The Perennial Philosophy

[dyanaprajna2011]

Perennial philosophy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Perennialism is a perspective within the philosophy of religion which views each of the world’s religious traditions as sharing a single, universal truth on which foundation all religious knowledge and doctrine has grown. Each world religion, including but not limited to, Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Taoism, Confucianism, Shinto, Sikhism and Buddhism, is an interpretation of this universal truth adapted to cater for the psychological, intellectual and social needs of a given culture of a given period of history. The universal truth which lies at heart of each religion has been rediscovered in each epoch by saints, sages, prophets and philosophers. These include not only the 'founders' of the world's great religions but also gifted and inspired mystics, theologians and preachers who have revived already existing religions when they had fallen into empty platitudes and hollow ceremonialism.

Do you agree or disagree, and why? Any thoughts?

 

[Gjallarhorn]

I disagree, because it's simply for decaying into a lowest common denominator religion. Not all religions have the same goals, and claiming they all stem from the same truth is rather insulting.

Religion is not spirituality. This seems to be confusing the two.

 

[idav]

Do you agree or disagree, and why? Any thoughts?

I don't mind the idea of there being an absolute truth. So in a way all paths stem from the same reality, hopefully. Problem is it gets effed up as soon as anyone tries to explain it. The only real way to know is to experience it first hand which would explain why the leaders and gurus had a handle and normally went downhill from there.

 

[George-ananda]

I vote 'agree'

 

[BSM1]

I disagree, because it's simply for decaying into a lowest common denominator religion. Not all religions have the same goals, and claiming they all stem from the same truth is rather insulting.

Religion is not spirituality. This seems to be confusing the two.

Could you give an example of the different goals in religion? Isn't reaching some type of "heaven" the recurring theme in all religions?

 

[Willamena]

Do you agree or disagree, and why?

I agree. Alan Watts is very convincing.

 

[Surya Deva]

The perennial philosophy concept by Alan Watts is basically "Santana Dharma" or universal or eternal religion which Watts has taken from Hinduism, which indeed is the definition of Hinduism. So this makes me think when we talk about universal religion or universal truth are we effectively saying Hinduism is the true religion?

If you look at the modern new-age religion today many of its beliefs are straight out lifted from Hinduism. If you look at the new emerging spirituality today in science such as the universe being a field of consciousness, akashic field, purposeful driven evolution, past life memory etc it's all pointing to Hinduism(and is overtly influenced by Hinduism)

So perhaps the perennial philosophy is just Hinduism.

 

[Alex_G]

Perennial philosophy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



Do you agree or disagree, and why? Any thoughts?

The underlying truth, to which they all share, is that they are ultimately the product of the human mind.

 

[Gjallarhorn]

Could you give an example of the different goals in religion? Isn't reaching some type of "heaven" the recurring theme in all religions?

Only for the superficial believer. Buddhism is cessation of dukkha, Islam and Christianity is submission to God, Hinduism is unity with the Infinite (or something, not knowledgeable of Hinduism much), Judaism is...honestly, no clue. Probably depends on the Jew.

With enough metaphor, you can make these very similar, but they are not.

 

[Valjean]

Perennial philosophy is the one-with-all insight that comes with the mystical experience. It's perennial because people have been having the mystical experience throughout history and in all cultures.

 

[Breathe]

The underlying truth, to which they all share, is that they are ultimately the product of the human mind.

Unless one or more don't, of course.

 

[Alex_G]

Unless one or more don't, of course.

Ah yes unless of course they all do

I do think that a 'universal truth' about our nature and how to best live life must ultimately stem from the minds of those conscious creatures to which it applies. That they themselves are the very requirement that gives any of it meaning in the first place. They, as the source, validates its truth.

I never subscribed to the almost alien view that such truths came from some other place, for some other reason simply to dictate what is of meaning to our lives. It seems so arbitrary and artificial. But for these truths to be forged in the lives of people themselves, seems so much more powerful, honest and realistic to me.

I ask myself what is it that all the world religions have in common? Its people. People to whom such truths mean something to, people from whom such truths actually stem. That all the world religions, for all their similarities, are not coincidently stumbling upon some hidden message elusivly left for us by some other worldly force but rather represent different manifestations of our efforts to better understand ourselves.