Introduction - The Essence of Campbell's Thought: An Encounter with the Beautiful Inner Self
Introduction Stage - Before starting the hero's journey
The First Stage of Consciousness - Life in This World
The Second Stage of Consciousness - The Path to Enlightenment
The Third Stage of Consciousness - Encounter with the Sacred Life

Translator's Note
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"Myth and Life" is a vivid transcript of lectures given by Joseph Campbell at the Ethelen Institute during his lifetime, and is a kind of anthology of Campbell's writings, with excerpts from his major works and various works he cited.
At the same time, this book is an introduction to Campbell's thought, containing his broad thoughts that transcend various myths and religions, and a collection of intimate essays containing his personal thoughts and experiences on love, marriage, work, art, and more. In short, it can be said to be the best introductory book on Joseph Campbell.
Above all, Campbell's voice and various quotes are placed in the right places to effectively convey the moments of enlightenment and reflection he intended to convey. By selecting only the most essential of Campbell's thoughts and including them, the book makes his vast thoughts more accessible and accessible.


It is largely divided into four chapters: “Introduction Stage - Before Embarking on the Hero's Journey,” “The First Stage of Consciousness - Life in This World,” “The Second Stage of Consciousness - The Path to Enlightenment,” and “The Third Stage of Consciousness - Encountering the Sacred Life.” The numerous proverbs of Campbell that appear throughout the book were written by Diane K. Campbell, the editor of this book, who attended his lectures at the Ethelan Institute in 1983.
It is based on Osborne's handwriting.


First, Chapter 1, "Introduction - Before Embarking on the Hero's Journey," is a section on Campbell's aphorisms that reconstructs Campbell's beautiful messages from the text in the form of poetry before delving into the book's content in earnest. It is a chapter that contains only the essence of Campbell's thoughts that can be savored over and over again.
The remaining three chapters are organized by the editor to correspond to what he calls the "three levels or stages of consciousness." Chapter 2, "The First Stage of Consciousness - Life in the Present World," covers money, reason, aspects of old age, death, marriage, war, childbirth, and rituals.
This part clearly reveals Campbell's deep and honest thoughts on various real-world problems.
Chapter 3, "The Second Stage of Consciousness - The Path to Enlightenment," explores the realms of consciousness and unconsciousness, psychology, religion, and the "hero's journey," including yoga, which demonstrates the essence of spiritual development and experience. It explores issues related to true personal growth and enlightenment, that is, topics that "open up the possibility of deep love for ourselves and truth."
Finally, Chapter 4, "The Third Stage of Consciousness - Encountering the Sacred Life," discusses the arts, such as music, painting, dance, and writing, that lead humans to experiences of "ecstasy," as well as the metaphors and symbolism of mythology and religion, which Campbell devoted his life to studying.
The preface, "Introduction - The Essence of Campbell's Thought, Encountering His Beautiful Inner Self," which highlights the editor's boundless affection for Campbell, and the "Translator's Note," which features the translator's honest review, also provide reading pleasure.
At the end of the book, a “Note” and “Index” are included.


■ Contents of this book

Joseph Campbell, the story of how he became one of the greatest mythologists of our time.
Joseph Campbell, the greatest mythologist and comparative religion scholar of our time.
But did you know that he also had a period where he was completely unemployed? For a full five years.


Campbell majored in English literature while attending Columbia University in the United States, but in 1927 he received a scholarship and went to Europe to study abroad at the University of Paris and the University of Munich for two years.
And it was this experience during this period that completely changed his life.
Campbell recalls:
“I once received a scholarship to study in Europe and went to the University of Paris.
I studied medieval French, Provençal, and the poetry of the bards.
It was only when I went to Europe that I discovered modern art.
(……) Then he went to Germany and studied Sanskrit, where he became very interested in Hinduism.
(……) [From that moment on] the door began to open.”

After returning to the United States, Campbell attempted to continue studying Indian philosophy and art based on his experiences in Europe, but ultimately left the university without obtaining a doctorate due to opposition from the university.
The Great Depression of 1929 hit, and Campbell made a life-changing decision.
In Chapter 2 of this book, "The First Stage of Consciousness - Life in the Present World," and Chapter 3, "The Second Stage of Consciousness - The Path to Enlightenment," Campbell speaks candidly about his past, which will undoubtedly be of considerable interest to those curious about his life and academic pursuits.


“I had taken all the required courses for my degree, and now all I had to do was write that damn thesis.
However, the university did not allow me to transfer to another place and continue my studies.
In the end, I thought I should just give this thing away.
[Instead] I went into the woods and spent five years reading.
So I didn't get my Ph.D.
[But thanks to that] I learned how to live with nothing.
I was free and had no responsibilities.
It was truly amazing.
(……) Once, I put a one-dollar bill in the top drawer of a small dresser and consoled myself that as long as the money was there, I wasn’t broke.” The secret to his complete freedom with just a one-dollar bill was his ‘courage’ to choose what he wanted ‘here and now.’
These five years of “perfect” experiences shaped the Campbell of later years.
And this is the core of Campbell's thought and the message that this book, Myth and Life, ultimately aims to convey (and is also a very famous phrase!): "Follow your bliss!"


