--- product_id: 3896207 title: "The Perennial Philosophy" price: "E£ 1885" currency: EGP in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.com.eg/products/3896207-the-perennial-philosophy store_origin: EG region: Egypt --- # The Perennial Philosophy **Price:** E£ 1885 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** The Perennial Philosophy - **How much does it cost?** E£ 1885 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.com.eg](https://www.desertcart.com.eg/products/3896207-the-perennial-philosophy) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description An inspired gathering of religious writings that reveals the "divine reality" common to all faiths, collected by Aldous Huxley "The Perennial Philosophy," Aldous Huxley writes, "may be found among the traditional lore of peoples in every region of the world, and in its fully developed forms it has a place in every one of the higher religions." With great wit and stunning intellect―drawing on a diverse array of faiths, including Zen Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Christian mysticism, and Islam―Huxley’s essential work of comparative religion examines the spiritual beliefs and core tenets of mysticism from various traditions and explains how they are united by a common human yearning to experience the divine. The Perennial Philosophy includes selections from Meister Eckhart, Rumi, and Lao Tzu, as well as the Bhagavad Gita, Tibetan Book of the Dead, Diamond Sutra, and Upanishads, among many others. This landmark work of spiritual philosophy explores the shared truths of our world’s religions, including: The Path to Unitive Knowledge: An examination of the “divine reality” that Huxley argues is the Highest Common Factor in all the world’s major faiths, placing man’s final end in the knowledge of the Ground of all being. A Synthesis of World Religions: Insights drawn from a vast array of traditions―from Zen Buddhism and Hinduism to Christian mysticism and Islam―revealing their common spiritual ground. Writings from Saints and Sages: A curated collection of profound mystical texts, featuring selections from historical figures like Meister Eckhart, Rumi, and Lao Tzu. Classic Eastern and Western Texts: Foundational works including the Bhagavad Gita, the Diamond Sutra, and the Upanishads, placed within a single, unifying context. Review: A materpiece that anyone interested in a sincere Divine search should read it! - This book is nothing short of a masterpiece. Not only because it's content is brilliant, but because Huxley put it together with such brightness, that only a genius mind could do it. The Perennial Philosophy is a manual for anyone interested in Eastern Philosophical and Religious Thought. It goes deep inside the heart and teachings of the most influential Mystics that ever lived. The book is practical, clear and detailed, covering important subjects that would take many students years to collect from several different sources. Huxley proves brilliantly the Unity, Truth and Wisdom behind most religions. They all share a common source and ground that passes from faith, repentance and death to self into a divine nature of pure love and joy. He covers topics such as "Personality, Sanctity, Divine Incarnation, God in the World, Charity, Truth, Grace and Free Will, Good and Evil, Rituals", etc. So many important topics for one interesting in pursuing a divine path with a sincere heart toward God. Here are just a few quotes to inspire you to read this book: "Liberation cannot be achieved except by the perception of the identity of the individual spirit with the universal spirit" "The best that can be said for ritualistic legalism is that it improves conduct. It does little , however, to alter character and nothing of itself to modify consciousnesses" "What could begin to deny self, if there were not something in man different from self?" "Love seeks no cause beyond itself and no fruit; it is its own fruit, its own enjoyment." "To the extent that there is attachment to "I", "Me" and "Mine", there is not attachment to, and therefore no unitive knowledge of, the divine ground" "Everything is ours, provided that we regard nothing as our property" "To find or know God in reality, by any outward proofs, or by anything but by God himself made manifest and self-evident in you, will never be your case either here or hereafter. For neither God, nor heaven, nor hell, nor the devil, nor the world, and the flesh, can be any otherwise knowable in you, or by you, but by their own existence and manifestation in you. And all pretended knowledge of any of these things, beyond or without this self-evident sensibility of their birth within you, is only such knowledge of them, as the blind man hath of that light, that never entered into him." "You are as holy as you wish