Dear Reader
Is it possible that so many religious wars have been fought not because one side was more right but because each side was based on misunderstandings of a transcendent unity that exists at the origin of religions. As fallen Man it would be a natural devolution.
The book: “The Transcendent Unity of Religions” by Frithof Schuon, tackles this question suggesting such a unity.
monasticdialog.com/a.php?id=151
He traces the great traditions from our common perceptions of them to the point at which their exoteric appearance in life switches to their esoteric origin outside of life with their unity as transcendent. He contends that what is sometimes considered as the unity is very overestimated since the unity is transcendent for us.
Thomas J. McFarlane posts a brief article on this idea including a useful diagram.
integralscience.org/unity.html
The great traditions are on the right and gradually they move in quality through their exoteric appearance and into their esoteric inner existence as part of each man, as professor Needleman suggests, as a “microcosm.”
As you can see the broken line suggesting the division between exoteric and esoteric is quite a distance from the base at the right.
If this is true then the conclusion: “Thus, while there is one and only one Truth, there are many expressions of it.” is true also. Each path at its base would be a degenerated facet of the truth.
Suppose a person feels this normal attraction known in philosophy as the “love of wisdom” where this transcendent truth exists, what should be their attitude?
For me it requires admitting that I am separate from it and as Plato suggests, in the Cave. So my choice is to defend cave life making myself as content with it as possible or admit my nothingness in relation to this transcendent unity suggested in this book that is the source of human “meaning.” What do I want?
There is no right or wrong but very personal decision. Becoming open to life outside the cave means seeing ourselves as we are and not in our imagination which we do not want to do.
But, if the author is correct, even though this level of truth is transcendenent for us, it is something that attracts a certain minority. It is up to each person to decide if they wish to strive to be part of this minority. As Plato and Simone Weil amongst others suggest, it is very annoying to those living and defending exoteric societal standards as a primary importance.
It is of course your choice but whatever your choice, I wish you the best.