The World's Religions by Huston Smith | Goodreads scribd

The World's Religions by Huston Smith | Goodreads

The World's Religions, Revised and Updated: A Concise Introduction

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Epigraph 

 

…the life of religion as a whole is mankind’s most important function. 

—William James 

 

The essence of education is that it be religious. 

—Alfred North Whitehead 

 

We need the courage as well as the inclination to consult, and profit from, the “wisdom traditions of mankind.” 

—E.F. Schumacher 

 

In 1970 I wrote of a “post-traditional world.” Today I believe that only living traditions make it possible to have a world at all. 

—Robert N. Bellah 

 

Contents 

 

Cover 

Title Page 

Dedication 

Epigraph 

Foreword 

Preface to the Second Edition 

 

I. Point of Departure 

Notes. 

 

II. Hinduism 

What People Want; 

What People Really Want; 

The Beyond Within; 

Four Paths to the Goal; 

The Way to God through Knowledge; 

The Way to God through Love; 

The Way to God through Work; 

The Way to God through Psychophysical Exercises; 

The Stages of Life; 

The Stations of Life; 

“Thou Before Whom All Words Recoil.” 

Coming of Age in the Universe; 

The World—Welcome and Farewell; 

Many Paths to the Same Summit; 

Appendix on Sikhism; 

Suggestions for Further Reading; 

Notes. 

 

III. Buddhism 

The Man Who Woke Up; 

The Silent Sage; 

The Rebel Saint; 

The Four Noble Truths; 

The Eightfold Path; 

Basic Buddhist Concepts; 

Big Raft and Little; 

The Secret of the Flower; 

The Diamond Thunderbolt; 

The Image of the Crossing; 

The Confluence of Buddhism and Hinduism in India; 

Suggestions for Further Reading; 

Notes. 

 

IV. Confucianism 

The First Teacher; 

The Problem Confucius Faced; 

Rival Answers; 

Confucius’ Answer; 

The Content of Deliberate Tradition; 

The Confucian Project; 

Ethics or Religion? 

Impact on China; 

Suggestions for Further Reading; 

Notes. 

 

V. Taoism 

The Old Master; 

The Three Meanings of Tao; 

Three Approaches to Power and the Taoisms That Follow; 

Efficient Power: Philosophical Taoism; 

Augmented Power: Taoist Hygiene and Yoga; 

Vicarious Power: Religious Taoism; 

The Mingling of the Powers; 

Creative Quietude; 

Other Taoist Values; 

Conclusion; 

Suggestions for Further Reading; 

Notes. 

 

VI. Islam 

Background; 

The Seal of the Prophets; 

The Migration That Led to Victory; 

The Standing Miracle; 

Basic Theological Concepts; 

The Five Pillars; 

Social Teachings; 

Sufism; 

Whither Islam? 

Suggestions for Further Reading; 

Notes. 

 

VII. Judaism 

Meaning in God; 

Meaning in Creation; 

Meaning in Human Existence; 

Meaning in History; 

Meaning in Morality; 

Meaning in Justice; 

Meaning in Suffering; 

Meaning in Messianism; 

The Hallowing of Life; 

Revelation; 

The Chosen People; 

Israel; 

Suggestions for Further Reading; 

Notes. 

 

VIII. Christianity 

The Historical Jesus; 

The Christ of Faith; 

The End and the Beginning; 

The Good News; 

The Mystical Body of Christ; 

The Mind of the Church; 

Roman Catholicism; 

Eastern Orthodoxy; 

Protestantism; 

Suggestions for Further Reading; 

Notes. 

 

IX. The Primal Religions 

The Australian Experience; 

Orality, Place, and Time; 

The Primal World; 

The Symbolic Mind; 

Conclusion; 

Suggestions for Further Reading; 

Notes. 

 

X. A Final Examination 

The Relation between Religions; 

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The World's Religions

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The World's Religions

by Huston Smith

 4.02  ·   Rating details ·  12,584 ratings  ·  518 reviews

Originally titled The Religions of Man, this completely revised and updated edition of Smith′s masterpiece, now with an engaging new foreword, explores the essential elements and teachings of the world′s predominant faiths, including:

Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Islam, Judaism, Christianity and the native traditions of the Americas, Australia, Africa, and Oceania.

Emphasising the inner -- rather than institutional -- dimensions of these religions, Smith devotes special attention to Zen and Tibetan Buddhism, Sufism, and the teachings of Jesus. He convincingly conveys the unique appeal and gifts of each of the traditions and reveals their hold on the human heart and imagination. (less)

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Published September 13th 1991 by HarperOne (first published 1958)

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Grace

Aug 08, 2012Grace rated it really liked it  ·  review of another edition

Shelves: books-to-read-again

I picked up this book thinking that this would be a good refresher, after all I'm a worldly woman who knows so much about other religions! Right? Yeah, I'm embarrassed about how smug that sounds, too. After perusing (in the truly correct use of that word) its pages, I honestly cannot believe how little I knew. And to be completely honest, I am still struggling to grasp all of the information presented by Smith.

This book is amazing. Smith readily admits that his work is not comprehensive (and really, how could it be?), but what I really appreciated was how effectively he ties in the history of each religion with its spirit. He delves into the core beliefs of each major religion, beginning with Hinduism and ending with Christianity, with a chapter at the end on the primal religions.

His parting advice to us is simply to listen. That in listening we are communicating, and in communicating we are loving. It doesn't get more beautiful than that.

It took me much longer to read than I initially assumed it would, so give yourself some time. But it was totally worth it, and I will read it again. (less)

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Tim

Jul 08, 2015Tim rated it it was amazing  ·  review of another edition

Shelves: religion-comparative

I hope to have time to reflect more on this one in writing. For now, a quote:

"But we also listen to the faith of others, including the secularists. We listen first because, as this book opened by noting, our times require it. The community today can be no single tradition; it is the planet. Daily the world grows smaller, leaving understanding the only place where peace can find a home. We are not prepared for the annihilation of distance that science has effected. Who today stands ready to accept the solemn equality of peoples? Who does not have to fight an unconscious tendency to equate foreign with inferior? ...Those who listen work for peace, a peace built not on ecclesiastical or political hegemonies but on understanding and mutual concern...Understanding, then, can lead to love. But the reverse is also true. Love brings understanding; the two are reciprocal. So we must listen to understand, but we must also listen to put into play the compassion that the wisdom traditions all enjoin, for it is impossible to love another without hearing that other." (390) (less)

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Paul

Dec 19, 2009Paul rated it it was ok

Shelves: comparative-religions

No doubt a popular book in terms of numbers of copies sold. The author is a highly respected scholar on world religions who has taught at some of the most prestigious universities in America. He also grew up in China and has imbibed the rituals of most of the religions he's studied. So why the two stars:

* Smith is a pluralist. I find this position doesn't allow for the most rigorous and critical analysis of the religious positions presented.

Indeed, I find this position ironically gives the least respect to other religions. When everyone become special and unique, no one is special and unique.

* Smith barely delves into the doctrines of the world's religions, and this is what I'm interested in leaning and knowing.

This, of course, helps out with the pluralism. If we mainly look at the moral aspects of religions, well, they seem quite similar. Confucius say nice things and Jesus does nice things too. After all, WWJD, baby!

* Smith was raised a Christian (well, a moralist), but ironically he seems to know the least about Christianity.

He reads the OT prophets as proto advocates of a social gospel, and he reads the NT like a liberal protestant.

But if that weren't enough, he tries to "defend" the trinity by comparing the triune God of the Bible water's three stages. But the good doctor fails to see that this is simply the modalist heresy.

And if that weren't enough, he misquotes the Bible more than once.

* The book is depressing, but upon reflection, uplifting. One is sad for the adherents of the other religions and the constant working they do so as to "get saved" (however that is cashed out in their particular religion). How tiring. How impossible a task.

But then the Christian reflects. Christianity is based on something it claims actually happened in history. This is Jesus, the God-man, who fulfilled the demands of the law, and then took the punishment due lawbreakers, and then rose from the dead. By faith the Christian believes that these things were done for him and he simply rests and trusts in the work of another. How utterly beautiful is the gospel of Christianity to the ears of weary sinners tired of doing what Confucius say, or bending and contorting their bodies in hopes that the yogic rituals will make them ready to enter nirvana.

I would not recommend this book for anyone who wants to take a serious looks at the beliefs of the world's religions and wants to know why the adherents of those religions find those beliefs compelling and true.

