2. The Philosophic Context: The Perennial Philosophy

2019 ◽  
pp. 21-30
Keyword(s):  
Perennial Philosophy

Fully Human Being

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jake Poller
Keyword(s):  
The Body ◽  
The Other ◽  
Human Being ◽  
Aldous Huxley ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Mahayana Buddhism ◽  
Perennial Philosophy ◽  
Utopian Community ◽  
Mahāyāna Buddhism

In Island (1962), Aldous Huxley presents a utopian community in which theinhabitants aim to become "fully human beings" by realizing their "potentialities."I demonstrate how Huxley's notion of the "human potentialities" havebeen misrepresented, both by scholars and by the founders of the Esalen Institute.Huxley's focus on human potentialities arose from a shift in his thinkingfrom the other-worldly mysticism of The Perennial Philosophy (1945) to thelife-affirming traditions of Tantra, Zen and Mahayana Buddhism. In Island,the population attempt to realize their human potentialities and engage in anexperiential spirituality that celebrates the body and nature as sacred throughthe use of the moksha-medicine and the practice of maithuna. I argue thatwhereas Tantric adepts practised maithuna as a means to acquire supernormalpowers (siddhis), in Island the Palanese version of maithuna is quite differentand is used to valorize samsara and the acquisition of human potentialities.

scholarly journals The Traces of the Bhagavad Gita in the Perennial Philosophy—A Critical Study of the Gita’s Reception Among the Perennialists

Religions ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 229
Author(s):  
Mohammad Syifa Amin Widigdo
Keyword(s):  
Critical Examination ◽  
Critical Study ◽  
Hindu Tradition ◽  
Bhagavad Gita ◽  
Perennial Philosophy ◽  
Original Works ◽  
Bhagavad Gītā ◽  
Human Liberation

This article studies the reception of the Bhagavad Gita within circles of Perennial Philosophy scholars and examines how the Gita is interpreted to the extent that it influenced their thoughts. Within the Hindu tradition, the Gita is often read from a dualist and/or non-dualist perspective in the context of observing religious teachings and practices. In the hands of Perennial Philosophy scholars, the Gita is read from a different angle. Through a critical examination of the original works of the Perennialists, this article shows that the majority of the Perennial traditionalists read the Gita from a dualist background but that, eventually, they were convinced that the Gita’s paradigm is essentially non-dualist. In turn, this non-dualist paradigm of the Gita influences and transforms their ontological thought, from the dualist to the non-dualist view of the reality. Meanwhile, the non-traditionalist group of Perennial Philosophy scholars are not interested in this ontological discussion. They are more concerned with the question of how the Gita provides certain ways of attaining human liberation and salvation. Interestingly, both traditionalist and non-traditionalist camps are influenced by the Gita, at the same time, inserting an external understanding and interpretation into the Gita.

scholarly journals The Transcendent Unity Behind the Diversity of Religions and Religiosity in the Perspective of Perennial Philosophy and Its Relevance to the Indonesian Context

2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 325
Author(s):  
M. Baharudin ◽  
Muhammad Aqil Luthfan
Keyword(s):  
Everyday Life ◽  
Religious Traditions ◽  
Perennial Philosophy ◽  
The Common ◽  
The One ◽  
Common Vision

