SEEKING
MYSTERY
Don’t
just stick with the Household God
SPIRITUAL REFLECTIONS ON THE MYSTERY
‘The
Household God you have created is no more than that….. The God you have made to satisfy your
needs is not the Ultimate Reality’ ‘Sr Ishpriya
'The Tao
that can be named is not the Tao' Taoist Sacred Text
Over many years I have been
reflecting on the challenges facing both myself and many people of faith as
they question some of the stock answers given by the orthodox and mainstream
teachings of their particular Faith Tradition. Many of these can seem to fly in
the face of our growing knowledge and understanding of our world, our cosmos
and evolution. These ‘old’ repeated dogmas are increasingly seen as irrelevant
both by younger, inquisitive and searching minds and serious mature seekers.
Those who question are often
challenged by a choice that is often presented to them in a dualistic manner.
This is a ‘false choice’ between the
concept of the ‘Unknowable God or Mystery’ and that of the ‘Personal God’. This is presented starkly as an Either: Or choice. Even worse, those who seek
Mystery are often accused of being ‘New Age’. This is designed as a simple put
down that avoids respectful dialogue. However, for many the reality can be a Both:
And choice, one that involves a 3rd ‘Something that is Mystery. But first let me put these ideas in their
proper context.
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| Mystery -& The Big Bang |
Christianity & Buddhism
Certainly the Christian Tradition believes that God became man in the person and divinity of Jesus who was the Christ. Hindus have a trinity of Gods, one of whom is Vishnu and he has 10 ‘incarnations’ or avatars. It is important to remember that for Hindus these are merely the many faces or aspects of the Ultimate Reality. They are not the Ultimate Reality. Hindus believe in only one source of Ultimate Reality whom they call Brahman.
Certainly the Christian Tradition believes that God became man in the person and divinity of Jesus who was the Christ. Hindus have a trinity of Gods, one of whom is Vishnu and he has 10 ‘incarnations’ or avatars. It is important to remember that for Hindus these are merely the many faces or aspects of the Ultimate Reality. They are not the Ultimate Reality. Hindus believe in only one source of Ultimate Reality whom they call Brahman.
In Buddhism, although not a Religion, there is also the concept that a
person, such as Gautama the Buddha, can become fully realised. Then as a fully
realised person, through the example of their life and teachings, they can help
us all to gain a better insight into our own self and our spiritual journey.
But these Incarnations become visible in human form and are seen by us, who are
human beings. Therefore, we can but see an imperfect vision of the Ultimate
Reality or Mystery.
For Christians Jesus, who is
the Christ, has given us a vision and example of the Mystery and shown how we can relate to this Reality. He himself always
pointed to the God or Source he called Abba (‘Daddy’, whom Christians renamed
as Father). Two thousand years ago this
Jesus in human form left but Christians believe he sent the Spirit to be a guide
on our Journey back to the Source. So, Christians are left with the example of
the life and teachings of Jesus.
Providing we seriously sit with and reflect on the true non-violent,
inclusive and loving teaching of Jesus, then his message and example is a sure
path that can guide us towards a relationship with the Mystery. Arguably, most Christian Churches have presented a Jesus whom we are asked to worship rather than follow.
This can be so much easier to do.
TWO IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
However, many Christians struggle
with the idea of the Mystery and fear that if they ‘let go of Jesus’ in human
form they might lose him. They can see the dilemma as a choice between the
historical Jesus and the unknowable Mystery.
This dilemma can raise questions.
Two of these are fundamental for the Spiritual Traveler.
The 1st is ; can we reconcile the intellectual assent to an unknowable Source or Mystery with the basic emotional need to relate to an
identity?
This then leads on to a 2nd question; ‘Can we personalise our relationship with the Mystery that is Ultimate Reality?
This then leads on to a 2nd question; ‘Can we personalise our relationship with the Mystery that is Ultimate Reality?
