ఆంధ్ర గ్రంథాలయం/సంపుటము 1/సంచిక 1/Spiritual Experience and Mysticism-A Problem in Classification

by పుణ్యమూర్తి

Spiritual Experience and Mysticism

A PROBLEM IN CLASSIFICATION

by S.R. RANGANATHAN M.A., L.T., F.L.A.,

Librarian, Madras University Library & Secretary, Madras Library Association

The colon Scheme of classification was first conceived in 1924. The details were worked out in the process of classifying the varied collection of the Madras University Library during the next nine years. It was found increasingly impracticable the curry out the work any longer with a manuscript scheme. Hence the first edition of the Colon classification was published in 1933. But there were then certain subjects which were still either intractable or unsatisfactorily done. Law, Biology, Veterinary Science and Indian Philosophy belonged to the latter category. Spiritual Experience, Mysticism and Occultism together with occult practices like Astrology, Palmistry and Spiritualism and Psychical Research belonged to the former.

During the last six years thought has been concentrated on these subjects. Their intrinsic difficulties were understood better by a closer study and by the widening of experience due to effect of time. The methodology of classification was sharpened and brought to conscious level in the Prolegomena to library classification (1937).

EXPERIMENTAL PLACING

In the meantime the books on mysticism and occultism were experimentally placed in several classes and the reactions on the readers were observed. For example:

(i) Following the lead of the American Psychological Society and the Decimal Classification, Occultism and the topics of so called Metapsychology were grouped under "S: 8 Metapsychology" in the Main Class "S.Psychology",

(ii) Metaphysics pursued from the mystical point of view was placed in a special division R 36 of "R Philosophy".

(iii) Similarly mystical apprehension as source of knowledge was placed in a special division R 26 of "R2 Epistemology".

(iv) The Psychology of the mystic was placed in the secial class S 66 of "S 6 Abnormal Psychology".

(v) Lives of mystics were for sometime placed in S 66 and later changed to Y 166, as if the mystics formed a special social

group. For some time they were also tried in the division "S: 76 Intuition" as an element of Personality. Some were put in the Class "Q Religion".

(vi) Under the influence of the kind of information that was published ten yers ago in the volumes of the Yogamimamsa, Hata Yoga were first put in "L:3 Human Physiology". Later it was put in a special class of "MY Physical Culture". Wherever it was put, justice was not done to its sharply defined individuality and aroma.

(vii) Descriptions of occult practices like witchcraft, werewolf etc were put in "Y 172 Primitive Anthropology". This violated the Canon of Reticence to some extent.

(viii) Astrology was another source of trial. It was first put in Class "B9:9 Application of Astronomy". But other modes of prediction like Palmistry would not go there.

(ix) Kolisko's works of Rudolf Steiner's school which brought occult agriculture, occult medicine and occult chemistry to experimental level brought the whole problem to a head.

DIFFICULTIES ENCOUNTERED

In none of the experimental places was it found easy to assemble the mystic into the popularly recognised groups like the Yogis of India and Tibet, Sufis of Islam, the Christian Mystics of Europe, the Zen Buddhists of Japan, the Chinese mystics and so on. Nor was it possible to subdivide any of these to the desired extent. It was not, for example, easy to distinguish the different schools of Yoga such as Hata, Jnana, Bhakti and Raja. Nor was it convenient to bring together the books on the methodology of spiritual practice, peculiar to each school. In short the resources on the subject were scattered far too much on the one hand and jumbled together promiscuously and left undifferentiated on the other.

THE RANGE TO BE COVERED

No doubt God, Soul and Nature are the chief topics in which mystical literature is rich. But no subject-not even the so called positive sciences like, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Biology-is altogether beyond the range of spiritual experience and mystical literature.

SEPARATION OF CATEGORIES

The fact is that it is possible for any class of knowledge to be expounded on a mystical level as well as on an intellectual one. The former kind of exposition may be said to be non-national. But it may be amount to a violance of Reticence¹^[1] if we call it irrational. The terms 'rational' and 'irrational belong only to the level of intellection. But occult mystic, spiritual) experiences belong to the sphere of direct insight. And those who do not recognise the possibility of any mode of apprehension other than intellection may even question its validity. But it is not proper for the classifier to take sides in the controversy. The right course for him is simply to separate the literature based on the two modes of apprehension. A long established sanskritic tradition recognises such a separation. It uses the lable Kartrtantra (experimental, analytical study) to denote exposition based on intellection, whereas that based on illumination is denoted by the term Vastutantra global, holistic study).

