The following passage from the last chapter of Hindu Soul Traditions by william J. Jackson expresses one of the book’s main themes: "To explore evolution, cultural viability, the longevity of tradition, fitness in the universe, not avoiding dominant paradigms of our age, seems necessary now. The alternative, to pretend we are independent of a matrix, to act as if we’re not interwoven in the universe, seems false and foolish, Science and wisdom call out to each other; at some points they even converge. We need authentic initiations to the past and future both. If one is not initiated into ancient enduring patterns there is danger of life’s trivialization; if one is not initiated into the best of emerging patterns there is danger of mind’s ossification. We need to try out new ideas." The Book soul Image in Hindu Traditions is about some of those new ideas, reflecting on topics of enduring interest. The science of recent decades in much different from the science of a century ago, and out view of the universe should reflect that fact. Recent research in physics, cosmology, biology and ecology reveals that the universe in much more dynamic, interrelated, complex, and less static had been thought by earlier scientific thought. To learn about the nature of the universe helps us to think in new ways about spiritual matters and religious traditions. All the great the great traditions have lessons to teach us, so it would be foolish to say to religions, as some modern people do, “A Plague on all your houses!†Concepts from various disciplines can help us to better understand the creative process in individuals and cultures and also to appreciate the importance of wisdom. Such concepts may aid us in realizing the possibilities of renewal in traditions and may help us in facing new challenges.
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