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Jamie

Jan 06, 2010Jamie rated it it was amazing

Huston provides a powerful punch of wonderous delight for the world's historical religions. I was left in awestuck wonder at how beautiful, pragmatic, and well thought out information that he articluates in this excellent book. This is an unbias fact base book that adhears to the positive side that religion provides (aside from the negativity that is obviously present within every religion, he bypasses that notion and delves into the heart and soul of each practice.)

I sat on my comfy sofa feeling the flecks of Eurika moments when my Westernized lacking of the Eastern religious became known to my clear concious. For example I erronously never knew that Hinduism was in actually embodiments of God (Brahmin), and never claimed to be attached to the polytheistic concept of gods. I never knew Buddhism claimed a 'non-soul' formation rather than obtaining a diety or type of heaven. Buddhism is self expansion. However my lacking of the Eastern practices which I found finally enlightened thorough Huston, the most embarassing Western religion that I found myself quite ignorant on was Islam. I thought of Islam from what I was known from the bias media, other religion's adgendas, and through a lack of educational enlightenment. Islam was the most enlightening and inspiring for me that I had to tell the world about how 'surrendering' Islam really is. Violence towards Islam coupled with Islam's faith is quite misunderstood, and completey wrong. Of course no one is discounting that there is domestic violence in Arab countries, but on the same coin there is also domestic violence towards women in America. The secret is that American's tend to 'shovel it under the rug'.

This book will provide a strong foundational backbone for anyone interested in learning about the world's religions. There is also a special chapter towards the end that talks about early man's 'primitive' or 'tribal' religions, before man became established on this earth (during prelithic and neolithic periods). This chapter alone is worth reading this book. Also on a side note, this book goes real well with Robert Van Voorst Anthology of World's Scriptures. For Huston skims over religion's doctrines and cultural rituals, where Voorst delves more into these aspects. (less)

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Nathaniel 

Jun 17, 2011Nathaniel rated it it was ok

The seminal inaccurate "world religions" volume for the ages. While Smith's coverage of the Judeo-Christian tradition is excellent and his treatment of Islam is adequate, he has a hard time getting away from the Middle Eastern/monotheistic perspective and allows it to color his writing. Consequently this book becomes less and less accurate the farther East he gets and the more different from the Judeo-Christian tradition the religions become. His handling of Buddhism and Taoism is particularly slipshod, coming at the traditions empirically without having truly experienced them. It's possible that he's finally remedied this in the newer editions, but the 1985 printing that I read had the same glaring holes that were in the 1960's original. This book dominated Western religious studies classes for decades, but in this globalized world its time is long past. Maybe look at the chapters on Western/Middle Eastern religions, especially if you're doing research in Judeo-Christian studies and want to build on Smith's widely-recognized work. However, any other chapters in this volume are so misleading that they are worse than useless. (less)

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Jennifer Olson

Dec 28, 2014Jennifer Olson rated it it was ok

Read this for a graduate class on Religion in Education. I think a lot of professors assign this book because it's a well-known one that covers many religions. The book works great if you want to hear Huston Smith's narrative interpretation of what the world's religions are about, however it's not so great if you actually want a good overview of world religions in order to gain some basic knowledge about them.

He makes lots of awkward comparisons with Christianity and Western culture that don't make the reading more accessible, nor really do justice to the traditions he's discussing. Half the time I can't figure out what he is talking about. In the chapter on Confucianism I find the line "Someone has ventured that in a woman's certitude that she is wearing precisely the right thing for the occasion, there is a peace that religion can neither give nor take away." Huh? In the middle of a chapter on Hinduism he starts going on for several paragraphs about C.S. Lewis. Rather than actually teaching about different traditions he gets caught up in making awkward comparisons and sweeping characterizations about each one that don't do justice to their complexity.

I left this book feeling like I could have learned so much more about world religions. (less)

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Paul

May 18, 2012Paul rated it it was amazing

Huston Smith's "The World's Religions" is one of the most significant books I've ever read. Smith digs underneath the rituals, theology, and cold historical facts to capture why some of these major religious traditions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Christianity, are so deeply and meaningfully profound to billions and billions of people. One may disagree about whether any of these religious faiths speak the the absolute or partial truth regarding the meaning of our existence or reality, but each faith does speak directly to our human condition and try to sustain meaning in a world that often feels cold or hostile to us. This book is not an attempt to convert, but to appreciate the richness of traditions and thought found in religions to answer the fundamental questions posed from the very depths of our lives. Using an analogy popularized by John Hick, we are all simply people blindfolded and feeling this great elephant in the room and just trying to figure out what it is. (less)

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Jasmine

Feb 13, 2022Jasmine rated it really liked it

This book is a very good introduction into the worlds religions. It is informative and gives insight into the religions core beliefs and also their historical mark on the world.

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Kitap

Dec 17, 2009Kitap rated it it was amazing  ·  review of another edition

Shelves: philosophy, hinduism, judaism, islam, religion, daoism, buddhism, christianity, confucianism, favorites

I've always found Huston Smith insightful, lucid, and fun to read, and so I chose this as one of my course textbooks (when the previous textbook came out in a new edition—for $110!). In spite of its lack of much primary source material (which Philip Novak's collection of scriptures supplements), this is an excellent introduction to the major religions of the world, "our wisdom traditions." Smith's concise chapters describe the big religions—Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism, Judaism, Islam, and Christianity—as well as discussing the role of religion in the 21st century and providing tips on how to approach religions and religious diversity. The illustrations are the weakest part of the book. Some are excellent, others (like the image of Mahavira in the chapter on Buddhism) are out of place, and the heavy reliance on the paintings of Marc Chagall didn't make much sense when the religions of the world afford so much imagery. (less)

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Cappy

Jul 28, 2009Cappy rated it liked it  ·  review of another edition

Shelves: theology

The book is thoroughly uneven - strong at some points (Hinduism, Buddhism, articulating the merits of the world's wisdom tradtions) and weak at others (Judaism, Tribal religions, covering the nuts and bolts of the world's religions).

"As it was, the first 'draft' of my book was delivered to a television audience, and the director of the series never let me forget that audience. This is not a classroom where you have a captive audience, he kept reminding me. If you lose their attention for thirty seconds they will switch stations and you won't get them back. So make your points if you must...But illustrate them immediately, with an example, an anecdote, a fragment of poetry, something that will connect your point to things your audience can relate to." (pg. xi-xii)

"What a strange fellowship this is, the God-seekers in every land, lifting their voices in the most disparate ways imaginable to the God of all life. How does it sound from above? Like bedlam, or do the strains blend in strange, ethereal harmony? Does one faith carry the lead, or do the parts share in counterpoint and antiphony where not in full-throated chorus?" (pg. 2)

"The empowering theological and metaphysical truths of the world's religions are...inspired. Institutions - religious institutions emphatically included - are another story. Constituted as they are of people with their inbuilt frailties, institutions are built of vices as well as virtues." (pg. 5)

"Science makes major contributions to minor needs, [Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes:] was fond of saying, adding that religion, however small its successes, is at least at work on the things that matter the most." (pg. 9)

"Religion is not primarily a matter of facts; it is a matter of meanings." (pg. 10)

"If we were to take Hinduism as a whole - its vast literature, its complicated rituals, its sprawling folkways, its opulent art - and compress it into a single affirmation, we would find it saying: You can have what you want." (pg. 13)

"Though in some watered-down sense there may be a religion of self-worship, true religion begins with the quest for meaning and value beyond self-centeredness. It renounces the ego's claim to finality." (pg. 19)

"A distinctive feature of human nature is its capacity to think of something that has no limits: the infinite." (pg. 21)

"Life is so filled with disappointments that we are likely to assume they are built into the human condition." (pg. 23)

"By and large, life is powered less by reason than by emotion, and of the many emotions that crowd the human heart, the strongest is love." (pg. 32)

"Work is the staple of human life. The point is not simply that all but a few people must work to survive. Ultimately, the drive to work is psychological rather than economic. Forced to be idle, most people become irritable; forced to retire, they decline." (pg. 37)

"How long can the average mind think of one thing - one thing only, without slipping first into thinking about thinking about that thing and taking off from ther on a senseless chain of irrelavencies? About three and a half seconds, psychologists tell us." (pg. 48)

Consider Shankara's invocation of "Oh Thou, before whom all words recoil." (pg. 60)

"Most people have little idea how much they secretly bank on luck - hard luck to justify past failures, good luck to bring future successes. How many people drift through life simply waiting for the breaks." (pg. 65)

"It is no accident that the only art form India failed to produce was tragedy." (pg. 72)

