MYSTICISM THROUGH THE LENS OF CHRISTIANITY, HINDU, AND ISLAM

NAME ROLL NO UID CONTRIBUTION
Bhavika Kotian 86 20BA108 From the Religion to

Spirituality to Mysticism;
Mysticism and Spirituality in
Reference with Mysticism.
Bhavesh Assudani 87 20BA106 Hinduism; The Magic and
Mysticism of Modern Day
Hinduism.
Avni Rane 104 20BA136 Abstract; Keywords; The Big

Book of Christian Mysticism;
Sufism: A New History of
Islamic Mysticism; Hindu
Mysticism; The Origins of the
Christian Mystical, Tradition
from Plato to Denys; Views
of Ms. Megha Darji on
Mysticism, Conclusion,
Plagiarism and Grammar
Check.
Antara Agnihotri 114 20BA127 Negative Mysticism; The
Three Stages of Christian
Mysticism.
Ananya Jain 126 20BA152 Sufi Islam; What you need to
know; The Erasure of Islam
from the Poetry of Rumi;
Sufism and Rumi’s
Contribution to Sufism.
Areed Khan 146 20BA174 Early Asceticism and Sufism;
Classical Mysticism.
Arya Khandelwal 153 20BA191 Sufism; Islamic Mysticism;
History of Islam Mysticism
Bhavna Ramchandani 161 20BA190 Introduction, Keywords,
Christian Mystics: 108 Seers,
Saints, and Sages; Teachings
of the Hindu Mystics;
Mystical Dimensions of
Islam; Christian Mysticism;
Forms of Christian
Mysticism; Significance of
Christian Mysticism, Views
of Ms. Megha Darji on
Mysticism, Conclusion,
Plagiarism, Grammar Check
and Formation and Making of
the Document.
Avika Gupta 171 20BA196 The Secrets of Mystic

Hinduism; Mystical
Traditions in Hinduism.
MYSTICISM THROUGH THE LENS OF
CHRISTIANITY, HINDU, AND ISLAM
ABSTRACT
All religions are founded on the first-hand perception of God's presence. Major focus is placed
on interior religious experience and as it occurs in the soul, mysticism is deemed piety.
Mysticism is a form of religious solitude. Mysticism's unique religious experience,
epistemology, and ascetic ethics or method appear with remarkable similarity throughout a
wide range of times and religions. This does not, however, rule out a wide range of variances
and distinctions.
The path of mysticism has several stages, but ecstasy or rapture is the condition that most
clearly characterizes mystical experience. It is hard to isolate this from the mystic's bodily
and spiritual preparation, let alone the revolutionary implications for the mystic's entire
existence. It can lead to total devotion. Religious zeal produces mysticism, mystics, and the
mystic path as a by-product. It can lead to total devotion. Religious zeal produces mysticism,
mystics, and the mystic path as a by-product. They can be found in people of all faiths and
ages, but they are only seen in a few individuals.
Their primary aim, according to the mystics, is unrestricted knowledge of, and access to, the
divine and communion with, the Supreme Being. Mystic efforts bring the "will" and the
"emotions" together in a unique way. A burning yearning to transcend the sense-world in
order to become one with it the one eternal and ultimate Object, whose existence is intuitively
felt" by the soul of a human.
Keywords: Mysticism, Mystics, Christianity, Hindu, Hinduism, Islam, Sufism, God,

Spirituality, Platonism, Religion, Unity, Philosophy, Faith, Belief, Jesus Christ, Prophet
Muhammad, Vedas.
INTRODUCTION
A rising interest in ecumenism led to the birth of the term "mysticism" when the Romantic
Movement shifted the focus of much religious thought from theology to individual experience
and its expansion to similar phenomena in non-Christian religions in the mid-nineteenth
century. Diogenes of Apollonia, a Greek philosopher, introduced mystical concepts into
Greek philosophy in the West in the 5th century BCE. Mystics have described a sense of
mystical unity or direct communication with ultimate reality. The notion is that subjective
experiences such as intuition or insight can lead to direct knowledge of God, spiritual truth,
or ultimate reality. Mystics spend the majority of their time learning a set of abilities that will
allow them to have visions, collective unconscious experiences, possession states, and so on.
However, in a few circumstances, the goal of mystical practice is to bring about personal
transformation.
Mysticism is a philosophical framework that explains mystical and visionary experiences, as

well as comparable phenomena such as trances. Mysticism, according to Dan Merkur, can
refer to any sort of ecstasy or altered state of consciousness, as well as the beliefs and
explanations that go along with it. Mysticism is a spiritual concept that states that through
contemplation and meditation, one can communicate with God or the spirits. Mysticism can
be defined as the belief that by sitting and contemplating, one can have a direct connection
with God. A confluence of the soul or mind with divine reality or divine power on a
metaphysical level.
CHRISTIANITY
The Big Book of Christian Mysticism
Mystical Phenomena are supernatural suspensions of physical law. The Greek word 'mueo' is
the origin of the word mysticism.' The word 'mueo' is the root for the word mystery and
something which cannot be talked about out loud. Mysticism is not mentioned in the Bible,
but the word mystery is. Furthermore, religious mysticism might be defined as an endeavour
to recognize the living God's presence in souls and nature. Christian Mysticism is about
spirituality and one's connection, relationship with God. Paradoxically, mysticism also
implies the non-experience of God or meeting God in absence or unknowing.
For any relationship with God, a body higher than ourselves and the world, there is bound to
be mystery and spirituality. For Christians the embodiment of God, of spiritual mystery, is
Jesus. So far, Christianity has been able to interpret that God, Jesus, is kind, merciful,
compassionate and loving. To discover this love of God, Christianity says that prayer,
moreover silent, mystical prayer in which we use our heart and soul to pray and become one
with God. Christian Mysticism is responding to the love of God, this love cannot be
comprehended as a whole but we can still access this love through prayer which will bring
one closer to God and help find joy, love and purpose in life. Meditation, introspection,
prayer, devotion, philosophy, the quest for self-actualization, and the feeling of Divine
presence are all part of Christian mysticism. Mysticism is intangible, but it can be experienced
via mystical and contemplative prayer. This book gives a must-have to understand Christian
Mysticism in particular as it talks about various concepts related to Christian Mysticism such
as Platonism, various Christian mystics and Christian practices. For someone who is riddled
with questions that are spiritual and contemplative, this book is very helpful.
Christian Mystics: 108 Seers, Saints, and Sages

In his book, "Christian Mystics: 108 Seers, Saints, and Sages," the author, Carl McColman,
honours the different kinds of mystics, visionaries, wisdom keepers, and non-dualists who
have enhanced our view of the world over the previous two thousand years through their
spiritual insights and perceptive teachings. The spiritual masters of the Western tradition offer
a range of paths into God's transforming heart, as shown in this remarkable collection of
teachings.108 Mystics is a beautiful spiritual work that gives us a sense of the many mystics
who have contributed as our teachers and companions throughout history. We all aspire and
desire to respond to God's beatifying, deifying love. We all need teachers and companions to
educate and nourish us in establishing our vibrant inner and spiritual lives. Carl McColman
offers an enlightening introduction to this diverse collection of 108 Western Christian
mystics, categorized into nine mystics for easy reference, and is written in lucid, non-
academic language. The book is a wonderful gift of 108 knowledgeable and worthy guides
on the mystical path, with each entry sparks further study, and the essential connection
between mysticism and extraordinary phenomena is highlighted. The book encourages
readers to discover more about the mystics and identify those whose teachings will be most
useful to them as they embark on their journey of falling ever more completely in love with
God. "Christian Mystics: 108 Seers, Saints, and Sages" is a handpicked collection of western
spiritual wisdom that is now available to everyone.
Mystical Theology (Negative Mysticism)

Mysticism in Christianity is the sense of some form of contact with the divine, often
understood as involving the union with God. Negative mysticism is the idea of an inner "God
beyond God," something like a divine Darkness or Desert in which all distinction is lost. They
believe this is the true contact with God - one that involves going beyond all that we speak
and know of as God. The religion is suspicious of this form of mysticism, calling it borderline
"atheistic," although the believers of this mysticism have tried to calm these suspicions down
by insisting on the necessity of having a path to God. From all the positive terms that have
been ascribed to God, "super-essential Godhead" is the earliest and most important one, so is
the teaching of Pseudo-Dionysius. Eckhart prayed in his attempts to explain the
"breakthrough" to hidden Godhead that "we may apprehend and rejoice in that everlasting
truth in which the highest angel and the fly and soul are equal." He wished that his followers
be "free of 'God.'" Jakob Böhme renewed the concept of hidden Godhead when he spoke of
it as the Ungrund (The Great Mystery) and said that God is eternally a dark mystery and
nothing can be said of it. However, he puts on the nature of light, love, and goodness,
revealing the divine to man.
HINDU
Hindu Mysticism
Hindu Mysticism is found throughout the world, in the east and the west. Hindi Mysticism is
a concept that cannot be explained as there is no specific way of perceiving it. The author
says that this book is a collection of his beliefs and is not fact-based but rather a book
encompassing the beliefs and values. After all, Mysticism itself means something mystic,
spiritual and intangible. The introductory chapter of this book by Dasgupta is an explanatory
and personal insight into practices of Mysticism throughout the world. He elaborates various
topics such as Sacrificial Mysticism, seen in The Hindu Vedic System. Sacrifices were
considered more powerful than God, something which has the power to please or displease
God. The ritual practices back then were quite strict. The author has talked about Yoga
mysticism in this book. Yoga mysticism is considered miraculous and a way for self-
enlightenment. Indian sages were known for practising Dhyana to communicate with God.
Hindu Mysticism is a never-ending concept, and no one can fully grasp it. However, the
author, S.N. Dasgupta, has illustrated Hindu Mysticism in a bewitching manner.
Teachings of the Hindu Mystics

