The Cloud Of Unknowing | A Cloud Of Forgetting

And therefore God, that is the ruler of nature, will not in His giving of time go before the stirring of nature in man's soul; the which is even according to one time only. IMAGINATION is a power through the which we portray all images of absent and present things, and both it and the thing that it worketh in be contained in the Memory. Beware of error here, I pray thee; for ever, the nearer men touch the truth, more wary men behoveth to be of error. Lines by heart: The Cloud of Unknowing. But all other comforts, sounds and gladness and sweetness, that come from without suddenly and thou wottest never whence, I pray thee have them suspect. Much love had she to Him. But God can be love and chosen by the true, loving will of your heart. The first part is good, and this part is the better; for this is the second degree of active life and the first of contemplative life.

1. Cloud of unknowing commentary
2. The cloud of unknowing quotes
3. The cloud of unknowing and other works
4. The cloud of unknowing free pdf

Cloud Of Unknowing Commentary

Michael Molinos: The Spiritual Guide. "So be very careful how you spend your time. This edition is now out of print. And on this manner may this deceit befall. This is true sorrow; this is perfect sorrow; and well were him that might win to this sorrow. For as it is said before, it is prayed in the length of the spirit; so that it should never cease, till the time were that it had fully gotten that that it longed after. Michael recites The Cloud of Unknowing - put yourself to the test and see if you can memorise this poem too. By Moses's long travail and his late shewing, be understood those that may not come to the perfection of this ghostly work without long travail coming before: and yet but full seldom, and when God will vouchsafe to shew it.

The Cloud Of Unknowing Quotes

Chapter 20 – How Almighty God will goodly answer for all those that for the excusing of themselves list not leave their business about the love of Him. That something else is God, hidden in a cloud of unknowing. For ofttimes it befalleth that lacking of knowing is cause of much pride as me thinketh. But far better and more worthily than I do, thou mayest work if thou wilt be Aaron: that is to say, continually working therein for thee and for me. "Therefore swink and sweat in all that thou canst and mayst, for to get thee a true knowing and a feeling of thyself as thou art; and then I trow that soon after that, thou shalt have a true knowing and a feeling of God as He is. "Him I covet, Him I seek, and nought but Him. And therefore purpose thee to put down such clear beholdings, be they never so holy nor so likely. Indeed, specific passages bear uncanny resemblances to oriental sutras and upanishads, such is their exposition on the nature of thought, being in the present moment and the act of immersing the self in a state of unknowing, which the anonymous author deems synonymous with a "cloud". 'Where then, ' you ask, 'will I be?

The Cloud Of Unknowing And Other Works

But recklessness in venial sin should always be eschewed of all the true disciples of perfection; and else I have no wonder though they soon sin deadly. For right as in that Ark were contained all the jewels and the relics of the Temple, right so in this little love put upon this cloud be contained all the virtues of man's soul, the which is the ghostly Temple of God. For truly I tell thee, that bodily and fleshly conceits of them that have curious and imaginative wits be cause of much error. For without it no saint nor no angel can think to desire it. Thus should not we do if we will well do.

The Cloud Of Unknowing Free Pdf

For if I could find any shorter words, so fully comprehending in them all good and all evil, as these two words do, or if I had been learned of God to take any other words either, I would then have taken them and left these; and so I counsel that thou do. And Saint Gregory to witness, that all holy desires grow by delays: and if they wane by delays, then were they never holy desires. And if I shall shortlier say, let that thing do with thee and lead thee whereso it list. And therefore me thinketh always that they should be had excused: for why, they know no better living than is that they live in themselves. And how answered He?

But for this, that she should not think that it were the best work of all that man might do, therefore He added and said: 'But one thing is necessary. And yet no work is easier or achieved more quickly, provided that a soul is helped on by grace and has a conscious longing for it. Hereby mayest thou see somewhat in part, that whoso knoweth not the powers of their own soul, and the manner of their working, may full lightly be de- ceived in understanding of words that be written to ghostly intent. With this word, thou shalt beat on this cloud and this darkness above thee. And if them think that there is no manner of thing that they do, bodily or ghostly, that is sufficiently done with witness of their conscience, unless this privy little love pressed be in manner ghostly the chief of all their work: and if they thus feel, then it is a token that they be called of God to this work, and surely else not. It is only thus that you can destroy the ground and root of sin…. And specially they be very tokens of unstable- ness of heart and unrestfulness of mind, and specially of the lacking of the work of this book. Chapter 47 – A slight teaching of this work in purity of spirit; declaring how that on one manner a soul should shew his desire unto God, and on ye contrary unto man. For with this question you have brought me into the same darkness, the same kind of unknowing where I want you to be! And if it be a thing that pleaseth thee, or hath pleased thee before, there riseth in thee a passing delight for to think on that thing what so it be.

Let him lustily incline thereto, for that shall never be taken away: for if it begin here, it shall last without end. And yet thought He it not enough, but if He affirmed it after by miracle; and for this cause He shewed Him unto Saint Martin by revelation. And I pray thee for God's love that thou let none see this book, unless it be such one that thee think is like to the book; after that thou findest written in the book before, where it telleth what men and when they should work in this work. On the same manner shalt thou do with this little word "God. " Beware, thou wretch, in this while with thine enemy; and hold thee never the holier nor the better, for the worthiness of this calling and for the singular form of living that thou art in. For whoso would or might behold unto them where they sit in this time, an it so were that their eyelids were open, he should see them stare as they were mad, and leeringly look as if they saw the devil. For all that will leave sin and ask mercy shall be saved through the virtue of His Passion. Not as these heretics do, the which be well likened to madmen having this custom, that ever when they have drunken of a fair cup, cast it to the wall and break it. But in the higher part of contemplative life, a man is above himself and under his God.

You even may have little effort to make or none. Chapter 25 – That in the time of this work a perfect soul hath no special beholding to any one man in this life. The two principal working powers, Reason and Will, work purely in themselves in all ghostly things, without help of the other two secondary powers. And if it be love or plesaunce, or any manner of fleshly dalliance, glosing or flattering of any man or woman living in this life, or of thyself either: then it is Lechery. For in the love of JESUS; there shall be thine help.