The Essential Titus Burckhardt: Reflections on Sacred Art, Faiths, and Civilizations (The Perennial Philosophy)

An introduction to the thought of one of the greatest perennialist authors of the twentieth century. Burckhardt's writings constitute a veritable language of the Spirit, and this volume opens doors into the worlds of traditional art, science, metaphysical doctrine and spiritual life. Combining the erudition of a philosopher, art historian, and cultural anthropologist with the beauty of soul steeped in the spiritual traditions of both East and West, Burckhardt's range of subject matter was enormous. He was at home in every traditional civilization, and the present volume gives ample evidence to this fact in the extracts dealing with Medieval Christendom, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, and the religion of the Sun Dance. He was also well-acquainted with the perspectives of the modern world, as his critiques of the limitations of the theory of evolution and modern psychology show Cover......Page 1 About the Author and this Book......Page 2 The Library of Perennial Philosophy......Page 5 Cover Reference......Page 6 The Essential Titus Burckhardt......Page 7 Copyright Page......Page 8 Table of Content......Page 9 Illustrations in Color......Page 12 Black-and-white illustrations in the text......Page 13 Epigraph......Page 14 Preface......Page 15 Photograph of Titus Burckhardt......Page 17 Photograph of Titus Burckhardt and Frithjof Schuon......Page 18 Foreword......Page 19 Introduction: Titus Burckhardt and the Perennialist School......Page 23 1. Some Fundamental Doctrines and Principles......Page 31 How to Approach Medieval and Oriental Civilizations......Page 33 Knowledge and Love in Sufism......Page 35 Metaphysics and Virtue in Sufism......Page 38 2. Traditional and Modern Science......Page 43 The Perspective of Traditional Cosmology......Page 45 Traditional Symbolism and Modern Empiricism......Page 48 The Theory of Evolution......Page 50 Contra Teilhard de Chardin......Page 63 Modern Psychology......Page 66 Islamic Science......Page 87 The Cosmology of the Arab Philosophers......Page 100 3. Sacred Art as the Expression of Religious Truth......Page 107 The Universality of Sacred Art......Page 109 The Hindu Temple......Page 116 Hindu Sculpture......Page 120 Buddhist Art......Page 122 Taoist Art......Page 128 The Two Poles of Universal Manufestation......Page 132 The Foundations of Christian Art......Page 134 The Royal Door of Chartres Cathedral......Page 144 Gargoyles......Page 154 The Wooden Chest......Page 155 The Decadence and the Renewal of Christian Art......Page 156 Introduction......Page 172 The Question of Image: Aniconism in Islamic Art......Page 173 The Impact of the Arabic Language on Islamic Art......Page 175 Arabic Compared With Other Languages......Page 177 The Arabic Language and the Koran......Page 178 4. History, the Governance of Men and Nations, and the Modern World......Page 181 The Nature of Kingship......Page 183 The Four Social Stations......Page 187 Chess as a Symbol of Rulership......Page 190 The Monastic Orders......Page 192 St. Catherine......Page 193 The Inner Light......Page 194 Political Dissensions......Page 196 The Pope......Page 197 What is Conservatism?......Page 203 "Riding the Tiger"......Page 209 The Irruption of the Modern World as it Affected Morocco......Page 215 5. Alchemy......Page 225 Insight into Alchemy......Page 227 The Witness of an African Goldsmith......Page 229 "Nature can Overcome Nature"......Page 231 The Story of Nicolas Flamel and his Wife Perrenelle......Page 243 6. Aspects of the Spiritual Life......Page 251 Because Dante is Right......Page 253 St. Bernardino of Siena......Page 267 On marriage......Page 268 The Sacred Monogram......Page 270 From a sermon on the Name of Jesus......Page 271 Concerning the pictorial representation of the Name......Page 275 The Alchemy of Prayer......Page 276 Islamic Mysticism......Page 281 The "Golden Chain" of Sufi Saints......Page 283 A central support of spirituality in Hinduism......Page 301 A symbolic key to Hindu spirituality......Page 302 Meeting with Yellowtail......Page 306 The Sun Dance......Page 307 7. Evocations of Traditional Moroccan Life......Page 313 Return to Fez......Page 315 Ito's Cave......Page 321 The Fools of God......Page 325 The Comb-maker......Page 328 The Life of the Nomad......Page 330 Biographical Notes......Page 332 Bibliography of Titus Burckhardt......Page 333 Books in German......Page 334 Articles in German......Page 335 Articles in French......Page 336 Books in English......Page 338 Articles in English......Page 339 Translations from Arabic into French and then into English......Page 341 Translations from Arabic into French and then into Italian......Page 342 Articles in Spanish......Page 343 Index......Page 345 Illustrations: I......Page 351 Illustrations: II......Page 352 Illustrations: III......Page 353 Illustrations: IV......Page 354 Illustrations: V......Page 355 Illustrations: VI......Page 356 Illustrations: VII......Page 357 Illustrations: VIII......Page 358 Illustrations: IX......Page 359 Illustrations: X......Page 360 Illustrations: XI......Page 361 Illustrations: XII......Page 362 Illustrations: XIII......Page 363 Illustrations: XIV......Page 364 Illustrations: XV......Page 365 Illustrations: XVI......Page 366 Cover 1 About the Author and this Book 2 The