Source: ALDOUS HUXLEY, “The Perennial Philosophy”, Chatto & Windus London, ,1945.
This source presents the Perennial Philosophy, a concept asserting the existence of a single, universal truth underlying all religious and philosophical traditions throughout history. Huxley draws upon a vast array of excerpts from diverse spiritual texts and thinkers, ranging from Eastern religions like Hinduism and Buddhism to Western mysticism and Christianity, to illustrate this common core. The book explores various facets of this philosophy, including the nature of ultimate reality, the human potential for spiritual knowledge, the importance of selflessness and detachment, and the relationship between time and eternity. Ultimately, Huxley's work aims to reveal the immemorial and universal wisdom that encourages individuals to recognize their connection to the transcendent Ground of all being and to pursue this unitive knowledge as humanity's final end.
This summary outlines the core themes and significant ideas presented in the provided excerpts from Aldous Huxley's "The Perennial Philosophy." The passages explore the fundamental unity underlying diverse religious and philosophical traditions, emphasizing the nature of reality, the human self, the path to enlightenment, and the relationship between the individual and the Divine. Key concepts include the immanence and transcendence of God (or Brahman/Buddha-womb), the illusory nature of the separate ego, the importance of self-knowledge and non-attachment, and the role of practices like meditation and silence in realizing the perennial truth. The excerpts draw upon a wide range of spiritual texts and thinkers to illustrate these universal principles.
1. The Nature of Ultimate Reality and the Unity of All Things:
Huxley highlights the concept of a single, underlying reality (variously termed Brahman, Godhead, Universal Mind, Buddha-womb) that is the ground of all existence. This reality is often described as beyond human comprehension and the limitations of language.
The Upanishads illustrate this with the analogy of clay: "'As by knowing one lump of clay all that is made of clay is known, the difference being only in name, but the truth being that all is clay so, my child, is that knowledge, knowing which we know all.'"
Another analogy of salt dissolving in water demonstrates the unseen presence of the True Self: "'Here likewise in this body of yours, my son, you do not perceive the True; but there in fact it is.'" The Mahayana Buddhist concept of One Nature pervading all natures reinforces this unity: "'One Nature, perfect and pervading, circulates in all natures, One Reality, all-comprehensive, contains within itself all realities.'"
The individual self is ultimately identical with this Universal Reality: "'THAT ART THOU.' Meditate upon this truth within your consciousness." This central tenet emphasizes the non-dualistic nature of existence.
The multiplicity and separateness we perceive are considered to be, in some sense, illusory or of a secondary level of reality compared to the absolute Reality. "'The senses are real, and the Brahman is their Reality.' That is to say, the senses are real, and the Brahman is their Reality." This suggests a hierarchy of the real, with the manifold world existing within the Absolute.
2. The Illusory Nature of the Ego and the Desire for Separateness:
The desire for personal separateness is described as a deep-rooted obstacle to realizing the ultimate truth. "'The truth of Brahman may be understood intellectually. But (even in those who so understand) the desire for personal separateness is deep-rooted and powerful, for it exists from beginning-less time. It creates the notion, 'I am the actor, I am he who knows.'"