Campbell was not a man obsessed with material things and appearances, yearning for superficial success and fame.
He did not live by relying on other people's opinions, nor did he pursue the values ​​that others desired.
Instead, he embodied the life he wanted.
It was simply “staying where I thought ‘my’ place was.”
Of course, as Campbell says, it will never be easy to “find something in the external world that fits perfectly with what the internal system aspires to.”
But as we read this book, we become convinced that only when we “clear our minds of the thoughts that bind us” can we “discover where we will settle.”
As Campbell honestly confessed, and as we all know, “the joy comes when you put aside the thought of ‘what will others think of me?’”

In search of joy, embark on a hero's journey
So, how can we attain joy in life? Campbell's key word for explaining this is "the hero's journey."
This means our life journey.


We are all born into an unpredictable destiny and embark on our own journey.
Campbell likened this human life to a hero's journey.
It starts like this.
“The hero's journey always begins with a calling.
The leader speaks in various ways:
Look!
You are now in the 'sleeping land'.
Wake up.
'Go on a journey.' (……) The call is to leave any social position, to go into your own loneliness and find the jewel, the thing that is impossible to find when you are socially bound.
(……) When a hero thinks he has lost something and goes to find it, that is the beginning.”

In Chapter 2 of this book, “The First Stage of Consciousness - Life in the Present World,” and Chapter 3, “The Second Stage of Consciousness - The Path to Enlightenment,” he particularly emphasized that the goal of the journey is the attainment of the “Holy Grail.”
What the Holy Grail symbolizes here is “the highest spiritual achievement in human life.”
This is also a value that is in line with his philosophy of “following joy.”
As Campbell says, “There are many high achievements in each person’s life.”
And it is entirely up to me to find “clues as to how to get there” and “where it might be.”
The key Campbell suggests at this time is understanding others, or 'empathy'.
This theme of 'empathy', which emphasizes that 'you' and 'I' are ultimately connected by a single string, rather than separating others from me as separate beings, is presented as the best way to find the 'holy grail'.
This passage makes modern people, accustomed to hatred, strife, selfishness, and stubbornness, realize that relationships, coexistence, consideration, and understanding are also greatly related to the issue of self-fulfillment.

When the hero who has set out on this journey of adventure finally overcomes the high and rough waves and makes a reasonable “return” to his life with the Holy Grail, the outline of this journey is completed.
This is the hero's journey that is so similar to our lives.
Through this process, we gain a certain level of enlightenment and discover our own joy, opening our eyes to a completely new life different from what we have known so far.
And the “very end of that life is to know, love and give life in a way that you can find eternal rest.
Even though you are active outside of this world, there will be moments of complete peace and relaxation within you.”

This may not be just his warm consolation to the listener.
Or what if all that awaits us at the end of this arduous journey is nothing but emptiness and despair?
As Campbell says in this book, “If there is a true purpose to our lives, it is to experience life, both pain and joy.”


Looking at ‘humans’ through myths, religions, and metaphors
When talking about Campbell, it is natural that we cannot leave out mythology and religion.
Chapter 3 of this book, “The Second Stage of Consciousness - The Path to Enlightenment,” and Chapter 4, “The Third Stage of Consciousness - Encountering the Sacred Life,” also feature various stories related to mythology and religion.


Although Campbell is widely known as a mythologist, he was actually a pantheistic thinker and comparative religious scholar with a strong emphasis on Buddhism, Hinduism, and Indian philosophy.
Rather, mythology was a natural outgrowth of his research interests.
According to Campbell, mythology is “a revelation of the mystery of the energy pouring into one’s own heart” and “a combination of images that hold metaphors for the experiences, actions, and achievements of the human soul in a particular time and culture.”
In other words, myth is a very important form of expression that uses the world of metaphor to show life itself, the various aspects of human life, and the totality of universal truths contained within it.
Campbell emphasized that we should understand the metaphorical meaning behind these mythological symbols rather than focusing on their superficial meaning.
“The misunderstanding arises from reading spiritual and mythological symbols as if they refer to historical events.”

