The human opportunity, the religions tell us, is to transform our flashes of insight into abiding light.

Huston Smith

The Religions Tell Us

In mysteries what we know, and our realization of what we do not know, proceed together; the larger the island of knowledge, the larger the shoreline of wonder. Things are more integrated than they seem, they are better than they seem, and they are more mysterious than they seem; something like this emerges as the highest common denominator of the wisdom traditions’ reports. When we add this to the baseline they establish for ethical behavior and their account of the human virtues, one wonders if a wiser platform for life has been conceived. At the center of the religious life is a particular kind of joy, the prospect of a happy ending that blossoms from necessarily painful beginnings, the promise of human difficulties embraced and overcome. The human opportunity, the religions tell us, is to transform our flashes of insight into abiding light.

Huston Smith

Huston Cummings Smith was an influential American scholar of comparative religions, best known for his accessible and insightful writings on the world's major religious traditions. Born on May 31, 1919, in Suzhou, China to missionary parents, Smith spent much of his early life in an environment deeply infused with religious and cultural exchanges. This formative experience undoubtedly laid the foundation for his later work in religious studies. Educated at Central Methodist University and the University of Chicago, Smith embarked on an academic journey that saw him teach at various reputable institutions, including Washington University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Syracuse University, and the University of California, Berkeley.

Smith's most celebrated work, "The World's Religions," originally published in 1958 as "The Religions of Man," has been a staple in comparative religion courses for decades. The book presents a comprehensive overview of the world's major faith traditions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Islam, Judaism, and Christianity, elucidating their core tenets, practices, and histories. Smith's gift was his ability to distill complex religious concepts into engaging and approachable narratives, making them accessible to a broad audience. The book's success—evidenced by its sales of over three million copies—attests to its enduring appeal and Smith's prowess as a writer and educator.

Throughout his career, Huston Smith emphasized the importance of understanding and appreciating the diverse religious landscapes of the world. He believed that at the heart of every religion was a perennial philosophy—a set of universal truths—that could foster mutual respect and understanding among people of different faiths. Beyond his written work, Smith was an avid proponent of interfaith dialogue and was often sought as a speaker and commentator on religious issues. He passed away on December 30, 2016, but his legacy endures through his contributions to the field of religious studies and his tireless efforts to promote a more harmonious and interconnected world.

(1919-2016) Christianity
The World's Religions

Smith, Huston. The World's Religions. Harper San Francisco, 1991, pp. 388-389 [The World's Religions (Chapter X, The Wisdom Traditions)].

Huston Smith

Theme: Interfaith Dialogue

About This Passage From Huston Smith’s The World’s Religions [Commentary]

Huston Smith, in his profound examination of the world’s religious traditions, offers an illuminating insight into the nature of human understanding and spiritual enlightenment. He posits that the essence of religious teachings across diverse cultures is not just in fleeting moments of revelation but in the profound transformation these moments can evoke within us. The notion that “The human opportunity, the religions tell us, is to transform our flashes of insight into abiding light” speaks to the universal human experience of encountering moments of deep insight or understanding, which, although brief, hold the potential to profoundly alter our perception and approach to life. This transformation from transient insight to lasting enlightenment embodies the spiritual journey encouraged by various wisdom traditions. It suggests a dynamic process of internalizing and living by the truths revealed in those luminous moments, thereby enriching our lives and the world around us.

The context surrounding this quotation further deepens our appreciation for the interconnectedness of knowledge, ethics, and the mysterious. Smith highlights the balance between what is known and the acknowledgment of the vast unknown as a driving force behind the expansion of human wisdom. He articulates a vision of the world that is simultaneously more integrated, better, and more mysterious than we might initially perceive. This perspective not only elevates our understanding of ethical behavior and human virtues as outlined by wisdom traditions but also emphasizes the role of interfaith dialogue in fostering a deeper appreciation for the diverse ways in which these traditions articulate the journey toward enlightenment. The dialogue between different faiths, grounded in a mutual respect for their respective insights into the human condition, becomes a vital pathway for transcending superficial differences and embracing a shared quest for meaning, purpose, and joy.

Moreover, Smith’s reflection on the limitations of scientific empiricism in capturing the full spectrum of human experience reiterates the importance of wisdom traditions as repositories of insights into the “worthful aspects of reality—its values, meaning, and purpose.” By encouraging a return to these traditions, not uncritically but with discernment, Smith invites us to weave together the enduring wisdom of our species. This synthesis, which interfaith dialogue can significantly enrich, offers a “wiser platform for life,” as Smith describes it. Such a platform acknowledges the pain and challenges inherent in the human experience but remains steadfastly committed to the possibility of transformation and the ultimate joy that comes from engaging deeply with life’s mysteries. Through this engagement, the ephemeral becomes eternal, guiding us towards a light that does not fade—a light illuminated by the collective wisdom of humanity’s spiritual heritage.

Huston Smith on the ‘Wisdom Traditions of Mankind.’

“The book’s [The World’s Religions] new epigraphs are also telling. One of them is from E. F. Schumacher, who says, “We need the courage as well as the inclination to consult, and profit from, the ‘wisdom traditions of mankind.'” I have come to love that phrase: ‘the wisdom traditions.’ It has certain advantages over the word religion, which designates the institutional aspects, which are always a mixed bag.”

―Huston Smith [The Way Things Are, Edit. Phil Cousineau (UC Cal Press, Berkeley)].

“… We now see that such [scientific] proofs hold only for the empirical world. The worthful aspects of reality—its values, meaning, and purpose—slip through the devices of science in the way that the sea slips through the nets of fishermen.
Where then can we turn for counsel concerning things that matter most? Our realization that science cannot help us reopens the door to looking seriously again at what the wisdom traditions propose. Not all their contents are enduringly wise. Modern science has superseded their cosmologies, and the social mores of their day, which they reflect—gender relations, class structures, and the like—must be reassessed in the light of changing times and the continuing struggle for justice. But if we pass a strainer through the world’s religions to lift out their conclusions about reality and how life should be lived, those conclusions begin to look like the winnowed wisdom of the human race.”

―Huston Smith [The World’s Religions (Chapter X)] pp. 386-7.

Additional Quotes From Huston Smith

“Understanding, then, can lead to love. But the reverse is also true. Love brings understanding; the two are reciprocal. So we must listen to understand, but we must also listen to put into play the compassion that the wisdom traditions all enjoin, for it is impossible to love another without hearing that other. If we are to be true to these religions, we must attend to others as deeply and alertly as we hope that they will attend to us…”

—Huston Smith [The World’s Religions. Harper San Francisco, 1991 (Chapter X, The Wisdom Traditions)] p. 390.

“When it is alive, religion is something in which the whole personality participates, the unconscious as well as the conscious parts of our being. At its fullest and best, religion is the habit of God, and like other habits, it must be rooted deep in our being. Habits have to be cultivated over long periods of time through experience and training, and training in religion is largely a matter of developing the habit of God. This is more than a discipline, though surely that is involved. It is a way of looking at the created world, and of using the senses to see—concretely see—the world not just as pointing to God, but as drenched with the fullness of the Divine Presence.”

—Dr. Huston Smith [Farewell Banquet Remarks, The Assembly of World’s Religions (November 15-21, 1985)].

The Religions Tell Us

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