Mystical
Physiology1
and Immortality: An Introduction2
One of the most peculiar teachings of the Asian religious
traditions of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Taoism is an association made between a type of
physiological system and immortality. Certainly, many scientists would reduce the
conviction of "immortality" to some kind of physiological dysfunction. Yet,
unlike the belief systems3 of
the Western religious traditions, the esoteric teachings of the Asian religions focus
squarely on methodology, and so, theoretically, the realization of
"immortality" is something that can be empirically validated by anyone and
everyone.
One would certainly have to qualify the term empirical, though. In a room full of
individuals who have all undergone the same near-death experience, i.e., the experience of seeing their physical
body from another vantage point, the trip through a tunnel, the past life review and
judgement, the light, there is the kind of knowledge that constitutes a different type of
consensually validated understanding of reality. They know that death is not
the end of their existence, although there is no way for them to prove it to others.4 Similarly, according to the
Asian religious traditions, spiritual knowledge can only be had through direct experience.
That direct experience is analogous to taking a sip from a cup of water — someone can tell you that the water is hot or cold, but it is only when the
water is inside your mouth that you KNOW if it is hot or cold. Since it is a
direct experience, it is beyond being "institutionalized" into religious dogma. It
cannot be passed on by words or concepts. It is essentially a subjective matter.
Spiritual transformation of the kind honored by the Buddhist, Hindu and Taoist traditions,
is rarely seen today for the same reason that it was rarely seen in the past. It is an
accomplishment that bests all the accomplishments of man. It requires a dedication, a
super-human (read: godlike) resolution. Requiring an other-worldly determination that
lasts years (it took the Buddha six years), most men and women would rather pursue more
predictable pleasures and accomplishments.
Above all, these systems of mystical physiology are concerned with freedom of
consciousness,5 the
principle of awareness, and as ordinary consciousness must seemingly undergo changes
before it realizes its freedom, these practices are concerned with the transformation
of consciousness. The transformation that mystical physiology brings about works towards
this end as an operational model and exploratory map which, as an index of a larger
dimension of human experience, points to a new horizon of value.
Mystical physiology might be defined as a subtle or invisible force that animates the
body, the life energy known as prana or ch'i. It is associated with
respiration and sexual energy. The Chinese practice of acupuncture is founded
upon the
principles of mystical physiology. In each of the three systems, Buddhist, Hindu and
Taoist, life-energy is manipulated via concentration and breathing utilized as a means of
transforming consciousness. These three systems are apparently linked
with the rise of Tantric Yoga, the origins of which are still shrouded in
mystery.
Using representative sources from Hinduism, Buddhism, and Taoism, each tradition's
mystical physiological model will first be examined. Then the tradition's model or concept
of bondage and "immortality" will be presented. Each section will conclude with
an analysis of how the mystical physiological model functions in the tradition's path to
knowledge and liberation.
(Footnotes, illustrations and bibliography to be added when time permits)
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