Into India: Spiritual Stereotypes And Mysticism

In the West, it seems that mysticism gave its dying breath eons ago. But is that really true?

The Enlightenment scorned any “irrational” thought. Since then religious fervour has waxed and waned, resulting in weakened institutions and a growing fundamentalism. Secularism is the popular alternative, but religious education in the West is severely lacking. After attending a Catholic institution for twelve years I was left with less understanding of religion and its mystery than before.

Now being in India, I often get questions from friends and family about my “spiritual” experiences here. I understand why they are asking. According to cinema and the popular American imagination, India has two distinct and contradictory faces: that of religious purity and that of corruption. It’s easy to assume the world of Slumdog Millionaire and ashrams, and few imagine a middle-class account walking his dog in a suburb of Mumbai.

A general lack of exposure is often at fault – after all, many Indians (and other groups as well) also believe Americans to be wealthy beer guzzlers, spending their free time at lavish parties and fornicating everywhere. No one thinks of the residents of Flint, Michigan, unable to get suitable drinking water.

Asia in general is typically thought of as primitive, due to remnants of colonial thought. Primitive is also thought of as “ancient”. If we understand the Enlightenment, primitive can also mean “irrational” or “religious”. To American eyes, Asia had retained its mysticism, a religious expression often mistaken as primitive.

The Myth Of The Rational West 

But the religious make-up of India is as diverse as the US. Beyond the Hindu majority, you can find Christians, Muslims, Jews, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists and the like. New prophets sprout like new Christian denominations.

The Antichrist, by Lucas Cranach the
Elder – 1521. Lack of trust in institutions
often lead to schisms and loss of faith.

So what can explain this distinction between the “rational” West and the “mystic” East in the minds of Americans and Europeans? We’ve already briefly discussed Enlightenment – only logic survives. But we forget that every person thinks of himself as logical or rational, and due to this we find a plethora of half-baked arguments “proving” God or heaven scientifically.

Another factor is capitalism – something people don’t consciously realize exists in the East, except when they read economic headlines.

Capitalism isn’t bad in itself. But certain behaviours and attitudes are certainly encouraged, and they can diminish healthy spirituality. In the case of the US and Europe, capitalism was aggressively marketed to the public, and overtime safety nets eroded and the ideology unchallenged.

This ideology prompts amassing physical wealth, instant gratification and short-term products and solutions – all of which run counter to spiritualism. It’s the reason why you can buy bookmarks with pictures of a cat and a random Bible Verse, and why our American “rites of passage” have evolved in purchasing practices such as buying your first car or prom dress. We now manufacture items and process raw materials without regard for sustainability of meaning.

Capitalism tends to develop into a system in which constant growth is crucial, although that same growth can be destructive. Donald Trump is enough proof of a system gone array, even before his presidential nomination. And the trend that taxes are worse than poverty are extremely harmful to society and spiritualism at large.

In my opinion, it is the remnants of the Enlightenment combined with Capitalism, which was aggressively marketed to the public during the Cold War, that contribute the most to this idea that the West is rational and completely “forward-thinking”.

The Origin Of The Mystic East 

But capitalism is also present in India. In fact, it’s rampant. You will find middle-class women working in western garb, and housemaids in the traditional Sari. Both want one thing – to make more money.

One may assume it is because of the long history of religious growth and the vast amount of texts and temples one can find in countries like India. But I would argue differently – the average American can’t name a single text, although a few may recognize gods like Ganesh.

As I said before, a large part of this belief stems from past colonization. But I also believe that famous European writers first popularized this motif in good will, such as Hermann Hesse, and the resurgence of spiritualism in the 70s only reinvigorated this idea.

But something has been lost in translation. The West believes that the Asia has something more to offer, even though a common man worries more about his taxes than abstract theological thought. Perhaps due to the fact because Westerners see superficial worship and relate it back to their own experience.

The Superficial Experience 

In Joseph Campbell’s the Power of Myth, he states that experiencing someone else’s myth or religion highlights your own. As you grow up in one tradition, viewing another one will show the contrasts and similarities.

This may be what continues to perpetuate this idea about the sacred East- only instead of viewing their own religion, an American might only focus on the differences and the superficial elements. I think back to the ashram in Eat, Pray, Love. There is committing to silence, to meditation as physical act. And then there is practicing silence and meditation as a spiritual act. And what these acts mean. The main character seemed to participate only in the physical act. This is evident in the lack of growth she displayed when she went to Bali. It may have been an enjoyable experience, perhaps she learned some new skills, but overall it was evident that as soon as she returned to the United States, she would forget everything. She didn't participate in the spiritual act.

A comparative experience should not only open another world to the practitioner, but also understand their own world and background
. What I mean to say is, simply, that the spiritual aspect is not something that can only be attained in a foreign land, or that is incompatible with rationality and logic. They may run parallel to each other, but they are not incompatible.

This however, isn't a Western phenomenon. A lack of religious education, exposure, and introspection play into this superficial experience.

The fact is, once a Christian witnesses a puja for the first time, there are a multitude of questions: Why is this being done? What does it mean? How does this contribute to your spiritual well-being? They may be shocked with their host gives a brief, shallow description of the practice. Yet many Christians would struggle to adequately describe answers to these same questions about Baptism or Communion beyond a shallow explanation.

Searching For The Deeper Meaning 

This overexposure to the superficial is not lost on the subconscious of thousands of Americans. Many Europeans are becoming less and less religious, while many Americans are turning to unaffiliated programs and forms of spirituality. Some of these programs take on Hindu or indigenous American overtones –meditation is probably the most shared practice among these spiritual groups.

Lack of religious education, ridged fundamental structures, lack of trust in organized religion, and empty consumerism no doubt is leading to this trend. There is a resistance to bucking religion directly and converting to atheism, yet there is a desire to find solace away from the norm. This may in part be fuelled by individualism and the desire to feel “unique”, but I doubt this is a main contributor.

There is awareness that the structures that exist are no longer supporting the community. When this shift from community to organization happens, the hold that religion has over the hearts of men is lost, as it has lost its spirit. This is not due to rules, per say. Sufi practitioners such as Rumi and Al-Ghazali were hardly intimidated by rules and religious law. But they also understood the law, the meaning behind the text, and sought even more knowledge to know the Divine.

The persistence of the idea that Christianity needs to be literal to be real is one reason the structure is breaking. Jewish mysticism in the form of Kabbalah has survived ages, and none of it relies on the idea that a metaphor is the literal reality. A metaphor can not only describe reality, but also something greater.

Mysticism is the missing component of both life and religion in America. It encompasses spirituality, inherited beliefs, responsible lifestyles, natural curiosity and compassion. Mysticism has its place in all major religions, so any person inclined to spiritual beliefs does not need to cast off their faith tradition to practice this.

Mysticism and Closing The Divide 

One step closer to a health spiritual life is understanding that you can experience God in Nashville or Mumbai, not despite of your responsibilities, but because of them. Mysticism is much more of a lifestyle and the meaning behind a prayer than a prayer itself.

In understanding out own histories, the ideas around us, and the potential within us, we can better understand a spiritual understanding and emotional maturity comes from patience and the desire to experience, not from what religious school we enrolled in.

Once we understand what we are missing, we see what we have. And in that, faith communities can come together to support one another, instead of creating divisions based on superficial displays.