Friday, July 12, 2013

The Journey of Ascent - Part II

This is an extended quote from Karen Armstrong's awesome book, The History of God about the journey of ascent in Jewish, Christian and Muslim mysticism ... and probably among Buddhists as well!


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"Although it is clearly culturally conditioned, this kind of “ascent” seems an incontrovertible fact of life. However we choose to interpret it, people all over the world and in all phases of history have had this type of contemplative experience. Monotheists have called the climactic insight a “vision of God”; Plotinus had assumed that it was the experience of the One; Buddhists would call it an intimation of nirvana. The point is that this is something that human beings who have a certain spiritual talent have always wanted to do. The mystical experience of God has certain characteristics that are common to all faiths."


Armstrong, Karen (2011-08-10). History of God (Kindle Locations 4728-4733). Random House Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

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