dalit mysticism

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International Interfaith Conference

on

Mysticism East and West

A Search for Meaningful Religious Experience

Henry Martin InstituteHyderabad, India

23 25 January 2012

Indigenous and Dalit Mysticism

A Paper by M C Raj

Preamble

The beauty and glory of mysticism is its ability to defy all attemptsat defining it and explaining it. Mysticism is a body experience thatloses much of its sheen when it is brought into a process ofengineering for sharing and teaching. The more one tries to sharethe richness of ones mysticism the poorer he/she becomes as a

mystic. Going a step further we may take the audacity to assert thatmysticism is a whole being experience that remains with the mysticas the unassailable foundation of holistic operation. Mysticism is apermeation into every cell of the organic being that operates as adouble edged sword. To the extent one is a true mystic his/herorganic cells in the body are emptied of negative energy and areconstantly replenished with life-giving creative energy. In itsessence mysticism does not seek recognition from the other for itslegitimacy. It is deeply internal and personal.

However, since the individual does not exist in total isolation as

isotopes it becomes inevitable for the mystic to be in intermittentcommunicative interaction with other organic beings in the cosmos.Organic existence is a complex web of interconnectivity andcommunicative interactions, both conscious and subconscious. Thusthe fuga mundi, flight from the world to become a mystic can turnout to be an ultimate contradiction of mysticism. Thephenomenology of the cave or the phenomenology of thepinnacle, as I call them are engineered processes directed towardsachievement of a certain design. Such designs can either bespontaneous outbursts of whole body experience or they can be

infused in a being from the design, the external. Casualinterpolation of the outburst and the design can lead to one

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missing out the bliss of mysticism.

Mysticism A Body Phenomenon

A mystic is one who lives in an uninterrupted state of whole bodyorgasm or bliss as I may call it. Making an attempt to explain wholebody orgasm in non-sexist terms will only expose the paucity of myvocabulary. A weak attempt to communicate this will be to say thata Mystic is one who lives in a state of bliss, whatever it may mean.Mysticism as a whole body orgasm and bliss is a body phenomenon.Communicative interaction that is an essential pre-requisite formysticism is inseparable from other cosmic bodies, not necessarilyhuman bodies. Thus maturity in mysticism based on intense

communicative interaction with cosmic bodies often implies adistancing of direct physical touch with other human bodies, notnecessarily precluding it. In the indigenous worldview the selfceases to exist when communicative interaction with the cosmosstops. Thus mysticism has the inseparable organic link between theinexplicable reality of the self and the inevitable reality of the other.

My attempt to communicate the self of the mystic is only arevelation of the fragility of my being. I pick up the courage toacknowledge it, as at my conscious I am aware of the limitations ofdefining mysticism and that it can never be done by any human

being on earth. As a whole body orgasm and bliss mysticismtranscends all boundaries of definitions and explanations. In asmuch as mysticism is borderless transcendence it will be muchconstricted if any attempt is made to give to it an identity. Namingmysticism in umpteen numbers of ways becomes highly complexand problematic. However, it is also true that I would burst intomillions pieces if I do not give vocabulary, however limited they maybe, to the experience of bliss in the depth of my inner being. Being abody phenomenon, mysticism cannot be prevented fromcommunicating itself to the other. It exists in communication. One

may make a strenuous endeavour to contain the mystic to oneselfat the conscious level. But mysticism belongs much more to thesubconscious than to the conscious. Any attempt to contain themystic to oneself at the realm of the conscious will amount to animplicit engineering.

