Mysticism in religion has a long tradition that dates back to the early shamanism and continues existing and developing for centuries in different cultures. All of the mystical paths have something in common, but still it is difficult to choose one, because there is no easy path to achieve the aim of mystical experience – reaching the gap between the conscious and the divine and finding the heaven on Earth. Every religious path has similar features with the other paths, and I find some elements and ideas in each of them appealing and interesting. Still, the one I found the most distinct from the others is the mystical path of Taoism traditions.
Taoism tradition started developing in China, and nowadays is practiced around the world. It is a religious path; however, the notions it uses have the essence of “the moral teaching of the individual and the state” (Brigden, and Namsick). The accent on the morality makes it distinct from the other mystic traditions, which are more openly religious in nature. In the core of the Taoist tradition lies the Tao, the concept that is difficult to define and understand, as it is at the same time everything and nothing; it is “the reality that underlies all of reality” (Brigden, and Namsick). Therefore, it corresponds to what other religions call the divine or the God. However, rather moral character of the religion allowed the appearance of different mystical variations. The esoteric Taoist path Gi-Gong is of particular interest, as it claims to let a person directly experience the Tao through practices, yoga and meditation.
Gi-Gong mystics experience the divine with the help of movement the life energy called Chi inside of one’s body. They claim that everything in the world consists of this energy, and by moving it in the right way through the long meditation that may last for days one can reach the realm of the divine. Later developments of Gi-Gong tradition include Tai Chi Chuan, still widely popular series of bodily practices. Another Gi-Gong technique is yoga that teaches to move the life force and energies inside the body until “what was false becomes true, and what was true becomes false” (Brigden, and Namsick). This way one slowly gets aware of the internal energies and then one begins seeing the reason behind the movements that should help to answer the eternal questions of human existence and its purpose. It is a journey that goes both ways: in the direction of the universe and in the direction of inner self. The next step is the most esoteric and extraordinary among the other elements of the path, as it involves changing the energy, purifying it and creating with its help immortal fetus in a separate energy body. This practice seems difficult to perceive and understand, and in Gi-Gong tradition is entrusted only to certain monks. These rituals make Gi-Gong extremely different from the other traditions presented in the film.
I think that the work on one’s energy system and Gi-Gong mysticism is the most compelling path represented in the video, because of its unusual techniques and methods, moral character and variety of interpretations. The rituals are very unusual and spiritual, and I believe that they are the most complex for understanding, and therefore, I find them the most engaging. However, it should be noted that none of the paths offer a guide for the mystical experience, as it may differ depending on the person’s worldview. Nevertheless, the essence of every mystical path in all of the presented traditions is actually the same – finding the connection between the reality and the divine and blurring the borders between the two. Every path is interesting and at the same time difficult to follow. Still, I believe that it does not matter for the spiritual person what path one chooses; the decision to follow the spiritual path is what really matters.
Work cited
Brigden, Nick, and Steve Nemsick. Inner Journey: The Path of Mysticism. Princeton, NJ: Films for the Humanities & Sciences, 2004.
