How-To Reconcile Christian and Hindu Esotericism
by
Robert Waxman
Introduction
In The Mystic Heart by Wayne Teasdale, the author is proposing to combine Christian and Hindu mysticism to
create an ideal mystical religion. He calls this concept ‘inter-spirituality’. His proposal allows an individual
to combine two mystical traditions, while maintaining his spiritual identity with a single religion. Therefore, the individual
adopts a second religion, if he believes it is compatible with his primary religious affiliation. As an example, Teasdale
refers to the Passover Seder (the Last Supper) as having meaning for both Christians and Jews (1999, p. 31). He also says
the Jain principle of non-violence has meaning for other Eastern religions, as Eastern meditative practices have a meaningful
effect on Christians (p. 34). Teasdale claims there are Hindus worshipping Jesus, as well as Japanese and Tibetan Buddhists
who are seriously studying Christian theology (p. 32). Teasdale asserts that inter-spirituality is a growing worldwide phenomenon
that is attracting large numbers of spiritual seekers.
This paper discusses the author’s claim that Hindu and Christian mysticism are compatible traditions. Consequently,
it is important to review the teachings of these two mystical traditions, to gain a better understanding of their similarities
and differences. The topics discussed in this paper include identifying the limitations and benefits of both traditions, and
determining the feasibility of combining them into one religious ideology. After reviewing the details of Hindu and Christian
mysticism, a conclusion is offered regarding the compatibility of these two religions and their mystical traditions.
Commentary
In The Mystic Heart, Teasdale argues throughout
the book that mystical religious traditions are gaining in popularity. In many aspects of our culture, mystical themes can
be found. Bestselling books such as Tolle’s The Good Earth, popular television shows such as Medium, and
films such as What Dreams May Come, are reflecting a renewed interest in paranormal and mystical subjects. There
is easy access to esoteric websites, classes on mysticism, and availability of online ancient texts that are helping people
to understand the teachings of mysticism.
Religious dogma, literal interpretations,
and rationalism are becoming less popular, and many people are searching for a more meaningful form of spiritual fulfillment.
Also, controversy and scandal are plaguing the Catholic Church, and many of its followers are leaving or becoming disillusioned.
These events, along with an evolution in consciousness, are leading to a spiritual awakening in the West. People are tired
of hearing clichéd answers to their spiritual questions such as, “It is God’s Will” or “It
was not meant to be”. This type of unfulfilling, vague spiritual guidance is not acceptable for many modern
spiritual seekers. These individuals are feeling discouraged by dogmatic religious teachings, and want meaningful answers
to their spiritual questions.
This current wave of inter-spirituality
is allowing spiritual seekers to ‘mix and match’ religious teachings from East and West. More people are choosing
to seek their own version of liberation, salvation, enlightenment, and oneness. They are customizing their beliefs into a
unique, personal system of religious and mystical thought. These individuals are severing or loosening their ties with organized
religion, and are overcoming the fear associated with sin and damnation. By thinking for themselves, spiritual aspirants are
breaking away from the dogma of the Church, and establishing their spiritual independence. The influence of other religions,
such as Hinduism and Buddhism, are contributing to opening the Western mind.
Vedanta philosophy is
a threat because it tends to eat further away the foundations of the Christian faith. This process of de-christianization
is being accelerated by the infusion of Hindu and Buddhist philosophies through various manifestations of the ‘metaphysical
movement’. (Hashimoto, 1960, p. 299)
As traditional Christians try combining
the teachings of the New Testament with the goals of Hindu mysticism, they will find fundamental differences between the two.
