We saw the purgative way spoken about by Lao Tzu in asking us to "Reduce and reduce" and how Yen Hui emptied himself of himself which is the height of purgation necessary for mystic attainment of Tao or ultimate reality as explained by Henry Wei, in the last post.
G. Valmikanathan in his book "Makers of Indian Literature - Ramalingam", published by Sahitya Akademi (e-book at http://www.vallalar.org) traces Ramalinga Adigal’s journey on the Pathway to God dividing it into three portions, Journey on the purgative way, Journey on the illuminative way, and Journey on the unitive way.
1. The purgative way is that part of the long path which, one treads towards the Godhead and in which one purges oneself of all desires and attachments, of all imperfections, of all acts of commission and omission of shortcomings in renunciation, of shortcomings in the total love of God in the passion for the apprehension of the Godhead.
2. The illuminative way is that part of the path, which comes after the purgative way, and in which one gains illumination, knowledge, and gnosis.
3. The unitive way is that part of the pathway in which the pilgrim marches on with buoyant and joyous steps, filled with hope and freed from doubt or misconception. The journey is characterized by a sense of urgency. The pilgrim, in this part of his journey, begins to walk fast, then breaks into a loping trot, finally, gallops on with increasing tempo towards the beckoning smile and the outstretched arms, and is soon locked in an eternal embrace with the beloved, the eternal being, the Godhead, the ground of all being. The journey on the unitive way is composed of several factors of experience. Recollection and quiet, contemplation, ecstasy and rapture, dark night of the soul, and unitive life.Henry Wei in his book "The Guiding Light of Lao Tzu, Synergy Books International, speaks about "perhaps the most mysterious feature of mystic meditation.... mystic union that takes place at the end of the journey.
The mystic union is said to be entirely personal and could not be communicated from one person to another. In other words the mystic union is something extremely mysterious. It may be called the mystery of mysteries. It is perhaps the most mysterious feature of mystic meditation....
Mystic union represents the unique experience stemming from "the flight of the alone to the Alone" as the famous mystic Plotinus has so well expressed. Unfortunately it cannot be easily attained much less isolated and measured and experimented upon in the laboratory. Its actuality is entirely based on the experience and confession of the mystic themselves who were completely convinced of its authenticity.
Hence the reason I asked someone keen to know about how Agathiyar speaks to me to come travel the path I took and find out for himself. He never came around. Most of us are investigative in nature wanting to know what the other's receive but not to indulge in the practice and put in the hours and effort. They love to study the text, scriptures, and to study others, not wanting to walk the path with them, for it is ever so comfortable to lie in bed and flip the pages hoping for an understanding to dawn rather than walking the less traveled road in seeking God. This individual who studied people's minds by profession suggested that I could be hallucinating or self hypnotizing the exact words Henry Wei uses to describe the skeptics' point of view.
Some skeptics have maintained that the mystics are victims of hallucination or self hynosis.Valmikanathan compares the experiences gained or endured in each of these stages,
Of these three sections of the pathway, the first is painful and dolorous; the second a strange mixture of sorrow and joy, the joy increasing in intensity as ignorance is slowly replaced by illumination; and the last section of sheer delight, of mounting bliss.
Henry Wei continues,
By all reports the mystic or divine union is an exceedingly exhilarating experience, superior in joy and sweetness to all other human experiences. Those who have experienced mystic union feel that they are blessed with the esctatic consciousness of ultimate reality and consequently consider all else as secondary and unnecessary even vain and empty.
Henry Wei writes that their scale of values changes radically; their attitude towards life changes too; their health improves; they have sharper and deeper understanding and a clear spiritual vision.
He quotes Rabindranath Tagore on this mystic union, as "The Paramatman, the supreme soul, has himself chosen this soul of ours as his bride and the marriage has been completed." Ramalinga Adigal composes a beautiful song of how his Lord had told him to prepare for this bridal marriage or mystic union an hour before the event takes place.
1. மணம்புரி கடிகை இரண்டரை எனும் ஓர்
வரையுள தாதலால் மகனே
எணம்புரிந் துழலேல் சவுளம்ஆ தியசெய்
தெழில்உறு மங்கலம் புனைந்தே
குணம்புரிந் தெமது மகன் எனும் குறிப்பைக்
கோலத்தால் காட்டுக எனவே
வணம்புரி மணிமா மன்றில் என் தந்தை
வாய் மலர்ந் தருளினர் மகிழ்ந்தே.
Read more at http://www.thiruarutpa.org/thirumurai/v/T338/tm/peerataivu
G Vanmikanathan in his "Pathway to God Trod By Saint Ramalingar" writes, "In intimate terms of bridal mysticism our Swaamikal pleads for union." Elsewhere he sings “This is the moment, this is the right moment for uniting with me”
Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, in answer to Naren’s impertinent question, is said to have replied that he has not only seen God but can show Him to Naren too. Centuries earlier Maanikkavaachakar said the same to all of us Narens, and Raamalinga Swaamikal, a contemporary of Raamakrishna Paramahamsa, says the same to all of us in the revelations of the most secret of all secret experiences. We have only to fulfill three conditions to gain the same experience. We have to be, in the words of Aldous Huxley, “loving, pure in heart, and poor in spirit”. It seems to be delusively simple to fulfil these three conditions, but when we begin to meditate on the depth of their meaning we are seized with despair and we begin to feel that not only this present life of ours but many more lives to come will not be enough for us to succeed in gaining these three qualities in their fulness. But we need not despair, for God, in His mercy, offers us several chances to fulfill these requirements to apprehend Him.
G Vanmikanathan writes, "Swaamikal gives expression to his amazement at the manner in which God entered his mind and took abode therein. Maanikkavaachakar too is oftentimes lost in wonderment at his good fortune in the Lord vouchsafing him a grace denied to others."
Ramalinga Adigal cries in delight, joy and ecstasy, “I beheld Him, I ripened, I blended with Him with delight”.
1. அருளரசை அருட்குருவை அருட்பெருஞ் சோதியை என்
அம்மையை என் அப்பனை என் ஆண்டவனை அமுதைத்
தெருளுறும் என் உயிரை என்றன் உயிர்க்குயிரை எல்லாம்
செய்யவல்ல தனித்தலைமைச் சித்தசிகா மணியை
மருவுபெரு வாழ்வை எல்லா வாழ்வும் எனக் களித்த
வாழ்முதலை மருந்தினை மா மணியை என் கண் மணியைக்
கருணை நடம் புரிகின்ற கனக சபா பதியைக்
கண்டு கொண்டேன் கனிந்து கொண்டேன் கலந்து கொண்டேன் களித்தே.
Henri Wei sums up beautifully, "In all these, man is understood as being capable of attaining union with the mysterious cosmic influence or cosmic spirit or divine being." Do we have an equal chance too?