What Mystical Tradition (if any) do you identify with (most)?

[Vouthon]

As stated in the question title.

The vast majority of famous mystics prior to the 20th century have grown out of, been affiliated with and expressed their contemplative insights through the medium of a vocabulary supplied by the spiritual tradition to which they adhere.

There are an incredibly vast amount of mystical traditions throughout the world religions and philosophies, and even different streams within individual religions. I have listed some of the main ones in the poll, putting as many options down as the system will let me.

The list is by no means exhaustive: it would fill infinitely too many books to catalogue even a fraction of the mystical streams that have been spawned by different cultures, so I have focused on some primary ones and left an "other" option for one's not listed.

Please give us some information regarding the mystical tradition to which you belong, well-known mystics who have practised it and why you identify most with this particular "stream" or "streams".

If you are an entirely independent mystic with no grounding in tradition, do tell!

I am hoping that this will be an opportunity for our very diverse and heterogeneous group of mysticism-enthusiasts to give some perspective on how we approach or express mystical experiences.

Please also note that you are entitled to choose more than one mystical tradition in the poll but this is limited to at most 2 choices. Anymore and it would get confusing.

 

[Vouthon]

I should have added above in the poll but just to make it clear that Western Mysticism also includes "Protestant" mystics (it is an offshoot of Catholicism).

 

[Windwalker]

If you are an entirely independent mystic with no grounding in tradition, do tell!

I think this would describe me. However in your choices I put Tantra and Western mysticism as what I do fits best into those approaches. My exposure to religion was because I was trying to find a way to understand and grown mystical experience which I had prior to and independent from any religious context. It was a spontaneous awakening experience that sent me down the path of trying to understand and grow into that.

Christianity is my native language as it was what I was exposed to trying to understand the mystical, but was given religious doctrines and beliefs instead in an evangelical protestant context. As I moved away from that, and later into a personal meditation practice the understanding of tantric tradition described very well my own "self-guided" practices. As a result of what is exposed in mystical experience, the Christian language I had learned previously in my religion pursuit took on a very different, mystical depth that was not seen or understood in the context of religious doctrines. I could go into more specifics, but I think a "Tantric Christianity" makes a great deal of sense to me as a way to hang mystical experience upon, as a vehicle for awakening.

Self-taught is pretty descript for me, more like fumbling about teaching myself to play music through trial and error, rather than being taught a systematic program. That doesn't work well for who I am as a person.

 

[YmirGF]

If you are an entirely independent mystic with no grounding in tradition, do tell!

In my formative years I was influenced by Tibetan Buddhism and later on by Meher Baba and still later, ISKCON version of Vedantic thought. I have not read anything of any note from any of the above in decades. Each progressed into the next phase, really and my current understanding grew out of Krsna consciousness, by which I was smitten for several years and almost became a member of ISKCON. A little birdie told me not to do it though... so I didn't. I also adopted Transcendental Marination in the early 70's and have used the technique ever since... and I stayed at a Holiday Inn one time while in the south-western USA.

So..... aside from TM, I am self taught or self-realized, as you prefer.

I am hoping that this will be an opportunity for our very diverse and heterogeneous group of mysticism-enthusiasts to give some perspective on how we approach or express mystical experiences.

One important note is that I never looked into these areas seeking answers. I didn't need any of them for "answers". I was more curious if others had begun the crazy journey I found myself on. I quickly came to understand that I was very far from being alone even if no one around me understood what I was raving and blubbering on about.

Please also note that you are entitled to choose more than one mystical tradition in the poll but this is limited to at most 2 choices. Anymore and it would get confusing.

I voted Advaita (Vedanta) and other because I was never terribly keen on Zen, but liked Mahayana Buddhism and have never been much of a fan of Theraveda interpretations.

 

[lovemuffin]

I would have thought the influence of neo-platonism was stronger in Greek Christianity leading up to Hesychasm than in the western tradition. I suppose I could just be under-informed.

 

[Orbit]

I would say Advaita and both Eastern and Western Christian mystic traditions; I see them as conceptually related.

 

[crossfire]

I've been an independent nebulous mystic since childhood. Zen and Taoism has given me a vocabulary by which to describe the various modes of thought and experience I've employed before I had any names for them.

 

[Vouthon]

I would have thought the influence of neo-platonism was stronger in Greek Christianity leading up to Hesychasm than in the western tradition. I suppose I could just be under-informed.

Not at all. Abbas Evagrius and Pseudo-Dionysius were instrumental in both traditions but the roots of Neoplatonism go somewhat further back in the West, with St. Augustine who, more than any other father understood the faith through an explicitly neoplatonic sense.

See:

Neoplatonism was a major influence on Christian theology throughout Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages in the West due to St. Augustine of Hippo, who was influenced by the early Neoplatonists Plotinus and Porphyry, and the works of the Christian writer Dionysius the Pseudo-Areopagite, who was influenced by later Neoplatonists, such as Proclus and Damascius.

Platonism had a profound effect on Western thought, and many Platonic notions were adopted by the Christian church which understood Plato's forms as God's thoughts, while Neoplatonism became a major influence on Christian mysticism, in the West through St Augustine, Doctor of the Catholic Church whose Christian writings were heavily influenced by Plotinus' Enneads,[2] and in turn were foundations for the whole of Western Christian thought.[3]

Platonism was considered authoritative in the Middle Ages, and many Platonic notions are now permanent elements of Christianity.[6] Platonism also influenced both Eastern and Western mysticism.[6][9] Meanwhile, Platonism influenced various philosophers.[6] While Aristotle became more influential than Plato in the 13th century, St. Thomas Aquinas's philosophy was still in certain respects fundamentally Platonic.[6]​

Augustine has not exerted much influence in the Christian East.

 

[lovemuffin]

Prior to Evagrius and Pseudo-Dionysius I always think of Gregory of Nyssa. He's not really mentioned in the wiki page on Neoplatonism and Christianity which I think you are quoting from, and to the extent he's influenced by Neoplatonism it's also true that he develops his own ideas which differ, but I think the parallels are really obvious. Epektasis in Gregory compared to the Ascent to the One, the comparison between "faith" in Gregory as the means of unitive knowledge compared with Plotinus' understanding of nous (cf. Gregory of Nyssa and the Grasp of Faith), the platonic ontology. Probably a few other things I'm forgetting. I'm not sure later theologians like Maximus Confessor or Gregory Palamas (central to Hesychasm) could have so easily integrated the more explicit Neoplatonism of Pseudo-Dionysius without Gregory.

I guess I'm insufficiently aware of the influence of Neoplatonism on Augustine, it's interesting and I should read more of it. At least from my perspective the influence on modern Eastern Orthodox theology is more obvious than the influence on modern Roman Catholic theology.

Anyway, this is all pedantic nittery on my part. I'm a fan of both western Catholic mystics and the east I was just intrigued by the categorization.

 

[Baladas]

Tao and Zen are definitely my biggest influences, so I naturally identify with them the most.

I draw influence from all of the traditions mentioned above though.

 

[roger1440]

lf l told you it wouldn't be a mystery now would it

 

[fantome profane]

For me the term "mystic tradition" is an oxymoron.

 

[mystic64]

I am tagging this topic so that it will come up in my email. I didn't know that there were "mystic traditions" , so I am interested in what you guys have to say.