Eastern Mysticism and Christian Doctrine
The Two Faces of the Christian Church
Christianity is one of the world’s predominant religions (if not the only one). It offers the promise of salvation to billions of people worldwide, from diverse nations, cultures, and traditions. Christianity promises deliverance from enslavement and oppression under an unjust “world system” — a global system of tyrannical control.
By the same token, however, for another segment of the world’s population, Christianity presents itself as the very face of imperialism, tyranny, oppression, exclusion, enslavement, colonialism, segregation, torture, and death. It has done so for several centuries and continues to do so, for many, to this day.
Historically, Christianity began as a persecuted faith, struggling for survival under an oppressive imperial regime — the Roman Empire under Emperor Tiberius. The crucifixion of Christ; the torture, persecution and martyrdom of the Apostles; the conversion of Saul/Paul on the road to Damascus (whose career began with the persecution of Christians, before he saw the error of his ways); the Roman Circus, in which Christians were fed alive to lions for the entertainment of Roman senators and patricians, and the tyranny of the Roman emperor Nero, who is alleged to have burned Christians alive en masse — represent some of the early iconic episodes of the historical persecution of Christians by the political and religious power-brokers of the time.
This early persecution ended abruptly with the Edict of Milan, issued by the Roman emperor Constantine in 313 AD, which granted Christianity legal status. It ensured the widespread tolerance of Christian believers in the Roman Empire following centuries of marginalization and scapegoating under a minority status. In 380 AD, Christianity became the official state religion of the Roman Empire, following the Edict of Thessalonica issued by Emperor Theodosius I. This marked an abrupt shift in status and circumstances for the nascent religion.
Today, of course, Christianity is broadly accepted as being the backbone of Western civilization. It is widely practiced and adhered to globally by residents of virtually every nation, including, among others, China, Russia, India, South Korea, Japan, and the nations of Africa and Southeast Asia. Only Islam commands a comparable international status.
However, for several centuries, especially during the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Age of Discovery, and the Industrial Age, Christianity underwent a radical facelift. During the Medieval Crusades, Christianity inspired European chivalry against Islamic forces such as those of Saladin. Christianity subsequently became the religious grounds for Inquisition and forced conversion, especially in Spain, Portugal, and their colonial territories. During the 17th and 18th Centuries, Christianity became the justification for European colonialism and imperialist expansionism, enabling the enslavement and slaughter of millions of indigenous peoples around the world, including in North and South America, Africa, and Asia, especially in India and Indo-China.
Even as Christian missionaries sought to spread the gospel of the Savior to supposedly benighted “native” and “heathen” populations in these territories, religion became an instrument whereby businessmen, politicians, aristocrats, and royalty from the same Christian nations were able to enslave and oppress indigenous population groups. In addition, the Christian religious tradition has enabled centuries of anti-semitic discrimination targeting the Jewish residents of Western, Central, and Eastern Europe, which has encompassed marginalization, exclusion, expulsion, ghettoization, pogroms, and violent persecution.
The Roots of Christian Doctrine
Despite a history of violence, conquest, imperialism, and oppression spanning two millennia, the Christian story, in its origins, is arguably the most compelling, moving, and inspiring narrative of all time. The story of Christ, of his life, works, and what he represents, is so powerful, so meaningful, so persuasive, that it continues to inspire heartfelt religious conversions to this day.
By the same token, a casual glance at the state of the Christian church in this day and age is enough to repel and demoralize Christian believers almost as intensely as the original Christian story inspires and compels them. A cursory glance at the widespread corruption, materialism, and blatant hypocrisy manifest among modern Christian evangelicals, as well as in the bureaucracies that characterize organized religion, is sufficient to make the case that modern Christianity has become profoundly disconnected from its historical origins in the remote peripheries of the world-spanning super-power that was the ancient Roman empire.
The question in my mind is: how far has modern Christianity been distorted and reshaped over the course of several thousand years? How deeply has Christianity changed from its humble origins as a persecuted religious sect in the Middle East? How much has the Christian message been distorted and corrupted after centuries of being a religious justification for conquest, imperialism, slavery, and genocide?
How far has modern Christianity become disconnected from nature, from truth, and from the original message of Jesus Christ?
Christian Parallels with Eastern Mystical Traditions
In my modest studies and reflections encompassing Christian doctrinal issues as well as eastern mystical practices and traditions such as meditation, yoga, Buddhism, Zen, Taoism, qigong, Chinese medicine, etc., I am struck by the remarkable parallels I see between many of the core themes of Christian doctrine, and similar ideas expressed in eastern mysticism. The parallels are so profound, in my mind, that they have come to be the basis of an evolving system of thought for me that I liken to a personal discovery of the Holy Grail. In fact, I have found that eastern mystical ideas seem to provide intriguing answers to several confusing and mysterious aspects of Christian doctrine, filling in many of the gaps in my own knowledge and experience, and fitting together neatly to form a profound, coherent metaphysical understanding of the spiritual dimension of reality.
The core idea of Christian theology is the concept of “original sin” — the idea that humanity has lapsed from a condition of spiritual innocence and perfect communion with God, and that we currently live in a fallen state, disconnected from God, and in need of redemption. In many respects, I find this concept to describe what we may term “ancestral trauma” or “generational trauma.” Modern science, in fact, demonstrates that trauma can be passed down generationally via human epigenetics and the subconscious psyche. The Biblical idea of “original sin” seems to suggest that at some point in remote human history, our earliest ancestors underwent the first traumatic experience — an experience that induced stress, fear, and a break from an originary state of perfect flow, immersion in the present moment, and connection with Divine “source energy.”
