Buddhism Wins “The Best Religion In The World” Award

August 24th, 2009 by Egbert F Bhatty

Editor’s Note: This major story has escaped the American media’s notice. It was brought to my attention by my friend and washingtonhotwire.com reader J Lindsay Smith of Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia. It was published 15 Jul 2009 in the Tribune de Genève – byline Linda Moulin.

If this does not wake up Christians and shake up Christianity in America I don’t know what will.

The Geneva-based International Coalition for the Advancement of Religious and Spirituality (ICARUS) has bestowed “The Best Religion In the World” award this year on the Buddhist Community.

This special award was voted on by an international round table of more than 200 religious leaders from every part of the spiritual spectrum. It was fascinating to note that many religious leaders voted for Buddhism rather than their own religion, although Buddhists actually make up a tiny minority of ICARUS membership.

Here are the comments by four voting members:

Jonna Hult, Director of Research for ICARUS said “It wasn’t a surprise to me that Buddhism won Best Religion in the World, because we could find literally not one single instance of a war fought in the name of Buddhism, in contrast to every other religion that seems to keep a gun in the closet just in case God makes a mistake. We were hard pressed to even find a Buddhist that had ever been in an army. These people practice what they preach to an extent we simply could not document with any other spiritual tradition.”

A Catholic Priest, Father Ted O’Shaughnessy said from Belfast, “As much as I love the Catholic Church, it has always bothered me to no end that we preach love in our scripture yet then claim to know God’s will when it comes to killing other humans. For that reason, I did have to cast my vote for the Buddhists.”

A Muslim Cleric Tal Bin Wassad agreed from Pakistan via his translator. “While I am a devout Muslim, I can see how much anger and bloodshed is channelled into religious expression rather than dealt with on a personal level. The Buddhists have that figured out.” Bin Wassad, the ICARUS voting member for Pakistan’s Muslim community continued, “In fact, some of my best friends are Buddhist.”

And Rabbi Shmuel Wasserstein said from Jerusalem, “Of course, I love Judaism, and I think it’s the greatest religion in the world. But to be honest, I’ve been practicing Vipassana meditation every day before minyan (daily Jewish prayer) since 1993. So I get it.”

However, there was one snag – ICARUS couldn’t find anyone to give the award to. All the Buddhists they called kept saying they didn’t want the award. When asked why the Burmese Buddhist community refused the award, Buddhist monk Bhante Ghurata Hanta said from Burma, “We are grateful for the acknowledgement, but we give this award to all humaity, for Buddha nature lies within each of us.” Groehlichen went on to say “ We’re going to keep calling around until we find a Buddhist who will accept it. We’ll let you know when we do.”

Egbert F “Burt” Bhatty has worked 30 years as an Analyst at the American Embassy, New Delhi, and at British [Dunlop] and American [Chase Manhattan] multinationals. He is a Certified Catechist. Holds a 3-year [part time] Certificate in Foundations For Christian Ministry.

Linda Moulin’s article is reproduced on the basis of fair use of current affairs reporting.

Awesome Art Work

Stunning crop art has sprung up across rice fields in Japan. But this is no alien creation - the designs have been cleverly planted.

Farmers creating the huge displays use no ink or dye. Instead, different colours of rice plants have been precisely and strategically arranged and grown in the paddy fields.

As summer progresses and the plants shoot up, the detailed artwork begins to emerge. The murals in Inakadate cover 15,000 square metres of paddy fields.

The largest and finest work is grown in the Aomori village of Inakadate, 600 miles north of Toyko, where the tradition began in 1993. The village has now earned a reputation for its agricultural artistry.

More than 150,000 visitors come to Inakadate, where just 8,700 people live, every summer to see the extraordinary murals.

Each year hundreds of volunteers and villagers plant four different varieties of rice in late May across huge swathes of paddy fields.

Rice-paddy art was started there in 1993 as a local revitalization project, an idea that grew out of meetings of the village committee.

In the first nine years, the village office workers and local farmers grew a simple design of Mount Iwaki every year.

