Dear
Friend,
This is the third article in a series
throughout this year where we will be presenting the role of mysticism in
various faiths. Mysticism and the mystic are understood in different ways
depending on the religion, but in general mysticism can be said to mean
“The experience of mystical union or direct communion with ultimate reality.”
Conventionally,
Hinduism is known as the world’s most mystical religion with millions of Hindus
practicing mystical rituals every day. According to Hindu mystical thought a
soul’s union with the Divine is achieved by following a devotional path to God
founded on the principles of yoga and/or Tantra.
The mystical
approach to enlightenment revolves around the practice of meditation. When I
spoke with Indra Shah he explained that meditation is the only way to know the
Truth because “Truth is constant, indivisible and is hear and now.” According to
mystical thought, as explained by Mr. Shah, the Truth cannot be understood by
the mind because “the mind is constantly changing, the mind divides everything
into two categories, and the mind can only think of the past or the future.”
Meditation is the means to step outside the mind, in effect create
thoughtlessness, and be free to experience the Truth.
The Vedas,
the spiritual authoritative text of Hinduism, speak to the nature of a Brahman,
the Supreme Being or universal spirit, and of an atman, the individual soul.
The atman is the immortal self that is an indestructible microcosm of the
Brahman and that which is reincarnated during transmigration. Through the ancient practice
of yoga and meditation a Hindu can come to know more personally their own
atman, and achieve liberation (Moksha) from the cycle of rebirth. Nirvana, the
state of liberation from reincarnation and the spiritual union with the Braham
is the desired state of all Hindus.
One method
for reaching a state of enlightenment is through Tantra,
which are 112 distinct meditation techniques, one of which is suitable for
every unique individual on earth. A Hindu will consult a guru to help select
the appropriate meditation technique for himself or herself. A guru, being enlightened
himself, is able to effectively guide a Hindu through the meditation technique that
will awaken him or her to the Truth.
A second
pathway to enlightenment for Hindus is through yoga. Unlike Western thought,
which considers yoga to be a physical exercise meant to focus breathing, and
to strengthen the body and mind, yoga in eastern cultures refers to any holistic
process of spiritual development that leads to Nirvana. Similar to Tantra,
meditation is the central feature of yoga and it is practiced daily in order to
clear the mind and prepare the atman to understand the ultimate reality.
There are four yoga processes,
which if followed properly will unite the atman with the Brahman. In the first,
Karma Yoga, unification is achieved through action; when one’s actions are exclusively
motivated by service to God. The second yoga pathway is Jñana Yoga, in which an individual
follows eight stages to reach unification through wisdom. The third type of
yoga life style is Bhakti Yoga; unification is realized through complete
devotion to God. This yoga process requires the individual to develop an
intense loving relationship with God. The final yoga process is not actually
yoga because it involves total surrender of oneself to God. By practicing Nyasa
Yoga, a person admits that her or she is unworthy of being liberated from the
rebirth cycle, will continue to sin, and is not able to follow the other three
conventional yogas.
Eastern
mystical thought is based on the belief that enlightenment is achieved through
experience. This experience of the Truth is rooted in the practices of
meditation and yoga, because as Indra Shah explains, “when one steps out of the
mind through meditation one can realize that we are all one with God.”
References
“Hindu
Wisdom- Yoga” http://www.hinduwisdom.info/Yog_and_Hindu_Philosophy.htm. 3 May
2010.
Shah, Indra.
Personal Interview. 6 May 2010.
Sivan,
Pandit Ram. Hinduism for Beginners. Simha Publications; Sydney, Jan
2005.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/437067/Hinduism-for-beginners. 3 May 2010.
Suggested Further Readings:
Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda
Raja Yoga by Swami Vivekananda
My Stroke of Insight by Jill Bolte Taylor
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