Friday, August 8, 2008

Iż-Żifna tad-Destin

Rumanz ta' Mħabba, Passjoni, Delitti u Tradiment


Anton Sammut 
(2023)



Għall-bejgħ mingħand Bargain Box










              Paceville and Metanoia


Two Novels by


  Anton Sammut

(2022)



In this literary work, Anton Sammut talks about his characters and the physical world in the light of the world of ideas (the truth, the internal world) and the most used faculty which stands out above all else, is memory. Each character reveals a little of his life wherefore the author catches them at the exact point where they have to make a decision.
In this respect, Sammut’s post-modernism is active precisely because it is well-built on two competencies a fine writer is expected to possess: an in-born philosophical disposition and a formal knowledge of the History of Philosophy.
The most decisive aspect is the fact there is a huge chasm between professional literary criticism and the popular one. The compromise, the acknowledgement of a novel that avoids the two extremes, has also been found and this is where Sammut’s literary work excels.



The Secret Gospel of Jesus

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A Historical Novel
(2021)




Once the caravan reached the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal Range, in the northernmost region of the Indian subcontinent, Jesus continued the journey with a small group of locals until he completed the last leg on his own, guided from one place to another by the local people. Some weeks later, he made it to the Indian Himalayan region where Jesus was greeted by some Buddhist monks and with whom he sojourned for some time. From that location, he then went to live in the city of Rishikesh, in India’s northern state of Uttarakhand, spending most of his time meditating in a cave known as Vashishta Gufa, on the banks of the River Ganga.

  Jesus lived in those lands for many months before he continued travelling to the northeast, until he arrived in the Kingdom of Magadha, in what is presently West-central Bihar. It so happened that it was here, in Magadha, that Jesus met Mari for the first time, the woman better known today as Mary Magdalene…




Literary critic Patrick Sammut interviews author Anton Sammut about his book The Secret Gospel of Jesus.



Your book comprises a story that runs parallel to the narratives found in the New Testament Gospels but which contains certain details which are not to be found in the latter. What do you have to say about this?


As you are perfectly aware, every novel needs to adopt a particular literary style and this is crucial if it is to be a reflection of the theme of the book. In the case of The Secret Gospel of Jesus, I needed to maintain the style used in the Gospels so that the reader would be able to relate to the text more easily. 

  As for the details that you are referring to, I would like to emphasise the fact that I did not just make up these specific details using my imagination. They are all based on, and in some cases actually copied verbatim from Gnostic Gospels and other historical documents which for political and theological reasons were put aside or almost completely destroyed by those who did not want to have certain facts revealed. Proof of this can be found in the fact that the 27 books of the New Testament represent but an extremely minute fraction of the Christian literature that was produced in the first three centuries after Jesus’s time...Continue reading Here...



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INTERVISTA MA’ ANTON SAMMUT DWAR IL-VANĠELU SIGRIET TA’ ĠESÙ (2020) minn Patrick J Sammut




Il-Vanġelu Sigriet ta’ Ġesù

Rumanz Storiku

(2020)



Wara li l-karavana laħqet il-Kashmir ġewwa s-subkontinent Indjan, Ġesù kompla l-vjaġġ tiegħu ma’ grupp żgħir ta’ nies, sakemm l-aħħar parti tiegħu komplieh waħdu, huwa u jiġi ggwidat minn post għal ieħor min-nies tal-lokal.
  Xi ġimgħat wara rnexxielu jidħol fir-reġjun muntanjuż tal-Himalayas, fejn hemmhekk laqgħuh numru ta’ patrijiet Buddisti u qagħad magħhom għal ftit ta’ żmien. Minn hemm, imbagħad, mar jgħix fil-belt ta’ Rishikesh, fit-Tramuntana tal-Indja, fl-istat ta’ Uttarakhand, iżda ħafna mill-ħin kien jgħaddih jimmedita ġo għar li kien magħruf bħala Vashistha Gufa.
  Wara ħafna xhur jgħix f’dawk in-naħat, Ġesù kompla jivvjaġġa lejn il-Majjistral tal-Indja, sakemm eventwalment wasal fir-Renju ta’ Magadha. Ġara mbagħad li kien hawnhekk, ġewwa Magadha, li Ġesù ltaqa’ għall-ewwel darba ma’ Mari, magħrufa aħjar fi żminijietna bħala Marija ta’ Magdala…


Anton Sammut

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jew


My Books


(2008-2018)



Metanoia
Anti-Rumanz
(2018)




