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The Unity of Mystical Traditions by Randall Studstill Pdf
The book supports an ecumenical theory of mysticism through a comparative analysis of Tibetan Dzogchen and German mysticism. Using a systems model of consciousness as an interpretive framework, it shows how the distinct doctrines and practices of these two traditions function in parallal, equally transformative ways.
Christian mysticism is unique in its view of Jesus' death and resurrection as the very cause and exemplar of the mystical life in all its purity. Jesus' saving death on the cross exemplifies the mystical letting-go of everything consoling, tangible and finite in order to surrender totally to the mystery of the Father's unconditional love. In this introduction to Christian mysticism, Reverend Harvey Egan, S.J. presents four Christian mystics as paradigms of the classical tradition: St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, and the unknown author of the Cloud of Unknowing. From this foundation he moves to two contemporary figures, Thomas Merton and Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, each of whom reflects a contemporary transposition of the two mystical traditions, the apophatic, which emphasizes the radical difference between God and creatures, and the kataphatic, which emphasizes the similarity between God and creatures.
The Immediacy of Mystical Experience in the European Tradition by Miklós Vassányi,Enikő Sepsi,Anikó Daróczi Pdf
This volume examines mystical experiences as portrayed in various ways by “authors” such as philosophers, mystics, psychoanalysts, writers, and peasant women. These “mystical authors” have, throughout the ages, attempted to convey the unsayable through writings, paintings, or oral stories. The immediate experience of God is the primary source and ultimate goal of these mystical expressions. This experience is essentially ineffable, yet all mystical authors, either consciously or unconsciously, feel an urge to convey what they have undergone in the moments of rapture. At the same time they are in the role of intermediaries: the goal of their self-expression – either written, painted or oral – is to make others somehow understand or feel what they have experienced, and to lead others toward the spiritual goal of human life. This volume studies the mystical experiences and the way they have been described or portrayed in West-European culture, from Antiquity to the present, from an interdisciplinary perspective, and approaches the concept of “immediate experience” in various ways.
[This book] "shows how mysticism is the raw material of all religions; looks at early and contemporary mystics; examines the parts played by surrender, love, authority and the priesthood of all; and introduces the celebrated mystic, Meister Eckhart"--back cover.
Mystical Traditions by Muhammad Shafiq,Thomas Donlin-Smith Pdf
This book discusses mysticism and its possible contributions to a positive common human future. It is organized into three parts - “Studies of Mystical Traditions,” “Comparative Studies of Mystical Traditions,” and “Social and Ethical Implications." The approach is philosophical and critical. The contributors differ on whether or not mystical traditions would restore peaceful living and peaceful coexistence. However, the problem before this manuscript is the growing pain and suffering caused by greed in the world, greed causing economic disequilibrium, racism and divisiveness causing social unrest resulting in mass migration and refugees’ crisis. Through the lens of “mystical traditions," the manuscript proposes a balance approach between material and spiritual needs of people. To strengthen human spiritualty, the manuscript emphasizes practicing meditation, music, prayers, zikr, yoga, mindfulness, fasting and other methods of spiritual revival for peace within self and with others.
Unlocking the Mystery of Babism: A Comprehensive Guide to Understanding a Unique Spiritual Tradition by Piotr Willet Pdf
"Unlocking the Mystery of Babism: A Comprehensive Guide to Understanding a Unique Spiritual Tradition" offers a profound journey into the heart of Babism, illuminating its origins, teachings, and profound impact on religious thought and society. From the enigmatic figure of the Báb to the intricate web of beliefs, rituals, and mystical insights, this book explores Babism's rich tapestry with clarity and depth. Delving into its historical context, philosophical foundations, and contemporary relevance, this guide navigates readers through the intricate labyrinth of Babism, offering invaluable insights into its spiritual philosophy, community life, and enduring legacy. Whether seeking to deepen one's understanding of religious pluralism or to explore the intersections of faith and society, this book serves as an indispensable companion for anyone intrigued by the transformative power of spiritual inquiry.
Tibetan Buddhism and Mystical Experience by Yaroslav Komarovski Pdf
"This book links Tibetan Buddhist polemics regarding the realization of ultimate reality with contemporary debates around mystical experience. Komarovski demonstrates how the realization of reality, as understood by Tibetan thinkers, both resembles and challenges the idea of unmediated mystical experience"--
Restores the Platonic history and context of mysticism and shows how it helps us understand more deeply the humanities as a whole, from philosophy and literature to art. In Platonic Mysticism, Arthur Versluisclearly and tautly argues that mysticism must be properly understood as belonging to the great tradition of Platonism. He demonstrates how mysticism was historically understood in Western philosophical and religious traditions and emphatically rejects externalist approaches to esoteric religion. Instead he develops a new theoretical-critical model for understanding mystical literature and the humanities as a whole, from philosophy and literature to art. A sequel to his Restoring Paradise, this is an audacious book that places Platonic mysticism in the context of contemporary cognitive and other approaches to the study of religion, and presents an emerging model for the new field of contemplative science. An important work on the mystical experience delving deep into its history, particularly from the Platonic perspective. An essential text for anyone interested in mysticism and its relationship to philosophy and creative expression. Andrew Newberg, author of How Enlightenment Changes Your Brain: The New Science of Transformation The present work, the latest from the pen of Arthur Versluis, provides a trenchant, learned, and illuminating analysis of the origins of Western mysticism in the Platonist tradition, relayed through such figures as Plotinus and Dionysius the Areopagite, down through Meister Eckhart and others, while suitably excoriating the attempts of certain modern philosophers and sociologists of religion to deconstruct it from a materialist perspective. I found it a rattling good read! John Dillon, author of The Heirs of Plato: A Study of the Old Academy (347274 BC)
The Call of the Mourning Dove by Stephanie Rutt Pdf
Spiritual seekers across faith traditions share a fierce yearning for mystical unity with their God. While beliefs and practices differ, what ignites the human heart to quest for the mystical, the unknowable, the holy just beyond understanding, is the same. The Call of the Mourning Dove: How Sacred Sound Awakens Mystical Unity offers a new paradigm, the Sonic Trilogy of Love, that details how sacred sound, embedded in the ancient canons across faith traditions, creates just such a portal into this unmitigated experience of God. Because the experience is ubiquitous across faith traditions, it does not matter whether a seeker has embarked on an eclectic quest for God or remains deeply committed to questing within one particular faith tradition. All seekers, known as Lovers within the Trilogy, discover that by intoning the sacred sounds, the Love embedded in the ancient languages, the conditions are set to experience unity with God, the Beloved. This unity occurs in unforeseen moments, as love, the core organizing principle of the Trilogy, circles in on itself, dissolving all distinctions, leaving the Lover filled with only the silent wonder of God. And, graciously, nothing is the same.
