Comments on: Esoteric vs. Mystic http://www.poetry-chaikhana.com/blog/2009/01/13/esoteric-vs-mystic/ Sacred Poetry from Around the World Tue, 18 Jun 2013 05:12:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: Triodítis http://www.poetry-chaikhana.com/blog/2009/01/13/esoteric-vs-mystic/#comment-3364 Triodítis Sat, 17 Jan 2009 17:51:40 +0000 http://www.poetry-chaikhana.com/blog/2009/01/13/esoteric-vs-mystic/#comment-3364 What else is there to say? You have said it all. Blessed Be, --T. (formerly Athena) What else is there to say? You have said it all.

Blessed Be,

–T. (formerly Athena)

]]> By: Alexander http://www.poetry-chaikhana.com/blog/2009/01/13/esoteric-vs-mystic/#comment-3346 Alexander Thu, 15 Jan 2009 03:25:32 +0000 http://www.poetry-chaikhana.com/blog/2009/01/13/esoteric-vs-mystic/#comment-3346 The dictionary (Merriam-Webster specifically) describes "esoteric" as knowledge reserved only for the initiated. "Mysticism" is called the belief that knowledge of God can be attained through immediate intuition and contemplation (innate means), and also mentions knowledge only held by the initiated. All knowledge, however, is held only by those "initiated" to it -- for example, I was not initiated into the secrets of shoe-tying until I learned. If this is true, everyone becomes a mystic when they "have a first experience of God," so to speak. Before this, knowledge of God is esoteric to that person. As for the valid goal and the responsible approach, a person only concerned with God must eventually learn that such concern still bars one from God, and the one who is interested in the landscape of spiritual experience must eventually learn that such interest also bars one from God -- that the only Way is the Way, and that much of the landscape of "spiritual experiences" are actually by-products of a process and are not spirituality of themself. Such things may be signposts to a person who knows how to read the signs, but should not be allowed to become distractions. The dictionary (Merriam-Webster specifically) describes “esoteric” as knowledge reserved only for the initiated. “Mysticism” is called the belief that knowledge of God can be attained through immediate intuition and contemplation (innate means), and also mentions knowledge only held by the initiated.

All knowledge, however, is held only by those “initiated” to it — for example, I was not initiated into the secrets of shoe-tying until I learned. If this is true, everyone becomes a mystic when they “have a first experience of God,” so to speak. Before this, knowledge of God is esoteric to that person.

As for the valid goal and the responsible approach, a person only concerned with God must eventually learn that such concern still bars one from God, and the one who is interested in the landscape of spiritual experience must eventually learn that such interest also bars one from God — that the only Way is the Way, and that much of the landscape of “spiritual experiences” are actually by-products of a process and are not spirituality of themself. Such things may be signposts to a person who knows how to read the signs, but should not be allowed to become distractions.

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