• Complain

Underhill - Practical Mysticism

Here you can read online Underhill - Practical Mysticism full text of the book (entire story) in english for free. Download pdf and epub, get meaning, cover and reviews about this ebook. City: Csorna, year: 2015;1915, publisher: Booklassic, genre: Science. Description of the work, (preface) as well as reviews are available. Best literature library LitArk.com created for fans of good reading and offers a wide selection of genres:

Romance novel Science fiction Adventure Detective Science History Home and family Prose Art Politics Computer Non-fiction Religion Business Children Humor

Choose a favorite category and find really read worthwhile books. Enjoy immersion in the world of imagination, feel the emotions of the characters or learn something new for yourself, make an fascinating discovery.

Underhill Practical Mysticism
  • Book:
    Practical Mysticism
  • Author:
  • Publisher:
    Booklassic
  • Genre:
  • Year:
    2015;1915
  • City:
    Csorna
  • Rating:
    4 / 5
  • Favourites:
    Add to favourites
  • Your mark:
    • 80
    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
    • 5

Practical Mysticism: summary, description and annotation

We offer to read an annotation, description, summary or preface (depends on what the author of the book "Practical Mysticism" wrote himself). If you haven't found the necessary information about the book — write in the comments, we will try to find it.

In this short work (subtitled A Little Book For Normal People) Evelyn Underhill, one of the 20th Centurys leading scholars of Christian Mysticism, seeks to put the view of the universe and mans place in it which is common to all mystics in plain and untechnical language; and to suggest the practical conditions under which ordinary persons may participate in their experience.

Underhill: author's other books


Who wrote Practical Mysticism? Find out the surname, the name of the author of the book and a list of all author's works by series.

Practical Mysticism — read online for free the complete book (whole text) full work

Below is the text of the book, divided by pages. System saving the place of the last page read, allows you to conveniently read the book "Practical Mysticism" online for free, without having to search again every time where you left off. Put a bookmark, and you can go to the page where you finished reading at any time.

Light

Font size:

Reset

Interval:

Bookmark:

Make
Practical Mysticism Evelyn Underhill Booklassic 2015 ISBN 978-963-524-716-5 - photo 1
Practical Mysticism
Evelyn Underhill
Booklassic
2015
ISBN 978-963-524-716-5
Preface

This little book, written during the last months of peace, goesto press in the first weeks of the great war. Many will feel thatin such a time of conflict and horror, when only the most ignorant,disloyal, or apathetic can hope for quietness of mind, a book whichdeals with that which is called the "contemplative" attitude toexistence is wholly out of place. So obvious, indeed, is this pointof view, that I had at first thought of postponing its publication.On the one hand, it seems as though the dreams of a spiritualrenaissance, which promised so fairly but a little time ago, hadperished in the sudden explosion of brute force. On the other hand,the thoughts of the English race are now turned, and rightly,towards the most concrete forms of actionstruggle and endurance,practical sacrifices, difficult and long-continued effortratherthan towards the passive attitude of self-surrender which is allthat the practice of mysticism seems, at first sight, to demand.Moreover, that deep conviction of the dependence of all human worthupon eternal values, the immanence of the Divine Spirit within thehuman soul, which lies at the root of a mystical concept of life,is hard indeed to reconcile with much of the human history nowbeing poured red-hot from the cauldron of war. For all thesereasons, we are likely during the present crisis to witness arevolt from those superficially mystical notions which threatenedto become too popular during the immediate past.

Yet, the title deliberately chosen for this bookthat of"Practical" Mysticismmeans nothing if the attitude and thediscipline which it recommends be adapted to fair weather alone: ifthe principles for which it stands break down when subjected to thepressure of events, and cannot be reconciled with the sternerduties of the national life. To accept this position is to reducemysticism to the status of a spiritual plaything. On the contrary,if the experiences on which it is based have indeed thetranscendent value for humanity which the mystics claim for themifthey reveal to us a world of higher truth and greater reality thanthe world of concrete happenings in which we seem to beimmersedthen that value is increased rather than lessened whenconfronted by the overwhelming disharmonies and sufferings of thepresent time. It is significant that many of these experiences arereported to us from periods of war and distress: that the strongerthe forces of destruction appeared, the more intense grew thespiritual vision which opposed them. We learn from these recordsthat the mystical consciousness has the power of lifting those whopossess it to a plane of reality which no struggle, no cruelty, candisturb: of conferring a certitude which no catastrophe can wreck.Yet it does not wrap its initiates in a selfish and otherworldlycalm, isolate them from the pain and effort of the common life.Rather, it gives them renewed vitality; administering to the humanspirit notas some supposea soothing draught, but the mostpowerful of stimulants. Stayed upon eternal realities, that spiritwill be far better able to endure and profit by the sterndiscipline which the race is now called to undergo, than those whoare wholly at the mercy of events; better able to discern the realfrom the illusory issues, and to pronounce judgment on the newproblems, new difficulties, new fields of activity now disclosed.Perhaps it is worth while to remind ourselves that the two womenwho have left the deepest mark upon the military history of Franceand EnglandJoan of Arc and Florence Nightingaleboth acted undermystical compulsion. So, too, did one of the noblest of modernsoldiers, General Gordon. Their national value was directlyconnected with their deep spiritual consciousness: their intenselypractical energies were the flowers of a contemplative life.

