Press Release
March 18, 2008
Rediscover
our lost heritage in: “Finding Our Ancient Wisdom: The Spiritual Origins of Western
Civilization,” the new DVD release from Golden Thread Films and
EMMY Award winning director/cameraman Tom Tanquary.
Scholar and
author Peter Kingsley has spent
his life uncovering the forgotten secret right at the roots of western
civilization. Golden Thread Films and Light
to Shadow Productions are proud to present this film about Peter Kingsley’s
groundbreaking discoveries.
The teachings
of the foundational figure of Empedocles
have been studied for centuries, but Kingsley took a new approach that led him
straight to the hidden heart of Empedocles’ meaning. What Kingsley brought to
the study of Empedocles’ poems was a deep respect for the philosopher's chosen
medium of epic verse and a strong sense of the importance of translating and
interpreting texts in their historical and geographical context. The result was
a startling discovery with enormous implications: Empedocles, one of the West’s
great philosophers, was a mystic—a magician. The foundation stone of so much of
western science, philosophy, and culture was not the legendary Greek
rationality of the textbooks but a profound, living spirituality.
Men like
Empedocles gave their teachings from a deep consciousness and with a grand and
specific aim: they offered us our true selves, an understanding of our role in
the cosmos, the experience of oneness,
and a civilization with a purpose. This film shows us how much we have
forgotten, how much we have lost, and how far we have strayed from our civilization’s
original course. But it also shows us the way to regain our lost heritage and
become what we were meant to be. Though the stakes are high and the challenges
formidable, Kingsley demonstrates throughout the film how even the most common
things, done consciously—like the simple act of seeing or of listening to the
singing of the birds—can change our lives.
The wisdom of
the ancients laid the foundation for everything we cherish about western
culture. It gave us great power and material success. But the most important
gift is the one we’ve forgotten—the spiritual foundation that teaches us the
meaning of our very existence—and that of our civilization. It is our right and
our duty to reclaim what is ours—for ourselves, for our world, and for the future.
“Here is a spiritual truth that gives us the light we need, a
sacred vision that can reconnect us with our own roots and help us to see our way out of our present
darkness.”
– Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee,
Ph.D. Author and Sufi Teacher
Commentary
within the film by Huston Smith, Cynthia Bourgeault, Pir Zia Inayat Khan, and Gregory Shaw.
Join us as
Peter Kingsley returns to the wisdom that started it all and reveals the secret
of our beginnings in “Finding Our Ancient Wisdom.”
DVD, NTSC, All Regions,
1:41 running time, $24.95
For more information go to www.goldenthreadfilms.com and www.peterkingsley.org
Reviews
Here is an ancient wisdom made accessible. With simple imageryand profound words, we are taken back to the birth of Western civilization, torediscover the original note that brought our culture into being. Here is a spiritual
truth that gives us the light we need, a sacred vision that canreconnect us with our own roots and help us to see our way out of our presentdarkness. Finding Our Ancient Wisdom isan valuable contribution to giving us back our spiritual heritage, and thetools to live it now.
“Peter Kingsley’s teaching is a journey back to the source – notonly of Western civilization but, more importantly, to the source within you.To understand him is to be transformed”
- Eckhart Tolle, author of A NewEarth and The Power of Now.
“Finding Our Ancient Wisdom is a beautiful DVD. Peter Kingsleyreminds us that the inner journey to find our source brings us to theexperience of the true magic of life. During these challenging times heinspires and gives us great hope by showing us that the roots of our Westerncivilization contain the knowledge and wisdom we need for living life in aharmonious way. His work is brilliant.”
-Sandra Ingerman,author of Soul Retrieval and Medicine for the Earth
"Not only the writing, editing, and production but alsothe clarity with which Peter's teachings are presented. The other aspect thatstruck me so profoundly is that I have been so much more in the present in acalm way, feeling and noticing how the feelings are in my body. Noticing that Iam selective with listening to music now, instead of having it play all day atwork and not so much noticing and feeling or always appreciating the magicalsounds of Mozart. Again enjoying the silence, less fearful of allowing thisprocess to happen as the ego has a smaller voice maybe. Peter's words and yourbeautiful, clear, uncluttered examples have made an indelible impression on myheart. Thank you."
-SandraG.
"After watching Peter’s video, I began applying oneof the practices he described when walking my dogs. Day by day, layers ofsensory experience unfolded, and I began noticing the color of the flowers, thesmells, my own shadow bobbing along, the temperature of the air and the songsof the birds. Stopped on the street, watching and listening to the windin the trees, I felt connected to everything and realized that experiencing thesky, the moon and the clouds was an experience in common with people everywhereon the planet as far back as there were people.
Finding Our Ancient Wisdom is a tonic for modernlife. I recommend everyone carve out the time to see it."
-RobertH.
"The videoflows, like a river. It awakened something in me that has been asleep fora very long time."
-Missy W.
