Greco-Christian stream·Rhineland Mystics·Heinrich Suso·Chapter LIII.

Source context

Theme

late-stage mystical exercises and contemplative devotion in Suso's spiritual itinerary

Soul-faculty

Consciousness Soul

Steiner

not engaged in the GA corpus

Cross-tradition

• Dominican mystical tradition (Eckhart, Tauler lineage)Suso's late-chapter exercises in self-surrender and loving contemplation run structurally parallel to the Eckhartian detachment (Abgeschiedenheit) and Tauler's interior passivity, representing a shared Dominican-mystical idiom of the 14th century.
• Devotio ModernaThe affective and practical devotional orientation characteristic of Suso's later chapters shows cross-tradition congruence with the Devotio Moderna's emphasis on interior piety and humble self-examination.

Chapter LIII.

Maxims, conformable to right reason, for the guidance of an exterior man into his interior.

Let thy walk be an interior one, and be not given to break out either in words or in thy walk.

Act according to the truth in simplicity, and whatever happens, be not helpful to thyself; for he who helps himself too much will not be helped by the Truth.

When thou art with men pay no heed to what thou seest or hearest, and cleave to that alone which has shown itself to thee (i.e. re-

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member God alone who has shown Himself to thee under these outward things).

Be careful that in thy actions thy reason goes first; for when the sensual appetite gets the start, every evil comes of it.

God wishes not to deprive us of pleasure ; but He wishes to give us pleasure in its totality, that is to say, all pleasure.

The more mightily thou humblest thyself, the higher thou shalt be exalted.

He who wishes to dwell in his inmost inte- rior, must rid himself of all multiplicity. We must habitually reject all that is not the one thing.

Where the sensual appetite is the moving principle of a man's actions, there is toil, suffer- ing, and mental darkness.

What greater pleasure is there than to find myself the one thing that I ought to be, and the whole thing that I ought to be (t. e. one with God, who is one and all) 1

A man should remain steadfast in his state of freedom from mental images, and of self- restraint. Herein lies the greatest delight.

In what does a truly detached man exercise himself ? In annihilating himself.

When our love is given to a sensible image

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or person, it is accident, loving accident, and this we have no right to do ; nevertheless I bear with myself in this until I get quit of it. It is, however, an interiorly simple act, when a man does not love the image, which is present to him, but when all things are to him one, and that one is God. When a man detaches himself from himself without allowing the sensual appetite to break out, he destroys self. If he acted otherwise, he would be helping himself by means of his sen- sual appetite. Keep thy feelings within thee both in weal and woe ; for a man who does this loves more in one year than one who lets his feelings break out loves in three. Wilt thou be of use to all creatures, turn thyself away from all creatures. If a man cannot comprehend the matter, let him be passive, and the matter will comprehend him. Take heed not to break out exteriorly in a way unlike the (divine and interior) pat- tern. A man should be on his guard against the inclination which leads him to catch at eveiy thing which may save him from having to yield SPIRITUAL MAXIMS. 269 to the invitations of the simple Truth. If thou wilt not submit to be simple, thou wilt have to submit to be manifold. Live as if there were no creature on earth but thee. Say to creatures : — What thou art to me I will not be to thee (Res tibi, te Deo). Nature loves nature and makes itself its aim. Some men's nature has not been sufficiently crushed, and when this happens, they continue exterior. The power of refraining from things gives a man more power than the possession of the things would. One deflection from the right course brings along with it another. See that nature in thee is unburdened, and that thy outward man is conformable to thy in- ward man. Look well to the inward man ; for on this depends thy exterior and interior life. It belongs to perfect detachment to keep nature at all times bridled. A man should never lose sight of himself, lest nature should run away. Thou lamentest that thou art still too active, undetached, and impatient. Nevertheless de-

