Session 8 Symbolism and myth part 2

Last night we looked at William Blake - some of the symbolism and the Neoplatonic themes in his work.
We also touched on John Scotus Eriugena (c.800 - c. 877 A.D.), philosopher and theologian, and his startlingly profound writing on the correspondence between the seen and the unseen worlds:
For everything that is understood and sensed is nothing else but -
the utterance of the unutterable
the access to the inaccessible
the understanding of the unintelligible
the body of the bodiless
the essence of the superessential
the form of the formless
the measure of the measureless
the number of the unnumbered
the weight of the weightless
the materialization of the spiritual
the visibility of the invisible
the place of that which is in no place
the time of the timeless
the definition of the infinite
the circumscription of the uncircumscribed

- The act of creation is the self-manifestation of the hidden transcendent God

Session 7 Symbolism in the mystical life

Last night we looked at various aspects of symbolism. We reflected on symbols used in the titles of well-known mystical works, such as 'The Cloud of Unknowing' and 'The Interior Castle'.
We also looked at characteristic symbols used to describe spiritual progress ('ladder' 'maze' 'path'), and our multi-faceted relationship with the Ineffable: Hildegarde's 'a feather on the breath of God', St Teresa's 'spiritual marriage', and or even being hounded, as in Francis Thompson's 'The Hound of Heaven' - 'Whither shall I flee from Thy Spirit'.
We mentioned in passing the idea of the complementary paths: the Via Affirmativa and the Via Negativa, which we'll come back to later in the course. Meanwhile, here is a quote from Damascius: 'The universe is double: that which is seen and that which is not seen - the world within the world we see. The seen is a symbol of the unseen, the material a parable of the real. The visible world is the garment and drapery of God.' We'll pick up next time with what we really mean by the unseen - it refers to more than that which just happens to be invisible to the eye. It is that which can only be approached by intellect in its fullest sense.
The next session will be at 7.00pm Tuesday 10th February.

Session 6 Boethius' The Consolation of Philosophy

This is a link to a discussion of Boethius' work and its influence on Western culture and thought from the BBC In Our Time archive: The Consolation of Philosophy.

Session 5 The Bhagavad Gita

On Tuesday we looked at another ‘hour-of-death’ scene: the sacred dialogue that takes place on the battlefield between Lord Krishna and the warrior Arjuna.  Arjuna is distressed at the prospect of killing in battle his opponents – his kinsmen and friends.  Krishna tells him, “Thou grievest for those who need no grief. The wise grieve not for the living nor the dead”  Why is this?  Krishna teaches the essential immortality of all things: “Verily, never was I not. Nor thou, nor all of these, nor ever shall we cease to be.”  He reveals the true nature of the Divine, of the Macrocosm and of humankind.  What follows from this is that how one acts is of significance.  One is to act from within, from one’s integrity, without being attached to the fruits of one’s actions. You might like to listen again too this extract from Mark Tully's BBC Radio 4 programme on the Hindu ideas of refraining from action, and of karma: Something Understood (6 mins).

The speaker suggests that the doctrine of karma - that we are bound by our actions within a chain of cause and effect - strengthens rather than weakens us: our very next action always counts.
Next time (2 December) we'll have another hour-of-death dialogue, as Lady Philosophy appears to Boethius in his prison cell.
I hope you find these posts and the comments helpful.  In the spirit of the course, please treat each other's comments with respect:  every viewpoint, if heeded carefully, has the potential to expand the consciousness.

Session 4 The Platonic Tradition

Last night we recalled the outlines of Pythagorean philosophy as an exercise in living, the aim of which is the purification and perfection of the human soul.  Pythagorean philosophy, along with the figure of the philosopher Socrates and the body of Greek myths, all inform Plato's thought - so that's the link with this next session.  

