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The Spiritual Teachings of Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Harold Bloom repeatedly names Ralph Waldo Emerson as the great theological architect of the "American religion" in his book of that title. However controversial some of Bloom's other theses may be, there is much truth in his characterization of the Sage of Concord. Probably most of us have been influenced by Emerson, at least indirectly, in far more ways than we realize.

But reading Emerson directly is at once an enlightening and maddening experience: "enlightening" because Emerson was a philosopher in the best sense of the word -- a lover of wisdom -- and "maddening" because he was _not_ a philosopher in any _other_ sense of the word. He was stubbornly disinclined to argumentation or even systematic exposition; his essays read more like sermons than like philosophical arguments; he preferred to deliver himself of his oracular insights without, it seems, subjecting them either to the criticism of other minds or even to the rigors of critical self-reflection, on the view that Reason was an all but infallible source of insight into truth and its objects are known with the same immediacy with which we know that we are awake. (It is a curious view of reason which makes no allowances for improvement of one's understanding.)

As a result of this take-it-or-leave it approach, his writings are all too easy to misunderstand, and for this he must bear much of the blame. For example, his remarks on charity in "Self-reliance" have led some readers to suppose that he was opposed to charity altogether, whereas in truth he believed that we are each of us suited by talent and temperament to be "charitable" to a special class of persons for whom we are therefore _truly_ responsible. Then, too, his remark in the same essay on "a foolish consistency" has been infamously and endlessly misquoted -- but even in its proper context it invites misunderstanding by failing to pay sufficient attention to the non-foolish variety of consistency (which Emerson supposed would take care of itself more or less automatically). Here again, Emerson's account of Reason, in giving so much weight to intuition, leaves strangely little room for reflection.

But in my own opinion, at least, Emerson's insights are genuine, sometimes brilliant, and essentially right, and it would be a shame if the readers who needed him most were unable to profit from his writings merely because he had been needlessly obscure. It would be nice, then, to have from another writer the guidance that Emerson himself was unwilling or unable to provide.

As you've probably guessed by now, that's where Richard Geldard comes in.

In this volume (which is a revised edition of _The Esoteric Emerson_, so don't buy them both!) Geldard does a marvelous job of exposition. He knows his Emerson backwards and forwards, and he sets out the essential features of Emerson's thought in clear and orderly fashion, chapter by chapter.

His essential "take" on Emerson, as you can tell from his title, is that Emerson is best approached as a spiritual teacher. I think this is not only correct but even obviously so; yet it is surprising how few available critical studies of Emerson are actually written from this point of view. At any rate, Geldard's exposition will provide the reader of Emerson with a much-needed "map" of the territory traversed in his writings.

I suspect that Geldard's "map" will make Emerson available to many readers who might otherwise have found him unpalatable. Some readers may, for example, be put off by what seems to be Emerson's extraordinarily cavalier attitude toward tradition in favor of present experience.

But according to Geldard, Emerson's actual meaning was as follows: "We have to break, lovingly, the vessels of our tradition in order to become one with the source of that tradition" [p. 176]. Now, certainly there is a difference in emphasis here with the religious tradition in which Emerson was brought up. But surely this is not far from, say, the Christian doctrine that the scriptures are a closed book unless read "in the Spirit." (Granted, Emerson had much more in common with the Quakers than with the Calvinists in what he made of this point. Nevertheless it is not alien to even the most theologically conservative Christianity.)

Not being a Christian myself, though, I am interested not primarily in reconciling Emerson with Christian theology but in simple exposition of his teaching. And Geldard excels in this regard: in ten straightforward chapters he sets out the essentials of Emerson's teaching and places it into the context of his life. Not bad for 177 pages of text.

There are one or two points on which I wish Geldard had done a _little_ bit more explaining (for example, on the difference between the meanings of "idealism" in its philosophical and its popular senses), since he does not seem to be presuming any prior acquaintance with philosophy on the part of his readers. But this is just nitpicking on my part. (Hey, I have my own favorite hobby horses too.) This is a fine book and it will be of immense value to anyone who wants to understand what in the world Emerson was on about.

Emerson had a persona of being withdrawn, and rarely showed emotion. However, if he were here today, I believe that he would be very pleased with Geldard's interpretation of his work. Most of us have read Emerson's essays. They are thick and difficult, but the spirit of the work rings through and speaks very loudly to the authentic heart. Geldard has done the work of specific interpretation for us. If you feel a need for being yourself, which most of us do (healthy people do), then this book is a must read. Emerson turned away from the path that seemed to have been chosen for him, took a chance, and listened to his authentic self. The author points out that Emerson had some difficult years, and that rings true today for those of us that know, and chose to march to the beat of our own drum (Thoreau??). Emerson was inspired and was a great gift to us. Geldard makes his work understandable and relates it to our lives, today. Emerson was highly intellectual, and after reading Geldard's book, I'm preparing to read Emerson's essays once again, with the light that Geldard has placed upon it. It's pure, and it's spirit, and it is authentic. Of the five best books I've ever read, like my five friends out of the many, I can count this one on the top five. Read it, read it slowly, devour it, contemplate it. Let it permeate your being and at the very least have a place in your thought patterns during your day. This work is meant to teach and inspire and it has succeeded!

yes, go ahead, hit your one-click order button now. for anyone interested in the life, thought, ideals and teachings of a GREAT american original, this is a book you want and need. brilliant, beautiful, eternal, this book will not go out of date. universal wisdom is timeless and Emerson was a master. he was an avid admirer of the wondrous Bhagavad Gita and his writings reflect that. he had an understanding of the need for each self to connect with the eternal Self or spirit, to use his americanized way of saying it. his teaching keeps pointing the reader right back to the very heart of himself or herself: the place divinity lives, the place where God is found. shortly after resigning as a minister of the unitarian church, he wrote, "i will not live out of me. i will not see with other's eyes. my good is good, my evil ill. i would be free---i cannot be, while i take things as others please to rate them. i dare attempt to lay out my own road, that which myself delights in shall be good. that which i do not want--indifferent. that which i hate is bad, that's flat. henceforth, please God, forever i forgo the yoke of men's opinions. i will be lighthearted as a bird and live with God". o k, hit that button a couple of times, this book makes a wonderful gift and you ain't gonna wanna give up your copy!!!

