This book was put together from an edited transcript of a series of inspiring classes taught by Anthony Damiani from classes given in November of 1982 until shortly before his passing in October of 1984. He included quotes from Paul Brunton from the ” What is Philosophy?” section of Paul Brunton’s Notebooks. The Glossary section at the end of Living Wisdom (LW) is very helpful to define meanings of terms used.
Anthony: “Philosophy is broad based, as big as life itself. It finds proper due for all the different aspects in life. It finds their proper evaluation or their proper place. There’s not only precision and accuracy in PB’s writing, but there’s beauty in what he’s saying. You see, the doctrine has to be beautiful also. It can’t be only good and true; it must be beautiful also. (LW, p. 14)
PB: It is perhaps the amplitude and symmetry of the philosophic approach which make it so completely satisfying. For this is the only approach which honors reason and appreciates beauty, cultivates intuition and respects mystical experience, fosters reverence and teaches true prayer, enjoins action and promotes morality. It is the spiritual life fully grown. (v13, 20:1.22 and Perspectives, p.261)
PB: The Esoteric meaning of the star is Philosophic Man,” that is, one who has travelled the fivefold path and brought its results into proper balance. This path consists of religious veneration, mystical meditation, rational reflection, moral re-education, and altruistic service. The esoteric meaning of the circle, when situated within the very center of the star, is the Divine Overself-atom within the human heart. (v13, 20:1.23 and Perspectives, p. 260)
PB: “The FIRST STEP is to discover that there is a Presence, a Power, a Life, a Mind, Being, unique, not made or begot, without shape, unseen and unheard, everywhere and always the same. The second step is to discover its relationship to the universe and to oneself. (v.13,20:4.133 and Perspectives, p. 257)
Anthony: (quietly) You become aware of this immense power, this unique Being, this unfathomable Mind, this shoreless bottomless ocean, the World Mind or Mind. You won’t discover that Mind unless you are situated in the Overself. You can’t know anything about that Mind except from the point of view of being identified with the Overself or being in the Overself. “Being in” makes it sound dualistic, but you know what I mean. (LW, p. 31)
PB: It is not enough to attain knowledge of the soul: any mystic may do that. It is necessary to attain clear knowledge. Only the philosophic mystic may do that. This emphasis on clarity is important. It implies a removal of all the obstructions in feeling, the complexes in mind, and obfuscations in ego which prevent it [clarity]. When this is done, the aspirant beholds truth as it really is. (v13, 20.4.168 and Perspectives, p. 257)
PB: The HIDDEN TEACHING starts and finishes with experience. Every man must begin his mental life as a seeker by noting the fact that he is conscious of an external environment. He will proceed in time to discover that it is an ordered one, that Nature is the manifestation of an orderly Mind. He discovers in the end that consciousness of this Mind becomes the profoundest fact of his internal experience. (v13. 20:4.132 and Perspectives, p. 254)
- prepared by Barbara P., PBPF Board Member