Sunday, August 19, 2007

favourite mystics

Khalil Gibran - author of The Prophet, one of the most inspiring books I know; and less famously, of Jesus the Son of Man, a prolonged meditation upon the Christos with a poem about him from each of the people who encountered him in his life. Gibran was a Maronite Christian from Lebanon, but moved to New York fairly early in life.
Faith is an oasis in the heart which can never be reached by the caravan of thinking. -- Khalil Gibran
Ram Mohan Roy - a deist, interfaith activist and campaigner for the abolition of suttee (widow-burning), who also promoted education. One of his disciples was Dvarkanath Tagore, the father of Rabindranath Tagore, the mystical poet. Ram Mohan Roy died on a visit to Bristol (UK) and is buried in Arnos Vale cemetery. I have visited his grave.

Black Elk
, holy man of the Lakota. He had several visions of the spirit that guides the universe, including one where he saw the unity of the four colours of humanity (red, white, yellow, black). The circle was particularly significant in his visions.

Joan of Arc - one who followed her vision, and was not afraid to die for it.

One of the most interesting things about mystics is that they affirm Divine Love, and that all religions are paths to the Divine.

Why not make your own list of favourite mystics and add a link to it in the comments?

5 comments:

Joe said...

Does Gandalf count as a mystic :-)?

Yewtree said...

Yes, albeit a fictional one. I did think about adding Tolkien to my list of favourites.

Anonymous said...

Interesting list. I had never heard of Ram Mohan Roy. Glad to know a little about him. Thank you.

Bo said...

Andrew Harvey, Hildegarde of Bingen, Mechtild of Magdeburg, John O'Donohue.

Do you know Andrew Harvey's book 'The Essential Gay Mystics'?

Yewtree said...

Interesting list - I don't know that book, sounds interesting.