This episode’s reading is a selection called “To Think of Time” from Walt Whitman’s 1855 edition of Leaves of Grass. Describing the writing as “soaring” may seem cliched, but if you listen and allow the words to work their magic you may feel the expansion and uplifting that Whitman strives to transmit as the covering of self slips from the Self.
Bear in mind, this work with transport you back to the worldview of 1855. I’ve defined a few of the archaic terms in the show notes below and hope you feel Whitman’s call for a greater humanity despite his use of terms which some would judge as “unenlightened” at the least. Don’t miss the feeling underlying his words.
This is podcast # 7 in The Induction Series. The aim of this series is to focus on “inspired” writings, those that carry the “living word.” Franklin Merrell-Wolff called them “mystic writings” and said that “when the ‘Voice of the Silence’ speaks into the relative world, the Meaning lies between the words, as it were, rather than in the direct content of the words themselves.”
Richard Rose said that “If you are interested in looking for Essence, from the point of the Process Observer you can be stimulated only by writings of inspiration rather than reason or direction” and referred students to his poem “Three Books of the Absolute.” While Rose used the term “inspirational,” clearly these are not necessarily inspirational, uplifting writings like one typically finds collected under that banner.
If you enjoy The Induction Series, please leave a review on Amazon of my book Subtraction: The Simple Math of Enlightenment. There are currently 57 reviews and once we reach 100 reviews that boosts the visibility of the book. You don’t have to purchase the book on Amazon to leave a review, and a few minutes of your time will help others seekers find the book. Just click the link above and leave a few words in a review. Thank you!
Please feel free to leave comments or send an email with the contact form. I always appreciate hearing your thoughts.
- Listen to the interview on iTunes, Stitcher, Amazon Music, or Google Play.
- Stream by clicking here, or download after you follow the link by using right-click and then “save as.”
- Or watch on YouTube.
- As a thank you for visiting, enjoy free shipping and get a signed copy of my book Subtraction: The Simple Math of Enlightenment for only $13.50.
- If you enjoy the podcast, please join my monthly supporters. Your help is appreciated.
QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.
Selected Links and Topics from this Episode:
- Whitman’s description of his spiritual experience comes from his essay “Democratic Vistas” and you can read the selection I quoted here: Walt Whitman – “The luminousness of real vision”
- Accouchement means a birth.
- Zambo is a term used in the historic Spanish and Portuguese empires referring to people of mixed Indigenous and African ancestry.
- A hostler is a person employed to look after the horses of people staying at an inn.
- Richard Bucke’s 1905 edition of Cosmic Consciousness.
- I have a beautiful hardcover copy of Whitman’s 1855 edition of Leaves of Grass, so was disappointed to find none on Amazon. There is one quality paperback version, however.
- Leave a review on Amazon of my book Subtraction: The Simple Math of Enlightenment. Our goal is to reach 100 reviews by the end of The Induction Series. We’re now at 57!