Essential Mysticism
by T.Collins Logan
Excerpts of "The Sky Gave Me Its Heart" and "First He Looked Confused"
from Love Poems from God ©2002 Daniel Ladinsky, Penguin Group
Excerpt of "Someone Who Can Kiss God" from I Heard God Laughing
©1996 Daniel Ladinsky, Mobius Press
Excerpt of "Unmarked Boxes" from The Essential Rumi ©1995 Coleman
Barks, HarperCollins
Everyday Zen, by Charlotte Joko Beck, HarperSanFrancisco 1 989
ThePalh ofSufiLovehy William C. Chittick, State University ofNY 1983
The Way of Chiiang Tzii by Thomas Merton, Hyperion 1994
Tales of the Hasim by Martin Buber, Schoken 1991
Anam Gara by John O 'Do no hue, HarperCoUins 1998
Dream Conversations on Buddhism and Zen by Thomas Clear;", Shambhala 1996
The Bhagavad Gila translated by Eknath Easwaran, Nilgiri 1987
The Spiral Dance by Starhawk, HarperColhns 1989
Total Freedom by J. Krishnamurti, HarperSanFrancisco 1 996
A Witches' Bible by Janet Farrar and Stewart Farrar, Phoenix 1996
The Mind of Light by Sri Aurobindo, Lotus 2004
Way of Zen by Martin e Batchelor, Thorsons 2001
One Taste by Ken Wilber, Shambhala 2000
Will and Spirit by Gerald G. May, HarperColhns 1987
"The Guru and the Pandit," Andrew Cohen and Ken Wilber, www.wie.org
MiracluoHS Living by Shoni Labowitz, Fireside 1998
The Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga by Deepak Chopra and David Simon,
John Wiley & Sons, 2004
Passionate Presence hy Catherine Ingram, Gotham 2004
"Our Ideal" by Sri Aurobindo, Arya 1914-1915
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz, Amber-Allen 1997
The Eye Never Sleeps by Dennis Genpo Merzel, Shambhala 1 99 1
Wandering on the Way by Victor H. Mair, University of Hawaii 1998
Essential Mysticism, Third Edition, July, 2005.
Copyright ©2005 T. Collins Logan. All rights reserved.
ISBN 0-9770336-0-0
Excerpts from The Vital Mystic, A Guide to Emotional Strength and Spiritual
Enrichment ©2003 T.Colhns Logan
Cover design by Molhe Kellogg, WMW.raolliekellogg.com
Editing services by Renata Golden, www.golden-ink.com
Published by Integral Lifework Center, PO Box 90936, San Diego, CA 92169
Printed in the United States of America
A special thanks to all my students.
Your questions, insights and sharing continue to inspire me.
Love and gratitude also to MoUie, who iteeps
encouraging me to teach.
r.Co/lJns Logan
Table of Contents
PREFACE I
Counting Breaths 3
I -CULTIVATING A NEW WAY OF SEEING 5
Transitions Through Gnosis 9
Transporting Perceptions 10
Merging of Self with Divine 10
Dissolution of Self 10
Different Perspectives on a New Way of Seeing I I
Concept Affinity: Mystic Activation 13
Sample Mystic Activators 1 4
Gratitude Meditation 15
Stimulating Intuition — ^Vandering 1 6
Daily Reflections 16
2-REFINING INTENTIONS 17
Different Perspectives on Refining Intentions 20
Concept Affinity: Disciplined Intention 21
Sample Mystic Activators 22
"Who Am I Right Now?" Self-Inquiry 22
Stimulating Intuition - Inner Guide 23
Daily Reflections 24
3 -TRANSFORMING IDENTITY 2S
Phases of the Mystic's Way 28
Different Perspectives on Transforming Identity 29
Concept Affinity: New Modes of Self 30
Sample Mystic Activators 3 I
Mantra Meditation - Part One 31
Stimulating Intuition -Journaling 32
Daily Reflections 32
4 - HARMONIZING ACTION AND INTENTION 33
Culmination in a Peculiar Quality of Consciousness 35
Risks and Benefits 37
Different Perspectives on Action and Intention 38
Concept Affinity: Artifacts of Will 40
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Sample Mystic Activators 40
Mantra Meditation - Part Two (with Visualization) 40
Stimulating Intuition — Listening to Now 41
Daily Reflections 42
5 -APPLICATIONS AND CONSEQUENCES 43
Additional Mystic Activator Examples 43
Self-Care Meditation 44
First Invocation 46
Contemplating Presence and Absence 47
Returning to Emptiness 48
"Just for Today" Daily Reflections 49
Measuring Our Progress 5!
The Contemplative-Emotive Learning Process 52
Spiritual Health of Emotional States 54
Stages of Being 55
The Nuances of Synchronicity 61
Self- Awareness, Self-Esteem and Self-Nourishment 62
The Cycle of Personal Growth 63
What Happens To Our Relationships? 64
Challenging Our Assumptions 65
Passive Assignment of M eaning 66
Active Assignment of Meaning 67
The Nature of Evil 67
Staying On Track 71
Enhancing Discernment 72
6 -THE PROMISE OF HUMAN POTENTIAL 75
Different Perspectives on Human Potential 77
Concept Affinity: Love-Consciousness 80
7 -RECURRING QUESTIONS 81
APPENDIX 84
The Pyramid of Self 84
Artifacts of Will 88
Mystic Activators Comparison 90
SUGGESTED READING 91
&y
Integral Lifework
This book is an audiohzed component of Integral Lifework training
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PREFACE
The substance oi Essential Mysticism is derived from rwenty years of
interdisciplinary study and personal experience. In my own
journey, mysticism has provided a wealth of purpose and meaning,
explained mysterious events, and enabled a simple way of living in
harmony with the Universe and myself. When I forget to practice,
my hfe can quickly get out of balance. That is why sample exercises
are included throughout this book, and why any intellectual grasp of
mysticism is easily trumped by an experiential one. Since mysticism
can be found in some form in nearly every spiritual tradition, the
objective of this work is to present its essential elements rather than
support a particular belief system. Readers will recognize concepts
and approaches found in Sufism, Christian mysticism, Taoism,
Vedanta and other systems of Yoga, Buddhism, Hermeticism,
Wicca and other forms of Earth-centered spirituality, and Kabbalah.
Within this rich tapestry, the common threads that unite and
strengthen communities of faith shape the foundation of all mystical
practice.
First written as a companion to my ongoing Mysticism: Dialogue and
Practice courses, this is intended as a comprehensive introduction to
mystical theory and application. It both borrows from and adds to
my previous book. The Vital Mystic, and patience and persistence
with the tools provided here can accomplish many things. These
include reliable access to ineffable experiences, personal inspiration
and wisdom, maintaining physical health, and improving overall
mental, emotional and spiritual well-being. How each of us
experiences and interprets mystical events may be both private and
unique, but the mystic's way is steadfastly universal in nature.
^AdownloadatJeveisionisavailaHeatwww.seflrdj/brc/flrity.com
I
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Mystical principles and methods are likewise nonexclusive,
benefiting practitioners of any faith tradition or none at all. A
compelling aspect of the mystical approach is that it need not be
spiritualized or even systemized, but offers intrinsic, practical value
in each of its components. Mysticism also compliments any integral
practice and enhances a broad spectrum of self-nourishing routines.
To begin, the four core disciplines of mysticism to be discussed are:
® Discipline of mind - cultivating a new way of seeing
® Discipline of heart - refining intentions
® Discipline of spirit — transforming identity
® Discipline of will - harmonizing action and intention in a
new way of being
The concept of self-discipline is central to this book, mainly to
provide supportive structures for radical leaps of consciousness.
What begins as a small sacrifice of old habits enables a rejuvenation
of personal possibility. As we free ourselves from willful certainties
about what we know, we discover answers to enduring questions.
What is the nature of our existence? What lies at the core of human
identity? How can we remain conscious and compassionate in
navigating choices in this ever-changing world? Does each of us
have an individual purpose? Through mystical processes we
encounter far-reaching answers and effective ways of living fully.
At the end of each of the core discipline chapters, you will find
representative quotes from different behef systems, a comparison of
terms used in different mystical traditions, and sample exercises to
stimulate mystical awareness and intuitive perception. Following
this, we will examine some specific applications of mystical
principles, predictable consequences of those applications, and
some significant milestones in personal evolution. The potential
impact of the mystic's way on societal transformation is saved for
last, but is certainly central to my own motivations for writing this
book and teaching courses on mysticism. Just as there is no single
path up the mountain of enlightenment, there is also no single,
homogenous worldview promoted by mysticism. There are.
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however, many common values that are awakened and strengthened
by mystic discipHnes, and I hope you will find those reflected here.
Some additional topics covered include:
<s> The role of mystical practice in improving self- awareness,
self-esteem and self-nourishment
<s> The contemplative -emotive model of personal development
<s> Rejuvenating our journey by continually questioning our
beliefs, assumptions and values
<s> The influence of mysticism on our relationships and
community
<s> A working definition of evil and how the mystic can
respond to it
<s> How to exercise and strengthen discernment
<s> A consideration of "spiritual evolution" as humanity's
greatest potential
At the end of the book you will find a list of questions to stimulate
further exploration of the mystical experience. There is also an
Appendix with tables and charts that illustrate central themes and
comparative practices in many schools of mysticism. Just beneath
the surface of our cursory thoughts and perceptions, there is a world
of life-changing truths waiting to be discovered. Those who
seriously engage the mystic's way will encounter this enduring
reality, the Sacred in every moment, and profound and healing
strengths within themselves.
Counting Breaths
In preparation for reading the first chapter, I encourage you to try
the following exercise:
1. Find a quiet place where you can sit undisturbed for five to ten
minutes. If possible, make it a private place where you won't be
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tempted to feel self-conscious or be worried about falling
asleep.
2. Sit with your hands cradled gently in your lap and your feet flat
on the floor. Close your eyes and relax your body.
3. Breathe deeply into your belly through your nose. Many of us
are used to breathing shallowly, only as far as our chest cavity,
so it may be uncomfortable to stretch those lungs all the way
down to your navel. But I encourage you to try it anyway.
4. After a few deep breaths, just breathe as you would normally.
5. Now begin to count your breaths: breathe in, breathe out,
count one. Breathe in, breathe out, count two. Count up to
five, then start over.
For someone who has never attempted an exercise like this, it can
be challenging. Your thoughts may wander. You may think to
yourself "This is silly!" and want to stop practicing and instead keep
reading to uncover an explanation. But if you gently turn your
attention back to counting breaths, and let those other thoughts,
feehngs and sensations float away, you will begin to nudge your
consciousness in a new direction — a mystical direction. So even if
you feel such an exercise might be pointless, give it a whirl before
reading any further. One final note: several of my students report
that rhythmic sounds (Shamanic drumming, a licking clock, their
own heartbeat) assist and support this approach to mental
discipline. This may enhance your experience as well.
I - CULTIVATING A NEW WAY OF SEEING
Mysticism asserts that there is a seldom-used faculty available to all
of us, one that some consider independent of our ordinary senses,
emotions and rational thought. It is an expansive type of
perception-cognition, evidenced in nearly every spiritual tradition,
which provides hohstic and dynamic insight into personal and
universal truths. Sounds pretty heady, doesn't it? To further
complicate things, because the information we receive through this
faculty is often paradoxical, inexpressible, and inaccessible by any
other means, it has sometimes been labeled esoteric, magickal or
otherworldly. But it is nonetheless available to most everyone
through conscious effort. Different belief systems describe this
mystical awareness in different ways: "penetrating the veil of
illusion," "experiencing an ultimate reality," "tasting the divine,"
"submerging ourselves in non-being," "wordless rapture," "entering
perfect stillness," and so on. And although each of these could be a
distinctly separate experience, our imperfect language has trouble
nailing any of them down succinctly. So here I have grouped all
types of mystical awareness under a broad umbrella of spiritual
cognizance - perhaps because I tend to spiritualize the language of
mysticism, but also because this type of perception -cognition has
been fairly resistant to categorization.
There are a number of different methods to stimulate spiritual
cognizance, each uniquely suited to diverse personalities, cultural
values and life experiences. These mystic activators may fall into
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different categories, but all of them are designed with one end in
mind: to suspend habitual thought processes - and the constant
stream of input our physical senses provide - in order to induce a
spiritually receptive being. Through modes of practice apposite to
our personal tendencies and current phase of personal development,
we can free our minds and hearts and nurture ourselves on many
levels. Some mystic activators reform consciousness with rigorous
concentration or repetition. Others are a deliberate supersatu ration
or overstimulation of our psyche to trigger alternative states that
transcend self-absorption. Still other techniques gradually reduce
or order the content of our thoughts and feelings until a quiescent
stillness blossoms. All of these methods require explicit qualities of
self- discipline and deliberate intention.
What awaits us at the end of these differing paths? A mystical
union; a dissolving of Self in All; a vulnerable intimacy with the
Sacred; a direct experience of infinite interconnectedness; a nondual
consciousness we could call a gnosis of the Absolute. I use the term
gnosis because I view this process as a sort of intuitive apprehension
of All That Is, including nothingness. And although there are many
intermediate experiences full of colorful and compelling content —
many transitions into that ultimate intuition - the end state is
completely empty of any constructs, differentiation, sensory input,
emotional intensity or self-referential cognition. It is, rather, a state
of awareness without an observer and without an object, while at
the same time rich with meaning and import for our own well-being
and the evolution of the Whole. In one way, it is a re-creation of
the non-being from which all things originate, and from which we
can create infinite possibilities. For me, gnosis has defined what it
means to be "spiritual."
What about meditation? It is frequently a part of mystical practice,
but it is a misunderstanding to equate the two. Meditation is one
avenue of mental training, but what is so vitally important in all
schools of mysticism is an ability to channel internal and external
stimuli - however that can be achieved. If we are forever being
overwhelmed by reactive emotions, by physical urges and appetites,
by the obsessive cycling of our own thoughts, or by anything
peripheral to inner quietude, we will have trouble remaining
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sensitive to subtler input. Being preoccupied with the random, we
will seldom encounter our most extraordinary capacities and
precious inner wisdom. Being attached to the illusion of our
individuality and its sensorial experience of the moment, we will not
experience the unity of All Things.
For most of us, our corporeal form, with alt its complex chemistries
and vast capacity for receiving and generating all kinds of
information, tends to hold our immediate interest, always clamoring
for our attention. And we often reinforce and amplify this
clamoring by seeking to gratify our desires without a thought for the
broader context of our existence or the meaning of our lives.
Mystical practice is not about suppressing, coercing or forcing what
is happening inside or outside, but it recognizes that we are the
source of our own perception-cognition and of every want or whim
that demands our consideration. We are a fount of endless desires.
We can either shape this process actively or allow our environment
and habitual propensities to shape it for us. Mysticism encourages
us to remain perpetually conscious and awake, instead of relying on
impulse, momentum or conditioning. The mystic's way consists of
fully appreciating who we truly are, what we are doing here, and
why we make the choices we make.
The following are the four main categories of mystic activators
found among major mystical traditions. Each approach tends to
resonate with different people - or with the same person in different
stages of being - and is often designed to support a particular
underlying belief system.
■s Subtractive Meditation
Detaching from emotions, thoughts, and sensory experience in
order to restructure consciousness and make room for mystical
awareness. Often this is achieved through a systematic
disassociation of subject and object — Self from other, mind
from body, unconscious process from conscious process, being
from doing, this from that - which sets our consciousness free.
Sometimes, detachment is merely a byproduct of singular focus
2
SeeMjistfc Activators Comparison in the Appejidix for specific esainples
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or a merging of subject and object. Expanded perception-
cognition tends to be more incremental as a subtractive practice
deepens, though epiphanies can also be surprisingly sudden.
'S' Ecstatic Induction
Seeking to arouse a highly energized or blissful state that
actuates mystical insight. This is frequently devotional in
nature and usually employs physiological means of accelerating
the letting go of habituated consciousness. Ecstatic induction
can also result in what the ancient Greeks called mania,
"possession by deity," a form of trance where self-awareness is
greatly or entirely attenuated. Supersensory experiences tend to
be more sudden and extreme than with other techniques.
® Symbolic and Synchronistic Ritual
Procedures that are esoteric or symbolically abstracted,
sometimes associated with devotional worship and sometimes
not, which purposely invoke natural, energetic and/or spiritual
forces. Mystical awareness can be an unintentional byproduct
of these practices, or the goal. A key difference between this
and other activators is that such rituals usually invite external
agents or forces — which may or may not coincide with a
particular quality of internal effort - to help generate
transpersonal experience.
® The Perfection of Love
A refinement and intensity of love that reforms our awareness.
Once again, mystical perception-cognition is sometimes an
intended goal, and sometimes a side effect of the central
journey. The object and expression of love may vary: a deep
compassion for the suffering of others; or fen'ent devotion to a
transcendent presence; or intimate worship of deity. But the
nearly universal outcomes are a surrendering of personal ego,
new certainties and convictions (often imbued with a sense of
holiness or awe), an aligning of personal will with the object of
love, and a passionate desire to translate conviction into action.
A transformative union with the Sacred, however that is defined
by the tradition, is usually the primary objective of this path.
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r.Co/lJns Logan
As varied as these methods — and otir subjective perceptions of them
- may be, they all attempt to cultivate the same result: a letting go
of ordinary perception -cognition, and inviting an inner stillness that
makes room for spiritual cognizance. A new way of seeing.
Increasingly, my own mystic activator preference combines the
perfection of love with subtractive meditation. However, I believe it
is important to stimulate and nourish different aspects of Self
through ongoing exploration, and I fully expect that, over time,
other approaches will be better suited to different objectives or new
phases of my growth. We must all find our own way. Examples of
assorted mystic activators will follow each chapter, and a
comparison chart of activators found among various traditions is
available in the Appendix.
Transitions Through Gnosis
There is a commonly occurring sequence of sudden shifts in
awareness brought about by mystical practice. These Transitions
Through gnosis have three distinct traits, which are perhaps the
primary features of all spiritual cognizance: a riveting absorption in,
and appreciation of, the present moment; increasing clarity about
personal purpose and universal truths; and a radical departure from
previous understanding. A predictable progression of these
transitions suggests a peeling away of abstractions and a gradual
fi-eeing of the mind from its attachment to aesthetic and reasonable
appearances - especially regarding what initially seems to be
incredible or incomprehensible data. At first we might encounter
the mystical through emotions, as imagery, or even as physical
sensations. But eventually we experience an unmediated contact
that reforms all of our previous constructs or removes them
altogether. This progression is not rigid, and we should be careful
not to evaluate the quality of our mystical awareness as an
indication of spiritual achievement. In fact, the more sincere our
effort, the less meaning all comparison will hold for us.
