Franklin Merrell-Wolff was an American Mystic, Philosopher, and Mathematician who combined an extraordinary intellect with profound mystical insight and authenticity. Born in 1887 in Pasadena, California, he was raised in San Fernando as the son of a Methodist minister. Wolff graduated from Stanford University in 1911 with a major in mathematics and minors in philosophy and psychology. He then went on to Harvard graduate school to study philosophy, where he was particularly influenced by the study of Kant's Critique of Pure Reason. As a result of his philosophical studies, Wolff "became convinced of the probable existence of a transcendent mode of consciousness that could not be comprehended within the limits of our ordinary forms of knowledge." Prior to completing his degree at Harvard, he returned to Stanford to teach mathematics. When it became clear to him that he must "reach beyond anything contained within the academic circles of the West" to Realize Transcendental Consciousness, he left his promising career in academia to engage in a spiritual quest. When he married Sarah Merrell, they joined their surnames to symbolize their partnership in a shared spiritual work. Wolff's twenty years of seeking included deep engagements within the theosophical, Sufi, and Hindu traditions. In the later part of his quest, Wolff was drawn to the philosophical works of the Indian sage Shankara, who founded the Advaita Vedanta school of Hindu philosophy. It was while in deep contemplation of the teachings of Shankara that, in 1936, Wolff's efforts culminated in two Transcendental Realizations which provided the foundation for his philosophy. While the first Realization confirmed the perspective of Shankara's philosophy, the second Realization was unexpected and opened Wolff's philosophical view beyond his understanding of Advaita Vedanta. His books Pathways Through To Space and The Philosophy of Consciousness Without An Object provide a detailed record of Wolff's realizations and a lucid philosophical description of Transcendental Consciousness. Wolff's long life was spent writing, lecturing, teaching, and working the land. He spent his retirement years at the foothills of the eastern Sierra Nevada near Lone Pine, California and died there in 1985 at the age of 98.
I believe Dr. Wolff's work is extremely valuable to us here in the West. Here we have an authentic case of 'Awakening', or 'Enlightenment' that does not come from a culture other than our own, nor from centuries past. While I have the deepest respect and love for Eastern philosophical thinking, there is always that cultural gap. And I believe that that cultural gap is far more complex than most people are aware of. Translations, expressions, and interpretations from one culture to another is always fraught with danger, no matter how well intentioned. Hence the value to us of Dr. Wolff's work.
Some of Dr. Wolff's lectures were tape-recorded and then transcribed into written format. I obtained written copies of some (if not all) of these lectures from Mrs Doroethy Leonard, the grand-daughter of Dr. Wolff. Listed below are the titles of these lectures as I have them. There are 39 in all.
THE UNCONSCIOUS. / THE YOGA OF KNOWLEDGE. / ON LOVE. /
YOGIC PURIFICATION. / POWER OF WILL. / THE TRIKAYA. /
IS THEOSOPHY CORRECT? / THE FIRST FUNDAMENTAL. /
ON YOGA. / CONSCIOUSNESS AND DUALISM. / REDEEMERS. /
THE MEANING OF PARADOX. / AUROBINDO AND SHANKARA. /
THE PEARL BEYOND PRICE. / TRANSUBSTANTIATION. /
THE INDUCTION. / RELIGION, PSYCHOLOGY AND PHILOSOPHY. /
WHAT IS REALIZATION? / SCHEMATIZATION. / CONSCIOUS DYING. /
PERCEPTION, CONCEPTION AND INTROCEPTION. / TULKU. /
THE THREE FUNCTIONS OF COGNITION. / 33 YEARS LATER. /
THE TRIUNE CONSTITION OF MAN. / THE CAPSTONE STATEMENT. /
MATHEMATICS PHILOSOPHY AND YOGA. / ABSOLUTE CONSCIOUSNESS. /
THE FREE WILL PROBLEM. / SANGSARA NIRVANA & PARANIRVANA. /
THE HIGH INDIFFERENCE. / COMMENTS ON EXPERIENCE. /
THE THREE FUNDAMENTALS OF THE PHILOSOPHY. / QUESTING. /
THE PASSING OF AN AVATAR. / COMMENTS ON EXPERIENCE REPORTS. /
REVIEW AND REFLECTIONS ON YOGA AND PSYCHOTHERAPY. /
COMPARING INTROCEPTUAL CONSCIOUSNESS WITH JUNGIAN 'UNCONSCIOUS'. /
THOUGHTS ON THE RELATIONSHIP OF BUDDHISM AND THE VEDANTA. /
Now, Please note the following carefully: I have retyped six of these lectures from the copies that I have, and they are now posted on this page just below. These are to 'whet your appetite', if you will. However, there is an old saying that goes, "Never receive anything second hand when you can get it straight from the horses' mouth." Please remember that these are a copy, of a copy, of a copy, of a copy. I need say no more.
All the lectures are available both in tape and written form, at a very nominal cost. Direct inquiries from September through May to Mrs Doroethy. B. Leonard. P.O. Box # 32014 Phoenix. Arizona. 58064.
And June through August to Doroethy Leonard. P.O. Box # 758. Lone Pine. California. 93545. She will be happy to send you a price list etc.