The Spiritual Crisis of the Modern World in the Light of Tradition and Prophecy
Quinta Essentia, 1987
Category: Spirituality
Arthur Versluis: Magic and Mysticism
An Introduction to Western Esotericism
Rowman & Littlefield, 2007
Publisher’s description:
Magic and Mysticism: An Introduction to Western Esoteric Traditions is a concise overview, from antiquity to the present, of all the major Western religious esoteric movements. Topics covered include alchemy, Gnosticism, Hermeticism, Rosicrucianism, Theosophy and many more. Magic and Mysticism is ideal for students of Mysticism and New Religious Movements, as well as for general readers of Metaphysics and Esoterica.
Blurbs on the Amazon page, also appearing, mostly in shortened versions, on the back cover:
“Arthur Versluis’ prolific writings on Western esoteric thought continue to shape and define the field. His current work, Magic and Mysticism, provides lucid insight into a scarcely known tradition that continues to exert a tremendous influence on the way we see our lives, and beyond. The breadth of his coverage alone is a reason to read the book.”
David Appelbaum, SUNY New Paltz
“Magic and Mysticism: An Introduction to Western Esoteric Traditions is an ambitious recasting of the gnostic insight that has inspired and influenced countless writers through the ages. Arthur Versluis, one of the generation’s more prolific scholars of esotericism, has produced a volume that is both comprehensive in scope and exacting in detail. Moving beyond previous studies that separate mysticism and magic, Versluis argues that these two products of human imagination, which are not entirely reducible to rational analysis, need to be juxtaposed, as they help us define the larger spectrum of the esoteric. I have little doubt that this work will be of great interest to specialist and non-specialist alike, to historians of mysticism and esotericism in particular, and to students of comparative religion more generally.”
Elliot R. Wolfson, New York University
“Persecuted throughout the ages by orthodox Christians and marginalized by scholars until recently, esotericism and esotericists have finally come into their own. In this succinct, deftly organized, and lucidly written account, Arthur Versluis presents a history of western esotericism from antiquity to the present. His book will appeal to anyone interested in the ‘third’ or ‘gnostic’ component of western thought, which provided and still provides a middle path between faith and reason for those striving for spiritual enlightenment.”
Alison Coudert, University of California, Davis
“A remarkably clear, erudite, and concise guide to a field that has been far too long neglected. Versluis manages to compress an enormous amount of research and insight into a short space. This will be an extremely useful tool for scholars and seekers alike.”
Richard Smoley, coauthor of Hidden Wisdom: A Guide to the Western Inner Traditions
“Versluis brings a delightful balance between scholarly attention to detail and a warm understanding of the subject and the characters involved. Magic and Mysticism is joy to read and ideal for anyone who wants to understand the importance of esotericism on Western culture and why it is still important to us today.”
Mark Stavish, Institute for Hermetic Studies, author of The Path of Alchemy
“Arthur Versluis has written a wonderfully concise overview and analysis of Western esotericism. The scholarship is wide-ranging and up to date, yet the tone is quite readable and not overly academic.”
Jay Kinney, former editor and publisher of Gnosis
“This newest work by an outstanding American scholar of Western Esotericism offers an integrative interpretation of three critical themes: gnosis, magic, and mysticism. Surveying the intertwined histories of these themes, the author provides a multitude of insights on the creative interactions between various historical schools, individuals, and historic periods, all set against the social dynamics of anti-esoteric and heresiophobic rhetoric. This is a crucial, transdiciplinary review that brings new definition and nuance to the study of Western Esotericism. In addition, the section on Theosophy give new scope and depths to that topic and shows its formative influence on contemporary esoteric thought and practice. Highly recommended.”
Lee Irwin, College of Charleston
About the Author:
Arthur Versluis is the founder and president of the Association for the Study of Esotericism and editor of the journal Esoterica. He is the author of many books and is a professor of writing, rhetoric, and American cultures at Michigan State University.
Paul Brunton: Healing of the Self/The Negatives
Using the Forces of Life/Understanding the Powers of Darkness
The Notebooks of Paul Brunton
Volume Seven
Larson, 1987
Back Cover:
Unless we look behind the world’s problems into the real and spiritual problems which they reflect, we can not properly understand them or solve them.