God has laid out unique routes for different individuals for peace, faiths, and beliefs. Even
so, some certain key spiritual thoughts and attitudes unite all those we call "Hindus." The
most lyrical, emotional, and insightful works of the Hindu mystical tradition are represented
in this anthology, "Teachings of the Hindu Mystics." The author Andrew Harvey, a popular
spiritual scholar, has handpicked pieces from ancient, historical, and modern sources,
including the Bhagavad Gita, the Upanishads, and other great classical Hindu scriptures. The
anthology's scope offers a spectacular introduction to Hindu mystical literature, while the
strength and beauty of the language will inspire readers who are already familiar with the
genre. The reader will receive spiritual inspiration from this anthology. The Hindu Mystical
tradition's timeless purity, weight, and majesty are inherent to its continuity and uniformity.
Like all true mystical traditions, the Hindu Mystical tradition educates, inspires, and supports
authentic transformation, regardless of its intellectual and philosophical loftiness and joy in
speculation. The supreme gift of Hinduism to the world is that its Tantric traditions have kept
the truth of the bride's glory, majesty, and power vibrant and alive in all of her unbridled
fullness, such as worshipping her as Devi, Ambika, Durga, Lakshmi, or Kalo, the Hindu
tradition is known to adore her as the Queen of Transcendence and Earth Mother.
The Secrets of Mystic Hinduism

One of the dominant features of Hinduism is the secretiveness associated with numerous of
its practices. Historically, the loftiest factors of Hinduism and Jeremiah Hinduism were only
accessible to a chosen many. According to the Hindu Book, the deepest mystifications of
Hinduism should only be disclosed to the best people, and indeed, only at the discretion of
complete exponents and in agreement with their pupils' spiritual advancement. Since
Hinduism is an ancient religion with origins in both the ritual and spiritual traditions of
ancient India, it is delicate to completely comprehend it without devoting a significant
quantum of time to its study. While rehearsing Hinduism may not bear important work,
understanding and learning demand technical knowledge, which can only be gained through
studying the textbooks and their complex complications. Hinduism is a multifaceted religion.
Its Good Book is full of symbolism, and its practices contain both apparent and retired
content. Numerous Hindu secrets will not be exposed because they are revealed under a strict
pledge of secretiveness.
Hinduism
Hinduism is the world's old nonstop religion with a history that may date back to over 7000
times. According to the Vedas, Hinduism is innovated by God himself as part of his eternal
duties. Hinduism is rehearsed generally in India, Nepal, Mauritius, Fiji, and Bali's region in
Indonesia. It is also rehearsed in several other countries, including Pakistan, Sri Lanka,
Bangladesh. Hinduism is a handbasket of persuasions rather than a religion since it represents
different societies and traditions of Indian origin, with no particular author, Prophet, or Book
with a history that dates back to 5000 BCE.
Although Hinduism represents multitudinous traditions, it has participated in beliefs,
practices, traditions, customs, Good Book, divinities, rituals, spiritual and Jeremiah ways,
carnivals, paths, and values. The sacred textbooks of Hinduism are classified into shrutis and
smritis. The former is the heard bones or the pregnant textbooks with their roots in the loftiest
heaven, while the ultimate is intellectual or honorary textbooks composed by prestigious
scholars and pundits. They throw considerable light upon Hinduism's ritual and spiritual
practices, beliefs, and gospel.
From Religion to Spirituality to Mysticism
In one of his sessions, Sadh guru said that India is a nation where an individual will not have
to ask for proof of the mystic and spiritual essence as they would feel it all over the nation.
We are one nation culturally and economically but are divided politically. We can believe in
whatever religion we are born or want to adopt. We should keep religion as a personal pursuit
and never a global goal.
The most significant aspect of life is being alive. Spirituality means understanding the
significance of living and where money, society, and the body are secondary. Our thoughts
should be stronger than the society-created rules and our emotions. Mysticism is not a
concept. Exploring the nature of oneself is a spiritual process exploring the nature of creation
is mysticism
ISLAM
Mystical Dimensions of Islam
For sensitivity and extensive comprehension of the subject, the author Annemarie Schimmel,
a notable Eastern religions scholar, transports the reader into the mood, vision, and path of
the Sufi in a way that offers an essential feature to her research of Sufism's history. She offers
a fair historical analysis of the international phenomena of Sufism for the first time in her
book, "Mystical Dimensions of Islam," from its roots to the nineteenth century, Islamic
mysticism. She also explores the evolution of its various stages, such as classical voluntarism
and postclassical theosophical mystical movements, focusing on spiritual education and the
various means of bringing the mystic into the existential awareness of the profound mystery
of faith declaration. Through her book, she guides us through the history of Sufism, the
spiritual path's destinations and levels, and into the garden, where the rose and the nightingale
build the lyrical power that flourishes in Sufism.
Sufism: A New History of Islamic Mysticism
Sufism is the mystical dimension of Islam. Sufism is diverse, ranging from those who are
detached to enthusiastic empaths. Sufism is self-reflection. Sufi is the way for seekers to find
divine power. Prophet Muhammad and Hazrat Ali are the names popular among the school
of Sufism as Prophet Muhammad was a mystic and practiced many spiritual practices which
he taught his son in law, Hazra Ali. Islam believes that we arise from God and end with God
and Sufism helps the inner soul communicate and feel the presence of the divine. Sufis often
use music to connect with God. Although musical expression in Islam often seems debatable
but Sufi musical performances have played an important role in creative literature and poetry
as well as in spreading the message of Islam throughout the world Sufi practices, including
chanting, singing, dance, and meditation which are all intended to lead followers toward the
experience of God with oneself. The Sufis quest is to experience God within oneself; this is
often called Marisa. The essential aspect of Sufism is that it cannot be learned but can only
be reached by personal experience and inward transformation. This book dives deep into the
origination of Sufism, its practices and explains the Love for God and of God.
Sufi Islam: What you need to know
This news article delves into Sufism, a mystical idea followed by tens of millions of Muslims.
However, extremist Islamists have begun to target Sufis in violent attacks, such as the latest
Egyptian tragedy.
On the Arab peninsula in the 18th century, a new fundamentalist Islamic philosophy and
movement arose, giving way to violent extremist groups such as al-Qaeda and IS. Wahhabism
aims to cleanse Sunni Islam of accretions and innovations, such as the popular Sufi custom
of venerating saints and visiting graves and shrines. The purpose was to establish a "pure"
form of Islam. The Wahhabi movement formed an alliance with the House of Saud, which
created the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932. Saudi and Arab Gulf oil money fuelled the
global growth of Wahhabism philosophy, which is generally linked with militant Salafism,
beginning in the 1960s. Salafist jihadists have regularly targeted Sufis, who see them as
heretics. They have also attacked Christians, Shiites, and other people they consider t vo be
apostates. For decades, the Muslim world has recognised Sufism, a position endorsed by top
mainstream Sunni Muslim academics and study facilities. The Islamic State, on the other
hand, perceives alleged breaches inside Islam and "not the people and the light in the people,
and hence call Sufis, traitors of Islam
Sufism: Islamic Mysticism
This research paper by James Smith explains Sufism as the esoteric aspect of Islam talks
about the importance and origins of Sufism. In contrast to the exoteric, or conservative, side
of Islam, which focuses on obtaining a state of blessedness after death by performing divinely
mandated activities, this paper shows that the goal of Sufis is to gain direct knowledge of the
eternal in this life. This paper also talks about the different stations on which the path of
Sufism can be laid and how they can be attained.
The Erasure of Islam from the Poetry of Rumi
This news article begins with throwing some light upon Jalaluddin Rumi, a mystic, a saint,
and his influence on pop culture and the music industry. He is more often than not counted as
one of the best-selling authors in America. Even though he has spent his life studying the
Koran and Islam, he is rarely referred to be a Muslim.. There is little to no trace of his religion
in the translations of his works which are so popular in America.
Brad Gooch's latest Rumi biography, "Rumi's Secret," reveals how Shams encouraged Rumi
to doubt his textual education, discussing Koranic texts with him and highlighting the theme
of devotion as attaining oneness with God. Rumi would eventually combine the intuitive love
for God he discovered in Sufism with the legal precepts of Sunni Islam and the mystical ideas
he learned from Shams. According to Omid Safi, a professor of Middle Eastern and Islamic
studies at Duke University, readers in the West detach mystical poetry from its Islamic roots
during the Victorian period. At the time, translators and theologians could not reconcile their
views about a "desert religion," with its peculiar moral and legal laws, with the work of poets
like Rumi. They concluded that these individuals are mystical not because of Islam but in
spite of it.
Early Asceticism and Sufism
These Muslim ascetics, the most well-known of whom are Abu al-Darda' (d. 651) and Abu
Dharr al-Ghifari (d. 652), closely followed the ascetic practises of the Christian monastics
around them while refraining (and later, when in Central Asia, the example of Buddhism
monks and, in India, Hindu yogis). For decades, Christian monks in Syria and Egypt endured
extremely severe types of bodily mortification and deprivation, gaining a great level of social
and religious reputation as a result of their suffering. According to Peter Brown, they had
become the local holy men, turned upon by the populace for arbitration and miracles, and
dreaded by the secular and ecclesiastical hierarchies.
While maintaining hardship, Muslim asceticism did not accept all of the features of Christian
monasticism. As previously stated, the virginity of monks and nuns was rejected from the
start (although some early examples of Muslims castrating themselves exist), and the
anchorite lifestyle's full retreat from society was also rejected. Otherwise, during the 7th, 8th,
and 9th centuries, what became known as zuhd (asceticism) became a common way of life
for a specific part of Muslims. Zuhd was an ideal, a criterion by which to assess oneself, even
for individuals for whom it was not a way of life.
CHRISTIANITY
Christian Mysticism
Mysticism refers to a sense of being in touch with the divine or transcendent, which is
generally recognized in Christian tradition to imply oneness with God. In the history of the
Christian religion, mysticism had a significant role, and it continues to influence in present
times. Since the time of William James, scholars have questioned the relationship between
mysticism and morality, yet certain concerns have preoccupied Christian mystics for
centuries. Modern theologians have weighed in on the role of mysticism in Christianity in
different ways. Even though mysticism has played such a large role in Christian life, all
theology in the Christian East is mystical theology by definition.
The Origins of the Christian Mystical Tradition from Plato to Denys

