Sunday, July 16, 2006
One definition of Mysticism
Evelyn Underhill in her book 'Mysticism' says that Mysticism is Union with the Divine.
But I would counter that Mysticism is the recognition that Evil must exist to serve the Good. And perhaps even vice-versa.
In the Book of Job, Satan freely enters into the host of Yahweh, already the implication being he has terms with the Almighty, and then actually freely converses with Him on friendly terms.
'You've got this servant Job...
let me at 'im and let us see how he does...'
A friendly wager among Old Friends that involves the Fate of a wretched human.
This brings to mind the concept of the Tao...the Way that existed before Divinity, setting a pattern that works like this:
Where you find Good, Evil is close on it's heels.
Or actually, bound up in it.
What's good for the goose may be good for the gander, but not for the other goose, so to speak.
For every Good Thing that arises, there is an Evil Thing that counter-arises, so that even Goodnes can entail Evilness.
The Reason for all this Rising and Counter-Arising?
Balance.
Nothing would be in Balance, and All would be out of Balance, if this Order of Good and Evil did note exist.
So that when the Creator formed the world, this Tao, or this Way, was necessarily distributed throughout the entire Universe...Nominal and Phenomenal.
This can be one explanation of Evil in the world that does not entail an incompetent, malevolent Creator.
The Universe was created by an All-Good God...but He had limitations...due to the Way that preceded Him.
Otherwise, the question is put:
How can anything Evil spring from something All-Good?
If God were perfect, how did he create the most beautiful Angel, who fell, and then the most beautiful creature, Man, who also fell?
Perfection implies that nothing imperfect can come from it.
If you have a perfect jewel, no matter how you cut it, it's components will then be perfect.
Which brings us back to our answer.
That perfection is the Proper Balance of Good and Evil.
Which leads lastly to my definition of Mysticism:
The realization that Good and Evil are on good terms with each other.
Evelyn Underhill in her book 'Mysticism' says that Mysticism is Union with the Divine.
But I would counter that Mysticism is the recognition that Evil must exist to serve the Good. And perhaps even vice-versa.
In the Book of Job, Satan freely enters into the host of Yahweh, already the implication being he has terms with the Almighty, and then actually freely converses with Him on friendly terms.
'You've got this servant Job...
let me at 'im and let us see how he does...'
A friendly wager among Old Friends that involves the Fate of a wretched human.
This brings to mind the concept of the Tao...the Way that existed before Divinity, setting a pattern that works like this:
Where you find Good, Evil is close on it's heels.
Or actually, bound up in it.
What's good for the goose may be good for the gander, but not for the other goose, so to speak.
For every Good Thing that arises, there is an Evil Thing that counter-arises, so that even Goodnes can entail Evilness.
The Reason for all this Rising and Counter-Arising?
Balance.
Nothing would be in Balance, and All would be out of Balance, if this Order of Good and Evil did note exist.
So that when the Creator formed the world, this Tao, or this Way, was necessarily distributed throughout the entire Universe...Nominal and Phenomenal.
This can be one explanation of Evil in the world that does not entail an incompetent, malevolent Creator.
The Universe was created by an All-Good God...but He had limitations...due to the Way that preceded Him.
Otherwise, the question is put:
How can anything Evil spring from something All-Good?
If God were perfect, how did he create the most beautiful Angel, who fell, and then the most beautiful creature, Man, who also fell?
Perfection implies that nothing imperfect can come from it.
If you have a perfect jewel, no matter how you cut it, it's components will then be perfect.
Which brings us back to our answer.
That perfection is the Proper Balance of Good and Evil.
Which leads lastly to my definition of Mysticism:
The realization that Good and Evil are on good terms with each other.