<p>This study is conducted to answer an important question: is there any transcendent unity behind the diversity or plurality of religions and religiosity? This question will be answered through perennial philosophy approach. The study found that, according to perennial philosophers, there is a transcendent unity behind the diversity or plurality of religions and religiosity. This transcendent unity is seen in ‘the common vision’, or what in Islam is called the ‘basic message of religion’, namely ‘submission’ to always fear God and live His presence in everyday life. Further, the perennial philosophers argue that the True God is one; therefore, all religions emerging from the One are in principle the same for they come from the same source. In other words, the diversity of religions and religiosity lies only in the exoteric level, and all religions actually have a transcendent unity in the esoteric level. However, in this case, the perennial philosophers do not mean to unify or equate all religions. In fact, they try to open a way to a spiritual ascent through the reviving of the religious traditions in every religion.</p><p>Penelitian ini dilakukan untuk menjawab sebuah pertanyaan penting: adakah kesatuan transenden di balik keragaman atau pluralitas agama dengan religiusitas? Pertanyaan ini akan dijawab melalui pendekatan filsafat perennial. Penelitian ini menemukan bahwa, menurut para filsuf perennial, ada kesatuan transenden di balik keragaman atau pluralitas agama dan religiusitas. Kesatuan transenden ini terlihat dalam pandangan bersama, atau apa yang di dalam Islam disebut pesan dasar agama, yaitu tunduk untuk selalu takut kepada Tuhan dan menjalani kehadiran-Nya dalam kehidupan sehari-hari. Selanjutnya, para filsuf perennial berpendapat bahwa Tuhan yang Sejati adalah satu. Oleh karena itu, semua agama yang muncul dari Yang Satu pada prinsipnya sama karena mereka berasal dari sumber yang sama. Dengan kata lain, keragaman agama dan religiusitas hanya terletak pada tingkat eksoteris, dan semua agama benar-benar memiliki kesatuan transenden di tingkat esoteris. Namun, dalam kasus ini, filsuf perennial tidak bermaksud menyatukan atau menyamakan semua agama. Sebenarnya, mereka mencoba membuka jalan menuju pendakian spiritual melalui kebangkitan kembali tradisi keagamaan di setiap agama.</p>

scholarly journals Against the Modern World

2005 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 108-110
Author(s):  
Ali Hassan Zaidi
Keyword(s):  
Social Justice ◽  
North America ◽  
Intellectual History ◽  
Modern World ◽  
World Religions ◽  
Perennial Philosophy ◽  
The World ◽  
History Of ◽  
Muslims In Europe ◽  
Muslim Scholars

One effect of 9/11 has been that Muslim voices, which until then had beenmostly ignored, are increasingly reaching a wider audience of other Muslimsand non-Muslims. In Europe and North America, this has meant that selfidentified“progressive” Muslim scholars who emphasize social justice, aswell as “traditional” Muslims who emphasize Islam’s spiritual or esotericdimension, have been contributing in a much more vocal manner to the contemporaryinterpretation of what it means to be Muslim. Since most of theleading figures presented herein are Sufi Muslims of a particular strand ofesoteric Islam, this book helps fill an important lacuna concerning the developmentof the traditionalist position – a position that has been voiced bysuch Muslim scholars as Seyyed Hossein Nasr and Martin Lings.Sedgwick promotes the book as a biography of René Guénon (1886-1951) and an intellectual history of the traditionalist movement that heinaugurated in the early twentieth century. Guénon’s movement combineselements of perennial philosophy, which holds that certain perennial problemsrecur in humanity’s philosophical concerns, and that this perennialwisdom is now only found in the traditional forms of the world religions ...

scholarly journals From Superman to Superior Man : Anthropology of Perfection in Traditional Cosmology

2011 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 51
Author(s):  
Amir H. Zekrgoo
Keyword(s):  
New Age ◽  
Time And Space ◽  
Perennial Philosophy

<div><p>It is obvious that the use of these various terms does not result in a miscellany of ideas such as it occurs in many New Age theories. In perennialists’ writings we have come to realize that this is not an attempt to mix traditions together, but is instead an attempt to utilize existing terminology when it is appropriate. The paper has focused at studying the anthropology of perfection in perennial philosophy. It has addressed issues such as the nature of  ‘self  and the states of self-realization’, selfessness and selfi shness’, ‘the categories of  man’, ‘the process of  exaltation’, ‘attributes’, ‘qualities’, ‘rights and obligations of the superior man in traditional worldview.</p><p>In various places of  the paper we have resorted to artworks belonging to various traditions and different times to communicate the ideas and worldviews. They show how essential the role of artists and the art they produce is in keeping alive the reverence for perfection and continuity of  tradition through their inspired imagination.</p><p>The superior qualities are not necessarily those of rulers and conquerors. They are rather to be found in mythical heroes, prophets of  God and sages of various traditions; those who, in Ghazali’s words, “possess inner vision”. Such individuals hold attributes of perfection; their bodies die, yet their characters live beyond time and space inspiring generations after generations. After all, to be a superior being means starting a never-ending journey of  becoming.</p></div>