The fullness of mysticism is the fullness of communicativeinteraction with cosmos. Mysticism is a state of being alive fully. Astate of being dead, a state of being vacuum, a state of beingcompletely empty, a state of nirvana can best be described asillusions of mysticism. The height of communicative interaction in

the mystic is the flowering of the being into millions of ways ofbecoming. Where the subconscious and conscious are at

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loggerheads the becoming of the being is often strenuous. Whereboth are blended in harmony the being becomes in multiple waystranslating the bliss to oneself in actions and communicating it tothe other as life giving energy. Thus mysticism can be said to be thebeginning and end of being and becoming. The reality of being and

becoming is a complex cyclic process. One keeps becoming amystic and the springboard of becoming a mystic is being a mystic.In as much as one is a mystic one becomes a mystic and in as muchas one becomes a mystic one is a mystic. One is a mystic in onesinner being but there are no genetic mystics.

Let me make an attempt to explain:

The inner being, in the process of its becoming often confronts andis confronted with the other, the external. Becoming can and isoften conditioned by the level and quality of communicativeinteraction that the other sets in motion. The other here will meanones own conscious, other organic beings and circumstances thatare beyond oneself. The mystic transcends all confrontations of theinimical other and keeps constantly becoming the mystic. Multipleencounters with the other leads the mystic to develop mechanismsthat will fill the other with creative and life giving energy that is atthe root of the inner being. The rock-bed of all such mechanisms is aset of values commonly knows as worldview. The same cyclicprocess of being and becoming will continue at all levels of the

mystic. Worldview can be said to be a manifestation of the mysticand simultaneously it can also be said to be leading the process ofbecoming mystic.

Worldview of Indigenous World

It is a fascinating trajectory through which the mystic set up whatis known as the world. It is a symphony of the unknown and theknown dancing according to a creative rhythm of life. The unknownis the source of whole being orgasm and bliss. The known is theother who has whole being orgasm and bliss and together dares toidentify the sources that cause such bliss. The unknown is often theother interacting with the self, the inner being dancing behind thescene. In the whole being orgasm and bliss it is immaterial for themystic to know where such communicative interaction originates.The urge of the self to becoming leads the mystic to identify specificzones of communicative interaction at the realm of the conscious.The cosmos is the all-embracing theatre of such communicativeinteraction. The Indigenous worldview embraces the cosmos as aninseparable zone of its life. The mystic is an inseparable part ofcosmic movement and change. Cosmos is the master artist who

choreographs a synchronized dance of life. The self of the mystic isonly a part, a non-essential part of the cosmos. It is however, an

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essential ingredient of the cosmic movement and change as long asit lives. The cosmos will live forever. The ingredient, the mystic willdisappear. The human is not the master of the cosmos. Man istemporal. Cosmos is eternal. Matter is eternal. The human lives onlyas long as the body lasts. Cosmos can exist without the human

species. But the human cannot live outside the parameters of thecosmos. The becoming of the mystic is wrought in utter simplicityand humility, the hallmarks of the Indigenous mystic.

Zones of Communicative Interaction

The driving of the inner being at the level of the self incommunicative interaction is towards the other. The other is outsideof the self. It is the cosmos. The self is deeply known andexperienced. The self that sets up a communicative interaction

seeks to know the other in as much as it can. As there are arenas inthe self that keep unfurling till ones death, there are also arenas inthe other that are in the realm of the unknown. The mystic isdeeply aware of the existence of the unknown both in the self andin the other. Besides the communicative interaction that takes placebetween the cells in the body and the energy waves of the cosmosthe mystic sets out to identify formal zones of communicativeinteraction between the known self and the known other.

Body The Epicentre

Body is the epicentre of all communicative interaction. It issimultaneously the reception centre and the transmission tower ofall communicative interaction with the cosmos. The inner being andthe body are inseparable even for the sake of understanding. Amystic has no compulsive need to understand the inner being asseparate from the body. The inner being is the body. Without thebody there is no inner being. A significant other in communicativeinteraction is the body of other organic beings. The mystic is abody phenomenon. The significant other is also a body. All thosewho have bodies are the other in communicative interaction. Cells

