The Encyclopedia of World Religions

308 S mysticism

picture is unclear. Other pictures depicted stars and constellations. In many ways ancient C HRISTIANITY took the form of a mystery religion. Members joined the Christian community through an initiation ritual ( BAPTISM ) after careful preparation. Non-Christians were forbidden to observe the central ritual act, the celebration of the EUCHARIST . In addition, Chris tianity provided a way to ensure that one’s soul lived a blessed existence after death. Indeed, the Greek word for the most important Christian ritu als, the SACRAMENTS , is mysteria, “mysteries.” mysticism States of consciousness interpreted as profound religious experience, or teachings about them or derived from them. In common usage, the word mysticism can mean many differ ent things. For some it means that which is irratio nal, or vague and “misty.” For some it suggests the arts of OCCULTISM AND ESOTERICISM , like ASTROLOGY or black MAGIC . For others it means psychic powers such as telepathy. In religious studies, mysticism generally refers to deep, intense states of religious consciousness, such as those attained by persons like the B UDDHA , the Sufi ( see S UFISM ) mystics of I SLAM , the great masters of the K ABBALAH or H ASIDISM in J UDAISM , or in C HRISTIANITY , SAINTS on the order of F RANCIS OF A SSISI or St. Teresa of Avila. For people like these mysticism indicated a direct, personal experience of G OD or divine real ity. Often the experience is described in the lan guage of oneness: The mystic will say, “I became one with God.” There also will be a sense of deep inwardness about it; “I felt God deep in my heart”; “I knew enlightenment in every fiber of my being.” It can also be put in the terminology of love: “I felt the love of God sweep over me like the waves of the sea.” The precise words in which mystical experi ence is put will, of course, vary from one religion to another. For those religions based on an imper sonal monism, like B UDDHISM or V EDANTA Hindu ism, it will be realizing enlightenment, NIRVANA , or BRAHMAN as Satchitananda, “Being-knowledge bliss,” within one’s true and ultimate nature. For

People joined mystery associations in a special way: They underwent an INITIATION . As part of the initiation, they promised never to reveal the con tent of the secret rites and teachings. The ancient initiates kept their promises very well. We do not know nearly as much as we would like to know about any of the mystery religions. Scholars often suppose, however, that these religions claimed to provide a blessed existence for souls after death. Some mystery religions began with the Greeks. The most important of them were celebrated at the town of Eleusis near Athens. They were called the Eleusinian mysteries. Already in the “golden age” of Athens, the fifth century B . C . E ., these mysteries were becoming famous. The mysteries of Eleusis had a specific mythology: the story of Demeter and her daughter Kore, sometimes called Persephone. The seasonal rhythms of growing grain seem to have provided the Eleusinian mysteries with an important sym bol. Kore was said to spend half of the year above ground, and half of the year in the underworld. About the central rituals, we know only that they consisted of three components: things said, things done, and things shown. Beginning about 200 B . C . E ., other mystery religions developed in the ancient Mediterranean world. They used elements from places like Egypt, Turkey, and Persia. One set of mysteries centered on the Egyptian GODDESS I SIS and her slain hus band, O SIRIS . A second centered on the goddess Cybele, also known as the Magna Mater, “Great Mother,” and her younger male attendant, Attis, who came from the region of what is now Turkey. The god Mithras seems distantly related to the Per sian god M ITHRA . For a time toward the end of the third century C . E . the WORSHIP of Sol Invictus, the “Unconquered Sun,” became the official religion of the Roman Empire. Each of these mysteries had its distinct teach ings, rituals, and communities. For example, the mysteries of Mithras appealed especially to Roman soldiers. They practiced the mysteries in special buildings known as “mithraea.” Every “mithraeum” contained a picture of the god Mithras killing a bull. The exact meaning of this