The eight chapitre. A good declaryng of certein doutes that may falle in this werk, tretid bi questyon: in distroiing of a mans owne coriousté of konnyng and of kyndely wit; and in distynging of the degrees and the partyes of actyve levyng and contemplative.
The Disciple's Question
The disciple describes the pressing thought that brings devotion and asks whether it is good or evil.
But now you ask me: "What is this that presses so hard on me in this work?" And is it a good thing or an evil? "And if it is an evil thing," you say, "then I marvel why it would increase a person's devotion so much. For sometimes I think it's an extraordinary comfort to listen to its tales.1 For sometimes, I think, it will make me weep very heartily out of pity for the Passion of Christ, sometimes for my wretchedness, and for many other reasons that, I think, are truly holy and that do me much good. And therefore I think that it could in no way be evil. And if it is good, and with its sweete tales does me so much good as well, then I marveil greatly why you tell me to put it down and away so far under the cloud of forgetting."
The Nature and Use of Natural Wit
The author identifies the pressing thought as natural wit, good in itself but capable of good or evil use depending on humility or pride.
Now I certainly think this is a well-posed question, and so I mean to answer it as feebly as I can. First, when you ask me what this is that presses so hard on you in this work, offering to help you in it: I say that it is a sharp and clear insight of your natural intelligence, imprinted on your reason within your soul.2 And when you ask me whether it is good or evil, I say that it is always good by its nature, because it is a ray of the likeness of God.3 But the use of it may be both good and evil. It is good when it is opened by grace so you can see your wretchedness, the Passion, God's kindness, and the wonderful works of God in His creatures, bodily and spiritual; and then it's no wonder if it increases your devotion as much as you say. But then its use is evil when it is swollen with pride and with curiosity for much book-learning and scholarly knowledge, as it is in scholars, and makes them push themselves forward to be regarded not as humble scholars and masters of divinity or of devotion, but as proud scholars of the devil and masters of vanity and falsehood.4 And in other men or women, whoever they are, whether religious or secular, the use and working of this natural intelligence is then evil when it is swollen with proud and curious reasonings about worldly things and fleshly notions, in craving worldly honors and the possession of riches and empty pleasure and the flatteries of others.5
Active and Contemplative Life
The author introduces the two kinds of life in Holy Church, their degrees, and their interconnection, ending with the contrast between Martha's trouble and Mary's peace.
And when you ask me why you should put it down under the cloud of forgetting, since it is good in its nature, and moreover when you use it well it does you so much good and increases your devotion so much — to this I answer that you should clearly understand that there are two kinds of life in Holy Church. One is the active life, and the other is the contemplative life. The active life is the lower, and the contemplative is the higher. The active life has two degrees: a higher and a lower; and the contemplative life also has two degrees: a lower and a higher. Moreover, these two lives are so closely joined that although they differ in some ways, neither can be fully possessed without some part of the other; for the higher part of the active life is the same as the lower part of the contemplative life. So a person cannot be fully active unless he is partly contemplative; nor can he be fully contemplative (as far as that can be attained here) unless he is partly active.6 The active life is such that it is both begun and ended in this life. But it is not so with the contemplative life; for it begins in this life and will last without end, because the part that Mary chose will never be taken away. The active life is troubled and worn out over many things; but the contemplative sits in peace with one thing.
The Degrees of the Spiritual Life
The author describes the lower and higher parts of both lives, culminating in the three states of the soul: outside, within, and above oneself.
The lower part of the active life consists of good, honest bodily works of mercy and charity. The higher part of the active life and the lower part of the contemplative life lie in good spiritual meditations and in earnest attention—toward one's own wretchedness with sorrow and contrition, toward the Passion of Christ and His servants with pity and compassion, and toward the wonderful gifts, kindness, and works of God in all His creatures, both bodily and spiritual, with thanksgiving and praise. But the higher part of contemplation (as it can be had here) hangs wholly in this darkness and in this cloud of unknowing, with a loving stirring and a blind gazing toward the naked being of God Himself alone. In the lower part of the active life, a person is outside himself and beneath himself. In the higher part of the active life and the lower part of the contemplative life, a person is within himself and level with himself.7 But in the higher part of the contemplative life, a person is above himself and under his God. He is above himself because he sets himself to reach there by grace, where he cannot come by nature; that is to say, to be knit to God in spirit, and in oneness of love and accordance of will.8
Letting Go of All Thoughts for Love
The author explains why even holy thoughts must be put down under the cloud of forgetting, because love alone can reach God in this life, while understanding is mixed with fantasy.
