Mystical Bridge
What mystical traditions or mystics have most influenced you?
Do you believe that mysticism can be a bridge between religions?
Tags: achievement, greatest, interfaith, life, mystic, mystical, mysticism, traditions
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Permalink Reply by Katrin Chrysaphis on
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Dear Ron,
Thank you for your wonderful questions.
Many mystical ones have influenced me. Predominately, the great Heavenly beings who come through Earthly trance-channels, (of which has been the greatest experience and greatest blessing of my life) who give divine wisdom. Higher selves expressed, as well as the spirit that lives on in the inspired words of the wise sages of the past.
Also, I have experienced mystical energy fields at ancient sacred sites and felt transcended and transported between worlds, particularly in Egypt. As well, I have had mystical experiences of transcendence while engaged in art-making, love-making, ritual and meditation.
I absolutely believe that mysticism IS the bridge between religions. I have had a mystical experience where I became pure particles of light, as part of a great mass of light – like a few grains of sand, part of a great beach. I felt humbled by my greatness, in that my small part was part of the omnipotent whole – there was no separation.
In regard to religious experience, I think if all people distilled their most mystical experiences then awareness would arise that we are all connected. Our collective consciousness has no separation and we are all part of one –
unity in diversity/diversity in unity.
Ultra Blessings
Katrin
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Permalink Reply by Paul Christopher Martin on -
Ron,
It is interesting to note that the idea of mysticism and mystical experience only emerged categorically in Europe during the 16th and 17th centuries, as explained by the French historian Michel de Certeau in his book The Mystic Fable. Prior to this the word mystical was an adjective that qualified something else, in a world in which everything was imbued with wonder as part of God's creation. The notion became psychologized and substantivized in the milieu of the Enlightenment - as some extraordinary event that could be studied as part of a science of "mysticism". De Certeau explains:
"In other words, what becomes mystical is that which diverges from normal or ordinary paths; that which is no longer inscribed within the social community of faith or religious references, but rather on the margins of an increasingly secularized society and a knowledge that defines its own scientific objects; that which thus appears simultaneously in the form of extraordinary, even strange, events and as a relationship with a hidden God ('mysticial' in Greek means 'hidden') whose public signs pale, flicker, or completely cease to be believable" (in "Mysticism", Diacritics, Vol. 22, Issue 2 (Summer 1992): 11-25 at 13).
Many cultures even today retain an awareness of the sacrality of the world and the integral place of humanity in that space of enchantment, which is God's gift to us; and so the bridge already exists if one would enter that land.
Given this, one need not point to any individual (historical or contemporary) who has been set apart as having "mystical experience" (in the past of the Western tradition such people were called "contemplatives" or "spirituals"), but rather to any person who espouses wisdom, and travels down the road of honour and morality; i.e., love and respect for one's fellow human beings as the image of God.
This is not to say that special experiences of divine consciousness, as an opening of the mind to a unified cosmic reality, are invalid. It surely is, and it has graciously informed my own life. I thank God for the opportunity to see Her infinite love and beauty.
Regards
Paul
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Permalink Reply by Ginny Findlow on -
i used to think that beliefs had to be 'correct' [make sense, intellectually] I suppose because my own strong point was my intellect. But now [from the experience of knowing people] I realise that the spirit has the over-arching importance, and it's almost irrelevant what silly beliefs people have. An outward flowing acceptance that moves to include other souls is sometimes found in the most unlikely places! & coupled with the most unlikely rationales! I am so grateful that this is the case, because everyone can join in, regardless of academic ability, nationality and the other accidents of life. I never imagined I would have friends who are hindu or Jain - but this has only happened because we are all mixed up together in the global village. In a way, all our beliefs and rationales fall away as relatively unimportant, when we experience the Love God has for us. And i'm sure it is the rationales/theology that are the stumbling blocks. [Although it would be nice to understand what the other is talking about, to some degree, if not very completely.]
