Spiritual stages
With the exception of Judaism, the religions studied here often accord a special place to the description of the spiritual stages towards an encounter or a union with the absolute.
In Hinduism and in particular in yoga, the pathway begins with an ascetic preparation including physical, intellectual and moral preparation. The yogi must work on posture and breath control combined with strict hygiene, study the texts and embrace moral virtues such as non violence or compassion (ahimsa). Three stages constitute the preamble to entry into samadhi, which is, properly speaking, the mystical experience. These are focusing mental activity (dharana), collection of the soul (dhyana), leading to understanding (svarupa) and perfect concentration. The soul, then in suspension, becomes ecstatic in ishvara or supreme monad [isolation] before freeing itself, experiencing unity and supreme, primordial liberation (kaivalya) which screens out the world of the senses.
Such descriptions are also fully developed in Christian and Islamic mysticism. Gregory of Nazianzus[1]'s image of the passage from the shadows to the light of lights appears frequently in Christianity. Teresa of Avila and her castles of the soul represent an emblematic archetype. Part 2, Chapter 2 offers similarly eloquent examples through the works of Madam Guyon. Similarly in Islam there are numerous clear stages, as is shown in Part 1 Chapter 2.
On this mystical path, believers speak of passing through extraordinary states, experiencing ecstatic levitations, visions etc. However in all religions which describe such phenomena – in Christianity seen as gifts offered by God, called siddhi in yoga – these should not be ends in themselves. On the contrary they should not be given too much weight; they are spiritual gifts that may make the believer diverge from the path towards God or ultimate deliverance.