Platonism is the philosophy of Plato or other philosophical systems derived from the works
of Plato. Plato is considered the father of European mysticism. Platonism believes in the
existence of abstract objects. It believes in a world distinct from the external world and the
internal world of consciousness. Plato believed that this world is full of knowledge and
nothing, and no one can fully grasp it. There is a close connection between Christianity and
Platonism. Affiliated to Platonism was Plotinus, a Greek Philosopher who believed that God
is one and that God is beyond the reach of our thoughts. The Church was hesitant to adopt
Plato's views, but later the resemblance between their views could not be denied. As and when
time passed, Platonism took many forms, such as Patristic Platonism, Augustinian Platonism,
and Medieval Platonism.
Forms of Christian Mysticism
The various manifestations of Christian mysticism can be classified into three groups
throughout the last thousand years. On the other hand, these categories should not be
considered mutually exclusive, as some mystics employ all of them.
Christ-Mysticism
Although traditional Christian mysticism has focused on the aspiration for unity with God,
Christ-mysticism has always flourished in the church. Women mystics such as Catherine of
Siena and Julian of Norwich expressed some of the most profound expressions of Christ-
mysticism during the Middle Ages. Strong affirmations of Christ-mysticism have emerged
due to the Protestant attempt to return to early Christianity.
Trinitarian Mysticism
The Word Christ is God incarnate, and Christian mysticism has had a significant Trinitarian
dimension from the beginning, though this has been understood in numerous ways. The belief
that the Christian comes to engage in the inner life of the Trinity through Christ is what binds
the many expressions of Trinitarian mysticism together. The scholar Origen's mysticism, for
example, emphasizes the marriage of the Word and the soul within the unity of Christ and the
church but also promises that souls will be made capable of receiving the Father as a result
of this deed.
Negative Mysticism
Christian mysticism's most creative expressions have highlighted God's ultimate
unknowability. According to the scholars, real connection with the transcendent entails going
beyond what we believe of as God, even the Trinity, to an inner "God beyond God," a
heavenly Darkness or Desert in which all boundaries disappear. According to scholars, God
is an eternally mysterious wonder about which nothing can be expressed, yet he always
assumes the character of light, love, and goodness through which the divine is revealed to
humans.
The Three Stages of Christian Mysticism
According to Joseph Maréchal, a Belgian Priest, Christian Mysticism is divided into three
broad categories - The Dying to Self, The Union with God, and The Readjustment.
Dying to Self
This signifies the "dark night of the soul" in which God gradually, sometimes painfully,
purifies the soul for divine manifestation. Christian mystics often take the crucified Christ as
a model for this process. Dying to self means wholly giving up oneself to God so one may be
possessed by divine Love. Meditation and contemplative prayer are some of the ways of
Christian Theistic Mysticism. On the one hand, many Christian Mystics have experienced
unusual phenomena - visions, locutions, predictions - most of them argue that such
experiences are secondary to the nature of mysticism and can often be dangerous.
The Union with God
According to Christian mystics, the soul is lifted into a union with God so close and complete
that it merges in the being of God and loses the idea of any separate existence. The distinctions
of Union seem dangerous to many, but many others say that they are quite unorthodox if
properly understood.
The Readjustment
The main goal of a Mystic is to attain a permanent condition of existence in which one's
nature has been entirely altered or deified. It is often defined as a "spiritual marriage" between
God and the soul. The awareness of one's self and the universe persists, but this awareness is
accompanied by a constant sensation of unity with God. Similarly, "spiritual marriage" is a
theopathic state in which the soul is perceived to be God's organ or instrument in all things.
Significance of Christian Mysticism
The study of Christian mysticism demonstrates the religious dimension's unity and the
diversity of manifestations it has received throughout Christian history. Christian mystics
believe that contact with God the Trinity is obtainable only through the mediation of Christ
and the church. In pointing to "the Beyond that is within," Christian mystics stand with the
other religions' mystics. If Christianity attempts to join into genuine cooperation with other
religions, it must be deeply permeated with mystic insight and experience. It cannot deny its
magical elements, even if it is attempting to explore the depths of its history.
HINDU
Mystical Traditions in Hinduism
There is such an astonishing variety, rich and complicated, in the mystical tradition of
Hinduism, devoted to both the particular and impersonal rudiments of the Supreme Reality,
with a multitude of exemplifications of saints and pundits, prophets and interpreters. Sri
Ramakrishna, the most recent in the Hindu mystical tradition, reached the zenith of mystical
gests not only through the numerous kinds of Hindu paths but also by exploring the mystical
traditions of other persuasions similar as Christianity and Islam, exercising them not as a bare
sympathiser or indeed empathizer, but as a bigwig of those traditions — what is now known
in religious studies as "phenomenological study of persuasions. The Hindu mystical tradition
asserts emphatically and forcefully that gests beyond those available from bare sensitive
inputs and constructed by the mind and intellect are an undeniable reality, and that similar
super sensory gests and comprehensions are attainable by a mortal being in this physical body
but through means other than the senses. These tests are transcendent in this sense because
they go beyond our sense prints. According to the Hindu Jeremiah, there is another kind of
direct perception that's innocent by sensory inputs. The realization of the individual self's
identification with the impersonal principle known as brahman (the position of the Vedanta
school of Indian philosophy) is one extreme of Hindu mysticism, while deep devotionalism
to a personal God is found in bhakti (devotional) organizations is the other.
The Magic and Mysticism of Modern Day Hinduism

