Paul Brunton Philosophic Foundation

09/07/2026

OUR BIRTH RIGHT
"The glimpse in its most elementary form does not come only to specially gifted persons. It belongs to the portrait of every human being as a natural and not a mysterious part of his life-experience. It is simply a part of the feeling for Nature, to whose system he belongs, and for the Sun which is Nature's supreme expression. The sun's glory, beauty, power, and benignity arouse reverence. Oriental faiths mostly recognized this and made prayers obligatory at dawn and twilight."

More: https://paulbrunton.org/notebooks/22/4 #44

09/06/2026

THE OCCULT MYSTERY OF THE HEART IN MYSTICAL PRACTICE

According to Ramana Maharshi, Nisargadatta and other sages, mystical practice focusing on a very specific point in the heart can bring about full enlightenment. Paul Brunton, widely considered an authority on world mystical traditions, here gives a step-by-step guide through the practice and describes the stages.

According to Ramana Maharshi, Nisargadatta and other sages, mystica...

09/06/2026

THE ABSOLUTE EXPERIENCE

“The ordinary person is quite incapable of penetrating the absolute. The extraordinary person--the genius--may get flashes of intuition which reflect some truths that lift him or her above the little self. But no one really attains the absoluteness without getting dissolved in it, without knowing and remembering nothing of it. Those who claim these "unions with God" are really describing something quite different. Too often they are overwhelmed by their experience and quite naturally take it to be outside relativity when it is in fact a higher degree of it.”

The Ultimate “Experience”— https://www.paulbrunton.org/notebooks/28/2

09/05/2026

EGO INFLATION

“The aspirant who prefers to see himself (or herself) as much more advanced than he really is, is suffering from the inflation of a strong ego. The aspirant who prefers the opposite view and prefers to underrate his position is suffering from the inferiority of a feeble ego. Both attitudes are undesirable.”

“Even if he (or she) has his moral and psychological successes on the Long Path they may, just because they are successes, inflate his ego with gratification and pride. Only when he changes his attitude and ascribes them to the Overself and regards them as defeats for himself can this not happen. He will then have transferred from the Long Path to the Short Path.”

09/04/2026

RELIGIOUS DEEPENING

“The emphasis upon mystical insight, the respect for spiritual illumination, the desire to be a personal witness for the presence of God--these are present-day signs of religious deepening.”

“It was enough for ancient prophets to state the truth. Today they must do more than that: they must state the reasons why it is true.”

Beyond Religion as We Know It— https://www.paulbrunton.org/notebooks/17/7

09/03/2026

LIFE PRESENTS OPPORTUNITIES

“There will always be opportunities for the follower of this path to put philosophy into practice. Whether pleasant or unpleasant, they should be welcomed! The more you try, the more you are likely to accomplish. You should take care not to depend upon your personal judgement alone. If you make the beginnings of a right (that is, impersonal and egoless) response to each problem, help may mysteriously appear to guide you to a right solution. Even tests and trials will provide you with the chance to grow spiritually, and to bring you closer to your goal.”

Facing the Problems of Development—
https://www.paulbrunton.org/notebooks/2/3

09/02/2026

SAFE DIRECTION

“Life is a struggle and we are frail. Hindrances are around us on every side and limitations are within us on every occasion. Therefore, what is essential is that right direction should always be present, and what is important is that the ideal of the quest should never be abandoned.”

“The direction in which we are to move and the purpose which is to engage our striving are more valuable, more important, than program and plan. They are more flexible, leave you freer.”

Uncertainties of Progress— https://www.paulbrunton.org/notebooks/2/3

09/01/2026

TIMING AND DISCERNMENT
"Shakespeare: "There is a tide in the affairs of men, Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune. Omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries. We must take the current when it serves, Or lose our ventures."

More: https://paulbrunton.org/notebooks/9/4 #55

08/31/2026

OPENING TO WISDOM
"What are the attributes of a little child? A child has a flexible mind. It has not become mentally set or prejudiced by a collection of conceptions about life. It is fresh. Its head is not stuffed with a lot of so-called education. It is ready to learn--in fact, it is learning all the time. And the child has also a simplicity of spirit. It does not become complicated, tied up with all sorts of conjectures imposed by societies or families or newspapers. It has not become prejudiced by caste or environment. Moreover the child has not yet developed the strong sense of personality which adults have. Above all, the child is humble, it is teachable, it is willing to learn. This is what we need too. Humility is the first step on this path. We should realize how little we really know when confronted by the great mysteries of life. And even what we believe we do know, we cannot be too sure of in an age when the doctrine of relativity has undermined our bases. We must understand that what seems true today may seem false tomorrow. Many of the most widespread truths of last century have now been thrown overboard. Don't hold any doctrine too tightly."

More: https://paulbrunton.org/notebooks/18/3 #46

08/30/2026

NECESSARY STEPS

“Those who feel the inner urge to seek always for the Soul, the Hidden, who long to be quite consciously united with it, first will have to undergo a long process of being separated from their baser attributes, of having the larger part of their imperfections washed away.”

“The mind is prevented from knowing the truth by its own defects limitations or deficiencies, by its own passions self-centeredness and possessiveness. The philosophic discipline sets up as an objective the elimination of these hindrances. Such disciplines are physical, mental, and emotional.”

The Measure of Progress— https://www.paulbrunton.org/notebooks/2/2