MYSTICISM - EAST and WEST

“Theologians may quarrel, but the mystics of the world speak the same language.” Meister Eckhart

“Only heart to heart can speak the bliss of mystic knowers.” Hafiz

"Mysticism is the antidote to fundamentalism." Rick Doblin

“The Soul has been given its own ears to hear things the mind doesn’t understand” Rumi

“The Kingdom of Heaven is within you. The source of reality is inside you. It is your essence. Be in the world but not of it. Through detachment, you master both inner and outer reality. Your actual being has its source in Spirit. Through detachment, you shift your allegiance away from the physical toward the Spiritual.” Deepak Chopra

“The world’s spiritual traditions have produced many mystics, and in their writings and poetry all dogma disappears and religious titles and creeds dissolve.” Michael Bernard Beckwith

Beckwith continues: “Only the taste of the Infinite remains on their lips and speaks through their writings. They stand in agreement that there is a dynamic Presence that is the life force enlivening all that there is, that which longs to articulate itself through all beings, and for that purpose, has empowered us with the capacity to co-create our lives in harmony with the laws governing the Universe. This natural expression of our innate wholeness is enlightenment.”

Dictionary.com propels us towards an understanding of where mysticism leads, offering this definition:

“A doctrine of an immediate spiritual intuition of truths believed to transcend ordinary understanding, or of a direct, intimate union of the soul with God through contemplation or ecstasy."

While practitioners of mysticism may generally consist largely of monks, ascetics and holy men and women, mysticism is available to all who wish to transcend the traps of ego and the material world, going deeper into Self, guided by the Light of Spirit. And, although rare, humankind has been blessed, from time to time, with enlightened mystics who not only lived among ordinary people, but, through their words and actions and teaching, pointed us toward this wondrous union. I speak of Jesus, the Buddha, Rumi, the Dalai Lama and others whose lives have touched us on so many levels.

We begin our little peek into mysticism with the monotheistic religions. Though the Eastern traditions are older, I feel it’s an easier jumping off point for us in the West.

Kabbalah, the mysticism of Judaism:

Kabbalah is concerned with planes of reality, which can be discerned by devoted practitioners. The ten sefirot (divine emanations) comprise the Tree of Life and the order in which they evolve from, and interact with, one another in the vast chain of being. This leads us to the process by which divine energy (light) devolves from higher spiritual planes to lower ones, eventually to become manifest in this physical plane of existence.

The Tree of Life is an eternal emanation of the Divine principle, and it lives and emanates within each unique human personality. Every human being is a Tree of Life: we all have the powers and attributes that correspond to the divine Sefirot. (Please look up ‘Tree of Life’ for illustrations, which name the Sefirot and delineate their attributes.)

I like to turn to experts for clarity on such subjects. Here, I draw from Rabbi DovBer Pinson, a world-renowned scholar, Kabbalist, and spiritual teacher:

“It is important to realize that the Kabbalah is more about losing ourselves than about finding, becoming more other-centered and less ego-centered. The literal translation of the word Kabbalah is 'that which is received.' To receive, we must be receptive. We must open ourselves, creating a vessel in which to absorb that which we wish to understand or grasp, and in turn become part of Kabbalah. To open the self to a higher reality, to view the spirit within the matter, to raise our consciousness to the point where our perception of reality is completely changed, and the divine within all creation is revealed.”

“The ultimate purpose in the study of Kabbalah is the perfection of the Self. Making the Self into a better, more expanded individual, more transcendent, more attuned to the essence and roots of one's soul, this is what Kabbalah comes to offer those who truly wish to receive it.”

As elsewhere in understanding the human condition, the ego is seen as the main culprit: through its negativity and protestations, the ego clings to attachments and to fear, preoccupied by imagined threats to its importance, even to its survival.

“The total involvement with the illusory 'self' is the root of all negative emotions...In the place of seeing the ego as a real enemy who needs to be engaged in battle in order to be overcome, we begin to realize that there is nothing besides the Light, and everything else is simply a concealment of that truth.”

Shalom

Christian Mysticism

By the definitions listed above, one of the attributes of Jesus would certainly be 'mystic.’ He showed us his direct union with GodSpirit, with miracles and Spiritual lessons, and he never stopped encouraging all of us to strive to fully emulate his awareness and his actions. And those of his apostles and disciples who absorbed Spirit’s outpouring at Jesus’ bequest IMO became mystics as well.

We do have to classify them as Jewish Mystics, of course, because they were all Jewish, not Christian. However, the emulation of Jesus is clearly the focus of much of Christian mysticism.

This is seen in the early Christianity of the Gnostics, who believed that Jesus brought and embodied the ‘gnosis’, esoteric knowledge that reveals the pathway to union with God. They practiced a renunciation of the world and followed Jesus’ pure compassion as their template for that divine union.

“Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God.” Matt. 5:8

This is one of Jesus’ sayings that point us to the inner substance of individuals who are drawn to the path of mystical union. We must be emptied of hate, fear, covetousness, lust, greed; and filled instead with compassion, forgiveness, gratitude, generosity and love. This exalted state allows us to constantly absorb and emanate God’s immense love.

Most of Christian mysticism involves monks, over these many centuries, who saw the path to God in emulation of Jesus’ piety. They have taken his ‘be in the world but not of the world’ to task, choosing to leave the darker world of commerce, politics and the manipulative ego, etc. in favor of the quiet life of contemplation and the brotherhood of kindred spirits. And while most of these monks, and those of all religious orders, don’t often translate their mystical union into words of wisdom for the rest of us, I feel that we should always be grateful for their presence, as they are fulfilling their life’s mission, and are still and always raising the overall vibration of the earth.

Actually, if you look up ‘Christian Mystics,’ you will find many examples historically, with outlines of their individual practices and teachings, and adherents, and with prevailing reactions from the religious community, often with considerable criticism and sometimes cries of ‘heresy.’ Mystics usually transcend Scripture and creed to engage in that very personal union with God. Though some, like St. Augustine, seem to have slipped mysticism into their dialogues without causing much of a stir. And centuries later, the all-boys mystical choir allows women, like Teresa of Avila, into their gleeful mix. Today, enlightened women are giants in the metaphysical arenas.

Recall the quote of Origen (3rd c.) ‘… all who take up in faith the life which Jesus taught… since we have the noble qualities of the Son within us, we can undergo the process of divinization.’

Or the 13th c. mystic Meister Eckhart. Eckhart taught that “God’s ground and the soul’s ground is one ground,” and “the way to the realization of the soul’s identity with God lay less in the customary practices of the religious life than in a new state of awareness achieved through radical detachment from all created things and a breakthrough to the God beyond God.”

And, of course, Francis of Assisi, whose emulation of Jesus’ life included the Stigmata, self-administered lashes that approximate the wounds of the crucified Jesus.

Regardless of critics, Christian Mysticism (and its considerable number of adherents) is an important chapter in humankind’s pursuit of the Divine Union that is spoken in the universal language of mystics.

Blessings

Islamic Mysticism - Sufism

Sufism spins off from a firm belief in Muhammad and the Qur'an, seeking to understand deeper meanings that lead to 'community with God.’ It is an integral part of both Sunni and Shi’ite Islam, and can be considered as offering vital Spirituality, in many forms, to millions of Muslims to augment the dogma of the Qur'an.

It can even be seen as the true (greater) Jihad – an individual’s holy war against the lower self – in seeking true union with God.

Historically, it has usually begun by a seeker finding a master, then undergoing an initiation, following a variety of rituals, including fasting, sexual abstinence, 'mantras’ like repetition of God’s names or counting sacred numbers and letters, and many forms of meditation. Here, we find as well, walking prayer and the iconic music and dance revelry of the 'whirling dervishes.’ The object, as in all mysticism, is to shut out the chattering ego and pierce the screen of the material world to the blessed God of Spirit.

We also find, as in Christianity, that orthodoxy often frowns on this unique individual seeking, seen as undermining the dogma of the Qur'an and Imams alike. IMO, it’s the ‘Spirit of the law v. the letter of the law’ syndrome, with the Mosque, like the Church, trying to tell us what and how to believe.

In reading about the wide varieties of Sufism, one is struck by several important threads. For instance, one constantly sees the bond formed by the great reciprocal love of God and man.

Also, citing the Qur'an, that God wants us to question, and seek, individually, to attain greater insights.

And a favorite aphorism of Sufis, ‘little sleep, little talk, little food,’ shows important aspects of detachment for the true seeker.

The truth remains, for Sufis and other mystic traditions, that renunciation does not diminish the personality, but makes it shine more intensely, as the egoic traps of greed, lust and power give way to love and compassion, and lead to a lifelong state of gratitude and illumination.

Salaam

HINDUISM

Huston Smith, quoted throughout, has a wonderful, positive way of describing the core of each religion to a large, receptive and appreciative readership.

“Hinduism is really humanity’s oldest religion, and a basic understanding of it is a perfect primer to metaphysics. While on the surface it is a polytheistic religion, I believe most Hindus could readily engage in a discussion of religion and metaphysics referring to God/Spirit as a single cosmic entity which permeates the Universe.

"It teaches of mankind’s want lists and foibles, of the pitfalls of personality and ego, and of the need to peel away the layers of apparent 'reality’ to reveal the immortal soul, which has reincarnated many times to arrive at the point each of us currently finds one’s self, the cosmic truth of karma, and the various 'yogas’ that can help facilitate a return, while on earth, to the pristine majesty of one’s soul.”