TESTIMONY OF CONTEMPORARY MYSTICS

A wide study of books was necessary to realise this. But it was not sufficient. When the mind was well preoccupied with the difficulties of the problem, several nights of discussion with a realised soul, Swami Natesananda, brought some clarity and dynamic belief in the existence of a mystical approach which appears to be more real than our ordinary intellectual approach. At the right moment, yet another realised soul, Swami Turiyanda Brahmendra Saraswati, disciple of Swayamprakasa Brahmendra Saraswati of Sendemangalam made a call on a certain night and gave a delightful exposition of the basis of knowledge as set forth in Vedic literature and incidentally supplied the traditional terms, already mentioned, to lable the two distinct groups of literature corresponding to the two modes of approach and apprehension or insight.

THE SYMBOL DELTA

Having decided that a new Main Class should be opened with the caption "Spiritual Experience and Mysticism", a symbol had to be found to represent it. All the letters of the Roman alphabet and all the Arabic numerals had already been exhausted in representing the so-called positive sciences and humanities. Hence a new symbol had to be improvised. The age-long △ used as a mystic symbol practically all the world over and particularly in the Sri Chakra easily suggested itself and it was readily adopted. It may be remembered that it also occurs as a letter of the Greek alphabet and is pronounced "Delta". And so during the last few months "Delta" has become almost a proper name with us for the distincitive concept involved in the Main Class, Spiritual Experience and Mysticism.

ORDINAL VALUE OF DELTA

Then came the problem of fixing its ordinal value. It was defined to lie between M and N. A full explanation of the considerations that led to the adoption of this value for △ will make this paper too long and may even throw it out of focus. Hence I shall deal with that question in a later issue of this organ and proceed to conclude this communication with a short account of the way in which the new Main Class is subdivided.

BASIS OF SUBDIVISION OF DELTA

△0 Three trains of characteristics are to be used for sub-dividing the Main Class △ viz., Religion or 'R', Problem or 'P and Entity or 'E'.

△01 The three trains of characteristics are to be taken in the order 'R', 'P' and 'E'.

△02 The number corresponding to these three trains of characteristics may be termed Religion Number, Problem Number and Entity Number respectively¹^[2].

DIVISIONS BASED ON THE TRAIN OF
RELIGION OR P
CHARACTERISTIC

1 Integral Yoga (Aurabindo)

2 Hindu

22 Hata

23 Jnana

24 Karma

25 Bhakti

26 Raja

3 Jaina

4 Buddhistic

43 Tibetan.

46 Zen

5 Judaic

6 Christian

63 Gnostic

7 Islamic

73 Sufi

841 Chinese

8513 Neoplatonic

DIVISIONS BASED ON THE TRAIN OF
PROBLEM OR P
CHARACTERISTIC

1 Nomenclature

18 Symbolism

3 Technique

34 Breath control

5 Visions

6 Tradition

7 Interpretation and relation 862

8 Occultism

83 Manifestation

853 Clairaudience

834 Telepathy

835 Clairvoyance

84 Transformation

85 Prophesy

862 Palmistry

864 Astrology

866 Precognition

8692 Omens

87 Magic and witchcraft

872 Sympathetic

874 Ceremonial

DIVISIONS BASED ON THE TRAIN OF
ENTITY OR E
CHARACTERISTIC

1 Spiritual

11 God

14 Man (Soul)

15 Fairies

16 Disembodied soul

2 Nature

21 Earth

216 Mountain

217 River

25 Ocean

2B9 Heavenly Bodies

2B92 Moon

2B93 Sun

2B94 Planets

2B96 Stars

2C5 Space

2C6 Time

2E2 Fire

5 Vision

Here are some examples, taken from the recent additions to the Madras University Library. Full call numbers i.e., class numbers as well as book numbers are given.

△ x Works

△x M96 G3 KRISHNAMURTI (Jiddu) Authentic report...of talks given in Latin America, at Ojai etc.

△ xM96 1:9 E8 ARUNDALE (George S). Thoughts on "At the feet of Master."

△ y? Mystics

△ y7M36 35G8 PAPAIYA CHETTY (B). Sri Saileela.

△ y7M651 G7 YEATES (W. B.). A vision.

△ y7 M7 G5 YOUNGHUSBAND (Francis) Modern mystics.

△ y7M70 G8 NARASIMHASWAMI (B.V.) Sage of Sakori

△ y7M96 F7 WODEHOUSE (E. A.). The new Krishnaji.

△:8 Occultism

△: 8 G6 CANNON (Alxender.) The power of Karma in relation to destiny.

△: 8:16 Spiritualism

△:8:16 G4 TYRRELL (G. N. M) Science and psychical phenomena.