The Christian identifies himself with Jesus, while the Hindu identifies himself with the ‘no-self’. According
to Thurman, “As Jesus declared that it was necessary to lose oneself for His sake to find life everlasting,
is it possible that one can lose one’s very self and still clutch onto the self-identity, ‘Christian’,
or ‘I am a Christian?’” (1983, p. 34). It is ironic that Jesus is speaking about losing one’s
self, while the Church is saying to the Christian – you will find your ‘self’ through Jesus. The Church
believes Jesus is a conduit for finding your ‘self’ – but, according to Jesus – this is the self you
are trying to lose. Incredibly, Jesus is instructing his disciples to act like Hindus, while the Church is instructing its
followers to act in a manner contrary to the teachings of Jesus. This theological contradiction is the central dilemma for
establishing the validity of mysticism within Christianity. Even if Jesus is viewed as ‘the Word’ or Logos, he
still remains a manifest, divine power existing in duality. Therefore, if the goal of mysticism is to transcend reality by
experiencing oneness with a Divine Source, then Christianity has limitations as a mystical tradition.
Christian mysticism stresses the importance of experiencing the dualistic god-object, while Vedanta stresses the importance
of experiencing the non-dualistic, absolute, all pervading Brahman. The entire system of Vedanta-Advaita centers on teaching
a person how to merge his spark of Atman with the Ultimate Reality of Brahman. According to the Advaita teacher Shankara,
The
Atman, to know whom is salvation, not to know whom is bondage to the world, who is the root of the world, who is the basis
of all creation, through whom all exists, through whom all is conceived – the Unborn, the Deathless, the Fearless, the
Good, without a second – He is the Real. He is thy Self. And therefore, that art thou. (Politella, 1965, p. 124)
The mysticism
of Advaita does not require dependence on a dualistic god, or adherence to an exoteric doctrine. Therefore, Advaita mysticism
does not have the same limitations as Christian mysticism. Advaita offers a non-dogmatic, unrestricted form of mysticism.
However, Christian Gnosticism, which predates modern Christianity, includes mystical teachings that are not limiting or restrictive.
In the text, The Testimony of Truth (circa 80 CE – 120 CE), Gnostic mysticism is explained. A Gnostic
becomes ‘a disciple of his own mind’, as he discovers that his mind ‘is the father of the truth’ (Pagels,
1989, p. 132). A Gnostic engages in silent meditation daily, and “considers himself equal to everyone, maintaining his
own independence of anyone else’s authority” (p. 132). The Gnostic relates to Jesus as a great teacher, but not
as a divine being. Consequently, in Gnostic meditation there is no need to find one’s ‘self’ through Jesus.
This form of mysticism focuses on inner spiritual progress, rather than transferring one’s spiritual needs onto a god-object.
These teachings coincide with Jesus’ philosophy of finding ‘the Kingdom of Heaven’ within oneself. However,
according to Pagels, “By 200 CE, Christianity had become an institution with a three-rank hierarchy of bishops, priests,
and deacons, who understood themselves to be the guardians of the ‘true faith’” (1989, p. xxiii). Eventually,
the Gnostics lose their power within the Catholic movement, and the leaders of the Church destroy Gnosticism. Since Gnostic
beliefs were in direct conflict with the strict theology of the Church, Gnosticism was viewed as a threat to the Christian
establishment. Even though the Gnostic message of discovering the god-within was popular, its followers were not sufficiently
organized to establish a powerful Church. Its loose organization could not compete with the well-organized structure of the
Catholic Church with its gospels, rituals, prayers, and weekly gatherings. Pagels describes one of the reasons for the downfall
of Gnosticism,
For ideas alone do not make a religion powerful, although it cannot succeed without them; equally important are social
and political structures that identify and unite people into a common affiliation. (1989, p. 141)
The Gnostic movement was
formally denounced at the Council of Nicaea in 325 CE, and its mysticism was labeled as heresy. In Against Heresies,
Irenaeus goes to great lengths to refute the teachings of the Gnostic schools, both biblically and logically. Clement also
attacks Gnostic leaders, including their leader Valentinus, by citing from Gnostic texts and arguing against their theology.
Clement takes large portions of Theodotus, a teacher of Valentinian Gnosticism, and denounces Gnostic teachings (Baker, 2008).
During this time (200 CE – 325 CE), the popularity of Gnosticism was in steep decline, and it was finally denunciated
by the Christian Apologists in the 4th Century CE (2008).
