Doutra declaraçom que faço sobre as voontades.
The Four Dimensions of the Soul
The author introduces a fourfold division of the human soul: vegetative, sensitive, rational, and free will.
However, although the declaration written above about the wills seems good to me, I make, according to what I feel in myself and in others, another general division into these four parts according to what the souls declare: the vegetative, the sensitive, the rational, and the fourth of free will, which commands us to fulfill everything we do for our pleasure. The vegetative will, much like that of trees, seeks health, sustenance, food, drink, sleep, and clothing, along with the other necessities of life. The sensitive part, which corresponds to that of animals, includes everything else pertaining to the twelve passions: love, desire, and delight; hatred, aversion, and sadness; hope, boldness, and fear; anger, despair, and dread. I intend to write these things as clearly as I can, because it's necessary for anyone who wishes to understand such matters to know them.
Navigating the Sensitive Passions
An exploration of the twelve passions, focusing on how the desire and irascible powers influence our responses to good and evil.
This sensitive part has two powers: the desire to want and another we call irascible. The first six passions belong to the first power in this way: when something pleases us, we feel love for it; if we want to possess it, we desire it; and once we achieve it, we find delight in it. All of this pertains to the good. And in the realm of evil, when we feel something contrary to our conscience, honor, health, benefit, or pleasure, we feel hatred towards it; and if we want to guard against it and see that it follows us, we feel aversion; and if we feel well, we feel sadness. And they say that all of this comes from the part of desire, because by loving these goods we have hatred towards their opposites; and by desiring them, we feel aversion towards those who drive us away from them; and when we feel the loss of them about to come, or that we have already received them, we suffer sadness, as experience clearly shows, for one does not take great offense from sins who does not love to guard their conscience, and thus from honor and the other parts; therefore, all of the part of desire must be properly directed, because from it all originates. When we see frightening things that provoke anger or sadness and threaten to bring us down, we should consider how they relate to our irascible nature, where we can respond in three good ways: if the situation is such that there is no remedy, we should patiently endure with gentleness; if there is a chance for recovery, we should have good hope; and against great and serious matters, we should have great and bold courage. There are also three other responses to consider: reacting with disordered anger or sadness when there is no chance for recovery or correction, despairing over what can be resolved through good effort and counsel, and succumbing to fear when we understand the effort required. Thus, these six responses belong to our irascible nature: three are for good and a good disposition towards them, and three are contrary. And since this resolves the greater part of all our actions, it seems good to me that we always consider how to govern ourselves in these passions; and when we fall or are tempted, we should know where it comes from to correct and guide us with the grace of Our Lord.
Discerning Beyond the Heart's Whims
A warning against trusting subjective emotional states, urging the reader to seek wisdom and divine grace instead.
This is a reminder to be cautious, as it is presented here, that we shouldn't trust the judgments of our own opinions, because they can greatly influence our will through the bodily disposition or the feelings that the heart has; and if each person reflects well and considers rationally, they will realize that some actions seem significant, strong, or dangerous, leading to a weak and poor will, or they may become so due to reasons that others suggest, or worries that arise, especially when the body is poorly disposed; and that same action, or one similar to it, may be regarded so lightly that it doesn't provoke doubt, fear, or hesitation, but is instead understood to be concluded lightly. However, one should not be governed by such displays of our heart, which often arise from this sensitive part, but should consider the reasons from all sides, remembering those that have passed and knowing that if they have passed, by listening to good advice, they should choose with the grace of Our Lord what is best. Regarding this, don't be moved without a solid foundation, nor be troubled by desires, dreams, or whims of the will. Instead, continue in good actions, hoping for a good outcome from the merciful Lord God, in whom is the end and perfection of all wisdom, discretion, and fortune.
The Rational Will and Virtue
The rational will is defined as the faculty that aligns human action with virtue, honor, and divine discretion.
The third rational will, in which humans participate with angels, primarily advises and commands what pertains to the entire safeguarding of virtues, as well as honor and benefit, and with discretion regarding health and pleasure, considering what is best based on past, present, and future matters.
Read the original Latin
Nom embargando que a declaraçom suso scripta das voontades bem me pareça, eu faço, segundo em my e nos outros sinto, outra repartiçom geeral em estas quatro partes segundo declarom as almas vegetativa, sensitiva, e racional, e quarta do livre alvidro, que manda comprir toda cousa que per nosso prazer fazemos.
