Syncretic Analysis of Theological Mystic Epistemologies

Abstract

Having diverse theological metaphors and mystical practices, Greek and Asian theological tenets are quite similar which can be traced back from Pythagorean cult to ancient Hinduism and Islamic mystical traditions. The study aimed to explore such similarities among theological scriptures. We selected original scriptures (English translated) of Hinduism, Buddhism, Pythagoreanism and Sufism and used content analysis to discover syncretic level of these blocks of beliefs that revealed their diverse metaphorical picture but syncretic nature of textual campaign. The juxtaposed picture of diverse mystical metaphors elicited different beliefs of transmigration, soul-body discourses, pantheism and panentheism while we found syncretic ideas ‘above mystical metaphors’ like the experience of nirvana, Mukti and Fana in Buddhism, Hinduism and Sufism, respectively, and similarity of beliefs on karmic reactions, pantheism, Panentheism, liberation etc. However, the practices to have the rendezvous –The Unit-Whole mergence – were diverse whereas the ultimate end of these mystical experiences led the indulgers from individual consciousness to universal consciousness: The Unity of Truths.