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spair not. The more keenly thou feelest this the better. Perishable love is a root of all vices, and a eloak of all truth. The setting of the sensual nature is the rising of the truth. When the powers of the soul have ceased to work, and the elements have been purified, the powers remain fixed upon their eternal object, if they have been directed towards it according to their ability. All the powers have one object and one work, and this is to be conformed to the eternal Truth. There is nothing pleasurable save what is uniform with the most inmost depths of the Divine nature. Some men are to be met with who have had an interior drawing from God, and have not followed it. The interior and exterior of these men are far apart, and it is in this that many fail. Our nature in its present state is richly endowed. The more it goes out of itself, the further it is from God; and the more it turns inwards, the nearer to Him it is. He who has attained to the purification of the senses in God performs so much the better all the operations of the senses. SPIEITUAL MAXIMS. 271 If a man subjects his nature, when it has been purified, to the Truth, his nature is guided in such sort that it performs much more per- fectly all exterior actions. Otherwise it wastes itself upon temporal matters, and can do nothing really well. Purity, intelligence, and virtue give a feel- ing of wealth to those who possess them. When the sensible possession of these virtues is with- drawn from such persons by God, it sometimes happens that they die to all creatures. Those who profit by this withdrawal are brought nigher to God by it. What is that which drives a man to pur- sue evil courses? It is the craving for some- thing which may satisfy him. Yet we can only find this in abnegation, and not in evil courses. The reason why some men so often fall into a faulty sadness is that they do not at all times keep an eye upon themselves to avoid in every thing doing what deserves punishment. To be worsted is to gain the victory in the estimation of God's friends (Matt. v. 39). Abide within thyself. The plea of seeking things outside thee presents itself as a necessity; but it is only a way of helping self.

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It is bad to begin many things and to bring none to an end. We should not move until we have ob- served whether it be God or nature that is working in us. Take care that nature works in thee its works from out itself without the concurrence of other causes. A truly detached man should attend to four things. First, he should be very virtuous in his walk, that things may flow from him with- out him. Secondly, he should also be virtuous and quiet with regard to his senses, and not carry tales hither and thither, for this is calcu- lated to fill his mind with images. Thus Ins interior senses will be able to act inactively. Thirdly, he should not be given to attach him- self; and he should take care that there is nothing heterogeneous in him. Fourthly, he should not be contentious, but he should be- have lovingly to those by whom God may be pleased to purify him. Remain steadfastly in thyself until thou art drawn out of thyself without any act of thine. Observe whether the intimacy between good people arises from inclination or from simplicity. The first is far too common. SPIKITUAL MAXIMS. 273 Offer not thyself too much to any one. Those please least who offer most. . An interior humble walk beseems thee. When a thing acts in opposition to its nature, it is always unbecoming to it. Happy the man whose words and ways are few. The more words and ways there are in any man, the more there is of what is acci- dental. Stay within thyself, and be not like such men, otherwise thou wilt suffer for it. Some men act from their sensible feelings both in suffering and in joy ; but a man should not look to himself in this. In the spiritual annihilation of self the final consummation is attained. When Christ had said, "Into Thy hands I commend My spirit," He added immediately, u It is consummated." God and the devil are in man. He who guides himself and he who forsakes himself discover the difference (i.e. the self-willed find in themselves hell, and the detached heaven). He who desires to have rest at all times must be on his guard against himself in this as in every thing else (i. e. this desire is a species of self-seeking). He who is interior amid exterior things is

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much more interior than he who is only interior when within himself. It is good for a man to guide himself in nothing ; and he is on the right road who con- templates under the forms of things their eternal essences. There are many more reasoning men than simple men. Those are called reasoning men in whom reason rules. But the simple man, through his inaction, is freed from the multi- plicity of images which are generated by sen- sible objects, and he does not contemplate things as sensible, for simplicity has become his nature, and he is like a vessel (full of God) and like a child. He who wishes to possess all things must become as nothing to himself and all things. How happy is the man who abides steadfast against multiplicity ! What a sensible entrance he has into familiar intercourse with heaven ! A good intention often impedes true union. Our eyes should not look outwards, except to rid ourselves of interior images. We should bear as readily with that part of us which comes from Adam (i. e. the consequences of the fall) as with that by which we attain eternal bliss. SPIRITUAL MAXIMS. 275 A detached man is always interiorly alike. When a man still complains and is impa- tient, all this springs from imperfection. It must therefore be got rid of. All those who allow themselves a wrong liberty make themselves their own aim and object. A detached man must be unformed from the forms and images of creatures ; he must be formed upon Christ, and transformed into the Godhead. He who regards himself in Christ lets all things follow their rightful course. When a man has died to self and begun to live in Christ, it is well with him. When a man strives by turning inwards to conform himself to the Truth, it is clearly brought home to him that he has gone forth out of himself, and he observes that there is still some- thing of the creature in him, on which the attraction acted. In this he bears with him- self, and perceives that he has not yet ceased from all action. Now, thus to bear with self is to become simple. The going out of self produces a kind of weariness; but when he has turned away from creatures this weariness passes off.

