Wonder

Soul is another term that has many meanings in many different cultures and traditions, but in these pages, we use it to refer to the deepest part of our being. It is a part of us that is as essential as the body, mind, and heart; a part of us and yet beyond them all. You might think of it as our personal spark of the greater divinity, unique to each one of us. If you prefer another term, such as deeper or higher or original Self (with a capital S to distinguish it from the small self or ego), or even purpose, please use what is most meaningful for you.

Wonder can mean many things to many of us. Explore what Professor Loriliai Biernacki has written about the meaning and role of wonder in excerpts drawn from her recent book, The Matter of Wonder: Abhinavagupta’s Panentheism and New Materialism by Loriliai Biernacki, Professor, Department of Religious Studies, University of Colorado at Boulder. In the excerpts below, Hindu scholar Biernacki features the worldview of Abhinavagupta, a philosopher and mystic born in 950 CE in Kashmir. His ancient philosophical writings on panentheism are closely aligned with the worldview that informs and enlivens ITP.