SOME STAGES IN THE QUEST

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EDITORIAL – SOME STAGES IN THE QUEST

 

 

 

 

The experience of the mystic is the basis of all religion, but it

illustrates only more sharply than the experience of ordinary men

certain permanent and universal traits or needs in human nature. The

mystic usually begins his career with a vision, with some kind of

communication with the divine. This initial vision may be brought

about by spiritual discipline, meditation or Yoga, or it may overtake

him suddenly and without forwardings of any kind. The spirit floweth

where it listeth, and it is impossible to say what stimulus is

necessary to get us the vision of the mystic or even to make us

mumukshus and jignasus, seekers of emancipation and knowledge. It is

claimed for the practice of yoga that it can put this vision at our

command. But one should in the first instance decide to practice

yoga before becoming a yogin. The self is to be attained, says a

famous passage in the kathopanishad, only by those whom It elects. In

other words, only the grace of God can first put us on the definitive

quest towards him. The initial vision or desire for religious

experience is often accompanied by a transmutation of spiritual

values, by a sense that one who is happy as the world goes in health,

wealth, love and friendship and is free in conscience may yet find

the sources of his happiness inadequate, that one may question the

sufficiency of works' and look forward to never plans of experience.

This initial phase, whatever form it takes, often leads to a

consciousness of grace, and an assurance of ultimate peace.

 

 

 

But it is often followed immediately by a sense of loss, a feeling of

estrangement from God. Much great poetry has been inspired by this

state of separation between God and the bhakta. It leads generally

to restlessness, and distracted attempts to be re- united with God.

Some times nor being certain of the value of religious experience and

longing still for the sources of happiness which it has sought to

displace, men have sought to get away from it. It is doubt and

hesitancy and the struggle that they give rise to have finely

pictured as a present by God of the human soul. It is His grace that

puts our feet on the road leading to Him and it is His grace that

must lead us on the road leading to Him on that road. An English

poet, Francis Thompson, has –described God as the Hound of Heaven,

who hunts the run-away soul and compels it to surrender. The poet

asks:

 

 

 

Ah! is Thy love indeed

 

 

 

A weed, albeit it an amaranthine weed,

 

 

 

Suffering no flowers except its own mount?

 

 

 

Such estrangement and separation from God mean a terrible spiritual

agony for the mystic, a painful experience offer called the dark

night of the soul. It is a state of desperate listlessness, and in it

the mystic has achieve self-conquest and selflessness.

 

 

 

Escape from this state is not through active effort, but through a

wise passivity, thorough absolute confidence in and self – surrender

to God. Waiting and acquiescent are essential in the life of the

soul, and those who thus there comes sooner or later the bliss of

fulfillment, of renewed union with God.

 

 

 

 

 

All these stages of initial dissatisfaction with the usually accepted

sources of happiness and a partial attainment of God, of a sense of

loss and estrangement from god of attempts to achieve a re-union, of

passive waiting and reliance on God's grace, and of final assurance

and fulfillment, mark the careers of most of the famous bhaktas and

mystics of the world.

 

 

 

(Adopted from Sai Sudha Feb 1944, th is can be read at

www.saileelas.org)