But their ideas grew more complicated and attracted more attention. In 2005 agreements between landowners allowed the creation of enormous rice paddy art.

A year later, organisers used computers to precisely plot planting of the four differently coloured rice varieties that bring the images to life.

The farmers create the murals by planting little purple and yellow-leafed kodaimai rice, along with their local green-leafed tsugaru roman variety to create the coloured patterns between planting and harvesting in September.

From ground level, the designs are invisible, and viewers have to climb the mock castle tower of the village office to get a glimpse of the work.

A Sengoku warrior on horseback has been created from hundreds of thousands of rice plants, the colours created by using different varieties, in Inakadate in Japan.

Napoleon on horseback can be seen from the skies, created by precision planting and months of planning between villagers and farmers in Inkadate

Over the past few years, other villages have joined in with the plant designs. Another famous rice paddy art venue is in the town of Yonezawa in the Yamagata prefecture.

This year's design shows the fictional 16th-century samurai warrior Naoe Kanetsugu and his wife, Osen, whose lives feature in television series Tenchijin.

Smaller works of crop art can be seen in other rice-farming areas of Japan such as this image of Doraemon and deer dancers.

Closer to the image, the careful placement of thousands of rice plants in the paddy fields can be seen.

The different varieties of rice plant grow alongside each other to create the masterpieces.

Sixteen Years

              It was many years ago since the embarrassing day when a young woman, with a baby in her arms, entered his butcher shop and confronted the butcher with the news that the baby was his and asked what was he going to do about it? 

              Finally he offered to provide her with free meat until the boy was sixteen. She agreed. 

              He had been counting the years off on his calendar, and one day the teenager who had been collecting the meat each week, came into the shop and said, “I’ll be sixteen tomorrow."

              “I know,” said the butcher with a smile, “I’ve been counting too, tell your mother, when you take this parcel of meat home, that it is the last free meat she’ll get, and watch the expression on her face.”

              When the boy arrived home he told his mother. The woman nodded and said, “Son, go back to the butcher and tell him I have also had free bread, free milk, and free groceries for the last sixteen years and watch the expression on HIS face!"

Reincarnation and Timelessness

https://netizenv.blogspot.sg/

Question: If the Cosmic is timeless, how can we have past and future incarnations?

The reason we undergo incarnations – as individual personalities – is to learn various lessons, lessons which we must learn in order to become more aware of the existence of natural or cosmic law as it relates to the Universal Mind. In other words, we must realize both on the objective and subjective levels that which exists in the cosmos and which is directed by the Universal Consciousness.

Once we have gone through transition, all of those experiences and impressions which have been important to us become past incarnations. They are consigned to the Complete Memory, which in reality is our soul personality. Any additional information from subsequent incarnations, of course, is added through this same process. This continuing process of incarnation and transition is referred to as development, or soul personality development. Therefore, we are the sum total of all our past experiences.

Future incarnations, on the other hand, are those experiences which come about because of previous causes which we, as individual personalities, are responsible for. We must accept these effects and learn the lessons derived from them. This will then provide an environment which will produce additional experiences necessary for a gradual and continuing understanding of the Universal Consciousness. In this way, incarnation after incarnation, we become more perfect in likeness to this Universal Consciousness, eventually becoming totally perfect. 

It is important that both past and future incarnations are realize in the now. That is, all experiences are realized as they happen in the present. Whether we say future incarnations are brought about by past causes, or they become past incarnations simply because they are a part of memory, does not in any way change the fact that they existed and we become aware of them at that instant we call the now.

In the cosmic sense there is no time, since the Cosmic is infinite, with no beginning or end. There are no limitations in the universal world. In a word, it is timeless. However, unlike the universal world, the objective world of man is limited. That is, certain limitations are placed upon it. Since man’s objective, reasoning mind is finite, he cannot conceive of the infinity of the Universal Mind. Therefore, objectively he cannot conceive of any notion of what is ‘timeless,’ for man’s earthly mind can only conceive a beginning and end in all things, and not the non-beginning or non-ending of the universe. Since man is the only animal creation with the ability to objectify his realities, he then is responsible for the conditions he classifies as past or future.