A handful of kernels (with some paraphrasing) that I hope will encapsulate this essence, and perhaps draw the reader to further study its origins, history and compelling truths:

HS: “Individual souls enter the world mysteriously; by God’s power, we can be sure… The human soul possesses self-consciousness, and with it comes freedom, responsibility and effort… the mechanism which ties souls to their incarnations is ‘karma’; roughly, the moral law of cause and effect… which means that the career of a soul as it threads its way thru innumerable bodies is guided by its choices, which are controlled by what the soul wants and wills at each stage of the journey.”

“Beyond the body, beyond the personality that includes mind, memories and propensities that have derived from a unique trajectory of life experiences… underlying the human self and animating it is a reservoir that never dies, is never exhausted and is unrestricted in consciousness and bliss... this hidden self is Atman (the Soul).”

Hinduism is thus steeped in mysticism. Reincarnation is built into its very core, and meditation and yogas and gurus are plentiful as systems of support; so believers and practitioners know that the ultimate goal of life is that enlightened union with Spirit, and it becomes just a question of which incarnation will yield that enlightenment.

“The metaphysical system known as the Vedanta; the Soul, Atman, in a person is identified with the supreme self, or Brahman, of the universe. The apparent separateness and individuality of beings and events are held to be an illusion (Sanskrit maya.)

“The Hindu philosophy of Yoga (in several disciplines) incorporates perhaps the most complete and rigorous disciplines ever designed to transcend the sense of personal identity and to clear the way for an experience of union with the divine self."

“Hindu mystics sometimes go to extremes of asceticism in the course of their devotions, for example by standing for years on one leg or eschewing clothing.”

Believing these are necessary for release into this blessed union, Hindu mystics mirror other ascetic traditions, similar to the lashes of the Stigmata. I am personally more drawn to the sacred music and dance-types of practices.

BUDDHISM

“The basic doctrines of early Buddhism, which remain common to all Buddhism, include the four noble truths: existence is suffering; suffering has a cause, namely craving and attachment; there is a cessation of suffering, which is nirvana; and there is a path to the cessation of suffering: the eightfold path of right views, right resolve, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and concentration.”

Born into a wealthy family, Siddhartha Gautama lived a privileged youth, married and had a child. Away from his palace, he discovered the suffering of the common people, and felt a great malaise as he compared their lives to his. He left his luxury to seek out an understanding of the human condition and a pathway out of suffering.

Espousing the basic tenets of Hinduism - karma and reincarnation, the immortal soul, overcoming ego, et al, he found, and learned from, Hindu ascetics; this led him to a life of meager provisions and deep meditation. Six years later, he emerged enlightened, and began what was to become 45 years of teaching disciples what had been revealed to him in his meditations.

The Buddha challenged all seekers to forge their own unique path: He rejected the authority of the Brahmins, as well as the caste system, believing that any person could become enlightened:

“Maturity is learning to walk away from people and situations that threaten your peace of mind, self-respect, values, morals and self-worth.”

This is followed by the renunciation of the ego and its striving for attachments and external power, to be replaced by generosity, compassion and the unique insights provided in contemplative seeking:

“Do not accept what you hear by report, do not accept tradition, do not accept a statement because it is found in our books, nor because it is in accord with your belief, nor because it is the saying of your teacher. Be lamps unto yourselves. Those who, either now or after I am dead, shall rely upon themselves only and not look for assistance to anyone besides themselves, it is they who shall reach the topmost height.”

Some insights from Huston Smith:

“There is no question but that in his life as the Buddha the springs of tenderness gushed abundant. Wanting to draw the arrows of sorrow from everyone he met, he gave to each his sympathy, his enlightenment, and the strange power of soul, which, even when he barely spoke a word, gripped the hearts of his visitors and left them transformed.” For me, this is much the same image I have of Jesus walking among the people he met.

“The ultimate truth is that nirvana is not infinitely distant but infinitely near, reaching gracefully toward us, as it were, and being the ground on which we already stand if we but knew this. Only the blinders of egoism hide this truth from us.”

So much Universal truth and inspiration can be gained from the sayings of the Buddha, I feel compelled to list at least a gaggle of them:

“In the end, only three things matter: how much you loved, how gently you lived, and how gracefully you let go of things that were not meant for you.”

The Buddha was asked, ‘what have you gained from meditation?’ He replied, ‘Nothing! However, let me tell you what I lost: anger, anxiety, depression, insecurity, fear of death.’

“Thousands of candles can be lit by a single candle and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.”

“Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.”

“Meditate. Live purely. Quiet the mind. Do your work with mastery. Like the moon, come out from behind the clouds! Shine.”

“If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change.”

“As a lotus flower is born in water, grows in water, rises out of the water to stand above it unsoiled, so I, born in the world, raised in the world, have overcome the world, live unsoiled by the world. Beautiful pre-echoes of Jesus.

“Fashion your life as a garland of beautiful deeds.

To the awakening of each personality to the grandeur of its Soul.

NAMASTE