A comprehensive introduction to the life and work of the preeminent expositor of perennial philosophy. The first book in English devoted to the religious philosopher Frithjof Schuon (1907–1998) to appear since his death, this biography also provides an analysis of his work and spiritual teachings. Relying on Schuon’s published works as well as unpublished correspondence and other documents, the authors highlight the originality of Schuon’s life and teachings in terms of his consistent focus on esoterism, defined as the inner penetration of sacred forms and spiritual practices vis-à-vis the religio perennis, the eternal wisdom that lies at the core of all sacred paths. Schuon’s life, they argue, is a quest for the inner meaning of religious experience, as is indicated by his connections to Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Native American Shamanism. Spiritual seekers from all backgrounds will appreciate this comprehensive study of this towering figure of comparative religion.

Frithjof Schuon: Life and Teachings (Suny Series in Western Esoteric Traditions)

Biographies & Memoirs

Laude, Patrick

Aymard, Jean-Baptiste

Leaders & Notable People

State Univ of New York Pr

This groundbreaking book underlines the primordial richness of language by focusing upon the spiritual qualities in poetry which serve to bridge the human and the Divine.

Singing the Way: Insights into Poetry & Spiritual Transformation (Perennial Philosophy)

Literature & Fiction

Poetry

World Wisdom

An introduction to four Western figures influenced by Sufism who wrote about an "inner," esoteric Islam.Pathways to an Inner Islam provides an introduction to the esoteric or spiritual “inner Islam” presented by Western thinkers Louis Massignon, Henry Corbin, René Guénon, and Frithjof Schuon. Particularly interested in Sufism―the mystical tradition of Islam―these four twentieth-century authors who wrote in French played an important role in presenting Islamic spirituality to the West and have also had an influence in parts of the Muslim world, such as Turkey, Iran, and Pakistan. Patrick Laude brings them together to argue that an understanding of their inner Islam challenges reductionist views of Islam as an essentially legalistic tradition and highlights its spiritual qualities. The book discusses their thought on the definitions of spiritual Islam and Sufism, the metaphysical and mystical understanding of the Prophet and the Qur’ān, the function of femininity in Islamic spirituality, and the inner understanding of jihād. In addition, the writers’ Christian backgrounds and their participation in the intellectual and spiritual traditions of both Christianity and Islam offer a dynamic perspective on interfaith dialogue.

Pathways to an Inner Islam: Massignon, Corbin, Guénon, and Schuon

Religion & Spirituality

Islam

An introduction to four Western figures influenced by Sufism who wrote about an esoteric or spiritual “inner Islam.”

Pathways to an Inner Islam: Massignon, Corbin, Guenon, and Schuon

SUNY Press

A study of comparative metaphysics that explores the concepts of Reality and Appearance and their relevance to contemporary religious consciousness.In this pioneering work of comparative metaphysics, Patrick Laude delves into Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Islamic, and Jewish concepts of Reality and Appearance to offer a uniquely lucid exploration of metaphysical representations of reality, relativity, appearance, and illusion. Laude includes discussions of the Absolute and the Relative in Hindu Advaita Vedānta, Kashmiri Śaivism, Sufi wahdat al-wujūd, and Madhyamaka Buddhism; the metaphysics of salvation in Buddhist and Christian traditions; and the metaphysics of evil and the distinction between Reality and Appearance in the Jewish Kabbalah, Śaivism, Christian mysticism, and the Sufi school of Ibn al-‘Arabī. The book explores how a discerning and subtle apprehension of the relationship between Reality and Appearance may help contemporary readers and seekers respond to the acute predicaments of contemporary religious and spiritual consciousness.

Shimmering Mirrors: Reality and Appearance in Contemplative Metaphysics East and West

Politics & Social Sciences

Philosophy

A study of comparative metaphysics that explores the concepts of Reality and Appearance and their relevance to contemporary religious consciousness.

