“Whereas the enlightened man, by virtue of the Divine Light, is simple and stable and free from curious considerations, these others are manifold and restless and full of subtle reasonings and reflections, and they do not taste inward unity, nor the satisfaction which is without images. …
:Whereas the enlightened man possesses a wisdom impoured by God, wherein he knows and distinguishes the truth without effort, these [other] men have shrewd and sudden notions, with which they work their imagination, and which they display and develop with much cunning. But their ground is barren and they cannot bring forth fruitful doctrine. … And thereby inward men are troubled and led astray. They neither lead nor point to unity; but they teach subtle observations in multiplicity.” ~John of Ruysbroeck
Simple and Stable
Humility is the crown worn by the awakened person. We shouldn’t say “enlightened”, because enlightenment is not something that happens suddenly like turning on a light switch. It is a process that continues for many years. It even continue after physical death, if we are already on that path when we die.
Spiritual people are simple because they understand that the world of matter is illusion. Therefore, the collection of material wealth doesn’t appeal to them. It would be like a child collecting comic books. Most of us grow up and lose interest in such things. We don’t get stuck in fantasy.
Spiritual people are also stable people. Not just in the sense of being mentally stable, but also emotionally. They rarely get angry, jealous, or envious. At least not to the point of being overwhelmed by it. We may feel sadness, or even some anger, when we see animals being abused, but we rarely get overwhelmed by it. Most of us know the story of Jesus getting angry at the temple and throwing over the tables of the money changers and animal vendors. Few understand that he was angry about all those innocent animals being killed in a mockery of true religion. Even fewer understand that when it was over, Jesus was shocked with himself for becoming so emotional, and went off into the wilderness to be alone and recover. Continue reading “Fantasies and Speculations Don’t Bring Enlightenment”
