The Philosophy of The Brook
Using the metaphor of the flowing waters, The Brook represents the waters in and upon the earth, in the oceans and in the skies, as the universe in which we exist. Each life in this universe of the Brook may be viewed as an individual brook, which is an integral part of the universal waters. Thus, no individual is isolated from the rest of the universe.
The continuous flow of the Brook readily incorporates the concepts of constant change in the universe. We observe these changes every moment of our lives. The now turbulent, now still, waters reflect the changing states of our own emotions. Even our physical experiences are echoed in the journey of the Brook. Starting with a traumatic birth through the waters of the womb, a seemingly long happy-turbulent childhood, growth through a changing cacophony of experiences, and the final return to the ocean, we resemble the endless timeless Brook. Of course, as described by William James, there are a great variety of experiences, worldly and mystical, that an individual, or an individual brook encounters. For, no two streams are the same – just as no two lives are the same.
There are many truths about life that may be learned through a deep reflection upon the waters of the Brook. The word reflection, here, means deep thought, focused upon the waters of the universe, with with no special regard to the reflection of images that are so often associated with surface phenomena, not the least distracting of which may be narsicism. We will examine many truths about ourselves and our lives, as we journey through the waters of the metaphorical Brook of life.
The philosophy of the Brook recognizes the vastness of the universe and the “mysteries” of its flow. Without attempting to comprehend the whole, this philosophy focuses upon, and extracts, certain simple truths (which may be considered to be knowledge or wisdom, in the Socratic sense) that relate to human action and progress through life. The philosophy traces human progress through various stages of human development, to its desired (perhaps, for some idealistic) end or goal. That is, life is viewed as a journey in the Brook.
This journey in the Brook is not necessarily chronological. Rather, it involves progress in the psychic sense, or progress with respect to the growth of the individual self. The major task undertaken by this philosophy, therefore, is to uncover, or to extract, from the oceans of wisdom before us, some essential and relatively “unchanging” truths which will help the traveler in Brook. The result of this undertaking has culminated in the formulation of a generalized framework for action which may prove to be of be of some help to the individual or the organization in navigating towards, if not to, success and fulfillment.