Since the outer man, the objective man, is limited in his ability to reason because of the restrictions placed upon the five senses, he invents something to account for his inability to reason. He invents time and space arbitrarily to take the place of his inability just as he arbitrarily chooses twelve inches as a measure for one foot of distance, there being no measure regarding infinity.

- Author Unknown 

Reincarnation

One of the first the thing to realize is that reincarnation is a law of the universe and not a religious doctrine; neither is it solely an Eastern Doctrine.

Reincarnation is the cycle of birth and rebirth of the soul personality. It is in a sense, the process of purification of the ego part of man’s consciousness, transforming that ego into the essence of God’s consciousness. That is, by the experience of life, the ego is changed into the pure thoughts of the consciousness of God. The process of transmutation takes place here on earth, because it is here on the lower level of awareness that the ego is closely attuned. By associating with this environment and by passing through a series of experiences, the ego begins to change, gradually attaining the state of awareness we know as God Consciousness.

The Real Life 

The purpose of the development is to enable the soul personality to reach a state whereby it can exist harmoniously in the cosmic realms with all levels of the consciousness of the Creator. The earth life is a school of preparation for that life.

Although we can only overcome our individual karma on earth and learn life’s adjustments here, we do pass through many experiences on the cosmic plane which help us to realize our shortcomings and the egocentric problems which impede our progress.

Life on earth is a wonderful opportunity. It is here that we can truly help those other seeking souls to find the way to more highly developed consciousness. Once that desire is kindled, all the steps to help the one who is seeking the greater light are to be found here. That is why we must aid one another to find the path by spreading the knowledge at every opportunity. Life can change so dramatically for the searching soul who finds the path to illumination.

The beauty of the realization of our oneness with God can be a most moving experience. Nothing on this earth can compare with the condition of spiritualized awareness of the God Within and the Master Within.

The soul personality of man is purged and purified by association with earthly experiences. Therefore, we should try to understand the reasons for our present incarnation and for those circumstances and experiences we need in order to transmute the lower elements of our awareness into a better, more beautiful expression of the Divine Consciousness.

The perfecting of our soul personality cannot be accomplished in one or two short lifetimes on earth. Rather, many varied lives are needed to round out the character and personality. We need varied stimuli to bring about the necessary circumstances in which we will seek to purify ourselves of any undesirable tendencies we have developed.

Our emotional harmony is acquired by passing through disturbing events, which will help us to understand the lessons that are there for us to realize.

However, our past incarnations can often reveal traits of character which do not always seem consistent with our life and training in the present incarnation. Quite often qualities of character can come forward and reveal quite a different character trait that we were not necessarily aware of. By looking back into our past history, we can bring forward these hidden traits.

We can often be amazed at what lies in our past and this can be revealed in time and through the proper development of our inner psychic consciousness.

Our present incarnation should be the one that interests us most. Analysing our inner tendencies can help us to a greater degree of attainment. So we always suggest that a rational outlook is preferable to one where we are ready to believe what others tell us of our past.

Our past is in the realm of possible recall to a certain degree, depending upon our inner awareness. Regression techniques and other readings can sometimes be helpful. However, they also be misleading, and in the case of regression certain highly emotional reactions can take place when one is asked to relive a period of one’s past.

We realize why the strong impressions left on some of our past incarnations can be very disturbing when we consider that the strongest memories are usually those which were deeply impressed because of traumatic experiences we had. When we regress in time, these traumatic experiences are likely to be the ones that first come to the fore.

We have to recognize that most of us were not high potentates, royalty, or well-known historical figures. Many of us lived and worked under most difficult circumstances, as history will reveal, and when we recall our past, we might be very disappointed to learn who we were.

It is only natural that we would, upon learning about reincarnation, dream of being some great historical figure. However, those who were well known for one reason or another were very few in number compared to the billions of soul personalities now on earth. Therefore, we are often on safer ground with the personality we have at present than a former one of doubtful repute.

