A Treasury of Mystic Terms

If you read at adress http://www.johndavidson.org/index.html ,you will find a huge books about spirituality, about science of the soul.

I meet Dr. John Davidson, in Punjab,India, in octomber 2006.

Dr Davidson graduated at Cambridge University in natural (biological) sciences; he went on to work for seventeen years at the University's Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics. In 1984, he left the University to develop the Wholistic Research Company.

A Treasury of Mystic Terms is planned as a multi-volume work in two parts: Part I, consisting of six volumes, was published in 2003 and is titled “The Principles of Mysticism.”

Part II will be titled “The Practice of Mysticism.”

The Treasury is a collection of the spiritual terms found in the literature of the world's religious and mystical traditions. Its primary objective is to elucidate the meaning of the essential terms used by the various spiritual and religious traditions of the world throughout history. It is not primarily intended as a dictionary or as an encyclopedia, nor is it a definitive treatise on any particular subject or religion. It is meant to help the ordinary person understand some of the basic principles of his or her religious background, within the framework of a universal understanding of spirituality.

All terms are explained in a simple manner, with each term presented as a separate entry. With the explanations grouped according to subject and placed alongside one another, many similarities between the various religions immediately become apparent. Among these many pages, the reader will find a mixture of interesting concepts, quotations, thoughts, perceptions and ideas. There should be something for everyone, whoever they are and whatever their bent of mind.

Part I was prepared and edited by an international team of researchers, contributors, editors and readers with a wide variety of religious and cultural backgrounds. All those involved gave their time and expertise freely to the project. Since the Society does not seek any profit and the cost of printing in India is low, the Treasury can be sold at a very low price. This helps the Society stay true to its premise that spirituality is the birthright of all, that no profit should be extracted from its dissemination, and – most important – that knowledge of these truths should not be withheld from anyone for economic reasons.

Some review about this works sound this:

Food for the Soul: A beautifully produced set on mysticism and spirituality, this is a significant work. More than 40 scholars have worked on it, gleaning over 5,000 nuggets from religious texts from around the globe. The first volume starts with an overview of the universe of spirituality, which helps to put the early spiritual traditions in perspective. …you come across some interesting bits of information, like the relationship between Jewish mystics and the Sufis, and the existence of Jewish Sufi manuscripts, which were discovered in Cairo in the late 19th century. Christianity is explained at length, and another interesting section is on Greek mystics and philosophers.... The very strength of these volumes lies in the fact that they bring out the essential similarities in the way man envisions mystical experiences. Once you get over cultural and linguistic differences, the essence is so similar. But then, why should it not be?... One can just not read this set of six volumes, or for that matter any book in it from cover to cover. In fact, it has been designed for the reader who, like this reviewer, would come back for more and more. As one sees the various terms explained in fairly lucid and simple language, one recognizes the work that must have gone behind it to `dejargonise' one of the more esoteric subjects. Of course, there can and will be differences of opinion and hair-splitting, but that is only to be expected and would probably be welcomed by the editors. Brought out by a team of volunteers, the volumes are produced at par with international standards, and priced low even by Indian norms. There is no doubt that this is a labour of love, which is obviously continuing, since Part II of the treasure is still to come. It will be eagerly awaited by many.

Roopinder Singh
The Tribune, Sunday, April 11, 2004