| Awaken Bharata |
 |
| Books By David Frawley |
| DEVIC AND ASURIC FORMS OF MYSTICISM | |
|
|
|
| Even
good mystics can be so blinded by their idealism and
otherworldliness that others can manipulate them for worldly aims.
Such a "naive saint" can be used as an image of holiness
to justify religious aggression by the church or religious order. In
addition, even if the attainments of a mystic are entirely
wholesome, his teaching can be misunderstood and distorted by his
followers.
This usually begins after the death of the mystic but sometimes its starts while he is still alive. Disciples of great teachers may not themselves be great and can become fanatics of another type, warring with one another for control of the teacher's memory and the resources of his organization. They may use the image of the great teacher to further their own private ambitions or to promote their own personal prejudices. This is quite common when religions become institutions or gain government or military patronage. Misguided followers can turn a spiritual teaching aimed at self-development into a religious ideology aimed at world domination. |
|
|
|