Mysticism is the violent church experience by the prophets and saints, seers and pundits,
aspirants, and practitioners of various religious traditions. Mysticism again needs to be
contradistinguished from mystery-mongering, esotericism, secret exploits, hush-hush
practices, and hidden parables. As the term mysticism comes from the Greek root meaning
"to conceal," and in early Christianity, the term came to relate to "retired" Subsequently, the
term mysticism began to mean mystical theology that included the direct experience of the
godly.
Doctrines and dogmas, rituals and tradition, philosophy and theology, are only the borderline
of religion, and they only knock at the door of the sanctum sanctorum of God's godly
Residence. AsDrS. Radhakrishnan, the notorious champion-statesman of India, wrote,
"Religion is not doctrinal conformity nor conventional piety. It is participation in the mystery
of Being, and it is wisdom or insight into Reality." Swami Vivekananda wrote, "Each soul is
implicitly godly, the whole religion. Religion has been defined, as did Swami Vivekananda,
one of the bottommost of the Prophets in the Hindu tradition, as follows. Religion is
Consummation.
Mysticism and Spirituality in Reference with Mysticism
Mysticism is the pursuit of spiritual and non-secular experiences while in altered states of
consciousness, using any philosophies, ethics, rites, myths, tales, and magic as a guide.
Mysticism can be a direct institution or experience of God, and a mystic might be someone
who has had an immediate experience to a greater or lesser degree. This knowledge would be
deemed firsthand personal experience.
Spirituality is the recognition of a path and a sense of belief that there is something bigger
than oneself, that the physical body is more than just a sensory experience, and that the greater
total of which we are a part of may be of a cosmic or divine nature.
Prophets, saints, seers, sages, aspirants, and practitioners of various religious systems have
all had intense spiritual experiences. In Hinduism, having one's being in god can be a physical
and alive presence during religious essence.
The paranormal powers of 'yoga,' which were similarly studied, analysed, and labelled
as'spirituality,' were the second type of perception. Both of these procedures are governed by
certain legislation. According to Hindu mystics, the truths found by the transcending power
of yoga within the spiritual realm are neither mystical nor enigmatic; they are not
supernatural, but they are supersensory. These facts are as natural as truths in the scientific
domain of matter, and it is our ignorance of the laws of the spiritual realm that causes us to
believe they are supernatural.Thus, Mysticism is natural, rational, and as simple as emotions
like love, joy, sense of beauty, divinity, and wonder, but the rationality and logic of this mind
is trained to transact and analyse sensory inputs not only adequately enough to know the
paranormal states of experiences, but also to put together all different types of mental training,
purification, and refinement of the intellect and know it. As a result, while these mystical
experiences do not contradict reason, they do go beyond what we can normally explain.
ISLAM
History of Islam Mysticism
The Arabic phrase al-tasawwuf, which means "divine wisdom," is the source of the name
Sufi. The introduction of early asceticism, the formation of a classical mysticism of divine
love, and the establishment and multiplication of fraternal orders of mystics were all
milestones in the evolution of Islamic mysticism. Regardless of these broad levels, Islamic
mysticism is mostly a narrative of personal mystic experience. The initial stage of Sufism
arose in religious societies as a reaction to the early Umayyad period's worldliness (661–749).
The ascetics were known as "those who continually weep" and "those who consider this world
a hut of sorrows' 'because they practiced always thinking on the verses in the Quran (the
Islamic holy book) about Doomsday. They were distinguished by their meticulous observance
of the Quran's and tradition's injunctions, numerous acts of devotion, and a preference for
night prayers. In Islam, mysticism is defined as a process (Tariq) that is guided by the
guidance of a spiritual mentor (known as a shaykh or pir) with the objective of eventual
oneness with God (Allah). This is frequently a life-long process, during which the initiate
must battle his or her baser impulses in the soul. The initiate must throw himself or herself
totally under the spiritual supervision of the mentor and do an ever-increasing sequence of
spiritual (and sometimes physical) activities to accomplish this process. Within Islam, an
ascetic strain evolved from the beginning. While it is difficult to say if the Prophet
Muhammad (c. 570–632) was personally ascetic—his character has been formed in legends
about him both for and against asceticism—a minority of his Companions (sahaba) did. This
trend contrasted sharply with the lavish and wealthy lifestyles pursued by many Muslims in
the early period, particularly in the aftermath of the great Islamic conquests (634–732), during
which Muslims conquered the eastern Mediterranean Basin and the Iranian Plateau. While
these victories brought enormous wealth to the elite, individuals who refused to share any of
it could always be found.
Sufism and Rumi's Contribution to Sufism
Sufism is best characterised as Islamic mysticism or asceticism, which encourages Muslims

to achieve proximity to Allah by direct personal experience of God through religious thought
and practice. While there are other plausible origins for the name Sufi, it is widely assumed
to derive from the Arabic word 'suf,' which refers to the wool originally worn by mystics and
ascetics. A basic component of Islamic doctrine is the belief in pursuing a path that leads to
intimacy with God, eventually by experiencing the divine in the afterlife. However, according
to Sufi thinking, this affinity can be attained in this life. It began after Mohammed's death in
632, but it did not grow into orders until the 12th century. The societies were founded around
spiritual founders elevated to sainthood and had shrines constructed in their honour.
In the early thirteenth century, Jalaluddin Rumi, one of the most powerful Sufi pillars, was
born in Afghanistan. He eventually relocated to Konya, Turkey, with his family. Rumi was
exposed to Sufism by his father, a preacher and religious teacher. Before returning to Konya
as a seminary instructor, Rumi completed his theological study in Syria, where he studied
Sunni Islam's more conventional legal rules. There, he met Shams-i-Tabriz, an elderly
wanderer who became his mentor. Their bond was so strong that Rumi was left with a
profound sense of emptiness when Sham vanished one day. Rumi's conversion to Sufism was
spurred by an extended conversation with Sham, which greatly affected Rumi's Sufi journey.
Unlike his mentor, who isolated himself from society, Rumi sought to interact with others.
He was unafraid to walk along the streets and bazaars, repeatedly bowing before butchers,
laypeople, and children. He devotes humility to the destitute and rejected by society and has
committed himself to serve people, instructing his pupils, conversing with other religious
believers, and even arranging sama' and preaching gatherings, particularly for women.
Rumi's foundation for educating his friends and students is Adab. It is refined behaviour or
discipline required for a heavenly wayfarer to sail to God. It is all that spiritual pilgrim require.
It assists them in managing their ego and making a specific place for wonderful love.
Classical Mysticism
Rbiah al-Adawyah (died 801), a lady from Basra, is credited with introducing the element of
love, which transformed asceticism into mysticism. She was the first to establish the Sufi
ideal of a disinterested love of Allah (God), without expectation of paradise or fear of hell.
Mystical themes spread throughout the Islamic world in the decades after Rbiah, thanks in
part to an exchange of ideas with Christian hermits. In the early generations, a number of
mystics focused their energies on tawakkul, or absolute trust in God, which became a major
theme in Sufism. The strong self-control and psychological understanding of an Iraqi school
of mysticism made it famous. Al-Musib founded the Iraqi school, believing that the main use
of asceticism was to purify the soul in preparation for communion with God. Junayd of
Baghdad mastered its teachings of classical sobriety and wisdom
Views of Ms. Megha Darji on Mysticism
In a guest lecture organised by Ms. Simmin Bawa, the Head of Philosophy department of Jai
Hind College, Ms. Megha Darji shared her experience of how she started as a non-believer
of mysticism and spirituality and ended up translating the book 'Mystical Girnar' from
Gujarati to English and became a passionate believer in mysticism and its power. While
discovering ancient Gujarat, she was faced with many challenges over which she had no
control or choice over and how yet she managed to overcome those as if a mystical power
was looking after her. She is a believer in mysticism as well as Sufism.
CONCLUSION
According to one definition, Mysticism is a philosophy of life marked by both a mystical

initiatory experience and a subsequent mystical journey, both of which have as their purpose
the experience of the Absolute. The initial encounter has the potential to be transformative.
Some people believe that mysticism and moral behaviour are inextricably linked. This is
because mystical experience diminishes or erases the distinction between the subject and
others, removing the barrier to moral motivation, or the ego vanishes totally, as in monistic
mysticism. It has the following qualities: indescribable, wonderful, overwhelming, awe-
inspiring, and uncontrollable. The Absolute is its object, and it imparts gnosis.
With regard to the mystic path, its goal is to bring people who have had a spiritual experience
into harmony with its absolute object, this road, or way, is divided into sections and is
strenuous. It eventually encompasses and dominates all aspects of those who engage in it. To
be a mystic, all one must do is participate in true, real, genuine, and eternal life in the widest,
deepest sense that man is conscious of. The mystic recognizes that fate, like our mysterious,
complex universe of form and colour, is laid bare to his lucid vision. It is found in the soul of
man so long as that soul is alive and evolving. This experience is our link with the mystics,
our guarantee of the truthfulness of their words, the supreme value of their adventure, and
their deeper contact with Reality.
ENDNOTES
Greek μύω - (mueó or myéō) which means "to close" or "to hide".
Mystical Girnar - is a book by Anantrai G Raval (Author), Megha Darji (Editor,

Translator)
Shams-i-Tabriz - Shams-i Tabrīzī was a Persian poet, who is credited as the

spiritual instructor of Rumi and is referenced with great reverence in his poetic
collection, in particular Diwan-i Shams-i Tabrīzī.
Areopagite - a member of the Areopagus which is a judicial council of ancient

Athens that met on the Areopagus hill.
Mongering - someone who purchases and maintains an inventory of goods to be

sold
Esotericism - confined to and understandable by only an enlightened inner circle
Parables - a short moral story (often with animal characters)
Consummation - the act of bringing to completion or fruition