We are often told, that in the critical periods of history it isthe national soul which counts: that "where there is no vision, thepeople perish." No nation is truly defeated which retains itsspiritual self-possession. No nation is truly victorious which doesnot emerge with soul unstained. If this be so, it becomes a part oftrue patriotism to keep the spiritual life, both of the individualcitizen and of the social group, active and vigorous; its vision ofrealities unsullied by the entangled interests and passions of thetime. This is a task in which all may do their part. The spirituallife is not a special career, involving abstraction from the worldof things. It is a part of every man's life; and until he hasrealised it he is not a complete human being, has not entered intopossession of all his powers. It is therefore the function of apractical mysticism to increase, not diminish, the totalefficiency, the wisdom and steadfastness, of those who try topractise it. It will help them to enter, more completely than everbefore, into the life of the group to which they belong. It willteach them to see the world in a truer proportion, discerningeternal beauty beyond and beneath apparent ruthlessness. It willeducate them in a charity free from all taint of sentimentalism; itwill confer on them an unconquerable hope; and assure them thatstill, even in the hour of greatest desolation, "There lives thedearest freshness deep down things." As a contribution, then, tothese purposes, this little book is now published. It is addressedneither to the learned nor to the devout, who are already inpossession of a wide literature dealing from many points of viewwith the experiences and philosophy of the mystics. Such readersare warned that they will find here nothing but the re-statement ofelementary and familiar propositions, and invitations to adiscipline immemorially old. Far from presuming to instruct thoseto whom first-hand information is both accessible and palatable, Iwrite only for the larger class which, repelled by the formidableappearance of more elaborate works on the subject, would yet liketo know what is meant by mysticism, and what it has to offer to theaverage man: how it helps to solve his problems, how it harmoniseswith the duties and ideals of his active life. For this reason, Ipresuppose in my readers no knowledge whatever of the subject,either upon the philosophic, religious, or historical side. Nor,since I wish my appeal to be general, do I urge the special claimof any one theological system, any one metaphysical school. I havemerely attempted to put the view of the universe and man's place init which is common to all mystics in plain and untechnicallanguage: and to suggest the practical conditions under whichordinary persons may participate in their experience. Therefore theabnormal states of consciousness which sometimes appear inconnection with mystical genius are not discussed: my businessbeing confined to the description of a faculty which all menpossess in a greater or less degree.

The reality and importance of this faculty are considered in thefirst three chapters. In the fourth and fifth is described thepreliminary training of attention necessary for its use; in thesixth, the general self-discipline and attitude toward life whichit involves. The seventh, eighth, and ninth chapters treat in anelementary way of the three great forms of contemplation; and inthe tenth, the practical value of the life in which they have beenactualised is examined. Those kind enough to attempt the perusal ofthe book are begged to read the first sections with some attentionbefore passing to the latter part.

E. U.

September 12, 1914.

Chapter What is Mysticism?

Those who are interested in that special attitude towards theuniverse which is now loosely called "mystical," find themselvesbeset by a multitude of persons who are constantly askingsome withreal fervour, some with curiosity, and some with disdain"What

Next page
Light

Font size:

Reset

Interval:

Bookmark:

Make

Similar books «Practical Mysticism»

Look at similar books to Practical Mysticism. We have selected literature similar in name and meaning in the hope of providing readers with more options to find new, interesting, not yet read works.


Reviews about «Practical Mysticism»

Discussion, reviews of the book Practical Mysticism and just readers' own opinions. Leave your comments, write what you think about the work, its meaning or the main characters. Specify what exactly you liked and what you didn't like, and why you think so.