The Household God
As people we need to remember
that we have a tendency to make a personal God out of anything – sex, money, politics,
religion, sport etc. In so doing, we can
sometimes make a personal God to fit our needs. The ‘dilemma’ posed in the questions above,
is not unique to Christianity. All cultures and most Faith Traditions and
peoples have this universal tendency to create a HOUSEHOLD GOD. The
Household God is human like, we can identify with it or them. We can also ‘unconsciously’
manipulate and control them (or they can manipulate us). However, are these
‘Gods’ just projections of our reality or do and can they contain some bits of
the Mystery?
A God in our Own Image ? Throughout history humanity has had a tendency to create a Household God. This is found in all cultures, traditions and throughout time. We struggle with Mystery and with so many fears and uncertainties , particularly our dark or shadow side. Consequently, we try to suppress, bury or cover up these fears and perceived shadows by using a variety of devices. One of these is to create a Household God.
This 'God' is most often male and is open to 'plea bargaining'. If I or we do something then He will do something for us. The problem with this is that we view 'God' merely as an extension of ourselves and this 'god' can then be ourselves at our very best or worse! . Thus 'God' can justify both our best and our most terrible endeavours. He can justify war, aggression, slavery, oppression of women, different races, cultures etc. He can also justify our best efforts but the shadow side of that is it can feed our ego self. Thus we can feel morally superior to others while we try to do good deeds for them.
In either event, a Household God can tend to become a 'Tribal' or 'Cultural God. This it becomes a 'God' for a chosen group or few. This can lead to fundamentalism, whether its Christian, Muslim. Hindu etc. This fundamentalism is not unique to Religion but impacts politics, business and all areas of human life. So let us return to Christianity, the Faith Tradition in which I was raised.
A God in our Own Image ? Throughout history humanity has had a tendency to create a Household God. This is found in all cultures, traditions and throughout time. We struggle with Mystery and with so many fears and uncertainties , particularly our dark or shadow side. Consequently, we try to suppress, bury or cover up these fears and perceived shadows by using a variety of devices. One of these is to create a Household God.
This 'God' is most often male and is open to 'plea bargaining'. If I or we do something then He will do something for us. The problem with this is that we view 'God' merely as an extension of ourselves and this 'god' can then be ourselves at our very best or worse! . Thus 'God' can justify both our best and our most terrible endeavours. He can justify war, aggression, slavery, oppression of women, different races, cultures etc. He can also justify our best efforts but the shadow side of that is it can feed our ego self. Thus we can feel morally superior to others while we try to do good deeds for them.
In either event, a Household God can tend to become a 'Tribal' or 'Cultural God. This it becomes a 'God' for a chosen group or few. This can lead to fundamentalism, whether its Christian, Muslim. Hindu etc. This fundamentalism is not unique to Religion but impacts politics, business and all areas of human life. So let us return to Christianity, the Faith Tradition in which I was raised.
Arguably in many branches of Christianity we have tended to turn Jesus
of Nazareth into a Household God. (Other Religions also create household gods
connected to their main figures). And elevated him into the Primary Godhead and
thus have largely ignored and forgotten the Trinity. I am reminded of this by
the Christianity of my childhood in Catholic Ireland. This was a religion with its ‘hierarchy’ of God, Jesus, the Spirit,
the Virgin Mary, Angels and Saints. Somehow, God (whom we call Father and not Daddy)
seemed to be very busy or else unapproachable and fearsome; consequently, we
were encouraged to use intermediaries. The Virgin Mary was a special
intermediary as somehow she could help to get ‘her Son’ to do things for us. This
works well in Ireland where mothers are revered as it does for other cultures.
Do not misunderstand me, I
have a respect and reverence for Mary. However, the example of her patience,
humility and faith provide a more powerful ‘role model’ for me and many others. The
‘danger’ of focusing only on her as an intermediary is that we can make Jesus
the Christ seems distant and difficult, just as we have made the Father! This plays to our ego tendency to relate to God
in a Transactional rather than a transformational manner. I do something in
order to ‘get’ God to do something and vice versa. It tends to destroy
any notion of a loving a trustful relationship
Then there were the plethora
of Saints, each with his or her ‘special role’.