REFRENCES
• Dasgupta, S. Hindu Mysticism. United States, Start Publishing LLC, 2013.
• Edsman, Carl-Martin. “Mysticism, Historical and Contemporary.” Scripta Instituti Donneriani
Aboensis, vol. 5, 1970. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.30674/scripta.67615.
• Inge, William Ralph. Christian Mysticism: The Bampton Lectures, 1899: Considered in Eight
Lectures Delivered before the University of Oxford. Global Grey ed., CreateSpace Independent
Publishing Platform, 2018.
• Knysh, Alexander. Sufism: A New History of Islamic Mysticism. Reprint, Princeton University
Press, 2019.
• Louth, Andrew. The Origins of the Christian Mystical Tradition: From Plato to Denys. 2nd
ed., Oxford University Press, 2007
• McColman, Carl. The Big Book of Christian Mysticism: The Essential Guide to Contemplative
Spirituality. N, Hampton Roads Publishing, 2010.
• “Christianity | Definition, Origin, History, Beliefs, Symbols, Types, and Facts.” Encyclopedia
Britannica, 28 June 1999, www.britannica.com/topic/Christianity.
• Harvey, Andrew. Teaching of the Hindu Mystics. Shambhala,2001, 2001.
• McColman, Carl. Christian Mystics: 108 Seers, Saints, and Sages. Hampton Roads Publishing,
2016.
• Schimmel, Annemarie. Mystical Dimensions of Islam. Sang-E-Meel Publications, 2021.
• “From Religion to Spirituality to Mysticism – Sadhguru Spot.” YouTube, uploaded by
Sadhguru, 10 Apr. 2019, www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxrOTxtFuYg&t=1s.
• “The Secrets of Mystic Hinduism.” Hinduwebsite.Com, Hinduwebsite,
www.hinduwebsite.com/esoterichinduism.asp. Accessed 20 Dec. 2021.
• Elijah-Interfaith.Org/. Elijah Interfaith, elijah-interfaith.org/courses/1-h-2-mysticism-and-
spirituality-in-world-religions-with-special-reference-to-hinduism-by-swami
• atmapriyananda. Accessed 20 Dec. 2021.
• Ali, Rozina, and Neima Jahromi. “The Erasure of Islam from the Poetry of Rumi.” The New
Yorker, 5 Jan. 2017, https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/the-erasure-of-islam-
from-the-poetry-of-rumi.
• Deutsche Welle. “Sufi Islam: What You Need to Know: DW: 25.11.2017.” DW.COM, 2017,
https://www.dw.com/en/sufi-islam-what-you-need-to-know/a-41532401.
• Darji Megha, Mysticism, Simmin Bawa, Head of Philosophy Department, Jai Hind College, 7
December, 2021.
PLAGIARISM SCAN REPORT
Words 464 Date December 23, 2021
Characters 2974 Excluded URL
0% 100% 0 23
Plagiarized Unique
Plagiarism Unique
Sentences Sentences
Content Checked
For Plagiarism
All religions are founded on the first-hand perception of God's presence. Major focus is placed on interior religious
experience and as it occurs in the soul, mysticism is deemed piety. Mysticism is a form of religious solitude. Mysticism's
unique religious experience, epistemology, and ascetic ethics or method appear with remarkable similarity throughout a
wide range of times and religions. This does not, however, rule out a wide range of variances and distinctions.
The path of mysticism has several stages, but ecstasy or rapture is the condition that most clearly characterizes
mystical experience.It's hard to isolate this from the mystic's bodily and spiritual preparation, let alone the revolutionary
implications for the mystic's entire existence. It can lead to total devotion. Religious zeal produces mysticism, mystics,
and the mystic path as a by-product. They can be found in people of all faiths and ages, but they are only seen in a few
individuals.
Their primary aim, according to the mystics, is unrestricted knowledge of, and access to, the divine and communion
with, the Supreme Being. Mystic efforts bring the "will" and the "emotions" together in a unique way. A burning yearning
to transcend the sense-world in order to become one with it the one eternal and ultimate Object, whose existence is
intuitively felt" by the soul of a human.
A rising interest in ecumenism led to the birth of the term "mysticism" when the Romantic Movement shifted the focus of
much religious thought from theology to individual experience and its expansion to similar phenomena in non-Christian
religions in the mid-nineteenth century. Diogenes of Apollonia, a Greek philosopher, introduced mystical concepts into
Greek philosophy in the West in the 5th century BCE. Mystics have described a sense of mystical unity or direct
communication with ultimate reality. The notion is that subjective experiences such as intuition or insight can lead to
direct knowledge of God, spiritual truth, or ultimate reality. Mystics spend the majority of their time learning a set of
abilities that will allow them to have visions, collective unconscious experiences, possession states, and so on.
However, in a few circumstances, the goal of mystical practice is to bring about personal transformation.
Mysticism is a philosophical framework that explains mystical and visionary experiences, as well as comparable
phenomena such as trances. Mysticism, according to Dan Merkur, can refer to any sort of ecstasy or altered state of
consciousness, as well as the beliefs and explanations that go along with it. Mysticism is a spiritual concept that states
that through contemplation and meditation, one can communicate with God or the spirits. Mysticism can be defined as
the belief that by sitting and contemplating, one can have a direct connection with God. A confluence of the soul or
mind with divine reality or divine power on a metaphysical level.
Page 1 of 1
0% 100% 0 34
Plagiarized Unique
Plagiarism Unique
Sentences Sentences
Content Checked
For Plagiarism
Mystical Phenomena are supernatural suspensions of physical law. The Greek word 'mueo' is the origin of the word
mysticism.' The word 'mueo' is the root for the word mystery and something which cannot be talked about out loud.
Mysticism is not mentioned in the Bible, but the word mystery is. Furthermore, religious mysticism might be defined as
an endeavour to recognize the living God's presence in souls and nature. Christian Mysticism is about spirituality and
one's connection, relationship with God. Paradoxically, mysticism also implies the non-experience of God or meeting
God in absence or unknowing.
For any relationship with God, a body higher than ourselves and the world, there is bound to be mystery and spirituality.
For Christians the embodiment of God, of spiritual mystery, is Jesus. So far, Christianity has been able to interpret that
God, Jesus, is kind, merciful, compassionate and loving. To discover this love of God, Christianity says that prayer,
moreover silent, mystical prayer in which we use our heart and soul to pray and become one with God. Christian
Mysticism is responding to the love of God, this love cannot be comprehended as a whole but we can still access this
love through prayer which will bring one closer to God and help find joy, love and purpose in life. Meditation,
introspection, prayer, devotion, philosophy, the quest for self-actualization, and the feeling of Divine presence are all
part of Christian mysticism. Mysticism is intangible, but it can be experienced via mystical and contemplative prayer.
This book gives a must-have to understand Christian Mysticism in particular as it talks about various concepts related
to Christian Mysticism such as Platonism, various Christian mystics and Christian practices. For someone who is
riddled with questions that are spiritual and contemplative, this book is very helpful.
In his book, "Christian Mystics: 108 Seers, Saints, and Sages," the author, Carl McColman, honours the different kinds
of mystics, visionaries, wisdom keepers, and non-dualists who have enhanced our view of the world over the previous
two thousand years through their spiritual insights and perceptive teachings. The spiritual masters of the Western
tradition offer a range of paths into God's transforming heart, as shown in this remarkable collection of teachings.108
Mystics is a beautiful spiritual work that gives us a sense of the many mystics who have contributed as our teachers
and companions throughout history. We all aspire and desire to respond to God's beatifying, deifying love. We all need
teachers and companions to educate and nourish us in establishing our vibrant inner and spiritual lives. Carl McColman
offers an enlightening introduction to this diverse collection of 108 Western Christian mystics, categorized into nine
mystics for easy reference, and is written in lucid, non-academic language. The book is a wonderful gift of 108
knowledgeable and worthy guides on the mystical path, with each entry sparks further study, and the essential
connection between mysticism and extraordinary phenomena is highlighted. The book encourages readers to discover
more about the mystics and identify those whose teachings will be most useful to them as they embark on their journey
of falling ever more completely in love with God. "Christian Mystics: 108 Seers, Saints, and Sages" is a handpicked
collection of western spiritual wisdom that is now available to everyone.
Mysticism in Christianity is the sense of some form of contact with the divine, often understood as involving the union
with God. Negative mysticism is the idea of an inner "God beyond God," something like a divine Darkness or Desert in
which all distinction is lost. They believe this is the true contact with God - one that involves going beyond all that we
speak and know of as God. The religion is suspicious of this form of mysticism, calling it borderline "atheistic," although
the believers of this mysticism have tried to calm these suspicions down by insisting on the necessity of having a path
to God. From all the positive terms that have been ascribed to God, "super-essential Godhead" is the earliest and most
important one, so is the teaching of Pseudo-Dionysius. Eckhart prayed in his attempts to explain the "breakthrough" to
hidden Godhead that "we may apprehend and rejoice in that everlasting truth in which the highest angel and the fly and
Page 1 of 2
soul are equal." He wished that his followers be "free of 'God.'" Jakob Böhme renewed the concept of hidden Godhead
when he spoke of it as the Ungrund (The Great Mystery) and said that God is eternally a dark mystery and nothing can
be said of it. However, he puts on the nature of light, love, and goodness, revealing the divine to man.
Page 2 of 2
0% 100% 0 46
Plagiarized Unique
Plagiarism Unique
Sentences Sentences
Content Checked
For Plagiarism
Hindu Mysticism is found throughout the world, in the east and the west. Hindi Mysticism is a concept that cannot be
explained as there is no specific way of perceiving it. The author says that this book is a collection of his beliefs and is
not fact-based but rather a book encompassing the beliefs and values. After all, Mysticism itself means something
mystic, spiritual and intangible. The introductory chapter of this book by Dasgupta is an explanatory and personal
insight into practices of Mysticism throughout the world. He elaborates various topics such as Sacrificial Mysticism,
seen in The Hindu Vedic System. Sacrifices were considered more powerful than God, something which has the power
to please or displease God. The ritual practices back then were quite strict. The author has talked about Yoga
mysticism in this book. Yoga mysticism is considered miraculous and a way for self-enlightenment. Indian sages were
known for practising Dhyana to communicate with God. Hindu Mysticism is a never-ending concept, and no one can
fully grasp it. However, the author, S.N. Dasgupta, has illustrated Hindu Mysticism in a bewitching manner.
God has laid out unique routes for different individuals for peace, faiths, and beliefs. Even so, some certain key spiritual
thoughts and attitudes unite all those we call "Hindus." The most lyrical, emotional, and insightful works of the Hindu
mystical tradition are represented in this anthology, "Teachings of the Hindu Mystics." The author Andrew Harvey, a
popular spiritual scholar, has handpicked pieces from ancient, historical, and modern sources, including the Bhagavad
Gita, the Upanishads, and other great classical Hindu scriptures. The anthology's scope offers a spectacular
introduction to Hindu mystical literature, while the strength and beauty of the language will inspire readers who are
already familiar with the genre. The reader will receive spiritual inspiration from this anthology. The Hindu Mystical
tradition's timeless purity, weight, and majesty are inherent to its continuity and uniformity. Like all true mystical
traditions, the Hindu Mystical tradition educates, inspires, and supports authentic transformation, regardless of its
intellectual and philosophical loftiness and joy in speculation. The supreme gift of Hinduism to the world is that its
Tantric traditions have kept the truth of the bride's glory, majesty, and power vibrant and alive in all of her unbridled
fullness, such as worshipping her as Devi, Ambika, Durga, Lakshmi, or Kalo, the Hindu tradition is known to adore her
as the Queen of Transcendence and Earth Mother.
One of the dominant features of Hinduism is the secretiveness associated with numerous of its practices. Historically,
the loftiest factors of Hinduism and Jeremiah Hinduism were only accessible to a chosen many. According to the Hindu
Book, the deepest mystifications of Hinduism should only be disclosed to the best people, and indeed, only at the
discretion of complete exponents and in agreement with their pupils' spiritual advancement. Since Hinduism is an
ancient religion with origins in both the ritual and spiritual traditions of ancient India, it is delicate to completely
comprehend it without devoting a significant quantum of time to its study. While rehearsing Hinduism may not bear
important work, understanding and learning demand technical knowledge, which can only be gained through studying
the textbooks and their complex complications. Hinduism is a multifaceted religion. Its Good Book is full of symbolism,
