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The Huston Smith Reader
For more than sixty years, Huston Smith has not only written and taught about the world’s religions, he has lived them. This Reader presents a rich selection of Smith’s writings, covering six decades of inquiry and exploration, and ranging from scholarship to memoir. Over his long academic career, Smith’s tireless enthusiasm for religious ideas has offered readers both in and outside the academy a fresh understanding of what religion is and what makes it meaningful. The Huston Smith Reader offers a comprehensive guide to understanding religion and spirituality as well as a memorable record of Huston Smith’s lifelong endeavor to enrich the inner lives of his fellow humans.
279 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2012
6 people are currently reading
60 people want to read
About the author
Huston Smith
123 books315 followersSmith was born in Suzhou, China to Methodist missionaries and spent his first 17 years there. He taught at the Universities of Colorado and Denver from 1944–1947, moving to Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri for the next ten years, and then Professor of Philosophy at MIT from 1958–1973. While at MIT he participated in some of the experiments with entheogens that professor Timothy Leary conducted at Harvard University. He then moved to Syracuse University where he was Thomas J. Watson Professor of Religion and Distinguished Adjunct Professor of Philosophy until his retirement in 1983 and current emeritus status. He now lives in the Berkeley, CA area where he is Visiting Professor of Religious Studies at the University of California, Berkeley.
During his career, Smith not only studied, but practiced Vedanta Hinduism, Zen Buddhism (studying under Goto Zuigan), and Sufism for over ten years each. He is a notable autodidact.
As a young man, Smith, of his own volition, after suddenly turning to mysticism, set out to meet with then-famous author Gerald Heard. Heard responded to Smith's letter, invited him to his Trabuco College (later donated as the Ramakrishna Monastery) in Southern California, and then sent him off to meet the legendary Aldous Huxley. So began Smith's experimentation with meditation, and association with the Vedanta Society in Saint Louis under the auspices of Swami Satprakashananda of the Ramakrishna order.
Via the connection with Heard and Huxley, Smith eventually experimented with Timothy Leary and others at the Center for Personality Research, of which Leary was Research Professor. The experience and history of the era are captured somewhat in Smith's book Cleansing the Doors of Perception. In this period, Smith joined in on the Harvard Project as well, an attempt to raise spiritual awareness through entheogenic plants.
He has been a friend of the XIVth Dalai Lama for more than forty years, and met and talked to some of the great figures of the century, from Eleanor Roosevelt to Thomas Merton.
He developed an interest in the Traditionalist School formulated by Rene Guenon and Ananda Coomaraswamy. This interest has become a continuing thread in all his writings.
In 1996, Bill Moyers devoted a 5-part PBS special to Smith's life and work, "The Wisdom of Faith with Huston Smith." Smith has produced three series for public television: "The Religions of Man," "The Search for America," and (with Arthur Compton) "Science and Human Responsibility." His films on Hinduism, Tibetan Buddhism, and Sufism have all won awards at international film festivals.
His latest DVD release is The Roots of Fundamentalism - A Conversation with Huston Smith and Phil Cousineau.
During his career, Smith not only studied, but practiced Vedanta Hinduism, Zen Buddhism (studying under Goto Zuigan), and Sufism for over ten years each. He is a notable autodidact.
As a young man, Smith, of his own volition, after suddenly turning to mysticism, set out to meet with then-famous author Gerald Heard. Heard responded to Smith's letter, invited him to his Trabuco College (later donated as the Ramakrishna Monastery) in Southern California, and then sent him off to meet the legendary Aldous Huxley. So began Smith's experimentation with meditation, and association with the Vedanta Society in Saint Louis under the auspices of Swami Satprakashananda of the Ramakrishna order.
Via the connection with Heard and Huxley, Smith eventually experimented with Timothy Leary and others at the Center for Personality Research, of which Leary was Research Professor. The experience and history of the era are captured somewhat in Smith's book Cleansing the Doors of Perception. In this period, Smith joined in on the Harvard Project as well, an attempt to raise spiritual awareness through entheogenic plants.
He has been a friend of the XIVth Dalai Lama for more than forty years, and met and talked to some of the great figures of the century, from Eleanor Roosevelt to Thomas Merton.
He developed an interest in the Traditionalist School formulated by Rene Guenon and Ananda Coomaraswamy. This interest has become a continuing thread in all his writings.
In 1996, Bill Moyers devoted a 5-part PBS special to Smith's life and work, "The Wisdom of Faith with Huston Smith." Smith has produced three series for public television: "The Religions of Man," "The Search for America," and (with Arthur Compton) "Science and Human Responsibility." His films on Hinduism, Tibetan Buddhism, and Sufism have all won awards at international film festivals.