Campbell also takes a similar view on religion.
He believed that although the countless religions in the world all have different characteristics and face different faces, the absolute value behind them all undoubtedly points toward one point.
In other words, he takes a pantheistic stance that Hinduism, Christianity, and Buddhism are ultimately just different expressions of the same thing, but their fundamental principles are not different.
“Choosing God is, in other words, choosing how you see the world.
There are countless gods.
Choose your god.
The god you worship is the god that suits you.
(……) We are all Christ, but we just don’t realize it.” If we fail to read the meaning of the metaphors contained in these religions and myths, we will end up losing our sense of ‘empathy’ with others and continue to fight endlessly.
Just like today's exclusive religions that are desperate to eat each other.


Ultimately, what was Campbell trying to say through his study of myth and religion?
The point is that we all are beings that have grown from the same roots.
The fact is that we are never different beings.
These myths and religions existed from the beginning for the happiness of 'humans', not to create misunderstanding and hostility.
Through myths, we can reflect on ourselves and gauge the direction of our future lives, and through religion, we can find time for self-reflection and contemplation.
It is only natural that myths and religions that originated from ‘humans’ should ultimately end up as ‘humans.’
This is why Campbell devoted his life to the interpretation of myth, religion, and metaphor.
Where is heaven? Campbell clearly declares in this book that it lies "within me."
According to him, 'heaven' may lie within the human will to strive for a better today, one that hopes for tolerance and consideration from all.


A chapter of enlightenment and reflection opens
Finally, Chapter 4 of this book, "The Third Stage of Consciousness - Encountering the Sacred Life," devotes a particularly large portion to subjects that could be called "arts," such as art, music, dance, and writing.
Campbell once said, “The goal of life is joy.
He has spoken about the importance of art, saying, “Art is how we experience it.”
His various pieces of advice on this art are quite sharp and accurate, and there is much to take note of.

“It helps a lot to know what the heck you're doing.
What exactly are you trying to achieve? Are you trying to become a master painter like Picasso? Is that your ultimate goal in life? That's the true sacrifice of life."

“The power of the gods is the personification of the power that exists in nature and in your own nature.
Once you discover that layer, you start playing.
“This is a work of art.”

“It’s like training.
When you go into training, you set a time, and that is sacred time.
You should do the same with your art.
That means you have to dedicate a set amount of time each day to your art and stick to it consistently.
Then you have to sit there for that period of time, whether you write something or not.”

Especially in the part where he talks about the attitude of a true artist, we can't help but nod our heads and agree with his opinion.
“I think an artist is a competent practitioner of art.
You can't call everyone who just gets up from their seat and wanders around poking around an artist.
(……) An artist is someone who has completed a work of art. One cannot be called an artist simply because one has the intention to complete it.
Whether or not a work can be sold this year or next has no bearing on its inherent value or definition as a work of art.
Van Gogh never sold a single painting in his lifetime, but now you could fill a museum with just a couple of his works.
“He was an artist, even though he suffered from great psychological problems.” Campbell’s merciless critique of the “incompetent practitioners” of art gives us a time for sharp reflection on the true “art” that this era has forgotten, the essence of art that has disappeared somewhere, and our insincere attitude toward it.


This book, "Myth and Life," discusses various topics related to "myth" and our "life" in a way that is sometimes moving, sometimes humorous, and sometimes sharp, evoking a sense of wonder as if one were reading a profound philosophy of life left behind by a sage from long ago.
Campbell's profound and beautiful proverbs of wisdom provide an opportunity for passionate thought and sober self-reflection to many in this land accustomed to speed and materialism.
This book is also notable for containing Campbell's autobiographical story, including not only his thoughts but also stories from his childhood, from meeting his wife to their marriage, and his experiences in his later years.
That is, this book is particularly noteworthy in that it focuses not only on his achievements as a scholar, but also illuminates Campbell as an individual who was honest, warm, and humorous.
The great joy this book offers is the opportunity to glimpse, with a smile on his face, the journey of a man with many weaknesses to become the greatest mythologist.


Diane K., the editor of this book,
Osborne paid tribute to Campbell by saying, “Being with him, you realized that everything he focused on, whether in nature or in conversation, became a kind of spark that illuminated another book in the vast library of his mind, an inexhaustible source of richness and continuity.”
This book is like a vast library bearing Campbell's own name, neatly organizing the sources and results of the intelligence that resided in Campbell's mind and making them available for viewing at a glance, as Osborne says.
However, the true purpose of this book is to lead many who come across it on a 'hero's journey', just as Campbell himself devoted his life to interpreting metaphors and symbols that lie beyond myth and religion in order to complete his own 'journey' and find his own 'joy'.
“Even now, a path awaits us, and once we enter it, doors will open that were not open before and will not be opened for anyone else.” In this way, we will finally discover, as he prophesied, “the Father’s kingdom spread out on earth,” and we will be able to enjoy the precious experience of “the rhythm of the heavens entering into us,” of “the pulse of the universe becoming ours.”
This is the ultimate message Campbell is conveying through this book, and it is the shortcut to the 'happiness' we so desperately desire.