-Paul Brunton
Part 1, Healing of the Self, treats the mind-body relationship and contrasts conventional, psychic, and spiritual approaches to healing. Recommending a combination of conventional and alternative methods, it gives a variety of practical techniques, many useful in self-healing.
Part 2, The Negatives, examines the nature and roots of evil and traces its activity in recent and impending world events.
Suso
Ramana Maharshi
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi on the Bhagavad-Gita
Chapter 7
Maharishi Foundation International, 2009
Back Cover:
“The Veda reveals the unchanging Unity of Life which underlies the evident multiplicity of Creation, for Reality is both manifest and unmanifest, and That alone is. ‘I am That, thou art That, and all this is That’ is the Truth; and this is the kernel of the Vedic teaching, which the Rishis extol as teaching ‘worthy of hearing, contemplating, and realizing’…
The purpose of this commentary is to restore the fundamental truths of the Bhagavad-Gita and thus restore the significance of its teaching. If this teaching is followed, effectiveness in life will be achieved, men will be fulfilled on all levels, and the historical need of the age will be fulfilled also.”
Maharishi, 12 January 1965
From the Publisher’s Note:
“When working on his commentary of Chapters 1-6 of the Bhagavad-Gita, Maharishi had the time to read, refine, and perfect the expressions and reflections on the very fine values of knowledge and experience in the verses, and to bring the profound teaching of these chapters of the Bhagavad-Gita to light in a manner that is understandable to all. The publication in print today of these first six chapters is Maharishi’s very complete and comprehensive commentary.
Regarding Maharishi’s commentary on Chapters 7-15 now in press, after the first draft Maharishi did not review or refine the commentary as he had done in the first six chapters, and as he would have liked to have done. His time did not allow for this as his global Movement expanded so rapidly in more than eighty countries, with millions of people learning the Transcendental Meditation Programme and its advanced techniques; and his revival of the forty areas of Vedic Science, and the practical application of his Vedic Science and Technology of Consciousness in all fields of life and living demanded his attention.
Nevertheless, Maharishi’s commentary of Chapters 7-15 is so illuminating, and his expressions so simple and enlightening, and the reality he expounds so profound, that even in their so-called ‘unfinished’ form these Chapters are now being made available for the benefit of all the seekers of Supreme Knowledge in the world, those who strive for perfection in life…”
JOB’s Comment:
See also my comments on Maharishi in the Spirituality category, and on his books on the References page. This book was published in a limited edition and now seems to be out of print, but will, I suppose, be made available again when the commentaries on the remaining chapters have been published.
Frithjof Schuon: Les Stations de la sagesse
L’Harmattan, 2011 (1958)
Pris dans le tourbillon d’une vie survoltée, l’homme semble avoir perdu le sens du repos et de la contemplation; se nourissant volontier d’ecorces, c’est-à-dire de superficialité, il n’a plus conscience de la qualité du fruit. C’est pourquoi il croit volontier à la faillite des valeurs traditionelles et des religions, s’engage dans des voies sans issue et, désorienté, devient la proie d’un désespoir nihiliste.
Saisir les racines de l’impasse dans laquelle s’est engagé l’esprit moderne, tel est le propos de cette réédition des Stations de la Sagesse, un classique paru pour la première fois en 1953. Les essais réunis dans ce recueil visent à dégager le sens profond des doctrines religieuses et des sagesses traditionnelles pour satisfaire au besoin de causalité et d’intelligibilité propre à l’esprit humain, trop souvent méconnu et négligé par les enseignements religieux fondés sur la seule croyance.
La nature transcendante et primordiale de la Révélation, de l’intellect, de la foi et de la prière se trouve alors replacée dans un cadre qui permet de résoudre l’apparente incompatibilité entre la métaphysique – communément confondue avec la pensée rationelle – et l’amour de Dieu, si souvent envisagé du seul point de vue de la sentimentalité. Ainsi le lecteur prend-il consience que les religions parlent à son intelligence et a son sens de la beauté pour lui faire découvrir la “splendeur du vrai”, et le guider dans sa quête de la sagesse.
