The Doctrine of Awakening: The Attainment of Self-Mastery According to the Earliest Buddhist Texts (Original) — Occult Philosophy

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The Doctrine of Awakening: The Attainment of Self-Mastery According to the Earliest Buddhist Texts (Original)

Name: The Doctrine of Awakening: The Attainment of Self-Mastery According to the Earliest Buddhist Texts (Original)
Price: 18.95 USD
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ISBN: 9780892815531

✍️ Evola, Julius

Reader Score

4.6

(1 review)

$18.95

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📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

Julius Evola meticulously delves into the foundational Buddhist scriptures, revealing a potent, active path to liberation distinct from later, more passive spiritual forms. This incisive work, originally published in 1943, systematically disentangles the authentic core of Buddhist asceticism, illuminating the Eightfold Path and dispelling doctrinal elaborations. Evola guides readers toward techniques for conscious freedom from illusion and achieving transcendence beyond duality, even provocatively suggesting that reincarnation was not an original tenet. He integrates practical concentration methods within the broader metaphysical framework of the Buddhist cosmos and mind.

Evola, Julius

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Occult Philosophy

Praise for this book

“Evola ... had a clarity of mind and a gift for explaining tremendously difficult concepts in nonacademic language. His account of the niddana-chain (the twelve stages of conditioned genesis) is a masterpiece. It equips the reader for a whole new understanding, not only of Buddhism, but of the human state in general.”

— Gnosis Magazine

🏛 Inner Traditions International 📅 1996 📖 272 pages 📔 Paperback ISBN: 9780892815531

Fun Fact

Evola's "Doctrine of Awakening" is a formidable, essential read for those seeking a rigorous, unconventional path within Buddhism. It masterfully dissects early texts, offering a potent vision of active self-mastery that challenges many modern interpretations. While not for those seeking a gentle introduction or adhering to later doctrines, this work stands as a cornerstone of Traditionalist thought, providing a profound, if controversial, roadmap to transcendence.

📝 Description: The Doctrine of Awakening: The Attainment of Self-Mastery According to the Earliest Buddhist Texts (Original)

In a probing analysis of the oldest Buddhist texts, Julius Evola places the doctrine of liberation in its original context. The early teachings, he suggests, offer the foremost example of an active spirituality that is opposed to the more passive, modern forms of theistic religions. This sophisticated, highly readable analysis of the theory and practice of Buddhist asceticism, first published in Italian in 1943, elucidates the central truths of the eightfold path and clears away the later accretions of Buddhist doctrine. Evola describes the techniques for conscious liberation from the world of maya and for achieving the state of transcendence beyond dualistic thinking. Most surprisingly, he argues that the widespread belief in reincarnation is not an original Buddhist tenet. Evola presents actual practices of concentration and visualization, and places them in the larger metaphysical context of the Buddhist model of mind and universe. The Doctrine of the Awakening is a provocative study of the teachings of the Buddha by one of Europe's most stimulating thinkers.

📑 What's inside

The Doctrine of Awakening
The Attainment of Self-Mastery According to the Earliest Buddhist Texts
Translator's Foreword
Preface
Introduction
Part I: Principles
1. Varieties of Ascesis
2. The Aryan-ness of the Doctrine of Awakening
3. The Historical Context of the Doctrine of Awakening
4. Destruction of the Demon of Dialectics
5. The Flame and Samsaric Consciousness
6. Conditioned Genesis
7. Determination of the Vocations
Part II: Practice
8. The Qualities of the Combatant and the "Departure"
9. Defense and Consolidation
10. Rightness
11. Sidereal Awareness: The Wounds Close
12. The Four Jhana: The "Irradiant Contemplations"
13. The States Free from Form and the Extinction
14. Discrimination Between the "Powers"
15. Phenomenology of the Great Liberation
16. Signs of the Nonpareil
17. The Void: "If the Mind Does Not Break"
18. Up to Zen
19. The Ariya Are Still Gathered on the Vulture's Peak
Index

💎 Expert review

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💎

Esoterica Books editorial team

Occult literature desk

Evola’s analysis is intellectually potent but philosophically provocative, particularly regarding his claim that reincarnation was not an original tenet. This work demands a reader comfortable with controversial reinterpretations of foundational doctrines. It does NOT suit those seeking traditional Theravada or Mahayana commentary, nor readers preferring gentle, devotional practices over active self-mastery. The text’s dense metaphysical framework and rejection of common Buddhist narratives may alienate general spiritual seekers. However, for students of esoteric history and radical anti-modernism, it remains an essential, albeit difficult, examination of early Buddhist asceticism stripped of subsequent doctrinal elaborations.

✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

📖

Why this book is worth reading

Readers seeking a rigorous, unadorned approach to spiritual liberation will find profound value in this work. It appeals to those disillusioned with contemporary, diluted spiritualities who desire a potent, active path rooted in early texts. By stripping away later accretions, Evola offers a direct route to self-mastery and transcendence beyond duality. Those interested in the metaphysical framework of the Buddhist cosmos and practical concentration methods will appreciate its systematic disentanglement of authentic asceticism. It is ideal for individuals eager to confront consciousness and illusion through incisive, non-passive techniques, offering a unique perspective on freedom from cyclic existence.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Esoterica Books —

⭐ Esoterica editorial review Editorial rating 4.6/5

★★★★★

If you seek a rigorous, active spiritual path beyond conventional understanding, and desire to delve into the unadulterated essence of early Buddhist teachings, this book is for you. It offers a profound intellectual and practical challenge to achieve genuine self-mastery.

Reader rating

4.6

Based on 1 reviews

Esoterica Books editorial team

Evola’s analysis is intellectually potent but philosophically provocative, particularly regarding his claim that reincarnation was not an original tenet. This work demands a reader comfortable with controversial reinterpretations of foundational doctrines. It does NOT suit those seeking traditional Theravada or Mahayana commentary, nor readers preferring gentle, devotional practices over active self-mastery. The text’s dense metaphysical framework and rejection of common Buddhist narratives may alienate general spiritual seekers. However, for students of esoteric history and radical anti-modernism, it remains an essential, albeit difficult, examination of early Buddhist asceticism stripped of subsequent doctrinal elaborations.

❓ Frequently asked questions

No, Evola presents a highly unconventional and provocative interpretation of early Buddhism, focusing on its ascetic and liberation-oriented aspects while challenging common beliefs like reincarnation. It’s not a gentle overview but a deep, critical dive.

Yes, while deeply philosophical, the book describes actual techniques of concentration and visualization drawn from early texts. It integrates these practices within a larger metaphysical framework for achieving conscious self-mastery.

📖 Who should read this

🎯 Key themes and symbolism

Reclaiming Ancient Buddhist Truths

Evola meticulously unearths the original, active spiritual principles embedded in the earliest Buddhist texts. He contrasts this dynamic path to self-mastery and liberation with what he perceives as the more passive, theistic religious forms that developed later, arguing for a return to the foundational, unadulterated teachings.

Path to Conscious Liberation

The book explores the techniques for achieving conscious liberation from the illusory world (maya) and transcending dualistic thought. Evola details practical methods of concentration and visualization, presenting them as tools for the individual to attain a state of profound self-mastery and spiritual freedom, beyond conventional understanding.

Challenging Buddhist Orthodoxy

Evola rigorously dissects traditional Buddhist doctrine, aiming to clear away later accretions and reveal the pristine core. Most controversially, he argues that the widespread belief in reincarnation, often considered fundamental, was not an original tenet of early Buddhism, thereby inviting a fresh, critical perspective on its evolution.

📜 Historical context

First published in Italian in 1943, Evola's work reflects a European esoteric and Traditionalist tradition. It offers a unique, critical lens on Buddhism's development, concerned with the decline of spiritual authenticity in the modern world. His analysis seeks ancient, potent truths, challenging contemporary interpretations.

📚 Glossary

Maya
Asceticism
Transcendence

📔 Questions to reflect on

How does the concept of an 'active spirituality' resonate with your personal understanding of growth or self-mastery, and what might it entail in practice?
Consider Evola's claim about reincarnation not being an original Buddhist tenet. How does this reframe your perception of Buddhist philosophy or its historical evolution?
If the world around us is 'maya' or illusion, what practical steps could one take to consciously detach from its perceived reality and seek transcendence?