Good Morning.

[leftyladyfrommo]

I am new here.

I am a Christian mystic. With strong Zen underpinnings.

I have spent years in meditation. Still do.

I am really looking forward to having someone to talk to. I live in the middle of the Bible Belt - Missouri - and there is kind of a dirth of mystics here.

A great Zen proverb:

"The obstacle is the path"

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. A very interesting proverb

Could it be that these trying times-or "obstacle" were chosen by us? My friends often say it is so, that we are here to help with the transition of the planet.

Funny that there are few mystics in Missouri, for I know of a collection of them just south of you in northwest Arkansas. If you are near Springfield MO, you could even meet me-my husband and I do the Dances of Universal Peace there once a month. I've been noticing for the last couple of years that mystics are starting to make connections and are joining together, Christian, Zen, Native American, Sufi, etc, etc. Perhaps this is, indeed, the time when we who have chosen this path need to marshal our forces.


Welcome!

[leftyladyfrommo]

3. I had no idea there were mystics in Springfield

But there are probably mystics everywhere. We just run under the radar because we don't fit well into organized religions.

[I Have A Dream]

2. Welcome, leftyladyfrommo! I look forward to what you have to...

contribute to the group, and I hope that you are able to get something from us in return. Most of all, I'm glad that you've found some kindred spirits -- there's aren't many things more soul nourishing than that.

:hi:

[leftyladyfrommo]

4. Thank you.

I am always playing with ideas. I will try to share with you. And if you want, you can share back.

[Flying Dream Blues]

5. I would love to hear more about Christian mysticism if you care to post.

And, a belated welcome!

[leftyladyfrommo]

6. It is kind of a huge topic - but I can post my own experiences

and thoughts on the subject.

I am a lot idfferent than the traditional Mystics like St. Theresa of Avila dn St. John of the Cross and Thomas Merton. One, I wasn't raised Catholic and that makes a difference. And I have had huge exposure to Zen which has also made a huge difference.

My favorite scripture is the Gospel of Thomas which is very eary but not in the regular canon. It is the writing of Judas Thomas (possibly brother to Jesus) and is mystical.

[Flying Dream Blues]

7. I would love to hear more about your experiences. I just

saw part of a show (Discovery Channel, perhaps?) about the lost gospels of Thomas and Mary. I should do more reading on this.

[leftyladyfrommo]

10. There are many lost gospels. Just look at the

Nag Hammadi Library. It is a whole collection of very early works.

The Gospel of Mary is very incomplete - just a little is left of it.

However, the Gospel of Thomas is complete and has been found in more than one language. Thomas was a mystic. He is also known as St. Jude. (Judas Thomas - not to be confused with Judas Ascariot)

Mystics are kind of the same no matter what the religion they come from. Mystics meditate and meditate and meditate.

I use the Prayer of St. Francis for my meditations. Or sometimes I just do a Zen kind of meditation - which is simply breathing in and out and clearing the mind.

Some western mystics get all caught up in the idea of ectasy - and a lot of the early Christian mystics did that as well. I'm not really into that stuff. I think it is very possible that the mind has a place where one can reach an ecstatic place and it has nothing to do with God. It is just another obstacle on the way - like getting caught up in the lights.

[Maat]

8. Welcome!

I belong to Church of Religious Science ( www.rsintl.org ), which is considered to be a mystical faith - with Christian and Hindu underpinnings, among other world faiths.

I loved the proverb.

I also belong to a Unitarian-Universalist church; both of my churches explore and honor all spiritual paths.

[leftyladyfrommo]

9. Thank you for the welcome.