Our Long Journey with Mystery
Summary on our Six Faith Traditions
‘Our duty as men and women is to proceed as if
the limits to our ability did not exist. We are collaborators in Creation’ Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
This
is the last in a series of personal reflections
on Spirituality and Religion. They have looked at six of the world’s major
Faith Traditions and set out to chart the important part that spirituality has played in our human
story and our long journey, over hundreds of thousands of years, in search of
the Mystery that lies at the heart of creation. In this search, we have looked through
the 'lens' of six
Faith Traditions; three from the Eastern Tradition (Hinduism, Buddhism and
Sikhism) and three from the Western
Tradition (Judaism, Christianity and Islam).
All six Faith Traditions have arisen in the past 5 or
6 millennia and are , in a sense, different cultural and historical attempts to understand, explain and express
the Mystery that is beyond all religions. Each tries to shine a light on the
Mystery or Absolute Reality that existed
before time began and is a Reality that
is experienced as both Immanent and Transcendent.
All six Faith Traditions
acknowledge this Immanence and Transcendence but arguably the East focuses more on the
Immanent nature and the West emphasises the Transcendent Nature of God. These aspects are neither an either-or distinction
nor an assertion that one is better than the other. Such false
distinctions are totally man made and can, if not challenged, lead us to design
a God made in our own image.
Buddhism
and Daoism advise us about using our understanding 'to tie God down' and remind us that ;' The finger that points at the moon is not the moon'. All Religions merely attempt to express the inexpressible
nature of God. Each tries to 'highlight' aspects of the God ,
Mystery or Absolute Reality that have been experienced and thus can prove to be
very helpful. The Mystery is way beyond our human understanding but the Faith
Traditions, and their collected universal spiritual inheritance, can be a
useful and helpful support on our journey back to the Source , the Mystery of all life.
Throughout
our long journey, humanity has always pondered some deep questions, such as : Who made all this? - Who am I ? What is the purpose of life ? and many others. The mystics and sages, of
all Traditions, have advised us to seek the answers to these questions at a
deeper level. This is a level beyond
mere human senses and intellectual knowing. It is one that requires us to be
open to the Presence and the Grace of the Indwelling Mystery. Those who have
experienced God at this level, suggest that there is a deeper Mystery at the heart, or
root, of all creation and that it is wise to journey inwards in search of this Mystery .
If we do, then our human family will find a more authentic, safe and surer,
peaceful and more joyful evolutionary
path.
For Mystics this is a path that
leads towards union with both the
Mystery and each other. It can provide us with a way out of the many current crises that threaten us, our
planet and our soul. One of the root
problems is that we have lost sight of the underlying unity and oneness of our one human family . We share
the same Source and live, in this body
psyche, on our small planet Earth. This sense of unity and oneness is found at
the heart of all Faith Traditions. Perhaps this
is best expressed by the following quote from the Hindu Vedas - the Isa
Upanishad
' The one who sees all beings in his own Self, and his own Self in all
beings, loses all fear. When a wise one
sees this Great Unity and his own Self has become all beings. What delusion and
what sorrow can ever be near him?'.
This sense of oneness is echoed by St Paul , a Christian Mystic in
Galatians.
'There is neither Jew nor
Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all
one in Christ Jesus.'
The great Faith Traditions have so much in common. We are not in competition
with each other. False competition leads us down the path of discord, disunity
and conflict . We are created for co-operation not competition by the Unity that
unites and enfolds all Creation. This Unity is the Great Mystery, or Great Spirit of the Aboriginal peoples , that
the Mystics and Sages have shown us. Their path leads inwards. This is an ancient path of
contemplation that people of all faiths and none can
safely follow. However, it is a path that
requires courage, patience, wisdom and ,
above all, grace which is a free gift from God .
I would like to end these reflections with a blessing from the Celtic
Christian tradition, a tradition that underpins my personal journey of Faith.
Celtic Christianity shares much with both Hinduism and Buddhism, it sees and
senses God's Presence in every situation. This is a prayer for 'New Beginnings'
and is adapted from John O Donohue's
book ' Benedictus
New Beginnings - A Blessing
'In out of the way places of the heart.
Where your thoughts never think
to wander.'
This beginning has been quietly forming.
Waiting until you are
ready to emerge....
Awaken your spirit
to adventure;
hold nothing back, learn to find ease in risk;
Soon you will be
home in a new rhythm.
For your soul senses the world that awaits you'.
As Jesus says : 'On that day, you will know that you are in me and I am in
you' . John 14:20.
Our human family stands on the
threshold of a new beginning and the Faith Traditions have so much wisdom to
offer us
which
essentially is:
Be still and know that I am God the Mystery (Psalm 46:10)
Peter Creagh