And just as it's impossible, as far as human understanding goes, for a person to reach the higher part of the active life unless they take a break from the lower part for a while: so too, a person won't be able to reach the higher part of the contemplative life unless they take a break from the lower part for a while. And as improper as it is—and as much as it would hinder someone sitting in meditation if they then turned to look at their outward physical works, which they had done or would do, even though those works themselves were ever so holy—surely it is just as improper, and it would hinder just as much a person who is meant to work in this darkness and in this cloud of unknowing with an affectionate stirring of love toward God for His own sake, to let any thought or any meditation on God's wonderful gifts, kindness, and works in any of His creatures, bodily or spiritual, arise within them and come between them and their God, even though they are ever so holy, pleasant, and comforting.910 That's why I'm telling you to set aside such sharp, subtle thoughts and cover them with a thick cloud of forgetting, no matter how holy they seem or how warmly they urge you on as if to help your purpose. For love can reach God in this life, but knowledge cannot. As long as the soul dwells in this mortal body, the sharpness of our understanding when beholding spiritual things—especially God—is always mixed with some kind of fantasy. Because of that, our work would be unclean, and unless something more wonderful intervened, it would lead us into much error.11
Read the original Middle English
But now thou askest me: "What is he, this that thus preesith apon me in this werk?" And whether it is a good thing or an ivel? "And yif it be an ivel thing, then have I merveyle," thou seist, "whi that he wil encrees a mans devocion so mochel. For sumtyme me think that it is a passing counforte to listen after his tales. For he wil sumtyme, me think, make me weep ful hertly for pité of the Passion of Criste, somtyme for my wrechidnes, and for many other skiles that, me thinketh, ben ful holy, and that done me mochel good. And therfore me thinkith that he schuld on no wise be ivel. And yif he be good, and with his swete tales doth me so moche good withal, than I have greet merveyle whi that thou biddist me put him doun and awey so fer under the cloude of forgetyng."
Now sekirly me thinketh that this is a wel movid questyon, and therfore I think to answere therto so febeli as I can. First, when thou askest me what is he, this that preseth so fast apon thee in this werk, profryng to help thee in this werk: I sey that it is a scharp and a clere beholding of thi kindely witte, preentid in thi reson withinne in thi soule. And where thou askist me therof whether it be good or ivel, I sey that it behoveth algates be good in his kynde, for whi it is a beme of the licnes of God. Bot the use therof may be bothe good and ivel. Good, when it is openid bi grace for to see thi wrechidnes, the Passion, the kyndnes, and the wonderful werkes of God in His creatures bodily and goostly; and than it is no wonder thof it encrees thi devocion so mochel as thou seist. Bot then is the use ivel, when it is swollen with pride and with coriousté of moche clergie and letterly conning as in clerkes, and maketh hem prees for to beholden not meek scolers and maystres of devinité or of devocion, bot proude scolers of the devel and maysters of vanité and of falsheed. And in other men or wommen, whatso thei be, religious or seculers, the use and the worching of this kyndely witte is than ivel, whan it is swollen with proude and corious skyles of wordely thinges and fleschely conceites, in covetyng of wordly worschipes and havyng of richesses and veyne plesaunce and flateringes of other.
And where that thou askest me whi that thou schalt put it doune under the cloude of forgetyng, sithen it is so that it is good in his kynde, and therto when it is wel used, it doth thee so mochel good and encreseth thi devocion so mochel, to this I answere and sey that thou schalt wel understonde that ther ben two maner of lives in Holy Chirche. The tone is active liif, and the tother is contemplative liif. Actyve is the lower, and contemplative is the hier. Active liif hath two degrees, a hier and a lower; and also contemplative liif hath two degrees, a lower and a higher. Also theese two lives ben so couplid togeders, that thof al thei ben divers in som party, yit neither of hem may be had fully withouten som party of the other; for whi that party that is the heigher party of actyve liif, that same party is the lower party of contemplative liif. So that a man may not be fully active, bot yif he be in party contemplative; ne yit fully contemplative (as it may be here), bot yif he be in partie actyve. The condicion of actyve liif is soche, that it is bothe bygonne and eended in this liif. Bot not so of contemplative liif; for it is bigonne in this liif, and schal last withouten eende, for whi that partie that Mary chees schal never be taken awey.
