Without doubt the most frequent question I
receive concerns ‘fusing of pantheons’ and questions like, “can I incorporate spirit/god/demon
X in the eclectic system I created”? In other words it is about eclecticism and
it is about treading one’s path and making one’s life unique. While a pragmatic
outlook often serves the seeker well – I have great reservations with
eclecticism due to its power to mix the planes and invite confusion in all
possible directions.
In the process of discovering ones uniqueness
many engage in the pursuit of ‘making one’s own system’ and we see odd eclectic
hybrids take shape, what I call ‘jigsaw faiths’. There is nothing wrong in eclecticism per se,
if we are mindful about how and why we elect our choices. The problem with
eclecticism surfaces when we elect on basis of self-reference and engage in
mindless syncretism with the only goal being to give a religious or magical
support to our self-construct. I would say that modern theosophy and the New
Age movement are clear portents of this ‘jigsaw faith’ where doctrines and
techniques are elected in order to give support to a personal paradigm where
the greatest tool is syncretism. This leads to the most rudimentary of
phenomena being given a distorted importance because syncretism is something we
actively engage in to make the jigsaw puzzle to fit. In this process, if we
need to cut some corners or darken parts of the puzzle doesn’t matter, because
we are building our own reality, our own magic and is setting down our own
truths.
Let me take an example; I have discovered that
Kali is a deity that I feel an affinity with. This affinity is of course
mediated by how I understand my identity and Self. This is good, all
relationships starts in the same way, with a feeling of affinity. But as we all
know from all forms of relationships, our understanding of an affinity is just
a part of what makes this bond attractive or repulsive. And it is perhaps here
the error enters. We react to phenomena in a way that includes some things and
excludes other things. It is our categorical Self-reference that is in charge
of this election of what belongs and what not belongs. I believe this
psychological automatic lower reasoning is what many uses in order to build
their own magic, their own religion. Consequently it is not reason that
mediates how we elect but the passions.
Let us return to the example of feeling
affinity with Kali. Her icon reveals a bloodthirsty devi, skulls around her
neck and multiple arms – we speak of dominion and control – we see the female
powers in all her glory. This perception opens avenues in the soul for
syncretism where we see this form replicated in our history and the myths we
create in order to understand our past and future. In this work of making sense
of Self we engage in syncretism and tie in deities, doctrines and principles
with a subjective understanding of Kali. We are building our psychological
universe and we are erecting an esoteric myth that speaks about our identity
and aspirations. These constructions often disregard the perennial and cosmic
implications kali holds – implications that could provide ten thousand lanterns
of light upon our own life...
This is a good thing – if it is located to the
field of psychology and self understanding. But it is still first and foremost a mirror of
Self-reference with spiritual potential depending on how it is applied and understood.
Now, if we approach Kali from a purely
traditional point of view we will recognize the affinity but we will see the
cosmic dimensions. We will see her as mother of the ten wisdoms, as source of
maya and the field of possibility. We simply look out and see the landscape
widen as we realize our fated station in the cosmic web of possibility. This
approach calls upon an interest to understand and not pass judgments based on
what belongs or not with our identity. Rather we open our mind and heart and as
we walk on synthesis will occur natural and take the form of eureka’s. We
approach the mysteries as an adventure and we seek to understand the doctrine
that makes this adventure possible. It is no longer about defining identity but
realizing who we are – and in this journey there is no other way than let go of
the anchor that lodges us in temporal definitions of who we are. The appraisal
of the adventure is what constitutes the creative element and the mindful
reasoning upon the tenants of tradition and doctrine makes the field of
experience also a search for truth.
A traditional approach to the mysteries is
marked by interest and respect. The journey into mysteries is also the journey
within Self – because this is a discovery we make as the journey goes on. All
our realizations about who we are along this journey are but sojourns. We can
chose to stop and stay at whatever dwelling or we can walk on and become as
gods...
In this work respect is important. Respect for
tradition and respect for living cults and faiths. All living faiths are fluid
because they mirror the human journey – but they are also anchored in truths
perennial and not temporal. The social and cultural mask is simply a vestment
for truth, a passing meaningful symbol that can be shed for another as the
world and its stars turn around the eternal stable axis of the world.
I am a traditionalist, but I am also creative
in my approach and also very pragmatic, so for me to incorporate a foreign
spirit in my theosophical system of Self reverence, can give me a better idea
about where I am in the walk of life – but I would never make this subject for
cult. I prefer to approach a given spirit in its own domain and engage in the
effort it takes to understand this spiritual being in a more cosmic sense and
thus use this as a mirror than incorporating it into my own theosophical
construct.
I hold that it is by threading the world
gracefully in the path of interest and respect we can actually realize who we
are – and in this journey it will always be helpful to be rooted in some
traditional faith, because this lays down the compass of the worlds – and not
an eclectic compass for self reference.
So, in response to the many questions
concerning ‘incorporating spirits into whatever self created system’ I would
say, it is an error. It is a witness of lack of understanding, lack of interest
and affirms a bounty of hubris. I believe we are all unique and we all have our
station in life that will provide fulfillment of any kind. The human journey is
about discovering and accepting this fundamental principle. When we build a
personal cult rooted in affinities we invite a dualism into our life where we
define who we are based upon what we are not, what we don’t like and what has
no appeal. Much of modern syncretism and eclecticism is motivated by this same
tendency – and often it leads to an illusion of truth where we catch just the
shadows of Self – and thus we build unrelated torches in darkness and impose a
connection upon them that makes our identity seem more understandable – but do
we?