Mysticism in World Religions?

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Mysticism is a word that conjures images of temples carved out of rocks in high reaching mountains, and people on pilgrimages trying to reach the reincarnation of their God or Goddess who has come out of the woods after living on nothing but lotus leaves for ten years. But Mysticism is more than that. It is people trying to live their everyday lives obtaining closeness to their respective god or goddess in hopes of obtaining a divine unity that is everlasting. There are elements of mysticism in every religion.

Christianity

Mysticism in Christianity is about trying to find a direct unifying experience with God. It is about becoming one with God. The goal of a Christian mystic is to experience God by a fervent belief in Jesus Christ. It is not about a mystical experience but about leading a believer into a union with God. Mystics honor the scripture but do not find God by scripture alone, nor do they find it by doctrine or teaching alone. It's something that must be experienced.

Christian mystics believe the Bible was written by other mystics with God speaking the written Word directly to their hearts. Christian mystics want to know the unchanging God in an ever-changing religion. Some famous Christian mystics are; Father Mathew Fox, Pierre Teilar de Chardin, Katherine Nelson and Bernadette Roberts. The term for mystic is thought to derive from St Denys the Arepagite. But Christians believe the first mystic was Jesus.

• Catholic Definition of Mysticism : encyclopedia definition of mysticism and how it's been defined over the years
• Catherine of Sienna : biography of an early Christian mystic
• Historical Sketch of Mysticism : article about the history of Christian mysticism

Judaism

Jewish mysticism deals with the discussion of cosmological questions: Is there a heaven? What happens to our souls after death? It is not really taught traditionally until a person has completed their education of the Talmud and Torah completely, around the age of forty. Mysticism has been a part of Judaism since its earliest days. Tradition tells of Jewish souls being present at the Giving of the Torah and agreed with the Covenant. There are stories of a mystical school taught only to the most advanced students, though the location was never put into writing.

Mystic schools of thought became the Kabbalah, which loosely translates as tradition, and is one of the most misunderstood parts of Judaism. It has been distorted by mystics and occultist. Kabbalah believes that the essence of God is so great that it cannot be described. It is a priority of emotion over intellect, appreciation of God’s Immanence in the everyday, including nature. It is the Joy at knowing the love of an ever present Creator. It restores songs and stories as spiritual and mystical acts. It is said that Jesus performed miracles from the Essenes, a mystical sect at that time. Famous authorities on the subject are, Professor Gershom Scholem and Aryeh Kaplan.

• Kabbalah and Jewish Mysticism : a great explanation of Kabbalah and elements of mysticism in Judaism.
• Jewish Mysticism : overview of ancient Jewish mysticism and Kabbalah
• The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism : provides some great examples of books and texts to read for those interested in Jewish mysticism

Islam

The mystic form of Islam is Sufism, a movement found all over the Islamic world with great influence in the Middle East. Sufism used Jewish, Gnostic, Hindu, and Christian traditions brought to Islam through converts of conquered peoples. It searches for a direct link to God’s love to progress past the intellectual to an existential experience, letting the everyday man have the infinite love of God.

Islam is not a single religion with a single agenda. It has a broad spectrum of interpretation. They do deal specifically with the mind, body and spirit, and believe they can use allegorical methods to find meaning and symbolism in the Quran, and other secret texts. Several techniques used are: deep breathing, poetry, music, and dance. Informal groups have solidified into brotherhoods brought together by famous leaders developed in three major centers: Iraq, Persia, and Egypt.

• Islamic Mysticism : transcript of a lecture that sheds light on the history and ideals of Sufism
• Sufism's Many Paths: comprehensive outline on Sufism and its relation to Islam
• Sufism and Sufi Poetry: some beautiful poems written by Sufis seeking contact with God

Buddhism

Buddhism was founded in the 6th century BCE, by Siddhartha Gautama and does not recognize a Supreme Being. It has flourished all over the world, most notably in Asia. Its goal is to reach a complete liberation from karmic cycles and material things. Mahayana and Tantric Buddhism are the most mystic sects of the religion. Buddhist insight by divine intervention is called Jhana and it claims to possess all the necessary knowledge one needs to have proper conduct in life.

Buddhists believe that knowledge and seeing are vital to understanding the world, and is arguably the most practical of religions. Mahayana Buddhists claim to penetrate the essence of existence. They hope to obtain insight that cannot be easily obtained. Tantric Buddhism tries to see past the lower levels of consciousness to obtain and keep in touch with the most subtle of consciousness, blocking out all other levels of consciousness.

• View on Buddhism - Tantric Practice : an overview of Tantric Buddhism
• Mysticism in Buddhism: outlines the history of Buddhism and how the various mystical sects came to be
• Mahayana Buddhism: explains the ideas and goals behind Mahayana and how it differs from traditional Buddhism

Hinduism

The Hindu religion focuses on how to become divine while still on Earth. They believe the soul is divine and yearns for Brahman, and ego is let go by the oneness of God. Oneness is obtained by yoga, prayer, mantras, and 1001 good sacrifices and good works, even if it takes many reincarnations. Festivals are as numerous as the gods, and are a time of great joy, celebration and hope.

Hindus believe that there is nothing that can come between them and God, and only He can provide the great love and joy. The Vedas are the most scared of books in the Hindu religion and date back to 3000 years ago. Mystics believe in the distrust of the material things and gain, to obtain edification and purity of heart, humility and meekness, all to obtain oneness with God. Vedanta, the most mystical offshoot of Hinduism, believes in two basic truths: that human nature is divine, and the goal of life is to come to that realization. Reaching a sort of “cosmic consciousness” what those who believe in Vedanta aim for.

• Hindu Gods and Goddesses : comprehensive guide to the many gods and goddesses in Hinduism
• Maya in Hindu Teachings : explains the concept of maya in Hinduism
• Vedanta and Buddhism: a comparative outline of both Vedanta and Buddhism

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