Nevertheless, unless our practice culminates in a gnosis of the
Absolute, we have not reached even the beginning of the end of our
mystical journey.
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Here are some of the transitions through gnosis commonly
experienced by mystics of many different traditions:
Transporting Perceptions
® Journeying outside of the body in the physical realm or to
other planes of existence
® Communicating directly with other spiritual intelhgences
<a> Prophetic visions, inspirational voices, automatic writing, or
other forms of revelatory knowledge
Merging ofSelfivith Divine
® Complete openness and seamless union with a Sacred
Presence or Vital Continuum, often coinciding with a
fathomless embrace of transcendent love
® Pervasive joy beyond comprehension; a bliss exceeding our
capacity to contain it; an awakening of agape love-
consciousness, where unconditional adoration and
compassion for All Things consumes our being and directs
our will
■a Direct, unmitigated contact with the Divine Spark within
us - our transcendent nature, our True Self
Dissolution of Self
® Infinite awareness, expanding inward and outward,
incomprehensibly encompassing all time and space,
transfixed by a unity of existence that has no discrete
components or differentiating characteristics
® An awe-inspiring - and sometimes terrifying - submersion
in emptiness, nothingness, or a state of unknowing free of
all concepts, emotions or sensations, and ultimately devoid
of any self-conscious awareness
<a> A complete, unconditional surrender of Self to these unitive
states
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If we remain watchful, mindful and aware, diligently applying all
that we learn through mystical practice with intentions informed by
a broader purpose, we will eventually arrive at a holistic gnosis of
raw, unadorned reality and all its numinous truths. Then the most
dramatic transformations can begin, with irrefutable benefits to
ourselves and the world in which we live. If we resist applying what
we come to know, or otherwise avoid accountability to our newly
discovered inner Light, our mystical journey will be of little benefit
to anyone and we will become forgetful tourists in the land of Self.
So both intentionality and follow -thro ugh are crucial to viable
mysticism. But what might "spiritually profitable intentions" look
like? And what is a proposed broader purpose for the mystic? That
is what we will discuss in the following chapter.
Different Perspectives on a New Way of Seeing
At the end of each of the first four chapters, I have included
mystical writings that relate to that chapter's themes. You may find
them useful in enlarging or reinforcing your conception of mystical
experience and practice, and I encourage you to examine the source
material for further insights into the spiritual traditions from which
they arose. Compare them, meditate on them, and see if you can
catch a glimpse of the common ground they share. Please note that
I have included the translators in parenthesis wherever possible.
"For to understand is to believe, but not to believe is not to
understand. My speech or words do not reach the Truth, but the
mind is great, and being guided for a while by speech, it is
eventually able to attain the Truth,"
- Corpus Hermeticum
"The perception of the divine omnipresence is essentially a seeing, a
taste, that is to say a sort of intuition bearing upon certain superior
qualities in things. It cannot, therefore, be attained directly by any
process of reasoning, nor by any human artifice, "
- Teilhard de Chardin
II
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"For some people, depending on their personal conditioning and
history, this process may go smoothly, and the release is slow. For
others, it comes in waves, enormotis emotional waves. It's like a
dam that bursts. We fear being flooded and overwhelmed. It's as
thotigh we've walled off part of the ocean, and when the dam breaks
the water just rejoins that which it truly is; and it's relieved because
now it can flow with the current and the vastness of the ocean."
- Charlotte Joko Beck
"Intellect is good and desirable to the extent it brings you to the
King's door. Once you have reached His door, then divorce the
intellect. . .You have no business with the how and wherefore.
Know that the intellect's cleverness all belongs to the vestibule.
Even if it possesses the knowledge of Plato, it is still outside the
palace."
- Jelaluddin Rumi {WiUiam C. Chittick)
"The hearing of the spirit is not limited to any one faculty, to the
ear, or to the mind. Hence it demands the emptiness of all the
faculties. And when the faculties are empty, then the whole being
listens. Then there is a direct grasp of what is right there before you
that can never be heard with the ear or understood with the mind."
- Chuang Tzu (Thomas Merton)
"One day it dawned on me that man cannot attain to perfection by
learning alone, I understood what is told of our father Abraham;
that he explored the sun, the moon, and the stars, and did not find
God, and how, in this very not-finding, the presence of God was
revealed to him. For three months I mulled over this realization.
Then I explored until I too reached the truth of not-finding."
- Yaakov Yitzhak of Pzhysha (Martin Buber)
"Self-knowledge is not gained by explanations and descriptions, or
by the instructions of others. At all times, everything is known only
through direct experience."
— Vasishtha (Swami Venkatesananda)
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"The first step in awakening to your inner life and to the depth and
promise of your soHtude would be to consider yourself for a little
while as a stranger to your own deepest depths. To decide to view
yourself as a complete stranger, someone who has just stepped
ashore in your life, is a liberating exercise. This meditation helps
break the numbing stranglehold of complacency and familiarity.
Gradually, you begin to sense the mystery and magic of yourself."
- John O'Donohue
Concept Affinity: Mystic Activation
As part of evaluating different perspectives, I am also including
specific terms from a small sampling of spiritual traditions. It is
important to remember that many of these terms have multiple or
layered meanings, often within the same tradition and nearly always
when similar words are used in different traditions. In most
instances the spelling supplied here is the more common English
rendering; in the case of Chinese characters I provide pinyin and
some alternate spellings. For additional examples and clarification,
a regularly updated version of this chart including foreign language
characters is available at www.searchforclarity.com.
How we understand new concepts is less about concise definitions
and more about the vocabulary of our personal experience and our
current state of mind. In researching ideas from different mystical
systems that have similar qualities, themes or overlapping functions,
I encourage you to come to your own conclusions. Is the mystical
process universal? Do the same underlying structures support what
seem on the surface to be competing concepts? Only life-long
immersion in a given practice can reveal the subtle nuances of
system-specific language, and we must be careful to avoid
homogenizing or haphazardly syncretizing. But as we continue to
explore these ideas, they can help us interpret our own ineffable
experiences and better harness a distinctly mystical flavor of
knowledge.
What follow, then, are examples of mystic activators and their
approximate transitions through gnosis within each tradition,
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Zen
Buddhism
Christian
Mystic is tn
Kabbalah
Sufism
Taoism
Kundalini
Yoga
Shikantaza
Contemplative
Prayer
(Theoria/
Contempladol
Hittiorenut
Dhikr
Itlusliahada
(tilcrocosmlc
Orbit
(Hsiao Chou
Tien)
Kriyas
(Mudras
El
Bandhas)
•l-
Oharana
]oriki
Kerosis
Chochmah
Eirah
Da'at
(Yichuda
Tata'Ahl
Fana'
Xrn Zhal
Dhyana
Kensho
Satori
Illumination &
Gnosis Kardias
(Gnosis)
l^a'rifa
'Irfan
(Kuan)
Guan
Shen Ming
Aparoksha
Anubhjtl
Nirodt)a
Clojdof
Unknowing
(ApophaDcl
Ayir
(Bitull
Fana'
al-Fana'
Wu
Shunyata
Nirvana
Jnio Mystica
(Henosis)
Devekut
(Vicliuda
ila'Ahl
'Ayn
al-| am
(Tao)
Dao
ParashakD
(Savlkalpa
Samadhi)
Unmanifest
Godhead
E in Soph
Wara
u'l-Wara
Nirgura
Brahman
(NIn/ikalpa
Samadhi)
Sampfe Mystic Activators
And now some simple - but not so simple - practice activators. If
you haven't already tried the "counting breaths" exercise at the end
of the Preface, I suggest working with that first to strengthen your
concentration. Also, you can always return to counting your
breaths if you find yourself getting lost in any of the more complex
activators.
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Gratitude Meditation
1 . Objective: Between 1 5 and 75 mintites of continiiotis
meditation each day. If you can, insulate this with a buffer of
five minutes before and after so it never feels rushed, and so you
have time to reflect on your experiences.
2. Find a quiet place to sit and relax, and begin your meditation
with an inner commitment to a broader goal than just personal
edification, i.e. "May this be for the good of All."
3. Relax every part of your body. Start with your hands and feet —
perhaps moving them or shaking them a little to release tension
— then your arms and legs, then your torso, head and neck.
4. Breathe deeply and evenly into your stomach, preferably in
through the nose and out through the mouth, so that your
shoulders remain still but your stomach "inflates." Practice this
until you are comfortable with it.
5 . In the middle of your chest, just above and behind your
sternum, gradually fill your heart with gratitude. It need not be
directed at anything or anyone, but you could shape this as an
offering to the Source of Life, or Nature, or deity, or simply to
the present moment.
6. Begin with a small point of feeling, and allow it to slowly spread
with each breath until it fills your whole being. For some, it
may be helpful to visualize this spreading gratitude as light
emanating from a point in the center of the chest. Maintain
this state for as long as you can,
7. As other images, sensations, feelings, or thoughts arise, let them
go and return to your offering of gratitude.
8. If you become disquieted, uncomfortable, jittery, or severely
disoriented, try to relax through it. If the sensations persist or
become extreme, cease all meditation for the day,
9. Give yourself space after your meditation to process what you
have experienced. Just be with what has happened without
judgment or a sense of conclusion.
For some, this exercise will be easy. For others, nigh unto
impossible. Don't worry — both success and failure are meaningless.
Neither proves anything, or guarantees or denies eventual gnosis of
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Essential Mysticisni
the Absolute. Remember that, especially in the beginning, practice
is more about learning to let go of old habits than creating special
consciousness. Epiphanies can't be forced, but we can eventually
condition our mind, heart and spirit to become more inviting for
them.
Stimulating Intuition — Wandering
Along similar lines of experimentation, also try the following
exercise to stimulate your intuition.
Go for a walk in a place unfamiliar to you, without a clear
destination or time limit. Begin by deciding which way to go - left,
right or straight - without a logical or a deliberate objective.
Instead, try to feel your way through each change in direction,
noting the sensations in your solar plexus or middle diaphragm as
you consider which way to go. Do you feel a lifting, freeing
sensation for one option? Try going in that direction. Do you feel a
clenching sensation? Try avoiding that direction. See what
happens. At some point you may lose your sense of place and time
altogether - that's great! If this happens, can you follow your
internal promptings back to where you began. . . ?
Daily Reflections
Another approach to interior discipline is to reflect in a structured
way on concepts that that commonly fall within mystical experience,
or that frequently surface in mystical writings. To this end, I have
provided a list of daily reflections on pages 49-50, Because these
can accompany other activities, they may be a helpful starting point
for some. Pick two or three at random that appeal to you, copy
them down to take with you, and try the "Just for Today" reflective
practice on for size. Throughout the day, speak them aloud or
silently as questions, as affirmations, as declarations. Apply them
thoughtfully to your interactions and your responses in each new
situation. Try to feel each of them in your heart as a hope, as a
desire, as a belief, and as an acceptance of what already is.
16
V-"-. , -
1 - REFINING INTENTIONS
I cannot emphasize enough that actuating spiritual cognizance and
encountering a gnosis of the Absolute without concurrently
developing the most beneficial of intentions can have
counterproductive, sometimes even disastrous consequences.
Questing after knowledge, trying to find inner peace, gaining
personal power or becoming a more compassionate agent of positive
change are all inadequate motivations. In mysticism such desires,
however impassioned, must be subordinated to an overarching
intention to align oneself with the "good of All," even if we are not
certain how that is defined. Mainly, this is so we become less
attached to personal enrichment and our own interpretations of
right and wrong, and more attentive to an all-inclusive
developmental process. Even if we suspect the good of All is
inevitable, or is destined to advance without our personal
contributions, couldn't we still enhance it through the focus of our
consciousness and will? The orientation that we can - and the
conviction that we must - is called the golden intention.
What is the good of All, then? In short, I believe it is the spiritual
evolution of the Universe itself. But what I believe is irrelevant, and
you should discover any shared understanding through your own
mystical journey. The key is trusting that the good of All is
possible, and that we can in fact bind ourselves to it. We may never
grasp the entire picture as it relates to our current actions — though
spiritual cognizance will of course help us in this regard — but if we
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Essential Mysticisni
discipline our hearts to sincerely desire what is best for All Things,
including ourselves, then it does not matter if we are certain of any
specific direction or outcome. In fact, mysticism tends to discard
moralizing and deierminacy in favor of personal integrity with a
simple principle: to develop as our first priority the habit of
acquiescing to a higher nature, and thereby enter a flow of personal
directedness supported by the Universe itself. In a way this is an
article of faith, but it is a necessary one evident in all branches of
mysticism, and it grounds our spiritual practice.
As to what the golden intention looks like for us individually, that is
also for each of us to discover. However, there is more agreement
than disagreement among mystical teachings about some of its
critical features. These include:
® A letting go of ego, our compulsion to control externals,
and any attachment to outcomes
® A sincere and generous wish for the well-being of others,
with all our wants either inspired or managed by
unconditional love -consciousness
<a> A passion for spiritual truth that is equally generous,
unassuming, and ego-free; a heart that humbly thirsts to
know why we are here and then act in accord with that
purpose
® Persisting gratitude and celebration in every situation
The ego focuses our will on our most inconsequential desires,
forever striving to hold onto whatever seems to have the highest
immediate attraction, but which often has the lowest long-term
value. The golden intention trains us to firee ourselves from ego.
When we are perpetually filled to overflowing with thankfulness and
loving kindness, diligently centered on the well-being of others and
the positive evolution of the Whole (remembering that all actions
should coincide with our own nourishment and peace), we will
always be acting from a place of efficacy and noble purpose. Thus
we ultimately come to experience the harmony of Self-in-All and are
completely fulfilled. This does not mean the intended
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r.Co/lJns Logan
consequences of our actions are guaranteed, or that we should not
try to be wise and discerning in our choices, but it can be reUably
observed that having such clear and sincere intentions integrates us
into the unstoppable forces of good in the Universe.
Once again, this is about replacing unconscious and externally
conditioned habits with consciously generated patterns. But here,
instead of restructuring mental or perceptual processes with the
objective of mystical awareness, we are changing our motivational
orientation to the world around us. The I/me/mine fixation of
childish egocentrism is relinquished in favor of selflessness,
continually and dynamically redefined according to new mystical
information. Through mystic activation, this information is
personal, private and as perfectly suited to our current stage of
being as it is Universal in nature. As we look within, the world
without clarifies itself.
What are the negative consequences of not refining our intentions?
At the least, we will certainly inhibit our own evolution, wellness,
and happiness. At the worst we may cripple or injure ourselves,
inadvertently antagonize the well-being of others, or even reinforce
influences in the world that are disruptive to the progress of the
Whole, It is not at all wise to activate the mystical without the
golden intention. How could we handle an encounter with the
Infinite without first refocusing our hearts? It would be like a
person of average means being given unlimited funds without any
explanation or a plan to manage such wealth. At first it might seem
exciting and freeing, but it would quickly become a burden and a
stress, and ultimately induce either self- destructive arrogance or
angst. With the humility inherent to the golden intention, there is
little opportunity for prideful self-deceit, and with the good of All
informing every action and reaction, there is no room for distress or
despair, but only compassionate conviction and joyful contentment
that surpass all understanding.
This is likely the reason why most spiritual traditions encourage
retraining the heart as part of their central disciplines. An
advantage for the mystic is that daily emersion in spiritual
cognizance naturally reinforces a compassionate worldview. Still,
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Essential Mysticisni
the farther I travel into the mystic's realm, the more I must remind
myself what is important, and set aside childish impulses to gratify
desires without the good of All in mind.
Different Perspectives on Repning Intentions
"The heart is a vessel that cannot remain empty. As soon as you
have emptied it of all those transitory things you loved so
inordinately, it is filled... with gentle heavenly divine love that brings
you to the water of grace."
— St. Catherine of Siena
"People sometimes go mad from doing Zen meditation. This may
happen when some perception or understanding arises through
meditation, and the practitioner becomes conceited about it. It may
also happen when the practitioner has unsolved psychological
problems. Then again, it can happen through excessive physical
and mental strain due to greedy haste to attain enlightenment."
- Muso Kokushi (Thomas Cleary)
"A person who has given up all desires for sense gratification, who
lives free from desires, who has given up all sense of ownership and
is devoid of false ego.,,only this person can attain lasting peace."
- Bhagavad Gila (Eknath Easwaran)
"The sky gave me its heart because it knew mine was not large
enough to care for the earth the way it did."
— Rabia (Daniel Ladinsky)
"The mind is seeking security, permanency; it is moved by a desire
to be safe, and can such a mind be free to find out what is true? To
find out what is true, must not the mind let go of its beliefs, put
away its desire to be secure?"
— J. Krishnamurti
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"People waste energy defining which state they are in, as if
consciousness were a cosmic grammar school in which third-graders
were entitled to look down on kindei^artners. The point is not
what level we are on, but what we are learning."
- Starhawk
"For those who have not experienced this, consider our earthly
longings and the joy of winning what we most desire. Remember
that the objects of that earthly love are perishable and injurious - it
is a love of imitations. It goes awry because we were mistaken; our
good wasn't here and this wasn't what we truly sought. But Beyond
is the true object of our love, where we can hold it and be with it
and truly possess it, because we are no longer separated from it by
flesh...."
— Plotinus
"I am always fearful of being more clever than devout. I would
rather be devout than clever, but more than both devout and clever,
I would like to be good."
- Rabbi Pinhas
"Oh Great Spirit. ..Make my hands respect the things You have
made, my ears sharp to hear Your voice. Make me wise so that I
may know the things You have taught my people, the lesson You
have hidden in every leaf and rock, I seek strength not to be greater
than my brother, but to fight my greatest enemy, myself."