Consider "[Hinduism's:] conviction that the various major religions are alternate paths to the same goal. To claim salvation as the monopoly of any one religion is like claiming that God can be found in this room but not the next, in this attire but not another." (pg. 73)

"[Buddha:] was undoubtedly one of the greatest rationalists of all times, resembling in this respect no one as much as Socrates. Every problem that came his way was subjected to cool, dispassionate analysis." (pg. 88)

"Dukkha, then, names the pain that to some degree colors all finite existence...it was used in Pali to refer to wheels whose axles were off-center...A modern metaphor might be a shopping cart that we try to steer from the wrong end." (pg. 101)

"Reason's most vociferous detractors must admit that it plays at least this much of a role in human life: Whether or not it has the power to lure, it clearly holds power of veto." (pg. 106)

"Metaphysics is unavoidable. Everyone harbors some notions about ultimate questions, and these notions affect interpretations of subsidiary issues." (pg. 113)

"Some problems are posed so clumsily by our language as to preclude solution by their very formulation." (pg. 118)

"Religions invariably split." (pg. 120)

"What is the best part of the human self, its head or its heart? A popular parlor game used to revolve around the question, 'If you had to choose, would you rather be loved or respected?'" (pg. 121)

"Though Confucius did not author Chinese culture, he was its supreme editor." (pg. 154)

"There is plenty of violence in nature, but on the whole it is between species, not within them." (pg. 161)

"Individualism and self-consciousness are contagious. Once they appear, they spread like epidemic and wildfire. Unreflective solidarity is a thing of the past." (pg. 163)

"To harp exclusively on love is to preach ends without means." (pg. 167)

"Altruism is not much engendered by exhortation." (pg. 168)

"Genius does not depend upon full, self-conscious understanding of its creations...Probably all exceptional creativity proceeds more by intuitive feel than by explicit discernment." (pg. 170)

Consider that the name Muhammad "has been born by more male children than any other in the world." (pg. 224)

"From without, the Koran is all but impenetrable. No one has ever curled up on a rainy weekend to read the Koran." (pg. 233)

"God's compassion and mercy are cited 192 times in the Koran, as against 17 references to his wrath and vengeance." (pg. 237)

"Heroism is never a mass option." (pg. 253)

"Spain and Anatolia changed hands at about the same time - Christians expelled the Moors from Spain, while Muslims conquered what is now Turkey. every Muslim was driven from Spain, put to the sword, or forced to convert, whereas the seat of the Eastern Orthodox church remains in Instanbul to this day." (pg. 256)

"Every religion at some stages in its career has been used by its professed adherents to mask aggression." (pg. 257)

"Mysticism breaks through the boundaries that protect the faith of the typical believer." (pg. 264)

"Compared with the histories of Assyria, Babylon, Egypt, and Syria, Jewish history is strictly minor league." (pg. 272)

"The word sin comes from a root meaning 'to miss the mark.'" (pg. 281)

"Nobody likes moral rules anymore than they like stop lights or 'no left turn' signs." (pg. 286)

"The Prophetic Principle can be put as follows: The prerequisite of political stability is social justice." (pg. 292)

"The idea of progress - belief that the conditions of life can improve, and that history can in this sense get somewhere - originated in the West." (pg. 296)

"The idea that a universal God decided that divine nature should be uniquely and incoparably disclosed to a single people is among the most difficult notions to take seriously in the entire study of religion." (pg. 307)

"We have heard Jesus' teachings so often that their edges have been worn smooth, dulling their subversiveness." (pg. 326)

"Doctrins...seem tedious if not incredible and at times annoying." (pg. 339)

"Every people, oursleves not excepted, needs to think well of its origins; it is part of having a healthy self-image." (pg. 381)

"The worthful aspects of reality - its values, meaning and purpose - slip through the devices of science in the way that the sea slips through the nets of fishermen." (pg. 386) (less)

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Andrew Hunt

Jul 12, 2012Andrew Hunt rated it liked it

Recommended to Andrew by: Grandpa

Shelves: religion-spirituality

I would have preferred a more factual presentation. As is, the book focuses primarily on philosophical generalizations derivable from events and doctrines whose historical development (and evidence-based justification) Smith leaves by the wayside. It's worth a read if you're already well acquainted with the facts and want an introduction to the spirit of each religion, but it wouldn't make a good textbook. Smith's ideas and evident first-hand knowledge are, however, admirable. (less)

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Ming Wei

Dec 05, 2018Ming Wei rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-religion-related-books

A very interesting book, from this book I learnt many things about some religions that I did not know, worth a read if you like religion related theme books. Would be an excellent choice for students at College or University for study reasons.

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Kristi

Oct 26, 2021Kristi rated it really liked it

James and I read for seminary 9/10 grade years. Very interesting and great to get a good overview of many different religions.

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Joseph Schrock

May 24, 2018Joseph Schrock rated it it was amazing

I have found “The World’s Religions” by Huston Smith to be a worthwhile read. The book is highly informative about the greatly diverse religious beliefs, values, and traditions among the world’s great and not-so-great religions. I found it to be a highly engaging experience to read about the diverse ways in which human civilizations have, throughout the centuries and millennia of human history, expressed their desires to commune with the Spiritual Realm – a Realm often referred to as God. I learned a lot from reading this book, but I believe that the greatest benefit for me was the stark realization of how very different cultures can arrive at spiritual and moral values and philosophies. Not only are there awesomely great diversities within respective religions, but even more pronounced are some of the utterly different ways that the world’s religions can instruct their adherents to worship or serve the Divine.

Huston Smith has performed a valuable service in his in-depth treatments of the numerous diverse religions on our planet. Jews differ from Christians, Hindus greatly differ from both Jews and Christians, Muslims have their convictions that extend beyond the boundaries of the other Abrahamic religions, and the Buddhists, Taoists, and those of the Shinto faith subscribe to vastly different concepts of the Divine than do the Western religions.

My reading of Smith’s book has encouraged me to be very disinclined to denounce those of religions that contrast with my own traditions. Rather, an attitude of openness can be fostered and encouraged by reading such an unbiased and objectively written work. I would recommend “The World’s Religions” to anyone who believes that religion speaks powerfully to the human spirit and can help guide us toward harmony with Ultimate Reality.

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James

Dec 30, 2011James rated it liked it  ·  review of another edition

My rating should really be split into two: 5/5 for the art and 2/5 for the written content. The photographs and artworks in The Illustrated World's Religions are gorgeous, and highly illustrative of the various faiths in question. But the text is riddled with sweeping generalities. Peoples with highly different faiths and worldviews are lumped together: the final chapter, "The Primal Religions", includes Australian Aborigines, Native Americans, and various peoples of Africa and New Guinea as all constituting some amorphous religious blob, and even Jainism, a completely distinct religion, is added without clarity to the Hinduism section. The diversity present within numerous religious groups is entirely glossed over. While many of the examples are true, they do not have strong subtlety in dealing with each faith. Yet, the text does do a good job in situating the art within an appropriate religious and historical context.

All in all, a good coffee table book, if the reader considers the text as a complimentary addition to the art and not vice-versa. (less)

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Qt

Nov 15, 2007Qt rated it really liked it  ·  review of another edition

Shelves: nonfiction

A very nicely-put-together book, this consists of chapters written by various authors on different facets of religion: pilgrimages, prayers, modern directions of the church, etc. My favorite part was the photos, which were of National Geographic-type quality and showed people performing various religious activities, as well as some beautiful shots of temples, churches, and scenery.

While not really something I would ordinarily just pick up to read, it was a very easy-reading book--very interesting, beautifully put together, and quite informative. I'd recommend it to anyone interested in an introduction to different religions (the chart outlining the different facets of Christianity is particularly useful!), or anyone wanting to read some religious-topic essays illustrated by beautiful photographs. (less)

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Brandon

Jun 20, 2011Brandon rated it it was amazing

Shelves: philosophy, owned-books

The World's Religions is one of the most insightful introductory texts to the distinct religions in the world one will discover. It was through this book that allows me to give a one-word definition for each of the definitions; for without them I will perhaps will not remember the words, the brilliance, and social implications Smith brought into an extremely well-written eulogy of the world's religions. Whilst I continue to remain an agnostic atheist, I will have had the opportunity to qualify my own existence further just by learning more about the populations that populate the planet.

