Pushkarmuni Abhinandan Granth

Author(s): Devendramuni, A D Batra, Shreechand Surana
Publisher: Rajasthankesari Adhyatmayogi Upadhyay Shree Pushkar Muni Abhinandan Granth Prakashan Samiti

Page 545

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श्री पुष्करमुनि अभिनन्दन प्रन्थ : पंचम खण्ड
Yogic perception will take cognizance of even such things as are beyond the perception of nonYogi.23 Thus Yogic perception pierces through the veils of reality directly and immediately. Prof. Ranade rightly says that 'Mysticism denotes that attitude of mind which involves a direct, immediate, intuitive apprehension of God'.24 In a similar vein, Montague points out that 'the theory that truth can be attained by a super-rational and super-sensuous faculty of intuition is mysticism.'25 Thus, mystical experience involves the full operation of the intuitive faculty which subsums under it the operations of intellect, will and feeling and is not contradictory to them. All things are visualized simultaneously and therefore, the Siddhas and Arhatas are the masters of this intuitive insight. (v) Ineffability :
Fifthly, the mystic experience or transcendental experience is ineffable, or it is inarticulate and unverifiable by empirical methodology. In other words, the spiritual things are beyond the categories of verificability through the senses. The mystic while reflecting upon the nature of the self and solely concentrating on it, enjoys the ineffable experience of transcendental life.27 Similarly, Plotinus tells us that the vision is a unique experience, it is not to be told, not to be written'. William James rightly points out that 'the subject of it (mystic experience) immediately says that it defies expression, that no adequate report of its contents can be given in words. It follows from this that its quality must be directly experienced it cannot be imparted or transferred to others'. Hence, mystic experience is essentially an ineffable experience. It is the experience par-excellence, wbich transcends the limitations of linguistic formulations. This experience has nothing to do with the out-spoken language, because the mystic experience is indescribable and unutterable through words. The immediacy of the experience is confronted with this inadequacy of reporting the spiritual matters to the others who are spiritually blind. The nature of this experience is supra-dialectical, supra-logical, supra-rational and supra-conceptual. Mr. W. T. Stace is perfectly right when he says that one of the best-known facts about mystics is that they feel that language is inadequate or even wholly useless as a means of communicating their experiences or their insights to others. They say that what they experience is unutterable or ineffable.' According to Plotinus "the vision baffles telling. '30 Moreover, the same author again points out that 'mystical experience, during the experience, is wholly unconceptualizable and therefore wholly unspeakable. This must be so. You cannot have a concept of anything within the undifferentiated unity because there are no separate items to be conceptualized.'31 (vi) Activistic Attitude :
Sixthly, activity is also a marked characteristic of transcendental life. Passivity is no more a good and likable thing for a mystic. Or, spiritual life is fully an active life. The quiet and contemplating spirit is active in spiritual matters. Therefore it has always been true that mystics are the sleepless ones. The Yogi or a mystic sleeps where worldly business is concerned and he has been always awake in the business of transcendental experience; and similarly, he who is awake in worldly matters sleeps in the business of the self. The pure self is endeavouring to remove the obstacles to mystical life. The joy unbounded, the knowledge infinite, the intuitive insight and the power everlasting are the results of most active life of a mystic. The lazy and lethargic person cannot attain such perfection in every aspect of life. Miss Underhill has rightly pointed out that 'true mysticism is active and practical, not passive and theoretical. It is an organic life process, a something which the whole self does; not something an opinion. '33 We may say that spiritual perfection is an arduous task in the human life, how can it be pronounced as passive ? Assiduity in spiritual pursuits is wholly indispensable. The mystic have not turned their backs from the betterment of the worldly people. They are ever-ready for the spiritual mission to which they are whole-heartedly devoted. Therefore, the mystic's heart is set upon the transcendental self on the one hand and on the other he is endeavouring for the overall upliftment of the society. The Tirthařkaras set the examples of this activistic attitude towards mystical life. Mr. William