CAPÍTULO 4. Donde se trata cuán necesario sea al alma pasar de veras por esta noche oscura del sentido, la cual es la mortificación del apetito, para caminar a la unión de Dios.
The Necessity of Darkness
The soul must be purged of all creaturely affections because they are darkness and contraries to the divine light of union.
1. If the soul is to reach divine union with God, it must pass through this dark night of mortifying its appetites and denying pleasure in all things. This is necessary because all the affections the soul has for creatures are pure darkness before God. While the soul is clothed in them, it lacks the capacity to be illumined and possessed by the pure and simple light of God unless it first casts them off, because light and darkness cannot coexist. As Saint John says (1:5): Tenebrae eum non comprehenderunt—that is, the darkness could not receive the light. 2. The reason is that, as philosophy teaches us, two opposites cannot exist in the same subject. And because the darkness, which is the affections for creatures, and the light, which is God, are contraries and have neither likeness nor agreement with each other, as Saint Paul teaches the Corinthians (2 Cor.1 6:14), saying: Quae conventio lucis ad tenebras?✦ that is: What agreement can there be between light and darkness? From this it follows that the light of divine union cannot settle in the soul unless its affections are first driven out. 3. To explain this more clearly, you should know that the affection and attachment the soul has for a creature make the soul equal to that creature. The greater the affection, the more it levels the soul with the creature and makes it like it, because love creates a likeness between the one who loves and what is loved. That is why David said (Ps. 113:8), speaking of those who set their affection on idols: Similes illis fiant qui faciunt ea, et omnes qui confidunt in eis—that is: Let those who set their heart on them become like them. So, whoever loves a creature remains as low as that creature—and in some way even lower—because love doesn't just make things equal; it subjects the lover to what is loved. It follows that by the very fact that the soul loves something, it becomes incapable of pure union with God and of being transformed in him. The lowliness of the creature is far less able to reach the height of the Creator than darkness is able to reach the light. All things of earth and heaven, compared with God, are nothing, as Jeremiah says (4:23): Aspexi terram, et ecce vacua erat et nihil; et caelos, et non erat lux in eis—I looked at the earth, he says, and it was empty, and it was nothing; and at the heavens, and I saw they had no light.2 By saying he saw the earth empty, he means that all its creatures were nothing, and that the earth itself was nothing as well. And by saying he looked at the heavens and saw no light in them, he means that all the lights of the sky, compared with God, are pure darkness. So in this way all creatures are nothing, and attachments to them are an obstacle and a privation of transformation into God — just as darkness is nothing and less than nothing, since it is the privation of light. And just as someone in darkness cannot grasp the light, a soul that sets its affection on creatures won't be able to grasp God. Until it is purged of that affection, it can neither possess Him here through the pure transformation of love, nor there through clear vision.3 To make this clearer, we'll speak more specifically.
The Vanity of Creatures
All creaturely qualities—beauty, goodness, and wisdom—are nothing compared to the infinite nature of God, rendering attachment to them a form of spiritual poverty.