St Anthony was called on whenever we had lost anything. I can well
remember my mother losing her keys, so we knelt down to pray to St Anthony and
lo and behold there we could see the keys under the table! But it was all
thanks to St Anthony. There was St Christopher for travel and St Monica, mother
of St Augustine, to whom many mothers pray for their ‘recalcitrant
and feckless’ sons. Then there is St
Jude , the patron saint of ‘lost causes’, always there in an emergency if we
happened to forget which saint we required. So, in a strange way we created a real
set of ‘household saints’. I now realise
that this ‘hierarchy’ can be, and was for me, helpful. It can assist us,
particularly in our early years, in relating to the Mystery. We can find both
comfort and wisdom by being guided by the example of others. In a similar way
in Hinduism, the many ‘gods’ all signify an aspect of the One God, Brahman.
However, we need to be careful not to let this ‘block us’ from our search for
the Mystery by remaining spiritually immature and focused on the transactional
Household God.
However, as we mature, both
in years and in spiritual awareness, many of us find that the questions that
begin to arise at both the psychological, cognitive, emotional and spiritual levels
cannot be answered by some of the stock responses from the leaders and
doctrines on the Faith Tradition. Consequently, many people drift away from
belonging to a particular church or mosque or temple and many more never enter
them. Yet the fundamental questions are
still being asked and many seek answers, but do so outside the mainstream
religions.
Facing the Fundamental Question
Ultimately we need we need to face a more essential and fundamental question about our own belief in the Mystery at the heart of creation. Can we say ‘Yes’ to this Mystery and are we convinced it ‘Is’ the Source of Creation? Obviously, if we do not assent to this question, then our path continues down a non-theist road. However, if we assent to these questions then we must face the next question for the spiritual seeker. This is; ‘How and when can we develop a relationship with this Mystery? Furthermore, if we believe that this Mystery became Incarnate, visible in human form, how can this assist us in developing, what Martin Buber calls, an I: Thou relationship of mutuality and respect?
Ultimately we need we need to face a more essential and fundamental question about our own belief in the Mystery at the heart of creation. Can we say ‘Yes’ to this Mystery and are we convinced it ‘Is’ the Source of Creation? Obviously, if we do not assent to this question, then our path continues down a non-theist road. However, if we assent to these questions then we must face the next question for the spiritual seeker. This is; ‘How and when can we develop a relationship with this Mystery? Furthermore, if we believe that this Mystery became Incarnate, visible in human form, how can this assist us in developing, what Martin Buber calls, an I: Thou relationship of mutuality and respect?
For Christians the answers lie
in the person of the historical Jesus who is the Eternal Christ. For our Hindu brothers and sisters it may be
in one of the many ‘Avatars’. If we assent to the concept of an Incarnation then we have no
need to separate’ the Mystery from the Personal. We can relate deeply and holistically with the
Mystery. It is important to realise that this is not an intellectual relationship;
it is an experience of relatedness. In
short it is an experience of the Spirit and this experience can be both exciting
and challenging. This is not a new challenge. In most of the Faith Traditions,
the contemplative path is suggested and recommended as one that can provide an
answer. The mystics of all traditions have set out certain guidelines or
signposts to aid and comfort the spiritual seeker. They encourage us to journey
within because it is there we will meet and experience answers to our search for
truth and mystery.
In recent times there has
been a growth in Integral Spirituality. This is an attempt to harness the
Universal Wisdom of all Traditions and Sciences and present a better outline
and ‘model’ , of this Ultimate Mystery. Father Thomas Keating, a Trappist Monk and
co-founder of Centering Prayer and Ken Wilber a renowned philosopher and
spiritual guide, have done much to foster and develop a deeper appreciation of
the mystical and contemplative path in Christianity.
More on the MYSTERY
Another great teacher is
Richard Rohr, who reminds us not to shrink from Mystery. He says ““Mystery
is not something you cannot understand. Mystery is something that is endlessly
understandable “We are then on a journey of Transformation rather than one of mere Transactions.
Perhaps, due to the latter view of Mystery, we Christians often strive to DO rather than
just BE. Remember we are human beings
not doings !
