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The Perennial Philosophy
The Perennial Philosophy is defined by its author as "The metaphysic that recognizes a divine Reality substantial to the world of things and lives and minds." With great wit and stunning intellect, Aldous Huxley examines the spiritual beliefs of various religious traditions and explains them in terms that are personally meaningful.
Paperback, 312 pages
Published
April 1st 2004
by Harper Perennial
(first published 1945)
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I picked this book up almost two decades ago coming off a run Robert Anton Wilson and a deep interest in Eastern Philosophies, particularly Taoism. I had never finished the book at the time as the real life of a young adult took sway. Coming back almost 20 years later this book still holds it's allure.
This is not an easy book to digest and Huxley did an amazing job presenting such a succinct overview of the Perennial Philosophy drawing from so many resources, it's just plain awe-insp...more
This is not an easy book to digest and Huxley did an amazing job presenting such a succinct overview of the Perennial Philosophy drawing from so many resources, it's just plain awe-insp...more
Lest anyone doubt that one of the greatest philosophers of the modern age is Aldous Huxley I give you The Perennial Philosophy. Huxley boils all religious tradition into its basic universal truths. It is through this discovery that he finds what he is good in the best teachings and what is manipulative in its tenets.
I am constantly amazed by the breadth of thought that Aldous Huxley explored during his lifetime and how relevant that five years today. I will probably be thinking about...more
I am constantly amazed by the breadth of thought that Aldous Huxley explored during his lifetime and how relevant that five years today. I will probably be thinking about...more
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This book redefined the way I look at religion. It speaks of the philosophy which connects all religions, and should be used as a way of relating to one another.
I found this particular passage quite engaging:
"The invention of the steam engine produced a revolution, not merely in industrial techniques, but also much more significantly in philosophy. Because machines could be made progressively more and more efficient, Western man came to believe that men and societies wou...more
I found this particular passage quite engaging:
"The invention of the steam engine produced a revolution, not merely in industrial techniques, but also much more significantly in philosophy. Because machines could be made progressively more and more efficient, Western man came to believe that men and societies wou...more
Dear Aldous Huxley,
I know that you where pronounced dead a long time ago, but because of this book, you are a living presence in my life today.
Thank you,
Bryon.
I know that you where pronounced dead a long time ago, but because of this book, you are a living presence in my life today.
Thank you,
Bryon.
This is a very noteworthy book, but the author's style is such that I couldn't bear to continue reading it, on several tries; maybe in a few years I'll try yet again. Some writing styles are a total slog for one person, but fine or prefered for another.
Huxley is referring to the perennial philosophy as those universal truths that span culture and religion. He shows in this book how all of the ancient traditions implemented these truths...or didn't. He is clearly very erudite and the book is full of quotes from early "saints", from both the East and the West.
While much of the material is quite interesting I wondered if he didn't write the book simply to show how Christianity has 'gone wrong'. His anti-Christian bias is pr...more
While much of the material is quite interesting I wondered if he didn't write the book simply to show how Christianity has 'gone wrong'. His anti-Christian bias is pr...more
I had no idea what "Perennial Philosophy" referred to when I checked out this book and began reading it. When I learned in the first sentence that it referred to the "divine Reality", I had doubts that I would be able to endure it. However, Huxley's overview of the spiritual proved very interesting in discussing the various aspects of man's pursuit of spiritual enlightenment. Some of his comparisons of the Muslim and Christian efforts in that pursuit were so strikingly pertin...more
This book explain the ways in which ALL the world's religions, taken at their core, express the "Perennial Philosophy". He quotes at length from Catholic saints, Martin Luther, the Vedantas, the Tao te Ching, George Fox, the Upanishads, the writings of many Buddhists, and so on. I know I've left some out; I'm not looking at the book as i write, and it has been probably 10 years since I read it last.
Nonetheless, a major formative book for my life, which I discovered when I w...more
Nonetheless, a major formative book for my life, which I discovered when I w...more
Written in 1945, the book is an anthology of the Perennial Philosophy and contains vast examples as extracts from scriptures and/or other type of writings from various religious: Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, etc.
The central idea of the perennial philosophy is that there exists Divine Truth, Divine Reality which is one and universal, and that different religions are different ways to express that one Truth. However as Huxley writes this one Divine Reality cannot be...more
The central idea of the perennial philosophy is that there exists Divine Truth, Divine Reality which is one and universal, and that different religions are different ways to express that one Truth. However as Huxley writes this one Divine Reality cannot be...more
Huxley examines a whole host of religions, from Buddhism to Catholicism and everything in between, explaining what the enduring philosophy of each is and what similarities they have to one another. In the end he makes the brilliant point that no matter how different each religion may be, they are, at their core, seeking the exact same thing. Anyone remotely interested in religion should read this. Highly recommend!
Rational truth can be defined as ideas, definitions, facts, and concepts "about" reality. Mystical truth perhaps can be defined as a direct intuitive apprehension "of" reality. Huxley does a terrific job in using the mystics from the East and the West to help us to understand this most important kind of truth.