From that time forward, modern Christianity became
an exoteric religion with political ambitions, strict scriptural interpretation, and a dualistic Deity.
In 325 CE, Jesus was elevated to divine status of god-incarnate, and becomes the only begotten Son
of worship, devotion, and judgment. At the same time, the Church Fathers were creating the Nicene Creed, and demanding
the acceptance of a three-part god-object. They were rejecting mysticism in all forms, and anyone practicing mysticism was
excommunicated, jailed or killed. Therefore, Christianity cannot be considered a mystical tradition, and its founders had
no intentions of including mysticism in their original, exoteric theology.
Christian mysticism, as we know it today, is a relatively new interpretation of the New Testament. Its history
begins with the teachings of Meister Eckhart in approximately 1300 CE. According to Politella,
All that
Eckhart says of the Godhead can be paralleled from Buddhist, Vedanta and Taoist sources. Eckert is speaking, like the Vedantist
in a world of instantaneousness, a world where time is not, where man and the Godhead are one, and where Christ is not born
historically, but awaked and realized in the soul. (1965, p. 125)
There is no historical
evidence proving that Eckhart was familiar with Vedantic, Buddhist, or Taoist philosophies. However, there are so many similarities
between the writings of Shankara and Eckhart; it is easy to see an ideological bridge forming between these two mystical traditions.
According to Rudolf Otto,
When Meister Eckhart is set side by side with South Indian spiritual genius Shankara,
with little skill, it would be possible so to weigh up and present their fundamental teachings that the words of the one would
read like a translation of the other. (Politella, 1965, p. 118)
The Christian mystical concept of experiencing
‘Christ Consciousness’ is similar to Shankara’s concept of ‘moksha’, or merging one’s
spark of Atman with the Ultimate Reality of Brahman.
There is also an important difference
between the Christian mysticism of Eckhart and the Advaitic mysticism of Shankara. This divergence relates to contrary belief
systems in Hinduism and Christianity regarding after-death states. The Christian mystic may find difficulty in accepting the
Advaitic belief of merging with a non-dualistic, impersonal Brahman. Since ‘aspects’ of Brahman are described
as ‘empty nothingness’, a Christian may not like the idea of merging his ‘self’ into a dark, empty,
vacuum of nothingness. Especially, for Christians growing-up believing in a utopian, socially active, Technicolor heaven -
the concept of self-annihilation may not sound enticing or rewarding. Consequently, Vedanta has limitations as a mystical
tradition among Christians. However, if Vedanta’s after-death teachings are separated from its Advaitic meditative practices,
there are benefits for Christians who are interested in experiencing union with the Divine.
There are advantages for Christians to use the Advaitic system of meditation. By following the teachings of the Upanishads,
they will find a direct path to enlightenment. There is no need to decipher parables, interpret ancient riddles, or contemplate
the nature of The Godhead.
That wherein disappears the whole of that which affects the mind, and which is
also the background of all; - to THAT I bow, - the all eternal consciousness, the witness of all exhibitions of the Intellect.
(Ramacharaka, 1975, p. 7)
Teasdale believes the Advaitic model of meditation coincides with his vision of
a universal, inter-spiritual, mystical system. “Advaita or non-duality is the core unitive experience of the Hindu tradition”
(Teasdale, 1999, p. 217). Since the goal of Advaitic meditation is to experience deep inner awareness, the spiritual seeker
continues to meditate until he enters a blissful state of consciousness known as Saccidananda (existence, awareness and joy)
(p. 218). Upon reaching this level of meditation, the mystic experiences union between the human and the Divine (moksha).
Subsequently, he loses his ego-identity. In the Advaita system of meditation, there are few requirements. Most individuals
find a quiet place to sit, assume a proper yoga position, monitor the breath, and clear the mind of all thought. It is not
necessary to meditate in a sacred institution, pay money, or seek approval from higher authorities. Other advantages of the
Advaita system include freedom from dogma, elimination of fear, and allowing the natural evolution of the self to unfold.