- Chief Yellow Lark
Concept Affinity: Disciplined Intention
Zen
Buddliism
Christian
Mysticism
Kabbalah Sufism
Taoism
Kundaiini
Yoga
Samma
Sankappa
Mimesis
Kavannah
Muraquba
WuWei
Vairagya
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Essential Mysticisni
Sampfe Mystic Activators
Here are additional sample activators that may resonate more with
one person than another. Try them once a day for a few weeks and
see what works for voti.
"Who Am I Right Now?" Self-Inquiry
1. Objective: Between 15 and 75 minutes of continuous
meditation each day. If you can, insulate this with a buffer of
five minutes before and after so it never feels rushed, and so you
have time to reflect on your experiences.
2. Find a quiet place to sit and relax, and begin your meditation
with an inner commitment to the golden intention, i.e. "May
this be for the good of All."
3. Relax every part of your body. Start with your hands and feet -
perhaps moving them or shaking them a little to release tension
- then your arms and legs, then your torso, head and neck.
4. Breathe deeply and evenly into your stomach, preferably in
through the nose and out through the mouth, so that your
shoulders remain still but your stomach "inflates," Practice this
until you are comfortable with it.
5. With your mind's eye centered in the middle of your chest, just
above and behind your sternum, silently ask yourself "Who am
I right now?" As words, images, feelings or experiences arise
within you, create space for them in your mind and heart
without judgment or analysis, and just rest in them for a
moment. What arises may reflect the past, the present, or a
desired future. If nothing happens at first, simply keep
breathing and ask again, perhaps changing the emphasis on
each word, as in: "Who am / right now?"
6. After you have rested in each event a while, let it go. That is,
release any attachment or certainty you might have about these
private thoughts, and gently set them aside. Avoid forcibly
rejecting or denying what you find, but allow it to be
deliberately tenuous, questionable, optional. You might resist
wanting to let go of what you find. Nevertheless, it is important
to release all that you encounter — try breathing it out with your
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r.Co/lJns Logan
exhale. Comfortable in your uncertainty, enlarge the question
by emphasizing other words, such as: "Who am I right now?"
7. Repeat the cycle of questioning, acknowledging without
judgment, and letting go. If anything resurfaces repeatedly, try
confronting it by asking "Why?" Rest in the response you
receive to this question just as you rested in your previous
inquiry, and then let that go as well. Continue questioning with
new emphasis: " Who am I right now?"
8. If you become disquieted, uncomfortable, jittery, or severely
disoriented, try to relax through it. If uncomfortable sensations
persist or become extreme, cease all meditation for the day.
9. Give yourself space after your meditation to process what you
have experienced. Just be with what has happened without
judgment or a sense of conclusion.
Stimulating Intuition — Inner Guide
In a quiet place, visualize an imaginary person in your mind. Be as
detailed as possible with your visualization of them — their features,
their clothing, the place where they are, any activities they are
doing, and so on. Get comfortable with this image until it seems to
have a life of its own. Now imagine this person pausing in their
activities, turning towards you and speaking to you. There doesn't
have to be specific topic of conversation, just let them speak or
remain silent, as they will. Notice all the emotions you are feeling.
Notice how the person looks at you and interacts with you. If they
speak, can you understand what they are saying? Do they even
speak your language? Or do you perhaps understand the meaning
they seem to be conveying, regardless? If you sense a connection or
an ability to communicate, try asking this person a question and
carefully consider their answer. If some pressing issue is on your
mind, ask them for advice. Try to receive their response with
openness and optimism. Then thank them for their time and reflect
on your experience.
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Essential Mysticisni
Daily Reflections
Consider copying or memorizing a new set of two or three Just for
Today reflections from the hst on pages 49-50. This time, however,
choose some that either don't make immediate sense to you, or
which you perhaps find difficult to accept on some level. By
strengthening our relationship with concepts that challenge habitual
thinking, we can stretch and reshape our awareness in ways that
welcome spiritual cognizance. Let each idea fill you up - as a
sound, as a color of light, as a sensation of warmth. Flood your
body, mind and spirit with new possibilities, s
24
3 -TRANSFORMING IDENTITY
Once we have begun to discipline our mind and set our
consciousness free, while at the same time redirecting the
inclinations of our heart, a change occurs in how we view the
Universe, other people and ourselves. Initially, this process will
challenge many of the underlying behefs, values and assumptions
we have accumulated during our lives. It will also introduce new
elements into our character, begin to alter priorities in our day-to-
day existence, and augment many of our overall life goals with
additional purpose. What eventually occurs over the course of
ongoing practice is a synthesis - or perhaps more accurately an
unveiling - of a completely new identity.
What is this identity? In the most general sense, it reflects the
height of mystical experience itself: a dissolution of the individual
in the All, a surrender of personal ego into deepest connection with
an underlying reahty. Here we let go of the various personas we
have constructed since childhood - external masks of Self we have
used to interact with the world - so that we rest easily in our True
Self, that kernel of being we might call a soul or Divine Spark.
From one perspective, we align our spirit with the Spirit of All; from
another, the unitive spirit possesses us completely. And so we
identify Self with the Whole, aborting any defense of personal
distinctiveness, to navigate an integral perception of each moment
from a persistently nondual consciousness. There is neither this.
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Essential Mysticisni
nor that, but only undifferentiated unity. But what distinguishes
this transformation of identity from the mystical merging we have
experienced through progressive awakenings? We now entirely
embrace and become what we encountered during those peak
moments. We occupy and express a gnosis of the Absolute with
every breath, interacting with all things from an authentic center -
rather than from a distant, irregular orbit around that center. First
we come to know our own soul; then we learn to dwell in it and
illuminate our way with its magnificent Light.
Of course, this kind of transcendental, transpersonal self-realization
is not necessarily easy to achieve or endure. Facing the Infinite can
be disorienting. Releasing our previous sense of Self can be
frightening. Exposing every corner of our consciousness to utter
emptiness is far easier to ignore or reject than to joyfully embrace.
Nor is any of this an all-or-nothing proposition, as there are both
intermediate stages of a Universe -in elusive Self and the natural ebb
and flow of our mystic discipline. In the Vital Mystic, I describe this
as a physiological/experiential/spiritual balancing act, where at any
given time one part of our makeup may dominate our being. Over
time, we can learn to relax into a unified state and an existence that
harmonizes everything within and without. So wherever we are in
this process, our identity is subject to constant renewal. We can
direct that renewal purposely, or risk having it tossed about on the
ocean of experience without a clear idea of what we are doing here.
Another way to describe this re-identifi cation process is as a
successive death and rebirth of Self. This ongoing series of personal
losses and recoveries is not just a figurative explanation of personal
evolution, but a very real and sometimes painful freeing from
previous identities, assumptions and modes of operation. For the
mystic this is also not something that merely happens to us; we are
not passive receptors of life-changing experience, but willing and
rigorously self-aware participants. Even so, there can still be grief
over sacrificing famihar self- justifications and coping mechanisms,
and to whatever extent we hold onto that grief or resist accepting
our new liberty and power, the more we will suffer even as we grow.
^ SeePyramid of Self intineApp&ic&x
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r.Co/lJns Logan
Each loss builds on the foundation of previous stages of
development, supporting the next layer of Self through new means
of perception, motivation and self-reliance. With everj' mystical
resurrection, we liberate ourselves from attachments and
dependencies that have previously dictated our hfe's course and
purpose. At first we might let go of animalistic impulses and purely
emotional reasoning; then rationalist rigidity and experiential
conditioning; then the limitations of past intuitions and epiphanies;
and ever onward. Ultimately, we will even rehnquish any
attachment to nondual consciousness and a gnosis of the Absolute.
In fact, nearly everything that we once considered a worthwhile goal
or endpoint for our journey will become just another bend in the
road, a false peak in our hike up the mountain of self-realization.
Not surprisingly, as we start activating mystical perception-
cognition, this progress is echoed in transitions through gnosis. Our
expanding awareness keeps introducing us to a potential "next self,"
so that we can begin weighing the costs and benefits of each
transition before actually committing to change. Our successive
stages of being also parallel this course. Increasingly, we encounter
patterns of continuous emancipation and reinvention nearly
everywhere while engaging our surroundings with a mystical eye.
The chart on the following page attempts to capture some of these
correlations as they relate to common phases of the mystic's way.
But what does all this mean? It means we are not selfish anymore.
It means we have shifted the central reference of our consciousness
away from I/me/mine to the Whole of Creation, It means we no
longer crave control over external situations or the fulfillment of any
want, because we inhabit the essence of everything we ever could
want. It means we are deeply in love with the All, even as we cease
discriminating our Self from that All, It means we have let go
entirely, and thus serendipitously come to possess the only thing
worth having. It means we embody peaceful equilibrium,
directedness, joy, perfected intention, and the power of
transformation in an entirely new way of being. And then. ..our
comprehension is enlarged once more. Growth never ends.
See pa^s 55-61 in the Apfdications and Consequences ch^:to
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Essential Mysticisni
Phases of the Mystic's Way
Pyramid
of Self
Stages
of
Being
Correlating Phases of a Mystical Journey
Physiological
Animal,
Emotional
& Rational
Stages
1-2
Initial suspicion of there being 'moretfian meets tfie eye" about our
existence. Curiosity, often cfiaracterized as spiritual tfilrst leading to
tfie first eKploration and Inslgfit Into transcendent experience.
Experientiai
Instinctive,
Sagaciojs &
Intuitive
Stagti
3-4
First momentous encounter with spiritual forces, otfier realms of
existence, ortfie wisdom of our own soul, and a resiJting
"awakening" to- or confimiation of - an awe-inspiring vastness
beyond comprehension. For some the Divine, for others the Eternal,
the Infinite or the Void. After some initial doubt and resistance, our
"thirsT deepens.
Stages
S-7
An adoption of personal discipline to fijther develop sensitivity to,
and application of, spiritual cognizance in day-to-day life. This
almost always manifests as improved management of emotions
1 relinquishing fears and compulsions, for example), freeing ourselves
from attachments, desires and expectations, and expanding and
sharpening our watchfiJness - our "contemplative attention." Like
any birthing process, howewer, there can be considerable emotional
and existendal distress involved as we leave our 'pre-integrated Self"
behind.
Spintuai
Shared
Under-
standing,
Moments of
Epiphany &
Mystical
Awareness
Stages
8-9
The first fruits of disciplined effori:: a noticeable improvement in self -
awareness; greatiy clarified thought a better understanding of
spiritually heaittr/ objectives and processes; overall humility; and
increasing ease and congruity to all choices. A more transparent
access to intuition and the shared urKlerstanding of the Universe,
and pro^essively deepening epiphanies or 'moments of awakening."
Stages
10-11
An unconditional commitment to love: that is, compassion without
boundaries or expectations; a true blossoming of agape love-
consciousness from the soul. Peri'ection of the golden intention and
freedom from ego. A resulting fluidity of action and positive
outcomes, and continued strengthening of wisdom. This is often the
natural segue to exploring more advanced m/stical practces {see
M'^ticActii/atDis).
Stoge
12
A surprisingly easy letling-go of Selfhood. Ongoing exploration of an
ever-changing ni/sticai horizon. The first taste of true spiritual
freedom (from confining concepts, attachments and desiresl. A
profound understarxing that surpasses words or ideas; a spiritual
knowledge dwarfing intellectual apprehension. A gnosis of the
Absolute, resulting in a complete reorganization of reality and a
whole new orientation of consciousness. A glimpse of the
harmonized existence that resiJts from persistent mystical practice.
Stoge
13
The continually expanding consequences of living in hamnonized
existence with our spiritual nature, gnosis of the Absolute, and the
Source of Life at all times. Among these are a more spacious
comprehension and actuation of agape from moment to moment
reinforced clarity of purpose, a profound sense of tranquilit/ that
subordnates all concerns, and a greatiy simplified life-approach.
Divine
Spark or
"True Self
Stoge
14
Dissolving into the Divine Sparl;, the Sacred Center of our soul,
where we no longer sense, or feel, or know, but are forever teiry
and becoming. This is truly beyond words, but could be described
as: "entering into the ultimate realit/ behind all that is," or "letting go
of all concepts and differentiation to inhabit the essence of what
remains."
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Different Perspectives on Transforming Identity
"I came to realize that mind is no other than mountains and rivers
and the great wide earth, the sun and the moon and the stars."
— Dogen
"And thou who thinkest to seek for me, know thy seeking and
yearning shall not avail thee unless thou knowest the mystery: that
if that which thou seekest thou findest not within thee, then thou
wilt never find it without thee. For behold, I have been with thee
from the beginning; and I am that which is attained at the end of
desire."
-A Witches' Bible
"Life evolves out of Matter, Mind out of Life, because they are
already involved there: Matter is a form of veiled Life, Life a form
of veiled Mind. May not Mind be a form and veil of a higher
power, the Spirit, which would be supramental in its nature? Man's
highest aspiration would then only indicate the gradual unveiling of
the Spirit within, the preparation of a higher life upon earth "
- Sri Aurobindo
"That a quest there is, and an end, is the single secret spoken. Under
one symbol or another, the need of that long slow process of
transcendence, of character building, whereby she is to attain
freedom, become capable of living upon high levels of reality, is
present in her consciousness. Those in whom this growth is not set
going are no mystics. ..however great their temporary illumination
may have been."
- Evelyn Underhill
"Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by
itself alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit."
— Gospel of John
"We realize that nothing belongs to us truly, we can only care for it
while it lasts. We also experience that we do not have a solid,
separate identity. We are a flow of conditions. We are made up of
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Essential Mysticisni
all our genes, history, social conditioning, etc. Who are we but a
bundle of aggregates and fluctuations? We cannot identify with our
feehngs, our thoughts, our possessions. They all come and go.
They rise upon certain circumstances, stay a while and disappear."
— Martine Batcheior
"Meditation speeds up evolution. It accelerates the remembering
and the re-discovery of the Spirit that you eternally are. Meditation
quickens the rate that acorns grow into oaks, that humans grow into
God."
- Ken Wilber
"You are never alone because you are full of memories, all the
conditioning, all the mutterings of yesterday; your mind is never
clear of all the rubbish it has accumulated. To be alone you must
die to the past In this solitude you will begin to understand the
necessity of living with yourself as you are, not as you think you
should be or as you have been."
— J. Krishnamurti
"I could not lie anymore so I started to call my dog 'God.' First he
looked confused, then he started smiling, then he even danced. I
kept at it: now he doesn't even bite, I am wondering if this might
work on people?"
— Tukaram (Daniel Ladinsky)
Concept Affinity: New Modes of Self
Zen
Buddhism
Cliristian
Mysticism
Kabbalali
Sufism
Taoism
Kundalini
Yoga
Mujodo No
Taigen
Theosis
Fruit ofttieSpifit
Netzach
Hod
Yesod
Baqa'
bi Allah
WuWei
Svadliarma
Bodhisattva
Sainltiood
T?addik
Awliya'
Allah
Sheng Ren
Puma Yogi
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Sample Mystic Activators
Mantra Meditation - Part One
1 . Objective: Between 1 5 and 75 minutes of continuous
meditation each day. If you can, insulate this with a buffer of
five minutes before and after.
2. Find a quiet place to sit and relax, and begin your meditation
with an inner commitment to the golden intention, i.e. "May
this be for the good of All."
3. Relax every part of your body. Start with your hands and feet —
perhaps moving them or shaking them a little to release tension
— then your arms and legs, then your torso, head and neck.
4. Breathe deeply and evenly into your stomach, preferably
through the nose, so that your shoulders remain still but your
stomach "inflates." Practice this until you are comfortable with
it.
5. Begin the "four-fold" breath - that is: breathe in slowly, hold
for the length of a breath, breathe out slowly, rest for the length
of a breath.
6. On the inhale, say the first part of the mantra "I am myself
with your internal voice. During the held breath, hold this
thought as well and let it fill you; let it permeate your being with
acceptance and certaintv-
7. On the exhale, say the second part of the mantra "alone in AH"
with your internal voice. During the rest period, relax into this
thought.
8. As images, sensations, feelings, or thoughts arise, let them go
and return to the mantra.
9. If you become disquieted, uncomfortable, jittery, or severely
disoriented, try to relax through it. If uncomfortable sensations
persist or become extreme, cease all meditation for the day,
10. Give yourself space after your meditation to process what you
have experienced. Just be with what has happened without
judgment or a sense of conclusion.
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Stimulating Intuition —Journaling
Journaling connects us with our thoughts and emotions in a way
that can be both fun and intense. To spend a half-hour each day
writing about our hfe - the reactions and reflections of our day-to-
day existence, or just the random cogitations and images that
appear in our mind - peels the onion of our experience down to its
core, so that with each new sentence we come closer to our personal
truths, I am always surprised by what springs forth when I write, as
if I am having a conversation with someone I thought I knew very
well, but find they are sharing things I never would have expected.
This kind of revelation can be achieved with any creative self-
expression.
Daily Reflections
Perusing the list on pages 49-50, can you find some Just for Today
reflections that contradict each other? If you can identify a group of
seemingly incongruent ideas, begin to incorporate as many of these
concepts as possible into a daily routine. Allow them adequate
space in your mind and heart to coexist despite apparent
opposition. Notice what happens to these ideas - and your own
thought process - when you allow them to peacefully coexist within
you.
As you begin integrating all the Just for Today concepts, avoid
letting your reflection become an empty habit, a rote exercise.
Change the order of recitation. Try breathing in each idea, then
breathing them out. Take time to reconsider each phrase, weigh
each word, and understand each principle on an emotional, spiritual
and practical level. The more you allow these themes to indwell
you - and the more you allow yourself to dwell in the present
moment of alert consideration - the more this practice will come
alive for you.
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4 - H ARM O N IZ IN G ACTION AND INTENTION
No matter how far along we are in our journey, we are always in for
a surprise. Our will - that is, the energy of volition, which we
generate each and every second - has a concrete effect in the
physical realm that can exceed our wildest imagination. Evidence
of this could be called "being in the flow," "synchronicity," "being
in tune," "staying on the path," or "creating our own reality."
These are often a direct result of the quality, clarity, and sincerity of
intentions in concert with the discipline of mind, heart, spirit and
will. As we observe such artifacts of will it is essential that we avoid
fixating on them to guide our way or affirm our beliefs, for that
would constitute attachment, distract us from our purpose, and
interfere with the mechanisms of fulfillment. In a way, the more
our intentions are manifested around us, the less we should
embrace their significance. Still, the hallmark of a true mystic is the
powerful materialization of the good of All in every thought, word
and deed - an uncanny harmonization of action and intention.