...Kulħadd kien isellimlu b’sudizzjoni hekk kif kien ipassi minn qalb in-nies, mhux biss għax kien professur tal-filosofija ta’ 57 sena ferm rinomat, imma wkoll għall-ġentlomerija li minn dejjem kellu lejn kulħadd; liebes dejjem eleganti għaddej dritt b’pass meqjus li madankollu kont issibu dejjem b’bastun tal-ebanu b’manku tal-bronż indurat bid-deheb. 
  Kien jgħix f’belt kożmopolitana fl-aktar parti moderna tagħha, karatterizzata bi stil Neoklassiku tas-seklu 18 li kien jikkumplimenta ferm ma’ dak Postmodern. Il-parti antika tagħha – li kienet tinsab fuq ix-xaqliba l-oħra ta’ xmara b’pontijiet eleganti fosthom dawk fuq stil Art Nouveau – kienet tmur lura sas-seklu 13, evoluta taħt diversi forom, minn dak Romanesk li kien jgħaqqad l-antikità mal-era medjevali b’din tal-aħħar sottolinjata bil-katidral Gotiku tal-belt, sar-Rinaxximent u l-Barokk: belt b’binjiet monumentali......
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Paceville u Lil Hinn Minnu
(2017)
Anton Sammut

'Lil din Solange kont ilni nafha erbgħa u għoxrin siegħa biss imma kienu biżżejjed biex qalbitli moħħi ta’ taħt fuq; mhux minħabba sbuħitha biss imma anke għall-mod kif kienet tirraġuna u tħares lejn id-dinja u l-univers.
Mela l-ewwel ħadet ċmajra ta’ mħabba fuqi, tliet sigħat wara naraha titbeżlaq ma’ stallun twil sitt piedi u nofs, l-għada riedet terġa’ tiltaqa’ miegħi, ħadet għaliha għax kont fil-kumpanija ta’ Gwenda; u issa, milli kont qed nara, imħabbitha bdiet iddur lejn Gwenda b’mod esklussiv, għax aqta’ x’kull ħarsa bdiet tagħtiha minn taħt.'


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Consciousness 
 The Concept of Mind

and the Transcendence 
of Conventional Thought



                                       (2016)



The human brain: the most sophisticated instrument in the known universe. What is this human mental ability that can create such marvels due to its Consciousness? What is this Consciousness that has so perplexed the great philosophers of all time? What makes a person himself and not another, completely different individual? What are the various levels of Consciousness? Is it true that the Consciousness of every person is infinite? And above all, why do the greatest minds in modern physics maintain that the Consciousness is also part of the universe?
  
These are some of the questions that this book attempts to answer with the helping hand of contemporary science that shall aid in the understanding of one of the greatest mysteries of mankind: the Consciousness of man.

“Consciousness, 'the ultimate mystery for science', has now become a hot topic. How can a physical brain create our experience of the World and what creates our identity? 
  These are but some of the questions that author Anton Sammut tackles amidst the striking developments that have taken place in neuroscience, cognitive science, and artificial intelligence and notes their expanding relevance to philosophical issues. Exciting new developments in brain science are opening up debates on these issues, and the field has now expanded to include biologists, neuroscientists, psychologists, and philosophers.
  ‘Consciousness: the Concept of Mind and the Transcendence of Conventional Thought brings neuroscientific evidence to bear on enduring philosophical questions, while also surveying philosophical and scientific theories of Consciousness through current understanding from an evidence-based perspective.
  This book will be essential for anyone interested in the problems of Consciousness, mind and reality.”

                                                                            - Prof. Mario Valentino BSc, M.Phil, PhD
                                                                                    Dept of Physiology & Biochemistry
                                                                                             Faculty of Medicine & Surgery
                                                                                                               University of Malta.



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Il-Filosofija tal-Moħħ (2015)






Il-moħħ uman: l-aktar strument sofistikat li jeżisti fl-univers magħruf, li fost oħrajn jikkonsisti f’aktar minn mitt biljun newronu ekwivalenti daqskemm jeżistu stilel fil-galassja tagħna l-Milky Way. Dan il-moħħ huwa wkoll dak li minnu toħroġ dik li aħna nsejjħulha bħala l-menti jew il-Konoxxenza tal-esseri uman.
  Imma fil-verità, x’inhi dil-menti umana li taf toħloq tant meravilji frott il-Konoxxenza tagħha stess? X’inhi l-Konoxxenza nnifisha, dik li ħabbtet tant filosfi kbar matul iż-żminijiet? X’jagħmel minna aħna nfusna, u mhux l-oħrajn? X’inhi l-Intwizzjoni, li permezz tagħha saru skoperti kbar f’kull era u żmien, u għaliex l-Intwizzjoni tmur lil hinn mill-illużjonijiet ta’ madwarna li fuqhom tibbaża r-raġuni u l-intellett uman? Xi rwol għandu l-ħolm fl-iżvilupp tal-psike uman minn dan l-aspett?
 