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What is a truly detached man's object in all things? It is to die to himself; and when he dies to himself all things die to him. What is the least obstacle ? It is a thought. What is the greatest obstacle ! It is when the soul abides in the obstinacy of its self-will. A detached man should not let any moment pass away unmarked. A detached man should not be always looking to see what he needs, but he should be always looking to see what he can do without. If a detached man wishes to conform him- self to the Truth, he must hi the first place be diligent in turning inwards from things of sense, for God is a spirit. Secondly, he must take note whether he has attached himself to any obstacle (i. e. any thing which stands between him and God). Thirdly, he must observe whether he is his own guide in any thing, owing to the sensual appetite having got the start. Fourthly, he must, in the light which fills his soul, consider the presence of the all- penetrating Divine essence in him, and that he is one of Its vessels. The more a man turns away from himsel and all created things, the more perfect are the union and bliss to which he attains. SPIRITUAL MAXIMS. 277 Wouldst thou be a detached man? take care that, however God may act towards thee, whether directly by Himself or indirectly by His creatures, thou abidest always the same, by a complete renunciation of what is thine. Keep thy senses closed to every image which may present itself. Be empty of every thing which the outward- gazing mind selects, which takes captive the will, and which brings earthly joy or delight into the heart: Rest on nothing which is not God. If thou art where a sin or imperfection is committed, add not aught of thine to it, and have nothing to do with it. He who always dwells with himself becomes possessed of very ample means. The recreation which a detached man grants to his nature should be confined to strict neces- sity, and it should be taken in harmless occupa- tions, from which he can readily and without attachment turn away to God. The more or less detachment a man has, the more or less will he be disturbed by transitory things. It happened once to a half-detached man that, on a certain occasion when he had been

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too self-conscious in suffering, it was said to him: — Thou shouldst be so attentive to Me and so forgetful of thyself, that when thou knowest it is well with Me thou shouldst care nothing how it fares with thee. In the case of a detached man who draws his senses inwards from external objects and establishes himself in the inner castle of his soul, the less he finds within to cling to, the more painful are his interior sufferings, and the more quickly he dies, the more swiftly he bursts through to God. To give the senses a wide field withdraws a man from his interior. See that thou undertakest nothing which will carry thee out of thyself. If things come in search of thee, let them not find thee. Be quick in turning inwards into thyself. Natural life shows itself in movement and in the operations of the senses. He who de- taches himself from himself in this, and dies to himself in stillness, begins a supernatural life. Some persons find no hindrance in going out of themselves, but they want steadfastness in this state. Establish thyself in absolute detachmen SPIKITUAL MAXIMS. 279 for an unbounded longing, even for what is divine, when it is excessive, may become a secret obstacle. A detached man should keep the powers of his soul under such restraint that, on looking within, this is apparent to him. A detached man remains always inactive as regards himself, just as if he were unconscious of himself ; for in that object, which is God, all things are well and harmoniously ordered in him. Give heed also to thy outward man that it be at one with thy inward man, by the subjec- tion of all fleshly appetites. To return again into God by detachment is often more pleasing to Him than a self-satisfied stability. Gather together and draw in thy soul from the external senses, through which it has dissi- pated itself upon the multiplicity of outward things. Go in again, and return over and over again into unity, and enjoy God. Be steadfast, and never rest content until thou hast obtained the now of eternity as thy present possession in this life, so far as this is possible to human infirmity.

