1.1. Mysticism – the Path of Meditation and Prayer
The inner path to becoming one with God is the realm of mysticism, which could also be described as the path of prayer.
Why then meditation? The simplest answer is that the prerequisite for deep prayer is the ability to gather oneself, and through meditation, one attains this ability.
The deep prayer of the saints and mystics takes place on a different level than the conventional spoken prayer.
It is pure prayer in the spirit. It goes beyond the mind or psyche – that is, beyond intellect, feeling, and will. It occurs on the level of the spirit, where no thinking takes place anymore.
Any ordinary thought would disturb the intimate closeness to God.
To achieve this, one must learn to let go of all thoughts, feelings, and desires of the mind.
The more you let go, the closer you are to God.
We must reach the zero point of the mind... This is the standard that enables us to become a complete object of God... The zero point is a similar state to what Buddhists experience in Zen meditation.
1.2. Definitions of Mysticism
The term mysticism (from ancient Greek μυστικός mystikós 'mysterious', related to myein 'to close mouth or eyes') refers to reports and statements about the experience of a divine or absolute reality as well as efforts towards such an experience.
-- Wikipedia -- translated from German
Mysticism is popularly known as becoming one with God or the Absolute, but may refer to any kind of ecstasy or altered state of consciousness which is given a religious or spiritual meaning.
It may also refer to the attainment of insight in ultimate or hidden truths, and to human transformation supported by various practices and experiences.
-- Wikipedia –
1.3. Outer and Inner Dimension of the Life of Faith
Father Bernhard, a *Cistercian monk and priest, says the following:
Theology and the sacraments are like an outer shell that already reveals something of the inner core. The inner core is the mystical experience with God. The shell points to the core, but we cannot "eat" the shell.
Our life of faith includes actions such as studying holy scriptures, attending faith events, performing rituals, saying prayers, and engaging in religiously motivated activities for the benefit of others.
We refer to this as a religious lifestyle.
All these actions have both an outer and an inner dimension.
Father Bernhard illustrates this with the metaphor of a shell and a core:
The outer can lead us to the inner, but the inner is the direct access to God.
Often religious people are satisfied with the shell and stop seeking the core. Occasionally, they have indirect experiences with God, for example through answers to prayer: We pray, and something happens that we interpret as God's response.
The direct experience, on the other hand, is the mystical experience with God.
Here, we experience His presence and love directly within us.
Mysticism is the real experience of the spiritual reality of the living God.
The mystical path is an inner journey on which we directly experience God and become one with Him.
1.4. The Practical Dimension of Mysticism
The experiences and insights of mysticism have been collected and passed on for millennia.
There are no hidden secrets – you just have to look in the right places, read the right books, and meet people who know this path.
Mysticism teaches us a practical, concrete way to become one with God.
It is the path that people of different religions have walked for millennia.
Mysticism is the art of prayer – the way to seek and find God within.
Access to the Spirit and the True Self
On the mystical path, we gain access to our spirit.
We realize that we are not our thinking and feeling, but that our true self is spirit.
We learn to concretely experience this spiritual self.
We gain access to what we refer to as the Spiritual Mind and Heart – areas that often remain inaccessible to us in conventional consciousness.
Mysticism seeks direct access to spirit and God, who is pure spirit.
Concepts such as "being filled with the Holy Spirit," "unity of mind and body," or "direct dominion of God" thus become more concretely experiencable.
In the end, mysticism leads us to our true self and reveals to us the surprise of being.
1.5. What Else is Mysticism?
- Mysticism is not philosophy, theology, or ideology.
- Mysticism arises from experience and enlightenment.
- Mysticism is an empirical science about the inner path to God.
- It is based on the experiences and insights of mystics and saints, gathered over millennia.
- Mysticism opens a practical and concrete way to develop ourselves inwardly.
- It is the art of prayer.
- It is the way to access our spiritual mind and heart.
- It is the path to discovering our true self.
- It is the way to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
- It is the way to the unity of spirit and body.
- Mysticism leads to the direct dominion of God.
Mysticism and Theology in Comparison
Mysticism is not philosophy or ideology, as these arise from thinking.
In thinking, we can construct anything, even without proving anything. Theology is not a natural science either. There are numerous contradictory theologies. Basically, everyone can believe what they want.