However, there are also limitations to the Advaita system concerning the need for love, selflessness, and compassion for others.
Teasdale proposes that Jesus’ teachings of love, selflessness and compassion should be combined with Vedantic
teachings of developing the mind and intellect. He believes this combination of ‘heart and mind’ philosophy will
create one universal, inter-spiritual religion. Throughout The Mystic Heart, Teasdale is enthusiastic about this
vision of an inter-connected, East-West, future religion based on higher consciousness. Unfortunately, he does not fully explore
the compatibility of these two religions, or the complications that may arise from their combined teachings.
Conclusion
Teasdale wants to build a bridge between Eastern and
Western religions. His book is an inspiring account of humanity’s progress over the last few centuries to move closer
toward achieving oneness. He understands the basis of mysticism and its primary goal of achieving self-realization. He compares
similar teachings of the great mystics throughout the ages who associated themselves with various religious traditions. Teasdale
presents a strong case for the universal nature of mysticism and its potential as a future religion. He says,
As
our knowledge continues to advance by leaps and bounds, our old cultural and religious paradigms of human identity remain
virtually unchanged. This new paradigm must be able to accommodate all human experience, knowledge, and capacities. It must
be based on the recognition that we are intimately connected with the earth, other species, and the cosmos. (1999. p. 64).
Teasdale also discusses the merits of the perennial philosophy, and the
“mystics and philosophers who have known this truth for millennia” (p. 65). Therefore, it is difficult to understand
why he is in favor of combining two ancient religions, instead of creating a new modern one. If he is in favor of basing a
new religion on the perennial philosophy, he should understand, it is a neutral, non-religious accumulation
of essential truths which have existed since time immemorial. The perennial philosophy eliminates the need for rituals,
dogma, tradition, worship, prayer, culture, gods, theologies, and organizations. Since Teasdale understands the benefits of
discarding old paradigms, his reasons for keeping the Christian and Hindu paradigms, are not consistent with his overall thesis.
However, after reading The Mystic Heart, Teasdale’s motives for wanting to maintain the Christian paradigm
become clear. Teasdale is a Brother (monk) living at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. His next book is entitled,
A Monk in the World. No criticism is being directed at Teasdale for his status as a monk, or his close association
with a Catholic institution. However, he is a Christian monk, who is living in a Catholic seminary, and he naturally brings
Christian overtones into his writings. Unlike Aldous Huxley, who has no religious affiliations or religious preferences, Teasdale
has strong ties to Christianity. Consequently, Teasdale begins sounding hypocritical as he speaks about establishing a new
religious paradigm. If Teasdale were truly in favor of establishing a new paradigm, he would not propose the inclusion of
old paradigms from the New Testament, Upanishads or any other texts associated with old religious paradigms.
Another problem for Teasdale is the complex theological question of Jesus’ role as a man, divine incarnation, or Logos.
Christian mystics have struggled with this enigmatic, theological dilemma for centuries. Unfortunately, new practitioners
of Teasdale’s proposed Christian-Hindu religion will be forced to grapple with the same subjective, ideological puzzle
as well. If a Christian tries removing Jesus from Teasdale’s Christian-Hindu paradigm, this type of mysticism is no
longer under the Christian umbrella. Consequently, Teasdale’s combination of these two mystical traditions will fall
apart. Therefore, without Jesus, and its old paradigm of the New Testament, Christian mysticism cannot survive as
a mystical tradition. Also, a modern mystic may wish to avoid confronting the controversies of an old religious paradigm,
in favor of finding a new one without religious limitations. Chaudhuri explains why existing religions have difficulties promoting
a message of unity and higher consciousness.
