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In the Orient the ultimate divine mystery is sought beyond…

“In the Orient the ultimate divine mystery is sought beyond all human categories of thought and feeling, beyond names and forms, and absolutely beyond any such concept as of a merciful or wrathful personality, chooser of one people over another, comforter of folk who pray, and destroyer of those…” quote by Joseph Campbell
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“In the Orient the ultimate divine mystery is sought beyond all human categories of thought and feeling, beyond names and forms, and absolutely beyond any such concept as of a merciful or wrathful personality, chooser of one people over another, comforter of folk who pray, and destroyer of those who do not. Such anthropomorphic attributions of human sentiments and thoughts to a mystery beyond thought is-from the point of view of Indian thought-a style of religion for children.”

Joseph Campbell

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Divine mystery transcends human categories; attributing human traits to it is a simplistic, childlike view.

In simple terms: God is beyond human labels; personifying it is immature.

Key Takeaway

Seek the ineffable without anthropomorphizing.

Themes

mythology spirituality human limitation

Mood

reverent inquisitive

Type

mythic educational

When to use this quote

  • religious study
  • artistic creation
  • personal meditation

Key Concepts

transcendence symbolism theology

Questions to Reflect On

  • How can we discuss the divine without reducing it?
  • What symbols convey the unknowable?
A Different Perspective

Human language may still be useful for expressing the ineffable.

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