Spiritual Body and Celestial Earth: From Mazdean Iran to Shiite Iran: 107 (Bollingen Series)

everything as promised

Gnosis in general is still quite misunderstood regardless of how it’s approached. And in this work elaborating the significance of his “mundus imaginalis”, Corbin is still misunderstood by some due to the dense introduction. This is remedied by reading Darmesteter’s Zend Avesta where the “mythology” is actually introduced, but that’s no easy read either. So the first half will require re-reading, especially when one discovers the sublime beauty of the second part, with it’s anthology of segments from different mystics. Corbin states as much on p 57, in reference to Shī-ism: “ Too often, influenced by contemporary fads, people reduce its origins to questions of political succession. By so doing, they completely overlook the important body of literature consisting of the conversations of the first adepts with successive Imams until the ninth century of our era. “ So not for a beginning student but of immense value to the mystic seeker.

Henry Corbin was perhaps the greatest of all the modern day Sufis. In this book, The Spiritual Body and Celestial Earth he clearly reveals the esoteric or occult side of Sufism, which he traces back to the ancient Magi and Zoroaster. Its value lies in the remarkable esoteric anthology of sufi translations of the works of some of the greatest Sufi thinkers, including the great Ibn A'rabi. The 170 page anthology takes up the major portion of the book. The Celestial Earth, we find, is a symbol, an esoteric blind, used to veil the secret future home of elect. It is a New World of Light, a paradise similar to the Garden of Eden, which it is hinted will someday be the etherial condition of the Earth.

Henri Corbin's "Spiritual Body and Celestial Earth" offers a very clear and didactic immersion in the parallelisms of Angelology of Iranian Mazdeism and mystic Shi'ism (Shaikhism), leading the reader through a path of discovery and amazement. Corbin's extensive knowledge on the subject as well as his unique insight make this book a wonder to read and to have.

Amazing volume! I'm just getting into this body of literature. His introduction to the the imaginal (rather than merely imaginary) is of great volume to me as a teacher among religious subjects. I look forward to reading more of this man.