|
( Mysticism)
Mysticism (from the Greek ยต?st????, mystikos, an initiate of a mystery religion[1]) is the pursuit of communion with, identity with, or conscious awareness of an ultimate reality, divinity, spiritual truth, or God through direct experience, intuition, or insight. Mysticism usually centers on a practice or practices intended to nurture that experience or awareness. Mysticism may be dualistic, maintaining a distinction between the self and the divine, or may be nondualistic. Differing religious traditions have described this fundamental mystical experience in different ways Mystic traditions generally form sub-currents within larger religious traditions - such as Kabbalah within Judaism, Sufism within Islam, Vedanta within Hinduism, Christian mysticism within Christianity - but are often treated skeptically and held separate, due to their emphasis on living realization over doctrine. Mysticism is sometimes taken by skeptics or mainstream adherents as mere obfuscation, though mystics suggest they are offering clarity of a different order or kind. The term '"mysticism'" is used to refer to beliefs and practices which go beyond the liturgical and devotional forms of worship of mainstream faith, often by seeking out inner or esoteric meanings of conventional religious doctrine. For example, Kabbalah (based in Judaism) seeks out deeper interpretations of the Torah, Sufism (in Islam) extends and amplifies the teachings of the Quran in the spirit of universal love, Vedanta reaches for the inner teachings of Hindu philosophy encapsulated in the Vedas. Mystics hold that there is a deeper or more fundamental state of existence beneath the observable, day-to day world of phenomena, and that in fact the ordinary world is superficial or epiphenomenal. Often mysticisms center on the teachings of individuals who are considered to have special insight, and in some cases - Christianity, Buddhism, Mosaic law... - entire non-mystical (doctrine-based) faiths have arisen around these leaders and their teachings, with few or no mystical practitioners remaining. Different faiths have differing relationships to mystical thought. Hinduism has many mystical sects, in part due to its historic reliance on gurus (individual teachers of insight) for transmission of its philosophy. Mysticism in Buddhism is largely monastic, since most buddhists consider jhana (meditation) to be an advanced technique used only after many lifetimes. Mysticism in Abrahamic religions is largely marginalized, from the tolerance mainstream Muslims grant to Sufism to the active fears of cultism prevalent among western Christians. Mysticisms generally hold to some form of immanence, since their focus on direct realization obviates many concerns about the afterlife, and this often conflicts with conventional religious doctrines. Mystical teachings are passed down through transmission from teacher to student, though the relationship between student and teacher varies some groups require strict obedience to a teacher, others carefully guard teachings until students are deemed to be ready, in others a teacher is merely a guide aiding the student in the process.
|
Mysticism Subcategories
Mysticism Articles
Man, the Microcosm; Part 4 by Leonard Lee
The Principle Nadis & Kundalini
The etheric body, according to Hindu mystics, is said to be composed of 72,000 nadis, or subtle nerves. This figure as the actual number is questionable; it is more likely to be symbolic and should not be taken...
Glimpses of Esoteric Christianity Part 5 by Leonard Lee
The comprehension of Karma as revealed to the masses by Jesus is an improvement of the old interpretation and understanding of the principle of a previous dispensation of "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth," as given to the Israelites by Moses. ...
No Longer Do I by Leonard Lee
No longer do I ask what God is for the Spirit unfolds Itself to me everyday in my daily experience. No longer do I seek sympathy from any being for I AM my own comfort. No longer do I have to present what I AM not to others, for I kno...
Pearl Drops Of Wisdom by Leonard Lee
Be silent when others cowardly speak; Speak when others are cowardly silent. Refrain when others foolishly give, Give when others foolishly refrain. Wise men see divinity in every face when, Fools see demons in every one. Wis...
|
|