in the body receive energy waves from cosmos and from cosmicbeings. They also transmit waves into the cosmos and to othercosmic beings. Cosmos is sustained by this uninterruptedcommunication of waves from organic beings. Knowledge is a fullbody phenomenon. The mystic derives his knowledge from the bodyof the self and of the other. The final authority for the authenticity ofknowledge is the body of the mystic. The axis of organic existencein the cosmos is the body. Waves from the bodies of other cosmicbeings enter into a communicative interaction. Waves transmittedfrom the body of organic beings enter into a process of entropy andbecome new waves. Entropy is possible only between waves

transmitted by harmonizing bodies. Bodies whose worldview isintrinsically intertwined with humility, freedom etc. cannot enter

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into a process of entropy with waves transmitted from bodies whoseworldview comprises of dominance, exploitation and oppression.Such waves are in contradictory trajectories.

Earth Mother of Energy Waves

The body of the mystic is a veritable crucible of energy wavestransmitted continuously from the Earth. The mystic lives incomplete union with the waves of the Earth. He/she surrendershis/her body to Mother Earths energy waves so that becoming ismade feasible in the most meaningful way. The mystic mergeswith the life giving fertility cycle of Mother Earth just as the bodiesof the life giving cycle of women. Both the Earth and the womanbring new life into communicative interaction. Both nourish the bodyinto becoming a crucible of whole body orgasm and bliss. The

becoming of the mystic is accomplished without flaw in as much ashe/she lives in uninterrupted communication with Mother Earth.Earth is eternal. If earth perishes all cosmic movement and changewill stop. This is impossible, as nothing can exist outside of cosmos.The mystic lives in the eternity of the Earth. He/she comes fromthe earth and goes back to the earth. He/she lives in complete unionwith Mother earth, draws energy from her and transmits energyback into the cosmos. The mystic also develops the capacity tocommunicate with Mother earth on specific issues in order toreceive guidance and mandates from her. It will be very edifying tonote the many instances of Indigenous peoples all over the world

consulting Mother earth on the question of constructing their homesin a particular place. The head of the family goes to the spot tospend a whole night and receive communication from Mother earthon her consent. In his/her body he/she receives communication inbody cells either to go ahead or not to go ahead with construction.However, communicative interaction of the mystic and Motherearth is not just confined to receiving guidance and mandates. Itleads ultimately to whole body orgasm and bliss.

Elements of Nature

The five elements of nature, namely Earth, Water, Air, Fire, Spaceplay crucial roles in the becoming of a mystic. He/she is inuninterrupted communicative interaction with these elements ofnature. The intensity of this communicative interaction is often notrealized in the conscious. The mystics body is always open toreceive energy waves from the life giving elements of nature.However, communicative interaction with the elements of nature atdifferent phases of everyday life can be so powerful that themystic becomes aware of the advent of such life giving energy

waves in his/her body cells.

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Cosmic Bodies

Cosmic Bodies such as Mother Earth, Grandmother Moon, BrotherSun, Ancestors perched in the sky as Stars, Sisters Trees and Plants,the Reindeer, the Buffalo, the Salmon, the many rivers etc. become

much cherished centres of communicative interaction in the lifecycle of a mystic. They strengthen the mystic in being whatshe/he is and enhance the transition to becoming a subsidiary ofcommunicative interaction with the rest of the cosmos.Communication from cosmic bodies twists and twirls the body of themystic in different directions. In an uncontrollable bliss of receivingand transmitting life giving energy waves from Cosmic Bodies themystic turns in eight different directions, in a cyclic movement.

Ancestors

In the Indigenous worldview the departed ancestors are back intothe community in a transcendental mode of existence. While living,the body of the ancestor is limited by its identity, belonging andbindings. After death the ancestors come back into the communityto belong to all. Death in indigenous world is a journey back to fulfilthe many unachieved aspirations for posterity, through intensivecommunicative interaction. From bodily existence the ancestorassumes a wavial existence as I may call it, to replenish the bodycells of the mystic with life giving energy waves. Death of elderscalls for spontaneous celebration in Indigenous communities. The

mystic is touched by the waves of the ancestors who remain inconstant communication with his/her body. Through the process ofentropy, waves of many ancestors converge and set upcommunicative interaction with the mystic.