4. So, when compared to the infinite being of God, the entire existence of all creatures is nothing. Consequently, the soul that attaches itself to these things is also nothing before God—or even less than nothing—because, as we've said, love creates equality and likeness, and it even lowers the one who loves.4 Therefore, this soul cannot be united with the infinite being of God in any way, because what is not cannot fit with what is. And coming down to particulars with a few examples: all the beauty of creatures, compared with the infinite beauty of God, is utter ugliness, as Solomon says in Proverbs (31:30): Fallax gratia, et vana est pulchritudo—beauty is deceptive, and loveliness is vain. So, the soul that is attached to the beauty of any creature is utterly ugly before God; and because of this, that ugly soul cannot be transformed into the beauty that is God, since ugliness cannot reach beauty. Furthermore, all the grace and charm of creatures, compared with the grace of God, is utter gracelessness and distaste; for that reason, the soul that becomes captivated by the graces and charm of creatures is utterly graceless and distasteful in the eyes of God. It cannot be capable of the infinite grace and beauty of God, because what is graceless stands far from what is infinitely gracious.5 And all the goodness of the world's creatures, compared with the infinite goodness of God, can be called wickedness.6 For nothing is good except God alone (Lk. 18:19). Therefore, the soul that sets its heart on the goods of the world is utterly evil before God. And just as malice cannot reach goodness, such a soul won't be able to unite with God, who is supreme goodness.7 All the wisdom of the world and human skill, when compared with the infinite wisdom of God, is pure and utter ignorance, as Saint Paul writes to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 3:19).✦ He says: Sapientia huius mundi stultitia est apud Deum.✦ The wisdom of this world is folly before God. 5. Therefore, any soul that relies on its own knowledge and skill to achieve union with the wisdom of God is utterly ignorant in God's eyes and will remain very far from that wisdom. For ignorance does not know what wisdom is, just as Saint Paul says that this wisdom seems foolishness to God. Before God, those who think they possess knowledge are deeply ignorant; as the Apostle writes to the Romans (1:22): Dicentes enim se esse sapientes, stulti facti sunt—that is: Claiming to be wise, they became fools. Only those who, like unknowing children, set aside their own knowledge and walk in love in His service, continue to receive the wisdom of God. This is the kind of wisdom Saint Paul also taught the Corinthians (1 Cor. 3:18–19): Si quis videtur inter vos sapiens esse in hoc saeculo, stultus fiat ut sit sapiens.✦ Sapientia enim huius mundi stultitia est apud Deum—that is: If anyone among you thinks he is wise, let him become unknowing so that he may be wise, for the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.✦ So, for the soul to unite with the wisdom of God, it must first move through not knowing rather than through knowing.✦
The Call of Divine Wisdom
Divine Wisdom invites the soul to abandon the slavery of worldly desires and find true freedom and riches in God.
6. And all the dominion and freedom of the world, compared with the freedom and dominion of the Spirit of God, is utter slavery, and anguish, and captivity. Therefore the soul that falls in love with high rank, or with other such offices, and with free rein for its appetite, is regarded and treated before God not as a child, but as a lowly slave and captive, because it would not take up His holy teaching, in which He teaches us that whoever wants to be greater must be the lesser, and whoever wants to be lesser will be the greater (Lk.8 22:26). Consequently, the soul cannot reach the true freedom of the spirit attained in divine union, because slavery can have no part in freedom. Freedom cannot dwell in a heart subject to its own wants—for that is a slave's heart—but only in a free heart, which is a child's heart.9 This is why Sarah told her husband Abraham to cast out the slave woman and her son, saying that the son of the slave woman was not to be an heir with the son of the free woman (Gn. 21:10). 7. And all the delights and pleasures of the will in all the things of the world, compared with all the delights that God is, are sheer pain, torment, and bitterness. Therefore, anyone who sets their heart on these things is considered by God as deserving of that same pain, torment, and bitterness. Because they are worthy of pain and bitterness, they cannot reach the delights of being embraced in union with God. Compared to the riches that God is, all the wealth and glory of created things are sheer poverty and misery.10 Consequently, the soul that loves and possesses these things is utterly poor and wretched before God. For this reason, it cannot reach the riches and glory found in the state of transformation in God, since what is utterly wretched and poor stands farthest from what is utterly rich and glorious. 8. And so Divine Wisdom, grieving over people like these—who make themselves ugly, base, miserable, and poor by loving these worldly things that seem beautiful and rich to them—cries out in Proverbs (8:4–6; 18–21): O men, I call out to you, and my voice is to the children of men.✦ You little ones, learn to be shrewd; and you who are foolish, pay attention. Listen, because I’m about to speak of great things. And she goes on saying: With me are riches and glory, lofty wealth and justice.✦11 My fruit is better than gold and precious stones, and what I produce is better than choice silver.✦ I walk in the ways of justice, in the midst of the paths of judgment, so that I may enrich those who love me and fill their treasuries.✦ That is to say: O men, I cry out to you, and my voice is to the children of men!✦ Pay attention, you little ones, to shrewdness and good sense; you who are foolish, take heed. Listen, because I’m about to speak of great things. With me are riches and glory, high riches and justice.12 The fruit you’ll find in me is better than gold and better than precious stones; and my offspring—that is, what you’ll bring forth from me in your souls—is better than choice silver.13 I walk in the paths of justice, in the midst of the ways of judgment, to enrich those who love me and fill their treasures to the full. In this, Divine Wisdom is speaking to all who set their heart and affection on anything of the world, as we’ve already said. And she calls them little ones because they become like what they love, which is small. That is why she tells them to be shrewd and to notice that she deals with great things, not with small ones like them; that the great riches and the glory they love are with her and in her, and not where they think; and that high riches and justice dwell in her. Because, though the things of this world seem so to them, she tells them to notice that hers are better, saying that the fruit they’ll find in them will be better for them than gold and precious stones; and what she engenders in souls is better than the choice silver they love (Prov.1415 8:19).✦ This refers to every kind of affection you can have in this life.