Wara li jelabora fuq dawn it-temi mbagħad Sammut idur fuq il-livelli mentali varji li jidħlu fl-istess skala tal-Konoxxenza tal-esseri uman, li jibdew minn dak l-aktar komuni, avvanzat, traxxendentali, u dak illuminattiv. Minn dan l-aspett, fost oħrajn, l-awtur janalizza l-għaliex pereżempju bniedem partikolari jkollu natural ta’ kriminal, ieħor b’natural kwiet, oħrajn ikunu ġenjali jew qaddisin, waqt li oħrajn issib li jkollhom livell illuminattiv tal-ogħla grad, fejn hawnhekk ikompli jelabora għaliex bniedem jitwieled taħt ċertu kundizzjonijiet u mhux oħrajn. Aspett oriġinali ieħor li nsibu f’din it-taqsima hu l-istudju profond li Sammut wettaq fuq il-kunċett tal-Übermensch li l-filosfu Ġermaniż Friedrich Nietzsche huwa tant magħruf għalih, u allura wkoll fejn jintlaħaq dan il-livell mentali rari fl-istess skala tal-Konoxxenza tal-esseri uman.
 
Mistoqsijiet oħra li janalizza l-awtur f’dan il-ktieb huma x’jagħmel minn persuna bniedem għaref, u fuq kollox x’inhu l-għerf. X’sigrieti jeżistu wara l-forza tal-volontà u għaliex permezz ta’ dil-forza l-bniedem jista’ jsir dak li jixtieq ikun? Veru li l-Konoxxenza ta’ kull bniedem ma tista’ tispiċċa qatt? U fuq kollox, għaliex l-aqwa mħuħ fil-fiżika moderna jgħidulna li l-Konoxxenza tagħmel parti wkoll mill-univers?
  Dawn huma xi wħud mill-mistoqsijiet li Sammut jipprova jirrispondihom anki b’daqqa t’id tax-xjenza li għandna llum, li permezz tagħha se tkompli tgħin lill-qarrej jifhem aħjar wieħed mill-akbar misteri tal-bniedem: il-Konoxxenza mentali tiegħu stess.
 
Prof. Mario Valentino, BSc, M.Phil, PhD, mid-Dipartiment tal-Fiżjoloġija u Bijokemistrija fil-Fakult
à tal-Mediċina u l-Kirurġija fl-Università ta’ Malta, ikkummenta hekk fuq dan il-ktieb ta’ Sammut:

Consciousness, 'the ultimate mystery for science', has now become a hot topic. How can a physical brain create our experience of the World and what creates our identity? These are but some of the questions that author Anton Sammut tackles amidst the striking developments that have taken place in neuroscience, cognitive science, and artificial intelligence and notes their expanding relevance to philosophical issues.
The Philosophy of Mind brings neuroscientific evidence to bear on enduring philosophical questions, while also surveying philosophical and scientific theories of consciousness through current understanding from an evidence-based perspective. This book will be essential for anyone interested in the problems of consciousness, mind and reality.”

Ixtri l-kotba mingħand:







         The Philosophy
          of Cosmic Spirituality (2014) 




What did the ancient philosophers in Classical Greece think about God? Why was their concept so different from that which many of us uphold today? What do the sacred Eastern books and Eastern philosophers have to say in this regard? What exactly are Brahmanism and Taoism? What are karma, eternal recurrence, reincarnation and free will? What is the human consciousness? What were the Buddha’s teachings and how did his teachings influence the spiritual formation of Jesus?






These are some of the questions which we will try to answer in this book, with the helping hand of scientific theories and historical facts which will strengthen the fact that in spite of the many extant religions and philosophies, cosmic spirituality will always be one and common to all; a cosmic spirituality that was taught by Buddha, Jesus and the greatest spiritual teachers of all time.

