THE PERENNIAL PHILOSOPHY Contents By Aldous Huxley Perenial Phil

THE PERENNIAL PHILOSOPHY By Aldous Huxley Perenial Phil

1'947 Chatto & Windus

FIRST PUBLISHED 1946
SECOND IMPRESSION 1947
PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN
IN COMPLETE CONFORMITY WITH
THE AUTHORIZED ECONOMY STANDARDS

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Contents

Introduction page i

Chapter i That Art Thou 7

ii The Nature of the Ground 29

in Personality, Sanctity, Divine Incarnation 45

iv God in the World 69

v Charity 95

vi Mortification, Non-Attachment, Right

Livelihood ii 3

vii Truth 145

viii Religion and Temperament 168

ix Self-Knowledge 18

x Grace and Free Will Igo

xi Good and Evil 202

xii Time and Eternity 212

xiii Salvation, Deliverance, Enlightenment 230

xiv Immortality and Survival 242

xv Silence 247

xvi Prayer 251

xvii Suffering 260

xviii Faith 268

XIX God is not mocked 273

V

vi THE PERENNIAL PHILOSOPHY

xx Tantum religiopotuit suadere malorum page 279

xxi Idolatry 287

xxii Emotionalism 292

XXIII The Miraculous 298

xxiv Ritual, Symbol, Sacrament 301

xxv Spiritual Exercises 314

xxvi Perseverance and Regularity 334

xxvii Contemplation, Action and Social Utility j;

Bibliography 346

Index 353

Acknowledgments

For permission to use the following selections, grateful acknowledgment and thanks are extended to the following authors and publishers:

George Allen & Unwin Ltd.: MONKEY and THE WAY AND ITS POWER, translated by Arthur Waley; LETTERS, by Spinoza.

Burns, Oates & Was/zbourne Ltd.: THE CLOUD OF UNKNOW­ING, edited by McCann; THE WORKS OF ST. JOHN OF THE CROSS, translated by Allison Piers.

Cambridge University Press: STUDIES IN ISLAMIC MYSTICISM, by R. A. Nicholson.

J. M. Dent & Sons Ltd.: ADORNMENT OF THE SPIRITUAL MARRIAGE, by Ruysbroeck, translated by Winschenk Dom.

P. J. and A. E. Dobell: CENTURIES OF MEDITATION, by Thomas Traherne.

Dwight Goddard Estate: A BUDDHIST BIBLE, by Dwight Goddard.

Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner & Co. Ltd.: MASNAVI, by Jalal-uddin Rumi, translated by Whinfield.

Longmans, Green & Co. Ltd.: THE SPIRIT OF ST. FRANCIS DE SALES, by Jean Pierre Camus, translated by Lear; CATHERINE OF SIENA, by Johannes Jorgensen.

Macmillan & Co. Ltd.: THEOLOGIA GERMANICA, translated by Winkworth; THE SPIRITUAL REFORMERS, by Rufus Jones; MYSTICISM EAST AND WEST, by Rudolph Otto; ONE HUNDRED POEMS OF KABIR, by Rabindranath Tagore.

John Murray and Mr. Lionel Giles: MUSINGS OF A CHINESE MYSTIC, from THE WISDOM OF THE EAST series, trans­lated by Herbert Giles.

VU

viii        THE PERENNIAL PHILOSOPHY

Oxford University Press and Harvard University Press: THE TRANSFORMATION OF NATURE IN ART, by Amanda K. Coomaraswamy.

Oxford University Press and The Pali Text Society: THE PATH OF PURITY, by Buddhaghosha.

Oxford University Press: THE TIBETAN BOOK OF THE DEAD, translated by Dr. Evans-Wentz.

Paramananda and the publishers of BHAGAVAD-GITA.

George Routledge & Sons Ltd.: STUDIES IN THE LANKAVATARA sUTRA, by Suzuki.

SAted & Ward Ltd.: THE MYSTICAL THEOLOGY OF ST. BERNARD, by 2tienne Gilson.

The Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge: DIONYSIUS THE AREOPAGITE, translated bg C. E. Rolt.

John M. Watkins: WORKS OF MEISTER ECICHART, translated by Evans; THE CREST-JEWEL OF WISDOM, by Shankara, translated by Charles Johnston.