Reincarnation is, of course, one of the most fascination of subjects. It is only now that the general public is becoming interested in the subject on a wide scale. Few of course, are willing to engage in a deep study or investigation of the subject: their interest lies only on the surface. However, people today are becoming more aware than ever before that there is more to life than a few mortal years. They are beginning to accept that there is much more to life. This trend will be quite helpful to us when we bring the light of a greater life to their attention.

We should each realize, of course, that our personality and character as we now express them are very much determined by our past lives. Although there are parts of our personality that are hidden from view, we can, through inner reflection, become aware of what that past has to reveal to us, but our main concern should be the degree of cosmic contacts and awareness we have so far developed.

In our spiritual development, we are always adding to our attainments, and although we may not be aware of what we have attained at times, we can be sure it is there awaiting our application and use. We should ask ourselves, how can we use and apply our spiritual development in our everyday life? The answer is often that we can use our attainment in a most natural way. When we are faced with any particular problem, we should endeavour to meditate briefly upon it. By raising our consciousness into the Cosmic for just a brief period, we find that our minds are enlightened, that our problems will be seen in a clearer perspective, and that we will also be lifting our consciousness above the disturbing emotions that many of our problems bring.

Life here on earth is the great preparer. It is here that all the cosmic laws and principles are fulfilled and demonstrated. If we can apply ourselves to our lessons, we will surely find that the cosmic intelligences are anxious to do our bidding and that we can command all nature.

Above all, let us remember that what we think and do today will determine what our tomorrows will bring. Therefore, let us lift up our thoughts and establish the highest ideals in our hearts, so that all our tomorrows will reflect the peace, love, and harmony of the Cosmic.

- Extracted from the article Reincarnation By Robert E. Daniels 

Ten Words

The most selfish one letter word … “I” - Avoid it.

The most satisfying two-letter word … “We” – Use it.

The most poisonous three-letter word … “Ego” – Kill it.

The most used four-letter word … “Love” – Value it.

The most pleasing five-letter word … “Smile” – Keep it.

The fastest spreading six-letter word … “Rumour” – Ignore it.

The hard working seven-letter word … “Success” – Achieve it.

The most enviable eight-letter word … “Jealousy” – Distance it.

The most powerful nine-letter word … “Knowledge” – Acquire it.

The most divine ten-letter word … “Friendship” Maintain it.

Prompted By His Father

              A young man was being cross-examined by the attorney for the defence. The lawyer said, “Did someone prompt you about what to say in court?”

              “Yes, sir.”

              “Just as I thought. Who was it?”

              “My father.”

              “Just what did your father tell you?”

              “He said that even though the lawyers would try to get my story all twisted and confused, just stay calm and stick to the truth, and I would do fine.”

How To Avoid Catastrophes

A very interesting article. 

People want to know WHY this or that happens to them. They look for flaws in their own character; reasons for the disturbing events of their lives; an explanation of karma and its influences. Almost everyone assumes there is some purpose for the accidents to which they are involved, or some purpose for their inherited disabilities.

We are generally so tied to the concept of purpose in the scheme of things that it is difficult for us to avoid a reference to it in everything that happens to us. Yet purpose, in the sense of a Cosmic Mind directing and deciding upon the events of our live, is nonexistent. Few things happening to us are due to any personal karma, or to anything we did to bring them about. Many things are not even due to group karma. They are simply natural events over which no one has any control, not even the Cosmic.

To think of the Cosmic as having limits or restrictions to its powers is almost unthinkable to us. We have always been led to think that the Cosmic is all-powerful and omnipotent; that it can interrupt, modify, or reverse the course of events.

We look at certain events and call them miracles. A plane crashes, ninety-nine persons perish, and one survives. The one survival is hailed as a miracle, an act of God, the Creator. But what of the ninety-nine?

The Cosmic functions according to the laws of its being. These laws are as much a part of the Cosmic as are its substance, its force, and its mind. These laws are absolute. They operate eternally and universally. These laws are the order of the Cosmic. They cannot be set aside, by us, or by the Cosmic itself.

