CAPUT LXXXVII. Quomodo contemplatio desinat in meditationem, vel quomodo meditatio surgat in contemplationem
The Descent of Contemplation into Meditation
The chapter opens by interpreting Benjamin's descent into Egypt as the mind's turn from eternal contemplation to temporal meditation, and then defines the two graces—contemplation and meditation—through the figures of Benjamin and Joseph, distinguishing pure intelligence from true prudence.
What does it mean for Benjamin to go down into Egypt, if not to draw the mind's gaze back from contemplating eternal things to contemplating temporal ones, and to lower the rays of understanding from the light of eternity—as if from the summit of heaven—down into the darkness of change, and in so great a confusion of shifting things to weigh the reason of God's judgments and largely to penetrate it? And what does it mean that Joseph and Benjamin meet and exchange kisses, if not that meditation and contemplation often meet each other with the confirmation of reason?✦ For as far as a general reading goes, just as through Benjamin the grace of contemplation can be understood, so through Joseph the grace of meditation can be understood. More properly and more expressly, though, pure intelligence is designated through Benjamin, while true prudence is designated through Joseph. Through Benjamin, that is, the kind of contemplation that concerns invisible things; through Joseph, the kind of meditation that concerns conduct. The grasp of invisible things, then, belongs to pure intelligence, while careful watch over conduct belongs to true prudence. By pure intelligence we mean that which is free of any admixture of imagination; and by true prudence, to distinguish it from what is called the prudence of the flesh.✦1 True prudence is about acquiring, increasing, and keeping true goods; but the prudence of the flesh is about passing goods—the kind by which the children of this age are said to be wiser than the children of light.✦
The Mutual Embrace of Meditation and Contemplation
The chapter concludes by describing the reciprocal movement between meditation and contemplation—Joseph falling on Benjamin's neck and Benjamin receiving him—culminating in the kiss of divine revelation and human reason, and then reflecting on Scripture's varied modes of signifying this mystery.
So Joseph embraces Benjamin whenever meditation gives way to contemplation.2 Then Benjamin receives his brother as Joseph falls upon him when, from earnest meditation, the mind rises into contemplation. Then Benjamin and Joseph kiss when divine revelation and human reasoning agree in one testimony of the truth. Do you see how divine Scripture, concerning one and the same thing, keeps changing its mode of signification, and yet everywhere adds something so that it does not let its meaning remain completely hidden? In Rachel's death, contemplation rises above reason; in Benjamin's entry into Egypt, contemplation descends as far as the imagination; in the mutual kissing of Benjamin and Joseph, human reason applauds divine revelation.3
Read the original Latin
Quid est Benjamin in Aegyptum descendere, nisi ab aeternorum contemplatione, ad temporalia contemplanda, intuitum mentis revocare, et ab aeternitatis luce, quasi de vertice coeli, usque ad mutabilitatis tenebras, intelligentiae radios deponere, et in tanta alternantium rerum confusione, divinorum judiciorum rationem perpendere, et ex magna parte penetrare? Et quid est quod Joseph et Benjamin conveniunt, et oscula jungunt, nisi quod meditatio et contemplatio saepe invicem sibi cum rationis attestatione occurrunt? Nam quantum ad generalem considerationem pertinet, sicut per Benjamin gratia contemplationis, sic per Joseph intelligi valet gratia meditationis. Proprie tamen et expressius per Benjamin designatur intelligentia pura, per Joseph vero prudentia vera. Per Benjamin, scilicet illud genus contemplationis, quod est de invisibilibus; per Joseph, illud genus meditationis quod est in moribus. Comprehensio siquidem rerum invisibilium pertinet ad intelligentiam puram, circumspectio vero morum pertinet ad prudentiam veram. Intelligentiam puram dicimus, quae est sine admistione imaginationis; prudentiam autem veram, ad differentiam ejus quae dicitur prudentia carnis. Prudentia vera est de acquirendis, multiplicandis, conservandis veris bonis; prudentia autem carnis est, de bonis transitoriis, secundum quam filii hujus saeculi dicuntur prudentiores filiis lucis.
Toties ergo Joseph super collum Benjamin ruit, quoties meditatie in contemplationem desinit. Tunc Benjamin fratrem suum super se ruentem excipit, quando ex studio meditationis, animus in contemplationem surgit. Tunc Benjamin et Joseph oscula jungunt, quando divina revelatio et humana ratiocinatio in una veritatis attestatione consentiunt. Videsne quomodo divina Scriptura circa unam eamdemque rem significationis modum alternat, ubique tamen aliquid adjungit unde sensum suum ex toto latere non sinat. In morte Rachel contemplatio supra rationem ascendit, in introitu Benjamin in Aegyptum, contemplatio usque ad imaginationem descendit, in deosculatione Benjamin et Joseph, divinae revelatione humana ratio applaudit.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Gen.45.14 — And he fell upon the neck of his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin wept upon his neck.
- ↩Rom.8.6-Rom.8.7 — For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace. Rom.8.7 — Because the mind of the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to the law of God, for it is not able to do so—
- ↩Luke.16.8 — And the master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the people of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the people of light.
Notes
- 1 ↩admistione is a common medieval spelling of admixtione ('admixture/mixture').
- 2 ↩Latin has meditatie; read as meditatio ('meditation'), matching the chapter's meditation/contemplation pair and the Joseph allegory.
- 3 ↩divinae revelatione is slightly irregular; sense taken as human reason applauding divine revelation (likely dative divinae revelationi or ablative divina revelatione).
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.
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