Read the original Latin
1. La causa por que le es necesario al alma, para llegar a la divina unión de Dios, pasar esta noche oscura de mortificación de apetitos y negación de los gustos en todas las cosas, es porque todas las afecciones que tiene en las criaturas son delante de Dios puras tinieblas, de las cuales estando el alma vestida, no tiene capacidad para ser ilustrada y poseída de la pura y sencilla luz de Dios, si primero no las desecha de sí, porque no pueden convenir la luz con las tinieblas; porque, como dice San Juan (1, 5): Tenebrae eum non comprehenderunt, esto es: Las tinieblas no pudieron recibir la luz.
2. La razón es porque dos contrarios, según nos enseña la filosofía, no pueden caber en un sujeto. Y porque las tinieblas, que son las afecciones en las criaturas, y la luz, que es Dios, son contrarios y ninguna semejanza ni conveniencia tienen entre sí, según a los Corintios enseña san Pablo (2 Cor. 6, 14), diciendo: Quae conventio lucis ad tenebras? , es a saber: ¿Que conveniencia se podrá dar entre la luz y las tinieblas? ; de aquí es que en el alma no se puede asentar la luz de la divina unión si primero no se ahuyentan las afecciones de ella.
3. Para que probemos mejor lo dicho, es de saber que la afición y asimiento que el alma tiene a la criatura iguala a la misma alma con la criatura, y cuanto mayor es la afición, tanto más la iguala y hace semejante, porque el amor hace semejanza entre lo que ama y es amado. Que por eso dijo David (Sal. 113, 8), hablando de los que ponían su afición en los ídolos: Similes illis fiant qui faciunt ea, et omnes qui confidunt in eis, que quiere decir: Sean semejantes a ellos los que ponen su corazón en ellos. Y así, el que ama criatura, tan bajo se queda como aquella criatura, y, en alguna manera, más bajo; porque el amor no sólo iguala, mas aun sujeta al amante a lo que ama. Y de aquí es que, por el mismo caso que el alma ama algo, se hace incapaz de la pura unión de Dios y su transformación; porque mucho menos es capaz la bajeza de la criatura de la alteza del Criador que las tinieblas lo son de la luz: Porque todas las cosas de la tierra y del cielo, comparadas con Dios, nada son, como dice Jeremías (4, 23) por estas palabras: Aspexi terram, et ecce vacua erat et nihil; et caelos, et non erat lux in eis: Mire a la tierra, dice, y estaba vacía, y ella nada era; y a los cielos, y vi que no tenían luz. En decir que vio la tierra vacía, da a entender que todas las criaturas de ella eran nada, y que la tierra era nada tambien. Y en decir que miró a los cielos y no vio luz en ellos, es decir que todas las lumbreras del cielo, comparadas con Dios, son puras tinieblas.
