The truth is, indeed, that love is the threshold of another universe. Beyond the vibrations with which we are familiar, the rainbow-like range of its colors is still in full growth.

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

Truth Is That

Theme: Truth

The truth is, indeed, that love is the threshold of another universe. Beyond the vibrations with which we are familiar, the rainbow-like range of its colors is still in full growth. But, for all the fascination that the lower shades have for us, it is only towards the “ultra” that the creation of light advances. It is in these invisible and, we might almost say, immaterial zones that we can look for true initiation into unity. The depths we attribute to matter are no more than the reflection of the peaks of spirit.

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin was a French Jesuit priest, paleontologist, theologian, philosopher, and teacher. He was born on May 1, 1881, in Sarcenat, France. He studied geology and paleontology at the University of Paris, and was ordained a priest in 1911.

During World War I, Teilhard served as a stretcher bearer on the front lines. He was decorated for his bravery, and his experiences in the war led him to develop a new understanding of the relationship between science and religion. He believed that evolution was a process of spiritual as well as biological transformation, and that humanity was evolving towards a final spiritual unity. He coined the term "Omega Point" to describe this final spiritual unity.

After the war, Teilhard taught at the Catholic Institute of Paris. He also traveled to China, where he participated in the discovery of Peking Man. In the 1930s, he traveled to other parts of Asia, including the Gobi Desert, Sinkiang, Kashmir, Java, and Burma.

Teilhard's writings were controversial, and he was not allowed to publish his work in the Catholic Church until after his death. However, his ideas have since been published and translated into many languages. His ideas have been praised by some for their insights into the relationship between science and religion, but they have also been criticized by others for being too optimistic or even heretical.

Teilhard de Chardin was a brilliant and passionate thinker, and his work continues to be influential and thought-provoking. He was a pioneer in the field of evolutionary theology, and his ideas have helped to shape the way we think about the relationship between science and religion.

(1881-1955) Christianity
The Evolution of Chastity

Teilhard de Chardin, Pierre. "The Evolution of Chastity." In Toward the Future, translated by René Hague, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1975.

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

Theme: Truth

About This Pierre Teilhard de Chardin Quotation [Brief Commentary]

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, a renowned French philosopher and Jesuit priest, was known for his profound insights into the nature of love and truth. His quotation, “The truth is, indeed, that love is the threshold of another universe. Beyond the vibrations with which we are familiar, the rainbow-like range of its colors is still in full growth,” reflects his deep understanding of love as a transformative force. Chardin views love not merely as an emotion but as a gateway to a higher reality, a universe beyond our typical perception. This perspective aligns with his broader vision of the universe as an evolving entity, where love acts as a catalyst for spiritual and cosmic progression. The metaphor of love’s “rainbow-like range” suggests its vast and unexplored potential, symbolizing a spectrum of possibilities and depths yet to be fully understood or experienced by humanity.

About This Pierre Teilhard de Chardin Quotation [Additional Commentary]

In the context passage, Chardin delves deeper into this concept, asserting that while we are drawn to the tangible or ‘lower shades’ of love, it is in its most ethereal and ‘ultra’ aspects that we find the true essence of unity and enlightenment. He posits that the material world is only a reflection of the spiritual, implying that the profound depths we attribute to physical matter are mirrored by the lofty heights of the spirit. This duality highlights Chardin’s belief in the interconnectedness of the physical and spiritual realms, with love serving as the bridge between these two. It underscores his conviction that our understanding and experience of love must evolve beyond the physical and emotional, reaching into realms of spiritual unity and interconnected consciousness.

Chardin’s philosophy, particularly in “The Evolution of Chastity,” speaks to the transformative power of love as an agent of progress and truth. His assertion [See additional quote below…] that “whatever is the more true comes out into the open, and whatever is better is ultimately realized” is a testament to his belief in the inevitable triumph of truth and love. By equating the future harnessing of love’s energy to the discovery of fire, Chardin elevates love to a fundamental force of nature and progress, akin to the physical forces that humanity has harnessed. This powerful imagery not only underscores the potential of love as a transformative energy but also aligns with Chardin’s larger vision of a universe evolving towards greater unity and consciousness, where love is the key to unlocking deeper truths and realities. His perspective offers a compelling view of love as the ultimate truth, a force that transcends the known universe and leads humanity towards a higher, more unified existence.

Additional Pierre Teilhard de Chardin Quotation

“What paralyzes life is lack of faith and lack of audacity. The difficulty lies not in solving problems but expressing them. And so we cannot avoid this conclusion: it is biologically evident that to gain control of passion and so make it serve spirit must be a condition of progress. Sooner or later, then, the world will brush aside our incredulity and take this step: because whatever is the more true comes out into the open, and whatever is better is ultimately realized. The day will come when, after harnessing the ether*, the winds, the tides, gravitation, we shall harness for God the energies of love. And, on that day, for the second time in the history of the world, man will have discovered fire.”

—Pierre Teilhard de Chardin [“The Evolution of Chastity” (1934), as translated by René Hague in Toward the Future (1975)].

*Translated and edited by René Hague, who also suggests “space” as an alternate translation of “the ether.”

Truth Is That

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