What is actually happening here? Are there spiritual intelligences at
work? Are there quantum agents ready to jump at the pure
intensity of our thoughts? Is there some psychic organ awakened
within us through mystical practice? As fascinating as these
questions are, they should be of less interest to us than our state of
mind and heart as we move forward. What matter most are
patience, humility, love, gratitude, compassion, mindfulness, and
perseverance. And something else: being able to maintain a
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neutrality of will. Like the mental stillness that precedes advanced
contemplative states, or the quiet plenitude of heart that sustains
the golden intention, or the calm certainty of being one with the All,
an ability to keep our will at rest is a necessary step along the
mystic's way. This is, to a lai^e degree, what governs the scope of
our conscious and unconscious impact in the world.
There are three prerequisites to harmonizing actions and intentions
in the most positive way, and they echo the first three core
disciplines of mysticism:
® A fearless openness and unhinging of our psyche in
connecting with our True Self through mystical perception-
cognition
® A relaxation of our own acquisitiveness, and a generosity of
spirit that intentionally aligns itself with the good of All
<a> An ability to remain humble, detached and without
expectation, and grateful all at the same time — a disposition
solidified by identifying our individual Self with the
transpersonal and transcendent
The fourth necessary quality is neutrality of will. This state is as
simple and difficult to describe or attain as mystical union. It is not
that we fervently desire something, or that we reject one possibility
in favor of another. It is that we sense the rightness of a clear
consequence through spiritual cognizance and relax into its
inevitability. It is hke having sincere acceptance and gratitude
about the now, and readily acknowledging the perfection of the
Universe with wonder in our hearts, then quietly offering our own
energy to the eternal celebration. Once again, it is a kind of letting
go, a condition born of our new identity where we surrender control
while remaining expansively aware. In this way, "action without
action" is easily understood, as are achievement through simply
being, the spontaneous fulfillment of desire, miraculous prayer, and
the nature of synchronicity. These are all facets of the same gem -
we must simply become that gem.
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We might call this process "wishing without wanting." I wish for
something I intuitively know benefits the good of All, even as it
nourishes me, bur I do not want h. That is, I do not yearn for it, I do
not feel I need it, and I do not believe that without my effort all
Light will cease to shine in this realm of existence. At the same
time, I am the Light, and the Light is me, and what I imagine for
myself and others is less a fantasy of what could be, and more a
natural transmutation of that Light into a dialogue of heart, mind
and action. I am that I am. It is that It is, and All That Happens is
a normative consequence of those conditions. Is there fate,
predetermination, or a life-contract that firames the borders of our
volition, just as mortality appears to frame our corporeal existence?
Perhaps these are temporary boundaries of Self, but if we maintain
the golden intention, persistent compassion, and gratitude for what
is. ..why does it matter? How could we ever be disappointed,
thwarted or misdirected if we have let go of ego and impetuous self-
gratification? This is how wishing without wanting works.
Lastly, it is also important to differentiate neutrality of will firom
both annihilation and subjugation of will — neither of which leads to
the same place. Many common artifacts of will are described in
more detail in the Appendix, but neutrality of will is what we should
be most concerned with, especially at the onset of mystical practice.
Here we are not suppressing desire, we are letting it go. We are not
forcing our mind in one direction or other, we are easing into a
receptive quiet. We are not stressfully striving toward some end, we
are being diligent and watchful and joyfully alive to ourselves as we
tune in to the wisdom of the Universe.
Ctilmination in a Peculiar Quality of Consciousness
As we fortify the four core disciplines of mysticism, we increasingly
give up our willfulness and tend less and less to react from ego,
needy emotion or other rudimentary impulses. Spiritual
cognizance, a passionate caring, and identification with the All
converge into a profound sense of harmony within and without.
This sense of harmony, in turn, leads to a peculiar quality of
consciousness. Among the chief characteristics of this
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consciousness are two things: a strong sense of centered ness amid
the varied forces tugging at our mind, heart spirit and will; and what
I would describe as a continuous spiritual dialogue with the Source
of Light and Life. Respectively, I call these the an of suspension and
praying without ceasing. In both cases, the internal shift is one of
relationship - in one case between the essence of Self and the
essence of the Universe, and the other between our intentional
mind and everything we perceive.
As with any relationship, mystical interdependencies flourish within
love, openness and reinforced connection. Likewise, most
difficulties arise when we are dishonest, stop listening, or place
egoistically distorted wants ahead of mutual nourishment. In
praying without ceasing, our being is therefore trustingly receptive
and infinitely giving. In the art of suspension, our interior
landscape rests in permeable stillness, devoid of compulsion or
predisposition, and all directions of thought and action are
equidistant for us. And it does not matter how we choose to
conceive of our own being or the Source to strengthen these
relationships. We might believe our essence is composed of spirit,
or transmuted life force, or conscious energy, or biochemical
reactions, or an expression of the Soul. We might conceive of the
Source as Deity, Universal Essence, Vital Continuum or Infinite
Mystery. Such conceptions are trapped in the context of our
experience, and in all likehhood only dimly reflect the actuality.
But when we have tasted the Sacred through gnosis, and when our
spiritual intelligence is supported by a transformed identity, then we
no longer require specific behefs to immerse ourselves in miraculous
connection. We have discovered the wholly integrated One, and
engender separate ness only to facilitate the quality of
communication, life lessons, and development of character that
relationships provide.
In this way, a mystic suspends an increasingly potent intentional
mind in a web of widening possibilities, so that through careful
discernment we can always contribute to spiritually healthy
outcomes. And even in moments of greatest darkness, even when
we stumble and forget the nature of our interconnection, we remain
joined with the Source in an intimate, transparent conversation.
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Thus we are always able to invoke the perpetual orbital dance of
heart, mind, spirit and will that abides in stillness; or rather,
through stillness we recognize the holy dance that has always been
within us, and can joyfully gift our talents to its immanent purpose.
Risks and Benefits
Are there potentially negative outcomes if we are not careful with
our will? Assuredly there are, and thankfully we can learn from
them. For the artifacts of will we generate can certainly be
antagonistic to our well-being. We might make ourselves sick, or
manifest something spiritually antagonistic in our life, or
inadvertently sabotage ourselves in one or more of our goals. The
power of our will is such that fear, self-defeatism, low self-esteem,
confusion, delusion, and ego can undermine positive potential.
That is why learning how to moderate our will and guide it with
mindful, all-embracing love-consciousness is so important. That is
why we should remain carefully attentive to every whim of our
minds and every wish of our hearts.
Words tend to fall short when describing mystical realities, and as
with so many truths, experience is not just the best teacher, it is
really the only teacher. Otherwise, it is easy for our wonderfully
creative imaginations to delude us into thinking we know something
we do not. As Aldous Huxley put it, "knowledge is a function of
being," But at the heart of a neutral will is complete freedom —
from runaway desires, overconfident assertions, foolish expectations
and egotism. In the same way, a mystic who embraces the an of
suspension has an invaluable tool for their journey and a window
into future stages of being. Similarly, when praying without ceasing
arises, embryonic faith no longer smacks of artifice.
Are there measurable results from all of this? Absolutely, Instead
of pursuing wisdom, we live wisdom in every moment. Beyond
aligning ourselves with the good of All, we become the good of All.
More than being illumined, we illuminate everything around us.
Instead of loving, we become love. We are in fact setting aside
entire toolsets of preparatory spiritual thought and navigation, along
with every conclusion we embraced along our path until now, and
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entering into a freshly vulnerable unknown; an entirely new kind of
existence.
This concludes our discussion of the four core disciplines. Before
continuing on, I encourage you to revisit the exercises at the end of
chapters 1-4 to round out your understanding. The next section
covers additional practices designed to expand consciousness, relax
and heal the body, energize the spirit, and help us discover through
direct experience our true nature and purpose in this life. We will
also examine other hfe consequences of choosing the mystic's way.
How might it impact our relationships or responsibilities to
community? How will we grow and how can we measure that
progress? All of these are closely connected to the shaping of our
will and the many ways it evidences itself inside and around us.
With persistence, each of us can arrive at our most spiritually
profitable state, where we continually contribute to the good of All
with both humility and confidence.
Different Perspectives on Action and Intention
"The softest stuff in the world overcomes the firmest. The
insubstantial enters where there is no space. By this I know the
benefit of something achieved by simply being. Few in the world
can understand accomplishment apart from action, and instruction
where there are no words."
— Lao Tzu
"In short, remember this: that whatever you prize which is beyond
your will, you have inasmuch destroyed your will."
- Epictetus
"For if you carefully eliminate contentious arguments, you will
discover the truth that the Mind, the Soul of God, rules over All -
over Fate, over Law, over everything - and that nothing is
impossible for it."
— Corpus Hermeticum
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"When your will is connected to God's will, when your thoughts are
connected to Divine thoughts, when your words bring you nearer to
the Infinite, and when your actions are effortless, you are more apt
to succeed,"
- Shoni Labowitz
"As long as we have a body, we cannot renounce action altogether.
True renunciation is giving up all desire for personal reward,"
- Bhagavad Gita {Eknath Easwaran)
"If the impact of any spiritual experience is to increase humility and
cause one to become more other-concerned and compassionate, it
can probably be assumed that the integration of the experience is
moving in a creative direction. But if the impact is to increase self-
concern and self-importance; if it makes one feel distanced from
rather than closer to other people; and if it stifles rather than
encourages humble compassion; one should be suspicious,"
- Gerald G. May
"The goal now, as audacious as it sounds, is not merely to
transcend the world but to transform the world, to become an agent
of the evolutionary impulse itself. Indeed, in surrendering one's ego
to that, one literally feels oneself being filled up with a divine and
luminous energy and a passion to transform the world and the
whole Universe for a cause that has nothing to do with oneself"
- Andrew Cohen
"If you live your life in me, and my words live in your hearts, ask
whatever you wish and it shall come true for you,"
— Gospel of John
"Even as you bring your intentions and desires into conscious
awareness, surrender the outcome to nature. Cultivate an attitude
of trusting that when things are not going exactly the way you
intend them to, there is a grander design at work,"
- Deepak Chopra & David Simon
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Concept Affinity: Artifacts of Will
Zen
Buddhism
Christian
Mysticism
Kabbalah
Sufism
Taoism
Kundalini
Yoga
Abliinra
Pneumstika
Netzach
Hod
Vesod
Karamal
Gafi Ying
(Sdmulus-
Responsel
Siddlii
Sample Mystic Activators
Mantra Meditation - Part Tvjo (ivith Visualisation)
1. Objective: Between 15 and 75 minutes of continuous
meditation eacti day. If you can, insulate tliis witti a buffer of
five minutes before and after. It is best to practice tliis
meditation only after several weeks practicing Part One.
2. Find a quiet place to sit and relax, and begin your meditation
with an inner commitment to the golden intention.
3. Relax every part of your body. Start with your hands and feet -
perhaps moving them or shaking them a little to release tension
- then your arms and legs, then your torso, head and neck.
4. Breathe deeply and evenly into your stomach, preferably
through the nose, so that your shoulders remain still but your
stomach "inflates." Practice this until you are comfortable with
it.
5. Begin the "four-fold" breath - that is: breathe in slowly, hold
for the length of a breath, breathe out slowly, rest for the length
of a breath.
6. On the inhale, say the first part of the mantra "The Sacred
Soul" with your internal voice. During the held breath, hold
this thought and let it fill you.
7. On the exhale, say the second part of the mantra "in All is One"
with your internal voice. During the rest period, relax into this
thought; let it permeate your being with acceptance and
certainty.
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8. As images, sensations, feelings, or thoughts arise, let them go
and rettirn to the mantra.
9. As you become comfortable residing in this mantra, add a
progression of visualizations. First, imagine someone you
respect or admire sitting facing you and continue the mantra.
After a time, change the visualization to someone with whom
you have a loving, mutually respectful relationship. Lastly,
change your focus to a person you do not like, who is
antagonistic to you or your way of being, or with whom you
have not found any common ground. Maintain your
visualization of each person for as long as possible.
10. If you become disquieted, uncomfortable, jittery, or severely
disoriented, try to relax through it. If uncomfortable sensations
persist or become extreme, cease all meditation for the day.
11. Give yourself space after your meditation to process what you
have experienced. Just be with what has happened without
judgment or a sense of conclusion.
Stimulating Intuition - Listening to Noiv
1. If you live near trees, find a comfortable place to sit among
them and listen to the wind whisper through the branches.
Close your eyes and let the wind-song fill your mind, letting all
other sounds fade away. Now imagine the wind itself coursing
through your body. As the breeze moves through you, does it
have a texture or pattern? Do its patterns change? If you listen
very carefully, is there perhaps a message there in the changing
melody, in the breathing of the sky? If you live near a beach, try
the same exercise with the surging rhythms of ocean waves. If
near a river or stream, try it with the sound of flowing water. It
is ideal if there are few people or distractions around you, but
even if there is distraction, see if you can listen so intently that
Nature speaks to you more loudly than anything else.
2. There are countless ways to pay attention to the subtle
sensations of our bodies. One approach is to simply ask
ourselves where we physically experience wants or emotions.
What parts of your body react to different thoughts and
intentions? Where do you feel hunger, anger, sleepiness,
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excitement, disappointment, happiness or fatigue? What are
the characteristics of these sensations? As we become attuned
to our somatic self, we can more readily notice messages
expressed as a tightening of muscles, a sharp intake of breath, a
rush of heat through the chest, or a tingling at the back of the
neck. Listening to the language of our bodies is yet another
avenue of intuitive sensitivity.
Daily Reflections
If you have already spent concerted time and effort working with
the list on pages 49-50, try committing all of the Just for Todays to
memory. See how many you can recall in your daily practice
without referencing the list. When you have finished your
reflections, look at the list to see which ones you have forgotten.
The following day, spend extra time thinking about those forgotten
few. Try to examine each phrase from as many different angles as
possible. Moving forward, mix up the order and see if you can still
remember all of them.
One way of measuring the impact of your reflective practice is to
evaluate whether it changes or refines your actions and reactions
over time. Before you go to sleep each night, think back on some of
the memorable events of your day. Were there any situations that
triggered responses from you that might have benefited from
applying a particular Just for Today? Can you identify areas where
the concepts or values inherent to your reflective practice were
clearly expressed? Is the genuine intention of your practice
harmonizing with your actions and reactions?
Lastly, if you find yourself gravitating toward a particular group of
Just for Todays — or, alternatively, struggling to remember a
particular group - ask yourself why that might be. Mysticism is
mainly about inquiring into our innermost Self. Thinking about
why we react certain ways, or why we have attraction or aversion to
certain concepts, will lay the groundwork for ever-deepening
insight.
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5 - APPLICATIONS AND CONSEQUENCES
Additionaf Mystic Activator Examples
The following are some intermediate -lev el mystic activators I have
offered in my courses. They generally require a more thorough
grounding in the golden intention than earlier exercises, as well as a
quality of concentration that is easier once introductory activators
have been mastered. Each of them falls under one or more of the
four categories already described:
<s> Subtractive Meditation
<s> Ecstatic Induction
<s> Symbolic and Synchronistic Ritual
<s> Perfection of Love
Although anyone can try such exercises, each is still likely to appeal
more to one type of person than another, and most will yield
significant results only after daily practice over a period of weeks or
months. Sometimes an approach will become more useful once we
progress into a new phase of personal development, so if something
does not work for you at first, try it again later. From the
perspective of a balanced integral practice, it will also be important
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over time to either regularly revisit all four types of activators, or to
integrate them all into a single routine. But regardless of how we
access the mystical, it is critical to remember that any change in
consciousness is like inviting a magical creature to sit beside us for a
while - nothing can be forced into being or made to conform to our
expectations. If we truly let go, we will be surprised and humbled,
and much of what our ego cherishes will be left behind. Always, the
mystical experience is more about relinquishment than personal
gain.
Most of the mystic activators in this book could be loosely
categorized as meditation, but there is nevertheless quite a variety,
each with its own emphasis. For instance, some practices enhance
our ability to concentrate on a single focus or promote a particular
emotional state, while others are a general reflection on themes or
concepts. Some are mainly a means of inquiring into Self, while
others cultivate a sense of mindfulness - a non-reactive
attentiveness to what is occurring within and without. More than
anything, introducing meditative discipline into our daily lives
nurtures us on many levels. Our self-awareness and emotional
intelligence improve. Our self-esteem is enhanced. Our
understanding of compassion is deepened, and our ability to express
it from moment to moment is powerfully facilitated. We become
peaceful, centered, and alert, with healing benefits to our minds,
hearts and bodies. Eventually, an ever more complete spiritual
cognizance will well up to fill a gently receptive interior
spaciousness.
Self-Care Meditation
1. Objective: Between 15 and 75 minutes of continuous
meditation each day. If you can, insulate this with a buffer of
five minutes before and after,
2. Find a quiet place to sit and relax, and begin your meditation
with an inner commitment to the golden intention.
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3. Relax every part of your body. Start with your hands and feet —
perhaps moving them or shaking them a httle to release tension
— then your arms and legs, then your torso, head and neck.
4. Breathe deeply and evenly into your stomach, preferably
through the nose, so that your shoulders remain still but your
stomach "inflates," Practice this until you are comfortable.
5. Lay one hand over the other (with the physically dominant
hand - the right hand for most — on top) on the surface of your
breastbone in the middle of your chest, so that the palm of your
sub-dominant hand is placed over your heart chakra.
6. Begin the four-fold breath,
maintaining attention on the heart
chakra as the locus of your
emotional self.
7. Begin to project a gentle, loving
energy into your heart chakra.
Really care for this self-reference
as unconditionally, openly and
fearlessly as you can.
8. Maintain this state for as long as
possible, letting go of any other
images, thoughts, sounds or sensations that enter your
attention, always returning to the caring for Self meditation,
9. If you become disquieted, uncomfortable, jittery, or severely
disoriented, try to relax through it. If uncomfortable sensations
persist or become extreme, cease all meditation for the day,
10. Give yourself space after your meditation to process what you
have experienced. Just be with what has happened without
judgment or a sense of conclusion.