A voontade que perteece aa parte vegetativa, que he semelhante aa que teem as arvores, demanda saude, mantiimento, de comer, beber, dormir, e vestir com as outras obras da necessidade de vyda. A sensitiva, que com a das bestas concorda, todas outras cousas que perteeçam aas doze paixoões: damor, desejo, e deleitaçom; odio, aborrecimento, e tristeza; mansidoões, sperança, e atrevimento; sanha, desesperaçom, e medo. As quaaes entendo screver assy declaradamente onde se acertar, porque som necessarias de saber a quem de semelhantes cousas quizer haver boo conhecimento.
E aquesta sensitiva tem dous poderes, scilicet, desejador, e outro que chamom hiracivel; ao primeiro perteecem as primeiras seis paixoões, per esta guisa: quando algũa cousa nos praz, avemoslhe amor; e se a queremos possuir, desejo; e desque a logramos, deleitaçom; e todo esto perteece ao bem. E na parte do mal, quando algũa cousa sentimos contraira a nossa conciencia, honra, saude, proveito ou prazer, avemoslhe odio; e se della nos queriamos guardar, e veemos que nos segue, filhamos avorrecimento; e se nos bem sentimos, tristeza. E dizem que todo esto procede da parte desejador, porque amando estes bees avemos odio a seus contrarios; e desejandoos, avorrecimento a quem delles nos arreda; e quando sentiimos a perda delles prestes para viir, ou que ja recebemos, padecemos tristeza, como a esperiencia bem demostra, que nom toma dos pecados grande sentido quem nom ama guardar a conciencia, e assy da honra e das outras partes; e porem todo aa parte desejador deve ser apropriado, porque dalli tem seu nacimento.
E quando nos veem cousas temerosas, contrairas, e que a sanha ou tristeza nos queira derribar, consiiradas segundo sy apropriamse aa parte hiracivel, nas quaaes podemos teer boas tres maneiras, per esta guisa: se o feito he tal em que nom ha remedio, com mansidoões filhar paciencia; e se pode haver cobro, boa sperança; e contra as cousas grandes e fortes, grande e boo atrevimento. Outras tres ha hi em contra: filhando desordenada sanha ou tristeza onde nom ha cobro nem corregimento, desesperar do que pode per boo esforço e conselho aver emenda, vencerse a medo quando compre esforço. E assy estas seis perteecem aa parte hiracivel, tres ao bem e boo geyto della, e outras tres ao contrairo. E por quanto em esto se resolve a mayor parte de todos nossos feitos, me parece bem consiirarmos sempre como nos governarmos em estas paixoões; e quando fallecermos, ou nos tentarem, sabermos donde vem para nos correger e avisar com a graça de Nosso Senhor.
Sobresto he daver este avisamento, pois aqui se oferece, que nom creamos os topos de nosso parecer, porque fazem grande mudança na voontade per a disposiçom corporal ou do sentido que o coraçom filha; e se cada hũu bem consiirar e tever razoado entender e lembrança vera que algũus feitos lhe parecem grandes, fortes, ou perigosos dacabar por teer em ello nom boa e fraca voontade, ou tal se tornar por razoões que lhe digam, ou cuidados que desy filha, e assy por o corpo estar mal desposto; e aquel medes feito, ou seu semelhante, tem em tam pequena conta que nom filha del duvida, medo, nem empacho, ante ligeiramente o entende acabar. Porem nom he de reger por taaes mostranças de nosso coraçom, que muytas vezes veem desta parte sensitiva, mas consiirando as razoões por toda parte, lembrandosse das que passou e sabe que se passarom, ouvindo boos conselhos, scolher com a graça de Nosso Senhor o que he melhor. E sobre aquello nom se mova sem certo fundamento, nem cure desinaaes, sonhos, nem topos da voontade, mas continoe sempre em seu boo obrar, sperando boa conclusam do misericordioso Senhor Deos, em que he fym e perfeicom de todo siso, discreçom e ventura.
A terceira voontade racional, em que os homeès com os anjos partecipam, conselha e manda principalmente o que perteece a toda guarda de virtudes, e a honra e proveito, e com discreçom a saude e prazer, consiirando o que he melhor por as cousas passadas, presentes e que som por viir.
The Loyal Counselor — Opening companion
Rule yourself daily, not just on retreat
Chosen Portion turns the mirror into a daily practice — a short reading and examining question each morning before you lead anyone.
Chosen Portion makes the mirror daily: the ruler-formation questions this collection preserves become a two-minute morning examination in the app.
- A daily formation reading drawn from centuries of counsel to those in authority
- One pointed examination question a day — two minutes, before the meetings start
- Track your practice over weeks and watch the examined life become a habit