The laws of the Cosmic were never established by the Cosmic, and thus cannot be rescinded or withdrawn by the Cosmic. Thus there is no purpose in the laws being what they are – no reason why they are as they are anymore than there is a purpose for the Cosmic’s existence, nor a reason why it exists. The Cosmic is what it is, and it cannot be other than what it is. This is the Cosmic’s restriction, and since we are part of the Cosmic, it is also our restriction.

The heart of cosmic law is action and reaction, and around it we have built our patterns of behaviour. We are attracted to, and we are repelled by other things. We experience a sense of harmony or disharmony. We observe actions and reactions as magnetic fields adjust and readjust themselves in order to maintain balance.

Now to answer the question: WHY this or that happens, we can say that the law is the cause for everything that happens within the cosmic structure. What is significant for us at this time is that the law acts without regard to the elements of the Cosmic’s nature. There are no such attributes as compassion, selectivity, choice, or retribution in the law. This holds true regardless of what anyone, including the Cosmic, would rather have happen.

Let’s look at some examples. When the snowpack builds on mountainsides, and its weight exceed its ability to hold to the mountain, great sheets of it will fall in an avalanche. It won’t matter if trees are uprooted; if nests and homes and other refuges are destroyed; or if thousands upon thousands of animal lives are snuffed out. Do we think that the Cosmic looks upon this and is pleased?

When a volcano erupts, the earth around it is devastated. Poisonous fumes and stifling dust fill the air and bring death to animal and plant life within miles of its perimeters. Is this something the Cosmic enjoys? Can we really conceive that these are purposeful acts on the part of the Cosmic? That it would intentionally devastate and destroy life? Can we conceive that the Cosmic would intentionally look on silently as innocent men kill each other in warfare? Or that it has no compassion for the millions of life forms that are devoured by other life forms as they fight for survival?

We say that all things are of the Cosmic, yet we have a tendency to give credit to the Cosmic for only the good things that happen, but not for the bad things. But both the good and the bad are results of cosmic law. Both are the result of natural actions and reactions of cosmic events.

What this says is that there is a cause for everything that happens to us, but the cause is in cosmic law, and not in the Cosmic Mind. It is important to realize this difference. There is little question that we cause many of the things that happen to us simply by the actions we take, by our behaviour, or by the lifestyle we adhere to. We set actions into motion, and cosmic law brings about a reaction. It’s not a question of whether it’s right or wrong. It’s only a question of reaction to some action on our part.

Cosmic law doesn’t distinguish between right and wrong. It only functions according to one principle – action and reaction – the maintenance of balance in the universal system.

If this all sounds very fatalistic, it isn’t. It may sound rather hopeless – reality of ponderous cosmic forces over which we have no control. But, as you will see, it’s not that you have no control, but rather a matter of what you have control over and what you don’t have control over. You may not be able to stop an earthquake or an avalanche, but one thing you can do is to not be where they happen when they happen.

Just because there are fixed laws governing our actions doesn’t mean that we have no options. Just because we have man-made laws that say you must not steal, cheat, kill, run a red light, or jaywalk, or drive over fifty-five miles per hour, or commit adultery does not mean that we lack options. We have all the options that we think we have. We can obey the law or we can break the law. We can decide what we want to do and what we don’t want to do. We can work in harmony with the law and experience more or less favourable reactions, or we can work out of harmony with the law and experience more or less negative reactions. The presence of law, however, determines what reactions we will have once we act.

Again, so as not to sound fatalistic, we do have ways of circumventing catastrophe. If we would give more time to exercising our special mental faculties, such as intuition and visualization, we could avoid what most would harm us. Guided by intuition on a day-to-day basis, we would be sensitive to the vibratory conditions about us. As with other animal, long before an avalanche fell, or an earthquake rumbled, or a tornado tore our dwelling to shreds, we could sense the makings of these phenomena in the changing vibratory conditions that lead to catastrophe. Long before an airplane reaches, or a coal mine caves in, there are already vibratory conditions existing that reflect the flaws that bring on disaster.