His latest DVD release is The Roots of Fundamentalism - A Conversation with Huston Smith and Phil Cousineau.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
May 7, 2012
Kinder, Gentler Doorway into Huston Smith’s Spiritual World
How can readers find their way into the realm of Huston Smith? This month—the gods willing—he will turn 93. Once the world’s most famous guide into comparative religion, beloved as a friendly gatekeeper for millions of curious Americans, Smith now is eclipsed by waves of other writers, filmmakers and teachers. In fact, given the explosion of the Internet and other digital media—the world’s great religious traditions now flow directly into our palms, ears and eyes 24/7.
Nevertheless, students who ask for an introduction to our world’s diverse spiritual traditions, today, are likely to receive a short list of recommendations including Huston Smith ranked with famous names like Smith’s friend Bill Moyers, Karen Armstrong, Stephen Prothero, and Philip Jenkins.
But, where do we start digging into Smith’s library of books? His overall body of work is not as fresh or as easy to sort out as the others. What’s more, these days, Smith sometimes is chided by critics for trying too hard to make the world’s religious communities seem more unified than they really are. Stephen Prothero certainly makes that point, among others. The most recent news stories mentioning Smith’s name in major publications like the New York Times reference Don Lattin’s 2010 book, The Harvard Psychadelic Club, which finally pulled back the veil over Smith’s own experimentation with mind-altering drugs in the 1960s.
Where do we turn to find the real Huston Smith? His legacy is not helped by the fact that he produced so many books. He wrote more than a dozen. Amazon lists 19 titles that are credited to Smith. Where do we start on that list? Are his earliest books still relevant? Or, what if we choose the more recent Cleansing the Doors of Perception, his 2000 book about the religious significance of drugs? That book is fascinating, but is it the best way to understand his major contribution as a scholar?
Now, University of California Press helps us all with a terrific sampling of Huston Smith’s work over many years in this new The Huston Smith Reader, edited and introduced by Jeffery Paine. It includes a very helpful 10-page Afterword by Dana Sawyer, who is working on a biography of Smith.
In 23 chapters, Paine gives us a coherent collage of Smith’s life story and passionate interest in teaching the world about the wonders of diversity. Some chapters excerpt autobiographical reflections by Smith. Other sections allow Smith to explain why studying comparative religion matters, for example, in an excerpt from his 2001 book Why Religion Matters: The Fate of the Human Spirit in an Age of Disbelief.
Yes, the book dips back into vintage Huston Smith, way back in the era when he first showed up on public TV and in then-popular magazines like Saturday Evening Post. A chapter called “The Revolution in Western Thought” begins in the tone of such early-1960s magazines: “Quietly, irrevocably, something enormous has happened to Western man.” Perhaps we all can forgive such a style, given the popularity of the Mad Men TV series . Certainly, we agree today that Western woman changed as well.
The Reader takes us through half a century of Smith’s work. Thank goodness, HarperOne gave permission for an 8-page chapter near the book’s conclusion, called “Reflections on Turning Ninety” from the 2009 Tales of Wonder: Adventures Chasing the Divine, an Autobiography. This is a full journey through Smith’s life and thinking.
Thanks to everyone connected with this helpful new doorway into Huston Smith’s world! As a journalist covering religion for 30 years, I have interviewed Smith at length several times, collected his works on religion through the years and I can say: Smith’s own wise hand clearly rests on this collection. Thank goodness Huston Smith is still with us in early 2012.
The Harvard Psychedelic Club: How Timothy Leary, Ram Dass, Huston Smith, and Andrew Weil Killed the Fifties and Ushered in a New Age for America
Cleansing the Doors of Perception: The Religious Significance of Entheogenic Plants and Chemicals
Tales of Wonder: Adventures Chasing the Divine, an Autobiography
Why Religion Matters: The Fate of the Human Spirit in an Age of Disbelief
How can readers find their way into the realm of Huston Smith? This month—the gods willing—he will turn 93. Once the world’s most famous guide into comparative religion, beloved as a friendly gatekeeper for millions of curious Americans, Smith now is eclipsed by waves of other writers, filmmakers and teachers. In fact, given the explosion of the Internet and other digital media—the world’s great religious traditions now flow directly into our palms, ears and eyes 24/7.
Nevertheless, students who ask for an introduction to our world’s diverse spiritual traditions, today, are likely to receive a short list of recommendations including Huston Smith ranked with famous names like Smith’s friend Bill Moyers, Karen Armstrong, Stephen Prothero, and Philip Jenkins.