Bodhisattva Guanyin (Avalokiteshvara)
The Dhammapada
Translated by Irving Babbitt
New Directions, 1965 (1936)
Back Cover:
The 423 verses in the collection known as The Dhammapada (pada: “the way”; dhamma: “the teaching”; hence, “The Path of Truth”) are attributed to the Buddha himself and form the essence of the ethics of Buddhist philosophy. There are a number of English translations of The Dhammapada, but this version by Irving Babbitt, for many years professor at Harvard and founder, with Paul Elmer More, of the movement known as “New Humanism”, concentrates on the profound poetic quality of the verses and conveys, perhaps more than any other, much of the vitality of the original Pali text.
Babbitt devoted many years to this translation – it was a labor of love. Together with his essay on “Buddha and the Occident”, which is also included in this edition, The Dhammapada was one of the basic Components of his view of world history, a view which has influenced leaders of thought as diverse as Newton Arvin, Walter Lippmann, David Riesman and T.S. Eliot. Eliot, indeed, once wrote that “to have been a student of Babbitt’s is to remain always in that position.”
Philip Goldberg: American Veda – From Emerson and the Beatles to Yoga and Meditation
How Indian Spirituality Changed the West
Harmony, 2013 (2010) Amazon
Book Description:
In February 1968 the Beatles went to India for an extended stay with their new guru, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. It may have been the most momentous spiritual retreat since Jesus spent those forty days in the wilderness.
With these words, Philip Goldberg begins his monumental work, American Veda, a fascinating look at India’s remarkable impact on Western culture. This eye-opening popular history shows how the ancient philosophy of Vedanta and the mind-body methods of Yoga have profoundly affected the worldview of millions of Americans and radically altered the religious landscape.
What exploded in the 1960s actually began more than two hundred years earlier, when the United States started importing knowledge as well as tangy spices and colorful fabrics from Asia. The first translations of Hindu texts found their way into the libraries of John Adams and Ralph Waldo Emerson. From there the ideas spread to Henry David Thoreau, Walt Whitman, and succeeding generations of receptive Americans, who absorbed India’s “science of consciousness” and wove it into the fabric of their lives. Charismatic teachers like Swami Vivekananda and Paramahansa Yogananda came west in waves, prompting leading intellectuals, artists, and scientists such as Aldous Huxley, Joseph Campbell, Allen Ginsberg, J. D. Salinger, John Coltrane, Dean Ornish, and Richard Alpert, aka Ram Dass, to adapt and disseminate what they learned from them. The impact has been enormous, enlarging our current understanding of the mind and body and dramatically changing how we view ourselves and our place in the cosmos.
Goldberg paints a compelling picture of this remarkable East-to-West transmission, showing how it accelerated through the decades and eventually moved from the counterculture into our laboratories, libraries, and living rooms. Now physicians and therapists routinely recommend meditation, words like karma and mantra are part of our everyday vocabulary, and Yoga studios are as ubiquitous as Starbuckses. The insights of India’s sages permeate so much of what we think, believe, and do that they have redefined the meaning of life for millions of Americans – and continue to do so every day.
Rich in detail and expansive in scope, American Veda shows how we have come to accept and live by the central teaching of Vedic wisdom: “Truth is one, the wise call it by many names.”