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Chapter LIY. Of the high questions which the well-exercised daughter put to her spiritual father. After the introduction of the outward into the inward man had taken place in a way con- formable to right reason, high thoughts arose in the daughter's mind, and she inquired whether she might yet venture to ask questions about them. The Servitor replied: — Yes; if thou hast been duly led through the proper intermediate stages, it is quite lawful now for thy spiritual intelligence to ask about high things. Ask what thou wilt. She made answer : — Tell me what is God? and where is God? and how is God ? — I mean how He is single and yet three- fold? The Servitor replied : — God knows, these are high questions. As to the first — what is God? — thou must know that all the learned doctors who ever were cannot fully explain it; for God is above all sense and reason. And yet a diligent man, by hard seeking, gains some knowledge of God, though in a very far-off way; and it is in this knowledge that man's supreme bliss consists. Thus it was that in days of old certain virtuous heathen WHAT GOD IS. 281 doctors sought after God, especially the intel- lectual Aristotle. He pried minutely into the course of nature, in order to discover who he is who is the lord of nature. He searched after Him diligently, and found Him. He proved, from the well-ordered course of nature, that there must necessarily be one only prince and lord of all creatures, and that is what we mean by the name God. Of this God and Lord we know thus much : that He is a substantial being; that He is everlasting, without before or after; that He is simple and unchangeable; an unembodied and essential Spirit ; whose being is to live and work; whose essential reason knows all things in itself and by itself; whose being's fathom- less delight is in itself; and who is to Him- self, and to all who shall enjoy Him in the way of contemplation, a supernatural, unspeakable, and entrancing bliss. The daughter looked upwards and said: — This is good to hear, for it stirs the heart and lifts the soul sursum, on high above itself. Therefore, dear father, tell me more about it. He answered: — Behold, then. The divine essence, of which it is said that it is a rational substance, of such nature that no mortal eye

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can see it in itself, may nevertheless be dis- cerned in its effects, just as we trace a good craftsman in his works. For, as Paul says, creatures are like a mirror which reflect God. And this mode of gaining knowledge we term reflection (speculiren). But let us pause here awhile, and reflect upon the high and venerable Master as mir- rored in his works. Look above thee and around thee to the four quarters of the uni- verse, and see how wide and high the beautiful heaven is in its swift course, and how nobly its Master has adorned it with the seven planets, each of which, not to reckon in the moon, is much bigger than the whole earth, and how He has decked it with the countless multitude of the bright stars. Oh! when in summer time the beautiful sun bursts forth unclouded and serene, what fruitfulness and blessings it bestows un- ceasingly upon the earth I See how the leaves and grass shoot up, and the lovely flowers smile; how forest, heath, and meadow ring again with the sweet song of nightingales and other little birds ; how all those little creatures, which stem winter had shut up, issue forth rejoicing, and pair together; and how men too, both young and old, entranced with joy, disport themselves- WHAT GOD IS. 283 right merrily. All, gentle God, if Thou art so lovely in Thy creatures, how exceeding beauti- ful and ravishing Thou must be in Thyself! But look again, I pray thee, and behold the four elements — earth, water, air, and fire, with all the wondrous things which they contain in manifold variety — men, beasts, birds, fishes, and sea-monsters ; and mark how they all cry aloud together, Praise and honour be to the unfathom- able immensity that is in Thee ! Who is it, Lord, that sustains all this f Who feeds it all % It is Thou who providest for all, each in its own way ; for great and small, for rich and poor. It is Thou, O God, who doest this. Thou, O God, art God indeed ! Come, daughter, thou hast now found thy God, whom thy heart has so long sought after. Look upwards, then, with sparkling eyes and radiant face and bounding heart, and behold Him and embrace Him with the infinite out- stretched arms of thy soul and thy affections, and give thanks and praise to Him, the noble Prince of all creatures. See how, by gazing on this mirror, there springs up speedily, in a soul susceptible of such impressions, an intense in- ward jubilee; for by jubilee is meant a joy which no tongue can tell, but which pours it-

