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Sep. 24th, 2003 02:47 pmAlright, several of you have asked me in your responses to my post yesterday about why I give any weight to scripture or to particular religious tradition. Your question is good and valid and I didn't want to leave it unacknowledged, but I thought instead of writing a few piecemeal responses, I would write one big one, and put it here where everyone can see it.
Firstly, I don't look into any book first when I'm seeking to connect to Spirit. That connection has already been very firmly developed. To some extent I feel the divine presence with me at all times, at some times more than others. I am in love with the Mystery of it, the fluidness of it, the calmness of it, its ineffability. It gives me a wellspring of stillness and strength that I remember at one time I was without.
That said, there are many reasons why I look to scripture of any sort. I am fascinated by the different levels at play therein -- historical context, cultural priorities, the interplay of spirit and humanity. I am also fascinated by the different ways people have chosen to express their experience of the divine presence, or the ways spirit affects their outlook.
Also, scripture represents an important link with tradition. Calling upon that tradition, and its "colonies" in the psyche, is a strong way to link with certain aspects of the mind that cannot quite be accessed any other way. By that I mean, saying "Jesus said such and such," or "Buddha said this that and the other," elicits an emotional, archetypal, primal, and psychological reaction that can be of immeasurable use when trying to explain the depth of mystical experience. The creation of "new" scripture in the absense of the "psychic colonization" afforded by tradition means sacrificing these opportunities.
Scripture also provides an invitation to Mystery, in a way that nothing else does.
One of the mysteries afforded by Christian scripture is the interesting counterpointal interplay between the different viewpoints -- the synoptic viewpoint, the Johannine viewpoint, the Pauline viewpoint. To say that they come together to give us a unified spiritual message is a very powerful assertion that provides a great deal of fertile ground for psychic and mystical exploration.
There is more, much more, that I could say in addition to this...
Firstly, I don't look into any book first when I'm seeking to connect to Spirit. That connection has already been very firmly developed. To some extent I feel the divine presence with me at all times, at some times more than others. I am in love with the Mystery of it, the fluidness of it, the calmness of it, its ineffability. It gives me a wellspring of stillness and strength that I remember at one time I was without.
That said, there are many reasons why I look to scripture of any sort. I am fascinated by the different levels at play therein -- historical context, cultural priorities, the interplay of spirit and humanity. I am also fascinated by the different ways people have chosen to express their experience of the divine presence, or the ways spirit affects their outlook.
Also, scripture represents an important link with tradition. Calling upon that tradition, and its "colonies" in the psyche, is a strong way to link with certain aspects of the mind that cannot quite be accessed any other way. By that I mean, saying "Jesus said such and such," or "Buddha said this that and the other," elicits an emotional, archetypal, primal, and psychological reaction that can be of immeasurable use when trying to explain the depth of mystical experience. The creation of "new" scripture in the absense of the "psychic colonization" afforded by tradition means sacrificing these opportunities.
Scripture also provides an invitation to Mystery, in a way that nothing else does.
One of the mysteries afforded by Christian scripture is the interesting counterpointal interplay between the different viewpoints -- the synoptic viewpoint, the Johannine viewpoint, the Pauline viewpoint. To say that they come together to give us a unified spiritual message is a very powerful assertion that provides a great deal of fertile ground for psychic and mystical exploration.
There is more, much more, that I could say in addition to this...