to be" "if most of us remain ignorant of ourselves, it is because self-knowledge is painful and we prefer the pleasures of illusion." "Turning to God without turning from Self"- the formula is absurdly simple; and yet, simple as it is, it explains all the follies and iniquities committed in the name of religion" Enjoy the book! Review: Pluralism NOT Relativism - I first stumbled on _The Perennial Philosophy_ decades ago as a teenager, and it provided a sense of direction which eventually led me out of the enchanted forest of religious absolutism -- not into "relativism", but into tolerant pluralism. The underlying design of how religious language works in the "perennial philosophy" is clear, plausible and logical -- but apparently incomprehensible to the strident fundamentalist, who prefers the use of political coercion to sober deliberation. . . The issues are really quite simple: 1. The ultimate source/goal of virtually every religious system is considered by its devotees to be undefinable, beyond the grasp of human reasoning, ineffable, surpassing understanding. Humans call this Ultimate: Godhead (as distinct from "God"), Brahman (as distinct from "Brahma"), etc. 2. Since this religious Ultimate cannot he rationally defined, described, analysed, or plotted by mathematical models, religious language usage differs from that of the physical sciences. It employs verbal, visual, musical, metaphorical, mythological, and allegorical symbolism to SUGGEST that which humans may experience without being able to define: "When I heard the Learn'd Astronomer, etc." (Whitman). . . (Here is where we part company with the rigid rationalist for whom there is no reality apart from what can be measured or weighed.) 3. Religious systems arise at different times and places with various mythologies adapted to local needs. As long as these anthropomorhic creations lead the devotee to spiritual realization, they have value -- but not necessarily EQUAL value with every other mythology. Every individual understandably considers his own belief system as BETTER than those of others, and possibly the BEST of all; but this is radically different from claiming that his beliefs are the ONE AND ONLY POSSIBLE WAY to religious realization. BEST leaves open the possibility that other practices may be viable, though inferior; ONLY is binary -- you're either in or you're out, and that can make all the difference in the world. Consider the following: 4. In 9th-century Buddhist Japan the Shingon monk Kukai wrote a treatise on "The Ten Stages of Religious Consciousness" in which he predictably placed his own Shingon Sect at the top of the list. A competitor, the Tendai monk Saicho had no problem with this but was annoyed that Kukai placed the practice of the Kegon sect on the 9th rung, just ahead of Tendai on the 8th. Note that both Kukai and Saicho clearly recognized that all three sects provided ways to achieve spiritual realization, although one might be considered a BETTER practice than another. This is pluralism, NOT relativism (one thing being just as good as another). And neither claimed that his was the ONLY possible method. 5. Almost 5 centures later in his _Sand and Pebbles(Shasekishu): The Tales of Muju Ichien, a Voice for Pluralism in Kamakura Japan_ says in his Preface: "There is not just one method for entering the Way, the causes and conditions for enlightenment being many. Once a person understands their general significance, he will see that the purport of the various teachings does not vary. And when he puts them into practice, he will find that the goal of the myriad religious exercises is the same." And where does Muju get this idea? Basically from the Mahayana tradition, especially as expressed in _The Lotus Sutra_,q.v. Once again, the alternative to religious absolutism is inclusive pluralism, not "relativism". In 1945 Aldous Huxley almost certainly never heard of these examples, but he was, and continues to be, a major force in introducing and defending religious pluralism in the West. _The Perennial Philosophy_ continues to inspire. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #18,526 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #7 in Religion & Philosophy (Books) #13 in Comparative Religion (Books) #32 in Religious Philosophy (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.7 out of 5 stars 972 Reviews | ## Images ![The Perennial Philosophy - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71Po6rrBXJL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A materpiece that anyone interested in a sincere Divine search should read it! *by E***E on April 21, 2015* This book is nothing short of a masterpiece. Not only because it's content is brilliant, but because Huxley put it together with such brightness, that only a genius mind could do