Esoterism as Principle and as Way: A New Translation with Selected Letters

by Frithjof Schuon, Harry Oldmeadow (Editor)

Frithjof Schuon's perspective of pure esoterism focuses on the inward and universal dimension of religion, also referred to as the sophia perennis ("perennial wisdom"). His works provide invaluable keys to understanding the formal contradictions between the world's religions as well as their transcendent unity. In Esoterism as Principle and as Way readers will discover the essential truth that lies at the heart of the world's religions, as well as the role of prayer, virtue, and beauty in the spiritual life. This revised edition of Schuon's writings on esoterism features a fully revised translation from the French original as well as over 60 pages of new material, including previously unpublished selections from the author's letters and other private writings, an editor's preface, editor's notes, a glossary of foreign terms and phrases, an index, and biographical notes.

Genres: Philosophy, Religion, Metaphysics, Esoterica, Nonfiction

328 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1982

About the author

Frithjof Schuon was a native of Switzerland born to German parents in Basel, Switzerland. He is known as a philosopher, metaphysician and author of numerous books on religion and spirituality.

Schuon is recognized as an authority on philosophy, spirituality and religion, an exponent of the Religio Perennis, and one of the chief representatives of the Perennialist School. Though he was not officially affiliated with the academic world, his writings have been noticed in scholarly and philosophical journals, and by scholars of comparative religion and spirituality. Criticism of the relativism of the modern academic world is one of the main aspects of Schuon's teachings. In his teachings, Schuon expresses his faith in an absolute principle, God, who governs the universe and to whom our souls would return after death. For Schuon the great revelations are the link between this absolute principle—God—and mankind. He wrote the main bulk of his metaphysical teachings in French. In the later years of his life Schuon composed some volumes of poetry in his mother tongue, German. His articles in French were collected in about twenty titles in French which were later translated into English as well as many other languages.

http://www.sophia-perennis.com/philos...

Reviews

[A. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Schuon spreads himself too thin here. He just repeats himself, having already made his point many years earlier with better organised books (1948,1968 and 1970 especially).

Quote from the introduction :
"It will be noticed without difficulty that this new book has the same contexture as our previous works, that is to say, it consists of more or less independent articles from each other , and of unequal importance as it is indicated by the division into several parts of diverse contents"
[“On remarquera sans peine que ce nouveau livre a la même contexture que nos précédents ouvrages, c'est-à-dire qu'il se compose d'essais plus ou moins indépendants les uns des autres, et d'importance inégale comme l'indique d'ailleurs la division en plusieurs partie à contenus très divers [...]”]

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good general summary of esoterism. I particularly enjoyed the stuff on integral aesthetics and also the chapters 'hypostatic and cosmic numbers' and 'the virtues in the way'.

Take-away quote is "We owe it to others to show them, as far as is possible, that we do not stop short at their earthly accidence, but that on the contrary we wish to take cognisance of their heavenly substance, and this excludes all triviality in social behaviour. Politeness is a distant manner of helping our neighbour to sanity himself, or to remember that, being made of sanctity as the image of God, he is thereby made for sanctity".

[Tomaj Javidtash · Rating 5 out of 5]

One the best books on esoterism in general, and Sufism in particular.

[Fredo Godínez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un excelente libro para comprender el Esoterismo desde la perspectiva y práctica de diversas religiones tanto orientales como occidentales.
Una gran libro para levantar el Velo y emprender este viaje al interior.