About Us

World Wisdom is pleased to present the Library of Perennial Philosophy, which is dedicated to the exposition of the timeless Truth that underlies the diverse religions. Our Library of Perennial Philosophy encompasses seven distinct series:

Perennial Philosophy

In the beginning of the twentieth century, a school of thought arose which has focused on the articulation and explanation of the Perennial Philosophy. Deeply rooted in the sense of the sacred, the writings of its leading exponents establish an indispensable foundation for understanding the timeless Truth and spiritual practices which live in the heart of all religions. Some of these titles are companion volumes to the Treasures of the World’s Religions series, which allows a comparison of the writings of the great sages of the past with the Perennialist authors of our time.

Dictionary of Spiritual Terms

The terms found in The Dictionary of Spiritual Terms have been taken from a number of the books published by World Wisdom. Many of our books have extensive glossaries, particularly the later editions of Frithjof Schuon’s works. Readers often find it rewarding to see how Schuon and other authors used various terms in context. Accordingly, we encourage readers of this online dictionary to gather deeper insights into meanings of any of the terms by referring to the book titles given in the detailed descriptions that are accessed by clicking on “more” in the list of short definitions. There is no commercial intent in our posting the Dictionary. We cite this online dictionary in our books on spirituality as a supplement to the glossaries in the books. An advantage to everyone, our readers and ourselves, is that we can add and improve entries here in a way that is impossible for books that are already in print. To view the Dictionary of Spiritual Terms click here.

Sacred Worlds

The Sacred Worlds series blends images of visual beauty with focused selections from the writings of the great religions of the world, including both scripture and the writings of the sages and saints. Books in the Sacred Worlds series may be based upon a particular religious tradition or upon themes of interest, such as prayer or virtue, which are found in all manifestations of the sacred.

Sacred Art in Tradition

The aim of this series is to underscore the essential role of beauty and its artistic expressions in the Perennial Philosophy. Each volume contains full color reproductions of masterpieces of traditional art—including painting, sculpture, architecture, and vestimentary art—combined with writings by authorities on each subject. Individual titles focus either on one spiritual tradition or on a central theme that touches upon diverse traditions.

Spiritual Classics

This series includes seminal, but often neglected, works of unique spiritual insight from leading religious authors of both the East and West. Ranging from books composed in ancient India to forgotten jewels of our time, these important classics feature new introductions which place them in the Perennialist context.

Spiritual Masters—East & West

This series presents the writings of great spiritual masters of the past from both East and West. Carefully selected essential writings of these sages are often combined with biographical information, glossaries of technical terms, historical maps, and pictorial and photographic art in order to communicate a sense of their respective spiritual climates.

Treasures of the World’s Religions

This series of anthologies presents scriptures and the writings of the great spiritual authorities of the past on fundamental themes. Some titles are devoted to a single spiritual tradition, while others have a unifying topic that touches upon traditions from both the East and West, such as prayer and virtue. Some titles have a companion volume within The Perennial Philosophy series.

Writings of Frithjof Schuon

The writings of Frithjof Schuon form the foundation of our Library because he is the pre-eminent exponent of the Perennial Philosophy. His work illuminates this perspective in both an essential and comprehensive manner like no other.