△ 8:16 35E6 JAGANNADHASWAMI (P) Atmavigna Sanghamu: Psychical research and man's survival of bodily death.

△: 8:5 F6 BARRETT (William) Death bed visions.

△: 8:9 G8 WESTAWAY (F. W.) Obsessions and convictions of the human intellect.

△: 8:B12 G4.1 MELTON (Roy) Metaphysics of numerology. V.1

△: 84 v 5:N2 G3 SUMMERS (Montague) Werewolf.

△: 864 Astrology

△: 864 15F3 NRISIMHA SURI Kalaprakasika.

△: 864 31F1 RAMANUJACHARYA (U). Tr. Kalamrita.

△: 866 G5 CARINGTON (Whetely) Preliminary experiments in precognitive guesssing.

△: 87 v5: N2 F6 SUMMERS (Montgue) History of witchcraft

△: R G7 HUGES (T. H.) Philosophic basis of mysticism.

△ 1:3 Technique of integral Yoga

△ 1: 3 G6 AUROBINDO, Bases of Yoga.

△ 2 Hindu Mysticism

△ 2 y7 M82 G2 PUROHIT SWAMI. An Indian monk.

△ 2: 3 G6 BRUNTON (Paul). The quest of overself.

△ 3 JAIN MYSTICISM

△ 3 x D50 152G7 YOGINUDEVA. Parematmaprakasa...an Apabramsa work

△ 5:8 Judaic Occultism

△ 5: 8x1 G1.1-G1.5 SPERLING (Henry), etc. Trs Zohar. 5V.

△ 5:8 G2 REGARDIE (Israel). A garden of pomegranates an outline of the Qubalah.

△ 73 Sufism

△ 73 x GO 7 G7 JALALUDDIN RUMI, Mathnawi.

△ 73 G7 INAYATKHAN. Way of illumination: a guide book to the Sufi movement.

OCCULT TREATMENT OF ANY SUBJECT

Apart from the above treatment of books that deal with the commonly occurring topics in △, a book which treats of any of the ordinary subjects from an occult point of view is to be numbered △, which should be amplified by the Subject Device¹^[3].

Examples:

1. Friend's Monograph on gold will have the number E1:118. But Kolisko's Gold and the sun which gives an occult account of the chemistry of gold will be numbered △ E 1:118.

2. Haddock's Location of mineral fields will have the number H 7:15. But Barrett's Divining rod will be numbered △ H 7:15.

3. Ellwood's Cultural evolution which is published in the Century Social Science Series and gives an ordinary intellectual account of civilisation will have the number Y 1:1 But Ernest Wood's Seven rays which gives an occult exposition of civilisation is numbered △AY 1:1

These examples may be sufficient to indicate the great clarity and convenience that have been gained by the opening of the new Main Class △. Books of the type mentioned above were a problem for us during the last 15 years. The Reference Staff was hard put to it to find these books for the readers, to satisfy the Second Law of Library Science "Every Reader His Book". The Third Law "Every Book Its Reader" was also equally violated as the ordinary way of classifying these books would not bring them together so that they may attract the attention of the readers who may come for any one of them. It goes without saying that the Fourth Law "Save the Time of the Reader" was violated both by the catalogue and by the sequence of books. The mixing up of the few books giving an occult treatment of a subject with the mass of books giving an ordinary account of the same was, on the one hand, irritating to the ordinary reader and, on the other, meant the virtual hiding away of occult books from these interested in them.

THE FORMATION OF △SEQUENCE

The opening of the Main Class △ and the amplifying of the same by the Subject Device really results in dividing the entire library into two sequences:

the Vastutantra (occult, global, holistic, mystic) or △ sequence; and

the Kartrtantra (ordinary, analytical, experimental intellectual) or non- △ sequence.

Such a separation is refreshing to all concerned and helps a better fulfilment of all the Laws of Library Science'¹^[4]. This is what we have experienced in the Madras University Library during the last one year when the △ sequence was formed and the reaction on the readers was observed. Several readers have expressed a great sense of relief on finding all the △ books together. Many have also testified to the great help they have found in the filiation order in which the △ books get arranged among themselves by this scheme of classification.

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1. Vide RAGANATHAN (S. R.) Prolegomena to library classification (Madras Library Association publication series, 6). P. 68
2. These rules are taken from chapter A of Part I of the second edition of the Colon classification (1939).
3. Vide. RANGANATHAN (S. R.). Colon classification. (Madras Library Association Publication series, 8). Rule 66.
4. Vide. RANGANATHAN (S.R.) Five laws of library science (Madras Library Association Publication series, 2)