scholarly journals PENDIDIKAN PLURALISME MELALUI KURIKULUM PENDIDIKAN AGAMA ISLAM BERBASIS KEMAJEMUKAN

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 307
Author(s):  
Mutakallim .
Keyword(s):  
Point Of View ◽  
Religious Leaders ◽  
Religious Groups ◽  
Philosophical Perspective ◽  
The Past ◽  
Perennial Philosophy ◽  
The People ◽  
Lasting Peace ◽  
The Face ◽  
Exciting Effect

Experts and religious leaders have tried everything in order to create an intimate and harmonious relationship between religious people in this famous, very pluralistic country of Indonesia. Through writings both books, magazines, journals and even through seminars and pulpits of sermons always suggest the importance of cooperation and dialogue between religious groups. Although it seems, their suggestions have not had such an exciting effect. To gain success for the realization of the noble goal of lasting peace and brotherhood among people who in reality have different religions and faiths, it is necessary to have the courage to invite them to make changes in the field of education, especially through a diversity-based curriculum. Because, through a curriculum like this, it is possible to be able to dismantle the theology of each religion which has tended to be displayed exclusively and dogmatically. A theology which usually only claims that only religion can build worldly welfare and usher in humans in God's heaven. The doors and rooms of heaven are only one that cannot be opened and entered except with the religion that he embraces. Even though such aology, we must admit, is something that is very worrying and can disturb the harmony of the people of religions in the present pluralistic era. An era in which all societies with all their elements are required to be interdependent and collect their fate together in order to create lasting peace. Here lies the challenge for religion (including Islam) to re-define itself in the midst of other religions. Or by borrowing the language John Lyden, an expert on religions, is "what should I think about other religions than one’s own? What should a Muslim think about non-Muslims. Is it still as an enemy or as a friend. Of course there is still the presumption of one religion with another as an enemy. It must be thrown away. Isn't in fact all of us as brothers and friends? Islam through the Qur'an and its Hadith teaches tolerant attitudes. In addition, the importance of reforming the PAI curriculum by presenting the face of tolerant Islam can be explained from the point of view of perennial philosophy, essentialism and progressiveness. In the view of perennialism the curriculum is "construct" which is built to transfer what has happened in the past to the next generation to be preserved, continued or developed. While in the philosophical perspective of progressivism, the position of the curriculum is to build a future life in which the past, present, and various plans for the development and development of the nation are used as the basis for developing future life. From this it is possible to teach the principles of humanist, democratic and equitable Islamic teachings to students. A principle of Islamic teachings that is very relevant to enter the future of the world which is characterized by the existence of cultural and religious diversity.

scholarly journals Menimbang Perspektif Perennial Philosophy dalam Studi Lintas Agama: Potret Pemikiran Sayyed Hossein Nasr dan Frithjof Schuon.

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Haramain
Keyword(s):  
New Age ◽  
Perennial Philosophy

Tantangan paling serius dalam kehidupan antar umat beragama sekarang ini adalah bagaimana seorang beragama bisa mendefinisikan dirinya secara tepat di tengah-tengah agama orang lain. Sebab, kenyataan menunjukkan bahwa pergaulan antar agama kini kian memperlihatkan intensitasnya. Sehingga tidak mengherankan jika banyak kalangan memandang zaman sekarang sebagai “zaman baru” (New Age), yang mencirikan pesatnya perhatian manusia terhadap dunia spiritual.

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