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Is THE MYSTICISM OF GIORDANO BRUNO A FORM OF INITIATION “By means of the intellectual operation and of the will following that operation, [the soul of the furioso] refers to divine light and to the beatific object”:’® It is an operation of intellect, which, “after leaving any care and concern about them [scil. the secondary images], is completely turned towards and focused on the contemplation of the one”.”” The analysis of point 9 calls attention to an important difference between initiation and mysticism. While initiation is permanent and definitive, mystical achievement is not a definitive state. The human condition is reversible: in fact, the mystical state can easily cease because of the loss of the bond between the human being and God. Should the soul lose its perfect structure, in which intellect and will are bound to the divinity and the will is subordinated to the intellect, a fall to a merely human condition can occur, in which the human is subdued to determination. If the eroico furioso desists from his or her inner deed, the superior human being leaves the divine condition of the few, embracing the slumber of the many. Points 10 and 11 reveal another difference between the mysticism of Bruno and the metaphysical kind ofinitiation. According to Bruno, the divine human can establish a mutual dialogue in order to inspire self-knowledge. However, this is not a crucial element for the inner deed, and the divine human is not placed inside a chain of transmission of a special or hidden gnosis. The idea of community can be found in the mysticism of Bruno, both as an inter pares group (i.e. a brotherhood of wise men) and in accordance with the political organism (where a cooperative community encourages and supports the role and the work of the pauci optimi).'* Nevertheless, in my opinion, it is not possible to refer to this concept in terms of an esoteric organization. Regarding point 12, in contrast with the mysticism of Meister Eckhart,” Giordano Bruno speaks in terms of a gradualness of the ascent. Therefore, according to Bruno, the inner deed is mostly considered as the final step on the path leading to the unio mystica; nevertheless, he admits a kind of ladder of intellectual species through which the intellect should proceed in order to achieve the summit.”° The ascent of humans in knowledge is characterized “Per l’operazione intellettuale e la volunta conseguente dopo tale operazione, si riferisce alla sua luce e beatifico oggetto”: Furori, I, 3, 566. “Lasciata ogni cura e pensiero di esse, tutto é volto et intento a considerar quell’uno”: Furori, I, 3, 565. 18 Cf. Furori, IL, 2, 684-685, 687-689. See also F. Papi, Antropologia e civilta nel pensiero di Giordano Bruno, 172. Generally speaking, in the mystical conception of Meister Eckhart, humankind is either detached and noble or subdued to creaturality: tertium non datur. Nevertheless, Eckhart hints in some passages at a certain graduality in the ascent process leading man to an authentical placing in God. See in particular some passages of Eroici furori which were influenced by the thought of Averroes: Furori, I, 5, 614-615, 620-621. See L. Spruit, IJ problema della conoscenza in Giordano Bruno; §. Mancini, La sfera infinita. Identita e differenza nel pensiero di Giordano 20 +215 + Daréczi-Sepsi-Vassänyi_Initiation_155x240.indb 215 6 2020.06.15. 11:04:21
