The Doctrine of Awakening, Julius Evola
The Doctrine of Awakening, Julius Evola
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The Doctrine of Awakening
The Attainment of Self-Mastery According to the Earliest Buddhist Texts

Author: Julius Evola

Narrator: Michael Moynihan

Unabridged: 12 hr 8 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 04/28/2026

Includes: Bonus Material Bonus Material Included

Synopsis

In a probing analysis of the oldest Buddhist texts, Julius Evola places the doctrine of liberation in its original context. The early teachings, he suggests, offer the foremost example of an active spirituality that is opposed to the more passive, modern forms of theistic religions. This sophisticated, highly readable analysis of the theory and practice of Buddhist asceticism, first published in Italian in 1943 , elucidates the central truths of the eightfold path and clears away the later accretions of Buddhist doctrine. Evola describes the techniques for conscious liberation from the world of maya and for achieving the state of transcendence beyond dualistic thinking. Most surprisingly, he argues that the widespread belief in reincarnation is not an original Buddhist tenet. Evola presents actual practices of concentration and visualization, and places them in the larger metaphysical context of the Buddhist model of mind and universe.
The Doctrine of the Awakening is a provocative study of the teachings of the Buddha by one of Europe's most stimulating thinkers.

About Julius Evola

A controversial philosopher and critic of modern Western civilization, Julius Evola (1898-1974) wrote widely on Eastern religions, alchemy, sexuality, politics, and mythology. Inner Traditions has published his Eros and the Mysteries of Love: The Metaphysics of Sex, The Yoga of Power, The Hermetic Tradition, Revolt Against the Modern World, The Mystery of the Grail and Ride The Tiger.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Natasha11 on February 17, 2013

As unpopular as his explanation of Buddhism may be in current times, this is the straight no-nonsense real deal. Probably my favorite book on Buddhism I have read thus far.......more

Goodreads review by The Esoteric on December 20, 2019

This work by Evola lucidly and systematically condenses all the Buddha taught without falling into over simplification, flowery digression or speculation - really even once. It is short, only 239 pages. Yet it would not be surprising, were someone well read in 8,000 books on early Buddhism, to say E......more

Goodreads review by ET on October 16, 2019

A Western import Buddhists worst nightmare.......more

Goodreads review by IAO131 on July 07, 2014

This is a book in Evola's typical style which merges his academic rigor with his Traditionalist viewpoint and, consequently, language. What I found most impressive was his knowledge and sourcing of original Pali texts to back his claims rather than simply stating things that Buddha said/believed thi......more

Goodreads review by Ignacio on December 19, 2019

Uno de los mejores libros del barón que leí hasta el día de la fecha. Cuenta con dos partes, siendo teórica la primera y práctica la segunda, comienza con el budismo päli o budismo de los orígenes, el cual bajo una concepción guerrera y aristocrática del mismo, se rebela contra una casta sacerdotal g......more

Quotes

"Evola ... had a clarity of mind and a gift for explaining tremendously difficult concepts in nonacademic language. His account of the niddana-chain (the twelve stages of conditioned genesis) is a masterpiece. It equips the reader for a whole new understanding, not only of Buddhism, but of the human state in general."

"In essence, the Buddhist 'Doctrine of Awakening' is, for Evola, the cultivation of a pure, naked, transcendent consciousness, and his book shines in describing the stages leading to this consciousness."

"Evola engages in a well-graduated exposition of Buddhist techniques as seen in this ascetic light, with discussion of the mental/spiritual states encountered. Evola's is the most original book I've ever read on Buddhism."

" . . . a provocative study of the teachings of the Buddha by one of Europe's most stimulating thinkers."

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