Tall bookshelves

Object location: Living room

Sangharakshita’s personal collection of nearly 12,000 books make up the Sangharakshita Library at Adhisthana. Over the years, he always kept a small collection with him in his living room or study. This typically included reference materials, copies of his own works, books he was intending to read, as well as important Buddhist suttas and sūtras. A more or less permanent feature of this small collection were works that reflected his deep interest in, and love for, Plotinus and the Neoplatonic tradition. Although in the end nothing came to fruition, Sangharakshita had intended to write about the Neoplatonic tradition and Buddhism, outlining their similarities and differences. 

So, how does Neoplatonism relate to Buddhism? That’s a very big and complex question. I am not going to even try to go into it. I will just say a few words about why I consider Neoplatonism of importance and why I am interested in it. I am interested in it mainly because I see the Neoplatonic tradition as really the most important, the leading, spiritual tradition of the West, and I see Buddhism as the leading spiritual tradition of the East. 

The Religion of Art, unedited seminar, available on freebuddhistaudio:

https://www.freebuddhistaudio.com/texts/read?num=SEM129&at=text&p=8