This trauma came to be imprinted into the psyche and affect the DNA expression of our remote ancestor, and these traits have since been passed down through the generations, resulting in the human condition, such as it is to this day — deeply traumatized, stressed, and disconnected from nature, the present moment, flow, and Divine source energy. I would suggest, therefore, that the idea of “original sin” refers to a condition of generational, hereditary PTSD (i.e., post-traumatic stress disorder) brought on by this remote “ancestral trauma.” This may manifest itself in our lives as “existential angst,” or, perhaps, a generalized feeling of non-specific anxiety, pessimism or foreboding. In more extreme cases, it may manifest itself as the suspicion of strangers, the fear of the unknown, or even irrational paranoia. It is this innate condition, possibly, that keeps us trapped in a state of separation from mystical enlightenment and connection with the Divine.
Another Christian concept is salvation by faith. As I see it, “faith” essentially means the act of “letting go” (of the need to be in personal control of circumstances) and trusting in God. It represents an act of release, perhaps, of deep-seated nervous and emotional trauma. In that respect, “faith” is essentially the same process of “letting go” and trauma release that one experiences in eastern mystical practices, such as meditation and relaxation breath-work. Similar mystical practices, like yoga, qigong, etc., which help induce meditative states involving deep relaxation, leading to the expansion of consciousness and connection with the Divine source energy, are also, in that respect, similar to the Christian idea of “faith.” It must be noted that this understanding is quite unlike a religious zealot’s interpretation of faith as the fervent, possibly even violent, adherence to a narrow doctrine or dogma. I would suggest that the meditative interpretation is, perhaps, a more accurate understanding of the core Biblical concept of “faith.”
The Bible speaks, furthermore, of “grace” and “forgiveness” — ideas that also resonate deeply with eastern mystical practices. I would suggest that the understanding of “original sin” as inherited ancestral trauma helps us to separate out the elements of guilt and shame from the idea of sin, which are often used by Bible-thumping fire-and-brimstone preachers to intimidate their parishioners into a state of submissive compliance. When we recognize that human “sinfulness” is really the consequence of a deep-seated kind of hereditary PTSD that echoes back through history to the beginnings of time, we are liberated from the emotional burden of the fear of impending judgment, which really only adds to our inherent emotionally traumatized state. We come to understand that “faith” is the remedy for this condition — “letting go” through relaxation-inducing meditative practices and trusting in the “flow” and power of the “Holy Spirit” — the flowing mystical spiritual energy referred to as Chi or Prana in eastern traditions.
The Bible also teaches that “the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21, NKJV). In the language of eastern mysticism, this represents the profound philosophical insight that salvation is the product of inner transformation — “as within, so without.” Eastern mysticism prioritizes “going within” — the process of self-reflection and self-examination. The understanding here is that self-transformation through meditative, reflective, and mystical practices is the key to personal salvation. There are echoes of this idea in the Christian exhortation: “Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?” (Matthew 7:3, NKJV)
The process of “letting go in faith” — of deep stress relief and the healing of deep-seated internal trauma describes, I would suggest, the Christian mystery of “salvation through faith and grace.” Heaven and hell, by that token, are internal states of consciousness — of inner being — not so much physical locations or places. Our inner states of mind give rise to external experiences that may be heavenly or hellish, depending on our inner condition.
Christian miracles, I would suggest, are akin to the synchronicities and mystical experiences one might encounter when achieving an expanded consciousness through the processes described above. Interestingly, one of the pre-eminent Christian miracles is Christ’s healing of a blind man. In eastern mystical traditions, this event may be seen metaphorically as the expansion of consciousness. In this context, blindness may be seen to be indicative of spiritual blindness — a closed “third eye,” a nonfunctional pineal gland. Another profound Christian miracle is raising the dead — which may be taken to parallel the experience of revitalization and revivification through spiritual practices like meditation, yoga, qigong, etc.
The precept of non-violence, fundamental to various eastern philosophies, including Buddhism and Yogic traditions, is profoundly paralleled by the Christian injunctions to “turn the other cheek” (Matthew 5:39, NKJV) and “love your enemies” (Matthew 5:44, NKJV). In addition, the Christian principle of forgiveness through grace may be interpreted, through the lens of eastern mysticism, as the shift in consciousness one experiences through practices such as meditation. With the expanded awareness of “unity” consciousness, one can see through the “illusion of separation.” One recognizes the futility of vindictiveness and ego-driven retribution. Forgiveness becomes the natural consequence of “letting go,” of achieving a deep appreciation of the unity of consciousness and the inter-connectedness of all life and nature. It becomes the expression of Christian agape — charitable love.
Eastern Connections with Christianity
Considering the numerous parallels between Christ’s original teachings and eastern shamanic and mystical ideas, one may well wonder whether the association is more than merely circumstantial — whether there is, in fact, a historical connection. Is it possible, as some scholars have suggested, that Jesus actually did make the journey along the Silk Road to the East during his “missing years,” left out of the Bible? Perhaps Jesus encountered eastern mystics, yogis, shamans, and Buddhist monks during his travels, absorbing their teachings on meditative and esoteric practices and developing his skills as a yogi and mystic. Perhaps he returned from his travels and sought to perpetuate these mystical teachings of universal compassion and love, of non-violence and the spiritual expansion of consciousness. Possibly, his ideas were met with violent resistance from the religious orthodoxy and Western imperialist forces of his time. Perhaps he was arrested, tortured, and martyred for his “radical” ideas.
Then, centuries later, the compelling story of the Son of God, now instituted as the religious foundation of Western civilization, has, itself, morphed into the religious orthodoxy and Western imperialist power of our time. And it now serves to marginalize and suppress the very ideas that may once have inspired the charismatic founder of its religious tradition — Jesus, the martyred mystic and prophet from Judea. There is no way to be sure, but it would certainly make for an interesting story — and a bitterly ironic and devastatingly tragic twist of fate!
