The Spiritual Ascent: A Compendium of the World's Wisdom [Paperback]

Whitall N. Perry (Author), Huston Smith (Preface), Marco Pallis (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2008

Truly magisterial, this compendium of spiritual wisdom is organized according to the traditional religious concept of spiritual ascent—or, in Christian terms, the sequence of death, resurrection, and eternal life. Hundreds of selected passages represent many faiths and philosophical traditions, with insight from some of the world's greatest minds, including Black Elk, Confucius, Eckart, Muhammad, Philo, Rumi, and Shakespeare. The material itself is divided into three sections that correspond to the ascent, with the opening quotations treating suffering, sin, and obedience before giving way to the middle section's focus on mercy, love, and contemplation. Finally, the third set of quotations climbs aloft to investigate the subjects of truth, eternity, the shattering of forms, and the union with God.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Whitall N. Perry was an expert on comparative religions and studied with A. K. Coomaraswamy, Rene Guenon, Frithjof Schuon, and other gurus, including Native American sages. He was also a contributor to articles on metaphysical and cosmological subjects to academic journals. Huston Smith has taught at Washington University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Syracuse University, and the University of California–Berkeley. He is internationally known for his bestselling book The World's Religions, the focus of a five-part PBS television series with Bill Moyers. He lives in Berkeley, California. Marco Pallis was an Englishman who studied under Tibetan lamas and was initiated into their order with the name Thubden Tendzinthe. He was the author of two popular books about Thailand, Peaks and Lamas and The Way and the Mountain, and was a friend of Thomas Merton.

Product Details

• Paperback: 1144 pages
• Publisher: Fons Vitae; 2nd edition (April 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1887752048
• ISBN-13: 978-1887752046
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #804,092 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Magnum Opus of Spiritual Wisdom, March 11, 2003

By 

Orva Schrock "Author of "Worthless Boy"" (goshen, in United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Treasury of Traditional Wisdom: An Encyclopedia of Humankind's Spiritual Truth (Wisdom Foundation series) (Paperback)

This is it!!! The big book of the spiritual wisdom of the ages. From all the great wisdom traditions, east and west, this is the most comprehensive anthology I've ever seen. All the major themes of mankind's search for The Real are treated. From creation to sacrifice to magic to illusion to reality to visions to suffering, death, metanoia, prayer, grace, ecstacy, truth, union, the esoteric, the list goes on and on. Mr Perry has wisely organised this large book [over 1,000 pages] into a very accessable treasure trove of the world's greatest wisdom writings. Well referenced, indexed, foot noted, the book is awesome on many levels. Here you have quotes from the Bible, the Koran, the Buddhist Sutras, the Bhagavad Gita, Shakespeare, Plotinus, Ramakrishna, Meister Eckhart, William Law, Thomas Aquinas, Kabir, Lao Tzu, Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi, Black Elk, Plato, and hundreds more. This beautiful book all by itself makes a fine library of both ancient and modern writings by the great prophets, seers, sages, mystics, and scholars who have sought to speak their deepest truths. I buy books all the time, this is one of those rare ones you fall in love with completely. With very few exceptions, I know of no more wonderful book of essential knowledge than this one. Along with the massive amount of wisdom assembled here by Mr Whitall N. Perry, the book is further enriched with a great introduction by Huston Smith and a beautiful foreward by Marco Pallis. The purchaser and reader of this book will get many times their money's worth.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must for anyone into religions and spirituality, July 7, 2002

By 

Nahuel Sugobono (Saenz Pena, Buenos Aires Argentina) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Treasury of Traditional Wisdom: An Encyclopedia of Humankind's Spiritual Truth (Wisdom Foundation series) (Paperback)

I have this book in its first (1972) edition, and I have to say that it is simply excellent, a cyclopean work (before the general use of computers and all that). This is an encyclopedia of the wisdom of the religions of the world, collected by themes and, from the first page to the end as if it were a spiritual journey, so you begin reading passages about "spiritual death" and you end with the highest level, which is "union with God". Mr. Perry has taken a lot (a lot) of care in quoting the sources, so that they're not out of context. And you have almost 1.200 pages of wisdom in its purest form from the most orthodoxes sages or saints (or both). The notes and introductions to every chapter (and every chapter has its own sections and subsections so each one is relatively short) are clarifying and taken to the minimun, so to not to interrupt much the quotes. Add to this the cross references at the margins of each page and you have the best "summa of the philosophia perennis" ever collected. A must for everyone interested in comparative religions and spirituality no matter your standpoint.

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars spirit enhancing, May 28, 2001

By 

Dawn (Akron, Ohio-USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Treasury of Traditional Wisdom: An Encyclopedia of Humankind's Spiritual Truth (Wisdom Foundation series) (Paperback)

This book is incredible. It gives much meaning to words like death and love. Did you know that marriage and die mean the same thing? In this book, this is something that is brought up. I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to expand their spiritual perspective on things. This book is considered to be an " Encyclopedia of Humankind's spiritual Truths " GET THIS BOOK!