A TRANSFORMATIONAL EXPERIENCE
There are endless ‘gateways’ into developing an experiential, deeper and personal relationship with the Mystery. All the Faith Traditions give us examples and Practices. One of the many ‘gateways’ can be seen in the Life and Teaching of Jesus the Christ. This occurs in the story of the Transfiguration. When the disciples went up the mountain with Jesus they did so as followers and disciples of a great Teacher. For several years they had followed their Master, seen his actions miracles, healing and heard his teachings. Then on the mountain something happened for, and to them. They had a mystical experience and somehow saw the Mystery more clearly, – in other words, they had a Transfiguration Experience. This became a Transformational experience. They went up the mountain as followers and came down transformed,
This experience of ‘seeing’ Jesus in a different way and
transformational way also happened to Mary of Magdalene in the Garden of Gethsemane. She saw the ‘Risen Christ. In fact she only ‘recognised him’ when he spoke to
her .He reminded her ‘not to hold onto
him’. Jesus warned and advised his disciples not to focus on him but on
Abba – the Father. Furthermore, at the end of his time on earth he told them to
rely on the Spirit who would guide them. This is sound advice for all followers
of Jesus the Christ.
A Useful Image or Model
I remember once attending a Satsang about a dozen years ago with Ishpriya the Guide of the International Satsang Association. We were reflecting on the Household God and the Mystery. Ishpriya shared a personal symbol that helped her to understand the dilemma outlined earlier. This involved pure clear water and stones. Looking at the stones makes one aware of the presence of the water and when you become aware of the water you are also aware of the stones. One makes the other visible. Perhaps, this is what Jesus meant when he said ‚ ‘I am the Living Water’ because through Him, we Christians can get a better (although still imperfect) vision of the Mystery that is God.
I remember once attending a Satsang about a dozen years ago with Ishpriya the Guide of the International Satsang Association. We were reflecting on the Household God and the Mystery. Ishpriya shared a personal symbol that helped her to understand the dilemma outlined earlier. This involved pure clear water and stones. Looking at the stones makes one aware of the presence of the water and when you become aware of the water you are also aware of the stones. One makes the other visible. Perhaps, this is what Jesus meant when he said ‚ ‘I am the Living Water’ because through Him, we Christians can get a better (although still imperfect) vision of the Mystery that is God.
Ishpriya also suggested, as
do many other teachers and guides from all Faith Traditions, that it can be
helpful (at times) to leave the Scriptures to one side and to look at the
actions of the great Teachers and Gurus.
Then reflect on how their teaching, actions and example have influenced your
life. How has it led you into experiencing the Mystery? How has it helped you experience the visibility
of the non-visible in actions? It is
important to remember that our journey as spiritual travelers, pilgrims and
disciples is not an intellectual or armchair activity. It is an active,
experiential and holistic journey.
This does not mean that Scriptures
are not important. They are one form of revelation that can point us towards the Mystery. I have
found this advice very helpful. Reflecting on this advice,
I am reminded of the Buddhist saying ‘The finger pointing at the moon is not the moon’.
We have a tendency, particularly in Western society, to rely too much on the written word, which can remain merely words on a page that can become mere concepts and thoughts. It can also provide us with much intellectual ‘chatter’ and speculation but result in very little action. The spiritual journey is one that takes us to ‘The Cave of the Heart’ (as our Hindu friends suggest) where we can meet and experience the Mystery. It is in this ‘cave’ that we can be present to an
I : Thou relationship.
I am reminded of the Buddhist saying ‘The finger pointing at the moon is not the moon’.
We have a tendency, particularly in Western society, to rely too much on the written word, which can remain merely words on a page that can become mere concepts and thoughts. It can also provide us with much intellectual ‘chatter’ and speculation but result in very little action. The spiritual journey is one that takes us to ‘The Cave of the Heart’ (as our Hindu friends suggest) where we can meet and experience the Mystery. It is in this ‘cave’ that we can be present to an
I : Thou relationship.
How Can We Know REALITY ?