This book is dense, but well worth the effort to finish. I read it in very small chunks (2-3 pages a day) over period of a few months. It opened my eyes to the nature of religion, spirituality, and humanity in ways that I will be contemplating for a long time to come.
Huxley is unique for his marriage of rationality and mysticism, a combination that serves his readership mightily. He makes a compelling case for the universality humanity's quest for (and occasional achievement of) Unity Consciousness
This PS edition of Perennial Philosophy is entirely worth it for the inlcusion of Huxley's essay, "On Beliefs" in the back of the book. A better critique of science has never been put in print.
Username
marked it as to-read
My mother gave me this book in 1999. I started reading it and gave up after 14 pages. It takes some effort and since I don't believe in the premise of God existing, it seems totally pointless.
The more you get down to it, the more it's clear that spirituality is trying to attain a state where we no longer intellectualize. That's something he's made very clear in the book, but it was just super annoying when he started talking about PK and how God could have shaped the world and matter using his mind blah blah. Wasn't he Hindi or something anyway?
Quite a little book. Probably my closest companion in the world. A nice little romp through the greatest treasures of mysticism in history.
Coming from a Buddhist family, this book is one that also helped me find my Path.The Path of The Sufies -of Spirituality -Tassawuf!
Frightful_elk
rated it
There is a lot to chew over in this book, I think I am going to have to come back for another going over.
Huxley presents his synopsis of spiritual systems, suggesting there are core principles common to all human spirituality, which are constantly refound and reinterpreted in each system. This is essentially a digest of spiritual writers, it has lots of interesting and important ideas, and extensive quotes to help you get a handle on them. Huxley himself seems to be blown away in enthusias...more
Huxley presents his synopsis of spiritual systems, suggesting there are core principles common to all human spirituality, which are constantly refound and reinterpreted in each system. This is essentially a digest of spiritual writers, it has lots of interesting and important ideas, and extensive quotes to help you get a handle on them. Huxley himself seems to be blown away in enthusias...more
Garrett Dunnington
rated it
Shelves:
philosophy,
spiritual,
taoism,
religion,
psychology,
psychic,
past-lives,
occult,
new-age,
natural-spiritualism,
meditation,
borrowed-from-a-friend,
2012
Huxley was a man who could see the holistic connection, which is the perpetuation of the mysterious and tangible.
This book should be read by every human being.
Steve Perks
added it
One of the best books I have ever read!
James Chin
is currently reading it
crucial in our age of pluralism
Most essential Huxley book imo.
It is somewhat of an anthology of some of the most important religions and belief systems. Despite its complex philisophical themes, it's quite readable, and binds nicely into the concept of *isness* Huxley describes in his essay "Doors of Perception" Thumbs up on this one :)
A great great book
This is such a fantastic work by a lay theologian. It's premise is the unity of the mystical experience across religions. He draws on Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, and Taoist sources primarily. This volume launched a trend in the secular study of religion that has lasted down to today. Huston Smith, who has written one of the most often used textbooks on religion, credits this book with changing his life, inspiring him to become a student of religion rather than philosophy.
Wow, wow, wow. Only about 1/5 of the way through, and absolutely amazed. I haven't had this much trouble since I read "Les Miserables" in French, and yet, I simply cannot stop reading it. I think I google something on every page. This is the first book that I've read that has specifically addressed the uniformity and connectivity in world religions, and I am really, really enjoying it.
Fascinating anthology of mystical writings and experience from respected writers of all the major faiths. As usual, Huxley displays a prescient sense of religious psychology and how it can tend towards conflict; but he also provides the greatest defense for religion as a completing factor in our lives.
Should be an appendix to all religion texts.
Should be an appendix to all religion texts.
Who knew Aldous Huxley was not only so interested in metaphysics but also wrote & understood it so lucidly? This is a great read for anyone that is interested in learning about philosophies of the world. Huxley does a great job in elaborating on the recurring spiritual themes of religions and nearly induces self enlightenment for the reader.
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Aldous Leonard Huxley was an English writer and one of the most prominent members of the famous Huxley family. He spent the latter part of his life in the United States, living in Los Angeles from 1937 until his death in 1963. Best known for his novels and wide-ranging output of essays, he also published short stories, poetry, travel writing, and film stories and scripts. Through his novels and es...more
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“The man who wishes to know the "that" which is "thou" may set to work in any one of three ways. He may begin by looking inwards into his own particular thou and, by a process of "dying to self" --- self in reasoning, self in willing, self in feeling --- come at last to knowledge of the self, the kingdom of the self, the kingdom of God that is within. Or else he may begin with the thous existing outside himself, and may try to realize their essential unity with God and, through God, with one another and with his own being. Or, finally (and this is doubtless the best way), he may seek to approach the ultimate That both from within and from without, so that he comes to realize God experimentally as at once the principle of his own thou and of all other thous, animate and inanimate.”
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“To the exponents of the Perennial Philosophy, the question whether Progress is inevitable or even real is not a matter of primary importance. For them, the important thing is that individual men and women should come to the unitive knowledge of the divine Ground, and what interests them in regard to the social environment is not its progressiveness or non-progressiveness (whatever those terms may mean), but the degree to which it helps or hinders individuals in the their advance towards man's final end.”
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