"Although
genius is an overused term, in my opinion the word perfectly
applies to Aldous Huxley–a man for whom thinking itself was
an art. In Knowledge and Understanding, a lecture given
at the Hollywood Vedanta Temple, he explores the very nature
of mental processes. His spontaneous exchanges in the intimate
Question/Answer section serve as further insight to the
man."
—Huston
Smith, author of The World’s Religions
I
thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.
It gets directly at the heart of the revolution that Huxley
was trying to instigate -
specifically, to challenge the Western mind to
consider a truth that
transcends mere knowledge, a truth that is experiential
and that the Eastern mind knows as enlightenment. And Huxley
does a brilliant job of
articulating the nature and benefits of that deeper truth.
Dana
Sawyer, author of Aldous Huxley:
A Biography
In the course of Aldous Huxley’s
long association with the Vedanta Society of Southern California,
he was an important contributor to the Society’s literary
heritage. His Vedanta-related body of work includes articles,
essays, and introductions, and he was the editorial advisor of Vedanta
and the West for eleven years.
He
lectured at both the Hollywood and Santa Barbara temples. Knowledge
and Understanding, as well as the informal question/answer
session that followed, was recorded on a wire recorder and has
been digitally transferred by the Vedanta Archives and mastered by mondayMEDIA. The
audio quality of the Question/Answer session is less than studio
standard, but the spontaneous exchanges reveal a personable
Huxley. Traditionally, the speaker and interested audience members
would assemble in the "Green House" living room for
discussion.
Knowledge
and Understanding (1955)
showcases Huxley’s wide-ranging intellect, his socially
prophetic vision, and is peppered with wit. This lecture is a must
for Huxley fans and scholars.
Produced
in conjunction with Vedanta Archives, which is in the process of
organizing and restoring a wealth of materials collected over
decades.
Running
Time: 78 minutes
Produced in conjunction with Vedanta Archives and Vedanta Press
*Second
Edition: When we sent the disc out for review, Kendra
Smith noted that Aldous Huxley had a deeper voice than what she
had heard on the first edition disc. In preparing for large-run
replication, Jon listened to as many recordings of Huxley as he
could find. As a result, he determined that the transfer
from wire recording had sped up the voice. It was adjusted
to more closely reflect both the register and speed of Huxley's
speech. However,
there was not enough time on the disc to include all the questions
that are on the first edition. Also, the order of the Q&A was
altered. In both editions, the Q&A session is a selection of
questions and answers.
|
Knowledge
and Understanding 
