Tools of the Christian Mystic
Jesus said,
"I will give you what no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, what no hand has touched, what has not arisen in the human heart..."
At every turn, Jesus seems to be saying quite clearly that the closeness to God's Presence is not bound up in time or in geography, but rather that it was eternal, timeless and hidden in the most obvious of places -- one's inner self.
What were the tools he advocated and used, and the techniques that continued through the beautiful tradition of Christian Mysticism?
After all, while the Church murdered and tortured, argued and punished, politicized and jockeyed for power and position, there was an inner channel of spiritual exploration by various figures in the Church. Their courage and persistence did more to explain and demonstrate the true meaning of Jesus and the christing experience than all the manipulated, self-serving doctrines or bonfires of death.
Some of the more obvious tools are summarized here, but a more in-depth look at each can be found elsewhere on the ChristianMystics.com site.
(1) Meditation. Oddly enough, in the history of the Church the terms for meditation and contemplation are 180 degrees different than are used in the East. In Christian terms, "meditation" means conscious thinking on a subject with the objective to raise one's spiritual awareness or deepen one's spiritual understanding. This means thinking something over, letting the heart of the subject melt into one's own heart.
A perfect example is to take the Prayer of St. Francis and commit it to memory. Then, quietly, one can sit and allow the words one by one to pass deep into the soul. Others can be added as the person sees fit, but always positive and not the negative that has infused the religion.
(2) Contemplation. In Christianity, "contemplation" more approximates the Eastern tradition of meditation. Perhaps the premiere handbook in Christianity for this is The Cloud of Unknowing which stresses the abandonment of the soul, intellect and psyche to the very presence of the Transcendent. As with the other tools presented here, this will be discussed in depth in a different section of the ChristianMystics.com site.
(3) Prayer. There are ample misunderstandings about prayer and the power of prayer. At the very base level, prayer is an attempt to somehow cajole God into doing one's will by flattery on the one hand and absolute personal debasement on the other. "Get me through this horrible airplane flight, God, and I'll never sin again."
Jesus' use of prayer is a model -- it is not to be done in public in an effort to impress God or others with one's sanctity and piety. It is a private affair.
Prayer is also not a grocery list of wants, but a chance to experience one's self and one's needs from the highest possible point. One doesn't have to try and convince God that you are worthy of love -- God is love and so how else can God relate to you?
Prayer, discussed in detail at another place in this growing website, is a moment of cleansing, of "coming out" with one's priorities and needs and hopes made manifest. It is characterized by one phrase, "nevertheless, thy will be done." A prayerful attitude, then, is letting go in life to the protection and reassurance of the Presence.
(4) Action. In the yoga system there is what is known as Karma Yoga or the yoga of action. What distinguishes the Christian Mystics from many others is that a person who walk the path, who prayers and meditates, who contemplates wise words simply cannot be satisfied with having achieved some amount of inner wisdom or even peace. That is because, ultimately, the way as taught by Jesus is dynamic not static, ongoing and not a destination.
Action, then, becomes one of the great keys to the kingdom. It is absolutely essential that the realization of the Christ within is radiated out in kindness, compassion, charity and generosity. If some of the other tools indicated here are the keys to the kingdom, love in action is what keeps one within the boundaries of the country of love wherever they are in this world.
(5) Tolerance. I suspect most people would be astonished to find out who said this: "If one follows the teachings of Buddha, one will get to the same place Jesus teaches about because Buddha taught many principles Jesus did. There isn't a particular heaven the Buddhists go to and the Taoists go to and the Christians go to and the Jews go to. They're all God's children."
None other than Norman Vincent Peale spoke those words during an interview. The object of the Christian Mystics is not to become Jesus, but like Jesus in that we, too, can have access to the loving presence of the Transcendent. We have tolerance and compassion for any who struggle in spiritual and material ways, but at the same time offer up great joy for those who find their way into the Mystery, no matter what path God has drawn them down.