How can we then ‘know’ the Reality who is the eternal Thou and who IS? An answer, or more properly a response, has been found by the mystics of all ages and all Faith traditions. It is in paradox. However, staying with paradox can be difficult, confusing and challenging. Perhaps this is why we tend to avoid it and try to find easier ways to cope. These ‘easier’ ways all tend to play to our Ego Self. In the West we have mainly adopted the tendency to ‘intellectualise’ the Mystery. This can make ‘God’ a thing of the head and not the heart. The Eastern approach is one that acknowledges both Head and Heart and thus has much to teach the West. In spiritual language, this heart is not a body-psyche experience but one that is seen as the real spiritual centre, or as Meister Eckhart the medieval German mystic refers to it as ‘the Ground of the Soul’. The paradox is that the eternal Thou can be known and that this ‘knowing’ is experienced as an encounter at the heart of ones being, in what the Hindu Upanishads call ‘The Cave of the Heart’.
How can we then ‘know’ the Reality who is the eternal Thou and who IS? An answer, or more properly a response, has been found by the mystics of all ages and all Faith traditions. It is in paradox. However, staying with paradox can be difficult, confusing and challenging. Perhaps this is why we tend to avoid it and try to find easier ways to cope. These ‘easier’ ways all tend to play to our Ego Self. In the West we have mainly adopted the tendency to ‘intellectualise’ the Mystery. This can make ‘God’ a thing of the head and not the heart. The Eastern approach is one that acknowledges both Head and Heart and thus has much to teach the West. In spiritual language, this heart is not a body-psyche experience but one that is seen as the real spiritual centre, or as Meister Eckhart the medieval German mystic refers to it as ‘the Ground of the Soul’. The paradox is that the eternal Thou can be known and that this ‘knowing’ is experienced as an encounter at the heart of ones being, in what the Hindu Upanishads call ‘The Cave of the Heart’.
Readers wishing to explore
this at a greater depth can find an excellent exposition of this ‘concept’ of
the ‘cave of the heart’ in Mascoro’s translation of the Chandoga Upanishad
(8.1) and in other Upanishads. This ‘knowing’ is experienced as the absolute
Person, Unity or Reality who gives unity to all and therefore, at this
essential level, there are no boundaries between myself , as I, and the Mystery 3which is Thou. This is the essential
relationship and one that is expounded upon and expla8ined so well by Martin
Buber.
The great truth is that we all have the
inherent ability to be Mystics. Mysticism is not a rare quality reserved only
for the few. It is the essence of who each and every unique individual is. We
are born out of LOVE, which is the Mystery, and we return to this LOVE. That is
the essential journey or pilgrimage for all of us. Our ‘true’
or essential self can have access to
genuine mystical experiences. It is our ‘ego’
or false self that believes mysticism is rare.
LOVE : The non-dualistic Choice
LOVE : The non-dualistic Choice
It seems to me, that my task
as a Christian – a disciple of Jesus the Christ , It is not an either or choice.
It can best be seen as a both and
choice. I need to retain my relationship with Jesus who is the Christ but
through his teachings, and more importantly (perhaps) his actions. As a ‘would be’ disciple I need to follow his
advice and focus on the Spirit which is
the essential ‘gateway’ into the Mystery. Guided by the Spirit , my spirit can better realise who and what this
Mystery is. In short, the Christian teaching is that this Mystery is rooted in
the Trinity. This is their template or blueprint that expresses the essence of
this Mystery which is a Source of Love in constant outpouring and returning,
This reflection is based both
on a series of themes from Satsang Meetings over the past 25 years and other
experiences and influences on my journey. I would like to express my gratitude first of
all to my mother and my wife Angela ( more about her later) and secondly to both members of the Satsang Association , an
Association of spiritual seekers who seek
truth, and to many others who have helped me on my
journey. As I continue to journey onward ‘in the Spirit’ back to the Source, I
realise the vital importance of meeting and relating to fellow travelers.
These can help me to deepen and develop my relationship with this Mystery.
This brings me to a final and
important realisation of finding soulful relationships. We are made for relating.
Neuroscience tells us that our brain has developed over thousands of years and
that a large part of our Cortex is devoted to relating. This is the part that
gives us the gifts of compassion and empathy. This is not a new idea. . We are all
born and created out of the Mystery we call Love. In addition, in the Celtic
Tradition, there is strong advice for the Pilgrim. and this is to find an Anam
Cara, which translates as ‘Soul Friend’.