Subud and the Javanese Mystical Tradition by Antoon Geels Pdf
Subud is one of hundreds of mystical movements (aliran kebatinan) which have grown significantly in postwar Indonesia. Along with other movements like Sumarah and Pangestu, Subud has attracted people from the West and has now spread to about eighty countries. Despite the fact that Subud leaders deny any relation to the Javanese mystical tradition, it is one of the tasks of this study to show that the greater part of Subud's conceptual apparatus is firmly rooted in the cultural history of Java. Under the banner of change and renewal, Subud presents a message which, fundamentally, is one of continuity in a society in transition. This text presents an overall picture of the history of Javanese mysticism, particularly the concept of God, the view of man, and the techniques recommended in order to bridge the gap between God and man. The text discusses the rise of mystical movements in post-war Java, along with a presentation of three movements which attracted the West. In addition the book provides a biography of the founder of Subud, the basic concepts of Subud and the meaning of the Subud spiritual exercise (latihan kejiwaan), along with an analysis of Subud theory and practice and its relation to the Javanese mystical tradition, and a psychological interpretation of the spiritual exercise.
Although very different, and coming from a range of academic backgrounds, the contributors are nevertheless united in their attempts to understand more about mysticism, from a perspective that puts the human being in the center.
Mysticisms East and West by Christopher Hugh Partridge,Theodore P. C. Gabriel Pdf
Mysticism is proving to be the chosen type of religion for future generations of believers in the West. As traditional institutional religion continues to decline, mystical thought is celebrated as a vital, subversive alternative. Evidence for this religious-cultural shift towards the mystical, the experiential, and indeed the creation-centered can be found in bookstores, most of which devote a large amount of shelf space to mystical themes and writers from the world religions. While this shift is not new, an increasing number of westerners are turning east because they find the fundamentally mystical thought of Asian religious traditions appealing. Furthermore, numerous westerners have actually become gurus and mystics within Eastern traditions. Mysticisms East and West examines the worldwide phenomenon of mystical experience across the world religions. In examining both Christian and non-Christian expressions of mysticism, this unique volume brings together a number of prominent evangelical scholars to analyze the central historical, cultural, and theological issues. Beginning in the East, these studies in mystical experience gradually move to the West and to Christian mysticism before concluding with a number of philosophically reflective essays examining the implications and nature of mysticism.
The Riddle of Christian Mystical Experience by Paul Mommaers Pdf
A distinctive feature of mystical experience is that it is "imageless". Mystics of various traditions witness indeed to their going beyond all intermediaries so as to enjoy immediate union. Understandably, the idea of imageless immediacy is attractive, and it is especially in vogue with those who hope to discover that different (religious) spiritualities converge if only the particularity of, say, the Christian way would be left behind. However, a crucial question arises here. If mystical union consists in simply transcending what is part and parcel of the human condition, where is its relevance? Is the mystic as such in a position to be his or her human self - thinking and loving, enjoying and suffering? Can he or she be active in the world of humankind? Obviously, it is especially in the Christian tradition that this matter comes to the fore as a radical difficulty. For here there is the divine Image and Mediator, so much so that the Humanity of Jesus ought to be integral to a person's union with God. Perhaps the Christian mystic is such an extraordinary figure that the Humanity and all other images and intermediaries are, for him or her, at best a stepping-stone that is bound to disappear? The Riddle of Christian Mystical Experience aims to clarify this issue by analyzing the writings of such visionaries as Julian of Norwich, Teresa of Avila and Maria Petyt; of the ecstasy-minded masters Richard of Saint Victor, Bernard of Clairvaux and Bonaventure (describing Francis of Assisi's experience); of the cream of the Flemish mystics, namely Hadewijch and Jan van Ruusbroec. Nevertheless, the preference for the mystical text does not prevent the Riddle from drawing on the insights of modern philosophers such as Jean-Paul Sartre and Jean-Luc Marion when treating of images and idols, or Michael Polanyi and Ludwig Wittgenstein when reflecting on intermediaries. The main result of this procedure may come as a surprise. Far from turning into a detached creature who forgets about the Humanity and the human, the full-fledged mystic is, as a Flemish mystic puts it, "wholly in God, where he rests in enjoyment, and wholly in himself, where he loves with works". Experiencing union "with intermediary and without intermediary", the true Christian mystic is "unimaged" as well as "imaged upon the humanity of our Lord through heartfelt affection".