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self with might through heart and soul. Alas ! I feel now within me that, be it painful or pleasant, my soul's closed mouth is opened to thee, and I must needs tell thee, for God's glory, somewhat of my hidden secrets, which I never yet have told to any one. See, I knew a friar preacher who, at the beginning of his conversion, used commonly to receive from God twice every day, morning and evening, during ten years, an outpouring of grace like this, and it lasted for about the space of two nocturns.* At these moments he was so utterly absorbed in God, the Eternal Wisdom, that he could not speak of it. Sometimes he would lovingly con- verse with God within him, while at other times he would sigh piteously, or weep longingly, or again smile silently. It often seemed to him as if he were floating in the air, and swimming between time and eternity in the deep sea of God's unfathomable marvellousness. And his heart became so full through this, that he would at times lay his hand upon it, as it beat wildly, saying : — Alas, my heart, how will it fare with thee to-day f One day it seemed to him that the Eternal Father's heart was, in a spiritual and ineffable manner, pressed tenderly, and with * About half an hour. SPIEITUAL JUBILEE. 285 naught between them, upon his heart, as it lay open over against the Father's heart in longing desire, and it appeared to him that the Father's heart, in a way of love transcending all forms and images, spoke in his heart the uncreated Word, the Eternal Wisdom. Then he began to exclaim joyously in spiritual jubilee : — Be- hold now, my loveliest love ! thus do I lay bare to Thee my heart, and in simplicity and naked- ness with regard to all created things I embrace Thy formless Godhead. Alas, my love ! Thou who art far above all other loves! Earthly lovers, however greatly they may love, must needs bear to be distinct and separate from each other ; but Thou, O unfathomable fulness of all love, meltest away into Thy beloved's heart, and, in virtue of Thy being absolutely all in all, pourest Thyself so utterly into the soul's essence that no part of Thee, the loved One, remains outside, and is not lovingly made one with Thy beloved. The daughter answered : — Ah, God ! what a great grace it is for any one to be thus caught up into God in jubilee. But I would fain know whether this is the most perfect kind of union or not. The Servitor replied : — No ; it is only a preliminary preparation for arriving at an

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essential mode of being taken up into God. She answered : — What mean you by essential and non-essential I He replied : — I call him an essential man who, by the good and persevering exercise of all the virtues, has so completely mastered them, that the practice of them in their highest perfection has become pleasant to him, and that they dwell in him abidingly, as the sunshine in the sun. On the other hand, I call him a non-essential man in whom the light of virtue shines in a borrowed, unsteadfast, and imperfect way, as the moonlight in the moon. The sweet abundance of sensible grace which I have just described is such a dainty treat to the spirit of a non-essential man, that he would fain always have it; and as its presence begets in him delight, even so its withdrawal causes in him undue sadness, as I will now show you by an example. It happened once, when the Ser- vitor had gone into the chapter-house, and his heart was full of heavenly jubilee, that the por- ter came and summoned him to the door to a woman who wanted to confess to him. The Servitor tore himself unwillingly from his inte- rior joys, and, receiving the porter harshly, re- plied, that the woman must send for some one else, as he would not confess her then. Now WITHDEAWAL OF DIVINE CONSOLATIONS. 287 she had a burdened and sinful heart, and her message was, that she had a particular drawing to seek consolation from him, and that she would confess to no one else. But when she heard that he would not come to her, she began to weep from grief of heart, and going aside into a corner, sat down there in wretchedness, and wept long and bitterly. Meanwhile God with- drew very quickly from the Servitor the delights of sensible grace, and his heart became as hard as a flint; and when he sought to know the meaning of this, God answered him : — As thou hast driven from thee uncomforted the poor woman with her burdened heart, even so I have withdrawn from thee My divine consolations. The Servitor sighed deeply and beat his breast, and ran with speed to the door, and, as he did not find the woman there, was in great distress. The porter ran about in every direction looking for her, and when at last he found her, where she was sitting weeping, he brought her back with him to the door, and the Servitor, receiving her with great kindness, graciously consoled her repentant heart. Then he went back from her to the chapter-house, and immediately in an in- stant the kind Lord was there again with His divine consolations, just as before.

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The daughter answered: — He may well bear sufferings to whom God gives such rapturous jubilee. The Servitor replied: — Oh! it had all to be paid for afterwards with great suffer- ing, as has been already related. At length, however, when all this had passed away, and God's appointed time had come, this same grace of jubilee returned, and was with him in an abiding manner both at home and abroad, in company and when alone. Ofttimes in the bath or at table the same grace was with him ; but its working was now interior, and no longer broke forth into exterior manifestations.

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