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First Invocation
1. Objective: Between 15 and 75 minutes of continuous
meditation each day. If you can, insulate this with a buffer of
five minutes before and after,
2. Find a quiet place to sit and relax, and begin your meditation
with an inner commitment to the golden intention.
3. Relax every part of your body. Start with your hands and feet -
perhaps moving them or shaking them a little to release tension
- then your arms and legs, then your torso, head and neck.
4. Breathe deeply and evenly into your stomach, preferably
through the nose, so that your shoulders remain still but your
stomach "inflates." Practice this until you are comfortable with
it.
5. Lightly hook your hands together
in firont of you, fingertips-to-palm
in a yin/yang clasp.' Place your
sub-dominant hand (the left hand
for most) over the dominant hand,
6. Relax your body and breathe
deeply into your stomach {ideally
in through the nose and out
through the mouth)
7. Mentally focus on the middle Tan
Tien (the heart center in the
middle of the upper torso - not to be confused with the heart
chakra) as a point or tiny sphere of bright yellowy -white light.
8. Begin the four-fold breath, maintaining focus on the middle
Tan Tien, and direct the words of your mantra there. On the
inhale, repeat inwardly; "Let Love and Light arise in All that
Is " (receptive element) And on the exhale: "and All That Is
arise in Love and Light " (active element)
9. If your concentration wanders from the mantra or from your
middle Tan Tien, gently return your attention to both of them.
This is iiot a tiadiiioiial yiii/yang mudia, but is intended to hdp iiitegiBte
recq3tive and active eiaiieilB of Ihe meditalion.
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T.Collins Logan
10. After several separate sessions where a steady centering in the
middle Tan Tien and mantra is achieved, begin to broaden
your focus while maintaining the mantra. Always begin with
your heart center, and then expand your awareness out into
your immediate environment, toward people you know (and
specifically their Tan Tiens), toward places where sufiering is
occurring, toward your political leaders, toward the Earth as a
whole, toward the subatomic fabric of space-time, and so on
11 . If you become disquieted, uncomfortable, jittery, or severely
disoriented, try to relax through it. If uncomfortable sensations
persist or become extreme, cease all meditation for the day.
12. Give yourself space after your meditation to process what you
have experienced. Just be with what has happened without
judgment or a sense of conclusion.
Contemplating Presence and Absence
1. Objective: Between 15 and 75 minutes of deep contemplation
each day. If you can, insulate this with a buffer of five minutes
before and after.
2. Find a quiet place to sit comfortably. Start your contemplation
with an inner commitment to the golden intention,
3. Relax your body and breathe deeply into your stomach {in
through the nose, out through the mouth)
4. Imagine yourself as a compassionate and caring spirit that is
observing things in your day-to-day life from outside your body.
You have no way to directly impact events, you just observe
them. Think about yesterday, and consider how your physical
form - the person others perceive as "you" - interacted with
people, places and things throughout the day. Try to be a non-
judgmental witness of everything that occurred,
5. Still in a spirit form outside of your body, imagine how your day
will be tomorrow, Obsen'e your physical form interacting with
people, places and things. Without judgment, follow the course
of the day to its end.
6. Now go back to yesterday. This time, as a compassionate and
caring spirit without a body or the ability to influence events,
imagine how the day would have progressed if your physical
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form had been absent. Imagine your workplace, your close
friends and family, your intimate relationships, the place where
you live - all passing through time as if your physical presence
was no longer there.
7. Repeat this exercise with tomorrow in mind. Imagine how all
the people, places and things in your life would be if they
passed through time without your being there, and perhaps
never having known or encountered you.
8. Finally, return to the present. As a compassionate and caring
spirit, still outside of your body, observe your physical form
here in this space for a few moments. Then, imagine this space
with your physical form absent. You are still here in spirit, but
you cannot be perceived and you cannot effect change. Remain
in this state of spiritual observation for as long as you can.
9. If you become distracted at any point, go back to the beginning
of the last phase of the exercise and start over.
10. If you become disquieted, uncomfortable, jittery, or severely
disoriented, try to relax through it. If uncomfortable sensations
persist or become extreme, cease all meditation for the day.
1 1 . Give yourself space after your meditation to process what you
have experienced. Just be with what has happened without
judgment or a sense of conclusion.
Returning to Emptiness
One of the most powerful - and difficult - mystic activators is a
kind of non-meditation. Just sit comfortably, close your eyes, and
let yourself be still. For many of us, our thoughts, emotions and
physical sensations will command our interest. But if we free that
attention entirely from any specific focus, and settle into a receptive
quiet from which all stimuh - the chatter of our thoughts, the
aching in our muscles, the sounds around us, the emotional tension
of our day - fall away from conscious consideration, we begin to
intuit what really exists within the remaining silence. As with all
previous exercises, it is important to avoid forcing our minds into or
away from anything. Instead, begin by being attentive to each
feeling, thought or sensation that arises, resting in them a while
without reacting to them. Just let them be. Then, as naturally and
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effortlessly as they have arisen, let them go. A bird rises on invisible
currents, its wings unmoving, then vanishes from sight. When
cradled in the golden intention, such letting go is a returning to
emptiness, an utterly open and unrestricted means to spiritual
cognizance.
"Just for Today" Daily Reflections
These reflections can be a standalone practice or used to augment
other mystical exercises. You might enjoy reciting them each
morning while going for a walk - a continuous walking reflection of
perhaps thirty minutes. After speaking each phrase aloud or
silently, listen to the silence afterwards, noticing the reactions of
your heart, mind, body and spirit. When finished, open yourself to
whatever is around you and revel in the present. In the evening, try
repeating this process as a reconsideration of your day. Each
reflection can be directed toward ourselves, toward others, toward
all that we understand to exist, toward a deity we worship, or even
toward the unknown. There are therefore many implications for
each phrase. Repeating the reflections, each time with a unique
audience or objective in mind (or none at all) can evoke new
meaning and have surprising impact on our lives even after years of
repetition.
Just for today, patience and acceptance in all things
Just for today, nothing has to be wrong
Just for today, acknowledgment without prejudice in every
situation
Just for today, courage to be compassionate and kind to all
Just for today, embracing the Natural Realm as part of Self,
with honor and respect for all
Just for today, remembering the well-being of others, nourishing
them through being well
Just for today, transforming all things into the good of All
Just for today, faith which far exceeds all hopes, desires and
fears
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Essential Mysticisni
9. Just for today, insight and understanding into fruitful conduct
10. Just for today, listening from stillness, and seeing what is
1 1 . Just for today, confidence without arrogance, and humility
without passivity
12. Just for today, clarity and sincerity in purpose and intentions
1 3 . Just for today, balance in caring for the house of Self and all the
selves within
14. Just for today, tranquihty in rehnquishing ego, and flowing with
the Source of Life and Light
15. Just for today, a generous spirit, free from attachment and
expectation
16. Just for today, being in the now, without illusions
17. Just for today, honesty and integrity in all situations
18. Just for today, thoughts and words that edify, encourage and
inspire
19. Just for today, with each breath, breathing in wholeness and
vitality
20. Just for today, diligence and mindfulness in every moment
2 1 . Just for today, persisting gratitude from the heart, and
celebration in every action and interaction
22. Just for today, filled with Divine laughter, the heart sings
23. Just for today, ease and simplicity in every choice
24. Just for today, a living example with conviction and
contentment
25. Just for today, creating something, destroying nothing
26. Just for today, great care with whims and wishes
27. Just for today, the soul is never compromised
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Measuring Our Progress
Getting wrapped up in measuring, comparing, or tracking our
mystical progress is fairly counterproductive to a spiritually
profitable existence, and there is sometimes too little difference
between healthy self-awareness and obsessive self-centeredness, I
have found the following adages to be helpful in remembering this
fact, and frequently revisit them:
1. We are seldom if ever as far along as we think we are.
2. It is a rare and precious thing for us to grasp the true
meaning of any experience in our lives.
3. The more eager our expectation of outcomes from interior
mystical discipline, the more predictable our falling short of
them will be.
In any journey, to enhance our self-awareness and keep ourselves on
track, it is nevertheless useful to have an idea of where we are going
and what some of the milestones along the way might look like.
One method of examining our progress is a contemplative-emotive
model of learning, in which we observe the impact of mystical
practice on our state of consciousness and our ability to translate
convictions into action, A common progression of contemplative
states and the cycle of emotional transformation are outhned in the
chart on the next page.
Keep in mind that merely exercising mystical muscles without a
clear direction in mind can become, as Thomas Merton once
described it, nothing more than "consecrated narcissism." It is
therefore imperative that we understand and embrace our reasons
for pursuing personal transformation, and continually reevaluate
our chosen course. One application for the contemplative-emotive
method is to consider what the "good of AH" really means. Do you
think it is important? Can you hold it at your center, allowing all
thoughts, emotions and actions to flow out from it? Beginning
there, observe what happens as you work through each of the
contemplative-emotive steps. Does your understanding of the good
of All evolve? Does the context and meaning of your efforts shift?
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The Contemplative-Emotive Learning Process
Cycle of Emotional
Transformation
Contemplative States
1. SimpleReflection; We become
1. Recognition: We recognize
consciously av\a re of all phenomena
and acl<nowledge our current
end begin relecting on them.
emotional state.
2. Contsmplative Self-Awareness; We
2. Examination; Without
becorre consciously aware of the
judgment or ouerreacton, we
process ofsirrpte reflection as it occurs
examine and accept our
In us from moment-to-moment,
emotions.
cibser\/1ng and evaluating the qualities
of this process.
3. Admission: Weadmitto
ourselves that change would
3. Suspended Valuation: We
be beneflcial - that having a
intentionally suspend valuation
different emotional state would
altogether, and just observe our
be more healthy and
experiences, thoughts, feelings and
productive.
physical sensations wthout placing
them in the context of our values.
4. Detachment: We let gooftfie
bellels or assumptions.
counterproductive feelings -
that is, relax our errtotional
4. Non-Thought Awareness: We let go
state until is greatly
of both valuations and any thought
diminished, or dissipates
process, entering into a state of mental.
completely. Werreyaiso
errtotional and sensory quiet- even
choose to relinquish some of
though we may still be consciously
the underiying beliefs or
observing this state In ourselves, we do
assumptions that brought this
not relect on it.
state about.
5. Non-Thought Non-Awareness: We
5. Equilibrium; We achieve a
stop a cl<nDi/vl edging even tfie
state of neutral and objectve
supersensory, just as Vi« did the
calm where we can decide in
sensory, and directy experience tfie
which emotional direction we
bedrocl<of our own existence - the
wish to go next.
foundations of our sense of Self and
our relationship to the Universe.
6. Commitment We choose a
specific new emotional
6. Non-Being Awareness; We cease to
direction and begin to actuate
discriminate between the state of non-
that state.
thought non-awareness and any
independenOy constructed sense of
7. Action; We facilitate and
Self- v« come to Identify ourselves
support the nevJy chosen
with this state and thus develop a
state with reinforcing actions.
subjectve submersion In "non-being."
thoughts, bellels, experiences,
etc.
7. Non-Being Non-Awareness; Where
self-awareness and other-avisreness -
and any acl<noAiedgerrent of subject
and object - completely evaporate.
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Every spiritual tradition has different descriptions and numbers of
developmental states, stations or stages, and usually details other
subsets of characteristics - emphasizing heart over mind, mind over
heart, transcendent sense over heart and mind, etc. However, the
contemplative-emotive model occurs in nearly all of them. Without
being distracted by self- consciousness, we can use it to track our
exploration of the unknown. Try implementing emotional
transformation as part of mystical practice by journaling your
epiphanies, intuitions and self- discoveries, then committing to act
from each new altitude of understanding. Evaluate the results after
following through and decide if you want to support each new
direction. In the contemplative vein, advancing meditation will
introduce you to all seven contemplative states, so journaling your
progress there may also be helpful. At first, movement through
emotional and contemplative threads will seem like separate
experiences, and perhaps come in fits and starts. Over time, all of
this will merge into one concurrent, interwoven cord that draws you
ever onward. As new consciousness becomes comprehension,
comprehension becomes doing, doing becomes being, and being
becomesconsciousness.
The next table contrasts some spiritually healthy and spimually
unhealthy emotional states — that is, conditions of heart that either
contribute to, or interfere with, our spiritual evolution. These are
especially useful in initiating cycles of emotional transformation.
Consider some recent events in your life. Have your reactions been
spiritually healthy ones? Are there some particular areas you would
like to improve? In mysticism we discover a calm center from which
we can deliberately choose how to interact with others, and through
which we nourish ourselves so that we won't become distracted or
depleted. Regardless of the path we choose - intuition exercises,
mystic activators. Just for Today reflections, or some combination
that works for us - such disciplines will help reinforce all that is
spiritually healthy within us. With persistence, we are able to
perfect acceptance, kindness and compassion first for ourselves and
then for everyone and everything around us. Quiescent in this
unconditional love-consciousness, we are then able to make wise
and discerning choices much more consistently.
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Spiritual Health of Emotional States
Spiritually Healthy State
Spiritually Unhealthy State
Courage to defend the Vi«ll-being of Self
and others, with patience and
forbearance
Indignant, self-righteous rage, which is
easily provoked and unconcerned about
the darrege It inflicts
Compassionate desire to nourish others
with wsdom and i<indness, while at the
same time sustaining our own well-
being
Conpulslve need to rescue others
without considering our ovinvi«ll-belng
orv^at Is truly best for those being
"rescued"
Love that has no conditions or
expectations attached to It, and that
patiently accepts another's
shortcorvings
A desire to control disguised as
attention and devotion, but which
Impatlentiy demands speclflc
reciprocation
Self-contralled orderirtg of effort
according to what Is most important (via
spiritual discemrrent and intuitive
Insight)
Inpulsive SLbrrission to every urgent or
self-indulgentwhim without a thought for
what Is important
Patience for, and an attempt to
understand, those who oppose or
antagonize us
Fear, paranoia and hatred of things we
do not understand
Gratitude and forgiveness
Resentment and cSvisiveness
Acceptance and lexlbllltyviith whatever
comes our way
Resistance to change and panic when
things seemout of control
Honesty and openness
ANAJidance, denial and deception
Peaceful and supportive Internal
dialogues
Chaotic and demeaning Internal
dialogues
Admiration and encouragement
J ealousyand criticism
Contentment In any situation, rich or
poor, because our focus Is on human
relationships and developing a v^alth of
spiritual understanding
Greed and avarice: a compelling desire
to possess rreterial power and wealth
Guilt and shame, Vihlch resolves Into
hurvTility and a renev^d commitment to
groiMh and maturity
Perpetual, unresolved guilt and shame,
which Injures self-esteem and cripples
any ability to change
Vulnerable and joyful sharing of sexual
Intimacy in the context of responsible
relationships
Wanton lust: an immersion In carnality
without considering emotional or
spiritual consequences
[\^Litual inspiration to greater
achievement through fair-spirited
competition- or better yet, cooperation
Egotistcal competitiveness, which
craves victory at any cost
Confidence with hurrillty
Self-aggrandizing arrogance
Taking pleasure In the success of
others
Taking pleasure In the suffering of
others
l-lope and faith In positive outcorres
Despair and pessimism: presuming
doom
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One the one hand, intuitive promptings and mystical epiphanies
have httle value if they are not integrated into our self-awareness
and the purpose and choices of our daily lives. On the other, if we
are forever trying to interpret, define and compartmentalize our
moments of enlightenment, we may prevent the enrichment of our
being by holding on to them too tightly. Ideally, we will continually
commit ourselves to actualizing what we encounter in the mystic,
while at the same time refreshing our habit of letting go. In this way
we can enjoy the delightful and surprising consequences of our new
freedoms without becoming attached to them.
Stages of Being
Spiritual evolution is difficult to quantify and is as diverse as
humanity itself; however, there are some watershed events that
practitioners of many different traditions have observed. One
byproduct of the perpetual physiological/experiential/spiritual tug-
of-war within us is that we may find ourselves cychng through these
evolutions over and over again. Our only real achievement may be
in how conscious we are of the stages we are passing through at any
given moment, or in the varying amount of effort required to rectify
a regressive drift. Sometimes, we plateau at one stage for months —
or even years - before continuing on. In my own behef system, our
spiritual progress may take many lifetimes. But no matter where I
presume myself to be, reflecting on these descriptions often helps
identify my next horizon.
1. Childhood - The starting point of ignorance. Here we are
concerned mostly with primitive urges and self-gratification,
with barely a hint of spiritual perception. This is a fairly self-
protective phase, while at the same time impulsively
adventurous. We are dependent on externals and recklessly
reactive, seeking pleasure and ego reinforcement above all else.
2. First Questions — We now start sincerely questioning what is,
and engage our first insightful surprises about our environment
and ourselves. We experience awe and inspiration, and new
^ See Pyro micf of SeJ/ in the AppEiidix
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Essential Mysticisni
questions keep arising in us. We suspect there is more to life
than stimulation and pleasure, and more to ourselves than
animal impulses. This can be unsettling and bewildering, and
we may reach out for someone or something to guide us - a
mentor, a cultural tradition, or a structured system of belief.
3. First Awakening - We are now exposed to our first knowledge
beyond the materially obvious - perhaps as a spiritual epiphany
or as an unexpected sense of healing or wholeness - and we
often react to this with willful resistance. After first tasting awe,
we may disregard the raw and powerful insights and emotions
triggered by the implications of Spirit, Fear and other primitive
impulses quickly assert themselves. As a result, we may rebel
against our current beliefs, guides or mentors and seek
distraction and solace in more primitive behaviors.
4. Comtnittnent to Exploration - Given some time to rebel and
relax, we overcome initial resistance and eventually revisit our
enhanced awareness and sense of discovery. We decide to
follow through on those nagging impulses to explore Spirit.
Instead of fear, we now experience euphoric excitement, even
while encountering the same insights, ideas and emotions that
once frightened us, A feeling of belonging to something greater
permeates us, and we investigate with eagerness.
5. Challenge to Character - Now we encounter seemingly
insurmountable obstacles, causing us to stumble and flounder.
We suddenly realize this journey may be more difficult than we
expected. Disappointment causes hesitation, and, beleaguered
by uncertainties, we might even give up for a time. Spiritual
obsen'ations and internal shifts of perspective may become too
disorienting or seem completely absurd. We may grow numb,
or tired, and once again lose our tolerance of risk and our thirst
for insight. We may abandon many of our initial hopes about
the world and ourselves. We may resist accepting responsibility
for our own spiritual well-being and seek comfort or escape.
