Walking the Philosophical Silk Road (coming soon)

Embark on a transformative journey through the landscape of human wisdom, tracing the ancient pathways of East and West.

This pilgrimage seeks to rediscover the sacred, exploring the dialogos between Zen and Neoplatonism as a response to our modern Meaning Crisis. Through this expedition, I aim to uncover a lingua philosophica—a common language of profound insight—that can bridge diverse spiritual traditions and offer a new way of engaging with the ineffable. As I traverse this philosophical terrain, I invite you to join me in uncovering the hidden connections that might just re-enchant our disenchanted world.

“Nobody lives on the Silk Road; people move along it.”

Our world is in the grip of a meaning crisis. The old orders — systems of meaning that once told us who we are, what the world is, and how to interact with it — have gradually faded. We find ourselves adrift, struggling to make sense of our existence in a universe that seems increasingly indifferent to our narratives. This project is a response to that crisis, an attempt to weave together new patterns of understanding from the threads of ancient traditions. By exploring the dialogos between Zen and Neoplatonism, we’re seeking not just understanding, but a renewed sense of enchantment and meaning.

This journey will take us to the homes of 14 sages, from Proclus to Nishitani, each a waypoint on our Philosophical Silk Road. In each place, we’ll immerse ourselves in the geography and cultural-historical ambience that shaped their visions. We’ll eat the food, walk the landscapes, engage in local practices and rituals—all in an effort to inhabit their philosophical orientations. This isn’t just an intellectual exercise; it’s an embodied, multi-sensory pilgrimage aimed at cultivating a deep receptivity to the influences of each pivotal figure and their connection to the modern world.

Just as the ancient Silk Road wove together diverse cultures through trade, the Philosophical Silk Road seeks to intertwine the wisdom of East and West. We’re embarking on a journey to explore the hidden pathways between Neoplatonism and Zen, two profound traditions that have shaped the spiritual landscape of humanity. This pilgrimage isn’t just a geographical adventure—it’s an expedition into the depths of human understanding, a quest to rediscover this lingua philosophica as a response to our crisis of meaning, to afford an advent of the sacred in a world that has lost its enchantment.

At the heart of our journey lies the concept of dialogos, a dynamic process of mutual transformation. It’s more than just a conversation; it’s a living, breathing exchange that has the power to reshape participants. As we traverse the Philosophical Silk Road, we’re not merely comparing ideas—we’re allowing them to dance together, to challenge and enrich one another. Through this dialogos, we hope to glimpse truths that neither tradition could fully reveal on its own, standing shoulder to shoulder to share perspectives of the ineffable.

Imagine a language that could speak to the depths of human experience across cultural boundaries, one that could articulate the inexpressible. That’s what we’re striving to develop through the concept of Zen Neoplatonism. It’s about finding a common ground where diverse traditions can meet and converse. It’s a way of thinking and being that draws on the strengths of both Eastern and Western thought, offering a potential bridge across the chasms that divide us in our pluralistic world.

Places and Influences

Greece (Delphi, Byzantine sites)Dionysius the Areopagite
Proclus
Netherlands (Amsterdam)Spinoza
GermanyMeister Eckhart
Italy (Rome)Nicholas of Cusa
Leo the Hebrew (Judah Leon Abravanel)
FranceDuns Scotus Eriugena
Spain (Andalusia)Ibn Arabi
Solomon Ibn Gabirol
UzbekistanSuhrawardi
IndiaSankara
Nagarjuna
Japan (Kyoto)Dogen
Nishida
Nishitani