But, where do we start digging into Smith’s library of books? His overall body of work is not as fresh or as easy to sort out as the others. What’s more, these days, Smith sometimes is chided by critics for trying too hard to make the world’s religious communities seem more unified than they really are. Stephen Prothero certainly makes that point, among others. The most recent news stories mentioning Smith’s name in major publications like the New York Times reference Don Lattin’s 2010 book, The Harvard Psychadelic Club, which finally pulled back the veil over Smith’s own experimentation with mind-altering drugs in the 1960s.
Where do we turn to find the real Huston Smith? His legacy is not helped by the fact that he produced so many books. He wrote more than a dozen. Amazon lists 19 titles that are credited to Smith. Where do we start on that list? Are his earliest books still relevant? Or, what if we choose the more recent Cleansing the Doors of Perception, his 2000 book about the religious significance of drugs? That book is fascinating, but is it the best way to understand his major contribution as a scholar?
Now, University of California Press helps us all with a terrific sampling of Huston Smith’s work over many years in this new The Huston Smith Reader, edited and introduced by Jeffery Paine. It includes a very helpful 10-page Afterword by Dana Sawyer, who is working on a biography of Smith.
In 23 chapters, Paine gives us a coherent collage of Smith’s life story and passionate interest in teaching the world about the wonders of diversity. Some chapters excerpt autobiographical reflections by Smith. Other sections allow Smith to explain why studying comparative religion matters, for example, in an excerpt from his 2001 book Why Religion Matters: The Fate of the Human Spirit in an Age of Disbelief.
Yes, the book dips back into vintage Huston Smith, way back in the era when he first showed up on public TV and in then-popular magazines like Saturday Evening Post. A chapter called “The Revolution in Western Thought” begins in the tone of such early-1960s magazines: “Quietly, irrevocably, something enormous has happened to Western man.” Perhaps we all can forgive such a style, given the popularity of the Mad Men TV series . Certainly, we agree today that Western woman changed as well.
The Reader takes us through half a century of Smith’s work. Thank goodness, HarperOne gave permission for an 8-page chapter near the book’s conclusion, called “Reflections on Turning Ninety” from the 2009 Tales of Wonder: Adventures Chasing the Divine, an Autobiography. This is a full journey through Smith’s life and thinking.
Thanks to everyone connected with this helpful new doorway into Huston Smith’s world! As a journalist covering religion for 30 years, I have interviewed Smith at length several times, collected his works on religion through the years and I can say: Smith’s own wise hand clearly rests on this collection. Thank goodness Huston Smith is still with us in early 2012.
The Harvard Psychedelic Club: How Timothy Leary, Ram Dass, Huston Smith, and Andrew Weil Killed the Fifties and Ushered in a New Age for America
Cleansing the Doors of Perception: The Religious Significance of Entheogenic Plants and Chemicals
Tales of Wonder: Adventures Chasing the Divine, an Autobiography
Why Religion Matters: The Fate of the Human Spirit in an Age of Disbelief
January 19, 2017
As an atheist, I enjoyed this book. Lots of deep thoughts about religion I don't necessarily agree with but are well worth reading and considering.
November 25, 2024
An interesting book about a very interesting man who spent his life exploring (and living) many of the world's great religions.
Included are excerpts and essays from many of his works that reflect his interest in religion.
Although there is a ton of material here to reflect upon, I will be looking for his other works to get a more in-depth view of his ideas and philosophy.
Included are excerpts and essays from many of his works that reflect his interest in religion.
Although there is a ton of material here to reflect upon, I will be looking for his other works to get a more in-depth view of his ideas and philosophy.
July 5, 2012
Interesting, but not as interesting as I thought it would be. I was turned off by the mescaline section, which, admittedly, is only one period of exploration in Huston's life. Perhaps that is a knee jerk reaction on my part. But I couldn't see why his forays into Buddhism, Islam, etc., were that revealing or important. It just seemed like church-shopping to me. Perhaps I would have been more impressed and intrigued by his explorations if I had been reading about them 40 years ago. Perhaps they would have been more unusual then. I did enjoy the bit in which he recognizes that he's spent years exploring world religions, but hasn't contributed much of himself to the institutions trying to keep them alive and available. Not many of us religion shoppers recognize that.
July 6, 2012
I'm marking this as finished, but I will return to it often. It is great to dip into a few pages or the whole thing.
It is just what I had hoped for. A wonderful introduction to Huston Smith. This man is a genius. I had been looking for a book I could hand to patrons of the library that would introduce them to his wonderful works. I highly recommend this. Once you read a little you will want to read a lot!
It is just what I had hoped for. A wonderful introduction to Huston Smith. This man is a genius. I had been looking for a book I could hand to patrons of the library that would introduce them to his wonderful works. I highly recommend this. Once you read a little you will want to read a lot!
June 5, 2015
I learned something truly meaningful from every selection within this book, and I can honestly state that its passages ennobled me, and made me a better person, at least for a small while.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews