The Transcendent In Religion - Essay Example

The transcendent in religion is located in the experience of going beyond the known borders of identity and existence into a vast, expanded sense ofbeing or awareness of the universe. While this may appear escapist or appeal to the desire to escape the sufferings of this world, it is an important psychological process which brings the individual in contact with his or her higher Self. Ironically, in many world religions such as Buddhism and Taoism, it is through realizing selflessness that transcendence is experienced.

In Zen this may be a glimpse of higher mental awareness and reality as in satori, or a progressive result of training in the meditative state. (Suzuki, 1970, p. 115) Similarly, the transcendent in religion can be found in the ecstatic cults of trance, dance, possession and shamanism as they reappear throughout history in cultures and religions across the globe. (Eliade, 2004) These ecstatic or trance-like religious experiences are important in mysticism, as they combine elements of the transcendent God with the immanent One.

In these aspects, unity of consciousness and the extent of awareness sweeping to deep histories of time or cosmic evolution can be most critical in the mystical experience as defined. (Kessler, 2005) The immanent God does not take the individual away from this world or into deeper states of consciousness, but more into an awareness of the beauty of every moment. In Buddhism and Taoism, this immanence may also be the result of the meditative process and monks or nuns may train in attaining this state of awareness.

(Suzuki, 1970) The expression of this can be seen in Zen calligraphy or nature paintings, where the organic aspects are abstracted with pen and ink into a new language required to express the state of tranquility. What Taoism and Buddhism share in this experience is a mutual recognition of two dimensions to Mind. The first is the mind that thinks and discourses as ego or the stream of consciousness. The second is the more vast and tranquil, empty awareness that one has when the mind is empty and clear of concepts.

With these two states of Mind come also two types of seeing or perception, and they may represent a more fundamental duality that is also represented in the Tao. (Capra, 2000) That God may have many aspects that are seemingly contradictory in appearance to the human mind but unified on a grander scale of reality is an important part of Islam, with the differing names of Allah reflecting a vastness of Being that is reflective of the greatness of the universe. (Mawlana Faizani International , 2005) Scientific approaches such as “The Tao of Physics” point to a transcendent divinity that can also be a living presence, moment to moment, but that is not inconsistent with modern understanding of mathematics, evolution, and natural science.

(Capra, 2000) This is appealing personally, as it satisfies the psychological need for a higher power while maintaining the connection and respect for our highest minds in contemporary culture doing research into physics and astronomy. The universe is truly vast and diverse, not only on our own planet but in the solar system and universe. The immanent God would be equally attentive to every atom and sub-atomic particle as to the dance of the universe as depicted in Hinduism. (Pirsig, 1992) Yet, it is difficult to see a personal God directing our lives in such a manner when confronted with natural disasters, diseases, and tragedies of other sorts that would easily be preventable by an omniscient, loving God or Buddha.

Thus, one has to wonder about the legacy of religious teachings as transmitted to modernity if they do not answer this fundamental question of suffering. The transcendent God takes the individual out of the suffering world and awakens him or her to a vaster reality and concept of the self, which is personally preferable to me than a personal God who is claimed to be compassionate but who fails to act on vital occasions, such as the weak, poor, ill, and other individuals suffering from terrible personal tragedies.

Sources Cited: Capra, Fritjof (2000), The Tao of Physics: An Exploration of the Parallels Between Modern Physics and Eastern Mysticism, Berkeley: Shambhala Publications, 2000. Eliade, Mircea (2004), Shamanism: Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy, Princeton University Press, 2004. Kessler, Gary (2005), Studying Religion: An Introduction Through Cases, McGraw Hill Higher Education, 2005. Mawlana Faizani International (Arabic transliteration: Laysa Kamithlihi Shayun Wa Huwa As-Sami' ul-Basir) (2005), 99 Names of Allah, Mawlana Faizani International, 1997 – 2005.

Web, accessed 1/13/2011, . Pirsig, Robert (1992), Lila: An Inquiry Into Morals, New York: Bantam Books, November 1, 1992. Suzuki, Daisetz Teitaro & Fromm, Erich and De Martino, Richard (1970), Zen Buddhism & Psychoanalysis, Taylor & Francis, 1970. Web, accessed 1/13/2011, .