SACRED TRADITION AND PRESENT NEED

by Jacob & Dennis Lewis--Eds. Needleman ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 1, 1975

This anthology of sacred answers to the spiritual question was originally a series of Esalen-sponsored lectures given in 1973. Needleman, a philosophy teacher at San Francisco State, rounded up believers of several persuasions to talk about their techniques for transcendence. He's into ""the little awakening"" himself--a directly felt psychological experience of divine love (or whatever you choose to call it). The emphasis is on mysticism and meditation--methods of raising your consciousness, realizing human potential, embarking on the path to self-knowledge, GETTING OFF WITH GODHEAD. Also included are a Jesuit and a Benedictine monk in dialogue with Zen, a couple of smug and dogmatic plugs for Tibetan Buddhism, Sufism and the Samkhya of India (the latter by a Western convert who spent time in the Himalayas), a partisan pro-Brahmin/anti-yoga diatribe called ""Two Vedantas."" And for the icing on the fruit cake: the author of Mary Poppins explains how myths and symbols recur in different traditions because the Truth is in our blood. Strictly for blissed out soul-surfers.

Pub Date: Aug. 1, 1975

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Viking

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 1975

Categories: NONFICTION