At the heart of the world wisdom traditions are books that distill the essence of the teachings of the masters down through the ages. Many have no authors, some are compilations over long periods of time, others reflect teachings of masters who themselves never wrote a word. Socrates and Jesus never wrote any books, for instance, but Plato wrote his Dialogues recalling his memory of what Socrates said and the Gospels recount the life of Jesus many decades after Jesus had gone. Other books have legendary authors but appear to be compilations heavily redacted over many centuries. Some books are considered “God’s word” such as the Bible or the Koran and have endured for millennia inspiring countless millions of believers. Others remain obscure and speak deeply symbolic truths hidden within the layers of the language in the text itself. Still others express the essence of a tribal tradition on the brink of extinction and are valued for what is on the verge of being lost. Great books continue to be written by individuals alive today.
New Recordings can be accessed on the UbiVerse. Please also join our discussion group on the UbiVerse.
Faculty: Each year, Dr. Jim Garrison and Dr. Gyorgyi Szabo choose six books they consider “great” and examine each one. Guest lecturers with specific expertise were invited to participate either in dialogue with Dr. Garrison and Dr. Szabo, or as lead lecturers. This course is available for Internal Online Independent Study.
Learning Objectives
- To understand the qualities that distinguish a literary work as a “Great Book.”
- To reflect upon the challenges framed by authors in ancient times in light of current global crises.
- To grapple with deep issues common to all humanity through active discussion, web forum postings, and/or paper assignments.
- To compare the major themes of the books studied.
Academic Credit:
Students taking the course for credit should submit a post paper at the end of each year which includes all of the books discussed during that year. Masters level post-papers are 10-15 pages in length, and Doctoral level are 20-25 pages. Papers should be written in APA style, with footnotes and bibliography.
Papers should demonstrate the student’s knowledge of the books for the course and discuss how the content has contributed to the student’s understanding of themselves and to their spiritual growth. Artistic expression is welcomed. Papers can be a comparative analysis of the various books or a thematic approach which looks at the books from a particular theme.
The rules guiding our assignment collection and grading process can be found here: Ubiquity University Grading Policy
The following books were examined in 2020:
January 14 and February 11
Jim Garrison, PhD, on The Foundations of Tibetan Mysticism
Watch: Webinar 1 and Webinar 2
In this superb book, Lama Govinda offers a penetrating insight into the depth and wonder of Tibetan Buddhism by illuminating its foundational mantra — OM MANI PADME HUM. This mantra is the mantra of the Dalai Lama and is daily on the lips of almost every Tibetan. The book offers a profound insight into the power of Word and how words, uttered with a pure heart and clear intention, can heal the body, transform the heart, and provide solace to the soul. Each sound carries deep meaning. Taken together, the sounds OM MANI PADME HUM distill the essence of the spiritual quest.
Many print versions available, new and used, also free downloadable e-book
March 24 and April 14
Jim Garrison, PhD, on Beyond Good and Evil
Watch: Webinar 1 and Webinar 2
Most of us live our lives within the constraints of religious tradition and social convention. We do what we are told is good and eschew what we are told is evil. We are governed by guilt, controlled by shame, and live lives of repressed yearnings and quiet dispair. Our wounds, not our hopes, govern our thoughts, words, and deeds. As a result, we are in the grip of complexes of heart and soul that lead to neurotic behaviors and a range of diseases. Nietzsche calls upon us to break through the bonds of “good” and “evil.” He boldly proclaims that nothing is right or wrong except that our minds make it so. In fact, it is through breaking the barriers of convention that we discover deeper meaning and the pathway to true freedom. This path leads to a life well-lived.
May 12 and June 9
Jim Garrison, PhD, on You Are the Placebo: Making Your Mind Matter
Watch: Webinar 1 and Webinar 2
Joe Dispenza is one of the foremost spiritual teachers of our time. He is the author of a number of books, including the New York Times bestseller You are the Placebo. He has pioneered ways in which ordinary people can accomplish extraordinary things by rigorously taking control of their lives, reworking their attitudes toward themselves and their past, and cultivating positive emotions coupled with elevated intentions. In You are the Placebo, Dispenza shows how belief is a powerful medicine. Using documented case studies showing the curative power of placebos, and including how he used visualization to overcome a serious injury of his own, he teaches how you can become your own placebo.
Available in paperback and on audiobook.
