Contents and Preface

Table of Matter

1. THE QUEST OF LIFE

The Philosophy of Experience – The Birth of Wonder – The Mystery of Life – The Vision on the Mount

2. FROM THE UNREAL TO THE REAL

Our Dual Universe – The Way of Sense-Perception – Our Body too Part of our World-Image – Our World and The world – Illusion and Reality – The Experience of the World of the Real

3. INTUITION AND INTELLECT

The Twofold Mind – Intuitive Knowledge and Logical Proof – Science and Philosophy – Occultism & Mysticism

4. THE ABSOLUTE AND THE RELATIVE

The Realization of the Absolute – Can the Absolute be Known? – Absolute and Relative in Religion – The Absolute and the Relative in Man – Wrong Problems in Philosophy – Esoteric and Exoteric

5. THE MYSTERY OF CREATION

The Problem of Origins – The Scientific Answer – The Insufficiency of the Scientific Answer – Wrong Problems and Wrong Answers – Time and the Eternal – The Rhythm of Creation – The Absolute as Creation

6. SPIRIT AND MATTER

The Problem of Duality – Monistic Solutions – Matter and Spirit as 'Aspects' – The Problem Itself Erroneous – The Experience in the World of the Real – Matter and Spirit as Relations

7. THE PHANTOM OF EVIL

The Opposites, Good and Evil – Good, Evil and Reality – Good and Evil in the World of the Relative – Our Social Code of Ethics

8. THE FREEDOM OF THE WILL

Freedom and Necessity – Analysis of the Freedom of Choice – Freewill and License – The Problem in the World of the Real – Misinterpretation by the Intellect – The Reality of Freedom – Partial Views

9. THE JUSTICE OF LIFE

The Problem of Injustice – Substitutes for Justice – The Doctrine of Karma and the Justice of Life – The Erroneous Nature of the Problem – Justice in the World of the Real

10. THE IMMORTALITY OF THE SOUL

The Quest of Immortality – The Denial of Immortality by Materialism – The relation between Body and Soul – Survival not Immortality – The Illusion of Immortality – Eternal Reality

11. IN THE LIGHT OF THE ETERNAL

The Meaning of Life – Practical Philosophy – World-Affirmation and World-Denial – The Practice of Reality – In the Light of the Eternal

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Preface

This book is remarkable for its very clear exposition of the nature of illusion and the need to pierce its veil and find the reality that exists at every moment of time. "We always seek in the wrong direction," says Dr. van der Leeuw, "we always want more time; we demand even endless time in our quest of immortality. Yet the infinitely greater Reality is ever ours to enter if we but will."

Dr. J. J. van der Leeuw, the author of this book, received his Doctorate of Letters at Leyden University in the Netherlands. After serving as head of the Theosophical society in the Netherlands and actively working for the Society in various parts of the world, he came in the thirties to the United States of America, where he was a university lecturer and a field organizer for the New Education Fellowship.

This book is dedicated to J. Krishnamurti and his brother Nityananda in token of an unvarying friendship and in remembrance of Ojai days.

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