Library of Perennial Philosophy 5 Cover Reference 6 The Essential Titus Burckhardt 7 Copyright Page 8 Table of Content 9 Illustrations in Color 12 Black-and-white illustrations in the text 13 Epigraph 14 Preface 15 Photograph of Titus Burckhardt 17 Photograph of Titus Burckhardt and Frithjof Schuon 18 Foreword 19 Introduction: Titus Burckhardt and the Perennialist School 23 1. Some Fundamental Doctrines and Principles 31 How to Approach Medieval and Oriental Civilizations 33 Knowledge and Love in Sufism 35 Metaphysics and Virtue in Sufism 38 2. Traditional and Modern Science 43 The Perspective of Traditional Cosmology 45 Traditional Symbolism and Modern Empiricism 48 The Theory of Evolution 50 Contra Teilhard de Chardin 63 Modern Psychology 66 Islamic Science 87 The Cosmology of the Arab Philosophers 100 3. Sacred Art as the Expression of Religious Truth 107 The Universality of Sacred Art 109 Hindu Art 116 The Hindu Temple 116 Hindu Sculpture 120 Buddhist Art 122 Taoist Art 128 The Two Poles of Universal Manufestation 132 Christian Art 134 The Foundations of Christian Art 134 The Royal Door of Chartres Cathedral 144 Gargoyles 154 The Wooden Chest 155 The Decadence and the Renewal of Christian Art 156 Islamic Art 172 Introduction 172 Characteristic Aspects 173 The Question of Image: Aniconism in Islamic Art 173 The Impact of the Arabic Language on Islamic Art 175 Arabic Compared With Other Languages 177 The Arabic Language and the Koran 178 4. History, the Governance of Men and Nations, and the Modern World 181 The Nature of Kingship 183 The Law of Hierarchy and the Four Social Stations 187 The Law of Hierarchy 187 The Four Social Stations 187 Chess as a Symbol of Rulership 190 St. Catherine of Siena and the City of the Soul 192 The City as the Image of the Soul 192 The Monastic Orders 192 St. Catherine 193 The Inner Light 194 Political Dissensions 196 The Adventurers 197 The Pope 197 What is Conservatism? 203 "Riding the Tiger" 209 The Irruption of the Modern World as it Affected Morocco 215 5. Alchemy 225 Insight into Alchemy 227 The Witness of an African Goldsmith 229 "Nature can Overcome Nature" 231 The Story of Nicolas Flamel and his Wife Perrenelle 243 6. Aspects of the Spiritual Life 251 The Spiritual Life: Christian 253 Because Dante is Right 253 St. Bernardino of Sien and the Sacred Monogram 267 St. Bernardino of Siena 267 On marriage 268 On pleasure 270 The Sacred Monogram 270 From a sermon on the Name of Jesus 271 Concerning the pictorial representation of the Name 275 The Alchemy of Prayer 276 The Spiritual Life: Islamic 281 Islamic Mysticism 281 The "Golden Chain" of Sufi Saints 283 The Spiritual Life: Hindu 301 Bathing in the Ganges 301 Woman as the Symbol par excellence of Beauty 301 A central support of spirituality in Hinduism 301 The Body as "Temple" of the Holy Spirit 302 A symbolic key to Hindu spirituality 302 The Sun Dance and the Sacred Pipe 306 Meeting with Yellowtail 306 The Sun Dance 307 7. Evocations of Traditional Moroccan Life 313 Return to Fez 315 Ito's Cave 321 The Fools of God 325 The Comb-maker 328 The Life of the Nomad 330 Biographical Notes 332 Bibliography of Titus Burckhardt 333 Books in German 334 Articles in German 335 Books in French 336 Articles in French 336 Translations from Arabic into French 338 Books in English 338 Articles in English 339 Translations from Arabic into French and then into English 341 Books in Italian 342 Articles in Italian 342 Translations from Arabic into French and then into Italian 342 Books in Spanish 343 Articles in Spanish 343 Index 345 Illustrations: I 351 Illustrations: II 352 Illustrations: III 353 Illustrations: IV 354 Illustrations: V 355 Illustrations: VI 356 Illustrations: VII 357 Illustrations: VIII 358 Illustrations: IX 359 Illustrations: X 360 Illustrations: XI 361 Illustrations: XII 362 Illustrations: XIII 363 Illustrations: XIV 364 Illustrations: XV 365 Illustrations: XVI 366 0941532364,9780941532365 World Wisdom,2003 The Essential Titus Burckhardt is the much-anticipated collection of writings from Titus Burckhardt, one of the great Perennialist authors of the 20th century, edited by the world's foremost expert on the Burckhardt body of works, William Stoddart.Burckhardt's writings are characterized by (1) a profound grounding in the Perennial Philosophy and integral metaphysics, (2) a remarkable history of contacts with traditional peoples and their civilizations, (3) a true artist's knowledge of and love for traditional art, (4) a scholar's knowledge of diverse source materials not accessible to most modern seekers, and (5) a gifted teacher's ability to make all of these things understandable and of deep interest to readers. This collection will bring together many of Burckhardt's most representative writings that will amply demonstrate these qualities.The editor of the collection, Dr. William Stoddart, is himself a writer within the Perennialist school, and is perhaps best known for his concise outlines of many the world's great religious traditions as well as for his many excellent translations into English of many of the works of Schuon and Burckhardt.This essential collection of Burckhardt's writings is illustrated by numerous black and white drawings, and sixteen pages of full color photograhs Edited By William Stoddart ; Foreword By Seyyed Hossein Nasr. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [311]-321) And Index.