第74章
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  SaintJohnoftheCross:TheDarkNightoftheSoul,bookii。ch。xvii。,inVieetOeuvres,3meedition,Paris,1893,iii。

  Chapterxi。ofbookii。ofSaintJohn’sAscentofCarmelisdevotedtoshowingtheharmfulnessforthemysticallifeoftheuseofsensibleimagery。

  IcannotpretendtodetailtoyouthesundrystagesoftheChristianmysticallife。[253]Ourtimewouldnotsuffice,foronething;andmoreover,IconfessthatthesubdivisionsandnameswhichwefindintheCatholicbooksseemtometorepresentnothingobjectivelydistinct。Somanymen,somanyminds:I

  imaginethattheseexperiencescanbeasinfinitelyvariedasaretheidiosyncrasiesofindividuals。

  InparticularIomitmentionofvisualandauditoryhallucinations,verbalandgraphicautomatisms,andsuchmarvelsas“levitation。”stigmatization,andthehealingofdisease。

  Thesephenomena,whichmysticshaveoftenpresentedorarebelievedtohavepresented,havenoessentialmysticalsignificance,fortheyoccurwithnoconsciousnessofilluminationwhatever,whentheyoccur,astheyoftendo,inpersonsofnon-mysticalmind。Consciousnessofilluminationisforustheessentialmarkof“mystical“states。

  Thecognitiveaspectsofthem,theirvalueinthewayofrevelation,iswhatwearedirectlyconcernedwith,anditiseasytoshowbycitationhowstronganimpressiontheyleaveofbeingrevelationsofnewdepthsoftruth。SaintTeresaistheexpertofexpertsindescribingsuchconditions,soIwillturnimmediatelytowhatshesaysofoneofthehighestofthem,the“orisonofunion。”

  “Intheorisonofunion。”saysSaintTeresa,“thesoulisfullyawakeasregardsGod,butwhollyasleepasregardsthingsofthisworldandinrespectofherself。Duringtheshorttimetheunionlasts,sheisasitweredeprivedofeveryfeeling,andevenifshewould,shecouldnotthinkofanysinglething。Thussheneedstoemploynoartificeinordertoarresttheuseofherunderstanding:itremainssostrickenwithinactivitythatsheneitherknowswhatsheloves,norinwhatmannersheloves,norwhatshewills。Inshort,sheisutterlydeadtothethingsoftheworldandlivessolelyinGod……Idonotevenknowwhetherinthisstateshehasenoughlifelefttobreathe。Itseemstomeshehasnot;oratleastthatifshedoesbreathe,sheisunawareofit。Herintellectwouldfainunderstandsomethingofwhatisgoingonwithinher,butithassolittleforcenowthatitcanactinnowaywhatsoever。Soapersonwhofallsintoadeepfaintappearsasifdead……

  “ThusdoesGod,whenheraisesasoultounionwithhimself,suspendthenaturalactionofallherfaculties。Sheneithersees,hears,norunderstands,solongassheisunitedwithGod。

  Butthistimeisalwaysshort,anditseemsevenshorterthanitis。Godestablisheshimselfintheinteriorofthissoulinsuchaway,thatwhenshereturnstoherself,itiswhollyimpossibleforhertodoubtthatshehasbeeninGod,andGodinher。Thistruthremainssostronglyimpressedonherthat,eventhoughmanyyearsshouldpasswithouttheconditionreturning,shecanneitherforgetthefavorshereceived,nordoubtofitsreality。

  Ifyou,nevertheless,askhowitispossiblethatthesoulcanseeandunderstandthatshehasbeeninGod,sinceduringtheunionshehasneithersightnorunderstanding,Ireplythatshedoesnotseeitthen,butthatsheseesitclearlylater,aftershehasreturnedtoherself,notbyanyvision,butbyacertitudewhichabideswithherandwhichGodalonecangiveher。

  IknewapersonwhowasignorantofthetruththatGod’smodeofbeingineverythingmustbeeitherbypresence,bypower,orbyessence,butwho,afterhavingreceivedthegraceofwhichIamspeaking,believedthistruthinthemostunshakablemanner。Somuchsothat,havingconsultedahalf-learnedmanwhowasasignorantonthispointasshehadbeenbeforeshewasenlightened,whenherepliedthatGodisinusonlyby’grace,’

  shedisbelievedhisreply,sosureshewasofthetrueanswer;

  andwhenshecametoaskwiserdoctors,theyconfirmedherinherbelief,whichmuchconsoledher。

  “Buthow,youwillrepeat,CANonehavesuchcertaintyinrespecttowhatonedoesnotsee?Thisquestion,Iampowerlesstoanswer。ThesearesecretsofGod’somnipotencewhichitdoesnotappertaintometopenetrate。AllthatIknowisthatItellthetruth;andIshallneverbelievethatanysoulwhodoesnotpossessthiscertaintyhaseverbeenreallyunitedtoGod。”