The Persona of the Mystic

As one who lives in uninterrupted whole body orgasm and bliss themystic of the Indigenous world is one of the most privileged one.Such a state of being naturally implies that the mystic is free from

all compulsions and the spring of his existence is not mired innegative energy waves. He/she almost loses the capacity tocommunicate with the negative energy waves that may fill theuniverse from dominant forces. Cells in the body of the mystic thatare capable of receiving negative energy waves go into a dormantstate as he/she does not nurture them. It is the positive life givingenergy cells in the body of the mystic that are constantly awakeand keep dancing in gay abandon. The body of the mystic thus isalways celebratory. He/she is seldom tired, exhausted or depressed.If any of these are found to be a recurring phenomenon in themystic it may be an indication that he/she is engineering

mysticism in the self. Engineered mysticism can be highlyproblematic, as becoming sets the tone for being instead of the

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being bursting forth into becoming. In the latter the bursting forthleads to multiple communication of life giving energy waves and theself operates as a springboard. In the former, the becomingleading the way to being can easily end up with more and moreaccumulation (figuratively speaking) and the self may be highly

bloated. Often it is such engineered mystics who take recourse tocommunicative interaction with negative energy waves andperverted manifestations of what is mistakenly perceived asmysticism. Such negative phenomenon is often witnessed in somepractices of Tantric Hinduism, Vajrayana Buddhism and Shamanism.The dominant world often engineers mysticism in order to servecertain dominantly designed schemes. Unfortunately some of theShamans in the Indigenous world have also gone on a mission ofblind imitation of such designed mysticism in an effort to satiatethemselves with bloated self. Thirst for power of the self can easilylead to illusions of bliss though it can never lead to whole bodyorgasm.

The hallmark of the mystic in the Indigenous world will be thebursting forth into a sequence of song and dance of freedom. Whilethe dominant other is incessantly transmitting waves of hegemony,exploitation and oppression into the cosmos in order to overpower,the mystic wards himself/herself off such negative waves andenjoys a freedom that spontaneously arises from the being, theself. The whole body orgasm and bliss then pushes the being ofthe mystic into a communicative interaction with all those who

have a thirst for freedom. Communities of people that have beencompulsively pushed into situations of exploitation, oppression anddiscrimination have an unquenchable thirst for freedom and dignity. That is where the positive energy waves of the mystic cannaturally flow. The becoming of the mystic will be more and morefulfilled in as much as he/she replenishes the empty pockets offreedom and dignity. If there is any attempt at the realm of theconscious of the mystic to contain this communicative interactionhe/she will end up with bloated self. The thirst for freedom anddignity serves as a pull factor in the cosmos of life giving energywaves. The mystic then is not a static machine of transmission of

energy waves but is a singer, a dancer, the poet, the author, thephilosopher, and often the leader of the liberation of his/her people.His/her being matures into a becoming gradually paving the way forthe ultimate liberation of his/her people. Whole body orgasm andbliss of the mystic cannot be contained within the self of themystic.

The Mystic as Liberator

The mission of liberation organically springs from the cosmic

communicative interaction of the mystic. It springs organicallyfrom the liberation that the mystic realizes in his/her inner being. It

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is not an addition from the external as a task to be fulfilled. It isoften the way the mystic translates his/her bliss in the self as acommunicative interaction with the other. Bliss in this context takesthe mystic through the trajectories of liberty, freedom, peace, joy,confusion, agony, anger, resistance and revolution. The core

essence of the mystic in the Indigenous world is the harmonioussynchronization of what is normally described as deeply thepersonal and the societal. The mystic is not the one who enjoys thecool of the cocoon that he/she has weaved around himself/herself,often through illusions of the divine. The human and cosmic are thedriving forces of what is deeply mystic in the Indigenous world.Therefore, the mystic of the Indigenous world is on a permanentmission to break out the fringes of self-made illusions as well as tobreak down the walls that are constructed with a design to denyaccess and inclusion to his/her people. The mystic is always on anurge to flow with and into spaces that legitimately belong to allorganic beings. The mystic as liberator is the cyclic movement ofbeing and becoming that predominantly also signifies change.

