Divine Wisdom... part 1

Nothing in the world can bring us happiness and satisfaction except divine wisdom. All other things which seem to suffice our needs will show their importance for a moment, but after that moment has passed there will be the same longing. It is only in divine wisdom that our life's purpose is fulfilled.

The basis of mysticism is to be found in that saying of the Bible, "Seek ye first the kingdom of heaven, and all these things will be added unto you." Thus the search of the mystic is for that kingdom, for God, and in that search what does he find? In the search for God he finds his self.

Mysticism teaches communication with the self and enables the self to communicate with life. Also, the way to learn mysticism is quite different from the way in which one learns other things. In learning these one communicates with things, but in learning mysticism one communicates first with one's self, and this enables man to communicate with the outer life. It is not only a legend of the past that saints and sages spoke with trees and plants, with animals and birds. A soul that can communicate with life, with the self, can communicate even today with animals and birds and trees and plants.

Often people picture a mystic as a dreamer, as someone who is intoxicated, a drunken man; but in reality to the mystic everybody else is intoxicated, for the knowledge of mysticism is soberness. The mystic's consciousness makes him sober, for he begins to see things more clearly. Mostly he cannot speak about it, because his language is not always understood. People have reason to consider a mystic to be like a drunken person: he does not take notice of things that everybody else takes notice of, he does not attach any importance to things that everybody else considers important, he does not give as much thought to himself as everybody else does, he does not look at everyone in the same way as other people do, he does not judge people in the same light as everybody else judges others, he does not think of God and man in the same way as every other person does. Naturally it becomes difficult for the mystic to live in the world where his language is not understood, while he understands the language of all others. Before we have spoken to the mystic he has heard us speak; before we have expressed our thought he has read it; before we have expressed our feeling he has felt it. That is why a mystic can be in communication with another person better than one could ever imagine, and thus the best definition that can be given of mysticism is that it is communication with life.

No doubt a mystic is born a mystic; it is a certain type of mind which is born mystical; but mysticism can also be acquired. A soul who is born a mystic will from his cradle show mystic tendencies; but mysticism which is acquired is a greater achievement, for then one has made a normal progress towards divine wisdom.