True mysticism, meaning communion with transcendental Reality, is not a philosophy, but a direct, immediate experiencing of Divine power and presence. This experiencing is trans-psychological and not a product of one’s beliefs, emotions, or feeling—though spontaneous feelings of bliss and love can arise in the context of one’s mystical experiencing.
Mystics often create a philosophy, or theosophy, to explain mystical experiencing and its relation to phenomenal reality, but this does not reduce mysticism to a doctrine. It simply provides a framework for mentally understanding mystical en-Light-enment.
Mysticism is Not a Philosophy
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Mr. Gardner,
Sages and mystics talk about the Witness (not the personal me, individual self, mind or ego) and Witnessing Consciousness. Can you explain what is the Witness and what is Witnessing Consciousness as you have understood? Thanks.
There are three levels of witnessing consciousness: 1) Just watching one’s thoughts without judging (accepting or rejecting) them. 2) Becoming a “Witness” by being baptized in the Spirit, or Shakti. Acts 1: “They shall receive power from the Holy Spirit and shall be witnesses.” 3) Realizing (and Be-ing) the Self, which is the the eternal Seer, or Witness.
How is this different from euphoria, or feeling high from drugs/weed
Or, how can one ever tell them apart.?
In other words, anyone can have their own version of “mystical experience”. Good for them.
Because the mystical state is one infused with palpable, even visceral, Divine Power, or Shakti. The mystic is in direct relationship with, and contemplates and conducts, this Divine Power.
Mr. Gardner,
Great replies above. Makes complete sense. Thanks. It is a shame you have not been a guest even once let alone several times at BATGAP when mere book translators like David Godman and Michael James have been invited and said nothing substantial of their own direct spiritual experience and knowledge but have only repeated what Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi has said or may have said. The same can be said of 99% of BATGAP guests who have revealed nothing interesting about spirituality and mysticism.
Even that shameless old goat and sexual pervert Ed Muzika has been a guest couple of times and so has been that that neo-advaita Vedantic imbecilic buffoon James Swartz been a guest of BATGAP there three of four times babbling his imagined enlightenment nonsense.
IJ.
“palpable, even visceral, Divine Power, or Shakti”
Right, this “experience” is self-dependent, subjective. One can easily self-delude by deeming a/any blissful experience, give it a name let’s call it “Shakti”.
There is just too much subjectivity here.
I would caution, it’s just waste of time/life. There is only ignorance and non-ignorance. Any/all experience can be blissful/Shakti for non.ignorant. There is no such thing as “special”/shakti or separate experience as such.
Red, Divine Power “crashes down” on disciples. There can be no Enlightenment without Shaktipat. The 8th and final limb of Buddha’s Noble Eightfold Path–Right Contemplation–consists of the Four Jhanas, which are states (or samadhis) of infused contemplation involving the “Stream,” which is the same Light-Energy continuum as Shakti, the Holy Spirit, and the Sambhogakaya.
yes, one can have refined (blissful) experience in deep contemplation/samadhi or such states. But, they are temporary and transitory, and they do not mean anything by themselves. These states are not just distractions, not the end goal.
One needs a more permanent , even higher awareness. One that can bestow 24/7 “mystical” or blissful experience. One that is always present, not separate from one’ self itself. And one achieves that by becoming it (which you do by being it, eventually become). Involves shedding one’s ignorance first.
The end goal is Sahaj Samadhi (a.k.a. Self-realization and Nirvana), but lesser, temporary, samadhis are experienced on the path.
Mr. Gardner,
“red” is the NEW, new age Buddha Avatar. “He would caution as waste of time”. LMAO! Hahahaha!!!
IJ, check out the two following videos at YouTube by Theoria Apophasis:
Citta / Mind / Spirit in earliest Original Buddhism
Anatta / anatman Introduction part 2. Original Buddhism
Mr. Gardner,
I will. Thanks.
IJ.
Last comment of “red” make sense but that is what Mr. Gardner has been saying all along in his own way of explaining it and what Sri Ramana Maharshi achieved in his own impeccable and illustrious spiritual life. Without understanding properly the explanations, details and facts one should not prematurely judge and criticize.
IJ.
Mr. Gardner,
What do you know about “stigmata” in Christianity and Christian Mysticism?
IJ.
IJ, I know no more about it than you do, just what I’ve read. I don’t know anybody who has experienced it.
Check out the very interesting writings (web address below), which explain that Buddha taught the existence of the Self.
https://web.archive.org/web/20100704190803/http://attan.com:80/alpha2.html