Anton Sammut



“In this philosophical treatise, author Anton Sammut investigates The Philosophy of Cosmic Spirituality, acting as an eye-opener to this age-old concept. In a very clear and quite new approach, this book therefore leads us to better understand the fact that man forms part of mankind everywhere and forever; and that in any dimension – even in a philosophical-spiritual one – he faces the same dilemmas and questions which shape the culture in which he lives. Consequently it goes without saying that in this work, Sammut does not limit himself only to spiritual and philosophical traditions of the West, but also roams further afield and looks at the Far East, to spiritual and philosophical traditions which are far older than those usually explored in Western traditions, such as Hinduism and Buddhism, which emphasise that their roots are indeed found in this cosmic law which gives birth to all beliefs which base themselves on the good. Therefore, from this aspect, I must thank wholeheartedly all those who, like Mr Anton Sammut, create awareness of this recognition which is truly unique in the environment we find ourselves living today.”

 - Prof. Michael Zammit
Department of Philosophy, University of Malta

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Il-Filosofija
tal-Ispiritwalità Kożmika (2013)




X’kienu jaħsbu l-filosfi tal-Greċja Klassika fuq Alla jew l-Assolut? Għaliex dan il-kunċett ta’ Alla kien tant differenti minn dak li ħafna minna nifhmu bih illum? X’jgħidulna l-kotba sagri u l-filosfi tal-Orjent fuq dan ir-rigward? X’inhu l-Brahman u t-Tao? X’inhi l-karma, ir-rikorrenza eterna, ir-rinkarnazzjoni, u l-Konoxxenza tal-Bniedem? X’għallem il-Budda fil-verità, u kemm affettwa t-tagħlim tiegħu fuq il-formazzjoni spiritwali ta’ Ġesù?





Meta fis-sena 2011 ħriġt il-ktieb tiegħi, In-Naħa l-Oħra tal-Istorja Ġudeo-Kristjana, fejn eventwalment sena wara ħareġ bl-Ingliż, bl-isem, The Other Side of the Judeo-Christian History, ma kellix ħjiel kif kien se jintlaqa’ xogħol kontroversjali bħal dan. Dan għaliex kif wieħed jista’ jintebaħ mill-isem tal-ktieb, l-għan ta’ dan l-istudju ma kienx biex iwassal l-istorja Ġudeo-Kristjana kif ġiet mgħoddija lilna mit-tagħlim uffiċjali, imma x’ġie ċċensurat mill-istess storja uffiċjali tar-reliġjon.

Konxju ta’ dan, is-sorpriża tiegħi ma kinitx żgħira hekk kif bdejt nirċievi l-ewwel kummenti pożittivi fuq dan it-trattat. Il-ktieb intlaqa’ tajjeb ħafna, u dan grazzi għall-maturità tal-qarrejja li qraw dan ix-xogħol.Iżda l-istorja ma waqfitx hawnhekk, għaliex maż-żmien, kienu ħafna dawk li ssuktaw javviċinawni u jiktbuli biex isiru jafu aktar fuq dan is-suġġett, speċjalment jekk wara kollox teżistix xi forma ta’ spiritwalità komuni li tmur lil hinn mill-manipulazzjoni umana tar-reliġjon. Kien proprju minħabba f’hekk li eventwalment bdejt naħseb fuq dan il-ktieb, u li minn dan l-aspett, mhux ta’ b’xejn li bħala titlu ddeċidejt li nsemmih Il-Filosofija tal-Ispiritwalità Kożmika, proprju għaliex kif se naraw mal-kors tal-ktieb, teżisti verament spiritwalità waħda u komuni għal kulħadd; spiritwalità kożmika, li fost oħrajn għallmuha l-Budda, Ġesù ta’ Nazaret, u nies kbar oħrajn. 


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Ixtri l-kotba mingħand:


The Other side of the 
Judeo-Christian History (2012)



Many of us might have wondered on occasion why the Western world embraces certain traditions and cultures whereas others are cast aside or ignored; why do such different socio-religious exigencies exist? And if everything comes down to us from the past, was there any alternative to how things could have evolved? And if so, what was the reason they did not transpire?







Obviously, these questions are not easy to answer in just a few words. However, in this book we will try to arrive at some answers. We will also try to understand what might have been the fundamental causes which shaped Western culture, otherwise known as the Judeo-Christian tradition; a term that has become rather familiar to us, so much so that today this term has become part of the Western secular language.



The origins of religious symbols and religion itself....Pg. 15


In order to comprehend what will we be reading regarding the evolution of Western religions and their holy books in the coming pages, it would be wise to first provide a short history of the main protagonist of these of these accounts: the human being.


