St. Teresa of Avila and Oriental Mysticism

Abstract

The whole Christian world is already celebrating or preparing to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the death of the great saint and mystic, Teresa of Avila, who was born on March 28, 1515, and died on October 15, 1582.This event is of great importance for the whole Christian world, but there is one aspect of her life which makes it more important in this end of the XXth century, her mystical experience.This is the question I am asking myself before you today.What is the meaning of her mystical way, for the so called Oriental World?Hence the title St. Teresa of, Avila and Oriental Mysticism.I do not intend to make an exhaustive presentation of the problem, because it would require too much study and too much time to present the result of it.I will point out to a few points I am more familiar with.This should not and cannot be exhaustive.But it is important that it opens perspectives for reflection and ways for thought, and I hope it will do so.For this study, I need to choose a point of departure more fitting with my own experience.This point of departure will not be an analysis of Teresa's experience, but it will be the Oriental mystical experience.From this Oriental experience I will