We have different physical forms, we lead very different lives and have different lessons to learn. It is not surprising therefore, that religions which attempt to channel us along a particular path do not fulfill all our needs.
There is a great social element in the religions. It is a relationship with our fellow-men and fellow-women as well as with some higher being. There is a strong drive to belong to a group and a great feeling of safety in numbers – so many people cannot all be wrong – and a relief that this important, but frustratingly indefinable and immeasurable, part of our lives will be taken care of by somebody else. But religion is not for all. Some are not satisfied with following somebody else’s path – however evolved the guide might be. Some, wish to take responsibility for their own spiritual growth and experience a personal relationship with the Creative Source rather than through another, whatever robes they might wear or staffs of authority they might carry
This is the path of the mystic. Mysticism is, essentially, a personal experience with your divine nature, your innermost truth. It does not need to be based on a religion. Indeed, mystics in ancient times would start rather than follow religious groups and cults. The title, mystic isn't something just reserved for saints or gurus. It is the choice of an individual to have a divine revelation and communion with the Creative Source. Nor is it something that is only found in the mountains of Tibet, on a pilgrimage, by spending long years in the desert or studying with a guru in India. Mysticism is primarily an inner journey and the path that this journey follows is the experience of your own life, wherever you are and who ever you are with. Of course, solitude is useful for certain disciplines but we learn about ourselves through the lessons that the world places before us. In the turmoil of daily life in the city, there are a thousand such lessons for us. What is needed is the awareness and understanding to recognise and interpret them, then the discipline to apply them in our lives.
There are, of course, Mystical Schools but there is no entry qualification other than an open and enquiring mind. And, of course, there are teachings and these are becoming more and more accessible. But these are like gossamer threads that can hold a thought or idea. They are there to stimulate the mind to broaden the horizons of our own thinking and not stifle it with a rigid doctrine.
There is a great social element in the religions. It is a relationship with our fellow-men and fellow-women as well as with some higher being. There is a strong drive to belong to a group and a great feeling of safety in numbers – so many people cannot all be wrong – and a relief that this important, but frustratingly indefinable and immeasurable, part of our lives will be taken care of by somebody else. But religion is not for all. Some are not satisfied with following somebody else’s path – however evolved the guide might be. Some, wish to take responsibility for their own spiritual growth and experience a personal relationship with the Creative Source rather than through another, whatever robes they might wear or staffs of authority they might carry
This is the path of the mystic. Mysticism is, essentially, a personal experience with your divine nature, your innermost truth. It does not need to be based on a religion. Indeed, mystics in ancient times would start rather than follow religious groups and cults. The title, mystic isn't something just reserved for saints or gurus. It is the choice of an individual to have a divine revelation and communion with the Creative Source. Nor is it something that is only found in the mountains of Tibet, on a pilgrimage, by spending long years in the desert or studying with a guru in India. Mysticism is primarily an inner journey and the path that this journey follows is the experience of your own life, wherever you are and who ever you are with. Of course, solitude is useful for certain disciplines but we learn about ourselves through the lessons that the world places before us. In the turmoil of daily life in the city, there are a thousand such lessons for us. What is needed is the awareness and understanding to recognise and interpret them, then the discipline to apply them in our lives.
There are, of course, Mystical Schools but there is no entry qualification other than an open and enquiring mind. And, of course, there are teachings and these are becoming more and more accessible. But these are like gossamer threads that can hold a thought or idea. They are there to stimulate the mind to broaden the horizons of our own thinking and not stifle it with a rigid doctrine.