polilogues

Marinus Jan Marijs 0101

Could you give us a typology of mysticism?

I would start with a definition of mysticism, from a developmental point. There are certain developmental layers, so to speak, which go up to the integral or holistic levels. If you go beyond that you get several different forms of mystical levels.

Normally we speak of two different kinds of mysticism, one goes up to Nirvana, and the other which is spoken of is non-dual mysticism. However, I think there is another form of mysticism besides these two lines, so to speak, and that deals with what is called Bhava Samadhi, which cannot be placed in either the nirvana-type of mysticism or non-dual mysticism.

So I think there are three lines. I would start first with the line which goes up to Nirvana. These are levels of emptiness, the void, so to speak: nirvikalpa samadhi, satori... If nirvikalpa samadhi becomes permanent, it is called Nirvana. This means that if a mystic is at this level, most of the time - more than 90% - his mind is completely empty. For practical purposes, of course, his mind is not completely empty because he has to deal with physical reality, the daily things that happen.

<<< back