If you read the spiritual scriptures of the globe (the Bible, the Upanishads, the Baghavid Gita, the Koran, the Pali Canon, and so on) you will see that the doctrines contained therein are really different, even with a specified frequent believed now and then. But read the writings of the mystics all through background and you will recognize that what they wrote is strikingly comparable no issue what their spiritual custom. Read through the Hindu mystic Shankara, or the Sufi mystic Rumi. Study the writings of St John of the Cross, or the writings of the Jewish Rabbi mystics or Buddhist mystics. You will see that what they are all declaring quantities to the very same factor, however their manner of describing it is diverse.
It is an completely astounding truth that we have, in every single one geographic spot on this earth, and at widely divided dates in background, people who have arrived at the exact same metaphysical insights through approaches of controlling their consciousness, this kind of as meditation. From the Buddha of North India circa 500BCE, to Socrates, to the Catholic and Jewish mystics of the Medieval period, to the indigenous shamans of Central The us, there is a common thread of mystical perception. Why is it that our exoteric traditions are so diverse, but our esoteric traditions are so equivalent? There is an important concept below.
The goal of faith is to give us a sense of meaning and goal, and also to assist us to expand spiritually. Unfortunately, when faith gets institutionalized (as it always does), it gets to be all way too effortlessly, a stumbling block to our spiritual progress. Do you want a immediate encounter of God and a deeper perception of goal? How can you find your real self? How can you locate God? The mystics have pointed the way.
And what is a mystic? A mystic is merely a person who has spent his or her lifestyle in silent contemplation and meditation and has accomplished a immediate expertise of a further fact than what is ordinarily perceived. He or she has turned his or her again on the distractions of the globe. They give up materials things and social status. They find the divine with a one particular-pointed mind. The a single defining feature that distinguishes the mystic from the rest of us, is that they have had an fast, direct, intuitive experience of Divinity. 1 salient point is that every single one mystic emphasizes that the experience of God, the cosmic consciousness, divine mind, or what ever they decide on to call it, is ineffable. It are not able to be conveyed with words and phrases. It has to be experienced immediately. And this experience is universally described by mystics as being a absolutely euphoric state.
Each mystic has emphasised the ineffability of the mystical state. Phrases can scarcely hint at what the encounter is like. If you had in no way listened to a Beethoven symphony, do you believe I could make you understand and value the electricity and elegance of the ninth symphony merely by telling you about it, no issue what duration or interest to detail I take care of this sort of a description?
In spite of the simple fact that the mystics have constantly emphasised the ineffability of their expertise, many of them have attempted to explain it, whilst at the identical time warning us that their descriptions can only tumble very brief of actuality.
Sadly mystics are misunderstood by the masses. They are feared by the authorities of spiritual institutions. It is unavoidable that it would be that way.. Only the number of are drawn to the esoteric teachings, those who by their nature are of a more non secular temperament, or these who yearn for the spiritual encounter, but are too intellectually sophisticated to be pleased with mere dogma .
It is most disheartening to know that mystics have been beaten to dying, stoned to demise, compelled to consume hemlock, crucified, and burned at the stake. At times they are revered and sometimes they are persecuted, depending on the political/religious climate of the instances, but persecution of mystics is a lot much more commonplace through heritage than reverence and admiration for who are they are and what they have prepared.
One should not automatically confer the status of mystic on an individual just simply because they happen to have some form of psychic capability or other paranormal present. Men and women with the gift of heightened psychic powers may probably (and possibly not) be in a position to attain the condition of union with the divine less complicated than most of us, but basically having such presents is not in and of alone, an sign that they have.
It must be stated that any individual can have a mystical expertise. The survivors of a near loss of life knowledge have documented some of the very same issues that mystics have written about, the experience of unity with all that is, the feeling of meaning, and the immediate notion of a deeper truth than our day-to-working day fact. Often men and women in a deep crisis scenario have suddenly been catapulted into the mystical state. Psychoactive medications can trigger a particular person to have a mystical expertise, but making use of medication for the function of mystical insight is strongly disapproved by mystics. You may capture a glimpse of the numinous from the use of medication, but you will not be mentally or spiritually ready for it, nor will you most likely be capable to realize it.
The writer, William James, shown 4 features that are found in every single description of the mystic condition offered in the writings of mystics all through background. The first top quality is ineffability. The encounter completely defies verbal expression. The 2nd high quality is that the mystic in this state would seem to have access to a increased understanding that can not be attained by logic, purpose, or discursive argument, but can only be accessed intuitively. The third high quality is the ephemeral nature of the knowledge. It is uncommon for it to previous an entire thirty minutes, despite the fact that in extremely uncommon cases it may possibly have lasted in excess of an hour. The fourth top quality is passivity. Mystics report that it appeared as if they have been more or significantly less below the management of a higher energy throughout the encounter.
The lives of the excellent mystics in history are exceptional for their vitality, productivity, and their lack of interest in material wealth or social standing. They are usually paragons of virtue, have wonderful compassion, and seem to be happier than the typical man or woman. They virtually usually reside a daily life of self sacrifice for the sake of assisting other folks to attain their insights, and also this kind of issues as fighting social injustice, feeding the very poor, and in common, helping other individuals in in any case that they can.
christian mysticism is not my intention below to give a discourse in what the mystics have said about God or the afterlife, or other metaphysical inquiries. If you are interested in such factors, I recommend studying “The Perennial Philosophy” by Aldous Huxley, or perhaps “The Essential Ken Wilber,” a collection of a variety of writings of the modern philosopher, Ken Wilber.