| Awaken Bharata |
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| Books By David Frawley |
| SARVA DHARMA SAMABHAVA : UNITY OR CONFUSION OF RELIGIONS | |
| Unity
of Mysticism
A further point is made by certain thinkers that, though religions have differences that can be major, they also contain an inner dimension of mystical teachings which is the same. This view is a closer to the truth but not as close as its votaries may like to believe. Certainly mystics of different religions have more in common in their experiences and practices than ordinary believers. However, if we look deeply, we do not find any simple unanimity among mystics either. There are different views of Moksha and Nirvana within Buddhist and Hindu traditions. There are disputes between dualistic and non-dualistic Vedanta (dvaita and advaita) within Hinduism. Christian and Islamic mystics seldom accept the law of karma and usually insist upon their particular heaven or paradise as the highest, even if they hold that there is only one God. There are many levels and stages of mystical experience between ordinary human consciousness and the highest Self-realization that can be quite varied and not free of illusion. Hence while the mystics of different religions may have more in common than the orthodox, they hardly all teach the same thing.In fact some mystics have been missionaries or taken militant roles in crusades and jihads because their personal experiences made them more zealous in their beliefs. A mystic who does not have the proper purity of body, mind and intention can end up in an exaggerated state of mind that can lead to extreme actions. There is also a dark or Asuric mysticism. Not all mysticism is of a sattvic or selfless nature. Hence the Vedas say that even demons practice Yoga to gain occult powers in order to control the world. We will examine this issue in depth in the chapter on Devic and Asuric Forms of Mysticism. |
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