it. The Perennial Philosophy is a manual for anyone interested in Eastern Philosophical and Religious Thought. It goes deep inside the heart and teachings of the most influential Mystics that ever lived. The book is practical, clear and detailed, covering important subjects that would take many students years to collect from several different sources. Huxley proves brilliantly the Unity, Truth and Wisdom behind most religions. They all share a common source and ground that passes from faith, repentance and death to self into a divine nature of pure love and joy. He covers topics such as "Personality, Sanctity, Divine Incarnation, God in the World, Charity, Truth, Grace and Free Will, Good and Evil, Rituals", etc. So many important topics for one interesting in pursuing a divine path with a sincere heart toward God. Here are just a few quotes to inspire you to read this book: "Liberation cannot be achieved except by the perception of the identity of the individual spirit with the universal spirit" "The best that can be said for ritualistic legalism is that it improves conduct. It does little , however, to alter character and nothing of itself to modify consciousnesses" "What could begin to deny self, if there were not something in man different from self?" "Love seeks no cause beyond itself and no fruit; it is its own fruit, its own enjoyment." "To the extent that there is attachment to "I", "Me" and "Mine", there is not attachment to, and therefore no unitive knowledge of, the divine ground" "Everything is ours, provided that we regard nothing as our property" "To find or know God in reality, by any outward proofs, or by anything but by God himself made manifest and self-evident in you, will never be your case either here or hereafter. For neither God, nor heaven, nor hell, nor the devil, nor the world, and the flesh, can be any otherwise knowable in you, or by you, but by their own existence and manifestation in you. And all pretended knowledge of any of these things, beyond or without this self-evident sensibility of their birth within you, is only such knowledge of them, as the blind man hath of that light, that never entered into him." "You are as holy as you wish to be" "if most of us remain ignorant of ourselves, it is because self-knowledge is painful and we prefer the pleasures of illusion." "Turning to God without turning from Self"- the formula is absurdly simple; and yet, simple as it is, it explains all the follies and iniquities committed in the name of religion" Enjoy the book! ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Pluralism NOT Relativism *by R***L on May 16, 2005* I first stumbled on _The Perennial Philosophy_ decades ago as a teenager, and it provided a sense of direction which eventually led me out of the enchanted forest of religious absolutism -- not into "relativism", but into tolerant pluralism. The underlying design of how religious language works in the "perennial philosophy" is clear, plausible and logical -- but apparently incomprehensible to the strident fundamentalist, who prefers the use of political coercion to sober deliberation. . . The issues are really quite simple: 1. The ultimate source/goal of virtually every religious system is considered by its devotees to be undefinable, beyond the grasp of human reasoning, ineffable, surpassing understanding. Humans call this Ultimate: Godhead (as distinct from "God"), Brahman (as distinct from "Brahma"), etc. 2. Since this religious Ultimate cannot he rationally defined, described, analysed, or plotted by mathematical models, religious language usage differs from that of the physical sciences. It employs verbal, visual, musical, metaphorical, mythological, and allegorical symbolism to SUGGEST that which humans may experience without being able to define: "When I heard the Learn'd Astronomer, etc." (Whitman). . . (Here is where we part company with the rigid rationalist for whom there is no reality apart from what can be measured or weighed.) 3. Religious systems arise at different times and places with various mythologies adapted to local needs. As long as these anthropomorhic creations lead the devotee to spiritual realization, they have value -- but not necessarily EQUAL value with every other mythology. Every individual understandably considers his own belief system as BETTER than those of others, and possibly the BEST of all; but this is radically different from claiming that his beliefs are the ONE AND ONLY POSSIBLE WAY to religious realization. BEST leaves open the possibility that other practices may be viable, though inferior; ONLY is binary -- you're either in or you're out, and that can make all the difference in the world. Consider the following: 4. In 9th-century Buddhist Japan the Shingon monk Kukai wrote a treatise on "The Ten Stages of Religious Consciousness" in which he predictably placed his own Shingon Sect at the top of the list. A competitor, the Tendai monk Saicho had no problem with this but was annoyed that Kukai placed the practice of the Kegon sect on the 9th rung, just ahead of Tendai on the 8th. Note that both Kukai and Saicho clearly recognized that all three sects provided ways to achieve spiritual realization, although one might be considered a BETTER practice than another. This is pluralism, NOT relativism (one thing being just as good as another). And neither claimed that his was the ONLY possible method. 