Jesus was a mystic

[Starlight]

Jesus was a mystic

He said:

the kingdom of God is within you.

I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you.

I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit;

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.

The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. 30And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’g 31The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’h No other commandment is greater than these.”

 

[Kenny]

What is your definition of “mystic”?

 

[Starlight]

What is your definition of “mystic”?

A mystic is a person who practise mysticism. Mysticism is to have direct experience of God, that the soul experience God. It is to purifying the soul so that the soul will become closer to God. In mysticism God's presense is everywere, God's presense is also in the soul. Most mystics believe God is loving. And they believe all souls is divine, all souls is from the same source, who is God. Because of that all people are one

 

[1213]

Jesus was a mystic
...

Sorry, I don't see any mystic in him, if mysticism means this:

"Mysticism" is derived from the Greek μύω, meaning "I conceal"...

Mysticism - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Jesus revealed things, which I think is the opposite.

 

[SalixIncendium]

Sorry, I don't see any mystic in him, if mysticism means this:

"Mysticism" is derived from the Greek μύω, meaning "I conceal"...

Mysticism - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Jesus revealed things, which I think is the opposite.

Why would mysticism mean something you willingly and intentionally misquoted from Wikipedia and took completely out of context?

 

[danieldemol]

A mystic is a person who practise mysticism. Mysticism is to have direct experience of God, that the soul experience God. It is to purifying the soul so that the soul will become closer to God. In mysticism God's presense is everywere, God's presense is also in the soul. Most mystics believe God is loving. And they believe all souls is divine, all souls is from the same source, who is God. Because of that all people are one

How do we know Jesus or anyone else had a direct experience of God and not just a delusion?

 

[SalixIncendium]

How do we know Jesus or anyone else had a direct experience of God and not just a delusion?

If you want to take it there, how do we know anyone is having a direct experience of living a human life and it's not just a delusion?

 

[Valjean]

Getting from "the kingdom of God is within you" to a direct experience of God is quite a leap, IMHO.
And what is a direct experience of God, anyway?

Judging from the Christian doctrine typically preached in churches or on TV, there is very little mysticism in Christianity. Ordinary, perceived reality is the only reality presented, and even the afterlife is presented as a continuation of normal consciousness.

Christian mystical experiences or "experiences of God," seem to me to be simply ecstatic experiences; well known psychic states, rather than the alterations of consciousness experienced by actual mystics.

 

[Starlight]

Getting from "the kingdom of God is within you" to a direct experience of God is quite a leap, IMHO.
And what is a direct experience of God, anyway?

Judging from the Christian doctrine typically preached in churches or on TV, there is very little mysticism in Christianity. Ordinary, perceived reality is the only reality presented, and even the afterlife is presented as a continuation of normal consciousness.

Christian mystical experiences or "experiences of God," seem to me to be simply ecstatic experiences; well known psychic states, rather than the alterations of consciousness experienced by actual mystics.

I disagree. It is much mysticism in christianity. It is especially much mysticism in catholicism and christian ortodoxs

 

[Bthoth]

Jesus was a mystic

He said:

the kingdom of God is within you.

I agree, To know bliss; appreciate every moment.

I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you.

I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit;

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.

The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. 30And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’g 31The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’h No other commandment is greater than these.”

Sure, the scribes and pharisee added a bunch of new commandments.

Try Jesus;


"

The Rich and the Kingdom of God​

18 A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

19 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 20 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’[a]”

he reaffirmed what existed because they werer just as good then as now for civil society.


The mystic aspect is, almost gnostic (spiritual) based on knowledge.

 

[Valjean]

I disagree. It is much mysticism in christianity. It is especially much mysticism in catholicism and christian ortodoxs

So where does Christianity talk about or promote alternative perceptions of reality, as opposed to just ecstatic fugues?

 

[Starlight]

So where does Christianity talk about or promote alternative perceptions of reality, as opposed to just ecstatic fugues?

I was in a catholic book-store. It had very many books about mysticism and saints

Very many of the catholic and ortodox saints was mystics

Two very famous saints that was mystics is st. teresa of avila and st. john of the cross

 

[Valjean]

I agree, To know bliss; appreciate every moment.

The mystical experience is more than just bliss. It's an experience of a whole different reality.
This is why I'm skeptical of 'Christian mysticism' as it's usually presented.

The mystic aspect is, almost gnostic (spiritual) based on knowledge.

Mysticism is not based on knowledge. It's experiential, it's shifting into an entirely different reality.

 

[Valjean]

I was in a catholic book-store. It had very many books about mysticism and saints

Very many of the catholic and ortodox saints was mystics

Two very famous saints that was mystics is st. teresa of avila and st. john of the cross

I'm not saying that there weren't Christians who had, and tried to describe, mystical experiences. My point is that Christian doctrine doesn't preach neurology or the achievement of these mystical seizure-states.

 

[Yerda]

If you want to take it there, how do we know anyone is having a direct experience of living a human life and it's not just a delusion?

I understand that the context is mysticism here, and generally refers to things that can't be verified except experientially. Given that:

We can only go by what we experience and what others report (which are themselves experiences). Our experiences (well, mine anyway) are consistent with living a human life and only coherent in that context.

We have many people who claim to experience gods but who appear to be unreliable i.e. gods appearing to people and asking them to do things.

How would you recommend separating the nutter from the mystic?

 

[Valjean]

The mystic doesn't perceive God as a separate or discrete entity?

 

[SalixIncendium]

How would you recommend separating the nutter from the mystic?

Easy. Ask them if they're a nutter. If they say yes, they're clearly not a nutter; they're a mystic...or a pirate.

 

[Guitar's Cry]

I disagree. It is much mysticism in christianity. It is especially much mysticism in catholicism and christian ortodoxs

The part of my practice that is still Christian involves symbols that, to me, represent the mystical nature of Jesus. Christ on the cross is the individual offering their ego to the Universe and becoming one with it. Christ is the fruit of the Tree of Life and Death that offers one entrance back into Eden. (Symbolically, to me.)

I appreciate another seeing mysticism in Christianity.

 

[vulcanlogician]

Jesus revealed things, which I think is the opposite.

According to the Book of Matthew, Jesus spoke parables unto the masses, yet concealed their true meaning. When asked in private by his disciples what the parables meant, he explained them.

Of course, he often ended these parables with the phrase, "Him with ears, let him hear!" So maybe he wasn't preaching the message strictly to his disciples and had hopes that some folks in the audience could work out what he meant.

Mysticism, as such named, was a practice that originated within Christianity... but around the 19th century, the Western world realized that many other cultures/religions had practices which entailed a direct experience of the divine. From that point on, "mysticism" became a term to describe a direct experience of divinity in any religious tradition. But at the outset, it described a specifically Christian practice.

So not only is mysticism Christian, but for centuries and centuries the word mysticism was used to describe Christian practices exclusively.

 

[Bthoth]

The mystical experience is more than just bliss. It's an experience of a whole different reality.
This is why I'm skeptical of 'Christian mysticism' as it's usually presented.

I had no idea of a christian mysticism. The closest that i know of is gnostic but still the same reality

Mysticism is not based on knowledge. It's experiential, it's shifting into an entirely different reality.

That's word salad.

Here is what I found:

Bernard McGinn defines Christian mysticism as:

[T]hat part, or element, of Christian belief and practice that concerns the preparation for, the consciousness of, and the effect of [...] a direct and transformative presence of God

Well that is easy. The observance of a trinity must be mysticism too.