The Mystic Way... (Full Version)

All Forums >> [Forums] >> Grateful Living Practice



Message

bernie -> The Mystic Way... (8/17/2008 3:03:31 AM)

According to Evelyn Underhill's unsurpassed classic, Mysticism: A Study in the Nature and Development of Man's Spiritual Consciousness, there are basically 5-stages along the mystic way: 1- The Awakening of the Self; 2- The Purification of the Self; 3- The Illumination of the Self; 4- The Dark Night of the Soul; &, its culmination, 5- The Unitive Life; while, Sri Aurobindo's synopsis in his magnum opus, The Life Divine, is based on the Supramental Transformation:
 
The animal is a laboratory in which she has worked out man; man may be a laboratory in which she wills to work out the superman, the being of a divine nature.
 
Meditation which is so vital and integral in Yoga is, essentially, opening up to a Higher Force, a higher power. As this more and more comes into being the Divine Shakti (Force) will begin to take over, will gradually transform one's whole being from its gross nature to a more refined, subtle form. Being ever-increasingly open is a prerequisite to ascend to the next level of consciousness or being... This Purification process may be a neverending, grueling passage from Purgation to Illumination following an Awakening experience; however, remaining unattached for this third- stage level, Illumination (Beatific Vision, Cosmic Consciousness), to be only a turning point and not anything definiitive, final, by any means. The Dark Night, consequently, will follow before the Unitive phase (The Father & I are one) can be a living, vibrant reality. And how long it will take is too complex to even speculate, but it would certainly be propitious for writing, working out experientially in documentary form; perhaps, left for anyone who can benefit from another pilgrim's lonely, assiduous ascent to Knowledge - Truth - Power - Love.
 
Our new vision, on the contrary, is the divinization of Life, the transformation of the material into a divine world... What has happened is truly a new thing: A New World Has Been Born. It is not the old that is being transformed, it is quite a new world that has been really concretely born... At the present hour we are in the very heart of a period of transition, where the two are intertwined; the old persists, still all-powerful, continues to dominate the ordinary consciousness, while the new glides in, still modest, unnoticed to the extent that for the moment it disturbs nothing much externally, and even in the consciousness of most people it is quite imperceptible. And yet it works, it grows till the moment when it will be strong enough to impose itself visibly.... at the summit of all that (Overmental, the age of the gods, age of religions), as an effort towards a still higher realization, was born this idea of the unity of religions, of something that is unique, which is behind all manifestation - and this idea was really the ceiling of human aspiration... But for that (one must come out of the overmental creation and seize the new; cosmic consciousness -> the Unitive Life, Supermind, Supramental Yoga), the new creation, the supramental creation must have taken place...
 
- (Robert McDermott, ed., The Essential Aurobindo)
 
 
...the final leap to a New World, a New Man - the supramental transformation and creation!



Wordless -> RE: The Mystic Way... (9/12/2008 10:35:59 PM)

Wow. Where to begin?

In finding out where one is at along the path, we'd like to keep it comfortable, but it does not stay that way, for long. And getting use to discomfort, seems to be a widening part on the path, to freedom. And I can't say, there have always been easy adjustments to what life offers, ( I'm 51 yrs old ) each day offers something different.  So, in certain ways, and this is just me writing, each day offers certain phases, which are always somewhat new but not too much different than prior experience. Until something, unusual happens... and it's almost as if, a language, of the gods ( if I can call it that ) is sounding. But I really don't know, where I am at, on the road, to Nirvana. Maybe not knowing is best, or better, than needing answers of words.



Hildegard -> RE: The Mystic Way... (9/12/2008 11:35:27 PM)

Welcome to the forum, Wordless!

We are all along a path, different for each one of us. I, too, don't know where along that path I am. Perhaps this is a good thing. Trying to figure this out draws my attention to myself instead of beyond myself.

I hope you will visit often and share with us your experience and wisdom!

Wishing you everything good,
Edda



Wordless -> RE: The Mystic Way... (9/13/2008 4:03:09 AM)

Hello Hildegard,

    Thanks for the welcome... I grew up in the Chicago area. As a child before going to bed one night, I was up, looking out at the avenue, just transfixed by a kind of emotive addiction at watching activity on the road down below in the street lights, I had an upstairs corner bedroom. And I was just immersed in the activity below, I think it was my time to get to bed, but would stay up later.

    All of a sudden  I felt something touch my leg, from under the bed, like a hand reaching up. It was enough to get me to my bed quick, and began the serious attempts at connecting with my guardian angel for protection. I wanted the biggest angel available, and I would scrunch over in bed against the wall giving the angel most of the bed, then I'd fall asleep and wake up in the morning in the guardian angel's spot thinking he'd become a part of me. The belief in angels was encouraged by my loving mother, and grand mother who I would share with my stories of spiritual awakening.



buttington -> RE: The Mystic Way... (9/13/2008 5:21:07 AM)

Hello Wordless,
I can identify with what you say about wanting to keep our place on the path "comfortable."  As you say, it rarely stays comfortable for long. I thought I was reasonably happy with my life, which was probably dull and boring to most people, [:D]but when I got to my mid-forties my comfortable, boring life suddenly took a comple U-turn and became very uncomfortable for a while, as well as exciting and challenging at times. It all seemed to happen at once! Whereas, for 25 years everything had been jogging along nicely, it seemed as if life suddenly knocked on my door and said, "Hey, you aren't really living.......I'm going to give you a few kicks." And some of the kicks were hard ones.