Theology is supposed to describe spiritual truths.
Its roots lie in the mystical experiences of religious founders – in revelations, enlightenments, or direct insights.
From these profound experiences, theological systems were later developed, which were formulated into teachings and passed on.
However, since these experiences cannot be repeated at will or passed on directly, theological statements are often dependent on interpretation and faith.
Mysticism: A Path to Direct Spiritual Experience
Mysticism, on the other hand, is based on personal experience.
It assumes that spiritual truths are not only transmissible but can be directly experienced through certain inner conditions and practices.
Those who adopt a certain attitude, open themselves up, cultivate their inner disposition, and practice, make concrete experiences – independent of time, culture, or religion. It does not matter whether someone walks this path thousands of years ago or today, whether they are Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, or a follower of another religion.
In this sense, mysticism is an empirical science.
Those who manage to feel close to God can explore what enhances this closeness or what makes it disappear again. Based on this, a religious ethic arises – from the experience of God's love.
In the closeness to God, we feel what sin is and what virtue means.
1.6. The Difference Between Mysticism and Mystery
Definitions of chatGPT
Mysticism is the belief or pursuit of a direct, personal experience of the Divine or ultimate reality, often through inner contemplation or spiritual practices.
Mystery refers to something that is difficult or impossible to understand or explain, often associated with hidden truths or inexplicable phenomena.
The two related terms are often understood synonymously, but there is a great difference between them.
For someone who is mystically inexperienced, mysticism remains completely mysterious. However, someone who has found direct access to the spirit will have many things become experienceable and revealed through enlightenment.
The reality and truth of the spirit becomes tangible and real for him.
Mysticism is a concrete path and practice through which one has new experiences and undergoes profound inner transformation.
On the other hand, God remains always mysterious and not fully comprehensible for human consciousness.
We are moving on a path to personally experience and comprehend the mysterious reality of this universe more and more. This happens through an expansion of consciousness, which opens new forms of perception.
You will experience a new, three-dimensional feeling that you have never felt before.
1.7. Further Perspectives on Mysticism
Founders of Religions and Reformers Were Mystics
All founders of religions and religious reformers were mystics with concrete, personal experiences with God.
They taught these experiences and subsequently developed teachings and frameworks of thought – theologies. These teachings were adopted, learned, and believed by others. From this followed the practice of faith.
The practice of faith should lead to one's own mystical experiences.
But many believers remain in faith and ethical life. They do not delve deeply enough into prayer and do not have their own direct experiences with the spirit and love of God.
Mysticism Is a Field of Research
Just as God's Providence continues to unfold, so too can mysticism continue to develop.
It is a rich field of research that deals with the personal experience of the individual who walks this path. Experiences and enlightenments can be collected, structured, and used for mystical practice.
The Mystical Path Needs a Lot of Motivation
A structured overview of the path, the experiences of advanced practitioners, and a clear concept of a functioning, individually adaptable practice are very motivating.
Motivation is a central theme on the mystical path.
Everything draws our attention away from God – the demands of life, the tasks of everyday life, the possibilities of leisure activities, and the media.
All this distracts our awareness outward and away from God. Even religious activism can divert us from the path of prayer.
The prerequisite for a well-founded prayer life is, however, to seek God more than anything else and to awaken the deep longing for God.
For this, we must continually re-motivate ourselves.
Mystical writings and communities of people who walk this path together help us with this.
1.8. Different Types of Religions
My belief is that all religions were inspired by God – in different cultures, at different times, and with different purposes or emphases.
As modern humans, we can no longer say, "I believe everything that comes from my religion, and nothing that comes from other religions."
On the path to God, we should learn from everything that comes from God.
From a religious studies perspective, a distinction is made between the abrahamic or scripture-centered religions and the mystical religions.
Major Scripture-Centered Religions
- Judaism
- Islam
- Christianity
Major Mystical Religions
- Hinduism
- Buddhism
The two main focuses of the religions
Mystical religions
In mystical religions, meditation and prayer are central.
They focus on the inner, personal path to God. The contents of the scriptures serve as a guide.
The belief here is that everyone is capable of finding God. This belief offers strong motivation on the path.