6. Recommitment - Out of our doubts and wariness we return
like prodigal offspring to our journey. We accept the limitations
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we have uncovered, even as we begin to move beyond them.
We take responsibihty for the health of our soul and cultivate
our first sincere emotional, mental and spiritual disciplines,
refining all our senses even as we wean ourselves of dependence
on them. We may grieve over our shedding of innocence and
the new weight of accountability we feel. There may be
emotional pain or existential anxiety over uncomfortable
changes, but still we move forward. And as we learn
compassion for ourselves, we also develop stronger empathy for
others. This, rather than spiritual thirst, is what drives us now.
7, Potential Derailment - A subtle but persistent inflation of
ego arises within our newfound spiritual confidence. If left
unexamined, this can become arrogance. Our journey may now
be derailed by pride and over confidence, and although we feel
increasingly informed and empowered, we are really returning
to our earliest stage of self-protective ignorance and attachment
to the pleasure of our achievements. Our beliefs become a
facade for self-indulgence, and we can substantially lose our
way in any number of distractions and delusions.
8, First Freedoms - At some point an unexpected event reminds
us of humility, allowing us to see, perhaps for the first time,
how little we really know, how self-absorbed we are, and how
short a way we have actually come. A sense of humor is useful
here, so we can chuckle at all the serious certainties we have
held so dearly. We begin to completely let go, offering the
outcome of anything we do to the good of All. Ego doesn't
compete for our attention as it once did. We set ourselves free
from attitudes of needy attachment and discover authentic
compassion and objective affection for Self, others, and the
realms of Nature and Spirit, In humility, we now become more
transparent and open to new ways of being, and several forms
of spiritual cognizance may erupt simultaneously within us.
9, Spiritual Self-Sufficiency — Although we still have our own
identity and ego, these lose importance to us as we become less
captivated by our ideas of "self." At the same time, we cease
searching outside ourselves for truth, wisdom or strength, and
our emotional and spiritual self-reliance grows. We can now
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Essential Mysticisni
dwell fully in the present, becoming absolutely comfortable with
the current moment. A patient, empathetic and kind
disposition springs forth from us with ease, and a renewed
clarity of purpose permeates our day-to-day life. We continue
the very difficult work of healing ourselves on the most
fundamental levels, often with an unnerving honesty and
insight. And we share that heahng with others through how we
unselfconsciously are - as opposed to what we consciously do.
Any lingering ui^e to be judgmental or even differentiate
between people vanishes. We embrace profound respect and
admiration for all things, and spontaneously manifest an
encouraging and edifying presence for everything and everyone
in our lives.
10. Union and Alienation — Barriers to our communion with All
that Is break down completely. Enduring connection with
every aspect of the Sacred - our True Self, the realms of
Nature, other people, spiritual intelligences, and even the
unimagined and unknowable - becomes simple and transparent
to us. Because of this connection, we understand more clearly
the characteristics of our shared human condition, the purpose
of Spirit, and the patterns of creation all around us. Our
wisdom deepens. Our own spiritual directedness is sharpened.
This can be isolating, because many of the mundane habits in
which we heartily engaged (and which others we care about
may still think important) lose their allure. Also, our wisdom
and assertions, though clear and obvious to us, might seem like
nonsense to others. Because of this, we may feel alienated, sad,
or even agitated and angry - despite the wonders and miracles
we constantly seem to be witnessing. And so we should pay
special attention to nourishing and nurturing ourselves on every
level, remaining committed to our spiritual practice and sharing
our journey with other spiritually minded people,
11. The Great Choice - At this stage we are faced with a decision:
to remain engaged with the world - that is, society with its
acquisitive and sensual orientation - or to exit the world. In
pan, this is influenced by our commitments to partnership,
family and community. It is nevertheless tempting to sharply
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r.Co/lJns Logan
reduce interaction with the physical realm, perhaps because we
have become so intensely aware of conditions and forces at
work within it, and because there are other ways of being now
available to us. For example, we might wish to pursue
continuous meditation and reflection, exploring new insights
and awakenings without a care for what goes on around us. We
might want to hermit ourselves away in the wilderness. We
might be tempted to leave the material plane altogether. We
realize we have complete freedom at this point (we have always
had this potential, but now we fully understand it), but like any
other type of personal empowerment, we hope to use our
freedom wisely. At this milestone in our evolution we must
reshape and renew the primary focus of our lives, even as we
question the importance of who we are and what we do.
12. Compassionate Service - However we remain in the world,
we decide to help transform it, aligning ourselves with all that is
healing, loving and creative. How can we encourage the
spiritual life of others? How can we bring compassion and
healing to the suffering? How can we contribute to works of
good for All? We now act from a place of innately
apprehending the answers to these questions. At this stage we
are still susceptible to drifting from our course and might even
revisit old patterns of thought and behavior. Why? Because
even though we are more fully actuating our purpose, our
commitment to the Sacred still benefits from daily renewal.
Also, there can be pain over the continued stripping away of our
previous conceptions of what is. We may even grieve over
losing the spiritual excitement - or intimacy with previous
conceptions of the Divine - we once experienced. What helps
us most at this time is that although we no longer clutch at
accomplishment for our sense of security, we continually
actuate our newfound purpose. Paradoxically, this is both a
time of challenging and far-reaching decisions, and an easy and
commanding ability to act. And, of course, there are always a
few deep-seated fears and vulnerabilities we continue to
address, though fewer than when we began, I think this stage of
being is almost like another childhood, where we stand on the
threshold of a whole new type of journey, and a whole new
approach to our existence. At the same time, it is the beginning
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Essential Mysticisni
of true spiritual adulthood, where we have at long last learned
the value of transcendent selflessness.
13. Harmonized Existence - Like cresting a tremendous wave in
our passage, we now enter into ever-deepening continuum of
unconditional love-consciousness, and with it a comprehensive
sense of peace and simphcity. We become like a piece of bread
soaked with spiritual honey, perpetually replenished. All our
goals and desires are consumed in the effortlessness of
passionately and compassionately being. We have both nothing
more to accomplish and an endless number of tasks before us,
and there is only quiet contentment, unquestioning strength,
and sincere humility in the face of the Absolute. Every action
becomes a sharing of our essence, which in turn has come to
identify itself with the essence of All Things. We more easily
maintain a hyperextended, all-inclusive consciousness that
prevents disruption or misdirection, and mundane doubts
evaporate. Because of a now persistent contentment, infusive
joy and overall spiritual health, we often don't think to look
further. However, as with many previous stages of being, the
next horizon may come upon us suddenly and unbidden, and
all that we require to meet it is patience, resolve and courage.
14. Consummate Acquiescence - We tend to squirm away from
the first glimpses of this stage, just as we may have avoided
others early on, because it challenges and dissolves the last
vestiges of our identity - both personal and Universal. Even
subjective identification with the Absolute is displaced by
something more distilled: an ever-present All-Being that
pierces the very quiddity of existence. Here we encounter the
bedrock of reality where we completely inhabit our own soul;
that is, we submerge ourselves in the entirety of the Divine
Spark itself, with all its infinite possibilities. We no longer
know, or feel, or sense — we become. Where previously our lives
were infused with unconditional compassion, now the will to
love is eradicated within a raw, unadorned presence of the Most
Sacred: there is no will, there are only the foundations of things
— of love, and will, and even the Life Force itself- in which we
flow and which flow through us. Like a cup of water emptied
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r.Co/lJns Logan
into a lake, we have utterly forgotten Self, becoming both the
lake and the empty cup. All barriers are gone - all
predispositions, all fears, all aspirations, all measurements; even
thought itself is subjugated to completely being. There cannot
be differentiation any longer: the farthest reaches of the
Universe are equal to the nearest object; a sense of vastness is
equivalent to a sense of closeness; the beginnings and ends of
space-time have no reference other than elemental continuity;
the order and relationship of All that Is melts into an entirety
which transcends the cosmos itself. Even nothingness and
somethingness - even life and death - share common ground in
our awareness. It is no small understatement to say that this
letting go is impossible to put into words, nor can the far-
reaching spiritual benefit of living from such a state easily be
described. But this stage is available to everyone, is a natural
occurrence, and, like all that has gone before, it has always been
within us.
Is there more? I am certain there is much more. There are
undoubtedly aspects of our journey that reach even beyond the
Absolute, Perhaps the Universe itself is but a bubble floating on an
endless sea, and the Infinite is but one pebble among millions in a
transdimensional landscape beyond imagining. We must
continually question and remain open. And as our hearts expand in
all directions at once to encompass what we can never completely
understand, the most incredible and the most ordinary will keep
calling to us from the core of our being, echoing an eternal "Yes!"
The Nuances of Synchronicity
Synchronicity in day-to-day life can indicate many things. Early on
in our mystical practice, we might notice a confluence of fortuitous
events that enhances our spiritual course. It feels like a universal
matching funds program: opportunities and resources we could
never have anticipated appear with ease; doors open and walls
disappear. Often, we create this flow with the quality of our
intentions and the neutrality of our will. Later in our journey,
synchronicity may indicate other things: that certain choices
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Essential Mysticisni
resonate strongly with our True Self, for instance; or that we are
propagating harmony for the benefit of others. But as we mature,
external synchronism tends to markedly diminish, replaced by
internal and subtle congruities that are far more important to our
own growth and the well-being of the Whole. Eventually, the
miraculous appears to become an exclusively inward spiral,
demanding utmost patience, attentiveness and humility.
There is danger in appreciating synchronicity as accomplishment.
If we obsess over synchronistic events, fortifying our self-esteem
with them, a counterproductive state I call dissonant spiritual
feedback is induced. The more we build confidence and security
around synchronicity, the louder and more unbearable the
squealing distortions of our desires and mystical insights can
become. As a result, we may lose ourselves in needy self-obsession
and stunt our spiritual growth. Appreciating helpful coincidence is
not about justifying that we are good people, that our will is
powerful, or that we are on the right evolutionary track; it is about
celebration and gratitude when serendipity arrives, then
immediately letting go and flowing onward. In the end, the greatest
confirmation of spiritual progress is not the accidental or
inexplicable, but a generous temperament of heart, a clarity of
mind, and a spirit that is as centered and tranquil as it is passionate.
Self-Awareness, Self-Esteem and Self-Nourishment
Mysticism helps us understand who we really are, disrupting our
egoistic illusions in favor of the most genuine Self. Every belief
about ourselves is challenged, and personas we have constructed to
cope with an unreceptive world are cast aside. What remains is a
self-perception forged from discernment, honesty and openness. As
we come to know ourselves more intimately, we comprehend the
glorious Light of our own being and the beauty and awe of Life
itself. Our sense of wellness, contentment and harmony with All
Things firmly establishes a confident self-esteem. We no longer
rely on self-indulgent antics, controlling our surroundings, the
affections of others, achieving some material goal, or any other
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r.Co/lJns Logan
fulfillment of external expectations to feel complete or worthy. We
become entirely self-reliant, and anxiety, fear and want are
supplanted with thankfulness and compassion. Because of our
contact with the foundations of things, with the underlying reahties
of our own existence and purpose in this life, we have an ever-
expanding comprehension of the Self-in-All. This sets us free, and
in that freedom we arrive at both serenity and a vigilant and
perpetual love-in-action, which in turn nourishes us and everything
around us in countless ways.
The Cycle of Personal Groiath
Increased awareness
of our strengths, limitations,
and the many facets of Self
t
Internal rewards of progressing
intD higher stages of being and
the spiritual and perceptual
expansion inherent
ta thatprogress
-^
Improved compassion
for ourselves and others
and actions that nourish
and support self-esteem
i
Motivation to work
for the good of All
< — outof growing respect,
gratitude, and emotional
strength
To whatever extent we commit ourselves to mystical practice, we
are rewarded with a charitable kindness for the True Self we come
to know. There are certainly many other avenues we could take to
increase self-knowledge, but few provide the clarity of
understanding - or the consistent balance of humility and
confidence - inherent to the mystic's way. As a component of
integral practice or as a standalone investment in personal
evolution, mysticism continually adds dimension to our being. This
spurs us ever onward, and the natural byproduct of that growth is
the enriching transformation of our relationships, our immediate
environment and the Universe itself.
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What Happens To Our Relationships?
As a mystic, we love our friends without attachment — without
clinging to them or our own ideas of what relationship is. Honesty
never makes us feel vulnerable, and careful hstening is never fraught
with impatience, because we have let go of superficiality. When we
celebrate the present moment of companionship - as opposed to an
anticipated outcome of that moment, or some distant expectation of
what our friendship might provide - it is our willingness to invest
right now that reaps the most precious rewards. Because we are
emotionally and spiritually self-reliant, we resist becoming
dependent or codependent, and we are clear about what healthy,
mutual compassion and nourishment look and feel like. We don't
fall into emotionally rescuing others, but are open to sharing tools
that will help people help themselves, for we know that every
person's well-being is ultimately their own responsibility. And we
don't inadvertently overtax, abuse or misuse our friends, because we
have joyful consideration for them as part of the All we fervently
esteem as Self
Most importantly, we recognize and accept that we won't receive
the sustenance we most deeply crave from other people. This
would be like relying on any other external thing for our happiness.
On the other hand, the strength we derive from each other can be
an enormous benefit during this wonderful shared journey, and
having a supportive community within which to trade ideas and
experiences generates surprising synergies for the good of All. So,
while it is never spiritually healthy to yearn intensely for either
isolation or community, it is always beneficial to have a balance of
solitude and inspiring friendships and social environments. The
mystic's exposure to community will change with time: we may
withdraw for a while to focus ourselves, and at other times celebrate
life with others and give of ourselves in service. But the connection
we have with a group or community is not what sustains us, nor is it
our obligation to sustain others; it is instead our celebratory offering
to the Universe to both give and receive.
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Thus we maintain personal boundaries that are receptive and
porous, but nevertheless clearly delineated and firm. I am not
suggesting that students of mysticism enforce a safe emotional
distance from others or avoid investing themselves in excitingly
personal relationships, but rather that as mystics we commit fully
and trust completely, without vanquishing our own innate gifts of
nourishing ourselves and directing our own spiritual course. In this
way the mystic increasingly manifests a genuine Self in the world,
leaving behind past modes of dependence or codependence in favor
of true interdependence.
ChaUenging Our Assumptions
One of the distinctive traits of the mystic's way is an almost
continuous reassessment of just about everything in light of new
mystical information. Whatever we have concluded in the past will
be reshaped by successive realizations, and whatever we have held
onto for a sense of self-importance crumbles as mystical awareness
invites us in new directions. At the least, this can be unnerving and
disorienting; at the worst, depressing or even paralyzing. This is
why we must keep moving. Mystical practice is not a destination,
but a process of constant renewal. To whatever degree we sustain
and integrate nondual consciousness - a gnosis of the Absolute —
into our daily life, the constructs and illusions we previously rehed
upon to navigate this world will dissolve into the present moment's
truths.
Most of us reflexively assess value and construct meaning in an
unconscious way. We resist the neutrality of events - that they are
simply what they are until we create meaning around them.
Mystical practice promotes a state of mind and heart that is
detached from automatic interpretations of reality, is secure in itself,
and is able to let go of apparent absolutes in favor of more subtle
and provisional associations. We may come to precisely the same
conclusions as those suggested by cultural conditioning, spiritual
teachings, or the writings of great philosophers. But we will
comprehend them much more fully, appreciating the imphcations
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Essential Mysticism
and rationale firsthand, as opposed to conforming unquestioningly
to habit, tradition, or someone else's ideas.
The following two charts illustrate the transition between an
habitual mode of evaluation while navigating new situations, and a
more conscious mode of evaluation encouraged by mystical
awareness. Through actively assigning meaning, we greet each
experience with unconditional acceptance, and a new confidence
emerges: that we can deliberately decide the value of something
instead of accepting what our automatic thinking tells us. Such a
state of neutral awareness - leading first to unconditional
acceptance, then to an intentionally interdependent construction of
meaning - empowers us to exit the prison of our own confusion and
arrogance and open ourselves to zohat is, right nozv.
Passive Assignment of Meaning
Initial Learning
4-
Habitual Thinkmg
4-
Avoid Questioning
4-
Reject or suppress new
information
t
=^ NO
■NEW INFORMATIONH
HNEW INFORMATIONS
Internal and External
Guidance
i
Values Formation
I
Beliefs and
Assumptions
1
Evaluation:
Does It Confomito
Existng
Beliefs and Assurptions?
-^ NOT SURE?
■i-
Reject Information,
orviHlt passively fcr
guidance that conforms
to existing beliefs
and assumptions
YES
i
Accept and incorporate
(,(,
Active Assignment of Meaning
T.Collms Lagan
Initial Learning
4.
Mlndfjl AtteDtior
4.
C ODtinue Questionirg
4.
NEW INFORMATION
Internal and External
Guidance
Values Formation
i
Beliefs and
Assumptions
NEW INFORMATION
E valuatio n :
Does It Conform to
Existng
Beliefs and Assumptions?
YES
<) u t !tl(i n w h ( th is it ( 1 i Id
ii trij I , J n a K li f 11 m i Hi ts
C (n sill 1 r tlii fi ssit ilii;
[f r[ furl ing bf lis h
tg loci rp D [3t!
n(* iniD rm stitn
NO
> NOT SURE?
i
SLspend sense
of certainty about
conclusions
and remain open
The Nature of Evil
Here are some broad categories of what could be defined as "evil."
Each category describes a behavior pattern, but more important are
the intentions behind that pattern. Such patterns and intentions do
not enhance or support spiritual evolution (already proposed as the
definitive "good of All"), but rather seek to undermine and oppose
it. We can observe these evidences in ourselves or others, but
observation and identification should not equate a judgmental
attitude. These descriptions are not intended to condemn any
individual or group; on the contrary, all souls struggle in their own
way to understand themselves, and each of us shares the same
potential for stumbling in the dark. In addition, some of these
habits may indicate underlying physiological issues or mental
illness. However, I believe whoever knowingly practices such
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destructive behaviors, or deliberately influences others to practice
them, has consciously or unconsciously set themselves against all
that is good in the Universe. This can only lead to suffering.
