| The purpose of this dissertation is to articulate and defend a theory of the essential unity of two mystical traditions: rDzogs-chen and Rhineland mysticism. Based on a systems approach to the doctrines and practices of each, it will be shown that both traditions affect common transformative processes in the consciousness of the practitioner. This thesis exemplifies (as well as supports) a general theory of mysticism I refer to as “soteriological ecumenism.” This theory asserts that the unity of mystical traditions is not based on cross-culturally identical doctrines and/or experiences, but on a common soteriological trajectory discernable within the traditions (which may or may not manifest itself in similar or identical doctrines and experiences). The essence of this trajectory is the erosion of the ego and the “opening up” of consciousness, experientially realized as a deepening attunement to the Real.; A systems approach to mysticism (and the ecumenical theory it supports) is justified on two levels. First, it is justified in a negative sense by the fundamental inadequacy of current, philosophical approaches to mysticism: perennialist, typological, and constructivist. In Chapters One and Two this inadequacy will be demonstrated, establishing the need for an alternative approach to mysticism. Second, a systems approach to mysticism is justified in a positive sense, based on its own philosophical, epistemological, and psychological merits, as well as its ability to account for a wider range of the data. In Chapter Three this systems approach will be explained by reviewing some of the general principles of systems theory and presenting a systems-based model of consciousness/mind based on those principles. Chapters Four and Five survey central doctrines and practices from two mystical traditions: rDzogs-chen and Rhineland mysticism respectively. Using the systems-based model of consciousness discussed in Chapter Three, the interpretation of these teachings will focus on the issue of soteriological efficacy: how they might transform the consciousness of the practitioner who internalizes them and lives them. Chapter Six concludes this project. It compares the doctrines and practices of rDzogs-chen and Rhineland mysticism from a systems perspective, showing the essential unity of these two mystical paths and, by implication, the essential unity of mystical traditions in general. |
