ALDOUS HUXLEY -- THE PERENNIAL PHILOSOPHY -- Part Two

ALDOUS HUXLEY -- THE PERENNIAL PHILOSOPHY -- Part Two
Aldous Huxley’s The Perennial Philosophy, first published in 1945, is a philosophical and spiritual exploration of the common threads found in the world's major religions. Huxley examines the core principles of mysticism and spirituality that he argues are shared across different religious traditions. The book is essentially a comparative study of religious thought and practice, focusing on what Huxley sees as universal truths about human existence, spirituality, and the nature of reality.
Huxley delves into concepts such as the nature of the self, the existence of a divine or ultimate reality, and the path to spiritual enlightenment. He draws from sources as varied as Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam, seeking to identify a "perennial" wisdom that transcends specific religious doctrines.
The book is divided into several sections that discuss topics like the nature of God, the meaning of life, and the ways in which different religions address these questions. Huxley’s goal is to reveal the commonalities in these diverse spiritual traditions and to suggest that this shared wisdom can offer guidance for modern living.
The Perennial Philosophy is a rich and nuanced exploration of spiritual and philosophical themes. The book presents a framework for understanding the essence of human spirituality by examining the commonalities among the world’s major religions. Here’s a more detailed look at its key themes and ideas:
Core Themes:
The Perennial Wisdom: Huxley introduces the concept of a “perennial philosophy,” which he defines as a universal spiritual wisdom that underlies and connects the world’s major religious traditions. This wisdom is not tied to any single religion but represents a common thread of insight about human existence and the nature of reality.
The Nature of Reality: Central to Huxley’s thesis is the idea that there is a transcendent, divine reality that is fundamentally real, while the material world is seen as transient and illusory. This perspective is rooted in mystical traditions across various religions, which suggest that the ultimate goal of human life is to realize our unity with this divine reality.
The Self and the Ego: Huxley discusses the nature of the self, contrasting the ego-a constructed, individual identity-with the true self, which is connected to the divine. Many spiritual traditions, he argues, teach that liberation involves transcending the ego and experiencing one's true nature as part of the divine whole.
The Path to Enlightenment: The book outlines various practices and principles that can lead to spiritual enlightenment or awakening. These include meditation, self-discipline, compassion, and love. Huxley emphasizes that while the methods may vary across traditions, the underlying aim is to achieve a direct experience of the divine or ultimate reality.
The Role of Religion: Huxley explores how different religions address similar spiritual truths and questions. He argues that while religious doctrines and practices may differ, they often share a common purpose: to guide individuals toward a deeper understanding of themselves and their connection to the divine.
Structure and Content:
The book is structured in a way that examines different aspects of the perennial philosophy. It’s divided into several parts:
The Philosophical Foundations: This section introduces the key concepts of the perennial philosophy and discusses how they are reflected in various religious traditions.
The Nature of Man: Here, Huxley explores the human condition, the nature of the self, and the relationship between the individual and the divine.
The Path to Enlightenment: This part discusses the practices and disciplines recommended by different spiritual traditions to attain enlightenment or spiritual realization.
The Fruits of Enlightenment: Huxley considers the outcomes of spiritual awakening, including the development of virtues such as compassion, love, and a sense of unity with others.
Influences and Impact:
Huxley’s book draws on a wide range of sources, from Eastern philosophies like Hinduism and Buddhism to Western mysticism and Christian thought. His analysis is informed by his extensive reading and personal spiritual explorations, including his interest in Eastern religions and mysticism.
The Perennial Philosophy has been influential in popularizing the idea that spiritual truths are universal and can be found across different religious traditions. It has resonated with readers interested in comparative religion, mysticism, and spiritual philosophy.
In summary, The Perennial Philosophy is both a scholarly exploration and a practical guide, aimed at revealing the common spiritual ground shared by various religions and offering insights for personal spiritual growth.

