“The eye through which I see God is the same eye through which God sees me; my eye and God’s eye are one eye, one seeing, one knowing, one love.”
Meister Eckhart, Sermons of Meister Eckhart.
Since time immemorial every culture has produced Mystics. Despite the distance of geography and time, the experiences of mystics, across cultures, have been similar. They have all sought a direct and personal relationship with God. Their poetry, music or teachings bear testimony to their personal experiences with God.
In the Indian context, mysticism has been tied closely to Bhakthi. The Bhagavad Gita (circa 250-300 BC) speaks of Bhakthi or devotion as a means to realize God. The Alwars and Nayanars (circa 300-800 AD) of South India are among the earliest Indian mystics. Their works continue to be sung and celebrated daily in concerts, homes and temples.
The Medieval Age saw an explosion of mystics not just in India (Ramananda, Vallabhacharya, Vidyaranya) but throughout the world (Francis of Assisi, Teresa of Avila, Rumi of Persia). The works of these mystics and their followers continue to resonate with readers even today. These last few months, I’ve been exploring the work of many of these mystics, as I prepared for Bhakthi – the musical journey with mystics. Each week, I’ll try to share a short sketch on a single mystic and their message along with music that resonates with their philosophy.
As Adi Shankara (circa 8 CE) put it “Reality can be experienced only with the eye of understanding, not just by a scholar”. Join me on this journey.