Plato's philosophy is of an unseen world of Ideas above and within all visible existence. Our purpose is to be released from the cave of illusion, where we now sit trapped, believing ourselves to be at one with reality, whereas we are just observers of passing shadows. Leaving the cave of illusion and coming into the light of day involves unfolding the soul's innate powers and climbing the ladder of ideas into the free upper air.  For this we need to see the relationship between particular existences and universal ideas. We looked at how contemplating the little autumn leaf opens the door to a rich array of universal ideas: life, death, and ageing; parts and wholenesses; time, periodicity, succession; aesthetics and love of home. 
The character of Plato's teacher Socrates dominates the Platonic dialogues, and we also looked at why Socrates has always been an influential figure in Western thought.  He is a Christ-like figure, speaking frankly and fearlessly in the market-place, bringing philosophy, as Cicero said, down from heaven, and advocating non-retaliation for an injustice, because the soul is a free moral and intellectual agent and can only really be harmed by its own hand. There were no final answers for Socrates, but to know that one doesn't know is wisdom and the beginning of knowledge.
We read together the moving scene of Socrates' last hours in prison before he drank the hemlock, and as a philosopher departed this life with joy.  In this last dialogue with his friends and followers he taught the need to tend the soul:  "Oh, my friends, if the soul is really immortal, what care should be taken of her, not only in respect of this portion of time called life, but of eternity!"  One can see how for hundreds of years Socrates was seen both as a pre-Christian holy figure as well as a hero for secular philosophers.  (Here is an extract of an old BBC recording of the Symposium, describing Socrates' character: Symposium link)
Plato's writings influenced generation upon generation of philosophers, leading most notably to Neoplatonism and Plotinus.  Arguably Plotinus is the keystone of Western mysticism, and one of the means by which Platonism was preserved and then transmitted into Christian theology.

Session 3 Pythagoras and the Axial Age

Last night was exceptionally dark and stormy but we all managed to meet together for Session 3 of the RTM course looking at what is meant by the Axial Age - that seeming turning point in human history at which a number of world teachers and spiritually-orientated movements appeared.   

Dean Inge called this the Religion of the Spirit.  There was a dawning sense of the transcendent - a noumenal world above or within the world of outward appearance.  A sense that our true home, the real and lasting satisfaction of the soul, lies in identifying with this transcendent "self" or essential sub-stratum of our being.  

Among the ideas to emerge in the Axial period was a universal moral intuition - concepts such as wisdom, prudence, justice, temperance, all of which are found in Pythagorean Golden Verses.  Among the simple practical lessons found in such writings is that of the need for reflection - Pythagoras urged his disciples to walk quietly in the morning air before plunging themselves into the turbulence of the day.  And at the end of the day to reflect quietly on its events before sleep.  We noted the similar Stoic idea of mentally preparing for the day - anticipating what is likely to happen, and how one might want to respond to what it brings.  Identifying those things that are within one's control and those that aren't - another Stoic idea - can be very helpful in dealing with life's events and dispelling useless anxiety. Here is a link to a reading of the Golden Verses with commentary intercut:
Golden Verses with commentary.
Finally, we did all make it to the session last night - and despite family and work commitments, despite getting lost on dark and blocked roads, no one turned back.  I think it's worth reflecting on the separate paths we took to come together - on the thinking, wanting, and willing involved on everyone's part.   Thinking, wanting and willing drive the body forward each day.  They are the traditional faculties of the human soul: mind, heart and will.  Blended together and directed within and above the everyday world they represent the mystical faculty, which all possess, albeit unawares.  I look forward to seeing you all next time for Socrates!

Welcome to the Reading the Mystics blog

Welcome to the Reading the Mystics blog set up for the Reading the Mystics class just starting at Fintry. The class meets every 2-3 weeks, so the blog is to help us keep in touch between sessions.
The Reading the Mystics course has been running in Broadstairs since 2007, and so anyone who has attended the course in the past is welcome to join in. You'll recognise most of the material, and I can post anything you missed.
We started the second session last night listening again to Francis Thompson's 'The Kingdom of God' (by the light of the waxing moon). You can hear the poem on our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmHau_CYNR0. The governing idea of the poem is that we don't need to go searching elsewhere for the invisible, noumenal world. The 'otherness' whose presence we intuit from time to time is forever with us, if we would only open our own "clay-shuttered doors".

"Angels keep their ancient places, / Turn but a stone and start a wing." 

We looked at some 'mystical' experiences, including Hildegard von Bingen's account of her lifelong visions, which she called 'the cloud of the living light' and 'the Living Light itself'.

But the main thrust of the session was to look at the roots of what we call 'mysticism' - starting with Taoism.

Over to you for your thoughtful and kind contributions....