I was first introduced to Ralph Waldo Emerson in High School. I was a bored and frustrated teenager who really had no idea what life was about...show me a teenager who does? But I had a really great English teacher who tossed a copy of RWE's essays on my desk. She said with a rather droll smile, "You might find something of interest in here..."

And when I first started reading these essays, I was bewildered why this woman thought I might enjoy this kind of stuff. It was awkward and difficult and my mind repeatedly got tripped up to what he was trying to get across. And then in the midst of all this confusion, something profound would stick out. He'd say something like:

"All I have seen teaches me to trust the creator for all I have not seen." and I would have to stop and think about that. I would have no other choice but to come to the clear realization that all that I saw had to have come from all that I could not see.

With each and every essay, I could feel my heart and my mind coming together as One. I could feel my soul leaping with joy over the profound Truths that I would continually stumble across:

"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."

"Everything in Nature contains all the powers of Nature. Everything is made of one hidden stuff..."

"People only see what they are prepared to see..."

I never read anything like Emerson in my whole life. He was on a wavelength that I wanted so much to be on. At the end of the year, I placed that copy of Emerson's essays on my teacher's desk and she looked up at me and said, "No, John...it's for you."

I just remember thinking that I never received a greater gift and even though I had yet to make the leap from reading inspirational stuff, to embodying it, the foundation work was being laid down and when I finally became aware that I was truly on a Spiritual path and that I have always been on one, I thought of that morning in 1982 when Emerson's essays were tossed on my desk.

This is a great read for those who are familiar with Emerson and for those who are not. I have a friend that insists that Emerson is good for "cute one liners..." But he underestimates Emerson's power to literally take the reader on a journey of transcendence. Even though I didn't fully understand what I was reading when I was a teen, I knew that after I was through reading him I was in a better place if even if for a little while.

And that is how I exxplain Spiritual Growth to people. People want growth to come fully orbed and they don't want to engage in the seemingly mundane aspect of cultivating their spirituality. But I tell them that spiritual growth comes glimpse by glimpse by precious glimpse. And yes, there are breaks in between the glimpses, but even the breaks can contain glimpses of Light in them if you are willing to look at it right.

Emerson said that we become what we think about all day long. What are you thinking about right now because I've got news for you, you will manifest what you are predominantly thinking about so take a deep breath in...and take a deep breath out...affirm that you are a center of good and that only good can come to you and only good can come through you...feel this, affirm this throughout the day, be expectant of this good to rush in at your slightest invitation and good will come into your life because it has to. You've decreed it and so now it must be.

I don't know what I was thinking that day when I was blessed enough to meet Ralph waldo Emerson for the first time, but that dear, sweet teacher (who has long since made her passing) saw something in me and knew I was ready for a deeper understanding of life.

Here's knowing that you are, too.

Peace and Blessings,
john, "the Light Coach"

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) was not just a great American essayist, lecturer, and philosopher, he was also an impressive spiritual teacher whose tenets on living in the spirit, self-reflection, authenticity, simplicity and independence are as relevant for today's student of spirituality as they have been at any time in the past century. Richard Geldard's The Spiritual Teachings Of Ralph Waldo Emerson provides the reader with an excellent and informative survey of Emerson's thoughts and expressed beliefs on the subject of human spirituality and personal spiritual advancement. Of special value is the chapter on "The Authentic Life". The text is enhanced for the student with the addition of a selected glossary, a list of "Works Cited", and a comprehensive index. The Spiritual Teachings Of Ralph Waldo Emerson is a "must" for anyone who has studied or appreciated the life and works of Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Looking for the "complete works" of Emerson, I stumbled across this title at Amazon and read the reviews. I decided it would be a good guide to the reading of Emerson himself, and it was a good choice for that purpose. In addition to ten essays on some of Emerson's key writings, the Geldard book has an excellent glossary of terms, a short and intriguing bibliography (for further exploration), and a helpful index. I will be using it as a companion book to "The Essential Writings," which I bought at the same time.

If you want to read any book about Emerson, this is the one you should read. Geldard does an exceptional job of not only describing and discussing Emerson's work, but he is able to dig deeply into some of Emerson's more esoteric and poetic philosophy and point out some of the highlights in terms that are real and understandable.

I was looking for a collection of Emerson's spiritual writings. This is more of the author talking about Emerson's spiritual writings. Not what I was looking for.

Emmerson can be difficult to read in his original text, so I really appreciated Geldard breaking it down for me in a style that sort of translates Emmersons style for me. After reading this I now can read Emmerson on my own and get much more out of it.

Emmerson is truely one of my heros and I am grateful for this book to bring even more of his philospy to me and those I share it with!

For those not familiar with Emerson's spiritual teachings, this book is a useful guide into the crux of the message. Those who have thoroughly read Emerson might ponder the question of what he would say if he were living today? An answer is suggested in the section "The Nature of Consciousness," beginning on page 166. There is also a courteous but strong criticism of Sigmund Freud's limited view of consciousness.