Further quotes from a 14th century Christian mystic

[Guest guest]

Namasate Rob,

 

> Thanks a lot for telling us about "Book of Privy Counsel."

> I found the part you quoted so interesting that I ordered

> the book.

 

First a few comments and then some more quotes. I consider the

Unknown Author to be a jnani--he says things in such a way that he

had to _know_ what he was writing about. But you have to be aware

that he wrote in the context of his time and place--English Medieval

Catholicism. So, as the old saying goes, "Buyer beware!"

 

Having said that, I consider the Book of Privy Counsel to be one of

the greatest--and most underappreciated--works in Christian mystical

literature. It has been several years since I last read the Book of

Privy Counsel, and, upon rereading it to gather quotes for the group

here, I am still amazed at the Author's clear exposition of Self-

abidance and its practice. The work is clearly written to a novice in

comtemplation and the practice of Self-abidance in particular.

 

In the context of the previous quotes cited, here are a few more

extended quotes to give a fuller flavor of the text (my apologies for

their length):

 

==========Begin quotes======================

No doubt, when you being this practice your undisciplined faculties,

finding no meat to feed upon, will angrily taunt you to abandon it.

They will demand that you take up something more worthwhile, which

means, of course, something more suited to them. For you are now

engaged in a work so far beyond their accustomed activity that they

think you are wasting your time. But their dissatisfaction, inasmuch

as it arises from this, is actually a good sign, since it proves that

you have gone on to something of greater value. So I am delighted.

And why not? For nothing I can do, and no exercise of my physical or

spiritual faculties can bring me so near to God and so far from the

world, as this naked, quiet awareness of my blind being and my joyful

gift of it to God.

Do not be troubled, then, if your faculties rebel and plague you to

give it up. As I say, it is only because they find no meat for

themselves in this practice. But you must not yield. Master them by

refusing to feed them despite their rage. By feeding them, I mean

giving them all sorts of intricate speculations about the details of

your being to gnaw on. Meditations like this certainly have their

place and value, but in comparison to the blind awarenss of your

being and your gift of self to God, they amount to a rupture and

dispersion of that wholeness so necessary to a deep encounter with

God. Therefore, keep yourself recollected and poised in the deep

center of your spirit and do not wander back to working with your

faculties under any pretext no matter how sublime."

 

"Relying on God's grace to led and guide you, you will come to this

deep experience of his love by following the path I have set before

you in these pages. It demands that you always and ever strive toward

the naked awareness of your self, and continually offer your being to

God as your most precious gift. But I remind you again: see that it

is naked lest you fall into error. Inasmuch as this awareness really

is naked, you will at first find it terribly painful to rest in for

any length of time because, as I have explained, your faculties will

find no meat for themselves in it. But here is no harm in this; in

fact, I am actually delighted. Go ahead. Let them fast awhile from

their natural delight in knowing. It is well said that man naturally

desires to know. Yet at the same time, it is also true that no amount

of natural or acquired knowledge will bring him to taste the

spiritual experience of God, for this is a pure gift of grace. And so

I urge you: go after experience rather than knowledge. On account of

pride, knowledge may often deceive you, but this gentle, loving

affection will not deceive you. Knowledge tends to breed conceit, but

love builds. Knowledge is full of labor, but love, full of rest."

===========End quotes==================

 

The "knowledge" just described is clearly dualistic knowledge

acquired through the faculties, and not the knowledge that comes from

direct experience of Self abidance. It also shows that the Author has

a Bhakti leaning in his practice which comes through in other parts

of the text.

 

Now you have to read the rest of the work yourself. :-)

 

Loving regards,

 

David

[Guest guest]

Dear David,

 

thanks much for sharing - this is indeed wonderful to read.

 

Kind regards

Gabriele

 

I should also look after that book