Evelyn Underhill Quotes About Mysticism

Quotes about: Mysticism

• In mysticism that love of truth which we saw as the beginning of all philosophy leaves the merely intellectual sphere, and takes on the assured aspect of a personal passion. Where the philosopher guesses and argues, the mystic lives and looks; and speaks, consequently, the disconcerting language of first-hand experience, not the neat dialectic of the schools. Hence whilst the Absolute of the metaphysicians remains a diagram —impersonal and unattainable—the Absolute of the mystics is lovable, attainable, alive.

  Evelyn Underhill

  Philosophy, Passion, School

  Evelyn Underhill (2012). “Mysticism: A Study in the Nature and Development of Spiritual Consciousness”, p.38, Courier Corporation

• Mysticism is the art of union with Reality.

  Evelyn Underhill

  Art, Reality, Unions

  Evelyn Underhill, Aeterna Press (2014). “Practical Mysticism”, p.10, Aeterna Press

• Mysticism, according to its historical and psychological definitions, is the direct intuition or experience of God; and a mystic is a person who has, to a greater or less degree, such a direct experience -- one whose religion and life are centered, not merely on an accepted belief or practice, but on that which the person regards as first hand personal knowledge.

  Evelyn Underhill

  Personal Knowledge, Hands, Practice

• Mysticism is the passionate longing of the soul for God.

  Evelyn Underhill

  Soul, Passionate, Longing

  Evelyn Underhill (1960). “The Mount of Purification”

• Idealism, though just in its premises, and often daring and honest in their application, is stultified by the exclusive intellectualism of its own methods: by its fatal trust in the squirrel-work of the industrious brain instead of the piercing vision of the desirous heart. It interests man, but does not involve him in its processes: does not catch him up to the new and more real life which it describes. Hence the thing that matters, the living thing, has somehow escaped it; and its observations bear the same relation to reality as the art of the anatomist does to the mystery of birth.

  Evelyn Underhill

  Art, Real, Men

  Evelyn Underhill (2017). “The Complete Christian Mystic: A Practical, Step - By - Step Guide for Awakening to the Presence of God”, p.112, Lulu Press, Inc

• I do not think reading the mystics would hurt you myself: you say you must avoid books which deal with 'feelings' - but the mystics don't deal with feelings but with love which is a very different thing. You have too many 'feelings,' but not nearly enough love.

  Evelyn Underhill

  Hurt, Book, Reading

• The business and method of mysticism is love.

  Evelyn Underhill

  Method, Mysticism

  Evelyn Underhill (2003). “Evelyn Underhill: Essential Writings”

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