Mysticism Across Cultures

This Study Offers A Fresh Critical Perspective On Mystical Poetry Across Cultures And Faiths From A Point Of View That Balances The Eastern And Western Approaches. It Specifically Examines, In Some Depth And Range, Select Verses Of A Fairly Large Number Of Poets In Order To Highlight The Universal Features Of Mysticism As It Finds Expression In Their Works. The Poets Chosen Include (I) Kashmiri Poets : Lal Ded, Nunda Rishi, Shams Faqir, Zinda Kaul, Swami Govind Kaul And Bhavani Bhagyavaan Pandit, (Ii) British Poets : Coventry Patmore And T.S. Eliot And (Iii) 16Th Century Spanish Poet, St John Of The Cross.In A Refreshingly Novel Way, The Author Discusses Mysticism And Its Relationship With Poetry, Seeking To Show How The Latter, Through Apt Images And Symbols, Serves To Convey Man S Experience Of The Divine. His Competent English Translation Of Kashmiri Verses, Well-Matched By His Fine Critical Analysis Of The Whole Textual Material, Enhances Further The Charm And Value Of This Scholarly Work. The Perceptive Reader Will Notice That The Author S Approach To The Subject And The Critical Method He Employs Reflect A Classical Mind At Work Equipped With Sound Scholarship And A Thorough Grasp Of The Essentials Of Hindu, Christian And Islamic Mysticism.

"Mysticism: History, Belief, and Practices" is an insightful exploration of the enigmatic realm of mysticism. This captivating book delves into the origins and development of mysticism throughout history, from ancient civilizations to modern times. With a meticulous blend of scholarly research and engaging storytelling, the author delves into the beliefs and practices of various mystical traditions, shedding light on their esoteric teachings and hidden wisdom. The book takes readers on a transformative journey, unraveling the multifaceted aspects of mysticism, from its philosophical underpinnings to its experiential dimensions. It delves into the lives and teachings of renowned mystics, visionaries, and spiritual leaders, illustrating how their profound encounters with the divine and transcendental realities shaped their unique paths. Throughout the pages, the author skillfully demystifies the various mystical practices employed by different cultures and faiths, ranging from meditation and contemplation to rituals and ecstatic experiences. The reader gains a deeper understanding of the profound impact of mysticism on art, literature, and human consciousness, as well as its influence on the evolution of religious traditions. "Mysticism: History, Belief, and Practices" serves as an accessible and comprehensive guide for both seasoned scholars and those new to the subject. It encourages readers to contemplate the mysteries of existence, the interconnectedness of all life, and the infinite possibilities of spiritual exploration. By the end of the book, readers are left with a profound appreciation for the timeless quest for transcendence and the universality of mystical experiences across cultures and ages.

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.

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.

This volume charts the fascinating history of the multiple roots and interactions which underlie the modern popular understanding of mysticism as a universal phenomenon across epochs and cultures. In an unprecedentedly broad interdisciplinary exchange, international scholars from different disciplines critically examine the concept and mental maps of the term 'mysticism' which enjoyed a central role in classical theories of religion, as developed in fields like psychology, sociology, history or phenomenology. However, mysticism lost its prominence after the controversial debates in the second half of the twentieth century about whether mystical experience should be considered universal or socio-culturally constructed. After four decades of silence, this volume ventures a stimulatingly novel approach to mysticism as a universal, transcultural category from the perspective of the cultural studies of religion. This includes the question of how a European concept fraught with Christian notions was transferred to non-European cultures and secular contexts, and thereby attained new meanings and functions in daily life. Fresh insights are gained by examining three major areas: a) mysticism's potential for boundary crossing in earlier centuries of European history; b) the history of mysticism research in context - from the mysticism boom at the fin de siecle and early twentieth century to its renewed attractiveness in American counterculture and the psychedelic movement to its trans-formation into postmodern spirituality; and c) universal mysticism's absorption of Eastern religions (notably Buddhism, Hindu traditions, and Daoism) as well as Asian insiders' self-conceptions.

This Is A New Release Of The Original 1911 Edition.

A comprehensive exploration of the philosophical issues raised by mysticism. This work is a comprehensive study of the philosophical issues raised by mysticism. Mystics claim to experience reality in a way not available in normal life, a claim which makes this phenomenon interesting from a philosophical perspective. Richard H. Jones’s inquiry focuses on the skeleton of beliefs and values of mysticism: knowledge claims made about the nature of reality and of human beings; value claims about what is significant and what is ethical; and mystical goals and ways of life. Jones engages language, epistemology, metaphysics, science, and the philosophy of mind. Methodological issues in the study of mysticism are also addressed. Examples of mystical experience are drawn chiefly from Buddhism and Advaita Vedanta, but also from Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and Daoism. Richard H. Jones is the author of several books, including Mysticism Examined: Philosophical Inquiries into Mysticism, also published by SUNY Press.

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.