By Sri Madhava Ashish and Sri Krishna Prem
'Man the measure of all things' is one of those books I've heard about for years, but never had the opportunity to read. Having read Blavatsky's magnum opus myself, I was not inclined to read this commentary. However, the second hand bookshop of the Dutch TS brought it into my hands recently and I was pleasantly surprised.
Few people combine insight and wisdom with an ability to write as Sri Madhava Ashish does. He has taken the notes made by Sri Krishna Prem on the subject and turned it into a spiritual master piece.
I can't find words to describe just how good I think this book is. It's not the easiest book you'll ever read, but compared to the Stanzas of Dzyan and Blavatsky's own commentary on them, it's an easy read.
Man The Measure Of All Things
Man: The Measure of All Things
Amazon Price: $13.22 (as of 11/25/2009)
Buy in the UK and Europe (amazon.co.uk)
Koop bij Bol.com
Avg. Customer Rating: 
The real purpose of the ancient cosmogenies
Quote
But what has the Self, the mysterious root of human consciousness, got to do with a cosmogony, an account of the origination of the material universe? Such a question can only arise when, as most of us do, we explicitly or implicitly draw distinctions between ourselves and the things (phenomena or sense experience) around us: things we desire or fear to possess; events we desire or fear will happen; qualities of mind or feeling that add to or subtract from our self-opinion; things we value as adding to our pleasure, power or importance (etc.) (pp. 17, 18)
What do you think of this commentary on the Stanzas of Dzhyan?
Your turn
Write a review, add a comment, or debate someone who disagrees with you.
What did you think?
Fetching blurbs now... please stand byLove it! Great read.
mike tisdale says:
I've been interested in Theosophy for many years, and have read through this book at least four times, and I continue to be amazed at the depth of knowledge contained within. I believe the commentary does much to illumine the text of the stanzas, which are almost impossible to understand without commentaries on the deeper meanings. I think Krishna Prem has revealed much of the mystic meanings within the stanzas, and I consider him to be a true mystic who sees through the eyes of eternity.
Posted November 22, 2009
Sorry, not my cup of tea.
The essence of the essence
The ancient Cosmogonies and Creation Myths were, in effect, affirmations of the divine nature of all things, giving significance to human life and validity to the moral and social codes formulated on the patterns of what they represented man to be, or rather, what he should become. The Stanzas of Dzyan represent such an affirmation.
(p. 8)
Self in relation to the ALL
quote
This is where the problem of self meets the problem of matter. We have to find an integral understanding of all experience which will resolve the dilemma in the interdependence of conscious observer and content of experience. (p. 18)
Krishna Prem's inspiration
Oriental philosophy
Buddhist and Hindu philosophy are often quoted and referred to in this book, more than any other philosophy. Here follows more on oriental philosophy.-
The Upanishads quotes, sayings and concepts
-
After the Vedas the Upanishads are the most revered texts in Hinduism. What are the Upanishads? The Upanishads are texts which contain the basis of the later philosophy of the Hindus. Vedanta especially is based on the Upanishads. This lens illustrat...
-
Best books on Buddhism
-
If you are into a specific type of Buddhism - don't think you already know what 'Buddhism' is. Buddhism comes in a variety of forms and they disagree on issues you probably take for granted. These books will amaze and inform you. I'm going to be sen...
More about and by Sri Krishna Prem and Sri Madhava Ashish
- Man the Measure of All Things, Sri Krishna Prem and Sri Madhava Ashish
- I hope it is clear from these few sentences that it is not everyday man (or woman) that is seen as the measure of all things. It's the ideal person, that is seen as a symbol and representation of the Ultimate, the Real, the Total Universe.
- The Secret Doctrine as a Contribution to World Thought, Sri Madhava Ashish, Modern Theosophy
- The world's many religious teachings are human attempts to express mankind's half defined ideas about himself and the world he lives in. As we become richer in our wealth of concepts and more knowledgeable about our environment, we find it necessary from time to time to reformulate our religious ideas. H.P. Blavatsky's contribution to world thought was such a reformulation.
- Sy Ginsburg about Sri Madhava Ashis as a Fourth Way teacher
- In 1978 Ginsburg found Sri Madhava Ashish in India and wrote 'In Search of the Unitive Vision' of his experiences. Ashish advised Sy to get in touch with Gurdjieff groups, which he did and later became co-founder of the Gurdjieff Institute of Florida. Sy Ginsburg is also one of the founders of All & Everything International Humanities Conference.
More books by Sri Madhava Ashish
Vote for your favorites, or add any I missed.
Man: The Measure of All Things by Krishna Prem and Sri Madhava Ashish
The book throws a new and searching light upon The more...0 points
In Search of the Unitive Vision: Letters of Sri Madhava Ashish to an American Businessman, 1978-1997 by Seymour B. Ginsburg
If you want to pursue in a Western way the path th more...0 points
An Open Window:Dream as Everyman's Guide to the Spirit by Sri Madhava Ashish
Movement on the spiritual path necessarily involve more...0 points
Relating to reality: Relating the metaphysical roots of value to their applications in every field of human activity
Collection of essays, articles and letters by by M more...0 points
Man, Son of Man by Sri Madhava Ashish
Companion volume to 'man the measure of all things more...0 points
What's the buzz about Man The Measure Of All Things?
- SUNLIT UPLANDS: Sir Kenneth Clark's Civilisation: Episode 4, "Man ...
- Sir Kenneth Clark's Civilisation: Episode 4, "Man: The Measure of All Things". In this episode, Lord Clark visits Florence, Urbino and Mantua to reflect on the centuries of Renaissance civilization. ...
- Man the Measure of All Things, Sri Krishna Prem and Sri Madhava Ashish
- I'm talking about Man The Measure of All Things, by Sri Krishna Prem and Sri Madhava Ashish. I suspect this book alone will give me more than enough to blog about for weeks if not months. I'll be writing a full review on the page I link ...
- Agent Intellect: Thus Spoke Cratylus
- This leads to an interesting twist: the traditionalists, with their attempts to know objective reality as it is in itself, independent of themselves, are the ones who have made man the measure of all things. ...
Related lenses about The Secret Doctrine and H.P. Blavatsky
-
Introduction to the Secret Doctrine by H.P.B.
-
The Secret Doctrine by H.P. Blavatsky is at once notoriously difficult to read, and a century old best seller. On this page I will refer you to other pages for a short summary of the themes Blavatsky takes up in her Magnum Opus. The main object of t...
-
H.P.B. The Extraordinary Life and Influence of Helena Blavatsky
-
Blavatsky is a monumental figure in the history of religion - East AND West. This book tracks her life, the many controversies around her, her ideas, and her influence.
-
Mme Blavatsky : Helena Petrovna Blavatsky
-
Blavatsky compared the science of her day, studied the world religions and came up with her own synthesis, which she called 'theosophy', or ancient wisdom.
-
The Best H.P. Blavatsky Books
-
Blavatsky's public life was spent doing two things: writing and organizing the Theosophical Society. This lens introduces her books: The Secret Doctrine, Isis Unveiled, The Key to Theosophy, The Voice of the Silence, Caves and Jungles of Hindustan, t...
-
The Secret Doctrine: The Synthesis of Science, Religion, and Philosophy
-
It unites science and religion in a unique synthesis. Changed my life and my world view completely. Contains many of the themes of the modern New Age movement like: karmic evolution, Atlantis, parapsychology, Unity of All Life/everything, unity of al...
More spiritual books
-
Best Books about karma and reincarnation
-
Learn about karma and reincarnation from the perspective of Buddhism, Theosophy and Hinduism. But also based on the science of past life memories of children and regression. I could not resist putting a video on VHS up as well. John Algeo explains t...
-
Best Ken Wilber Books
-
Books by Ken Wilber who writes on psychology, philosophy, mysticism, ecology, and spiritual evolution. He has been described as New Age, although his writings are critical of much of the New Age Movement. His work formulates what he calls an "integra...
-
Theosophy Books - theosophical inspiration
-
Links to book reviews of theosophical books and a selection of the most famous and inspirational books in the theosophical movement. Books by Annie Besant, W.Q. Judge, C.W. Leadbeater, Jiddu Krishnamurti, Rudolf Steiner, H.P. Blavatsky and more.
-
Henk Spierenburg Theosophy Books
-
My mentor, renowned theosophical scholar Henk Spierenburg, deserves a page at squidoo. He was best known for his compilations of Blavatsky's work according to subject. With the internet and digital search the most valuable thing about these books...
-
The best spiritual books EVER
-
Gathering all my spiritual book reviews together. Religion and spirituality fascinates me no end. I also love to read books - this lens combines both fascinations. I've reviewed quite a few spiritual books by now. Here you'll find my reviews...
by spirituality
Explore related pages
Quiz: Test your knowledge about Blavatsky- Test your knowledge, your mettle, your trivia (not trivial) pursuit, your multip...
Spiritual Jokes And Stories: The Funniest Spirituality Ever
- Without spirituality, life has no meaning, no direction. Without Jokes... well...
Quiz: Jiddu Krishnamurti Trivia Test- Jiddu Krishnamurti was and is one of the most prominent spiritual teachers of th...
Is God Omniscient ? If so, do we have free will?- If God exists, He is all knowing. That means that in advance he knows what we wi...
Interfaith - religious dialogue Headquarters- Group for all lenses about religious dialog - or people who have tried that path...
Mme Blavatsky : Helena Petrovna Blavatsky- Blavatsky compared the science of her day, studied the world religions and came...