Primal Religions = First

Hinduism = Unison

Buddhism = Enlightenment

Confucianism = Living

Taoism = Flow

Islam = Surrender

Judaism = Meaning

Christianity = Rest

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Eric

Jul 01, 2009Eric rated it it was amazing  ·  review of another edition

Shelves: sprituality

I read this book for a World Religions class which was actually the intro class, but I took it at the end :) I didn't expect much from a 101 class, but this book really grabbed me. As Smith says in the beginning, 'There are plenty of sources dealing with the negative aspects of religions and religious strife over the years. This book focuses on the positive aspects, the ideal each religion is striving for.'

It really opened up new worlds to me, and it was a breath of fresh air to have Christianity at the end; it allowed you to see it from a broader perspective. And the photos speak as much as the words, giving you a sense of the people who practice, if only a condensed view. (less)

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Drew

Dec 26, 2016Drew rated it it was amazing

Brilliant! Huston Smith, a Christian, is a child of missionaries who has lived in many parts of the world. He has taught comparative religion courses for many years. He dedicates a chapter in this book to each of the world's major religions. He deals with each religion sensitively, in depth, with generosity and with impressive insight. He points out, quoting Justice Holmes, that science makes major contributions to minor needs and that religion, however small its successes, is at least at work on the things that matter most. My world view has been broadened as a result of reading this book. (less)

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Madhuri

Apr 23, 2020Madhuri rated it it was amazing

Shelves: non-fiction, religion

Reading this book was an education of the most wonderful kind. I have been trying to make sense of religion and overcoming my perception of it as merely an elaborate system of rituals. In this book I have encountered much wisdom, even the ability to see the value in the rituals and the myths. It is easier for me to recognise that my temperament was not suitable to the tradition of devotion which I assumed to be the only form of religion. It is important for me to reflect and to experiment, and it is heartening to know that there is a path to religion through that too.

I am sure I will keep coming back to this book as a guide. (less)

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Megan

Feb 21, 2009Megan rated it really liked it

Uh, well, I kinda read this one. :) It was more dense than I am used to, it took me a long time to read and I couldn't renew it anymore at the library so I had to take it back before I finished it. I got about a 1/3 to 1/2 through it and I thought it was excellent. As one critic said, it really captures the "spirit" of major religions instead of focusing on dogma or traditions. I am considering purchasing so I can finish it and have it as a reference book. (less)

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Patrick

Sep 19, 2011Patrick rated it it was amazing

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I love this book b/c it shows religious tradition at its essence.

Judaism - The first revolutionary monotheistic religion that centers on one monotheistic God in which the whole life of a people as well as of an individual focuses on that God. I like how morality is seen as away to keep social cohesion. There are a lot of modern building blocks of society that springs from its creation:

1)Guilt - If the world created by God is good and everything in it is good, then the bad is purely a human creation.

2)individual self-empowerment = if things are bad b/c of human deeds, then man can change his work so things can be good for himself and his people

3)Private property and Capitalism = if God created things that are good and charged men as having dominion over it, then it is only natural that man would want the good stuff that God created

4)Individual choice in creation of ones life - man is a demigod

5)social justice and the rule of law = prophets were ordinary men who told the kings that they were not being loyal to YHWH and thus would be punished; thereby giving credence that no one was above God's law. Also, because Jews can change their circumstances then they have the responsibility to make society better.

6)YHWH was the first God who cares for his people and since it is one God, their loyalties are not divided

7)Moses/Exodus/10 commandments is important to the Jewish faith because it is when God gave laws to the Jewish people and its creation as a state of Israel. The is the reason it is so hard for orthodox Jews to give up the idea of Israel because the founding of its state in exile was also the founding of its people as well as its religion. Apparently before this point, there was no Israel. Jewish people believed that God's grace was shown to them by "giving" them the land of Israel and thus are God's chosen people. But in order for them to keep God's grace, they have to remain faithful to God's commandments\

8)Incidentally, the fact that Jews were not allowed to own land combined with the study and debate of Rabbinic tradition made the Jews uniquely situated through 2000 years of natural selection to take advantage of today's knowledge economy. Also, the idea of the Kibbutzim in which people toil with their hands is a direct response to Jews being forbid to own lands in Europe as well as the utopian ideal of socialism in which everyone is one in the community.

9) Another reason that it is hard for orthodox Jewish settlers to sacrifice all of Israel is the idea that the Messiah coming that will not only restore the state of Israel in its entirety but also will bring law and order to the whole world through a unified Israel. Thus, Zionism is the outgrowth of belief in the Messianic age in which the political and the spiritual mold together in creating the perfect Israel.

10) Ritual: Catholics get this from the Jews are idea the ritual is important in our religious ceremonies. Ritual molds the profane with the mundane together that is the spirit of God is suffused in our daily lives. Unlike Catholicism, Judaism's rituals the suffuses itself in holiness in their daily lives is so linked to their history thus making historical Israel basically indistinguishable from the holiness of Israel as a people. Further making it difficult for orthodox settlers to give up the land that God has given them by Divine right.

Islam - all fundamentalist from every religion should convert to Islam if they want to live according to the literal word of God. Islam itself means one's life surrender to God. Muslim believe that the Koran is the direct word of God just as Christian's believe that Jesus is God's word made flesh. Thus, fundamentalist's usually do not have room for any interpretation because the Koran is very doctrinary to enforce how Muslim should behave toward God and historical context is only incidental to the main purpose of the Koran which is to organize Muslims toward God. In the context of a chaotic world in which there was no morality and no laws, one understands how Muhammed was able to convince Arabian people that the Koran which organized the world around God's supreme word. Also Islamic fundamentalist also have a hard time separating church from state because their prophet brought order politically in a time of chaos by marrying the church with the state in Medina. What was once a strength of Islam its immutability during a time of chaos is now its greatest weakness b/c it cannot adapt to a world that is constantly changing. Apparently, the Koran is meant to be spoken in Arabic because in its spoken form it is so melodious that is it though the greatest poet have come down to speak it. It is like my preference for melody over the lyrical importance of a song.

Knowing this, how does one ask Muslim to focus on the Koranic introspective version (Sufism) instead of its socio-political bent. Obviously, there are countries (Turkey and perhaps Indonesia) that has married modernity and Islam. Perhaps this is because they are not Arab. I think this is the reason m.c. democracy in the middle east is a top priority b/c it is only through this means that we can see of our civilizations can coexist.

Muhammed to me seems to be an enlightened ruler who was needed during an age of lawlessness but that age is not this age. Also, Muhammed seems to be a person who goes into trances like other mystics of the middle age. The problem with Muhammad and Islam is not what Muhammad did during his age but the persistent belief of what his social prescription for his age works today. In fact, I think Muhammad was an enlightened ruler for his age, but does the way he did things which was enlightened by 7th century standards the way Muslim should do things now a 1,500 years later?

The good thing about Islam is that they are concerned with social justice issues too, just like Christians. But like Judaism, I am afraid their social justice issues are highly tribal and linked to their own respective religions.

Basic beliefs of Muslims:

God is not a God of love but a God of fear in his awesome being. Since Muslims are continuously conscious of the Judgement Day, they have to act righteously continuously in accordance to the Koran. There way of thinking goes like this the Fear in God leads one to surrender to his will and thus do the right thing constantly which leads to peace in oneself by knowing you are doing God's will which leads to joy. Thus, I believe Islam is the institutionalization of Christian fundamentalist conversion experience via explicit laws laid out in the Koran.

The one thing that I agree and I like about Islamic religion is its total surrender to God and the fact that it challenges its adherents towards charity. The main thing that I disagree with Islam is the seeming compulsion of these acts in the form of Islamic law.

Islamic law

1) Economics - it does not forbid capitalism but it states that people with money should give to people who do not have anything thereby having a redistribution of wealth

2)Issue of women - In Islam, marriage is the most sacred thing and philanderers are to be stoned. I guess for the time, the innovative thing is men had to take care of the women they slept with and raise their children

3)Islam is adamant on its desire for racial equality as seen in its enforcement of Mecca in which social status disappears in the eyes of God and people from all over the world commune together in Mecca regardless of nationality

4)Use of Force - jihad (the lesser) is only to be used in self-defense or to right a wrong. The problem of course is since there is a loop-hole in the Koran for war, people with political motives have used a Koranic defensive posture for terrorist bombings. This inicidentally goes against the Islamic notion that God created human beings an He sees them as good.

5) Muhammad promoted religious tolerance in his kingdom so Islamic countries should likewise respect other religions.

In the study of Islam vs. Judaism one sees why there is such a battle for Israel. Whereas Islam marries religion and the state and sees itself as God's word that should be followed on earth and thus supreme to other religions, Judaism sees Israel as part of historical Israel which was promised by God through eternity to his chosen people, the Jews. Religion should really be left out of politics when one deals with the middle east because faith in any religion is uncompromising. The reason why Islam has a hard time adapting to the world is that the Koran is an all encompassing book that institutionalize how people should behave and have faith.

I am convinced if we could get most Muslim to practice Sufism, there would be know Islam/Christian aggression. This is why the Sufi mosque close to 9/11 is a welcome one being that it is the unifying force of Islam. But seeing that Sufism seeks to unify with God and thus is esoteric and take the laws in the Koran as allegorical whereas most Muslims believe that what the Koran writes is the law that God wants Muslims to follow, I do not see mass conversion to Sufism. Maybe a better strategy is west to play up the focus of Islam to the Greater Jihad in each individual as oppose to enforcing it to general society.

CHRISTIANITY:

Like Judaism, the historical Jesus seems insignificant. After all, he came from a Jewish tribe which is one of thousands other principalities under Rome and his ministry itself only lasted 1 to 3 years. How did one man from a boonies tribe with a short ministry so effect the world that a third of the worlds population worships him now. The answer of course is that he was a social prophet who was sent to heal humanity.

Apparently Jesus and the Pharisees were closest to one another in terms of how they saw God with the difference being that Jesus emphasized total compassion toward other people whereas the Pharisees emphasized following the letter of the law above all else. Whereas Orthodox Jews and Islam emphasize written laws as a path to God, Jesus emphasized principles that can be expressed in many different ways.

I think the main reason that the Western world took to democracy and individual liberty as well as it has is because of its Christian outlook. Jesus himself questioned the utility of following the Mosiac laws and the prevailing social convention of his day when it did not impact people and make them closer to God. From his example, we get the fact that men through grass roots democracy can change his social order as well as critical thinking skills that question systems that may have worked ones but no longer work now. Unlike Islam in which its adherent has to conform to it, Christianity does mold into peoples lives because it seeks to change a person from the inside out and leaves his cultural outlook in tact.

The reason Christians think Jesus is God b/c:

1) He did good work without seeking fame for them or monetary compensation

2)His wisdom through what he says is legendary and by speaking in parables he used metaphor and peoples imagination to convey his message with central theme being God loves us unconditionally and that love in turn will naturally be shared to all. The use of engaging in imagination favors innovators and creative types which is in stark contrast to main stream Islam and Orthodox Jews with their countless laws they have to adhere to.

3)He lived with total integrity and thus hated hypocrisy as the chief sin

Gospel: What separates Christianity from other religions is the fact that its members experience the fire of the Holy Spirit that brought with it Christian Love that God gives to us and the fact that we want to share this Love with others. It was this value of feeling God's presence in our lives through his Divine Love that displaced the feelings of fear, guilt for not living up to ones potential, and disregard for the self in favor for the all-encompassing Love that made mass conversion possible and attracted people to the early church. Through the principle of Christian Love, a feeling of common discipleship that disregard status and feeling of inner peace that found expression in exuberant joy.

Also unlike Islam, the conversion experience is highly individualized instead of institutionalized. Thus, this individualization and the sense of the mystical body of Christ that needs to be expressed differently in order to come into the same goal is in direct contradiction of the Islamic way of top-down submission to the will of Allah via the Islamic law explicitly stated in the Koran.

Christian theology sprung from from religious experience and tried to explain the what people were experiencing. The three cornerstones of this theology is: 1) Incarnation - Jesus is a full man and full God 2) Atonement - Jesus died for our sins (separation away from God) so that we can be reconciled with him 3) Trinity - God's love extends to three beings and by extension us the mystical body of God. So what this all means is that God is a continuum that can extend to us if we fervently have faith in him and do his will on earth

Christian Denomination

1) Roman Catholicism - teaches that the Church concentrated on the Pope is the final authority in matters of faith and morality and that the sacraments are the way for us to live the Christian life by infusing the Divines presence in our daily lives. The most pressing of this example is the Mass and the communing of God's presence on earth in the form of the Holy Eucharist

2) Eastern Orthodox - is similar to Catholicism in its sacrament but teaches that corporate body of the Church is the final authority of faith and morality as present in the ecclesiastical councils of Bishops. It teaches that all its members has direct responsibility to the Church which includes electing its clergy and thus everyone needs to keep the other in line. Thus, unlike Catholicism, everyone is responsible for the Churches well-being and unlike Protestantism everyone is solidly behind the Orthodox faith. Also, the orthodox church encourages everyone to be a mystic in that they want their congregation to be united with Christ

3) Protestantism

a) Justification by Faith - The starting point for all Christians is faith to Jesus Christ and Christian Love and through this faith meaning is infused into the Sacraments, Creeds, and good works. Without this faith and belief the sacraments, creeds, and good works are meaningless.

b)Protestant principle- against idolatry that is nothing on earth is infallible since it is touched by human hands thus people should always question earthly power ---> gives rise to critical thinking skills---> diversity of thought---> diversity of action---> societal checks and balances via rejection of absolutes ---> rise of Western Power

i) protestant can succumb to biblotry - they think that the Bible is the unerring Word of God when it is supposed to be only His medium in communicating his will on Earth----so the Bible is should not be seen as Dogmatic rather it should be used as a medium.... Incidentally, I think it is protestantism insistence on reading the Bible for oneself that gave rise to global literacy

ii) inerrant works of the Holy Spirit through man

BUDDHISM:

I see the Buddhist philosophy as pre-christian addendum to Christianity. I think the Buddha himself was the first famous pre-Christian mystic saint in that he preached and practice Christian Love.

The reason I think Buddhist philosophy is compatible with Christianity is the way the Buddha lived out his life with Christian Love and total integrity just like Jesus. Imagine trying to explain Christian Love suffused with the power of the Holy Spirit 500 years before Christ using language of the pervading concept of religion (Hinduism) so people who want to follow enlightenment can understand what you are teaching. I think this is the reason he was so circumvect in his teaching because He was trying to explain an phenomenon in which the words have not been created yet. To Buddha, Nirvana is dissolving of self into the Oneness of the Divine (Christian concept of heaven on earth) and thus cease to exist as an individual but instead he started to do God's will and thus became an extension of God himself (Pauline Christian mystical body of God).

Like Jesus, Buddha hated social conventions that separated people from each other and he rejected religious authorities of his day for preaching spirituality that is devoid of meaning. After leading a life of pleasure in the world, the Buddha sought to experience enlightenment apart from the world. Buddhism rose as a rejection of the meaningless religion of his day and preached the enlightenment (Christian Love) can be attained by anyone who seeks it without any preconditions. Like him, enlightenment must be experienced by the seeker.

BUDDHIST TEACHINGS:

1) Once a person focuses solely on material things of this world outside his basic comforts (middle way or Christian simplicity), he is doomed to disappointment and suffering

2) Suffering is caused by selfish desire that attaches us to the material world

3) The only way out of this suffering is to focus on being selfless and to think of how our actions will effect the universe

4) The way out of selfishness into universal thinking is through the 8th fold path which is to live with total integrity to being good in ones mind, heart, soul, and actions.

a)One needs to know why one is seeking enlightenment

b)One needs to know that he wants to seek enlightenment in his heart---> so one can have persistence towards it

c) right speech - since speech shows one's character so one has to be aware of what one is speaking and gradually focus on saying the right thing

d) right conduct - one's actions need to be good and pure

e) right livelihood - one needs to do something that is consistent with one's good character

f) right effort - one has to have the will to live the Buddhist way

g) right mindfulness - self-awareness in what one is thinking good and bad and gradually change it to focus on the good

h) right concentration - meditation toward enlightenment is the only way to bring it

Buddhist sects: Theravada vs Mahayana

Theravada rightly believes that Buddha was a saint who taught how one can achieve enlightenment (heaven on earth) and only those who become compenlative monks can achieve similar enlightenment

Mahayana sect focus on Buddha's being not his teaching in that Buddhist should be compassionate since the Buddha himself was compassionate. Since this sect is awed by the Buddha's compassion (Christian Love) they mistakenly assume that he was the messiah.

Mahayana sect:

1) Pure Land sect believes that only through faith alone of the Divine does one reach Nirvana

2) Zen Buddhism - the use of words that expresses scripture or creeds are imperfect so they prefer to silently meditate, answer difficult illogical questions in order to banish the logical mind and thus achieve Satori. One they achieve Satori they must live their lives as though the infinite has come down to the finite plain. A person is said to achieve Satori when he sees that absolute beauty of life, have a dispassionate view of the world so compassion flows out from his very being b/c everything and himself are unified, and they do everything with meaning as though the infinite is present in every mundane task (Therese of Lisieux).

Tibetan Buddhism focuses on Tantra interconnectedness through movt via Mantras(words), Mudras(movt.), Mandalas(symbolism) in order to attain Nirvana now. Dalai Lama is the bodhavista is the being that shows it is possible to attain enlightenment now.

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Jared Woods

Jul 20, 2020Jared Woods rated it it was amazing

I don't know what happened over the last five years but my interest in religion has unceasingly grown until it sprouted legs. It then proceeded to trip me up and stomp on my skull causing my obsession gland to explode onto my carpet and now it's all I think about. When I read another sacred text or grasp the innards of a new belief system, I feel myself level-up, earning a badge of historical understanding within long developed paths of spiritual access. My enthusiasm has sunk so far inward that I've already founded my own religion, Janthopoyism, which I consider to be the central point where the collective holy worship can function in unity with the universal sciences. Look us up!

But just because I've located solace in my personal conclusions, this does not mean that my hunger has been muffled. Hence why I recently determined that I needed a book akin to a fat religious cake with hefty slices representing multiple faiths, allowing me to digest various divine outlooks in the shortest timeframe possible. Moments later, this publication came roaring down the pipeline, winning first place in my attention race, two-million sold, lathered in accolades, ordering me to order it immediately. Ok! I ordered it! I read it! I'm here!

The World's Religions focuses primarily on seven of the biggest names: Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Islam, Judaism, and Christianity (with a small section devoted to primal religions too). Why Sikhism was hardly discussed and why Jainism was excluded (to mention only a few) baffles me but never mind. Because what was covered was done so thoroughly, churned out from a uniquely rich perspective, leaning into the spiritual enlightenment of these beliefs rather than wasting time analysing the oft-misguided organisations that were built around them. I eagerly learned something new on every page and was embarrassed at how incorrect I was about certain previous judgments, ideas that once appeared absurd to me now making total sense. On the other side of this, however, were those powerful concepts I comprehended from my solar plexus outwards but never had the vocabulary to connect them to my head. This book poured the cement of knowledge into my brain and smoothed out the crevices, reinforcing what it is that I love so dear about religion and what it is that so many fail to see.

Religion is heartbreakingly misunderstood. It's not as much of a blind faith as people often assume it is, but rather, complex theories set forth by some of the greatest philosophers that ever existed then debated for thousands of years by millions of reflective thoughts further. Every religion is essentially good if you concentrate on the words of their prophets and/or earliest teachings, promoting love and unity, moral progression and a quest to encounter perfection. What's more, plenty of souls have pursued these doctrines and, no matter the denomination, have achieved profound spiritual breakthroughs. They have deconstructed the universe often using logical measurements then uniting their vibrations with the inner-workings of this infinite divinity, an achievement which would be difficult to attain without these guidances. And I can't think of anything more beautiful or more important than this. Sadly, the bigger a doctrine becomes and the longer it exists for, the easier it splits and the greater the temptation is for a select few individuals to exploit the name for a disguised ulterior chase of power. It's such a shame that these ugly yet rare practices have turned so many minds away from core messages that could soothe their lives with an aura of peace. To write religion off is nothing but a disservice to yourself but, whatever, moving on.

When considering such a celebrated topic, well-researched content is imperative but this alone would be useless if the voice did not know how to handle the message. And it is here that you learn why this specific publication is as revered as it is. Huston Smith harnesses an undeniable adoration for the subject matter which he sets forth with poetic flair, utilising descriptive language which (truth be told) may have benefited from simpler deliveries and shorter sentences. However, it is this vibrancy that moulds an otherwise intricate and testing topic into a bright and exciting experience. His intellect and expertise ooze through his impassioned words as if the paper had pores and, what's more, he really gets it. Each religion is articulated with respect, treating their designated slots as if this belief is the correct one, always rational and fair, never succumbing to bias, leaving me with no idea which faith this man even subscribed to (if any). He did an impressively meticulous job here and I was in awe every step of the way, grateful for the miniature dollop of enlightenment that inevitably comes with examining material like this. Without fail, my mood forever elated during these reading sessions, at times curiously so. Simply put, this was the right book. I don’t know what I was expecting but I got everything.

I closed this cover more confident than ever that I am on the correct path of discovery. I think specialising in one religion is where the danger lies but by dedicating yourself to all of them, you start to piece together a monumental picture of collaborated thought. My mind and spirit have been fed, enriched from these seven important timelines of metaphysical hypothesis and I feel blessed by a soft underlying sensation of wellbeing. It's strange but I truly believe that studying religious principles reveals to you more about yourself than anything else, and the deeper I explore these ideas the calmer my state of person becomes. I am thankful for this book's significant role on my exciting journey and I simply couldn't score it any less than perfect for what it is. I genuinely cannot fault Huston's work and would recommend it immediately to anybody with similar pursuits. (less)

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Kate Nos

Apr 14, 2021Kate Nos rated it did not like it

I stopped on the first chapter because of inaccurate informations about Hinduism. Coming from European deeply catholic country I wanted to learn about other religions, yet I am also lucky to have a husband raised in a Hindu Brahmin house that can check the accuracy of what the author is saying.

Even when the book is trying to go to the source of the information talking about sanskrit word artha, the translation is wrong. The author is referring to it as a "things, objects, worldly success", when it simply stands for "meaning". This changes a lot in what he is trying to say.

From other reviews I can see that book is ok if you want to learn more about western religions, but from perspective of a person reading this book while sitting at my Indian in laws' couch I can say that the Hinduism chapter has very little to do with the reality. (less)

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Debra Leigh

Jun 18, 2018Debra Leigh rated it it was amazing

One of the earlier editions of this book was my first introduction into the subject of world religions -- that was many decades ago now, and the book remains on my shelf. I am a huge fan of the scholarship and work of Huston Smith -- both as an academic and as a public intellectual. He brought this topic into the public awareness of Americans by popularizing the topic, offering lectures beyond the college campus, providing shows on PBS. His was a very open-minded and open-hearted approach to the study and the understanding of the world's wisdom traditions -- a term he prefers because it encompasses more than the word "religion" -- and I would say that every one should have a copy of this book of their shelves, as a primer to understand the spiritual practices of the world's people. (less)

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Jacob O'connor

Dec 29, 2020Jacob O'connor rated it it was amazing

The best class I ever took in college was also the first.  It was my freshman semester in junior college, and I signed up for Philosophy of Religions.  That course helped me connect two loves of my life: theology and apologetics.   I recently brushed off the textbook, Huston Smith's World Religions.  It was interesting revisiting it again with a bit more worldliness and experience under my belt.  I can definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a primer of the various faiths found around the world.  (less)

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Courtney Mosier Warren

Feb 27, 2018Courtney Mosier Warren rated it really liked it

This is not a light read, that being said, it is an incredibly important read. Smith gives an overview of the world's religions without showing his personal beliefs. This is the kind of book that I can see myself going back to time and time again. It is a great read and makes you think deeply. I learned a lot. (less)

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Kirsten D

Dec 15, 2021Kirsten D rated it it was amazing

Ahhh!!!! I LOVED THIS BOOK SO INCREDIBLY MUCH. I believe that we all have a responsibility to educate ourselves about the religions of our fellow humans, and this is a fantastic place for westerners to start. Written for westerners by a westerner, this book relays the essence of each of the major world religions. It does not glorify, fetishize, or engage in toxic positivity. Instead, it is graceful in its descriptions and comparisons. Honestly, I think is pretty much the best we could expect from a white American male— and Huston Smith exceeded my expectations by far. This book really touched me several times and brought me to tears, and also had me laughing with glee at other moments. I’m just so grateful for it and couldn’t recommend it highly enough. I’m so happy with the knowledge I gained and I’m honestly going to start re-reading it right away. Which is something I haven’t ever done before. (less)

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Spencer

May 05, 2019Spencer rated it really liked it

A generous presentation written by a true fanboy. The divine message of the ages: be humble, be kind, seek truth. Things are more integrated than they seem, they are better than they seem, they are more mysterious than they seem. There is the prospect of a happy ending.

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Sufism 

 

We have been treating Islam as if it were monolithic, which of course it is not. Like every religious tradition it divides. Its main historical 

division is between the mainstream Sunnis (“Traditionalists” [from sunnah, tradition] who comprise 87 percent of all Muslims) and the 

Shi’ites (literally “partisans” of Ali, Muhammad’s son-in-law, whom Shi’ites believe should have directly succeeded Muhammad but 

who was thrice passed over and who, when he was finally appointed leader of the Muslims, was assassinated). Geographically, the 

Shi’ites cluster in and around Iraq and Iran, while the Sunnis flank them to the West (the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa) and to the 

East (through the Indian subcontinent, which includes Pakistan and Bangladesh, on through Malaysia, and into Indonesia, where alone 

there are more Muslims than in the entire Arab world). We shall pass over this historical split, which turns on an in-house dispute, and 

take up instead a division that has universal overtones. It is the vertical division between the mystics of Islam, called Sufis, and the re- 

maining majority of the faith, who are equally good Muslims but are not mystics. 

The root meaning of the word Sufi is wool, suf. A century or two after Muhammad’s death, those within the Islamic community who 

bore the inner message of Islam came to be known as Sufis. Many of them donned coarse woolen garments to protest the silks and 

satins of sultans and califs. Alarmed by the worldliness they saw overtaking Islam, they sought to purify and spiritualize it from within. 

They wanted to recover its liberty and love, and to restore to it its deeper, mystical tone. Externals should yield to internals, matter to 

meaning, outward symbol to inner reality. “Love the pitcher less,” they cried, “and the water more.” 

Sufis saw this distinction between the inner and the outer, the pitcher and what it contains, as deriving from the Koran itself, where 

Allah presents himself as both “the Outward [al-zahir] and the Inward [al-batin]” (57:3). Exoteric Muslims—we shall call them such be- 

cause they were satisfied with the explicit meanings of the Koran’s teachings—passed over this distinction, but the Sufis (esoteric Mus- 

lims) found it important. Contemplation of God occupies a significant place in every Muslim’s life, but for most it must compete, pretty 

much on a par, with life’s other demands. When we add to this that life is demanding—people tend to be busy—it stands to reason that 

not many Muslims will have the time, if the inclination, to do more than keep up with the Divine Law that orders their lives. Their fidelity 

is not in vain; in the end their reward will be as great as the Sufis’. But the Sufis were impatient for their reward, if we may put the matter 

thus. They wanted to encounter God directly in this very lifetime. Now. 

This called for special methods, and to develop and practice them the Sufis gathered around spiritual masters (shaikhs), forming cir- 

cles that, from the twelfth century onward, crystallized into Sufi orders (tariqahs). The word for the members of these orders is 

fakir—pronounced fakir; literally poor, but with the connotation of one who is “poor in spirit.” In some ways, however, they constituted 

a spiritual elite, aspiring higher than other Muslims, and willing to assume the heavier disciplines their extravagant goals required. We 

can liken their tariqahs to the contemplative orders of Roman Catholicism, with the difference that Sufis generally marry and are not 

cloistered. They engage in normal occupations and repair to their gathering places (zawiyahs, Arabic; khanaqahs, Persian) to sing, 

dance, pray, recite their rosaries in concert, and listen to the discourses of their Master, all to the end of reaching God directly. Some- 

one who was ignorant of fire, they observe, could come to know it by degrees: first by hearing of it, then by seeing it, and finally by being 

burned by its heat. The Sufis wanted to be “burned” by God. 

This required drawing close to him, and they developed three overlapping but distinguishable routes. We can call these the mysti- 

cisms of love, of ecstasy, and of intuition. 

To begin with the first of these, Sufi love poetry is world famous. A remarkable eighth-century woman saint, Rabi’a, discovered in her 

solitary vigils, often lasting all night, that God’s love was at the core of the universe; not to steep oneself in that love and reflect it to oth- 

ers was to forfeit life’s supreme beatitude. Because love is never more evident than when its object is absent, that being the time when 

the beloved’s importance cannot be overlooked, Persian poets in particular dwelt on the pangs of separation to deepen their love of 

God and thereby draw close to him. Jalal ad-Din Rumi used the plaintive sound of the reed flute to typify this theme. 

 

Listen to the story told by the reed, of being separated. 

“Since I was cut from the reedbed, I have made this crying sound. 

Anyone separated from someone he loves understands what I say, anyone pulled from a source longs to go back.” 

 

The lament of the flute, torn from its riverbank and symbol therefore for the soul’s severance from the divine, threw the Sufis into states 

of agitation and bewilderment. Nothing created could assuage those states; but its beloved, Allah, is so sublime, so dissimilar, that 

human love for him is like the nightingale’s for the rose, or the moth’s for the flame. Even so, Rumi assures us, that human love is re- 

turned: 

 

Never does the lover seek without being sought by his beloved. 

When the lightning of love has shot into this heart, know that there is love in that heart.… 

Mark well the text: “He loves them and they love Him.” (Koran, 5:59). 

 

But the full truth has still not been grasped, for Allah loves his creatures more than they love him. “God saith: Whoso seeketh to ap- 

proach Me one span, I approach him one cubit; and whoso seeketh to approach Me one cubit, I approach him two fathoms; and who- 

ever walks towards Me, I run towards him.”³⁸ Rabi’a celebrates the eventual meeting of the two souls, one finite, the other Infinite, in 

her famous night prayer: 

 

My God and my Lord: eyes are at rest, the stars are setting, hushed are the movements of birds in their nests, of monsters in the deep. And 

you are the Just who knows no change, the Equity that does not swerve, the Everlasting that never passes away. The doors of kings are locked 

and guarded by their henchmen, but your door is open to those who call upon you. My Lord, each lover is now alone with his beloved. And I 

am alone with you. 

 

We are calling the second Sufi approach to the divine presence ecstatic (literally, “to stand outside oneself”) because it turns on ex- 

periences that differ, not just in degree but in kind, from usual ones. The presiding metaphor for ecstatic Sufis was the Prophet’s Night 

Journey through the seven heavens into the Divine Presence. What he perceived in those heavens no one can say, but we can be sure 

the visions were extraordinary—increasingly so with each level of ascent. Ecstatic Sufis do not claim that they come to see what 

Muhammad saw that night, but they move in his direction. At times the content of what they are experiencing engrosses them so com- 

pletely that their states become trancelike because of their total abstraction from self. No attention remains for who they are, where they 

are, or what is happening to them. In psychological parlance they are “dissociated” from themselves, losing consciousness of the world 

as it is normally perceived. Journeying to meet such adepts, pilgrims reported finding themselves ignored—not out of discourtesy, but 

because literally they were not seen. Deliberate inducement of such states required practice; a pilgrim who sought out a revered ecstatic 

named Nuri reported finding him in such an intense state of concentration that not a hair of his body moved. “When I later asked him, 

‘From whom did you learn this deep concentration?’ he replied, ‘From a cat watching by a mouse hole. But its concentration is much 

more intense than mine.’”³⁹ Nevertheless, when the altered state arrives, it feels like a gift rather than an acquisition. The phrase that 

mystical theology uses, “infused grace,” feels right here; for Sufis report that as their consciousness begins to change, it feels as if their 

wills were placed in abeyance and a superior will takes over. 

Sufis honor their ecstatics, but in calling them “drunken” they serve notice that they must bring the substance of their visions back 

with them when they find themselves “sober” again. In plain language, transcendence must be made immanent; the God who is en- 

countered apart from the world must also be encountered within it. This latter does not require ecstasy as its preliminary, and the direct 

route to cultivating it carries us to the third Sufi approach: the way of intuitive discernment. 

Like the other two methods this one brings knowledge, but of a distinct sort. Love mysticism yields “heart knowledge,” and ecstasy 

“visual or visionary knowledge,” because extraterrestrial realities are seen; but intuitive mysticism brings “mental knowledge,” which 

Sufis call ma’rifah, obtained through an organ of discernment called “the eye of the heart.”⁴⁰ Because the realities attained through 

ma’rifah are immaterial, the eye of the heart is immaterial as well. It does not compete with the physical eye whose objects, the world’s 

normal objects, remain fully in view. What it does is clothe those objects in celestial light. Or to reverse the metaphor: It recognizes the 

world’s objects as garments that God dons to create a world. These garments become progressively more transparent as the eye of the 

heart gains strength. It would be false to say that the world is God—that would be pantheism. But to the eye of the heart, the world is 

God-in-disguise, God veiled. 

The principal method the Sufis employed for penetrating the disguise is symbolism. In using visible objects to speak of invisible 

things, symbolism is the language of religion generally; it is to religion what numbers are to science. Mystics, however, employ it to 

exceptional degree; for instead of stopping with the first spiritual object a symbol points to, they use it as stepping stone to a more ex- 

alted object. This led al-Ghazali to define symbolism as “the science of the relation between multiple levels of reality.” Every verse of the 

Koran, the Sufis say, conceals a minimum of seven hidden significations, and the number can sometimes reach to seventy. 