Most of us go through what I went through, to varying degrees, but I thought I'd rather go through life without anything 'rocking my boat.' Keeping my head below the parapet.

It's my belief that our soul knows what we need, and what we need to learn at any givin time, and we ignore it at our peril. I ignored it for as long as I could[;)] I'm chief procrastinator, who is prone to putting her head in the sand, digging her heels in, etc. etc. rather than change anything. That's probably why I'm suffering a physical ailment now, because I hoped it would go away on it's own. (Most things do, but as my friend pointed out yesterday, "sometimes you need to see the doctor.")

It's true, I do fear change, but some of the changes forced on me, I now see as blessings in disguise.

Welcome to the Forum, Wordless. I hope you come back with some more of your wisdom.

Jude



Wordless -> RE: The Mystic Way... (9/13/2008 11:40:20 AM)

Hello Jude,

    Thanks for the honesty. I am a nurse who works in an ICU, so being honest about things really is the best course to follow so that holistic healing can occur on every level. Though I keep pretty quiet about most efforts to heal the mind and emotions, I am more of a observer, a quiet listener, present, with the ones who learn to give, when there seems like there is nothing that can be given, but honesty, comes from within and is supported, invisibly distinct, palpable unmistakably.

    I can't say it right, but tonight is a work night, ( that's three rhymes... [;)] ) and the mood I have is optimistic that peace will reign, at least with the patients, staff and family I work with. This attitude I have is a matter of practice, and the working ground through suffering has not always been easy, nor will it. But, peace.

John



Hildegard -> RE: The Mystic Way... (9/13/2008 2:44:18 PM)

John, thank you for sharing your experience with your guardian angel! Children seem to be much closer to the world of spirit than grown-ups!

Reading your reply to Jude makes me think that you are a very healing presence in the ICU by remaining quiet and calm in an atmosphere where emotions can run high, and emergencies occur. Presence is so much more imporatant than words!

I hope this evening will be a good one for you,
Edda



Wordless -> RE: The Mystic Way... (9/13/2008 3:25:00 PM)

Hi Edda,

    It will be, and thanks for your support. We support one another at all times, that is the nature of love, and it takes all the false intentions and burns them up, in a fire of love, until we are left, with only a sublime beauty; which we can find presently, if we are open to it, opening...

    Just came back from a long walk with the dog, and got poured on, me and the dog, but now we are dry again, so more water would be welcome, in a drink of it.

    Already lost 5 #'s in water from the biking 13 miles today, so now I rehydrate before resting some. Today is the fasting day, no sweets, no excess flavored items, no snacks... just quiet, work, and being with the suffering of others, who are living with a lot less generally. They are lucky to have family that support them, otherwise I can be a friend, brother, father, nurse, artist, poet, whatever I can, or whatever the situation calls for. But generally, I am just quietly taking care of illness. Make up for quiet at home though, or here. Am I writing too much?



Wordless -> RE: The Mystic Way... (9/13/2008 4:04:45 PM)

Oh! I have something to share... On the dog's and my walk earlier in the rain, I was stopped by a beautiful single golden leaf, which seemed to have been placed on a downed dead branch on the forest floor next to the path, as if to get attention, as if it is to say, "I am alive with light, still... In stillness I am, alright..." Along with the early fall rain comes the first leaves to the ground, and home again, a soundless round.   - Leaf charm

that's all.



buttington -> RE: The Mystic Way... (9/13/2008 5:06:57 PM)

John, I don't know in what part of the world you are in, but you are lucky to be able to be all of those things to the people in your care. I can't imagine any nurse here being able to be anything but an overworked undervalued member of the nursing staff.
20 years ago my daughter started nurse training and was not able to give her elderly patients what they needed - her time. She couldn't cope with this attitude and didn't complete her training. She still has an affinity with older people.
It's time we all got our priorities right.

What you said about the leaf also resonated with me. When 'slogging' up the hill to take my granddaughter to school, I'm often stopped in my tracks by a beautiful fallen leaf !

Jude



Wordless -> RE: The Mystic Way... (9/13/2008 5:48:29 PM)

Hi Jude,

I'm on the fast track here, so can't address the topic you raised adequately enough... namely the stress related to nursing. I also want to open up the thread back to the original post on mysticism. Busy for awhile, but will eventually try and open the topic more, in all phases.

peace to all, John



bernie -> RE: The Mystic Way... (9/13/2008 6:36:11 PM)

Excellence and consciousness raising are interrelated processes. And so long as we continue to do more and more meaningful, experiential research in this respect we'll necessarily proceed towards the Promised Land, the ultimate concern - optimum realization of Self, and full-fruition of inner-realization... 
 