Love, Ginny
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Permalink Reply by Ron Krumpos on -
15 quotations of mystics of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism. They are remarkable in the similarity of their message, although the words differ. The divine essence pervades all: on Earth, this Universe and beyond.
“One Nature, perfect and pervading, circulates in all natures. One Reality,
all-comprehensive, contains within itself all realities.” Yung-chia Ta-shih B
“To gauge the soul we must gauge it with God, for the Ground of God and
the Ground of the soul are one and the same.” Meister Eckhart C
“Wherever you look...see that one unique Presence, indivisible and eternal,
is manifested in all the universe. That is because God impregnates all things.”
Anandamayi Ma H
“Behold the One in all things; it is the second that leads you astray.” Kabir I
“There exists nothing which is not united to Him and which He does not find in
His own essence.” Moses Cordovero J
“One in all, all in One. If only this is realized, there is no worry about not being
perfect.” The Third Patriarch of Zen [Seng ts’an] B
“Eternally, all creatures are God in God. So far as they are in God, they are the
same life, same essence, same power, same One, and nothing less.” Henry Suso C
“For the Self [soul] is not the ego; it is one with the All and the One and in finding it
it is the All and the One that we discover in our Self.” Sri Aurobindo H
“I went from God to God, until they cried from me, ‘O thou I.” Bayazid of Bistun I
“They are then actually united with the Divine Essence and, in all aspects,
your soul is included with them.” Israel ben Eliezer [Ba’al Shem Tov] J
“The great path has no gates, thousands of roads enter it. When one passes through
this gateless gate he walks freely between heaven and earth.” Zen poem B
“The soul lives by that which it loves rather than in the body which it animates.
For it has not its life in the body, but rather gives it to the body and lives in that
which it loves.” St. John of the Cross C
“Liberation cannot be achieved except by the perception of the identity of the
individual spirit with the universal Spirit.” Shankara [Sankara] H
“I am He whom I love, and He whom I love is I. We are two spirits in one body.
If thou seest me, thou seest Him. And if thou seest Him, thou seest us both.”
Hallaj I
“A man should actually detach his ego from his body until he has passed through
all the worlds and become one with God.” Maggid of Mezerich [Dov Baer of Mezerich] J
Other faiths have mystics, but you do not have to be religious to be a mystic. Your comments are most welcome.
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Permalink Reply by Ginny Findlow on
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Ron - I love your list of quotes. It's helps keep me sane at the moment while i am working out a paradox elsewhere.
Warm regards, Ginny
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Permalink Reply by Inderias Dominic Bhatti on -
Dear Ron Krumpos,
Peace and blessings from Lahore, Pakistan!!!
In answering your asked question I say “YES” the mysticism can be a bridge between religions.
Before starting my words I would like to introduce my religious and spiritual journey and its miles stones: My parental faith of generations – the Roman Catholic Faith – my Catholic Seminary Life – my Studies from the University of the Punjab, Lahore – Theology of Liberation of the South American – Progressive Christianity – Rationalism – Humanitarianism – Unitarianism - interfaith and pluralism – Yoga – Zen – magnetic vibration poles – psychic potential mechanism – Hypnotic mythologies – introspect energies pathways – magic and ………… but my thirst never ended. With this spiritual journey I learnt, exposed and experience “mysticism” at the very personal level of my “SELF”.
Now I give the following justifications why the mysticism can be a bridge between religions.
01. It builds a psycho-physical contentment within individuals;
02. Added to this is the consciousness of reverence to life;
03. Reverence to life further regulates one’s individual liberty with the collective good;
04. This collective good move forward with dignifying the human being with LOVE;
05. LOVE that always seeks to do good to help and heal; never to hurt or destroy.
This whole process mindset, attitudes and gestures build bridge in today’s social, political, cultural, ethical and “RELIGIOUS” divides.
May God continued to bless you with all the worldly and divine sanctions, Amen!!!
In sharing, I am,
Inderias Dominic Bhatti,
Lahore,
Pakistan
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Permalink Reply by Maynard on -
Very nice, Inderias. Thank you.