  TheInteriorCastle,FifthAbode,Ch。i。,inOeuvres,translatedby

  Thekindsoftruthcommunicableinmysticalways,whetherthesebesensibleorsupersensible,arevarious。Someofthemrelatetothisworld——visionsofthefuture,thereadingofhearts,thesuddenunderstandingoftexts,theknowledgeofdistantevents,forexample;butthemostimportantrevelationsaretheologicalormetaphysical。

  “SaintIgnatiusconfessedonedaytoFatherLaynezthatasinglehourofmeditationatManresahadtaughthimmoretruthsaboutheavenlythingsthanalltheteachingsofallthedoctorsputtogethercouldhavetaughthim……Onedayinorison,onthestepsofthechoiroftheDominicanchurch,hesawinadistinctmannertheplanofdivinewisdominthecreationoftheworld。

  Onanotheroccasion,duringaprocession,hisspiritwasravishedinGod,anditwasgivenhimtocontemplate,inaformandimagesfittedtotheweakunderstandingofadwellerontheearth,thedeepmysteryoftheholyTrinity。Thislastvisionfloodedhisheartwithsuchsweetness,thatthemerememoryofitinaftertimesmadehimshedabundanttears。”[255]

  [255]Bartoli-Michel:viedeSaintIgnacedeLoyola,i。34-36。

  Othershavehadilluminationsaboutthecreatedworld,JacobBoehmeforinstance。Attheageoftwenty-fivehewas“surroundedbythedivinelight,andreplenishedwiththeheavenlyknowledge,insomuchasgoingabroadintothefieldstoagreen,atGorlitz,hetheresatdownandviewingtheherbsandgrassofthefield,inhisinwardlighthesawintotheiressences,use,andproperties,whichwasdiscoveredtohimbytheirlineaments,figures,andsignatures。”Ofalaterperiodofexperiencehewrites:“InonequarterofanhourIsawandknewmorethanifIhadbeenmanyyearstogetheratanuniversity。ForIsawandknewthebeingofallthings,theByssandtheAbyss,andtheeternalgenerationoftheholyTrinity,thedescentandoriginaloftheworldandofallcreaturesthroughthedivinewisdom。Iknewandsawinmyselfallthethreeworlds,theexternalandvisibleworldbeingofaprocreationorexternbirthfromboththeinternalandspiritualworlds;andIsawandknewthewholeworkingessence,intheevilandinthegood,andthemutualoriginalandexistence,andlikewisehowthefruitfulbearingwombofeternitybroughtforth。

  SothatIdidnotonlygreatlywonderatit,butdidalsoexceedinglyrejoice,albeitIcouldveryhardlyapprehendthesameinmyexternalmanandsetitdownwiththepen。ForIhadathoroughviewoftheuniverseasinachaos,whereinallthingsarecouchedandwraptup,butitwasimpossibleformetoexplicatethesame。”JacobBehmen’sTheosophicPhilosophy,etc。,byEdwardTaylor,London,1691,pp。425,427,abridged。

  SoGeorgeFox:“IwascomeuptothestateofAdaminwhichhewasbeforehefell。Thecreationwasopenedtome;anditwasshowedme,howallthingshadtheirnamesgiventothem,accordingtotheirnatureandvirtue。Iwasatastandinmymind,whetherIshouldpracticephysicforthegoodofmankind,seeingthenatureandvirtuesofthecreaturesweresoopenedtomebytheLord。”Journal,Philadelphia,nodate,p。

  Contemporary“Clairvoyance“aboundsinsimilarrevelations。

  AndrewJacksonDavis’scosmogonies,forexample,orcertainexperiencesrelatedinthedelectable“ReminiscencesandMemoriesofHenryThomasButterworth。”Lebanon,Ohio,1886。

  SimilarlywithSaintTeresa。“Oneday,beinginorison。”shewrites,“itwasgrantedmetoperceiveinoneinstanthowallthingsareseenandcontainedinGod。Ididnotperceivethemintheirproperform,andneverthelesstheviewIhadofthemwasofasovereignclearness,andhasremainedvividlyimpresseduponmysoul。ItisoneofthemostsignalofallthegraceswhichtheLordhasgrantedme……Theviewwassosubtileanddelicatethattheunderstandingcannotgraspit。”

  ShegoesontotellhowitwasasiftheDeitywereanenormousandsovereignlylimpiddiamond,inwhichallouractionswerecontainedinsuchawaythattheirfullsinfulnessappearedevidentasneverbefore。Onanotherday,sherelates,whileshewasrecitingtheAthanasianCreed——