The mystic as liberator is consequently called to fulfil multiplemissions as a natural consequence of the whole body orgasm andbliss. He/she cannot run away into a hut, a cave, the peak or thetower of a skyscraper to enjoy the bliss of secluded mysticism. Thecall is not from any illusionary divine, but it is from deep within,from the inner being where bliss is rooted. It is a call of freedom andnot of compulsion. This sets the mystic aside from those who

operationalize certain activist or political missions in the bestinterest of their people. The distinguishing mark of the mystic asliberator is that his/her call does not arise from compulsive anger,nor from any inspiration from dogmas. All calls come in completefreedom, from the deep interior recesses of the being. The finalauthority and authentication of such calls is the inner being, the selfthat remains in perpetual communicative interaction with thecosmos.

The Mystic Call

1. Integrity of Planet Earth

Dominant forces that are not in tune with the cosmic movement andchange, of which Mother Earth is a part, have arrogantlyappropriated to themselves the right to master the universe. Thishas set them against the rhythm of the earth as well as of thecosmos. They have been guided by an insatiable thirst and hungerof accumulation of wealth and mindless amassment of profit. In thisprocess they have simultaneously deprived simple and unassumingchildren of Mother earth of even basic needs for survival and

sustenance. The consequences of their unlimited greed and avaricehave reached the ozone layer. Mother earth is seething with anger

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at the way dominant forces have increased global warming throughunmitigated Green House Gas emissions. The mystic of theIndigenous world is called to wage an unrelenting battle againstsuch negative forces of savage destruction so that cosmic order canbe restored.

2. Restoration of Land

It is a travesty of the cosmic order that people who worship earth asmother do not even have a place to have their home or to bury theirdead. Indigenous peoples have been systematically deprived oftheir land by imperialistic designs. Modernity is a manifestation ofthe disruption of the cosmic movement and change and is takingthe peoples of the world to the brink of disaster. The creative danceof the mystic has to become intensive to ceaselessly restore thebalance of belonging to earth of all peoples. The bliss of themystic is that people belong to the earth and that the earth doesnot belong to the people. The bliss of the mystic is that the earthwill continue to exist in eternity even if peoples of the earthdisappear. Organic existence on the lap of Mother Earth is notconfined only to human beings. Land needs to be restored into thehands of the indigenous peoples to arrest the onslaught on theintegrity of Mother earth and her peoples. The mystic is at thecentre of the restoration of the essential relationship that peoplehave to Mother Earth. The mystic is also at the centre of reclaimingland, the symbol of Mother Earth that legitimately has to belong to

the people.

3. Dignity of Labour

Indigenous people all over the world have been communicating totheir Mother through their body labour. The irreversible relationshipbetween them and earth has been marked by the indigenouspeoples getting involved in a mutual process of enhancing thefertility of Mother Earth. In turn she has been providing sustenancefor them and has been protecting them. This communicativeinteraction between Mother Earth and her people has called for

celebration of the productivity of the earth in fertility cult.Indigenous people have been an integral part of the being andbecoming of Mother Earth. The being and becoming of theindigenous people on the other hand is inextricably intertwined withthe becoming of Mother Earth. Dominant forces that violate thebeing and becoming of the Earth through cutting deep wounds inthe womb of Mother earth have simultaneously deprived the dignityof the labour of the indigenous peoples. Slavery, bonded labour,free caste labour etc. have caused deep wounds in the being ofindigenous peoples. The mystic is called to restore the integrity of

the communicative interaction between Mother Earth and herchildren by upholding the dignity of labour. In a society that has

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divided labourers in the name of division of labour he/she is calledto become the bridge among labourers.

