Traces of Mysticism in Jainism (Study)
by Sadhvi Madhystha Prabha | 2021 | 103,765 words
This page relates 鈥楧efinition of Mysticism鈥� of the study on the concept of Mysticism in Jainism exploring key concepts such as Jaina metaphysics and Jain ethics. The present research is divided into six chapters, beginning with an introduction to mysticism, examining its characteristics from both Western and Eastern perspectives. Subsequent chapters delve into the mystical aspects of Brahmanic and Shramanic literature, analyzing texts from the Shvetambara and Digambara traditions to unearth traces of Jain mysticism.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
3. Definition of Mysticism
Definition is an attempt towards clarification/clarity of a word, but sometimes we have a knowledge which is not easy to put into words, so is the term mysticism which almost defies definitions.[1] Scholars have taken the effort to define mysticism from different perspectives.
Any concept or word can be defined in two ways:
i. Derivative;
ii. Descriptive;
1 Derivative Definition of Mysticism
The word mysticism comes from Greek, where varied lexicons are available such as mystica,[2] mueo,[3] muein,[4] mystes,[5] mystikos,[6] mysterium[7] mum[8] and etc. From these derivations mysticism is meant as to conceal, to hide, to initiate in secret rites or secret cults, to keep silence, to shut or close the lips or eyes, to attain secret knowledge or to attain insight in hidden or ultimate truth and to hide the secret knowledge from the non-mystic. It is also refered to the mystery cults or mystery rites that belief the knowledge of God and of the real truth is independent of mind and senses and beyond the comprehension of human mind.
2 Descriptive Definition of Mysticism
Mysticism being an open ended term is defined in different ways depending on a particular set of conceptual frameworks. Its definition ranges from one that is highly religious and spiritual in nature to those which reduce it to certain magical practices. Here we are concerned with the former type i.e. transcendental and spiritual type. K.P.S Chaudhary states-鈥渁t its best mystical consciousness includes all the highest exercises of reason, all the purest and deepest emotions and the highest and the noblest actions.鈥�[9] So mysticism is a multi-dimensional phenomenon. It can be discussed or described in various perspectives which include mysticism as a historical phenomenon, a philosophical or metaphysical, ethical, psychological or epistemological, religious or spiritual phenomenon. The following sections present three different ways of understanding and defining mysticism.
2.1 Psychological Perspective
Mysticism is an eternal longing for spiritual satisfaction and beauty. It is the process of infinite expansion and heightening of life and consciousness.[10] The state of mystical experience includes transformation of mind, trans-consciousness, empty consciousness, events and making mind in the state of reception of absolute truth and attain the highest emotional state. Therefore scholars define:
E. Underhill (1875-1941) defines mysticism as-鈥渕ysticism is not a theory of the intellect or hunger, however, passionate of the heart, it involves the organizing of the whole self, consciousness and unconsciousness under the spus of such as hunger and remaking whole character on high levels is the interest of the transcendental life.[11] Explaining in religious context, the Rudolf Otto (1869-1937) mentions-鈥渕ysticism means to enter into the religious experience in the measure that religious feeling surpasses its rational content, i.e. to the extent to which its hidden non-rational, luminous element predominates and determines the emotional life.[12] R.D.Ranade (1886-1957) presents the definition as -鈥渕ysticism denotes that attitude of mind which involves direct, immediate, first hand intuitive apprehension of God.鈥�[13] Scholar Sobharani Basu defines, 鈥渢rue mysticism, as I understand it, implies that the soul is successively awakened (prabuddha) and fully awakened (su-prabuddha), so that the sense of exclusiveness pertaining to each of the normal human states, viz. waking (箩腻驳谤补丑), dream (svapna) and deep sleep (susupti), is supplemented by a state of unbroken self-awareness which presupposes the integration of consciousness (turiya).[14] Jerome Gellman says 鈥淏y a mystical experience鈥� I shall mean an experience in which a person allegedly has a non-sensory perception apparently of a reality (or state of affairs) of a sort that can neither be perceived by sense perception nor known by ordinary introspective self awareness. Typically, I imagine, when having mystical experiences subjective not only are in such perceptual state but also takes themselves to be in perceptual contact with a super sensory reality.[15]
All the above psychological definitions determine mysticism as the state of consciousness constituted with emotional and knowledge state of the mystical experience.
2.2 Metaphysical Perspective
Mystics believe that mystical experience is the vehicle of mystical knowledge of reality and mystic states are of illuminating and insightful nature. At this point all metaphysical aspects get revealed with their truth. Observing the metaphysical experience scholars defines mysticism as:
Underhill鈥撯�榤ysticism in its pure form is science of ultimates, the science of union with the absolute and nothing else.[16] 鈥� D.Inge (1860-1954) states鈥撯�渕ysticism means communion with God that is to say with a being conceived as the Supreme and Ultimate Reality.鈥�[17] 膧肠腻谤测补 Mah膩praj帽a (1920-2010), 鈥榤ysticism is realising the self, that which is mystical reality, after attaining which their is nothing to be attained, either is nothing that is mystery.鈥�[18]
Swami Prabuddhanand defines鈥搈ysticism as the realization of relationship between the individual soul and the infinite reality.[19] According to the Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy: mysticism is doctrine or discipline maintaining that one can gain knowledge of reality that is not accessible to sense perception or to a rational conceptual thought.[20] The Encyclopadiea mentions mysticism is an attempt of man to attain the ultimate reality of things and enjoy communion with the highest.[21] Thus, all above metaphysical definitions state-mysticism is a direct, intuitive, immediate knowledge of Reality or ultimate truth.