and its practices contain both apparent and retired content. Numerous Hindu secrets will not be exposed because they
are revealed under a strict pledge of secretiveness.
Hinduism is the world's old nonstop religion with a history that may date back to over 7000 times. According to the
Vedas, Hinduism is innovated by God himself as part of his eternal duties. Hinduism is rehearsed generally in India,
Nepal, Mauritius, Fiji, and Bali's region in Indonesia. It is also rehearsed in several other countries, including Pakistan,
Sri Lanka, Bangladesh. Hinduism is a handbasket of persuasions rather than a religion since it represents different
societies and traditions of Indian origin, with no particular author, Prophet, or Book with a history that dates back to
5000 BCE.
Page 1 of 2
Although Hinduism represents multitudinous traditions, it has participated in beliefs, practices, traditions, customs,
Good Book, divinities, rituals, spiritual and Jeremiah ways, carnivals, paths, and values. The sacred textbooks of
Hinduism are classified into shrutis and smritis. The former is the heard bones or the pregnant textbooks with their roots
in the loftiest heaven, while the ultimate is intellectual or honorary textbooks composed by prestigious scholars and
pundits. They throw considerable light upon Hinduism's ritual and spiritual practices, beliefs, and gospel.
In one of his sessions, Sadh guru said that India is a nation where an individual will not have to ask for proof of the
mystic and spiritual essence as they would feel it all over the nation. We are one nation culturally and economically but
are divided politically. We can believe in whatever religion we are born or want to adopt. We should keep religion as a
personal pursuit and never a global goal.
The most significant aspect of life is being alive. Spirituality means understanding the significance of living and where
money, society, and the body are secondary. Our thoughts should be stronger than the society-created rules and our
emotions. Mysticism is not a concept. Exploring the nature of oneself is a spiritual process exploring the nature of
creation is mysticism
Page 2 of 2
0% 100% 0 40
Plagiarized Unique
Plagiarism Unique
Sentences Sentences
Content Checked
For Plagiarism
For sensitivity and extensive comprehension of the subject, the author Annemarie Schimmel, a notable Eastern
religions scholar, transports the reader into the mood, vision, and path of the Sufi in a way that offers an essential
feature to her research of Sufism's history. She offers a fair historical analysis of the international phenomena of Sufism
for the first time in her book, "Mystical Dimensions of Islam," from its roots to the nineteenth century, Islamic mysticism.
She also explores the evolution of its various stages, such as classical voluntarism and postclassical theosophical
mystical movements, focusing on spiritual education and the various means of bringing the mystic into the existential
awareness of the profound mystery of faith declaration. Through her book, she guides us through the history of Sufism,
the spiritual path's destinations and levels, and into the garden, where the rose and the nightingale build the lyrical
power that flourishes in Sufism.
Sufism is the mystical dimension of Islam. Sufism is diverse, ranging from those who are detached to enthusiastic
empaths. Sufism is self-reflection. Sufi is the way for seekers to find divine power. Prophet Muhammad and Hazrat Ali
are the names popular among the school of Sufism as Prophet Muhammad was a mystic and practiced many spiritual
practices which he taught his son in law, Hazra Ali. Islam believes that we arise from God and end with God and Sufism
helps the inner soul communicate and feel the presence of the divine. Sufis often use music to connect with God.
Although musical expression in Islam often seems debatable but Sufi musical performances have played an important
role in creative literature and poetry as well as in spreading the message of Islam throughout the world Sufi practices,
including chanting, singing, dance, and meditation which are all intended to lead followers toward the experience of
God with oneself. The Sufis quest is to experience God within oneself; this is often called Marisa. The essential aspect
of Sufism is that it cannot be learned but can only be reached by personal experience and inward transformation. This
book dives deep into the origination of Sufism, its practices and explains the Love for God and of God.
This news article delves into Sufism, a mystical idea followed by tens of millions of Muslims. However, extremist
Islamists have begun to target Sufis in violent attacks, such as the latest Egyptian tragedy.
On the Arab peninsula in the 18th century, a new fundamentalist Islamic philosophy and movement arose, giving way to
violent extremist groups such as al-Qaeda and IS. Wahhabism aims to cleanse Sunni Islam of accretions and
innovations, such as the popular Sufi custom of venerating saints and visiting graves and shrines. The purpose was to
establish a "pure" form of Islam. The Wahhabi movement formed an alliance with the House of Saud, which created the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932. Saudi and Arab Gulf oil money fuelled the global growth of Wahhabism philosophy,
which is generally linked with militant Salafism, beginning in the 1960s. Salafist jihadists have regularly targeted Sufis,
who see them as heretics. They have also attacked Christians, Shiites, and other people they consider t vo be
apostates. For decades, the Muslim world has recognised Sufism, a position endorsed by top mainstream Sunni
Muslim academics and study facilities. The Islamic State, on the other hand, perceives alleged breaches inside Islam
and "not the people and the light in the people, and hence call Sufis, traitors of Islam
This research paper by James Smith explains Sufism as the esoteric aspect of Islam talks about the importance and
origins of Sufism. In contrast to the exoteric, or conservative, side of Islam, which focuses on obtaining a state of
blessedness after death by performing divinely mandated activities, this paper shows that the goal of Sufis is to gain
direct knowledge of the eternal in this life. This paper also talks about the different stations on which the path of Sufism
can be laid and how they can be attained.
This news article begins with throwing some light upon Jalaluddin Rumi, a mystic, a saint, and his influence on pop
culture and the music industry. He is more often than not counted as one of the best-selling authors in America. Even
Page 1 of 2
though he has spent his life studying the Koran and Islam, he is rarely referred to be a Muslim. There is little to no trace
of his religion in the translations of his works which are so popular in America.
Brad Gooch's latest Rumi biography, "Rumi's Secret," reveals how Shams encouraged Rumi to doubt his textual
education, discussing Koranic texts with him and highlighting the theme of devotion as attaining oneness with God.
Rumi would eventually combine the intuitive love for God he discovered in Sufism with the legal precepts of Sunni Islam
and the mystical ideas he learned from Shams. According to Omid Safi, a professor of Middle Eastern and Islamic
studies at Duke University, readers in the West detach mystical poetry from its Islamic roots during the Victorian period.
At the time, translators and theologians could not reconcile their views about a "desert religion," with its peculiar moral
and legal laws, with the work of poets like Rumi. They concluded that these individuals are mystical not because of
Islam but in spite of it.
Page 2 of 2
Words Date December 23, 2021
0% 100% 0 34
Plagiarized Unique
Plagiarism Unique
Sentences Sentences
Content Checked
For Plagiarism
These Muslim ascetics, the most well-known of whom are Abu al-Darda' (d. 651) and Abu Dharr al-Ghifari (d. 652),
closely followed the ascetic practises of the Christian monastics around them while refraining (and later, when in
Central Asia, the example of Buddhism monks and, in India, Hindu yogis). For decades, Christian monks in Syria and
Egypt endured extremely severe types of bodily mortification and deprivation, gaining a great level of social and
religious reputation as a result of their suffering. According to Peter Brown, they had become the local holy men, turned
upon by the populace for arbitration and miracles, and dreaded by the secular and ecclesiastical hierarchies.
While maintaining hardship, Muslim asceticism did not accept all of the features of Christian monasticism. As previously
stated, the virginity of monks and nuns was rejected from the start (although some early examples of Muslims
castrating themselves exist), and the anchorite lifestyle's full retreat from society was also rejected. Otherwise, during
the 7th, 8th, and 9th centuries, what became known as zuhd (asceticism) became a common way of life for a specific
part of Muslims. Zuhd was an ideal, a criterion by which to assess oneself, even for individuals for whom it was not a
way of life.
Mysticism refers to a sense of being in touch with the divine or transcendent, which is generally recognized in Christian
tradition to imply oneness with God. In the history of the Christian religion, mysticism had a significant role, and it
continues to influence in present times. Since the time of William James, scholars have questioned the relationship
between mysticism and morality, yet certain concerns have preoccupied Christian mystics for centuries. Modern
theologians have weighed in on the role of mysticism in Christianity in different ways. Even though mysticism has
played such a large role in Christian life, all theology in the Christian East is mystical theology by definition.
Platonism is the philosophy of Plato or other philosophical systems derived from the works of Plato. Plato is considered
the father of European mysticism. Platonism believes in the existence of abstract objects. It believes in a world distinct
from the external world and the internal world of consciousness. Plato believed that this world is full of knowledge and
nothing, and no one can fully grasp it. There is a close connection between Christianity and Platonism. Affiliated to
Platonism was Plotinus, a Greek Philosopher who believed that God is one and that God is beyond the reach of our
thoughts. The Church was hesitant to adopt Plato's views, but later the resemblance between their views could not be
denied. As and when time passed, Platonism took many forms, such as Patristic Platonism, Augustinian Platonism, and
Medieval Platonism.
The various manifestations of Christian mysticism can be classified into three groups throughout the last thousand
years. On the other hand, these categories should not be considered mutually exclusive, as some mystics employ all of
them.
Although traditional Christian mysticism has focused on the aspiration for unity with God, Christ-mysticism has always
flourished in the church. Women mystics such as Catherine of Siena and Julian of Norwich expressed some of the
most profound expressions of Christ-mysticism during the Middle Ages. Strong affirmations of Christ-mysticism have
emerged due to the Protestant attempt to return to early Christianity.
The Word Christ is God incarnate, and Christian mysticism has had a significant Trinitarian dimension from the
beginning, though this has been understood in numerous ways. The belief that the Christian comes to engage in the
inner life of the Trinity through Christ is what binds the many expressions of Trinitarian mysticism together. The scholar
Origen's mysticism, for example, emphasizes the marriage of the Word and the soul within the unity of Christ and the
church but also promises that souls will be made capable of receiving the Father as a result of this deed.
Christian mysticism's most creative expressions have highlighted God's ultimate unknowability. According to the
Page 1 of 2
scholars, real connection with the transcendent entails going beyond what we believe of as God, even the Trinity, to an
inner "God beyond God," a heavenly Darkness or Desert in which all boundaries disappear. According to scholars, God
is an eternally mysterious wonder about which nothing can be expressed, yet he always assumes the character of light,
love, and goodness through which the divine is revealed to humans.
Page 2 of 2
0% 100% 0 28
Plagiarized Unique
Plagiarism Unique
Sentences Sentences
Content Checked
For Plagiarism
According to Joseph Maréchal, a Belgian Priest, Christian Mysticism is divided into three broad categories - The Dying
to Self, The Union with God, and The Readjustment.
This signifies the "dark night of the soul" in which God gradually, sometimes painfully, purifies the soul for divine
manifestation. Christian mystics often take the crucified Christ as a model for this process. Dying to self means wholly
giving up oneself to God so one may be possessed by divine Love. Meditation and contemplative prayer are some of
the ways of Christian Theistic Mysticism. On the one hand, many Christian Mystics have experienced unusual
phenomena - visions, locutions, predictions - most of them argue that such experiences are secondary to the nature of
mysticism and can often be dangerous.
According to Christian mystics, the soul is elevated into such a close and perfect unity with God that it merges into
God's being and loses all sense of independent existence. The distinctions of Union seem dangerous to many, but
many others say that they are quite unorthodox if properly understood.
The main goal of a Mystic is to attain a permanent condition of existence in which one's nature has been entirely altered
or deified. It is often defined as a "spiritual marriage" between God and the soul. The awareness of one's self and the
universe persists, but this awareness is accompanied by a constant sensation of unity with God. Similarly, "spiritual