Guided by intuition, we would be drawn to places and conditions in both space and time that would be conducive to our well-being. We would have the unique option to be in the right place at the right time, as it were, and so avoid natural catastrophes and events that would disturb, injure, or incapacitate us. We rarely take time to exercise our intuitive faculty, and take even less notice of what intuition tells us when it has brought us an impression.

The same is true of visualization. While intuition provides us with a sensitivity to conditions that exist around us now, visualization provides us with a means of preparing in advance for such guidance. Instead of waiting for intuition to tell us whether or not a thing is good for us when we’re already confronting that thing, visualization provides us with an opportunity to ask the Cosmic in advance, to direct us to things that are good for us, and to bring into that environment positive and constructive elements.

For example, you may have intuitive feelings that warn you of stress the following day in relation to someone you have to work with, or deal with. If you follow your intuition, you will try to avoid direct confrontation with this person, or with any activity or comments that would cause stress. On the other hand, if you visualize the following day, and the relationship in question, as being without stress, you are setting into motion countermeasures of a vibratory nature that will actually change the picture and would never materialize the negative condition in the first place.

We could go on and on with examples that touch every facet of our lives but then, so can you, in the privacy of your own meditations.

We find then that disruptive incidents are not always our fault, nor of another nation, nor of the Cosmic itself; and secondly, that we have the power and option within our beings to chart our lives into the most favourable channels, and to so attune ourselves with the Cosmic Mind that we can sense the time and place of cosmic events that would affect our lives, either positively or adversely.

- Author Unknown 

Living In The Clouds

It is very often said by those who cannot comprehend competently the true aim and purpose of the mystical and spiritual study that such persons thus inclined are given to “living in the clouds.” It is generally meant to be a derogatory comment, or at least an intimation of fanatical tendencies. It always implies an attitude that is not universally normal, and more or less impractical in these modern times. 

In truth, the student of spiritual values, and the seeker after that form of arcane knowledge which reveals the higher principles of life, is not one who is given to abstract thinking and impractical living. He may at times dwell in the clouds in his spiritual thoughts, and he may very often lift his consciousness to a higher realm or a plane greatly beyond the material things of this life. But such an individual realizes keenly the fact that man is here on earth for some very definite purpose, and that since his consciousness was projected from a divine spiritual source to be enclosed in a physical form here in the material world, there is some very definite mission in life for him, and this mission can be fulfilled only by meeting its conditions and carrying out the worldly duties and obligations.

The real mystic is not one who bases his explorations into the spiritual world upon the false premise of a negation of worldly conditions and material interests. The mystic is ever a seeker for mastership, and this mastership includes a conquering of the worldly problems, as well as a masterful comprehension of spiritual truths. He realizes, therefore, that the spiritual unfoldment and the higher glories of life are to be attained by rising step by step from this earthly plane to the planes that may lie before him, and that this attainment must be brought about through the mastering of the natural obstacles or limitations surrounding it.

Mystic’s View of Life 

It is only the idle dreamer and the one unfamiliar with the fundamental truths who believes that he may lift himself arbitrarily and wilfully out of and beyond the specific environment here on earth in which God and the cosmic principles have placed him. The mystic does not look upon the incidents of his birth as incidents of chance, but rather of law, order, and system. He does not consider that all earthly experiences are secondary, but rather primary. He does not attempt to deceive himself with the philosophy that the ultimate end of life is the annihilation of worldly experiences or worldly efforts. Since some Divine Law or principle has ordained his incarnation here on earth, and since there is some very definite purpose to be carried out by this incarnation, he ever seeks to find the why and the wherefore of earthly existence, and the specific work which has been allotted to him or planned for him as the medium of his personal evolution.