On this path, believers experience the enlightenment of truth. Ethics arise from inner enlightenment and the experience with the Holy Spirit.
Ultimately, it is about living from the love of God, to which one approaches.
Prayer Practice – Experience of God – Ethical Living and Love of Neighbor
Scripture-Centered Religions
In the scripture-centered religions, the writings and faith in them are of central importance. From this, the ethics according to which one should live arises. Alongside the sacraments and rituals of faith, love for one’s neighbor is the most important practice.
Truth – Faith – Ethical Living, and Love of Neighbor
Here we can recognize that scripture-centered religions tend to approach from the outside, through understanding, whereas mystical religions operate more through inner experiences of God.
Both complement each other on the path.
1.9. The Purpose of Religions from the Perspective of God's Providence
From the perspective of God's providence, as understood in the DP (Divine Principle), one might comprehend the special purpose of Judaism and Christianity as the restoration of God's blood lineage, which was lost during the Fall of Man.
This results in a sinless person, a second Adam, and ultimately a second Eve.
Through the "grafting," man can be restored to a sinless state, like before the Fall of Man.
The special purpose of mystical religions is to restore the individual on a personal level and lead them to a state of mind-body unity and inner oneness with God.
According to the GP, ideally, a person should have achieved the mind-body unity and matured by the end of the growth stage to then meet the Messiah.
This is where the engrafting into God's bloodline and the heavenly marriage blessing takes place. On this foundation, humans grow as couples and families through the completion stage to become heavenly spirits.
Ultimately, these two foundations of mystical and scripture-centered religions lead together to the great goal of restoration:
People under the direct dominion of God, who as families, tribes, and nations form the kingdom of heaven on earth.
The core of his (Sun Myung Moon) teaching was the desire to guide every person to achieve a God-centered unity of mind and body - a divine balance of the self as a son or daughter of God.
On this foundation, he taught us the next stage, the blessing, in which two people come together as a married couple in complete harmony and love.
1.10. The Two Areas of Truth and Spirit in Christianity
Church – Truth and Faith
Similar to the distinction between scriptural religions and mystical religions, we also find these two areas in every religion.
An example of this is Christianity. In the church, with its clerics and laity, truth and ethics are taught.
The believers believe in this truth and practice it. What they understand and acknowledge, they try to realize in life. Reason, emotion, and will – the essential instruments of the psyche or mind – play a central role in this.
Monastery – Holy Spirit
The monasteries with their nuns and monks represent the mystical sphere.
Prayer and contemplation are the central elements of the practice. The aim is to become a temple of God oneself.
Here, the spirit of God and living in the Holy Spirit are at the forefront.
1.11. The Different Approaches to Truth and Spirit
We could also refer to the truth-oriented and the mystical approach as the realms of Truth and Spirit.
In the following, I would like to contrast the two realms and highlight their different approaches.
Truth and Faith
In the realm of truth, the focus is initially on recognizing and penetrating the truth.
The believer goes through a process in which they internalize the Divine Principle more and more deeply through insight. From this understanding arises the practice of neighborly love.
Change in society happens through teaching the truth and living it by example.
People are meant to understand the truth, accept it, and embody it in their lives.
This approach relies on the transforming power of truth.
Spirit and Mysticism
In the realm of the spirit, the focus is initially on becoming a loving person in whom the Holy Spirit dwells.
The royal path is prayer in the spirit — constant contemplation. The goal is to become unceasing prayer.
From the love of God in one’s own heart arises the practice of neighborly love.
Change in society happens through teaching the mystical path, which inspires others to walk the same path.
Mysticism trusts in the power of prayer.
The faith of the orthodox hermit monks holds that through a single person who carries the Holy Spirit within, thousands of souls may be saved.
1.12. The Balance Between Truth and Spirit
Sun Myung Moon emphasizes that there should be a balance between truth and spirit. It is therefore recommended to bring the truth-oriented approach and the mystical approach into a balanced interaction for development.
In summary, the method of truth includes study, faith, and practice. The methods of the spirit are meditation, prayer, and mindfulness.
This naturally results in a similar way of life.
The difference lies in the fact that the actions in the mystical approach are not primarily initiated by understanding, but by the Holy Spirit.
