Fons Vitae is dedicated to preserving in print for future generations the extraordinarily important work of Titus Burckhardt, who devoted his life to the exposition of Universal Truth, that wisdom "uncreate" in the realm of metaphysics, cosmology, and sacred art. In addition to Burckhardt's Alchemy: Science of the Cosmos, Letters of a Sufi Master, and Moorish Culture in Spain, Fons Vitae is honored to add to the series Sacred Art, East and West, Mystical Astrology according to lbn 'Arabi, and Mirror of the Intellect.

An eminent Swiss metaphysician and scholar of oriental languages, Titus Burckhardt (1908-1984) devoted his life to the timeless and universal wisdom present in Sufism, Vedanta, Taoism, Platonism, and the other great esoteric and sapiential traditions. Though an art historian like his great uncle, the renowned Jacob Burckhardt, his main interest was the spiritual use and meaning to be found in Eastern and Western art and architecture, and the expression of the sacred in the lives of saints.

This is a virtually complete collection of Burckhardt's essays, originally published throughout his long life in a variety of German and French journals. Their range is tremendous -- from sacred cosmology and modern science through Christianity and Islam to symbolism and mythology. The chief virtue of the collection is precisely its comprehensiveness; both quantitatively and qualitatively it is extremely rich.

AnIllustrated Outline of Buddhism is an ideal introduction to the vast and complex field of Buddhism, a world religion with more than a billion followers. In its short format and accessible style, it presents the essential features of the Buddhist religion with a clear yet concise style that is suitable for both the general reader and student of Buddhism. This fully color edition contains 40 color illustrations, including a stunning array of outstanding examples of Buddhist art, architecture, statuary, and calligraphy. Numerous maps, diagrams, and charts are included to illustrate important aspects of Buddhist beliefs and to summarize the different cultural forms and developmental phases of Buddhism. A select bibliography for further reading and a detailed index will also aid the reader.

This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ++++ The below data was compiled from various identification fields in the bibliographic record of this title. This data is provided as an additional tool in helping to ensure edition identification: ++++ Factors Influencing The Phosphate Content Of Soils, Volumes 1-3; Volume 2 Of Research Bulletin / University Of Wisconsin, Agricultural Experiment Station Andrew Robeson Whitson, Charles William Stoddart The University of Wisconsin Agricultural Experiment Station, 1909 Technology & Engineering; Agriculture; Agronomy; Soil Science; Soils; Technology & Engineering / Agriculture / Agronomy / Soil Science

As a result of Islamic terrorism many people - including some in high places - have quickly come to the conclusion that Islam is a religion of violence and, as such, is the sworn enemy of Christianity and the Western way of life. This may be understandable, but the matter is not quite so simple. This book provides the necessary historical background to the problem, and it does so by supplying a wealth of documentation which powerfully records the amicable and fruitful relations which, over the centuries, have repeatedly manifested themselves between Christianity and Islam. What has gone wrong now? Is it possible that this spirit, once so frequent, can again be recovered - in whole or even in part? On the evidence presented in this book, this would seem to be more than just a pious hope. The Old Testament says: "My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. Because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee." This book copiously supplies the background knowledge that is needed for our understanding in this age of absurd, cruel, and apparently unending wars.

The guiding idea of this book has been to gather together sayings, maxims, and aphorisms, which, in some respect or other are of profound and permanent spiritual value. Moreover, the net has been cast wide, with the result that the selected items are extremely variegated; for, in the present age, protective dividing walls have crumbled; the whole world has become our parish, and our gaze must now be universal. The quotations here presented were collected during the course of a lifetime. Each quotation was hand-picked for a particular purpose, and anything deemed superfluous was excluded. Wise and useful quotations are of course endless, but a selection is what it is and, far from being arbitrary, this anthology, taken as a whole, amounts to a succinct, but powerful, affirmation of "the True, the Good, and the Beautiful." This is its purpose-and may it bear fruit.

Der islamische Terrorismus hat dazu gefhrt, dass viele Menschen - auch angesehene Persnlichkeiten - den Schluss gezogen haben, der Islam sei eine Religion der Gewalt und als solche der Erzfeind des Christentums und der westlichen Lebensart. Das ist verstndlich, doch ganz so einfach ist die Sache nicht. Dieses Buch liefert die erforderlichen historischen Grundlagen zu dieser Frage und beweist anhand einer Flle von Beispielen, dass ber die Jahrhunderte hinweg immer wieder freundschaftliche und fruchtbare Beziehungen zwischen Christen und Muslimen bestanden haben. Was ist falsch gelaufen? Ist es mglich, diesen Geist, der einmal vielerorts wehte, ganz oder auch nur teilweise neu zu beleben? Die Beispiele, die wir in diesem Buch anfhren, lassen dies als mehr erscheinen als nur eine fromme Hoffnung. Das alte Testament sagt: Mein Volk geht aus Mangel an Erkenntnis zugrunde; denn du hast die Erkenntnis verworfen, darum will ich auch dich verwerfen." Dieses Buch liefert in umfassender Weise Hintergrundwissen, das notwendig ist, wenn man dieses Zeitalter der absurden, grausamen und nicht enden wollenden Kriege zu verstehen sucht.

This pocket encyclopedia is more than simply a book on Hinduism; it is a summing up of the principles and concepts that lie at the base of all the great faith traditions. Through an abundance of illustrations, diagrams, photographs, and outlines the once daunted reader or museum goer easily understands seemingly complex mythology and art forms, the levels and methods of spiritual realization of the greatest of the classical sages and saints and their spiritual lineages concluding with the modern masters as well as the metaphysics of the Hindu universe. Key benefits of the book:
- Provides useful chronological overviews and samplings from the various Scriptures and epic poems.
- Clears up superficial misapprehensions of concepts such as reincarnation and the caste system.
- Explains the place of Hindu mythology in the spiritual process and how its didactic contents are elucidated in sculpture, epic poems, and dance.
- Provides illustrations of the various divinities and incarnations, which will be useful for the museum-goer or the tourist visiting the sites of Indian art.
- Contributes to the understanding of our human condition today; particularly clarifying as to where, according to Hinduism, we stand today in the grand scheme of time, is the discussion of the yugas or "ages" (the cycles of humanity).
- Contains helpful cross-references to other familiar world faiths, including the Greco-Roman.
- Indicates the Hindu holy cities, rivers, andpilgrimage points, on a helpful map