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This collection of letters by Frithjof Schuon, the foremost spokesman of the Perennial Philosophy, contains nearly 200 newly translated letters from Schuon’s youth to old age as written to friends, spiritual seekers, scholars, and others.
Among the letters are those that address, in a simpler and more accessible manner, the same metaphysical subjects that continually recur in Schuon’s published works. Other letters relate to the spiritual life in its simple and concrete aspects, by answering such fundamental questions as “Why is there evil in the world?”, “How can I recognize if I am on a wrong path?”, and “What should I do to be saved?” Finally, there are letters that relate to various aspects of Schuon’s life, most of which were written to his closest friends. While not a comprehensive autobiography, these letters offer an intimate view of certain key moments in his life.
Taken as a whole, the present collection of letters offers insights into the content of Frithjof Schuon’s message — his exposition of the Perennial Philosophy — as well as a glimpse into his life as messenger of that philosophy.
About the Author(s)
Frithjof Schuon
Frithjof Schuon (1907-1998) is best known as the foremost spokesman of the “Traditionalist” or “Perennialist” school and as a philosopher in the metaphysical current of Shankara and Plato. He wrote more than two dozen books on metaphysical, spiritual, artistic, and ethnic themes and was a regular contributor to journals on comparative religion in both Europe and America. Schuon’s writings have been consistently featured and reviewed in a wide range of scholarly and philosophical publications around the world, respected by both scholars and spiritual authorities. Besides his prose writings, Schuon was also a prolific poet and a gifted painter of images that always portrayed the beauty and power of the divine, and the nobility and virtue of primordial humanity.
World Wisdom features a series titled “The Writings of Frithjof Schuon”, which includes many new editions of classic books by Schuon in new translations and with additional materials. Our online Library contains many articles and poems written by Frithjof Schuon, allowing readers to see a representative sample of his remarkable body of work.
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Michael Fitzgerald
Michael Fitzgerald is an author, editor, and publisher of books on world religions, sacred art, tradition, culture, and philosophy. He has written and edited many publications on American Indian spirituality, including Yellowtail: Crow Medicine Man and Sun Dance Chief, and was adopted into Yellowtail's tribe and family. Fitzgerald has also taught university classes on religious traditions of North American Indians and lectured widely.
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Catherine Schuon
Catherine Schuon (1924–2021) was an editor, translator, and artist. Her interest in world religions and spirituality brought her into contact with Frithjof Schuon, the famous writer, whom she married in May 1949. She accompanied her husband on all of his travels and helped him to receive visits and answer correspondence from spiritual seekers who came to seek her husband’s counsel. Her work with her husband brought her into contact with people from diverse religions and from throughout the world. Gifted in languages, she also became fluent in English and conversant in Italian, in addition to the three languages of her youth: German, French and Spanish.
Catherine Schuon is the editor of Art from the Sacred to the Profane: East and West, a collection of Frithjof Schuon’s selected writings on art, and the co-editor of STARTLINKA King James Christmas: Biblical Selections with Illustrations from Around the World, which also features many of her paintings as illustrations.
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Reviews
- Schuon’s enlightening and inspiring letters of spiritual direction are a rare gift. We find therein an uncompromising discernment that brings human experiences and questions back to their metaphysical and spiritual roots, and a generous compassion flowing throughout.
Patrick Laude, Georgetown University, author of Keys to the Beyond: Frithjof Schuon’s Cross-Traditional Language of Transcendence and co-author of Frithjof Schuon: Life and Teachings
- This new compilation of excerpts from Frithjof Schuon’s letters not only reminds us again of the timeless truths expounded in all his writings, but provides us with a more intimate understanding of his own heroic journey and his vocation as a spiritual guide?an abiding inspiration for all wayfarers.
Harry Oldmeadow, author of Frithjof Schuon and the Perennial Philosophy
- This is an extraordinary anthology of letters, offering a rare glimpse into the inner life and teachings of a remarkable man.… As in his books, Schuon’s writing in his letters is often aphoristic and his ideas are distilled and clear, filled with wisdom.
Ali Lakhani, editor of Sacred Web: A Journal of Tradition and Modernity
- Michael Fitzgerald has previously undertaken the daunting task of writing a comprehensive biography of Frithjof Schuon.… To this, Fitzgerald now adds the present volume dedicated exclusively to [Schuon’s] letters written over the course of more than seventy years. The combination of these two volumes … give as accurate a picture as can be conveyed by words concerning a person of Frithjof Schuon’s scope.
Catherine Schuon, editor of Art from the Sacred to the Profane: East and West
