The Inner Life (Quest Book)

by Charles W. Leadbeater

Book Overview

First published in 1911. Charles Webster Leadbeater is regarded as one of the most important of the twentieth century's writers on Theosophy. A competent seer and teacher, the series of lectures which... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0835605027
• Release Date: January 1978
• Publisher: Quest Books
• Length: 410 Pages
• Weight: 0.97 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.1" x 0.9" x 5.0"

Customer Reviews

Occult philosophy taught by a wise and good man

_From his writings it is obvious to me that Charles W. Leadbeater was not only incredibly knowledgeable in the esoteric sciences, but he was also a genuinely good man (though both he and his generation of Theosophists still have their critics.) When a writer states outright that a good is only good if it benefits everyone, or that children contain the spark of the Divine and should be treated with the appropriate respect, their character is fairly obvious. This man was motivated by the desire to do good, not by any egoistic lust for influence and power. Then there was also the fact that he was extremely accepting and tolerant of spiritualists and mediums for a Theosophist of his day- but then he was also a world recognized clairvoyant in his own right. _In spite of the fact that the two-volume set that this volume is condensed from was given as a series of "informal" talks it still isn't a light read. There are profound concepts dealt with in depth and detail- and plenty of formal Sanskrit terminology. The range of concepts is encyclopedic. Indeed, with the very detailed table of contents and the full index this volume serves very well as a reference book to classical Theosophical doctrine. In fact the frequent reference to the writings of Madam Blavatsky also makes it an exegesis on her works. _The length, the depth, the formal terminology can be overwhelming, but ultimately perseverance is rewarded. As the author himself put it, when a candidate has raised himself to the level of initiation there is no power that can withhold it.

Not for the weak of intellect!

A deep and profound work of immense significance. Although not immediately at times digestible, I wouldn't really think much of it, if it were. This is heady stuff; universal concepts of Theosophy being expressed by one of its most brilliant proponents. If you want to be a truly deep thinker, then you will benefit greatly from this work.

Very Good

This book contains a lot of wisdom, however it takes some patience to read it and understand it. It is a gem though. Read the works of Samael Aun Weor to get a more complete view of the Theosophical Septenary, the Monad, etc.

Great Primer

This is a good book. It is a series of brief lectures answering questions about Theosophy. Very handy to use. Be careful ordering it used. You could wind up with a book by the same title but by a different author. Andrew Murray's book is mainline protestant Christianity, good but not Theosophy.

A wonderful book for seriuous occultism students

While the book is not easy of reading, it is really worth as is a complete exposure of the theosopical ideas. It really answers such important questions as "why the ego had chosen to incarnate and why he does it continually", "which is the purpose of the every day life". It is a heavy book to be read slowly and most of its chapters should be subject to a deep meditation before could be completely assimilated.