CAPUT LXXVIII. Quantum valeat plena cognitio sui
The Summit of Self-Knowledge
The toil of the climb leads to the summit where Christ is transfigured, revealing Moses, Elijah, and the Father's voice, all of which are wonderful and worth longing for.
But so the toil of the journey and the hard climb don't terrify you or hold you back, listen and take to heart what fruit there is in reaching the top. On the summit of this mountain Jesus is transfigured; in him Moses is seen with Elijah, and both are recognized without anyone pointing them out; in him the Father's voice to the Son is heard.1 Which of these things isn't wonderful? Which of these isn't worth longing for? Do you want to see Christ transfigured?
The Call to Know Yourself
The repeated exhortation to climb the mountain and learn self-knowledge is the key to recognizing Christ transfigured, understanding the Law and prophets, and receiving the Father's secret mystery.
Climb this mountain; learn to know yourself. Do you want to see Moses and Elijah and recognize them without anyone pointing them out? Do you want, without a teacher and without an interpreter, to understand the Law and prophecy? Climb this mountain; learn to know yourself. Do you want the secret of the Father's mystery? Climb this mountain; learn to know yourself. For it came down from heaven when he said: γνῶθι σεαυτόν—that is, Know yourself.2 Do you see yet how much climbing this mountain is worth—how useful full knowledge of yourself is?3
Read the original Latin
Sed ne te perterreat vel retrahat labor itineris, difficultas ascensionis, audi et attende quis sit fructus perventionis. In hujus montis cacumine Jesus transfiguratur; in ipso Moyses cum Elia videtur, et sine indice uterque cognoscitur, in ipso vox Patris ad Filium auditur. Quid horum non mirabile? quid horum non desiderabile? Vis videre Christum transfiguratum? Ascende in montem istum, disce cognoscere teipsum. Vis videre et absque ullo indice cognoscere Moysen et Eliam, vis absque doctore, sine expositore intelligere legem et prophetiam? Ascende in montem istum, disce cognoscere teipsum.
Vis paterni secreti arcanum, ascende in montem istum, disce cognoscere teipsum. De coelo enim descendit, cum dixit: γνωτι σεαυτὸν illud id est Nosce teipsum. Videsne adhuc quantum valeat montis hujus ascensio, quam utilis sit suis ipsius plena cognitio?
Notes
- 1 ↩index here means one who points out or identifies; rendered as 'anyone pointing them out,' parallel to s7's absque ullo indice / absque doctore / sine expositore.
- 2 ↩Source Greek reads γνωτι σεαυτὸν; rendered as the standard maxim γνῶθι σεαυτόν (Nosce teipsum).
- 3 ↩suis ipsius is slightly awkward Latin; taken as the expected sui ipsius, 'of yourself/oneself'.
Benjamin Minor (The Twelve Patriarchs / Preparation of the Mind for Contemplation) 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