Perennial Philosophy:
Quotes, Passages and Commentary
The Final Chapter
This post is supplemental to another one on this website under the category “Artistic and Philosophical Foundations”. It is found with the title of “Chinese Character Xian 闲”.
Chapter XXVII: Contemplation, Action and Social Utility
Page: 298:
“He who is strong in faith, weak in understanding, will generally place his confidence in good-for-nothing people and believe in the wrong object. He who is strong in understanding, weak in faith, leans towards dishonesty and is difficult to cure, like a disease caused by medicine. One in whom both are equal believes in the right object.”
“He who is strong in concentration, weak in energy is overcome by idleness, since concentration partakes of the nature of idleness. He who is strong in energy, weak in concentration, is overcome by distractions, since energy partakes of the nature of distraction. Therefore they should be made equal to one another, since from equality in both comes contemplation and ecstasy…”
“Mindfulness should be strong everywhere, for mindfulness keeps the mind away from distraction, into which it might fall, since faith, energy and understanding partake of the nature of distraction: and away from idleness, into which it might fall, since concentration partakes of the nature of idleness.”
—Buddhaghosha
Page 300:
“We must draw in the goods of eternity in order to be able to give out the goods of time. But the goods of eternity cannot be had except by giving up at least a little of our time to silently waiting for them. This means that the life, in which ethical expenditure (through actions) is balanced by spiritual income (prayer and contemplation)… The love of Truth seeks holy leisure: the necessity of love undertakes righteous action.”
The Perennial Philosophy: by Aldous Huxley
HarperCollins Publ. 1944
Notes:
Buddhaghosha: Fifth century Indian Theravada commentator, translator and philosopher. In Sanskrit, his name means, “Voice of Buddha).