® Willful Ignorance. Perhaps the most common malady of
humanity is to intentionally and stubbornly maintain ignorance.
We will deny responsibility for our actions. We will strive and
struggle and beat our heads against a wall, never pausing to
consider if there is a better way. We will run away from every
truth our heart tries to teach us. We will endlessly repeat the
same mistakes and injuries, and insist that nothing is wrong.
We will submit to every whim and impulse and never question
why. We will forget completely who we are, and pile thick
layers of hateful mud around the pleading cries of our own soul.
We will expend all our energies in distraction and never relax
into the present moment. There are many different
circumstances and conditions that lead to this state, but the
most common seems to be a strong attachment to pain, self-
punishment and despair (the natural results of willful
ignorance) because we have not learned compassion for
ourselves or understood our purpose in this life.
<Si Animalism. By this I mean a mistaken belief in the supremacy
(as opposed to balanced integration) of the Animal in human
beings. That is, that the most basic and self-serving of impulses
should be celebrated and satisfied above any other, regardless of
the cost to ourselves or the well-being of those around us. For
most, this attachment to insatiable desire is part of an initial
stage of being; it is a natural part of our early development.
And so we must have compassion for ourselves and for others
who face the constant pull of primitive impulses. But much
harm has come into the world through animalists who, even
though they are cognizant of the destructiveness of their
behavior, have no desire or intention to transcend it. Thus,
although all animalists victimize themselves, they are usually
eager to draw others down with them in order to validate
wanton pie a sure -see king. Evidence of animalism are responses
^ See Pyramid of Self in App^K&x
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r.Co/lJns Logan
like greed, self-serving ambition, covet ousness, selfishness,
uncontrollable lust, jealousy, destructive anger, aggressive
competitiveness, inability to manage thoughtless impetus, and
an unabashed and loveless abandonment to the most primal
aspects of Self.
Invalidation. Invalidators try to make other people wrong.
This has many different forms, the more subtle of which are
perhaps the most damaging. Invalidation attempts to
undermine spiritual evolution by trivializing, criticizing, teasing,
or otherwise harassing and controlling anyone who seeks a
healthier and higher Self. The invahdator's {often unconscious)
objective is to interrupt further spiritual progress - or better yet,
to lure someone into a previous stage of being. Just as an
injured or trapped animal may gnaw at its own leg and lash out
at others who try to help it, so too invalidators are likely acting
from deep hurt or despair, and irrationally justify — or are
willfully unaware of - the damage they are wreaking on
themselves and others. Behind a false and defensive
confidence, invalidators often ridicule and despise themselves
even as they seek to dominate, control and tear other people
down.
Deceptive Manipulation. Like a madman who throws
firebrands, airows and death, so is the man who deceives his
neighbor, and says, "Was I not joking? " Deceptive manipulation
hates the truth, seeking to confuse what is spiritually healthy
with what is spiritually unhealthy. A facade of charismatic and
popular facts may paint a persuasive but incomplete picture,
encouraging victims to march enthusiastically to their own
destruction - or in useless circles. Like invalidation, at the
heart of this futility we find fear, self-loathing and lust for
control. Frequently the byproduct of a deeper psychological
pathology, such behavior can be compulsive, deliberate or both.
Legalism. When malevolent intent is transparent, it is easiest
to identify and transform. But it is more difficult to recognize
when hidden beneath apparent conformance and propriety, or
within actions that seem easily defended as being "within the
law" or "in the best interest of all," yet clearly lacking in any
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Essential Mysticisni
real empathy or compassion. This outward conformance to
what is superficially right is the core of legalism. Legalism has
reared its self-righteous head in nearly every spiritual tradition
in human history. At some point, the laudable intentions of a
tradition's values are corrupted into inflexible regulations and
restrictive edicts, primarily so that a select few in an artificial
hierarchy can have power over others. For that is what legahsm
is all about: creating and maintaining power. Once again, this
doesn't define those unwittingly trapped in a rigid system of
social, religious or political rules as "evil," but anyone who is
conscious of a systemic compulsion to subjugate others, and
happily operates within the corrupt falsehood of legalism, will
certainly smother the Divine Spark within.
® Empty Habit. Very subtle and easy to fall into, empty habit
excises all value and joy from spiritual practice, and eventually
from life itself. There are contemplative states in which the goal
is detachment, and this can be very constructive as a conscious
objective. But when we detach from life because we have
forgotten our purpose, become emotionally shut down through
inattentiveness, or withdraw into ourselves because we have
been wounded in some way, we create empty habits. This is
why constant renewal and mindful practice are so important: to
pay attention to what we are doing and why, every day and with
every breath, and to resist complacency and laziness in our self-
awareness. Sometimes, when we have fallen out of love-
consciousness, the momentum and structure of our spiritual
practice may still continue — even as we doubt there was ever
any love in us or the Universe. At the darkest depths of empty
habit, it might even appear that the power of our beliefs is but
fantasy and delusion. Yet if such moments can be transformed
into advanced contemplative states, we can begin again fi-om
the void of not-knowing, waiting with patience for renewed
Light to shine out from our soul, and new meaning to blossom
in our hearts.
How do we respond to evil? The great spiritual teachers tell us with
patience and genuine compassion. After all, another soul buried
under layers of pain and illusion is no different than our own. But
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the shape and timing of appropriate action must be sought through
careful reflection and spiritual discernment, and is always a matter
of courage balanced with modesty. When there is no guile in us,
when our convictions are formed by Universal objectives, and when
our sincere intent is not to injure or malign anyone but to restore
people to themselves, then we will naturally expose spiritual
antagonists for what they are. Even then, the Light we cast around
us does not accuse or attack with bilious fervor; it lifts up wisdom
and an unpretentious example of evolutionary being, gently warns
of unheeded consequences, and then lets go. For why would a
mystic be interested in controlling another's decisions? Ultimately,
we all must bear the burdens of our past and present choices alone.
Through ongoing mystical practice, we can become filters of
positive transformation, humbly healing what is broken instead of
striving against it. Sometimes this will be the result of deliberately
crafted artifacts of will - our actively blessing and binding those who
curse Life or appear to counteract spiritual evolution. At other
times positive change will be a natural outgrowth of who and how
we are from moment-to-moment, or a long-term result of vigilantly
fulfilling our purpose. And sometimes the cause and effect of
curative synthesis will be a complete mystery that goes unnoticed or
is quickly forgotten. But every step we take down the mystic's way
is a choice to amplify Love and Light in the Universe, and every
skill, insight or empowerment we embrace in that journey can lend
itself to the good of All. Although the effort of creation is more
gradual and understated than the suddenness of destruction, this is
how injurious influences are in due course overwhelmed by the
sublime.
Staying On Track
How can we overcome our resistance to progressing through
different stages of being? How can we keep taking one small step
after another through a difficult journey of self-transformation?
How can we maintain positive expectations? How can we become
ever more intimate with the Sacred? How can we avoid the traps of
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Essential Mysticisni
denial and delusion? Our justifications and modes of operation may
change over time, but daily mystical practice as guided by the
golden intention offers constant support: an ever-expanding love-
consciousness, increasing trust in spiritual sensitivities, a clearer
view of interdependencies in and around us, and much more.
Through disciplines of heart, mind, spirit and will we nourish and
sustain our spiritual Self and bless our surroundings, and our sense
of contentment, wellness and generosity will continually inspire
greater harmony. Through action springing from deeper
understanding and connection, we affirm our own transformation.
Through letting go of all attachment to such affirmation, we
discover an infinite capacity to grow. Through growing in every
dimension of our being, we become the object of our intention.
By attempting we become, by becoming we are, by being we cease
all attempts to become. Once this evolutionary process is
embedded in our consciousness, we are compelled to keep evolving.
There will still be hurdles — created by circumstance and our own
inattention - which inform our course with ever more humility and
letting go. But we need only return to stillness and emptiness ior
answers. In the meantime, if we concentrate on incremental
practice, the ocean will appear just as vast, but our sense of safety
and ability to navigate will improve with each dip of the paddle, and
the rushing splendor of every crest and trough will lose its
foreboding and offer us thriUing joy instead.
Enhancing Discernment
With every choice, a mystic reinforces the quality of their intentions
and their hope for positive change. Yet as we mature, what often
begins as blissful serendipity increasingly incurs sober responsibility.
To know our own soul is a joyful thing, but also a powerful thing
demanding humble integrity. Although it is true that a sincere
motivation ahgns us with the Source of Light and Life, intention
alone cannot repair a decision made in willful ignorance of available
information, or excuse a careless impulse that results in inadvertent
harm. At the onset of our journey, we will be somewhat insulated
from our own ineffective stumbling and hngering pride by the
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momentum of a mystic ally -informed course. But at some point
there will be a transition into spiritual adulthood where we fully
embrace personal accountability for every thought, emotion and
action. Essentially, it is a time when the Universe seems to expect
us to have learned something, and to apply that learning to our day-
to-day lives. This is where discernment can aid us.
Recognizing and trusting our discernment comes through practice.
At first, we may seek a mentor to help us understand the process,
and synchronicity will hkely buttress our decisions. But we cannot
rely on these externals to guide us forever. An intellectual
understanding of discernment will also fail us, because just as with a
gnosis of the Absolute, it is only through diligent and multifaceted
interior discipline that we encounter ahas that illuminate
consciousness and encourage our spirit. Discernment is also
consistently dynamic; it seldom rests in previous conclusions, but
champions nuance, ambiguity and holism. Like all that mysticism
embraces, it is elastic, often fleeting, and can only be experienced
directly. We could even say that comprehending the exact nature of
discernment requires, well. ..discernment.
Many factors will combine into moments of discerning insight.
Here are examples of some critical input streams:
DISCERNMENT
Conscious
Intentions
Instinct and
Wisdom of i-""
Intuition & Emotional IntelllgencB
I "I'sticai ,
Each input stream requires separate attention and refinement, and
although all of them are innate processes, in the modern world there
is often little encouragement to nurture them. After all, how often
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Essential Mysticisni
do we really listen to what our bodies are trying to tell us? And the
wisdom of our life experience may sometimes contradict what we
learn in school or the latest advice from media talk shows. Our
intuition may be ridiculed or dismissed by coworkers, family
members and sometimes even friends. And mystical awareness will
present challenging and paradoxical information, in part because it
has a different orientation than other input streams. Where instinct,
intuition and experiential wisdom tend to weigh individual choices
and concerns of the moment, mystical awareness penetrates
Universal trends and eternal consequences. Now consider that all
of these may not readily agree with each other - at least not on the
surface - and discernment can seem impossible to synergize.
However, as we filter each contribution through the golden
intention, with sincere confidence that the good of All will be
served, our discernment has an anchor and a filter, so that the
implications of each choice becomes unquestionably clear.
And once again we come full circle to the heart of the mystic's way:
letting go. By releasing our certainty about what is, what our ego
demands of us, and even what our past successes have taught us, we
invite lucidity and synchronization into current consciousness. By
relaxing our dependence on intellect and physical sense, we enter a
Sacred inner space where the broadest possible context for our
actions is revealed. By letting go of personal attachment to
outcomes - and the dominance of any one input stream — disparate
information merges into unified insight.
For me, the quickest route to this unification is meditation.
Difficult conundrums melt away when the mind is quieted and I am
no longer so attached to thoughts and feelings. What swiftly arises is
not only distilled vision, but also the underlying principles
supporting that vision. Sometimes this can only be explained as an
inexplicable "knowing." At other times, in a flash of
interconnection, things fit together in ways that make rational sense.
And, of course, there is the final necessity of following through.
When we support true discernment with action, our wisdom is
confirmed and our faith in mystical methodologies deepens.
Without follow -thro ugh, we may endure the same confirmations,
but without the immediate benefit of spiritually healthy outcomes.
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6 -THE PROMISE OF HUMAN POTENTIAL
Whether as a species, an amalgamation of cuhures, or as part of a
global organism, humanity is evolving. As more and more
individuals interact with the mystic continuum through disciplined
consciousness, the movement of that evolution becomes evermore
self-aware. Are we poised on the brink of a major transformation?
My intuition tells me that the larger the number of adherents to
such a belief, the more likely transformation will occur. Ultimately,
it is the choice of the individual to actively contribute to the
betterment of the Whole, and a critical mass of positive intention
can only enhance pervasive change.
Clearly, one question in every moment is whether or not to exist for
a reason. Do we wish to live in harmony with ourselves, each other
and the Natural Realm, or promote dissonance, division and
destruction? Is a higher order of existence a desirable outcome, or
is entropy somehow more attractive? There seem to be implied
opposites here, a dualitj' that defies interdependent being or Divine
immanence. But this perceived duality is a state of mind. There
are only gradations of intention - conformance, resistance and
impartiahty are but variable gears in the vast mechanisms of the
inevitable. If we do not decide for ourselves, there is a high
likelihood that our course will be set for us, or that we will be
influenced without knowing it. If we do decide how to proceed
through life, the ultimate outcome of Unity cannot be thwarted, for
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Essential Mysticisni
it already exists in the past, present and future. What mysticism
confirms is that we are all already One, with every individual
contributing superlative uniqueness to the Whole. Each of us
merely embraces this reality to varying degrees.
As for our personal efforts, the Universe does not tolerate stasis for
long, and the energies in and around us constantly excite
metamorphosis in everything else. The only meaningful constant is
the quality of our consciousness as we engage perpetual change.
We cannot always know, but we can become, and mystical
awareness leads us to places where the very best of our humanity
fully inhabits the now and energizes our spiritual progress. Along
the mystic's way, we can choose continuous personal growth as our
privilege, unconditional love as our passion, and the good of All as
our greatest responsibility. Beyond this hes the freedom of a joyful,
creative mystery.
What might a spiritually evolved humanity look like? Or what
would happen if there were a decline in cumulative consciousness?
Although many mystics and philosophers have tried to answer these
questions, an unspecific but probable conclusion is that we will be
surprised either way - pleasantly in the case of a deep
harmonization of human civilization with the All, unpleasantly in
the case of cultural atavism. About the only prediction I would
make is that a continued acceleration away from heart time and spirit
time into an increasingly frenetic head time will disable soulful self-
examination and a balanced approach to life. When we process,
evaluate and plan with intellect only, paying undue attention to the
loudest and most hurried voices within and without, we cut
ourselves off from a more gradual blossoming of holistic wisdom
and the gentle whispers of true discernment.
To allow for spiritual growth, I suspect that the engines of material
progress need to idle a bit. A continued aggressive adoption of
Western-style industriahsm, commercialism and consumerism will
assuredly retard the evolution of our planet - or perhaps hasten it in
ways that undermine human participation. But regardless of our
chosen course, there will continue to be plateaus and hurdles for
both the individual and the collective. No substantive change can
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occur without us facing our greatest fears, weaknesses and
antagonisms, and even expanded awareness and spiritual acumen
will not soften the lessons we must learn in order to mature.
I can imagine a world where there is no illness, no famine, no
violence, no poverty, no sorrow. ..but I can also imagine a world full
of even more insanity, destruction and pain than currently exists.
Come heaven or hell, my duty is clear: I can either contribute all
that I am through the golden intention, or dissipate my energy in
egocentric futility. As a mystic I beheve that the Universe conspires
in favor of my consciousness, and that my consciousness conspires
in favor of the Universe. In this way I can joyfully participate in
whatever comes, and help transform suffering with love. I am
accountable only to myself in this, and the inexorable forces of Life
and Light will either include me in the next great stage of being, or
discard this manifestation as an inadaptable relic. For now, I can
only hope to be a primitive iteration on its way to perfection, and
trust that the briefest glimpses of all-inclusive harmony are a
promise of things to come.
Different Perspectives on Human Potential
"...To go beyond thought and time - which means going beyond
sorrow - is to be aware that there is a different dimension called
love. But you don't know how to come to this extraordinary fount,
so what do you do? If you don't know what to do, you do nothing,
don't you? Absolutely nothing. Then inwardly you are completely
silent. Do you understand what that means? It means that you are
not seeking, not wanting, not pursuing; there is no center at all.
Then there is love."
- J, Krishnamurti
"Love is patient, love is kind, love is not jealous. Love does not
brag and is not arrogant. It always acts appropriately, and does not
pursue things for selfish advantage. Love is not easily provoked, nor
does it dwell on any wrongs it has suffered. It does not take
pleasure in the wickedness of others, but rejoices in a life of truth,
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Love endures all things, is continually trusting, never ceases to
hope, and endures anything. Love never fails."
- The Apostle Paul
"With courage, vision, humor, and creativity, we can use our magic,
our ability to change our consciousness, our world view, and our
values to reinstate the living web of all interconnected life as the
measure by which all choices are judged."
- Starhawk
"A friend once commented, 'Any fool can see that we are in a global
ecological crisis. The question is, how do we make a fool care.' We
make a fool care by encouraging the wise one to come forth. The
wise one already cares. All that is required is that we honor and live
by that shining wisdom which, despite our foolishness, passionately
exists within us."
- Catherine Ingram
"The problem of thought therefore is to find out the right idea and
the right way of harmony; to restate the ancient and eternal spiritual
truth of the Self so that it shall re-embrace, permeate, dominate,
transfigure the mental and physical life; to develop the most
profound and vital methods of psychological self-discipline and self-
development so that the mental and psychical life of man may
express the spiritual life through the utmost possible expansion of its
own richness, power and complexity; and to seek for the means and
motives by which external life, society and institutions may remold
themselves progressively in the truth of the spirit and develop
towards the utmost possible harmony of individual freedom and
social unity."
— Sri Aurobindo
"But surrendering to what? It really does not matter what we call it:
God or the Tao or the Dharma or the Buddha or our true nature.
They are all concepts anyway. It is the act of letting go, of
surrendering, that matters. The very act of letting go opens us up
completely."
— Dennis Genpo Merzel
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"When we live in the dream of the planet, it is as if we are dead.
Whoever sun'ives the initiation of the dead receives the most
wonderful gift; the resurrection. To receive the resurrection is to
arise from the dead, to be alive, to be ourselves again. The
resurrection is to be like a child — to be wild and free, but with a
difference. The difference is that we have freedom with wisdom
instead of innocence."