State University of New York Press

Keys to the Beyond: Frithjof Schuon's Cross-traditional Language of Transcendence (SUNY Series in Western Esoteric Traditions)

Studies the original vocabulary of Frithjof Schuon, its relevance to comparative religion, and the status of metaphysical and theological terms in religion.\nThis book explores the work of the religious philosopher Frithjof Schuon (1907–1998) by focusing on the way he develops his own expansive adaptations of traditional religious terms. As a leading proponent of perennial philosophical and religious thought, Schuon borrows widely from specific religious traditions, expanding the scope of traditional terminology―from upāya and yin-yang to “quintessential Sufism” and “vertical Trinity”―beyond their respective traditional definitions. This is one of Schuon’s strengths as a thinker, but it can also be an obstacle to understanding his writings. This study develops the full implications of these key terms by first delving into their specific traditional denotations and, secondly, exploring their universal connotations in Schuon’s universe of meaning. Such a task is particularly timely when both hardened religious identities and skepticism or hostility toward religious traditions increasingly clash with each other. The current questions and challenges surrounding cross-civilizational relations make such a contribution particularly needed and likely to receive a broader attention in the years to come.

Keys to the Beyond: Frithjof Schuon's Cross-traditional Language of Transcendence (Suny Series in Western Esoteric Traditions)

Studies the original vocabulary of Frithjof Schuon, its relevance to comparative religion, and the status of metaphysical and theological terms in religion.

The connection between poetry and contemplation has been highlighted on many accounts and in many ways, so much so that it has become a sort of truism. The idea of poetic contemplation covers a wide spectrum of phenomena, and while all genuine poetry is in a sense "contemplative," it does not follow that the discipline of contemplate practice necessarily enters into the alchemy of poetic creation; hence the need to specify the scope of our understanding of contemplation.

The Way of Poetry

Department of Philosophy, SUNY

Review\n"Laude explores the life, teachings, and contemporary relevance of Ramana Maharshi, examining how his calls for a spiritual transcendence of the self can fit in with the individualism of the modern world. Richly researched and filled with probing questions, this book has much to offer. Eye-opening."-- Shashi Tharoor, Indian MP and author of The Struggle for India's Soul\n"In a welcome addition to existing literature on the Maharshi, Indian philosophy and spirituality, Laude displays a broad knowledge of different religious traditions which he usefully relates to the Maharshi's thought and experiences."-- Phillip Lucas, Professor of Religious Studies, Stetson University and founding editor of Nova Religio: The Journal of Alternative and Emergent Religions\nThe Indian sage Ramana Maharshi (1879-1950) is perhaps the most widely known Indian spiritual figure of the last century, second only to Gandhi. This new book offers a fresh introduction to the Maharshi's life and teachings, intending to situate him within the non-dualistic traditions of Hinduism. It also delves into themes and questions particularly relevant to the spiritual crisis and search for meaning that have characterized, in various ways, both the modern and postmodern outlooks.\nWhile the Maharshi's background and frames of reference were traditional, the spiritual resonance of his teachings in today's world must also be recognized. The sage's message lies at the intersection of the contemporary search for Self-knowledge, and today's critical reflections on the foundations and limits of religion. Thus, the book comprises seven chapters that touch upon such central issues as the role of religion in Self-inquiry; the relationship between devotion and knowledge; the role and limitations of traditional forms; and the implications in our postmodern era of both the Maharshi's emphasis on surrender, and his basic question: "Who am I?"

Surrendering to the Self: Ramana Maharshi's Message for the Present

Hinduism

Hurst

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Laude, Patrick. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Laude, Patrick

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Laude, Patrick. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Frithjof Schuon: Life and Teachings (Suny Series in Western Esoteric Traditions)

Singing the Way: Insights into Poetry & Spiritual Transformation (Perennial Philosophy)

Pathways to an Inner Islam: Massignon, Corbin, Guénon, and Schuon

Pathways to an Inner Islam: Massignon, Corbin, Guenon, and Schuon

Shimmering Mirrors: Reality and Appearance in Contemplative Metaphysics East and West

Shimmering Mirrors: Reality and Appearance in Contemplative Metaphysics East and West

Keys to the Beyond: Frithjof Schuon's Cross-traditional Language of Transcendence (Suny Series in Western Esoteric Traditions)

Keys to the Beyond: Frithjof Schuon's Cross-traditional Language of Transcendence (SUNY Series in Western Esoteric Traditions)

The Way of Poetry

Surrendering to the Self: Ramana Maharshi's Message for the Present