The true mystic believes that man evolves from the primitive and fundamental activities of earthly existence to the higher and more perfect conditions of spiritual unfoldment. He recognizes in the trials and tribulations of earthly life the contest between good and evil, light and darkness, and the challenge to his own fortitude. He becomes convinced that the law of the survival of the fittest is not solely the mechanism of earthly life, but a principle of the evolution of the inner self and the personality. As the ancient philosophical mystics believed in the smoothing of the cubic stone and the rounding off of its edges in order that it might be a more perfect stone, so the mystic believes that the grosser elements of his worldly nature and the rougher edges of his personality must be eliminated in order that the pure gold of his consciousness and ego may rise to the sublime heights which he keeps in mind as the goal of his existence.

But he does not allow his vision to dwell exclusively upon an ethereal and intangible portal nor does he allow all of his thinking and acting to be influenced by any fanatical dream or hope of a Nirvana in which he may live as a being suspended above and beyond all worldly duties and obligations. He is as keenly interested in the laws and principles of the atomic and molecular construction of matter as he is in the spiritual integrity of the divine source of life. He is just as practical in his application of nature’s worldly laws as in the application of the spiritual principles. His dreams are equally divided between the physical accomplishments here on earth and the spiritual attainments of the future. He keeps his feet solidly upon the earth, and upon the rock of this material existence, while permitting his consciousness at times to soar into greater heights of this life beyond.

Nor does he anticipate and hope for any indefinite period in the future when all productiveness at his hands and all creation of his material consciousness will be brought to an end, and his usefulness in the great schemed of things here on earth will be terminated by an ethereal, spiritual existence of no value to God or man. He anticipates, rather, that his attainment here on earth will lead him into a spiritual school of more profound unfoldment wherein he will be prepared for another opportunity to make greater victories here on earth and to accomplish even a more extensive campaign of unfoldment and contribution to man’s development, and that this will be repeated from time to time until all men and all beings here on earth will have reached that degree of perfection when material existence may no longer be necessary.

But while he hopes for that inevitable result for all beings, he rejoices in the opportunity of living among men, of being a friend to men, and of working out the great cycles of evolution which God has decreed. His ambition is to serve and to labour in the vineyard rather than to rest in the eventide and to find eternal peace without accomplishments or responsibilities. This is what constitutes the true nature of the mystic, and of the seeker of illumination and wisdom and spiritual light. Such should be the ideal of every mystic for such is the spirit which animated all mystics and leaders throughout the centuries who have brought power, happiness, contentment, and inner joy to its leaders and followers of all times.

- By Dr. H. Spencer Lewis 

The Practical Application of Mysticism

This is the last of the articles on the explanation/definition of Mysticism. 

How to define mysticism? What is its meaning? Mysticism is the awakening of the self to a consciousness of a divine reality. The self for the first time becomes aware of cosmic beauty in contrast to its own finite imperfection. The self then attempts to emulate the divine beauty which it experiences. Mysticism is a final and personal experience. 

Mysticism is the personal realization of unity with the Absolute, the One. The mystical experience consists of four elements. First is the ineffable. This means that the experience is difficult to explain – it is more of a feeling, just as difficult to explain as fine music. The second element of mysticism is the neotic quality. This means that the individual experiences a unique new knowledge which consists of an illumination of greater depth than the intellect can provide. The third element is transcendency. 

This is the inability of the individual to sustain the mystical experience for long. The memory of the experience diminishes with time. The fourth element is passivity. One finds that the self is completely passive during the experience. There is no emotional or mental turbulence at the time. 

An inner experience 

Mysticism is an experience, not just a theory. But it is an inner experience. To apply mysticism, one must first work upon the self and then objectify his experience. Mysticism provides the substance, the material upon which we cogitate and then take action. Mysticism denies that knowledge is limited just to the peripheral, or sense, impressions. The mystical principle of knowledge asserts that man is essentially divine and therefore capable of immediate communication with reality, the One. 

It is important that we do not confuse mystical technique with application. There are various eastern, or Oriental, and Western techniques. The technique, whatever it may be, is merely a mechanism. It is not the final objective of mysticism. For analogy, there is an obvious difference between learning to use tools, and constructing a building. One must relate the principle of mysticism to an understanding and a use of life. 