John O Donoghue, an Irish Poet and Author of Anam Cara,
states this in the following way
“The Celtic mind was
not burdened by dualism. It did not separate what belongs together. Celtic
imagination articulated the inner friendship which embraces nature, divinity,
underworld and human world as one”
This concept of the Anam Cara, is based on a sense of
Blessed Presence, one of the 4 great Ps of the Celtic Tradition. The other 3
are ; sacredness of Place, the all embracing and everyday place of Prayer and
finally, the power of Pilgrimage; both the Inner and Outer Journey through
life.
My Anam Cara
On our journey , she has introduced me to Sister Ishpriya, Father Bede Griffiths, Swami Chidananda ( a Hindu Saint and Sannyasi ) , Noddfa Spirituality Centre ( North Wales), Thomas Keating, Diarmuid O Murchu and Richard Rohr, to name but a few. All these, along with my own practice in psychology, with the work of Ken Wilber, Rick Hanson , Viktor Frankl and Dan Siegal, and others who have influenced my journey.
This demonstrates the importance of my Anam Cara and her example of taking the Road Less Traveled. and I feel that this excerpt from a poem by Goethe, taken from a translation by John O Donohue, conveys something of the spirit, courage and inner fascination she has for the Mystery, For this I am truly thankful.
Blessed Longing
Tell no-one else, only the wise
For the crowd may sneer at once.
I wish to praise what is fully alive
What longs to flame towards death.
When calm enfolds the love nights
That created you, where you have created
A feeling from the unknown steals over you
While the tranquil candle burns.
No distance makes you ambivalent
You clme on wings, enchanted
In such hunger for light, you
Become the butterfly burnt to nothing
So long as you have not lived this
To die is to become new,
You remain a gloomy guest
On the dark earth,
J O Donoghue Anam Cara p44
The importance of Companions on the Journey
The spiritual journey can,
at times, be a lonely one. These soul friends and fellow seekers, can provide a powerful support for the journey into Mystery. Meeting
up with fellow travellers on the road is both comforting and enriching. It also
can help us to remain awake and aware of those small, but vital, moments of
‘transfiguration’ in life. Like a beautiful sunrise or sunset, the smiles on a
child’s face a greeting from a faithful dog etc. These are moments of ‘Presence’ that occur,
often randomly, in life. Being still and
silent to this Presence is important. Note that being Silent is not necessarily
being still. True Silence is rooted in inner stillness, even amidst the clamour
of our noisy and busy world. .
Thus staying present to the Presence (an essential practice in both the Celtic and the Eastern Traditions)) can help us to stay awake and aware of these moments. In this way we can deepen and develop our relationship with the Reality. This is the Reality that is the Mystery at the heart of Creation.
Thus staying present to the Presence (an essential practice in both the Celtic and the Eastern Traditions)) can help us to stay awake and aware of these moments. In this way we can deepen and develop our relationship with the Reality. This is the Reality that is the Mystery at the heart of Creation.
Seeking Together – Helping
to Create – A Planetary Vision - a Universal Heart of Compassion
Peter Creagh (April 2017)
Some
Useful Sources
Integral Life :- www.integrallife.com
Richard Rohr: - www.cac.org
Thomas Keating:- www.contemplativeoutreach.com
Sister Ishpriya:- www.international-satsang.org
Satsang Blog, further resources etc : www.satsang-companionship.co.uk
Noddfa Retreat Centre :- www.noddfa.org.uk
John O Donoghue - Anam Cara Spiritual Wisdom from the Celtic World
John O Donoghue - Anam Cara Spiritual Wisdom from the Celtic World
Copies of this Reflection and the following sources used by Trainees on a Doctorate In Counselling Psychology at the University of Wolverhampton are available at www.satsang-companionship.co.uk
Peter Creagh (2010) Humanistic- Existential and Transpersonal Therapy Encounter and Awareness Reflections on Buber’s Theory of Relationships
Peter Creagh (2010) FOUR ESSENTIAL TRUTHS – FOUR CHOICES - A Trans-Personal
Approach for Personal Development Groups
Peter Creagh (2013) The wisdom of focusing on the Self: - some reflections on the Reflective Practitioner
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