گوشہ نشین کے خطوط | خالد محمود ایڈووکیٹ

Letters from a Stoic

Seneca

Pages 214

Seneca is counted among the greatest philosophers of human history. His thoughts possess as much grace and beauty today as they did in his own era. Regardless of the fact that he was associated with Stoic hermits, his artistic excellence lies in the fact that the freshness, beauty, and balance in his thoughts have not faded even today. As a student of philosophy and literature, after studying Seneca's thoughts, I have reached the conclusion that from a thousand years before Christ until today, countless philosophers in history formulated certain principles after contemplating the mysteries of the universe. Some of those thoughts were lost to time, some were declared obsolete because they did not align with scientific discoveries, and others became impractical with the progress of political institutions and social sciences, such as the institution of slavery. It is the beauty of Seneca’s thoughts that there is not a single word in his writings that is obsolete, or that does not align with modern science, or that has become impractical during the passage of time. In every one of his words, there is a reflection of knowledge, wisdom, beauty, balance, thought, and action that has made Seneca credible in today’s scientific world. A prominent and dominant aspect of his letters is the balance in his thoughts. On one hand, he is a believer in God, and on the other, he is a proponent of reason and intellect. Furthermore, if he is a messenger of ethics, he is also a proponent of the philosophy of liberty and truth. Moreover, his perspective is dynamic and positive. Regarding his temperament, his thinking is based on optimism rather than pessimism. And above all, his humanism permeates all these things.

 Despite living in an era of slavery, he is a staunch opponent of caste, creed, and color, and despite all restrictions, obstacles, hatreds, palace conspiracies, and hypocrisy, he does not let go of truth, liberty, beauty, and balance. And this is the consummate beauty of Seneca’s teachings. In view of this beauty and balance, this humble servant has presented the translation of this great philosopher’s letters to the readers, which is nothing less than a privilege for me. Finally, I am grateful to Qazi Bilal Ahmad Advocate, Shehzad Malik Bhatti Advocate, Mian Kashif Saleem Advocate, Syed Kashif Iftikhar Bukhari, Tariq Mahmood Advocate / Legal Advisor Islamia University Bahawalpur, and Special Magistrate Bahawalpur Nayyar Mustafa, who graced me with their valuable opinions during the translation. Lastly, I am grateful to the head of Fiction House, Zahoor Ahmad Khan, and his son Riaz Zahoor, through whose day-and-night efforts this humble effort of mine took practical shape. I am grateful for any criticism from the readers regarding the improvement of this translation, with the prayer that the Almighty may grant the nation the ability to view the internal and external world, as well as circumstances and events, through the lens of reality, and may He bless it with the gift of sound intellect—which is severely lacking in our beloved homeland—alongside emotions to solve its problems.

Khalid Mahmood

November 2022

Bahawalpur