This investigator is in strong acquiescence with Bucke or Aurobindo that Cosmic Consciousness or Supermind or the Kingdom of Heaven, of God is within us, so is, of course, satori, nirvana, samadhi, etc.; and will in the future inevitably become a cosmic sense in man as the self-conscious mind or plane is today universal in the human race. But the uncreated conscience (consciousness) of our race as Joyce proclaimed in The Portrait of the Artist must be forged, smithied, and brought into being. Likewise, in the same vein, Dr. Cerminara, "reincarnation psychologist," says in Many Mansions:
 
The Christ consciousness is not, however, an exclusively Christian attribute. Christ, it must be remembered, is not the name of the man Jesus, but a term whose literal meaning is 'the anointed one,' and whose mystic or rather psychological meaning is that of the liberated or spiritual consciousness.  Krishna and Buddha were, we may believe, equally the possessors of Christ-consciousness; and men are striving, dimly and confusedly, in all parts of the world, toward the possession of this consciousness no matter who their teacher and no matter by what name the degree of unfoldment is called.
 
- (Gina Cerminara, PhD.[clinical psychologist], Many Mansions, the Edgar Cayce Story) 
 
The simple truth is, that there has lived on this earth, 'appearing at intervals,' for thousands of years among ordinary men, the first faint beginnings of another race; walking the earth and breathing another air of which we know little or nothing, but which is, all the same, our spiritual life, as its absence would be our spiritual death. This new race is in act being born from us, and in the near future will occupy and possess the earth.
 
- (Richard Maurice Bucke, M.D.[psychiatrist], Cosmic Consciousness: A Study in the Evolution of the Human Mind)



buttington -> RE: The Mystic Way... (9/14/2008 7:45:24 AM)

Bernie, I really like the last paragraph of your post. I think mystics have always known that we were on a journey towards being a "different race" as Richard Maurice Bucke puts it.

Jude



Wordless -> RE: The Mystic Way... (9/15/2008 2:57:41 PM)

Hi again,

Just waking up. Those were two tough nights, but good ones, and was able to shed most of my ego... with the help of meds, and others. Otherwise... there is no other. Lots of prayer, and focus.

Ike gave us some needed rain. My brain is still soggy. Slow waking up.



Hildegard -> RE: The Mystic Way... (9/15/2008 4:00:09 PM)

Hi, John, as you are waking up I suppose you want to return to the topic with which this thread started. I would like to quote Brother David Steindl-Rast in regard to mystic experience and mystics since he writes in such clear language (GRATEFULNESS, THE HEART OF PRAYER).

"If we think of (mystic experience) as an experience of communion with Ultimate Reality, we have a fair working definition of mystic experience. We will do well not to introduce the term "God" into our definition. Not all people feel comfortable calling Ultimate Reality "God". But all of us, regardless of terminology, can experience moments of overwhelming, limitless belonging, momens of universal communion. Those are our own mystic moments. The men and women we call mystics differ from the rest of us merely by giving these experiences the place they deserve in everyone's life. What counts is not the frequency or intensity of mystic experiences, but the influence we allow them to have on our life. By accepting our mystic moments with all they offer and demand, we become the mystics we are meant to be. After all, a mystic is not a special kind of human being, but every human being is a special kind of mystic."  (Pages 207-8)

John, some of the moments you describe seem to fall into these kind of experiences.

Edda



Wordless -> RE: The Mystic Way... (9/15/2008 8:26:29 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Hildegard

Hi, John, as you are waking up I suppose you want to return to the topic with which this thread started. I would like to quote Brother David Steindl-Rast in regard to mystic experience and mystics since he writes in such clear language (GRATEFULNESS, THE HEART OF PRAYER).

Sometimes, the energy behind words dries up.

"If we think of (mystic experience) as an experience of communion with Ultimate Reality, we have a fair working definition of mystic experience. We will do well not to introduce the term "God" into our definition. Not all people feel comfortable calling Ultimate Reality "God". But all of us, regardless of terminology, can experience moments of overwhelming, limitless belonging, momens of universal communion. Those are our own mystic moments. The men and women we call mystics differ from the rest of us merely by giving these experiences the place they deserve in everyone's life. What counts is not the frequency or intensity of mystic experiences, but the influence we allow them to have on our life. By accepting our mystic moments with all they offer and demand, we become the mystics we are meant to be. After all, a mystic is not a special kind of human being, but every human being is a special kind of mystic."  (Pages 207-8)

Specialness, extends itself to each moment. But then sometimes, if we can drop the need to control each moment, it can be witnessed, and the mystic is replaced by the mystery of being, or with ego loss of non-being. And it is in the non-being, in the quiet, that every sound is the word - welcome in, as ego goes out.

John, some of the moments you describe seem to fall into these kind of experiences.

Edda



Wordless -> RE: The Mystic Way... (9/16/2008 1:36:34 AM)

If looking in, before looking out, creates God, then God is born again in each moment, in everything... right down through suffering and death. There is no want of anything else but God.



Page: [1]



© Gratefulness.org. Forum Software © ASPPlayground.NET