De manera que todas las criaturas en esta manera nada son, y las aficiones de ellas son impedimento y privación de la transformación en Dios; así como las tinieblas nada son y menos que nada, pues son privación de la luz. Y así como no comprehende a la luz el que tiene tinieblas, así no podrá comprehender a Dios el alma que en criaturas pone su afición; de la cual hasta que se purgue, ni acá podrá poseer por transformación pura de amor, ni allá por clara visión. Y para más claridad, hablaremos más en particular.
4. De manera que todo el ser de las criaturas, comparado con el infinito (ser) de Dios, nada es. Y, por tanto, el alma que en el pone su afición, delante de Dios tambien es nada, y menos que nada; porque, como habemos dicho, el amor hace igualdad y semejanza, y aun pone más bajo al que ama. Y, por tanto, en ninguna manera podrá esta alma unirse con el infinito ser de Dios, porque lo que no es no puede convenir con lo que es. Y descendiendo en particular a algunos ejemplos: - Toda la hermosura de las criaturas, comparada con la infinita hermosura de Dios, es suma fealdad, según Salomón en los Proverbios (31, 30) dice: Fallax gratia, et vana est pulchritudo: Engañosa es la belleza y vana la hermosura. Y así, el alma que está aficionada a la hermosura de cualquiera criatura, delante de Dios sumamente fea es; y, por tanto, no podrá esta alma fea transformarse en la hermosura que es Dios, porque la fealdad no alcanza a la hermosura. - Y toda la gracia y donaire de las criaturas, comparada con la gracia de Dios, es suma desgracia y sumo desabrimiento; y, por eso, el alma que se prenda de las gracias y donaire de las criaturas, sumamente es desgraciada y desabrida delante los ojos de Dios; y así no puede ser capaz de la infinita gracia de Dios y belleza, porque lo desgraciado grandemente dista de lo que infinitamente es gracioso. - Y toda la bondad de las criaturas del mundo, comparada con la infinita bondad de Dios, se puede llamar malicia.
Porque nada hay bueno sino solo Dios (Lc. 18, 19); y, por tanto, el alma que pone su corazón en los bienes del mundo, sumamente es mala delante de Dios. Y así como la malicia no comprehende a la bondad, así esta tal alma no podrá unirse con Dios, el cual es suma bondad. - Y toda la sabiduría del mundo y habilidad humana, comparada con la sabiduría infinita de Dios, es pura y suma ignorancia, según escribe san Pablo ad Corinthios (1 Cor. 3, 19), diciendo: Sapientia huius mundi stultitia est apud Deum. La sabiduría de este mundo, delante de Dios es locura.
5. Por tanto, toda alma que hiciese caso de todo su saber y habilidad para venir a unirse con la sabiduría de Dios, sumamente es ignorante delante de Dios, y quedará muy lejos de ella. Porque la ignorancia no sabe que cosa es sabiduría, como dice San Pablo que esta sabiduría le parece a Dios necedad. Porque, delante de Dios, aquellos que se tienen por de algún saber son muy ignorantes; porque de ellos dice el Apóstol escribiendo a los Romanos (1, 22), diciendo: Dicentes enim se esse sapientes, stulti facti sunt, esto es: Teniendose ellos por sabios, se hicieron necios. Y solos aquellos van teniendo sabiduría de Dios que, como niños ignorantes, deponiendo su saber, andan con amor en su servicio. La cual manera de sabiduría enseñó tambien san Pablo ad Corinthios (1 Cor. 3, 18-19): Si quis videtur inter vos sapiens esse in hoc saeculo, stultus fiat ut sit sapiens. Sapientia enim huius mundi stultitia est apud Deum, esto es: Si alguno le parece que es sabio entre vosotros, hágase ignorante para ser sabio, porque la sabiduría de este mundo es acerca de Dios locura.
De manera que, para venir el alma a unirse con la sabiduría de Dios, antes ha de ir no sabiendo que por saber.