Meditation is one of the principal techniques of mysticism. But it also has a practical application, which we shall consider. The particular importance of meditation is its role in the discovery of the expansion of self. In other words, there is more to our conscious being then we ordinarily realize. Self is more than just one phase of consciousness. For example, electricity is not a phenomenon of a single voltage. Inspiration, insight, and new vistas of reality are the rewards of contact with other levels of consciousness. Some wrongly conceive of meditation as being an escape from reality. 

Meditation is not just a closing of a door to one kind of perception. Rather, it is an entering into different chambers of the psyche. 

One of the first great benefits derived from mysticism is a broad view of ontology, which concerns the nature of being. “Being” refers to absolute reality, the One, the Cosmos. Ontology is a basic study of metaphysics, but metaphysics approaches ontology only form the speculative and intellectual point of view. Mysticism, however, makes ontology a personal experience. 

In ontology, mysticism causes one to sense a union of all reality. One is to no longer confused by various theological divisions of the Cosmos. Simply, there no longer exist such subdivisions of reality as heaven, hell, natural, supernatural, or the Absolute, or time and space. Nor does the mystic find so-called matter completely separate and apart from what is called the immaterial world. 

The true mystic is also a pantheist. To him the Divine, the spiritual essence, pervades all things. Further, the laws by which the Divine functions, that is, manifests, are also divine. There can be no distinction between the essence and its laws of manifestation, just as a man’s thoughts and deeds are related. Therefore, the pantheist sees divine manifestation in all the phenomena of nature. But he realizes that no one thing, whatever it may be is completely representative of the Cosmic, the Divine. 

Understanding nature 

For this reason the mystical pantheist experiences his concept of God in every natural phenomenon. He endeavours to understand nature. He seeks a personal intimacy with it, resulting in a harmony of the self. The mystical pantheist does not accept the old theological idea that man alone has a spiritual essence. If the soul in man is an emanation of the Divine Consciousness, then all living things have soul, but with a lesser degree of manifestation. The consciousness of life is united, regardless of the form which the organism assumes. 

Does such an abstract subject as mystical pantheism have practical value? Yes, because it opposes the many forms of superstition and ignorance of the past. It causes man to realize the universal brotherhood, that is, the brotherhood of the Cosmic Force pervading all things. 

Another practical aspect of mysticism is the concept of equality which it expounds. Philosophically, the word equality can appear as a logical paradox, seemingly contradicting itself. For example, a thing which is equal in every respect to another thing loses its own separateness, for such equality would include equality in time and space as well. Therefore, there would be no plurality, because just a single thing or condition would exist. 

From this point of view there is no absolute equality. There is only relative equality, that is, similarity. Mysticism shows that the is no absolute equality in mankind except in essence, and this essence is the Vital Life Force pervading all living things. Men vary in their intellect, emotions, and awareness of self. The only equality which we should strive for is the right to know ourselves. However, such a right carries an obligation that all men be able to think and express their thoughts. Only in this sense does mysticism accept the idea of equality. 

Another practical application of mysticism is its understanding value. The mystic knows that value is primarily a relative term. What one person may accept as value, another may not. Are there then no absolute values toward which all men should strive? The only absolute values is life, for all else depends upon it. Yet, even this value must be qualified. To merely live is not the highest attainment of man. Life can be both used and abused by man. Life force in its pure state is creative, not degenerative. Man’s personal value in life should then assume the same order. Each of us has talents, some of which are still dormant, yet to be awakened. They may be mechanical, artistic, or intellectual skills, each varying in its degree of development. It becomes our duty to give value to our life, by creating something worthy or assisting others who have strive to do so. To neglect our creative ability, or to influence others to do so, is to place a wrong value upon life. 

Mysticism provides techniques for learning one’s personal value in life. Intuition or insight is one of these techniques. The old mystical phrase, “the economy of life”, instructs that man should not waste life. He should use it practically, that is efficiently. He should idealize personal constructive creativity in some form. 

Man need not be a genius to add value to his life. A helpful suggestion, a comforting thought, prevention of an ethical wrong are all worthy values. If inspired through mystical study, these values are then examples of the practical application of mysticism. 

- Author Unknown