Aldous Huxley used the term "perennial wisdom" to describe some of the common ingredients in the world's religions. In his sparkling introduction to this volume, David Steindl-Rast uses the term "common sense" to refer to that "mystical wellspring of spiritual aliveness" that informs the words and the work of Lao Tzu and Jesus of Nazareth. Editor Martin Aronson sees these two sages as visionary mystics and social critics. He also emphasizes their remarkable kinship in celebrating the core virtues of simplicity, humility, and love while rejecting materialism, wealth, injustice, social privilege, hypocrisy, and violence.
Check out the following similarities in advocating the diminishment of ego: "All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted" (Matthew 23:12) and Tao Te Ching 7: "The sage puts himself last and finds himself in the foremost place." While all the nations of the world continue to exalt violence in the name of patriotism, Jesus and Lao Tzu condemn this behavior: "All who take the sword will perish by the sword" (Matthew 26:52) and Tao Te Ching 42: "A violent man will die a violent death." This fine multifaith resource concludes with Aronson's commentary on the themes of Jesus and Lao Tzu presented in the book.