6. Y todo el señorío y libertad del mundo, comparado con la libertad y señorío del espíritu de Dios, es suma servidumbre, y angustia, y cautiverio. Por tanto, el alma que se enamora de mayorías, o de otros tales oficios, y de las libertades de su apetito, delante de Dios es tenido y tratado no como hijo, sino como bajo esclavo y cautivo, por no haber querido el tomar su santa doctrina, en que nos enseña que el que quisiere ser mayor sea menor, y el que quisiere ser menor sea el mayor (Lc. 22, 26). Y, por tanto, no podrá el alma llegar a la real libertad del espíritu, que se alcanza en su divina unión, porque la servidumbre ninguna parte puede tener con la libertad, la cual no puede morar en el corazón sujeto a quereres, porque este es corazón de esclavo, sino en el libre, porque es corazón de hijo. Y esta es la causa por que Sara dijo a su marido Abraham que echase fuera a la esclava y a su hijo, diciendo que no había de ser heredero el hijo de la esclava con el hijo de la libre (Gn. 21, 10).
7. Y todos los deleites y sabores de la voluntad en todas las cosas del mundo, comparados con todos los deleites que es Dios, son suma pena, tormento y amargura. Y así, el que pone su corazón en ellos es tenido delante de Dios por digno de suma pena, tormento y amargura. Y así, no podrá venir a los deleites del abrazo de la unión de Dios, siendo el digno de pena y amargura. Todas las riquezas y gloria de todo lo criado, comparado con la riqueza que es Dios, es suma pobreza y miseria. Y así, el alma que lo ama y posee es sumamente pobre y miserable delante de Dios, y por eso no podrá llegar a la riqueza y gloria, que es el estado de la transformación en Dios (por cuanto lo miserable y pobre sumamente dista de lo que es sumamente rico y glorioso).
8. Y, por tanto, la Sabiduría divina, doliendose de estos tales, que se hacen feos, bajos, miserables y pobres, por amar ellos esto, hermoso y rico a su parecer, del mundo, les hace una exclamación en los Proverbios (8, 4-6; 18-21), diciendo: O viri, ad vos clamito, et vox mea ad filios hominum. Intelligite, parvuli, astutiam, et insipientes, animadvertite. Audite quia de rebus magnis locutura sum. Y adelante va diciendo: Mecum sunt divitiae et gloria, opes superbae et iustitia. Melior est fructus meus auro et lapide pretioso, et genimina mea argento electo. In viis iustitiae ambulo, in medio semitarum iudicii, ut ditem diligentes me, et thesauros eorum repleam. Quiere decir: ¡Oh varones, a vosotros doy voces, y mi voz es a los hijos de los hombres!
Atended, pequeñuelos, la astucia y sagacidad; los que sois insipientes, advertid. Oíd, porque tengo de hablar de grandes cosas. Conmigo están las riquezas y la gloria, las riquezas altas y la justicia. Mejor es el fruto que hallareis en mí, que el oro y que la piedra preciosa; y mis generaciones, esto es, lo que de mí engendrareis en vuestras almas, es mejor que la plata escogida. En los caminos de la justicia ando, en medio de las sendas del juicio, para enriquecer a los que me aman y cumplir perfectamente sus tesoros. En lo cual la Sabiduría divina habla con todos aquellos que ponen su corazón y afición en cualquiera cosa del mundo, según habemos ya dicho. Y llámalos pequeñuelos, porque se hacen semejantes a lo que aman, lo cual es pequeño. Y, por eso, les dice que tengan astucia y adviertan que ella trata de cosas grandes y no de pequeñas, como ellos; que las riquezas grandes y la gloria que ellos aman, con ella y en ella están, y no de donde ellos piensan; y que las riquezas altas y la justicia en ella moran; porque, aunque a ellos les parece que las cosas de este mundo lo son, díceles que adviertan que son mejores las suyas, diciendo que el fruto que en ellas hallará le será mejor que el oro y que las piedras preciosas; y [lo] que ella en las almas engendra, mejor que la plata escogida que ellos aman (Pv.
8, 19). En lo cual se entiende todo genero de afición que en esta vida se puede tener.
Scripture echoes
- ↩2Cor.6.14 — Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?
- ↩1Cor.3.19 — For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, 'He catches the wise in their craftiness.'
