Shankara: The sage king Janaka
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Photo: Brihadeeswarar Temple at Thanjavur in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu; 1880s.
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The sage
king Janaka
stands on a hill
watching his city in flames
"Endless is my wealth,"
he says
"I have nothing at all,
and thus when this city of Mithila crumbles,
red embers, white ashes
all monuments of men destroyed,
nothing of mine is burned."
"I have nothing at all,
and endless is my wealth."
(Shankara)
stands on a hill
watching his city in flames
"Endless is my wealth,"
he says
"I have nothing at all,
and thus when this city of Mithila crumbles,
red embers, white ashes
all monuments of men destroyed,
nothing of mine is burned."
"I have nothing at all,
and endless is my wealth."
(Shankara)
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Recommended Reading:
'Paths to Transcendence: According to Shankara, Ibn Arabi & Meister Eckhart'
By Reza Shah-Kazemi
Purchase Book:
Amazon.com
Amazon.UK
Description:
The aim of this book is to contribute to the elucidation of an important but much neglected theme in comparative religion and mysticism: that of transcendence. More specifically, we intend to shed light on the meaning of transcendence both in itself and as the summit of spiritual realization; thus, both as a metaphysical principle and as a mystical attainment, our principal concern being with the concrete dimensions of the spiritual paths leading to what we shall be calling here "transcendent realization." What we wish to offer is an interpretive essay on this theme, taking as our starting point what three of the world’s greatest mystics have said or written on this subject.
'Paths to Transcendence: According to Shankara, Ibn Arabi & Meister Eckhart'
By Reza Shah-Kazemi
Purchase Book:
Amazon.com
Amazon.UK
Description:
The aim of this book is to contribute to the elucidation of an important but much neglected theme in comparative religion and mysticism: that of transcendence. More specifically, we intend to shed light on the meaning of transcendence both in itself and as the summit of spiritual realization; thus, both as a metaphysical principle and as a mystical attainment, our principal concern being with the concrete dimensions of the spiritual paths leading to what we shall be calling here "transcendent realization." What we wish to offer is an interpretive essay on this theme, taking as our starting point what three of the world’s greatest mystics have said or written on this subject.
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