Listening to Mystics

Mysticism is the art of listening to God, of being informed by God, of being molded into God’s image. It has been said “As above, so below.” This is a reference to the holographic, reflective nature of reality.

Every part of reality is an imperfect copy of the whole of reality. The subatomic particles which make up every atom are each in the image of the blazing stars that dot the universe. Every atom is kept together by invisible forces and are mostly emptiness, mirroring the galaxies that spin throughout the universe. Each cell of our body is a miniature animal in our internal ecosystem. Even our blood mirrors something grander than itself; blood contains the same saline content as the ocean.

The goal of mysticism is to become a more perfect reflection of the greater reality – a more perfect reflection of God. Most religions will say they support this goal. Christians will tell you that you should become more Christ-like. Buddhists will tell you that you should become more like Buddha. Muslims try to emulate Muhammad by following his laws. Hindus will emulate any number of saints or deities. However, when a mystic goes beyond the religion of his fathers to emulate the reality beyond the trappings of human religion, he is branded a heretic.

Let me be clear – all mystics are inherently heretical. Religions themselves are imperfect and the process of mysticism makes this all too obvious. Intimate connection with the fundamental reality which we call God is the basis of all religion, but religion itself is a well intended corruption of that intimate connection. It is a distortion of what mystics originally perceive, as it is based on a flawed description that the mystic provides. When one goes to look for themselves, the Truth that one finds often directly contradicts the teachings of their religion.

Mysticism, however, is only half of the equation. In order to truly emulate the Divine, one must apply wisdom upon the world. Applied wisdom is the art of changing the world to be a more perfect reflection of God. In the vernacular of religion, this is miracle-working. It needs not be “miraculous”, but they must bring acts that bring greater harmony to the world we live in. All acts of charity are applied wisdom. All artistic endeavors are applied wisdom.

As such, the mystic has a dual nature – one passive, and one active. The mystic is informed by the Divine, then acts on behalf of the Divine. It is in acting that the mystic finds herself in great peril. Joan of Arc is an example of a mystic acting in accordance with the Divine, and then being persecuted for her actions despite being to the benefit of her country and church. Gandhi is an example of another mystic who was persecuted due to acting in accordance to the Divine.

As seen in hindsight, the miracle-working of a mystic is seen as divinely inspired and holy. Within the context of that mystic’s time, it is heretical and demonic. This is no accident; the work of mystics must be selfless acts laced with humility and love. Selfless acts of humility and love are met with suspicion, confusion, anger, and misunderstanding. Miracle-working gets to the root of social illness, making people feel vulnerable and fearful.

The only cure for this problem is that more people follow the path of the mystic. Listen intently upon what God, The Divine, The Universe is telling you. Then do good to make this a more perfect world. Make that which is below match what is above with humility and love towards all people, and you too will find yourself working miracles. When all people join us in working miracles, something truly miraculous will happen – peace.

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