|
Happy therefore is the person who by continual removal of
fantasies and images, by turning within, and raising the mind to
God, finally manages to dispense with the products of the
imagination, and by so doing works within, nakedly and simply, and
with a pure understanding and will, on the simplest of all
objects, God.
So eliminate from your mind all fantasies, objects, images and
shapes of all things other than God, so that, with just naked
understanding, intent and will, your practice will be concerned
with God himself within you.
For this is the end of all spiritual exercises - to turn the mind
to the Lord God and rest in him with a completely pure
understanding and a completely devoted will, without the
entanglements and fantasies of the imagination. This sort of
exercise is not practised by fleshly organs nor by the exterior
senses, but by that by which one is indeed a man. For a man is
precisely understanding and will.
For that reason, in so far as a man is still playing with the
products of the imagination and the senses, and holds to them, it
is obvious that he has not yet emerged from the motivation and
limitations of his animal nature, that is of that which he shares
in common with the animals. For these know and feel objects by
means of recognised shapes and sense impressions and no more,
since they do not possess the higher powers of the soul.
But it is different with man, who is created in the image and
likeness of God with understanding, will, and free choice, through
which he should be directly, purely and nakedly impressed and
united with God, and firmly adhere to him. For this reason the
Devil tries eagerly and with all his power to hinder this practice
so far as he can, being envious of this in man, since it is a sort
of prelude and initiation of eternal life.
So he is always trying to draw man's mind away from the Lord God,
now by temptations or passions, now by superfluous worries and
pointless cares, now by restlessness and distracting conversation
and senseless curiosity, now by the study of subtle books,
irrelevant discussion, gossip and news, now by hardships, now by
opposition, etc.
Such matters may seem trivial enough and hardly sinful, but they
are a great hindrance to this holy exercise and practice.
Therefore, even if they may appear useful and necessary, they
should be rejected, whether great or small, as harmful and
dangerous, and put out of our minds.
Above all therefore it is necessary that things heard, seen, done
and said, and other such things, must be received without adding
things from the imagination, without mental associations and
without emotional involvement, and one should not let past or
future associations, implications or constructs of the imagination
form and grow. For when constructs of the imagination are not
allowed to enter the memory and mind, a man is not hindered,
whether he be engaged in prayer, meditation, or reciting psalms,
or in any other practice or spiritual exercise, nor will they
recur again.
So commit yourself confidently and without hesitation, all that
you are, and everything else, individually and in general, to the
unfailing and totally reliable providence of God, in silence and
in peace, and he will fight for you. He will liberate you and
comfort you more fully, more effectively and more satisfactorily
than if you were to dream about it all the time, day and night,
and were to cast around frantically all over the place with the
futile and confused thoughts of your mind in bondage, nor will you
wear out your mind and body, wasting your time, and stupidly and
pointlessly exhausting your strength.
So accept everything, separately and in general, wherever it comes
from and whatever its origin, in silence and peace, and with an
equal mind, as coming to you from a father's hand and his divine
providence. So render your imagination bare of the images of all
physical things as is appropriate to your state and profession, so
that you can cling to him with a bare and undivided mind, as you
have so often and so completely vowed to do, without anything
whatever being able to come between your soul and him, so that you
can pass purely and unwaveringly from the wounds of his humanity
into the light of his divinity.
|