marriage" is a theopathic state in which the soul is perceived to be God's organ or instrument in all things.
The study of Christian mysticism demonstrates the religious dimension's unity and the diversity of manifestations it has
received throughout Christian history. Christian mystics think that the only way to communicate with God the Trinity is
through Christ and the church. In pointing to "the Beyond that is within," Christian mystics stand with the other religions'
mystics. If Christianity attempts to join into genuine cooperation with other religions, it must be deeply permeated with
mystic insight and experience. It cannot deny its magical elements, even if it is attempting to explore the depths of its
history.
There is such an astonishing variety, rich and complicated, in the mystical tradition of Hinduism, devoted to both the
particular and impersonal rudiments of the Supreme Reality, with a multitude of exemplifications of saints and pundits,
prophets and interpreters. Sri Ramakrishna, the most recent in the Hindu mystical tradition, reached the zenith of
mystical gests not only through the numerous kinds of Hindu paths but also by exploring the mystical traditions of other
persuasions similar as Christianity and Islam, exercising them not as a bare sympathiser or indeed empathizer, but as a
bigwig of those traditions — what is now known in religious studies as "phenomenological study of persuasions. The
Hindu mystical tradition asserts emphatically and forcefully that gests beyond those available from bare sensitive inputs
and constructed by the mind and intellect are an undeniable reality, and that similar super sensory gests and
comprehensions are attainable by a mortal being in this physical body but through means other than the senses. These
tests are transcendent in this sense because they go beyond our sense prints. According to the Hindu Jeremiah, there
is another kind of direct perception that's innocent by sensory inputs. The realization of the individual self's identification
with the impersonal principle known as brahman (the position of the Vedanta school of Indian philosophy) is one
extreme of Hindu mysticism, while deep devotionalism to a personal God is found in bhakti (devotional) organizations is
the other.
Page 1 of 1
0% 100% 0 42
Plagiarized Unique
Plagiarism Unique
Sentences Sentences
Content Checked
For Plagiarism
Mysticism is the violent church experience by the prophets and saints, seers and pundits, aspirants, and practitioners of
various religious traditions. Mysticism again needs to be contradistinguished from mystery-mongering, esotericism,
secret exploits, hush-hush practices, and hidden parables. As the term mysticism comes from the Greek root meaning
"to conceal," and in early Christianity, the term came to relate to "retired" Subsequently, the term mysticism began to
mean mystical theology that included the direct experience of the godly.
Doctrines and dogmas, rituals and tradition, philosophy and theology, are only the borderline of religion, and they only
knock at the door of the sanctum sanctorum of God's godly Residence. AsDrS. Radhakrishnan, the notorious
champion-statesman of India, wrote, "Religion is not doctrinal conformity nor conventional piety. It is participation in the
mystery of Being, and it is wisdom or insight into Reality." Swami Vivekananda wrote, "Each soul is implicitly godly, the
whole religion. Religion has been defined, as did Swami Vivekananda, one of the bottommost of the Prophets in the
Hindu tradition, as follows. Religion is Consummation.
The Arabic phrase al-tasawwuf, which means "divine wisdom," is the source of the name Sufi. The introduction of early
asceticism, the formation of a classical mysticism of divine love, and the establishment and multiplication of fraternal
orders of mystics were all milestones in the evolution of Islamic mysticism. Regardless of these broad levels, Islamic
mysticism is mostly a narrative of personal mystic experience. The initial stage of Sufism arose in religious societies as
a reaction to the early Umayyad period's worldliness (661–749). The ascetics were known as "those who continually
weep" and "those who consider this world a hut of sorrows' 'because they practiced always thinking on the verses in the
Quran (the Islamic holy book) about Doomsday. They were distinguished by their meticulous observance of the Quran's
and tradition's injunctions, numerous acts of devotion, and a preference for night prayers. In Islam, mysticism is defined
as a process (Tariq) that is guided by the guidance of a spiritual mentor (known as a shaykh or pir) with the objective of
eventual oneness with God (Allah). This is frequently a life-long process, during which the initiate must battle his or her
baser impulses in the soul. The initiate must throw himself or herself totally under the spiritual supervision of the mentor
and do an ever-increasing sequence of spiritual (and sometimes physical) activities to accomplish this process. Within
Islam, an ascetic strain evolved from the beginning. While it is difficult to say if the Prophet Muhammad (c. 570–632)
was personally ascetic—his character has been formed in legends about him both for and against asceticism—a
minority of his Companions (sahaba) did. This trend contrasted sharply with the lavish and wealthy lifestyles pursued by
many Muslims in the early period, particularly in the aftermath of the great Islamic conquests (634–732), during which
Muslims conquered the eastern Mediterranean Basin and the Iranian Plateau. While these victories brought enormous
wealth to the elite, individuals who refused to share any of it could always be found.
Sufism is best characterised as Islamic mysticism or asceticism, which encourages Muslims to achieve proximity to
Allah by direct personal experience of God through religious thought and practice. While there are other plausible
origins for the name Sufi, it is widely assumed to derive from the Arabic word 'suf,' which refers to the wool originally
worn by mystics and ascetics. A basic component of Islamic doctrine is the belief in pursuing a path that leads to
intimacy with God, eventually by experiencing the divine in the afterlife. However, according to Sufi thinking, this affinity
can be attained in this life. It began after Mohammed's death in 632, but it did not grow into orders until the 12th
century. The societies were founded around spiritual founders elevated to sainthood and had shrines constructed in
their honour.
In the early thirteenth century, Jalaluddin Rumi, one of the most powerful Sufi pillars, was born in Afghanistan. He
eventually relocated to Konya, Turkey, with his family. Rumi was exposed to Sufism by his father, a preacher and
Page 1 of 2
religious teacher. Before returning to Konya as a seminary instructor, Rumi completed his theological study in Syria,
where he studied Sunni Islam's more conventional legal rules. There, he met Shams-i-Tabriz, an elderly wanderer who
became his mentor. Their bond was so strong that Rumi was left with a profound sense of emptiness when Sham
vanished one day. Rumi's conversion to Sufism was spurred by an extended conversation with Sham, which greatly
affected Rumi's Sufi journey. Unlike his mentor, who isolated himself from society, Rumi sought to interact with others.
He was unafraid to walk along the streets and bazaars, repeatedly bowing before butchers, laypeople, and children. He
devotes humility to the destitute and rejected by society and has committed himself to serve people, instructing his
pupils, conversing with other religious believers, and even arranging sama' and preaching gatherings, particularly for
women.
Rumi's foundation for educating his friends and students is Adab. It is refined behaviour or discipline required for a
heavenly wayfarer to sail to God. It is all that spiritual pilgrim require. It assists them in managing their ego and making
a specific place for wonderful love.
Page 2 of 2
0% 100% 0 24
Plagiarized Unique
Plagiarism Unique
Sentences Sentences
Content Checked
For Plagiarism
Rbiah al-Adawyah (died 801), a lady from Basra, is credited with introducing the element of love, which transformed
asceticism into mysticism. She was the first to establish the Sufi ideal of a disinterested love of Allah (God), without
expectation of paradise or fear of hell. Mystical themes spread throughout the Islamic world in the decades after Rbiah,
thanks in part to an exchange of ideas with Christian hermits. In the early generations, a number of mystics focused
their energies on tawakkul, or absolute trust in God, which became a major theme in Sufism. The strong self-control
and psychological understanding of an Iraqi school of mysticism made it famous. Al-Musib founded the Iraqi school,
believing that the main use of asceticism was to purify the soul in preparation for communion with God. Junayd of
Baghdad mastered its teachings of classical sobriety and wisdom
In a guest lecture organised by Ms. Simmin Bawa, the Head of Philosophy department of Jai Hind College, Ms. Megha
Darji shared her experience of how she started as a non-believer of mysticism and spirituality and ended up translating
the book 'Mystical Girnar' from Gujarati to English and became a passionate believer in mysticism and its power. While
discovering ancient Gujarat, she was faced with many challenges over which she had no control or choice over and
how yet she managed to overcome those as if a mystical power was looking after her. She is a believer in mysticism as
well as Sufism.
According to one definition, Mysticism is a philosophy of life marked by both a mystical initiatory experience and a
subsequent mystical journey, both of which have as their purpose the experience of the Absolute. The initial encounter
has the potential to be transformative. Some people believe that mysticism and moral behaviour are inextricably linked.
This is because mystical experience diminishes or erases the distinction between the subject and others, removing the
barrier to moral motivation, or the ego vanishes totally, as in monistic mysticism. It has the following qualities:
indescribable, wonderful, overwhelming, awe-inspiring, and uncontrollable. The Absolute is its object, and it imparts
gnosis.
With regard to the mystic path, its goal is to bring people who have had a spiritual experience into harmony with its
absolute object, this road, or way, is divided into sections and is strenuous. It eventually encompasses and dominates
all aspects of those who engage in it. To be a mystic, all one must do is participate in true, real, genuine, and eternal life
in the widest, deepest sense that man is conscious of. The mystic recognizes that fate, like our mysterious, complex
universe of form and colour, is laid bare to his lucid vision. It is found in the soul of man so long as that soul is alive and
evolving. This experience is our link with the mystics, our guarantee of the truthfulness of their words, the supreme
value of their adventure, and their deeper contact with Reality.
Page 1 of 1
0% 100% 0 19
Plagiarized Unique
Plagiarism Unique
Sentences Sentences
Content Checked
For Plagiarism
Mysticism is the pursuit of spiritual and non-secular experiences while in altered states of consciousness, using any
philosophies, ethics, rites, myths, tales, and magic as a guide. Mysticism can be a direct institution or experience of
God, and a mystic might be someone who has had an immediate experience to a greater or lesser degree. This
knowledge would be deemed firsthand personal experience.
Spirituality is the recognition of a path and a sense of belief that there is something bigger than oneself, that the
physical body is more than just a sensory experience, and that the greater total of which we are a part of may be of a
cosmic or divine nature.
Prophets, saints, seers, sages, aspirants, and practitioners of various religious systems have all had intense spiritual
experiences. In Hinduism, having one's being in god can be a physical and alive presence during religious essence.
Hinduism's mystical traditions are among the most extensive. Swami Vivekananda once said, "Every soul has the
potential to be divine." The goal is to govern nature, both exterior and internal, and be free in order to exhibit this divinity
within. Religion, in all of its theories, rituals, mythology, and practises, has no significance or content unless it leads to a
direct or immediate perception of the highest and reality.
The Hindu mystical traditions affirm assertive and powerful experiences that are formed by the intellect , and exist
beyond sensory inputs. Beyond the physical body's senses, there is clear super sensory experience and perception.
Science is the fundamental class of observation through the senses that is evaluated, examined, and analysed.
The paranormal powers of 'yoga,' which were similarly studied, analysed, and labelled as'spirituality,' were the second
type of perception. Both of these procedures are governed by certain legislation. According to Hindu mystics, the truths
found by the transcending power of yoga within the spiritual realm are neither mystical nor enigmatic; they are not
supernatural, but they are supersensory. These facts are as natural as truths in the scientific domain of matter, and it is
our ignorance of the laws of the spiritual realm that causes us to believe they are supernatural.
Thus, Mysticism is natural, rational, and as simple as emotions like love, joy, sense of beauty, divinity, and wonder, but
the rationality and logic of this mind is trained to transact and analyse sensory inputs not only adequately enough to
know the paranormal states of experiences, but also to put together all different types of mental training, purification,
and refinement of the intellect and know it. As a result, while these mystical experiences do not contradict reason, they
do go beyond what we can normally explain.
Page 1 of 1

