The friendship between Sigmund Freud and Romain Rolland at the turn of the 20th century, and how it sparked the interior voyage and the spiritual realization of Rolland The French Nobel laureate writer Romain Rolland (1866-1944), foresaw the power of Sigmund Freud’s (1856-1939) analytical assessments at the turn of the century in 1909, long before Europe recognized his seminal work on the human psyche. He regarded Freud as “a fellow pilgrim on this black continent, courageous and genius navigator. ” Intrigued by his work, Rolland visited Freud and his daughter Anna Freud (1895-1982) in their apartment in Vienna in 1924. …
Tag: eternal
Mathnavi is a universal love hymn. On the 750th anniversary of his death, the mythical poet, sage and spiritual master Rumi (30 September 1207, Belh region – 17 December 1273, Konya) is one of the most read poets in the West. Leili Anvar attributes it to his sublime spiritual poise that transcends all religious norms. She is known for her scholarly translations, her profound knowledge of mystical Persian literature, and life and spiritual personality of Rumi. In the preface of her book Rumi, the Religion of Love , she describes the epoch he lived in Anatolia. Rumi lived in …
Kindness is a man’s memorial For the years after the burial. Ancient Egyptians (3100 BC) believed in the immortality of the soul, and in life after death. The journey of the soul to the other world and the scenes of divine judgement are colorfully illustrated on the Papyrus of Ani (1250 BC). The hieroglyphs highlight the deeply seated knowledge of ancient Egyptians and their strong belief in the divine order of creation which they name – Maat. It governs the entire universe in an immutable unity : nature, state, society, the individual and all forms of existence are seen …
Italy is marking the 700th anniversary of the departure of Sommo Poeta — the Great Poet, Dante Alighieri (1265 Florence-1321 Ravenna), and his masterwork, The Divine Comedy. He wrote this monumental epic at the age of 35 when he was exiled from his hometown of Florence to spend the rest of his life in Ravenna, until his death. In this timeless book, Dante sets out on a voyage to the other world where souls embark upon terminating life on earth. Depending on their merit earned on earth, they were to reside in one of these realms : Inferno, Purgatorio, or …
To love beauty is to see the light. The renown French author Victor Hugo (1802-1885) reflected on the bliss of beauty that strikes the eye, and said : To love beauty is to see light. Nearly a century after Victor Hugo, Yuri Gagarin (1934-1968), the first man who traveled to space in 1961, expressed in awe as he gazed across the cosmos : Rays were blazing through the atmosphere of the earth, the horizon became bright orange, gradually passing into all colors of the rainbow: from light blue to dark blue, to violet and then to black. What an indescribable …
But already my desire and my willWere being turned like a wheel, all at one speed,By the love which moves the sun and the other stars. Dante Alighieri[1265 Florence-1321 Ravenna] Dante started to write Divine Comedy at the age of 35 when he had to leave his hometown Florence due to a political dispute between the two prominent families. His journey in exile coincides with the narration of Divine Comedy which is considered as one of the timeless masterpieces of western literature. In his epic book, he recounts his afterlife journey to the other world where souls dwell in …
Alexander the Great seeks the Fountain of Eternal Life in his long and famed quest from Macedonia to India During his quest, Alexander the Great was travelling in a mysterious Land of Darkness where he was given a special companion and guide called Khezr. The companion was carrying a basket of provisions to sustain the long journey across this unknown dark land. He was walking ahead of Alexander on a rocky terrain when he stumbled upon a rock and spilled the basket. Two dry salted fish which he carried in the basket fell on the ground and instantly a …
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