

How in need of prudence many of us are! Throughout the years, I've encountered people who have no control, or desire to exert control, over their desires, who fall into habits of needless, excessive spending and amass mountains of debt that they couldn't possibly pay back.

If they do pay the debt back, it's through years of slavery at the end of which they have nothing to show for it. Maybe a home is good debt because it usually appreciates in value over the years and can be sold for a profit. But the latest electronic gadgets and computers, the most expensive cars, the overpriced clothes, these are goods that lose value the moment we begin to use them, and many gadgets have a built-in obsolescence so that their makers expect us to consume updated versions of these goods in the future, after we've gotten habituated to having them. Consumerism is at the root of much of the fiscal crisis that America is trying to recover from.

I've met people who have gotten involved in cults, and some who have survived a considerable amount of sexual and psychological abuse. Some feel that the benefits of being religious outweigh the harm, or that they could not possibly live without their faith, that they would be disowned by their families and communities. Many are genuinely good people trying to live good lives who believe in the essential harmlessness of their particular religion and do not wish to be burdened with examples of religious tyranny in its name.

I've also encountered throughout the years people who overeat, who develop bad habits of consumption that destroy their health and reputation, who speak too much and too early, and because I've had the pleasure of also knowing prudent people and of learning from my own mistakes and from others' mistakes, I've been able to contrast the lives and narratives of different groups of people and discern the healthier ways of making choices. I've developed my own wisdom tradition and art of living. Prudence is gained from almost every kind of experience.

People who are already familiar with Epicureanism will probably find it interesting that the neighborhood where I grew up is known as Jardines, which translates as Gardens. I did not grow up in an Epicurean Garden but I guess, in some way, Gardens will always sound like my home and remind me of my roots.

When I learned about Epicureanism, it seemed like all the common sense ideas that I had come to believe had coalesced like the auspicious constellations of prophecy aligning in 2012. But it doesn't take an aboriginal shaman to see how the medicine of Epicureanism can heal our world. All it takes is a little prudence.

Prudence comes from a Latin word which is a shorter form of providentia , the ability to see ahead, to have foresight and to prepare for the future. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines it as "the ability to govern and discipline oneself by the use of reason". The Greek word for it used by early Epicureans was phronesis , and was generally translated simply as practical wisdom.

How to Use this Book Effectively

This is a book about practical wits: an invitation to delve into Epicurean practice and, ultimately, to develop your own wisdom tradition. In fact, it is an exuberant celebration of prudence and where she takes you. Although I go into the history and doctrine of our tradition, in this book I do not intend to present Epicureanism as a history of itself but as a handbook for the daily practice of our system of philosophy for people who may or may not have a community of philosopher friends. I am presenting Epicureanism as an ancient wisdom tradition that has been adapted for our age.

The Society of Friends of Epicurus was founded to reinstate the teaching mission of the Epicurean Gardens and to ensure the cultural continuity of our tradition. This requires an initial adaptation, expansion, and immersion process in order to allow a new, culturally vibrant and relevant wisdom tradition to organically strengthen its roots just like a new garden being nurtured in new soil.

If you develop as much passion for Epicureanism as I have, think about the care that newly planted trees require. Like all gardening, applied philosophy is a life-long process, a practice of frequent pruning and watering. So it is with our bad and good habits. As we become cognizant of the perturbances that impede our happiness and tranquility, we develop a resolve to slowly reinvent ourselves.

I encourage the keeping of a diary or journal as you read this book in order to facilitate the analyzed life, to ponder the meaning and usefulness of Epicurean teachings, and to develop and apply the ideas presented here. At the end of the book, if its content is properly assimilated and applied, the reader would have at least the beginnings of a wisdom tradition, a tool kit for dealing with life's baggage and difficulties, and a series of social and introspective tasks to complete, some of which require a life-long commitment. It is my intention to be a friendly presence helping the reader to establish herself on her own path as a philosopher, whether or not she ultimately chooses to call herself an Epicurean.

The book is intended as an interactive experience. At the end of each chapter, I will propose a set of tasks to apply the knowledge covered. Some of these tasks are introspective and best addressed through journaling and inner work, whereas others are social. You will benefit the most from this book if you complete these tasks and use them as starting points in your practice of philosophy.