To illustrate this point: For all Muslims removing one’s shoes before stepping into a mosque is a mark of reverence; it signifies 

checking the clamoring world at the door and not admitting it into sacred precincts. The Sufi accepts this symbolism fully, but goes on 

to see in the act the additional meaning of removing everything that separates the soul from God. Or the act of asking forgiveness. All 

Muslims pray to be forgiven for specific transgressions, but when the Sufi pronounces the formula astaghfiru’llah, I ask forgiveness of 

God, he or she reads into the petition an added request: to be forgiven for his or her separate existence. This sounds strange, and in- 

deed, exoteric Muslims find it incomprehensible. But the Sufis see it as an extension of Rabi’a’s teaching that “Your existence is a sin 

with which no other can be compared.” Because ex-istence is a standing out from something, which in this case is God, existence in- 

volves separation. 

To avoid it Sufis developed their doctrine of fana—extinction—as the logical term of their quest. Not that their consciousness was to 

be extinguished. It was their self-consciousness—their consciousness of themselves as separate selves replete with their private per- 

sonal agendas—that was to be ended. If the ending was complete, they argued, when they looked inside the dry shells of their now- 

emptied selves they would find nothing but God. A Christian mystic put this point by writing: 

 

God, whose boundless love and joy 

Are present everywhere; 

He cannot come to visit you 

Unless you are not there. (Angelus Silesius) 

 

Al-Hallaj’s version was: “I saw my Lord with the eye of the Heart. I said: ‘Who are you?’ He answered: ‘You.’” 

As a final example of the Sufis’ extravagant use of symbolism, we can note the way they tightened the creedal assertion “There is no 

god but God” to read, “There is nothing but God.” To exoteric Muslims this again sounded silly, if not blasphemous: silly because there 

are obviously lots of things—tables and chairs—that are not God; blasphemous because the mystic reading seemed to deny God as 

Creator. But the Sufis’ intent was to challenge the independence that people normally ascribe to things. Monotheism to them meant 

more than the theoretical point that there are not two Gods; that they considered obvious. Picking up on the existential meaning of the- 

ism—God is that to which we give (or should give) ourselves—they agreed that the initial meaning of “no god but God” is that we 

should give ourselves to nothing but God. But we do not catch the full significance of the phrase, they argued, until we see that we do 

give ourselves to other things when we let them occupy us as objects in their own right; objects that have the power to interest or repel 

us by being simply what they are. To think of light as caused by electricity—by electricity only and sufficiently, without asking where 

electricity comes from—is in principle to commit shirk; for because only God is self-sufficient, to consider other things as such is to 

liken them to God and thereby ascribe to him rivals. 

Symbolism, though powerful, works somewhat abstractly, so the Sufis supplement it with dhikr (to remember), the practice of 

remembering Allah through repeating his Name. “There is a means of polishing all things whereby rust may be removed,” a hadith as- 

serts, adding: “That which polishes the heart is the invocation of Allah.” Remembrance of God is at the same time a forgetting of self, 

so Sufis consider the repetition of Allah’s Name the best way of directing their attention Godward. Whether they utter God’s Name 

alone or with others, silently or aloud, accenting its first syllable sharply or prolonging its second syllable as long as breath allows, they 

try to fill every free moment of the day with its music. Eventually, this practice kneads the syllables into the subconscious mind, from 

which it bubbles up with the spontaneity of a birdsong. 

The foregoing paragraphs sketch what Sufism is at heart, but they do not explain why this section opened by associating it with a 

division within Islam. The answer is that Muslims are of two minds about Sufism. This is partly because Sufism is itself a mixed bag. By 

the principle that the higher attracts the lower, Sufi orders have at times attracted riffraff who are Sufis in little more than name. For 

example, certain mendicant orders of Sufism have used poverty as a discipline, but it is only a step from authentic Sufis of this stripe to 

beggars who do no more than claim to be Sufis. Politics too has at times intruded. Most recently, groups have arisen in the West that 

call themselves Sufis, while professing no allegiance whatsoever to Islamic orthodoxy. 

It is not surprising that these aberrations raise eyebrows, but even authentic Sufism (as we have tried to describe it) is controversial. 

Why? It is because Sufis take certain liberties that exoteric Muslims cannot in conscience condone. Having seen the sky through the 

skylight of Islamic orthodoxy, Sufis become persuaded that there is more sky than the aperture allows. When Rumi asserted, “I am nei- 

ther Muslim nor Christian, Jew nor Zoroastrian; I am neither of the earth nor of the heavens, I am neither body nor soul,” we can under- 

stand the exoterics’ fear that orthodoxy was being strained beyond permissible limits. Ibn ‘Arabi’s declaration was even more unsettling: 

 

My heart has opened unto every form. It is a pasture for gazelles, a cloister for Christian monks, a temple for idols, the Ka’ba of the pilgrim, 

the tablets of the Torah and the book of the Koran. I practice the religion of Love; in whatsoever directions its caravans advance, the religion of 

Love shall be my religion and my faith. 

 

As for Al-Hallaj’s assertion that he was God,⁴¹ no explanation from the Sufis to the effect that he was referring to the divine Essence 

that was within him could keep exoterics from hearing this as outright blasphemy. 

Mysticism breaks through the boundaries that protect the faith of the typical believer. In doing so it moves into an unconfined region 

that, fulfilling though it is for some, carries dangers for those who are unqualified for its teachings. Without their literal meaning being 

denied, dogmas and prescriptions that the ordinary believer sees as absolute are interpreted allegorically, or used as points of reference 

that may eventually be transcended. Particularly shocking to some is the fact that the Sufi often claims, if only by implication, an author- 

ity derived directly from God and a knowledge given from above rather than learned in the schools. 

Sufis have their rights, but—if we may venture the verdict of Islam as a whole—so have ordinary believers whose faith in unam- 

biguous principles, fully adequate for salvation, could be undermined by teachings that seem to tamper with them. For this reason 

many spiritual Masters have been discreet in their teachings, reserving parts of their doctrine for those who are suited to receive them. 

This is also why the exoteric authorities have regarded Sufism with understandable suspicion. Control has been exercised, partly by 

public opinion and partly by means of a kind of dynamic tension, maintained through the centuries, between the exoteric religious au- 

thorities on the one hand and Sufi shaikhs on the other. An undercurrent of opposition to Sufism within sections of the Islamic commu- 

nity has served as a necessary curb on the mystics, without this undercurrent having been strong enough to prevent those who have 

had a genuine vocation for a Sufi path from following their destiny. 

On the whole, esoterism and exoterism have achieved a healthy balance in Islam, but in this section we shall let the exoterics have 

the last word. One of the teaching devices for which they are famous has not yet been mentioned; it is the Sufi tale. This one, “The Tale 

of the Sands,” relates to their doctrine of fana, the transcending, in God, of the finite self. 

 

A stream, from its source in far-off mountains, passing through every kind and description of countryside, at last reached the sands of the 

desert. Just as it had crossed every other barrier, the stream tried to cross this one, but it found that as fast as it ran into the sand, its waters 

disappeared. 

It was convinced, however, that its destiny was to cross this desert, and yet there was no way. Now a hidden voice, coming from the desert 

itself, whispered: “The Wind crosses the desert, and so can the stream.” 

The stream objected that it was dashing itself against the sand, and only getting absorbed: that the wind could fly, and this was why it 

could cross a desert. 

“By hurtling in your own accustomed way you cannot get across. You will either disappear or become a marsh. You must allow the wind to 

carry you over, to your destination.” 

But how could this happen? “By allowing yourself to be absorbed in the wind.” 

This idea was not acceptable to the stream. After all, it had never been absorbed before. It did not want to lose its individuality. And, once 

having lost it, how was one to know that it could ever be regained? 

“The wind,” said the sand, “performs this function. It takes up water, carries it over the desert, and then lets it fall again. Falling as rain, 

the water again becomes a river.” 

“How can I know that this is true?” “It is so, and if you do not believe it, you cannot become more than a quagmire, and even that could 

take many, many years. And it certainly is not the same as a stream.” 

“But can I not remain the same stream that I am today?” 

“You cannot in either case remain so,” the whisper said. “Your essential part is carried away and forms a stream again. You are called 

what you are even today because you do not know which part of you is the essential one.” 

When it heard this, certain echoes began to arise in the thoughts of the stream. Dimly it remembered a state in which it—or some part of