- ↩1Cor.3.19 — For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, 'He catches the wise in their craftiness.'
- ↩1Cor.3.18 — Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks he is wise in this age, let him become a fool so that he may become wise.
- ↩1Cor.3.19 — For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, 'He catches the wise in their craftiness.'
- ↩1Cor.3.18-1Cor.3.19 — Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks he is wise in this age, let him become a fool so that he may become wise. 1Cor.3.19 — For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, 'He catches the wise in their craftiness.'
- ↩Prov.8.4-Prov.8.6 — To you, O men, I call, and my voice is to the sons of man. Prov.8.5 — You who are simple, learn prudence; you who are fools, gain understanding. Prov.8.6 — Listen, for I speak noble things, and the opening of my lips is uprightness.
- ↩Prov.8.18 — Riches and honor are with me—enduring wealth and righteousness.
- ↩Prov.8.19 — My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold, and my yield than choice silver.
- ↩Prov.8.20-Prov.8.21 — In the way of righteousness I walk, in the midst of the paths of justice. Prov.8.21 — That I may endow those who love me with substance, and fill their treasuries.
- ↩Prov.8.4 — To you, O men, I call, and my voice is to the sons of man.
- ↩Prov.8.19 — My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold, and my yield than choice silver.
Notes
- 1 ↩Spanish afecciones keeps the sense of disordered attachments/affections fixed on creatures, not mere feelings.
- 2 ↩"por el mismo caso que" rendered as "by the very fact that" (the act of loving any creature as such incapacitates pure union).
- 3 ↩comprehende/comprehender rendered as 'grasp' (receive/hold) rather than mere intellectual 'understand,' matching the light/darkness figure and John 1:5 cadence; 'acá... allá' = this life vs. the next (beatific vision).
- 4 ↩"en el" points back to creaturely being ("el ser de las criaturas"): the soul attaches itself to that finite being.
- 5 ↩Spanish plays gracia/desgracia and gracioso/desgraciado: creaturely 'grace' here means charm/attractiveness (with donaire), not sanctifying grace; the English keeps the gracia/graceless contrast while rendering donaire as charm.
- 6 ↩malicia here is comparative metaphysical language (creaturely goodness as evil relative to God's infinite goodness), not a claim that creatures are morally wicked in themselves; next section continues the malicia/bondad contrast.
- 7 ↩Old Spanish comprehende (modern comprende): here, in parallel with earlier 'no alcanza', the sense is that malice cannot reach/attain or encompass goodness, not merely that it fails to understand it intellectually.
- 8 ↩mayorías here means preferments / positions of superiority (high rank), not political majorities.
- 9 ↩real libertad rendered as 'true freedom' (genuine liberty of the spirit), not 'royal freedom,' matching the contrast with servidumbre in context.
- 10 ↩Spanish has a collective singular verb (es) with a plural subject (riquezas y gloria); English takes natural plural agreement without changing sense.
- 11 ↩Latin opes superbae rendered as 'lofty wealth' (cf. the work’s later Spanish riquezas altas); superbae can also mean proud/magnificent.
- 12 ↩riquezas altas renders Latin opes superbae: exalted/magnificent riches, not merely large quantities.
- 13 ↩generaciones (Latin genimina) is glossed by the author as the spiritual fruit Wisdom engenders in the soul.
- 14 ↩Normalized source supplies [lo] before que ella en las almas engendra; translation follows that corrected reading.
- 15 ↩Citation breaks mid-reference as (Pv. and continues in the next section as 8, 19).
Ascent of Mount Carmel companion
A daily portion of stillness
Chosen Portion delivers one short contemplative reading and a guided moment of silence each day — the ascent, one step at a time.
Chosen Portion is the paced doorway into this collection: it portions the dense mystical treatises into one daily reading plus guided silence, exactly as the 14-day plan teaches.
- Daily bite-sized excerpts from the contemplative classics, never a wall of text
- A built-in timed stillness practice that grows from 2 minutes to 10
- Gentle progression through the tradition — the app remembers where you are on the ascent