July 21 and August 11
Kayleen Asbo, PhD, on The Gospel of the Beloved Companion
Watch: Webinar 1 and Webinar 2
The Gospel of the Beloved Companion is the first English translation of a previously unpublished first century gospel in which Mary Magdalene emerges as the intimate companion and wife of Jesus- and the disciple who best understood Jesus’s teaching. Originally written in Alexandrian Greek and brought from Egypt to Southern France during the early part of the first century, it is a revelation with powerful relevance for our time. Considered a possible original source document for both the Gospel of John and the Gospel of Mary Magdalene, this text was closely guarded for centuries. Now reaching widespread public attention with its life-affirming vision of profound wisdom, it offers us a much needed map for internal liberation, psychological development and spiritual awakening.
Available in paperback and on audiobook.
September 8 and October 13 at 10:00 AM Pacific Time
Brenda Crowther, MA, on Women Who Run With The Wolves
Clarissa Pinkola Estés is a Jungian psychoanalyst and cantadora (keeper of the old stories), of many years standing. She reveals how within every woman there lives a Wild Woman, filled with passionate creativity and ageless knowing – but repressed for centuries by a value system that trivializes emotional truth, intuitive wisdom, and instinctual self-confidence. Dr. Estés extraordinary and enriching bestseller shows how we can reclaim, and rejoice in, our true feminine power – how we can awaken within the depths of our souls one who is both magic and medicine.
Available in paperback and on audiobook.
November 10 and December 8
Gyorgyi Szabo, PhD, on The Little Prince
Watch: Webinar 1 and Webinar 2
A pilot forced to land in the Sahara meets a little prince. The wise and enchanting stories the prince tells of his new planet with its three volcanos and a haughty flower are unforgettable. The book addresses themes of loneliness, friendship, love, and loss. Despite its style as a children’s book, The Little Prince makes several observations about life and human nature. It is a strange and wonderful parable for all ages. “The Little Prince” ranks second among literary works by number of languages they have been translated into (300).
Faculty
Jim Garrison, PhD is the President and Founder of Ubiquity University. He has been studying great books since childhood as the son of missionaries to China and Taiwan where he was able to delve into eastern spirituality, particularly Buddhism and Taoism. His double Masters degree in the History of Religion and Christology at Harvard University and his doctorate on a Jungian analysis of ancient Judeo-Christian apocalyptic literature at Cambridge University enabled him to study texts across the spectrum of Axial religions and wisdom traditions. He has spent a lifetime studying great books from east and west, both ancient and modern, sacred and secular.
Gyorgyi Szabo, PhD is the Dean of Graduate Students at Ubiquity University. She was a Co-Founder and Academic Dean of the ‘Ervin Laszlo Center for Advanced Study’ (ELCAS). She served as the Director of Research and Development of the Center’s Exploratoria Program. She was co-creator of the WorldShift International Foundation, and the WorldShift 2012 organizations, and currently serves as the Executive Director at the Laszlo Institute of New Paradigm Research and a Member of the Advisory Board of the Memnosyne Foundation. She lectures worldwide and has published two books; papers in The Scientific and Medical Network’s Review, The Shift Network, and World Futures: The Journal of New Paradigm Research. Gyorgyi Szabo holds a PhD in Sociology – Summa Cum Laude awarded by the Sorbonne, University of Paris. She is also a trained Reiki and Reconnective Healing practitioner. Her holistic approach to metaphysics and interest in conscious evolution serves as foundation for her work in facilitating cooperative evolution toward a peaceful and regenerative world.
Kayleen Asbo, PhD Described by Rev. Dr. Lauren Artress as “A true Renaissance woman,” Kayleen Asbo is a scholar, composer, musician, poet, cultural historian and spiritual director who holds three advanced degrees in the fields of Mythology, Music and Psychology. Kayleen is the Artistic Director for the Mythica Foundation for the Arts and she has been on the faculties of the Pacifica Graduate Institute, UC Berkeley, and Dominican University, where she has taught courses on subjects ranging from the History of Christian Mystics to Jung and the Red Book, from Dante to Beethoven and the Hero’s Journey. She has been a keynote lecturer on Mary Magdalene and the Sacred Feminine for the Assisi Institute of Depth Psychology in Italy, at Chartres Cathedral in France, the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, and throughout the world for spiritual centers, churches, and psychological organizations and has been a featured speaker at the conference on Women and History at Oxford University in England.
Brenda Crowther, MA holds a BA (Hons) in Painting & Art History; MA in French Philosophy; and a Diploma in Analytical Psychology (Zürich & London.) She is a Jungian analyst and depth psychologist living in eastern France. She has published many articles and at present is working on a book about the relationship of the soul of the Earth to our dreams. Her inspiration for training as a Jungian analyst was the book she is presenting: Women Who Run with the Wolves – and of course, her dreams. Brenda grew up in a magical, remote region of England, and from early on it was nature and the art of storytelling from her mother that nourished her dreams and deepened her soul.
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- BA Level: $300
- MA Level: $600
- PhD Level: $900
- Audit-No Credit: Free
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