5. Almost 5 centures later in his _Sand and Pebbles(Shasekishu): The Tales of Muju Ichien, a Voice for Pluralism in Kamakura Japan_ says in his Preface: "There is not just one method for entering the Way, the causes and conditions for enlightenment being many. Once a person understands their general significance, he will see that the purport of the various teachings does not vary. And when he puts them into practice, he will find that the goal of the myriad religious exercises is the same." And where does Muju get this idea? Basically from the Mahayana tradition, especially as expressed in _The Lotus Sutra_,q.v. Once again, the alternative to religious absolutism is inclusive pluralism, not "relativism". In 1945 Aldous Huxley almost certainly never heard of these examples, but he was, and continues to be, a major force in introducing and defending religious pluralism in the West. _The Perennial Philosophy_ continues to inspire. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Thou Art That *by M***N on August 31, 2018* This is a book that I think I will be referencing back to for the rest of my life. If you basically want to understand the entire perspective of a Western thinker on the commonalities of Eastern religion and mysticism as well as Christian mystic thought, this is the book. Think of it as the complete tutorial on what people *think* they're saying when they utter the cliche "I'm not religious but I'm spiritual." Now if a person were truly that, and very intelligent as well, then this book explains how they might think about God, self, universe, time, idolatry, salvation, truth, good, evil, immortality, mortification, charity, prayer... yeah, you name it everything you've stuffed in a closet in the back of your mind and called it 'religion' is presented here from the mystic point of view and collected wisdom of multiple 'religions'. This might properly be called, at least I will, the set of ultimate goals for the self, or perhaps the self-less perfection of the realization of the divine in the individual and the purpose of all human consciousness. I'm not used to speaking this way, it will take me some time to get through all of the material in this course of study, but I can feel it working on me. Several years ago I wrote that all I care about is wisdom. This is true. But one tends to think of wisdom as an attribute of the self. The Perennial Philosophy extends that challenge beyond the self (and yet within the self) towards the human infinite. So instead of the pursuit and capture of wisdom like a trophy to put on your mantle and show off, the Perennial Philosophy explains that this is an attainment of psychic, spiritual as well as intellectual dimensions. There's some speculation in this which is especially clunky in the dated volume which contemporaries more well versed in psychology will easily spot. Also Huxley had been taken in by claims of faith healing and ESP that should not be taken seriously, but he seems to understand this. Also the book gets a bit murky in dealing with the concepts of time vis a vis Time and Eternity. And yet the book becomes quite persuasive in describing how nations and religions and philosophies that deal with reality in progressive time rather than in eternal timelessness, inevitably make bloody violent sacrifices to time (God the destroyer of all things, in time). Huxley presents a convincing case for the unification of purposeful thought in this volume by taking contextualized quotes from a variety of wise ancients and mystics. It puts, for me, God back where God should belong in all thought, and the discipline of finding God central in human moral purpose. I am convinced that this is the kind of material that is central to the human experience. It clears up a lot of things. ## Frequently Bought Together - The Perennial Philosophy: An Interpretation of the Great Mystics, East and West - The Doors of Perception and Heaven and Hell (P.S.) - Brave New World --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.com.eg/products/3896207-the-perennial-philosophy](https://www.desertcart.com.eg/products/3896207-the-perennial-philosophy) --- *Product available on Desertcart Egypt* *Store origin: EG* *Last updated: 2026-06-25*