MYSTICISM THROUGH THE LENS OF CHRISTIANITY, HINDU, AND ISLAM

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

MYSTICISM THROUGH THE LENS OF CHRISTIANITY, HINDU, AND ISLAM

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

NAME ROLL NO UID CONTRIBUTION

Bhavika Kotian 86 20BA108 From the Religion to

Avni Rane 104 20BA136 Abstract; Keywords; The Big

Avika Gupta 171 20BA196 The Secrets of Mystic

Keywords: Mysticism, Mystics, Christianity, Hindu, Hinduism, Islam, Sufism, God,

Mysticism is a philosophical framework that explains mystical and visionary experiences, as

Christian Mystics: 108 Seers, Saints, and Sages

Mystical Theology (Negative Mysticism)

Teachings of the Hindu Mystics

The Secrets of Mystic Hinduism

Sufism: A New History of Islamic Mysticism

Sufi Islam: What you need to know

Sufism: Islamic Mysticism

The Erasure of Islam from the Poetry of Rumi

Early Asceticism and Sufism

The Origins of the Christian Mystical Tradition from Plato to Denys

Forms of Christian Mysticism

The Three Stages of Christian Mysticism

Significance of Christian Mysticism

The Magic and Mysticism of Modern Day Hinduism

Mysticism and Spirituality in Reference with Mysticism

Sufism and Rumi's Contribution to Sufism

Sufism is best characterised as Islamic mysticism or asceticism, which encourages Muslims

According to one definition, Mysticism is a philosophy of life marked by both a mystical

Mystical Girnar - is a book by Anantrai G Raval (Author), Megha Darji (Editor,

Shams-i-Tabriz - Shams-i Tabrīzī was a Persian poet, who is credited as the

Areopagite - a member of the Areopagus which is a judicial council of ancient

Mongering - someone who purchases and maintains an inventory of goods to be

Esotericism - confined to and understandable by only an enlightened inner circle

Parables - a short moral story (often with animal characters)

Consummation - the act of bringing to completion or fruition

Words 464 Date December 23, 2021

Characters 2974 Excluded URL

Words 768 Date December 23, 2021

Characters 4784 Excluded URL

Words 880 Date December 23, 2021

Characters 5732 Excluded URL

Words 881 Date December 23, 2021

Characters 5428 Excluded URL

Words Date December 23, 2021

Characters 4643 Excluded URL

Words 590 Date December 23, 2021

Characters 3763 Excluded URL

Words 864 Date December 23, 2021

Characters 5633 Excluded URL

Words 490 Date December 23, 2021

Characters 3017 Excluded URL

Words 443 Date December 23, 2021

Characters 2813 Excluded URL

You might also like