Socrates Education and Library Foundation The Story of Man: A History of the Great Spiritual Traditions

The Story of Man is a history of the Great Spiritual Traditions, which, over the millennia, have added immeasurably to the depth and richness of the human experience. Their number includes the ancient Sumerian priest caste, the Order of the Egyptian Temple-Priests, the Chaldean Magi, the Vedic Rishis, the Vajrayana Buddhist lineages, the prophets of the Judaic tradition, the Apostolic Christian schools, and the many Sufi Orders of Islam. Their contribution to the Life of Man includes the creation of new civilizations, the initiation of world religions, the infusion of new life into established religions, and the creation of a legacy of art, architecture, myth, drama, and dance, designed to infuse humanity with cultural ideals. In these pages it is emphasized that the aims and objectives of the Traditions did not come from themselves: each Tradition understood itself as a servant of the Divinity. Each Tradition attempted to represent the intentions of the Absolute to Man, and did so on the basis of the direct experience of certain of its members. Because the Work of the Traditions is grounded in transcendent experience it becomes – when seen through the millennia - a dialogue of Mankind with the Living Divinity, which illuminates all the pages of history. At each stage of history, and in each phase of civilizational order, the Traditions helped mankind to achieve clarity and depth in the understanding of its own nature and destiny.