Reviews:
“American Veda is an illuminating, gracefully written and remarkably thorough account of India’s spectacular impact on Western religion and spirituality.” Deepak Chopra
“American Veda shows us how we got to where we are. It chronicles a revolution in consciousness and describes India’s lasting influence on our culture, from gurus, meditation, and yoga to sitar music and aromatic curries. Savor it.” Michael Bernard Beckwith, author of Spiritual Liberation: Fulfilling Your Soul’s Potential
“This book demonstrates the far reach of Indian thought into the American psyche and sense of spiritual self. A well written, superbly researched book, it should be read by all the 15 million Americans practicing meditation and yoga!” Christopher Chapple, Doshi Professor of Indic and Comparative Theology, Loyola Marymount University
“Wonderfully comprehensive, positive, tremendously insightful, and illuminating. For anyone interested in the deep influence of yoga philosophy in American culture, I highly recommended this masterful book.” John Friend, Founder of Anusara Yoga
“Immensely smart, wise and brilliantly written. This book should be required reading for everyone interested in ecumenical spirituality which is the one hope for the survival of the human race, and India’s great gift to us in our crisis.” Andrew Harvey, author of The Hope: The Guide to Social Activism and The Sun at Midnight
“In this important and engaging book, Philip Goldberg chronicles the long neglected history of Hinduism’s encounter with the US. He astutely examines how Hinduism has been constructed and consumed within the larger American spiritual landscape. A must read for those interested in Hinduism and its transmission.” Varun Soni, Dean of Religious Life, University of Southern California
“American Veda documents an important cultural change and is an impressive book: informed and informative, well researched and readable.” Roger Walsh MD, Ph.D., University of California Medical School, author of Essential Spirituality: The Seven Central Practices
“Intriguing reading, fascinating profiles and great storytelling of Yoga luminaries adapting the teachings to fit modern American life. This book inspires us to continue to deepen in our body, mind, and spiritual journey.” Lilias Folan, PBS Host and author Lilias! Yoga Gets Better with Age
“Goldberg weaves a tale as only a true storyteller can, drawing the reader into this Vedic web that has no weaver, providing us with a fresh view of how Vedic strands have woven their way into the daily fabric of every American. He masterfully unfolds this ancient play of spiritual unfolding that is just now beginning to emerge into early adolescence in America.” Richard Miller, PhD, author of Yoga Nidra: A Meditative Practice for Deep Relaxation and Healing, co-founder of the International Association of Yoga Therapy and the founding president of the Integrative Restoration Institute.
“A breathtaking trek across time, American Veda shows us something extraordinary, surprising, and precious about where we come from, who we are at this moment, and what we may yet become.” Chip Hartranft, author of The Yoga-Sutra Of Patañjali: A New Translation With Commentary
“In a delightful, compelling way, American Veda shows how India’s ancient wisdom has permeated our lives, including many of the self-improvement teachings that have benefited millions. I loved reading this book.” Marci Shimoff, NY Times bestselling author, Happy for No Reason and Chicken Soup for the Woman’s Soul
“Nothing short of remarkable. Within the pages of this fairly short volume, Goldberg manages to cover every major figure, movement, and idea that originated in India’s spiritual terrain and arrived on our shores to forever alter the landscape of our thought and culture…Writing with empathy and discernment, he covers highly controversial issues regarding the impact of the transmission of Indian spiritual culture in a way that inspires deeper understanding. American Veda is an insightful guide to the fascinating history of a phenomenon that will be seen in the future as one of the watershed moments of American history.” Rita D. Sherma, Ph.D., Executive Director, School of Philosophy & Religious Studies, Taksha University
“American Veda is a bright light on the historical path to enlightenment in America. Philip Goldberg is an acharya of words and research. Highly recommended.” Larry Payne Ph.D., coauthor, Yoga for Dummies, Yoga Rx and The Business of Teaching Yoga
“We imagine the United States as a Christian island far from the exotic teachings of India. We imagine wrong. As Phil Goldberg’s masterful American Veda shows we have been under the sway of Hindu spiritual thought for centuries. If you want to understand American spirituality today, and get a glimpse into its future, read this book.” Rabbi Rami Shapiro, author of Recovery, the Sacred Art
“This book, American Veda is a landmark! Easy to read it shines a light of understanding on the American Vedic Hindu path which started with the transference of knowledge from India, and equally important by its acceptance by the Americans of western orientation. It is a path on which now, the immigrant Vedic Hindu community and its progeny are grafting on to and traveling along with many in the mainstream community, resulting in, we hope increased understanding. The integrated approach of this book helps fill in the gaps of this historical journey, especially for those of us who see ourselves as fellow travelers working to bridge the east-west divide.” Anju Bhargava, Management Consultant and Founder of Hindu American Seva Charities
About the Author:
Philip Goldberg is the author or coauthor of nineteen books, including Roadsigns: On the Spiritual Path and The Intuitive Edge. Based in Los Angeles, he is an ordained interfaith minister, a public speaker and seminar leader, and the founder of Spiritual Wellness and Healing Associates. He is director of outreach for SpiritualCitizens.net and blogs regularly on religion for the Huffington Post.
JOB’s Comment:
Then one of course has to start looking at everything described in this book with the proper kind of discernment… It is desperately needed.
Olle Bengtsson 