— Don Miguel Ruiz
"Come to my door at any hour, even if your eyes are frightened by
my light. My heart and arms are open and need no rest - they will
always welcome you. Come in, my dear, from that harsh world that
has rained elements of stone upon your tender face. Every soul
should receive a toast from us for bravery! Bring all the bottles of
wine you own to this divine table — the earth we share."
- Hafiz (Daniel Ladinsky)
"Merely situate yourself in nonaction, and things will evolve of
themselves. Slough off your bodily form, dim your intelligence.
Forget all relationships and things; join in the great commonality of
boundlessness. Release your mind, free your spirit; be impassively
soulless. The myriad things abound, yet each returns to its roots."
- Chuang Tzu (Victor H. Mair)
"Whoever with the devout intensity of their spirit is able to raise the
Holy Spark from stone to plant, from plant to animal and from
animal to speaking being will lead it to freedom. No setting free of
captives is greater than this."
- Baal Shem Tov
"God's joy moves from unmarked box to unmarked box, from cell
to cell. As rainwater, down into flowerbed. As roses, up from
ground. Now it looks hke a plate of rice and fish, now a cliff
covered with vines, now a horse being saddled. It hides within
these, till one day it cracks them open,"
-Jelaluddin Rumi (Coleman Barks)
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"To be a mystic is simply to participate tiere and now in that real
and eternal life; in the fullest, deepest sense which is possible to
man. It is to share, as a free and conscious agent - not as a servant,
but as a son - in the joyous travail of the Universe: its mighty
onward sweep through pain and glory towards its home in God."
— Evelyn Underhill
"If you do not know yourselves, then you live in poverty, and you
are the poverty."
— Gospel of Thomas
"I am the seed that can be found in every creature... for without me
nothing can exist, neither animate nor inanimate. But there is no
end to my divine attributes. ..these I have mentioned are only a few.
Wherever you find strength or beauty or spiritual power you may be
sure that these have sprung from a spark of my essence. But of
what use is it for you to know all this...? Just remember that I am,
and that I support the entire cosmos with only a firagment of my
being."
— Bhagavad Gila (Eknath Easwaran)
Concept Affinity: Love-Consciousness
Zen
Buddhism
Christian
Mysticism
Kabbalah
Sufism
Taoism
Kundalini
Yoga
Maitfi
(Mella)
EiKamna
Agape
Ciiesed
Gavurah
Tiferet
Isliq
^Mahabba
(Tsyli)
Ci
Kamra
SPrema
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7 - RECURRING QUESTIONS
The following are some questions that seem to surface again and
again in my internal and communal mystical discourse. They can
be used as starting points for mystical inquiry, the subject of
meditation or group discussion, or reminders of the many facets of
truth that reveal themselves as we explore the Infinite.
1 . What distinguishes mystical experience from other types of
experience?
2. Are all mystical experiences spiritual?
3. What are some of the key objectives of mysticism?
4. What are the benefits of escaping habitual modes of thought,
action or emotional reaction?
5. What advantages and growth have you experienced through
personal discipline?
6 . What moments in your life have challenged your assumptions
about what really h or how the Universe works?
7. What past life events have revealed that you hadn't yet realized
something important about yourself?
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Essential Mysticisni
8. Is returning to a state of emptiness a value judgment of the
Universe, a suspension of value judgment, or something else?
9. Where do our fears originate and in what way does mystical
practice help us overcome them?
10. From what do you derive your greatest satisfaction and
contentment?
1 1 . How can we come to trust any new way of seeing?
12. If you have a highly developed sense of intuition, but the
consequences of your actions in response to that intuition seem
equally divided between positive and negative results, what
might that indicate about your intentions, self- awareness, or
self-esteem?
13. How is mystical awareness different from intuition?
14. Why is the golden intention so important to the mystical
process?
15. Can you separate the spiritually healthy emotional states you
have felt over the past week from the spiritually unhealthy ones?
16. How can we transform malevolent or counterproductive
intentions in ourselves and others?
17. Is it possible to cultivate a life that is entirely free of any kind of
evil?
1 8. What does "living in nonduality" look like?
19. What is the role of gratitude in our spiritual evolution?
20. What is "wishing without wanting?"
2 1 . What is the difference between "letting go of ego" and
annihilating our own will?
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T.Collins Logan
22. Do you believe the same action by the same person, but with
different motives, can potentially have different outcomes?
Why or why not?
23. What is the difference between being "active" and "passive" for
a mystic? What might "doing without doing" mean?
24. What are some characteristics of the transformation of identity
that occurs through mystical practice?
25. How have you defined success foryourself? What choices in
your life have brought you closer to that success?
26. Do your most important relationships support and contribute to
the purpose you have chosen for your life?
27. What are some of the qualitative differences between isolation,
loneliness, and constructive solitude?
28. What are some of the differences between common sense and
spiritual discernment?
29. What role might mystical practice play in ongoing physical
health and emotional healing?
30. What are some other holistic benefits of mysticism?
3 1 . What is compassion?
32. What is wisdom?
33. What is a good guideline for evaluating personal goals and
expectations in mystical practice?
34. Why is it imperative to have supportive disciplines in place
before activating radical consciousness?
35. What is the single most important feature of all insight?
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Essential Mysticisni
The Pyramid of Self
APPENDIX
PHYSIOLOGICAL - This is our material being - the basic
biochemical creattire — and the simplest definition of Self. This can
be further broken down into:
Animal - The basic physical requirements for sustaining life
and the primal impulses to fulfill them. Hunger, thirst, fatigue,
sex drive, aggressiveness, and competitiveness make up the
Animal. These are unthinkingly reactive.
Emotional - Dominated by basic emotions such as fear,
excitement, attachment, anger, greed, guilt, and other
emotional preservation impulses. Though initially raw and
reactive, these become more constrained, complex and subtle as
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we mature. The Emotional also competes with the Rational,
introducing complexities in self-awareness and other-awareness
- a grayness that contradicts the Rational's preference to see
only in black-and-white. The potential synei^y between these
two is the beginning of a more sophisticated perception and
understanding of Self and the world.
Rational — Basic black-and-white logic. A simple
comprehension of actions and consequences, obser\'ing
transparent patterns and relationships, and applying linear
problem-solving. The Rational is bent on fulfilling Animal
impulses and requirements and is still very attached to our most
primitive needs. The Rational also assigns meaning to things.
It desires reasons for its own existence and tends to embrace
absolutes, especially where right and wrong are concerned. As
the Rational advances, however, it begins to challenge these
assumptions. In order to resolve such questions, an inherent
tension with the Emotional prods us to evolve.
EXPERIENTIAL - This is the information we gather through
living and exploring our environment. From our experience, we
learn to define ourselves in relationship to others and the world and
create boundaries for our will. This level of the pyramid has these
components:
Instinctive - The reflexive reactions of fundamental
Experiential conditioning and innate somatic knowledge, such
as seeking higher ground when lost, running away fi-om a
burning building, seeking help when in pain, and following the
crowd. One could argue that some of these are genetically
programmed behaviors, but even so, without reinforcement
through our experience, we would stop responding to them.
However, the Physiological still has influence through these
instinctive "rules of engagement" with our existence.
Sagacious - Here we begin to have wisdom through
observation of our experience, and a more complex,
comparative reasoning takes place. Abstract correlations and
patterns begin to appear, and the insights we assemble tend to
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Essential Mysticisni
override more primal. Physiological impulses in our decision-
making. Self-control becomes easier and our self-awareness
expands. We appreciate understated distinctions, departing
from black-and-white logic to embrace larger, less rigid
concepts such as patience, tolerance, and exceptions to rules.
We become more comfortable with irresolvable contradictions.
"Right" and "wrong" are no longer such extreme absolutes.
We realize that we don't - and perhaps can't - know anything
with certainty. Strict deduction therefore begins to be
complimented by Intuitive insight and spiritual discernment.
Intuitive - Something subtle and multifaceted emerges in the
Intuitive. We comprehend truths that aren't necessarily logical,
but which seem "right" against the backdrop of accumulated
knowledge of our life experience and the innate wisdom of our
soul. Although these insights are similar to Emotional
reasoning, they draw from a deeper sense of spiritual
preservation and a broader awareness of life's dynamics.
Instead of raw fear, there is practical forewarning. Instead of
anger, there is sadness and acceptance. Instead of trying to
control, we are inspired toward love and compassion, increasing
our empathy and awareness of others. In the Intuitive, the
seeds of the Spiritual Self and mystical awareness take root and
the lush environs of creativity are estabhshed.
SPIRITUAL — This is the purely mystical element of Self with
which we come to know the Sacred, intensely connecting with our
own soul, with spiritual intelligence and with the collective energy
of all hfe. The Spiritual is made up of three forms of spiritual
cognizance:
Shared Understanding - The knowledge common to all souls
- the instinct of the spirit, if you will - and a window into the
nature of our existence. Here we comprehend more deeply that
selflessness and discipline are the foundation for building a
spiritual life, and that spiritual objectives are a worthwhile
pursuit. We also perceive the temporal, impermanent nature of
Physiological needs and wants, and embrace kindness, empathy
and compassion above all other measurements of morality.
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r.Co/lJns Logan
Shared Understanding has no ego, no reactively defensive sense
of Self, and thrives on the interconnectedness of all things.
Here we differentiate between the Physiologically/Experientially
defined Self, and our Spiritual nature. Shared Understanding
does not discriminate between Self and Other.
Moments of Epiphany - Here we make great leaps of
comprehension, and our realizations carry with them a powerful
emotional, intellectual and spiritual certainty. Such epiphanies
may occur in a dream, or as we view a valley from a mountain
top, or fall in love, or lose our closest friend, or pray, or
meditate, or struggle through a deep depression. Although
simple intellectual leaps of understanding can sometimes be
predicted or engineered — as when solving a problem or puzzle,
for instance - achieving spiritual epiphanies is less formulaic.
Our most reliable route is to develop a rich inner life, a life of
spirit, which is receptive to such moments and their meaning.
These events are so removed from all other aspects of our
experience that we know what they are without knowing what
they are. Some call them revelations, or prophetic visions, or
inspiration, or illumination, and often they seem to strip away
all of our previous assumptions. When we choose to listen to
our epiphanies and allow them to shape us, these moments
powerfully inform and advance our evolution.
Mystical A^vareness — The Sufis call this "tasting" the Divine.
Mystical Awareness is as solid a sense of the spiritual world as
taste, smell or hearing is of the physical world. This is where
we directly apprehend underlying realities and mature the
wisdom of our souls. Someone in the throes of existential angst
might touch on this level of perception-cognition, as might
someone lost in meditative concentration, or someone following
the promptings of their spirit without fear, or someone who is
overwhelmed by a powerful Epiphany. Anyone can access
Mystical Awareness, and the long -established disciplines of
various spiritual traditions greatly assist our cultivating this
faculty. What is most noticeable about this facet of Self is its
detachment from both our Physiological and Experiential
makeup, and its growing identification - and intimate union -
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Essential Mysticisni
with the Source of All, This is where spiritual discernment is
perfected, our most essential life lessons are processed, and our
sense of purpose and completion is achieved. Living in balance
with a fully realized Mystical Awareness is also described as a
"harmonized existence," in equilibrium with the All. That is,
when we have fully understood and successfully integrated
spiritual cognizance with our many other aspects of Self,
directing those aspects consciously and in concert with each
other while continually nourishing and nurturing All
Things.,, then our existence is truly harmonized.
What awaits us at the apex of our pyramid? The Divine
Spark, the True Self, the Self in All, the very essence of our
soul, and the bedrock of personal reality. Seen by some
traditions as the primary objective of mystical practice, and by
others as milestone inherent to pursuing what they consider loftier
goals, our True Self is both the source and culmination of all other
levels of development and experience.
Artifacts of Will
Here is a proposed inventory of what our will can manifest into
being at any moment. Whether through action or idea, consciously
or unconsciously, these are the ordinary or extraordinary
consequences of our intentions.
1. Meditative neutrality - Such as returning to emptiness, the art of
suspension or equivalent stillness.
2. Projection of goodwill on others — Such as trust, compassion,
love or encouragement,
3. Invitation of another's goodwill to Self- What politicians,
managers, and salespeople often try to do,
4. Supplication for direction of will — As with prayerful
supplication, or seeking guidance from others, or contemplative
inquiry,
5. Subjugation to another's mil- As we do when falling in love, or
devoting ourselves to a religious or sociopohtical cause, or as we
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r.Co/lins Logan
might have done as children when we followed oui parents or older
siblings around like enamored ducklings.
6. Annihilation of our mil- Such as when we alter our brain
chemistry with drugs and alcohol, try to commit suicide, or
otherwise permit ourselves to be abused and victimized by external
influences.
7. Integration of another's will and our mil — As with marriage,
or a business contract, or playing team sports, or other agreement
where there is an assumption of equal participation and
investment.
8. Protecting our mil from another's mil - As we do when we
withdraw into isolation, or summon the protection of our spiritual
tradition, or decline a persuasive request.
9. Transmutation of another's will -When we calm aggression, or
introduce harmony where there was chaos, or encourage healthy
thinking and conduct - without actually imposing our will on
someone else. That is, we are welcoming another's will and
transforming it. This is often used by skilled counselors, mediators
and leaders.
10. Redirection/Deflection of another's will- The outcome may be
similar to artifacts 2, 8 and 9, and this may have a defensive or
corrective intent, where the object of our will may be completely
unaware of our influence as the course of their desire is redirected.
11. Subtraction/Restriction of another's ivill- As with physically
confining someone, psychologically or emotionally oppressing
them, disabling or injuring them in some way, or taking their life.
12. Enhancement/Expansion of another's will -This is what is
happening when we consciously align ourselves with the good of
All, or throw our support behind a leader we believe in, or nurture
and nourish someone, or procreate.
13. Creation of Residual will — In inanimate objects. I suggest that
this has - depending on the intensity, intentions and focus of its
creative agent - a specific half-life. In the case of an Immortal
Creator, this raises some interesting questions.
14. Cascading Propagation of will -As in mass media, group
lectures, political rallies, etc. where intentions and ideas spread
throughout large numbers of people via intermediaries. An
intriguing theory that describes this process is niemstics.
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Essential Mysticisni
Mystic Activators Comparison
V Primary Emphasis
• SecondaryEmphasis
V Incidental
(Note: With most of these descriptions, the manysubtle
differentiations, subsets of practice, or schools for a given
category have not been listed separately in this chart.)
g
_i
O
c
o
a
1
a.
c
o
a
u
■o
c
u
•B
B
in
u
m
Symbolic S
Synchronistic
Ritual
c
o
•B
B
'■a
u
I/)
Suii muraqaba (watchfulness)
•
V
Buddhist zazen (sitting meditation), vipassana (insight
meditation/bare attention), andjhana (concentration
meditation)
*
V
V
Bhakti Yoga
V
V
*
■
i<abbaiist iovannah (hoiy intention/concentration)
•
V
V
-J
Christian theoria/contempiatio (contemplative prayer)
V
V
V
■
Buddhist metta bhavana (ioving i'indness rreditaOon)
V
V
■
Gyana (jnana) Yoga
V
■
^
Hermetic visualization and meditation
V
V
V
Transcendental Meditation
V
*
*
-J
OtJier mantra ormandala meditation/Yoga
V
*
*
^
SuH dhikr ("remembering" God)
V
*
V
■
Hasidic prayer - hislahavus (bursting into name) and
devel<us (clinging to God)
V
*
V
V
Invoking certain "spiritual gifts" in Christianity (tongues,
prophecy)
V
*
V
V
Kundalani, l<riya, or other tantra Yoga
*
V
V
Taoisthsiaochoutien (circulation of Chi meditation)
V
*
■
V
Chanting, breathing and imagery techniques of ecstatic
Kabbalah
V
V
V
Shamanic trance
V
V
V
Trance-inducement via controlled breathing,
psychedelic drugs or extended fasting
V
V
Sufi "turning" (ecstatic dancing)
V
V
*
Hermetic initiations and symbolic rituals
V
V
V
Eartti-centered ceremonies such as Wiccan rites of
power or polarity
*
*
V
V
Angelic incantations and use of gematria (numerology
ofttne Hebrew alphabet) inttie magical Kabbalah
V
V
Divination (Tarot, 1 Ching, Runes, Bibliomancy, etc.)
V
V
Christian rituals, such as adult baptism, "laying on of
hands" by elders and the Eucharist
*
V
V
Energetic healing arts such as Reiki
*
V
V
Spontaneous Communion (an unintentional state
inspired by nature, during sex, through music, during
extreme crisis or pain, in a dream, etc.)
V
7
V
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r.Co/lJns Logan
SUGGESTED READING
Here are some books that explore mystical ideas and approaches to
practice, listed in order of progressively difficult conceptual or
practical material. I recommend the most current editions, and
would offer these additional caveats:
1 . Many authors understandably frame their thoughts within a
fairly formalized system of assumptions and beliefs.
2. With too few exceptions, the refinement of an explicit and
consistent guiding intentionahty is generally underemphasized.
3. Purely external guideposts to truth are seldom reliable, and
there is no end to persuasively written books. We should each
rely on our own discernment to integrate concepts and practices
into the journey we call our own.
Tht: Jouniey Home, Lee Carroll
The Pour Agrssmems, Don Miguel Ruiz
The Miracle of Mindfulness, Tich Nhat Haiih
The Gift, Poems of Hafiz, Daniel Ladiiisky
356 Zen, Jean Smith
The Seven Spiritual Laias of Yoga, Deepak Chopra & David Simon
Miraculous Living, Rabbi Shoni Labowitz
The Spiral Dance, Starhawk
The Ehagavad Gita, Eknath Easwaran
The Essential Rumi, Coleman Barks
Lao-Tzu Te-Tao Ching, Robert G, Hendricks
Total Freedom , J. Krishnamurti
The Mind of Light, Sri Aurobindo
One Taste, Ken Wilber
Will and Spirit, Gsra\d G. May
Trance, From Magic to Technology, Dennis R. Wier
Mysticistn, A Study in the Nature and Development of Spiritual Consciousness,
Evelyn Underhill
Cognitive Models and Spiritual Maps, Jensine Andres en &. Robert Form an
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Essential Mysticisni
Thank you for spending time with these words.
For more information about mysticism, the complete downloadable
text of the Vital Mystic, references and resources I have used in my
research, and to order more copies of this book, please visit
www .searchforclarity.com
And so the Infinite beckons.
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