We open our selection this week with a brief article on the Russian philosopher and mystic Pavel Florensky, “Truth Is Not Known Unless It Is Loved”, by Fr Patrick Henry Reardon:

With few exceptions… the twentieth-century Western philosopher stands several steps removed from the ancient understanding of metaphysics, so that on the whole he does not realize exactly what, several centuries ago, he truly did lose. Long accustomed now to viewing the pursuit of knowledge solely in terms either of logical abstraction or empirical objectivity or some combination of both, most Western philosophers seem no longer familiar even with the essential nature of metaphysical thought.

• By Zen Master Akizuki Ryomin, an article exploring the possibility of a deep Buddhist-Christian dialogue.

As long as one has not experienced this intimately and of one’s own, the satori that takes place in the head through the mere toying with words, one is no more than a “scholar” drawing inferences and writing them up in books.

• A little known introduction to René Guénon’s work by Ananda Coomaraswamy, where the basic tenets of the traditional philosophy (Philosophia Perennis et Universalis) are outlined with a striking relevancy to our contemporary situation.

Literacy is a practical necessity in an industrial society, where the keeping of accounts is all important. But… to have heard is far more important than to have read… it is not necessary that anyone should be literate; it is only necessary that there should be amongst the people philosophers (in the traditional, not the modern sense of the word), and that there should be preserved deep respect on the part of laymen for true learning.

• Your attention is drawn to a new opportunity to join the acclaimed Sacred Gardens course, a practical & philosophical workshop led by Emma Clark, taking place this year from 22nd to 25th May in the City of Wells, Somerset. Please follow this link for details.