[@mariameere5807]

Forgive my loooong letter! I just had to talk to someone, u don’t have to read it… well obviously 🙄 of course not but I need to find people who believe in the afterlife at least and who don’t drink or drug bc I can’t be around that, it’s how I had my NDE I’m sure I told you about! Blessings of a fabulous day, Thanks so much for everything!!! Every single thing, life changing! ❤❤❤

[@mariameere5807]

❤❤❤ Have a happy Sunday! I have been listening to Paul Seliig before I dive in to the second book you recommended and (I am still listening to the first one bc I am still hearing something new each time I listen! I sense his presence as I read now! So now you think I am nuts but f it, I am predominately visual (clairvoyant) and like a 4 cylinder car, a Doreen Virtue analogy and I loved her books! ‘How to see angels’, and ‘how to hear angels’! And then she said that if you want to SEE angels then being 70% vegetarian means that you’re 70% more likely to see angels and deceased loved ones and in my recent shift in consciousness, I have in one day and night suddenly become aware of and I am being introduced gradually bc it could be overwhelming, if I had the ability to see what I see straight away it would have scared and confused me SO MUCH that it may have taken 2 lifetimes to get over it! We are shown gradually for a reason.
I have been vegan since the age of 3 and one day I would love to tell you how that came about! I love animals it’s not a health thing, I eat when in alignment only, I energise/charge everything I eat and all groceries when I get them and I don’t just feel the the energy anymore, I SEE it going into the food a golden white colour! Sometimes it’s blue if AA Michael is near, my shortcut for psychic protection, very important when visiting friends (ok family) in rehab and in general when around a lot of people! So if I am flowing energy up from solar plexus up past crown centre to the divine chakra and you can feel it on the top of the aura, then back down through the top chakras and into the food/candle/incense with an intention and the universe LOVES symbolic gestures, ie ritual! So n e way, everything is illusion but what I see when my eyes are closed (and open sometimes now too!) IS REAL! The being I see in the sky who gracefully lands on top of a building with wings 🪽 open, renaissance pictures got it SO accurate and I have see angels that have a different, not human but humanoid in appearance but celestial beings (angels don’t have halos but I like the word bc it means aura to me.) and a huge variety of guides, I don’t know if they have always been there or if it’s just since yesterday and the quantum leap, I have been working my ass off! I felt deserving and it’s because of something I won’t go into right now….
Finally I will explain just incase you are very bored, and then you listen, “OMG it’s working bc I said listen and when you want to find out what someones dominant “Clair” is to help them develop their innate abilities, and the way I started seeing beings seeing them desperately trying to talk to me and I could see their lips moving but I couldn’t hear a thing so then…. Attachment to the outcome in a MAJOR way I was trying too hard so I delayed it by years and then one day I just gave up and cried, I had learned a lot during this time and about Earthbound spirits getting angry that I couldn’t help them, but now I know the difference and they didn’t leave during puberty but the problem was I couldn’t stop looking over people’s heads! Got called freak and we are meant to grow an ego and I’ve since been told that I was subconsciously asking, Catholic guilt and I knew that it wasn’t true about hell, a few things that had I not had a strong connection I would have seen angels and then become a nun or something equally insane! Dogmatic religion is dangerous! But it is a way that intuition can help one still find their way to the same destination and then we don’t hold onto the negative bc we recognise the truth we were born knowing so it’s actually re-membering! (With source!) “conversations with God”book one which was the best and 2 & 3 made me cringe, not vibrationally pitch perfect and I am not an ego with a new spiritual identity! We are all equal and that comes from the same f ed up frequency as inferiority consciousness! Let me finish (I have cut ties with all friends bc we don’t fell anymore and they drink and snort coke and I can’t be around that! I have had to earn my clairs back and silence from my best friends spirit guides etc… it’s deafening‼️
I digress I finally surrendered and then the next day I woke up to the sound of my name, I barely recall and then I am awake and I hear the words “Life is infinite” male voice with authority without being arrogant, a very self worth sufficient aware kind of voice from a non physical being ‼️ so I KNOW it’s on its way and after yesterday’s major shift, I know bc I instantly became aware of all the stuff I was focusing on that I don’t want and I was unaware of it but that’s how it goes otherwise we’d have stayed in nonphysical‼️😮‍💨
I just beared my so don’t worry if you want to delete it I get it I just needed to talk to someone who doesn’t think I have joined a cult or worse!! lol 😂 🤯🤭🫣🫨🥱😴🙏
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