Truth begins more externally, while the spirit has an internal focus.
The development process fundamentally leads us from the outside to the inside – from a change in thinking and behavior to a deep internal transformation.
Since humans consist of body, mind, and spirit – therefore both external and internal aspects – growth is necessary on all levels.
If we want to positively influence people, we can help them practically, stimulate them to reflect in conversation, support them emotionally, and bless them with true love and prayer.
All levels work together in this process.
If you want to preach for one hour, you must pray for eight hours.
The Interaction between Human Responsibility and Divine Action
The focus of the approach through truth lies on the personal responsibility that arises from understanding the truth.
The approach of the spirit, on the other hand, relies on obtaining God's grace and on God's own action.
The responsibility here lies in creating the conditions for God's work.
In the Divine Principle, it is explained that to realize God's will, 95% of the responsibility lies with God and 5% with humans. However, these 5% require full commitment from humans – that is, 100% dedication within their area of responsibility.
Nevertheless, we must not lose sight of the fact that God's action constitutes the much larger part. Responsibility and trust must be in balanced harmony.
What does trust mean in the mystical approach?
Trust means adopting an inner attitude that is not centered on one's own actions.
Without me you can do nothing
– Jesus Christ -
An attitude of humility and openness towards God is an essential prerequisite for God to be able to work.
When the Spirit of God dwells in us, we experience His guidance directly in the heart. We rely less on analytical thinking and more on the impulses of the heart.
The mystical path is a path of inner transformation that increasingly enables us to entrust ourselves to God's guidance.
In doing so, we hand over a piece of control over our lives to God - trusting in His actions and His love.
Learning to trust God in the path of prayer
In the prayer of the spirit, we learn to gaze at God in wonder—comparable to looking into the sky in the hope of seeing a shooting star.
No one knows when it will appear, and no one can influence its appearance.
Thus, the grace of God also comes in its time and in its way.
This is not in our hands.
However, our loving devotion to God is the prerequisite for being able to receive this grace.
On the path of prayer, persevering in this attitude and trusting waiting becomes part of the spiritual journey. The time we endure - and sometimes suffer through - until we receive grace is a form of reparation.
As already explained, it is essential that personal responsibility remains in balance with deep trust in God's guidance.
1.13. True Love
True love is not human love, it is God's love.
The love you share in the spiritual world is not worldly human love, but true love.
Without being filled with the Holy Spirit, we cannot give true love.
Human love is always conditional. We do not feel the same love for a person we like and for a person who hurts and attacks us.
The love of God is like the sun. It shines unconditionally on everything. It is directed at the worst person just as much as the best and most loving saint.
When you look at the sun, know that it symbolizes the life elements of the entire universe, and learn the love of God from it.
Divine Love – Beyond Human Emotion
On the mystical path, we experience God's love directly within us – a love that does not originate from ourselves but from God.
We are filled with the love of the Holy Spirit.
This love has a different quality than human love, which arises from our own emotions.
It radiates for every person, for every being and all creatures.
We should be aware that religions were founded by people who had access to this divine love. It was not their own, human love, but the love of God that worked through them.
It is possible to preach from the understanding of the truth about God's love. Yet through study and intellect alone, we still do not find access to divine love.
For that, it takes a religious practice that leads us through an inner transformation.
1.14. Some Statements by Sun Myung Moon on Meditation
I would like to conclude this chapter with some uncommented statements by Sun Myung Moon about meditation.
Our mind (spirit-mind) constantly redirects us on our path. It tells us: 'Turn back. Return to the old place. Return to the deepest place in your mind (spirit-mind).' That's why Buddhism encourages us to meditate.
You should take time to experience joy with your mind (spirit-mind). To others, it may seem as if you are completely alone, but during this time, make friends with your mind (spirit-mind). Sit with your mind (spirit-mind) in a quiet place and meditate. Then you will enter a state of deep prayer. In this way, you will enter a world that no one but you knows. You need such experiences.
When people are confident, they have a place deep in their hearts where the mind can find peace. Your mind should find its way to this place. Once it has rested some of its tiredness, it will become sensitive again. If you use this moment to focus your mind without any other thoughts in your head, you will be able to figure out everything else.
That's why you must meditate and pray.