2.3 Ethical Perspective
Mysticism is a path and destination at the same time. It presupposes a spiritual discipline which must be rigorously practiced. It is due to this practical nature of mysticism that some scholars prefer or define mysticism as a means or a way to act. In this context, Mahendranath Sarkar (1882-1954) states 鈥渕ysticism is the means by which one attains the truth and ultimate reality which are not capable of verification[22].鈥� Radhakamal Mukherjee (1889-19680) quotes 鈥渕ysticism is the art of inner adjustment by which man apprehends the universe as whole instead of particular part.鈥�[23] According to Sobharani Basu, the term mysticism represents a method of arising at a direct and intuitive experience of supreme reality.[24] Encyclopaedia of Religion states 鈥榤ysticism is the effort to enter into clear touch or union with the Divine being, with eternal life.鈥�[25] According to 膧肠腻谤测补 Mah膩praj帽a, 鈥榯he process which helps to transform 腻迟尘腻 into 辫补谤补尘腻迟尘补, to manifest the pure nature of the soul is called mysticism.鈥�[26]
Thus, all the above cited definition differentiates mysticism from all the vagueness and visionaries which have been as described. It gives or leads us to common understanding that-mysticism is way of knowledge, an active life process or discipline and at least a state of consciousness that leads to apprehension of ultimate reality or truth.
In nutshell, it can be said that mysticism is:
1. An advanced state of inner enlightenment;
2. An inner search for truth, a search of supreme self or reality, and search of one鈥檚 own self;
3. An attitude of life;
4. An intuitive grasp of truth, above and beyond, intellectual reaching;
5. Insight into an entirely new world of living;
6. Subjective or personal experience;
7. Highest spiritual state of the soul;
The brief discussion on the various definition of mysticism brings into light that with the change of the perspective, mysticism has been defined differently by the scholars. We find gradual change and development in defining mysticism. So there may be query that how did this development of mysticism take place, what is its origin and how did it take various forms in the various culture, what is its historical development.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Addison, Charles, Morris, The Theory and Practice of Mysticism, E.P. Dutton and Company, New York, 1960, p. 28.
[2]:
A Critical Study of Religious Philosophy of Rudolff Otto, A thesis submitted for the Phd Degree of Gauhati University, 1983, p. 126, (as published in www.shodhganga.com).
[3]:
Mysticism: A Study and an Anthology, p. 18.
[4]:
The Encyclopaedia of Religion, ed. Mircea Eliade, Macmillan Co. Ltd., Vol. 10, New York, 1987, p. 245.
[5]:
www.britannica.com
[6]:
Narsalay, Madhavi (ed.), Facets of Mysticism, New Bh膩rat墨ya Book Corporation, Delhi, 2018, p. 255; also see, Woods, Richard, Understanding Mysticism, Image Books, New York, 1980, p. 43.
[7]:
The Dictionary of Philosophy, Runes, D.D, Philosophy Library, New York, 1980, p. 204.
[8]:
Hocking, Willam Earnest, Types of Philosophy, Charles Scribern鈥檚 Sons, New York, 3rd edn., 1959, p. 255
[10]:
[11]:
Mysticism, p. 66.
[12]:
Otto Rudolf, Mysticism East and West: A Comparative Analysis of the Nature of Mysticism, Theosophical Publishers House, 1960, p. 141.
[13]:
Ranade, R.D., Mysticism in Maharashtra: Indian Mysticism, State University of New York Press, Albany, 1983, p. xiii.
[14]:
Modern Indian Mysticism (Sobharani Basu), p. 15.
[15]:
Gellman, Jerome, Mystical Experience of God, Ashgate Publishing Ltd., England, 2001, p. 4
[16]:
Mysticism, p. 52.
[17]:
Inge, W.R., Mysticism in Religion, Hutchinson鈥檚 University Library, London, 1947, p. 8.
[18]:
膧肠腻谤测补 Mah膩praj帽a, Jaina 顿补谤艣补苍补: Manana Aur Mim膩峁僺膩, Adarsh Sahitya Sangh, Delhi, 2014, p. 362.
[19]:
Understanding Mysticism, p. 423.
[20]:
The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy, ed. Robert Audi, Cambridge University Press, 2nd edn.,1999, p. 539.
[21]:
An Encyclopaedia of Occultism, Lewis Spence, University Books, New York, 1960, p. 283
[22]:
Mysticism in Bhagavad G墨t膩, p. 1 (preface)
[23]:
Mukerjee, Radhakamal, The Theory and Art of Mysticism, Asia Publication House, New York, 1960, (preface), p. 12.
[24]:
Modern Indian Mysticism (Sobharani Basu), p. 61.
[25]:
An Encyclopaedia of Religion, p. 254.