From the dawn of his existence, man has always been endowed with a creative flair, particularly where safeguarding and justifying his existence were involved. Undoubtedly, the biggest leap that can be seen throughout the evolution of mankind is.....

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                In-Naħa l-Oħra tal-Istorja 
Ġudeo-Kristjana (2011)  
                               
Daħla għall-ktieb               
Kif oriġina l-ewwel ħsieb fuq Alla? Min kien Jaħweh? Min kien Mosè, u minn fejn oriġinaw l-Għaxar Kmandamenti? Min kien Ġesù Kristu verament? X’jgħidu l-vanġeli l-oħra li baqgħu barra mit-Testment il-Ġdid? Min kien San Pawl fil-verità, u liema kienet l-ewwel Knisja qabel dik Kattolika Rumana? Kif oriġina l-pontifikat papali u x’riperkussjonijiet ħalla warajh id-dokument falz li l-Imperatur Konstantinu (suppost) ħalla lill-Knisja għaż-żamma tal-poter? Kollox wasal għandna mill-passat? Kien hemm xi alternattiva oħra kif setgħu żvolġew l-affarijiet? U jekk iva, x’kien il-motiv biex dan ma seħħx? 

Dawn huma xi wħud mill-mistoqsijiet li f'dan il-ktieb se nippruvaw inwiġbuhom anki b'daqqa t'id tal-iskoperti li twettqu f'dawn l-aħħar sekli imma mhux biss, għaliex tul il-qari se niltaqgħu ma' aktar spekulazzjonijiet.


Kultant tisma’ lil xi ħadd isaqsi: imma għaliex id-dinja tal-Punent tħaddan ċerti tradizzjonijiet u kulturi mentri oħrajn twarrabhom jew tinjorahom? U ghaliex jeżistu dawn l-esiġenzi soċjoreliġjużi tant differenti minn xulxin? Kollox wasal għandna mill-passat? Kien hemm xi alternattiva oħra kif setgħu żvolġew l-affarijiet? U jekk iva, x’kien il-motiv biex dan ma seħħx?

 Dawn il-mistoqsijiet mhux lakemm tirrispondihom fi ftit kliem, imma f’dan il-ktieb se nippruvaw nagħmlu mill-aħjar biex naslu għalihom, waqt li se nippruvaw nifhmu wkoll x’setgħu kienu xi wħud minn dawk il-kawżi fundamentali li fuqhom setgħet issawret dik li llum sirna nsejħulha bħala l-Kultura tal-Punent, jew inkella t-tradizzjoni Ġudeo-Kristjana, terminu li sar familjari ħafna magħna l-Ewropej, tant, li llum sar parti mil-lingwaġġ sekulari tal-Punent.

 Iżda jidher li t-termimu “Ġudeo-Kristjan” huwa vag aktar milli wieħed jista’ jimmaġina. Araw x’jifhmu ċerti skulari fuq dan ir-rigward. Pereżempju Dott. Franklin Hamlin Littell (1917-2009), li kien professur tar-reliġjon u promotur tal-Istat Żijonista, kien iddikjara:.




Memories of Recurrent Echoes (2009)


Memories of Recurrent Echoes
is an epic family saga, a highly moving story based in Bavaria, Germany, between 1890 and 1990: a hundred years of love, tragedy, madness and some of the irreconcilable contradictions of existence which mark out Man’s human nature. It ranges over an immensely wide spectrum of human concerns: crucial dilemmas, family ties, the psychological upbringing of children, the relationship between Church and State, and above all everyone’s responsibility to others.

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Alte Vestiga (2008)


Ir-Rumanz Alte Vestiga  ta' Anton Sammut huwa binja monumentali koordinat sa l-aħħar dettall; mhux permezz ta’ żvilupp tradizzjonali ta’ kif aħna imdorrijin nifhmu b’rumanz, iżda bi struttura ta’ viżjoni ġdida li tista’ tgħid tissuġġerixxi saħansitra realtà tar-raba’ dimensjoni.
Il-ktieb huwa tabilħaqq eżempju ta’ narrattiva u karatterizzazzjoni ġdida koordinati perfettament fi struttura aestika mill-aqwa. Huwa rumanz filosofiku b’xi testi filosofici li jagħmel uzu minn principji kulturali, psikoanalitici u “idjosinkrasija ta’ karattri” biex b’hekk tinbena forma ta’ metodoloġija innovattiva ta’ kif għandha tiġi mifhuma d-“djalettika totali” tal-awtur....
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