…religion has a tendency to degenerate into sectarianism,
dogmatism, fanaticism, aggressive proselytizing, and the like. Instead of contributing to human unity, such narrow and dogmatic
religious ideas erect hatred and hostility, and encourage bigotry. It is dismaying to note that even today there are fanatical
evangelists who fly around the world preaching in dead earnest that the hope of salvation for the whole of mankind lies in
accepting their particular brand of religious creed. (1977, p. 19)
Teasdale’s evolving new paradigm of higher consciousness is possible by ‘westernizing’ and updating
Vedantic thought. By eliminating Sanskrit words and quotations from Vedic and Hindu texts, Vedanta-Advaita becomes a more
appealing (though not a perfect) candidate for establishing a new religious paradigm. Unfortunately, as with Christianity,
there are many Vedantins who are devoted to Hindu gods such as Shakti, Shiva and Krishna (a god-man like Jesus). However,
for Vedantins following Shankara’s teachings, the only belief necessary is the ‘Atman-Brahman’ connection
of mystical union. Even the words ‘Atman’ and ‘Brahman’ become unnecessary, as long as their
universal meaning is understood. The English correspondences to Atman and Brahman are ‘spark of spirit’ and ‘Ultimate
Reality’. Every language contains words trying to convey the essence of these two key concepts.
Ironically, the Christian mystic, Meister Eckhart, understands the inadequacy of word-labels, as he speaks of the divine
connection between God and man.
I have called it the tabernacle of the soul; sometimes a spiritual light,
and anon I say it is a spark. But now I say it is neither this nor that….It is of all names free of all forms void:
exempt and free as God is in himself. (Politella, 1965, p. 124).
Eckhart’s form of mysticism is
not dependant on Biblical characters or the nature of the Godhead. Therefore, his status as a Christian mystic comes into
question. However, during the turbulent times of the 12th Century, many mystics and philosophers had no
choice
but to uphold their Christian vows. The alternative was to end up like Copernicus and thousands of others who were challenging
the teachings of the Church. If a Christian mystic was not accepting of Jesus as Lord and Savior, he would pretend to accept
the Nicene Creed and other Church doctrines (if he wanted to live). Christian mystics, like Eckhart, may have believed
in Teasdale’s vision of an inter-spiritual connectedness in their hearts, but they could express this message during
their lifetimes.
Teasdale believes an individual can be a Christian, a Vedantin, and a Universalist, all at the same time. This optimistic
assessment is not realistic, because Christianity prides itself as being the final revelation. Unless a person is Christian,
he is not participating in the final revelation (Second Coming). Consequently, Christianity is not a universal religion. According
to Hashimoto, the final revelation means, “the decisive, fulfilling, unsurpassable revelation, that which is the criterion
of all the others. It is not Christianity which is final or universal; only Christianity bears witness to the final revelation
(1960, p. 303). Therefore, Teasdale’s vision of combining Christian mysticism with Advaitic mysticism is unjustifiable
on theological grounds.
The Mystic Heart offers promising ideas for
creating a new religion of higher consciousness. Unfortunately, Teasdale is not building upon the work of other progressive
thinkers such as Jonathan Edwards, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Walt Whitman, William James, Rufus Jones, and Aldous Huxley (Bridges,
1961, p. 341). These individuals are contributing to a body of esoteric knowledge containing non-religious, universal truths,
morals and ethics.
Teasdale is trying to work within the bounds
of two existing religions. By doing so, his new paradigm is not escaping from Vedanta’s acceptance of a brutal caste
system, multiple gods, and intolerance of women. He is also aware of Christianity’s drawbacks of engaging in wars, torturing
women, and endlessly waiting for a god-man to end the world. Neither religion is a promising candidate to begin a new, universal,
mystical tradition. Teasdale is looking backward instead of forward to find a future religion. While his intentions are good,
he is naïve in asserting that Christian and Hindu mysticism are compatible.
If a new paradigm of universal, inter-spiritual religion is to succeed, its religious philosophy must eliminate the
mental bondage it has created for millions of people throughout the millennia. By moving away from controversial, theological
problems that stigmatize old religions, a truly new, all-inclusive religion of mysticism will evolve. This new spiritual movement
will reflect the enlightened thinking of a new age, and will appeal to a great number of spiritual seekers and mystics throughout
the world.