4. Inclusive Space

The being and becoming of the mystic has an inextricablecommunicative interaction with space. Cosmic balance ismaintained by space as much as by the cosmic order. Space iseternal. It can neither be reduced nor be expanded. The creativedance of the mystic is splashed out in space. Freedom expandsitself into space. Space belongs to everyone. Everything in thecosmos belongs to the space. The nobility of space has beenfundamentally violated by some dominant forces who have claimedexclusive right over specific spaces and have denied access andinclusion to people. Racial discrimination, caste discrimination,untouchability, apartheid have brought untold shame to human raceover the past millennia. The mystic does not allow such waves toremain in the cosmos through his/her uncompromising position onthe availability of inclusive space for all organic beings of theuniverse.

5. Democracy and Governance

The mystic is called to make political space available to all peoplesin the instruments and mechanisms of governance. Governance inthe indigenous communities is distribution of values, both material

and spiritual. Distribution of values was effectively executed inIndigenous communities through direct democracy. Dominant worldhas subverted distribution of values into accumulation andamassment in the hands of a powerful few in the name ofdemocracy. Intruding into the spaces of indigenous peoples all overthe world the dominant world has transgressed the boundaries ofsovereignties and has sought to establish democracy at gunpointand by mindless use of weapons of mass destruction. Restoration ofgovernance as distribution of values is a non-negotiable call to themystic from cosmic communicative interaction. Cosmic balance isbest maintained when resources are distributed equitably so that

waves of compulsive negative anger are minimized. Enhancementof creative waves of happiness and fulfilment will enhance themaintenance of cosmic balance. The worlds journey towardsviolence and war can be minimized by the mystic, taking arevolutionary and non-violent translation of bliss. In as much asgovernance of the world is transferred into the hands of Indigenouspeoples with their values of inclusive and equal spaces for allpeoples the world will move towards lasting peace.

6. Primacy of Women

The ultimate mystic is an Indigenous woman. History bears ample

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evidence that she has the most peace loving body that nurtures,provides and protects all cosmic beings. She has the best opennessin her cells to be incessantly involved in communicative interactionwith cosmic waves that give life and energy. Governance asdistribution of values is best executed by Indigenous women.

Preservation of the integrity of the cosmos is a natural characteristicof women. Inclusive space is made available to all by women. Thebody of woman is cosmic. Woman represents all that can give,preserve and protect life. However, the dominant world has come tothe brink of disaster mainly because it has violated the body ofwoman and enslaved her wholesomely. Woman has the body thatcan get angry without leading to compulsive and designed violenceand war. The womans body resonates well with the earth that isresilient and bounces back to life again and again. Governance inthe hands of Indigenous women can be an appropriate way forwardin taking the world to be a creative platform of life giving energy. The ultimate blessing and grace for human race will be whengovernance is transferred into the hands of women in general andIndigenous women in particular.

Conclusion

I have been deeply aware of the limitations of giving words tomysticism while writing this paper. The whole body orgasm and blissstill remains largely unexpressed. The beauty of mysticism is that itdoes not call for sharing through a paper. It only calls for

communicative interaction with cosmic beings and revolutionaryaction. I feel sorry to have attempted to write a paper on mysticism.Simultaneously I have opted to write this paper because I do notwant to disappoint friends who want to listen to the inadequateexpressions of a deep experience in the depth of the being. In doingso I am also conscious that I have idealized certain aspects. Perhapsthese are limitations of language. I can probably never end speakingof mysticism. I am also conscious that any level of listening does notmake a mystic. A mystic is self-actualized from the very depth ofones inner being.

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