  “OurLordmademecomprehendinwhatwayitisthatoneGodcanbeinthreepersons。HemademeseeitsoclearlythatI

  remainedasextremelysurprisedasIwascomforted,……andnow,whenIthinkoftheholyTrinity,orhearItspokenof,I

  understandhowthethreeadorablePersonsformonlyoneGodandI

  experienceanunspeakablehappiness。”

  Onstillanotheroccasion,itwasgiventoSaintTeresatoseeandunderstandinwhatwisetheMotherofGodhadbeenassumedintoherplaceinHeaven。

  Thedeliciousnessofsomeofthesestatesseemstobebeyondanythingknowninordinaryconsciousness。Itevidentlyinvolvesorganicsensibilities,foritisspokenofassomethingtooextremetobeborne,andasvergingonbodilypain。Butitistoosubtleandpiercingadelightforordinarywordstodenote。God’stouches,thewoundsofhisspear,referencestoebrietyandtonuptialunionhavetofigureinthephraseologybywhichitisshadowedforth。Intellectandsensesbothswoonawayinthesehigheststatesofecstasy。“Ifourunderstandingcomprehends。”saysSaintTeresa,“itisinamodewhichremainsunknowntoit,anditcanunderstandnothingofwhatitcomprehends。Formyownpart,Idonotbelievethatitdoescomprehend,because,asIsaid,itdoesnotunderstanditselftodoso。IconfessthatitisallamysteryinwhichIamlost。”Intheconditioncalledraptusorravishmentbytheologians,breathingandcirculationaresodepressedthatitisaquestionamongthedoctorswhetherthesoulbeorbenottemporarilydisseveredfromthebody。OnemustreadSaintTeresa’sdescriptionsandtheveryexactdistinctionswhichshemakes,topersuadeone’sselfthatoneisdealing,notwithimaginaryexperiences,butwithphenomenawhich,howeverrare,followperfectlydefinitepsychologicaltypes。

  SaintTeresadiscriminatesbetweenpaininwhichthebodyhasapartandpurespiritualpainInteriorCastle,6thAbode,ch。xi。。Asforthebodilypartinthesecelestialjoys,shespeaksofitas“penetratingtothemarrowofthebones,whilstearthlypleasuresaffectonlythesurfaceofthesenses。I

  think。”sheadds,“thatthisisajustdescription,andIcannotmakeitbetter。”Ibid。,5thAbode,ch。i。

  Tothemedicalmindtheseecstasiessignifynothingbutsuggestedandimitatedhypnoidstates,onanintellectualbasisofsuperstition,andacorporealoneofdegenerationandhysteria。

  Undoubtedlythesepathologicalconditionshaveexistedinmanyandpossiblyinallthecases,butthatfacttellsusnothingaboutthevalueforknowledgeoftheconsciousnesswhichtheyinduce。Topassaspiritualjudgmentuponthesestates,wemustnotcontentourselveswithsuperficialmedicaltalk,butinquireintotheirfruitsforlife。

  Theirfruitsappeartohavebeenvarious。Stupefaction,foronething,seemsnottohavebeenaltogetherabsentasaresult。YoumayrememberthehelplessnessinthekitchenandschoolroomofpoorMargaretMaryAlacoque。Manyotherecstaticswouldhaveperishedbutforthecaretakenofthembyadmiringfollowers。

  The“other-worldliness“encouragedbythemysticalconsciousnessmakesthisover-abstractionfrompracticallifepeculiarlyliabletobefallmysticsinwhomthecharacterisnaturallypassiveandtheintellectfeeble;butinnativelystrongmindsandcharacterswefindquiteoppositeresults。ThegreatSpanishmystics,whocarriedthehabitofecstasyasfarasithasoftenbeencarried,appearforthemostparttohaveshownindomitablespiritandenergy,andallthemoresoforthetrancesinwhichtheyindulged。

  SaintIgnatiuswasamystic,buthismysticismmadehimassuredlyoneofthemostpowerfullypracticalhumanenginesthateverlived。SaintJohnoftheCross,writingoftheintuitionsand“touches“bywhichGodreachesthesubstanceofthesoul,tellsusthat——

  “Theyenrichitmarvelously。Asingleoneofthemmaybesufficienttoabolishatastrokecertainimperfectionsofwhichthesoulduringitswholelifehadvainlytriedtoriditself,andtoleaveitadornedwithvirtuesandloadedwithsupernaturalgifts。Asingleoneoftheseintoxicatingconsolationsmayrewarditforallthelaborsundergoneinitslife——evenweretheynumberless。Investedwithaninvinciblecourage,filledwithanimpassioneddesiretosufferforitsGod,thesoulthenisseizedwithastrangetorment——thatofnotbeingallowedtosufferenough。”

  Oeuvres,ii。320。

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