For me it paints an image of the higher reality of our interdependence and common integration with that which is far above and more important than those relatively small and insignificant issues at the bottom of the divide.
It also reads like the birthstory of conscience.
Your identification of "conscious reverence" is really important As a feature common to many different activities and pursuits of greater awareness, it may be the key toward seeing the harmony of self with others.
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Permalink Reply by Ron Krumpos on
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Mystics are throughout the world, throughout history
Brief biographies of some of the most prominent mystics of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism are listed in "the greatest achievement in life," my e-book at www.suprarational.org on pages 12-17. There are many more.
There have been, and still are, many outstanding female mystics. Christianity: Julian of Norwich, Bridget of Sweden, Catherine of Siena, Teresa of Avila, Evelyn Underhill, and Bernadette Roberts. Hinduism: Lalla, Mirabai, Anandamayi Ma, Sri Ma of Kamakhya, Anandi Ma, and Amritanandamayi Ma. Islam: Rabi’a al-Adawiyya, Lubaba the Devotee, Sha’wana, Nana Asma’u, Hatice Hanim, and Hagga Zakiyya. Buddhism: Patacara, Ma.geig Lab.sgron, Mugai Nyodai, Dipa Ma, and Daw Yusanda. These are a few exemplars.
Mystics range from rare saints, who have lived perpetually in the divine, to millions of people who had momentary experiences of oneness. Dag Hammarskjold, former Secretary General of the U.N., Vaclav Havel, past President of the Czech Republic, Ramesh Balsekar, C.E.O. of the Bank of India, Arthur Eddington, Britain’s famous physicist, Martha Graham, American dance choreographer, and many others well known in the 20th-century were mystics. Virtually every country in the world has had, and now has, mystics. Some of the pioneers of quantum physics were mystics.
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Permalink Reply by Anand Krishna on -
Mysticism, in my humble opinion is the spirit of religion, it is 100 percent core spirituality, without any covering. Once we have found this, the outer covering drops. Or, rather when the outer cvrg is dropped, the core is found.
Once this is found, differences disappear. Love n blsgs to all on this forum n specially to Ron. Many thAnks fr initiating this.
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Permalink Reply by Ginny Findlow on
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Yes,Yes,Yes - the spirit [of life, of mysticism] is the IMMEDIATE glue that joins us - I feel like I have known Inderias, Anand, Maynard, Ron for years - we have the thing in common that is the deepest bond common to humanity. Otherwise - via verbal language, explanations of beliefs and so on - it takes a long time to get to that point. This is why INDIVIDUALS can immediately bond regardless of the usual barriers, whereas our RELIGIOUS LEADERS remain wary, sceptical, suspicious - divided as they are by their 'belief system' which they feel they need to protect for the sake of the 'flock'. [But this may in fact be the 'right' thing to do when they are responsible for leading an entire nation of poorly educated folk who do not have personal access to their sacred scriptures, and rely on what the leader tells them to do.] This dropping of barriers is one of the things experienced during charismatic revival - denominations interact, ecumenism comes alive, everyone is freed up. [for what's important.]
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Permalink Reply by Ron Krumpos on
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Ginny,
You are right. There is a spiritual bond between some people that cannot be explained, which may come immediately or shortly after meeting, and that transcends the particulars which might otherwise make them differ. Most religious leaders, despite their personal preferences, feel obligated to promote and protect their own faith. There are a few of them, however, who believe that genuine spirituality is more important than their religious advocacy. A good person, a true friend, a loved one can be of any faith. Mystical awareness may enhance this connection, but not replace it.
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Permalink Reply by Lance Michael Foster on -
Many have influenced me, but for a start, Native American (Black Elk and many others), Hawaiian (Moke Kupihea and others), Catholic (Padre Pio, John of the Cross, Theresa of Avila, and others).
Yes. Direct experience of the Transcendant and the Numinous can get past much, if both parties have had such experiences.
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