Professional Documents
Culture Documents
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What is Mysticism?
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Various Dictionary Definitions of Mysticism
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Various Names for Mystical Experience
Vedanta, Hinduism, Yoga
Samadhi (Self-Absorption), or Moksha (Liberation)
Self-Realization, God-Realization
Buddhism
Kensho (‘no-self’ realization), Moksha (Liberation)
Enlightenment, Nirvana, Satori (Zen)
Taoism
Wu Wei (non-dual action); The Ultimate Tao
Mysticism
Cosmic Consciousness (Richard Bucke)
Objective Consciousness (Gurdijeff)
Fana (Sufism)
Ascension to Light, Illumination, Liberation
Oneness, At-one-ment, Union with God
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Characteristics of Mystical Experience
Sense of Unity, Oneness with All
External: sense of oneness with “other”, the Universe
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Various Disciplines Dealing with Mysticism
Philosophy & Metaphysics
Plato, Plotinus, Spinoza, Fichte, Schelling, Hegel…
Psychology
Freud, Jung, Maslow…
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The Goal of the Spiritual / Mystic Path
To achieve a nondual way of experiencing this
World, Reality, Universe, Divinity, God –
i.e. a transpersonal experience of Nonduality,
Oneness, Mystic Union, Liberation,
Enlightenment…
Who am I?
Why?
It is the fastest way to realize the nonduality of ‘I’ and ‘not-I’.
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Stages towards Enlightenment, Self-Transcendence,
Return to the Source, Mystic Union
3 No-ego
2 Self-knowledge / Purgation
1 Awakening / Conversion
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Two Ways of Realizing True (No) Self
Dualistic (Common perception, cognition & action) I + Not-I = All
Dualistic Vedanta, Judaism, Christianity, Islam,
Nicol C. Campbell’s School of Truth, Theosophy…
Exoteric (External)
Esoteric (Internal)
Religion
Zoroastrianism
Islam Sufism
Christianity Via Negativa
Judaism Kabalah
Taoism Mahayana, Zen
Tao Mysticism
Buddhism Yoga, Advaita
Hinduism
Quotes from Buddhist Mysticism
The One Mind alone is the Buddha, and there is no
distinction between the Buddha and sentient being, only
that sentient beings are attached to form and so seek to
attain Budhahood externally. By the very seeking they lose
it, for that is using the Buddha to seek Buddha, and using
the Mind to grasp Mind.
- Huang Po
If you run away from the Void, you can never be free from
it; if you search for the Void, you can never reach it.
- Niu-tou Fa-Yung
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Quote from Sufi Mysticism
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Quotes from Christian Mysticism
Meister Eckhart
The eye that I see God with is the same eye
be nothing.
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Quotes from Hindu Mysticism
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The Golden Rule in All Religions
Buddhism (Udanavarga 5.18)
Hurt not others with that which pains yourself.
Christianity (Mathew 7.12)
Do for others what you want them to do for you.
Confucianism (Analects 15, 23)
Is there any one maxim which ought to be acted upon throughout one’s life? Surely the maxim of
loving-kindness is such: Do not unto others what you would not like them do unto you.
Hinduism (Mahavaratas 1517)
This is the sum of duty: do naught to others which if done to thee, would cause thee pain.
Islam (Traditions)
No one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother that which he desires for himself.
Jainism (Yogashastra 2.20)
In happiness and in suffering, in joy and grief, we should regard all creatures as we regard our own
self, and should therefore refrain from inflicting upon others such injury as would appear
undesirable to us if inflicted upon ourselves.
Judaism (Talmud)
What is hurtful to yourself do not do to your fellow man. This is the whole of the Torah and the
remainder is but commentary. Go learn it.
Taoism (T’ai Shan Kan Ying P’ien)
Regard your neighbour’s gain as your own gain, and regard your neighbour’s loss as your own
loss.
Zoroastrianism (Dadistan-1-dinik 94.5) 19
That nature is good when it shall not do unto another whatever is not good for its own self.
Final Quotes
The deepest truth cannot, like other objects of
study, be put into words: from long intercourse
and close intimacy with the facts, it comes
suddenly into existence… – Plato.
Be still, and know that I am God. – Psalms.
Those who know don’t speak – those who speak
don’t know. – Zen.
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Thank You
Ivan Frimmel
Cell: 082-454-0311
E-mail: ivan.frimmel@nanhua.co.za
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