Active liif is troublid and travailid aboute many thinges; bot contemplative sitteth in pees with o thing.
The lower party of active liif stondeth in good and honeste bodily werkes of mercy and of charité. The hier party of active liif and the lower party of contemplative liif lith in goodly goostly meditacions, and besy beholding -- unto a mans owne wrechidnes with sorow and contricion, unto the Passion of Crist and of His servauntes with pité and compassion, and unto the wonderful giftes, kyndnes, and werkes of God in alle His creatures, bodili and goostly, with thankyng and preising. Bot the higher partye of contemplacion (as it may be had here) hongeth al holy in this derknes and in this cloude of unknowyng, with a lovyng steryng and a blinde beholdyng unto the nakid beyng of God Himself only.
In the lower partye of active liif a man is withouten himself and bineeth himself. In the higher party of actyve liif and the lower party of contemplative liif, a man is withinne himself and even with himself. Bot in the higher partie of contemplative liif, a man is aboven himself and under his God. Aboven himself he is, for whi he purposeth him to wynne theder bi grace, whether he may not come bi kynde; that is to sey, to be knit to God in spirite, and in oneheed of love and acordaunce of wile.
And right as it is inpossible to mans understondyng a man to come to the higher party of actyve liif, bot if he seese for a tyme of the lower party: so it is that a man schal not mowe com to the higher party of contemplative liif, bot yif he seese for a tyme of the lower partye. And as unleveful a thing as it is, and as moche as it wolde lette a man that sat in his meditacions, to beholde thanne to his outward bodily werkes, the whiche he had done or elles schul do, thof al thei were never so holy werkes in hemself: sekirly as unlicly a thing it is, and as moche wolde it let a man, that schuld worche in this derknes and in this cloude of unknowing with an affectuous stering of love to God for Himself, for to late any thought or any meditacion of Goddes wonderful giftes, kyndnes, and werkes in any of His creatures, bodily or goostly, rise apon him to prees bitwix him and his God, though al thei be never so holy thoughtes, ne so liking, ne so counfortable.
And for this skile it is that I bid thee put doun soche a scharp sotil thought, and kever him with a thicke cloude of forgetyng, be he never so holy, ne hote he thee never so weel for to help thee in thi purpos. For whi love may reche to God in this liif, bot not knowing. And al the whiles that the soule wonith in this deedly body, evermore is the scharpnes of oure understonding in beholding of alle goostly thinges, bot most specialy of God, medelid with sum maner of fantasie; for the whiche oure werk schuld be unclene, and, bot if more wonder were, it schuld lede us into moche errour.
Notes
- 1 ↩"tales" here means the discourses or meditations this pressing thought offers, not invented stories.
- 2 ↩kindely witte: natural (created) intelligence or reason, as opposed to grace-given knowing; rendered 'natural wit' to keep the Cloud's technical sense.
- 3 ↩licnes of God: the created likeness (imago) of God in the soul; 'beam of the likeness' keeps the source image rather than flattening to 'image of God' alone.
- 4 ↩clergie and letterly conning: learned clerical knowledge and book-learning, not 'clergy' as ordained ministers alone; coriousté is restless curious craving to know.
- 5 ↩religious or seculers: those in religious life versus those in the secular world, not 'religious' in the vague modern sense.
- 6 ↩Parenthetical 'as it may be here' rendered as 'as far as that can be here,' i.e. contemplative fullness possible in this life, not the beatific state.
- 7 ↩ME 'even with himself' rendered as 'level with himself' (on a par with / neither above nor beneath himself), matching the spatial contrast with 'outside/beneath' and 'above/under'.
- 8 ↩ME 'whether' taken as 'where' (place/destination he cannot reach by nature), not as alternative 'whether'; 'kynde' rendered as 'nature'.
- 9 ↩Middle English unleveful/unlicly means 'unlawful' or 'not permitted'; rendered as 'improper' for modern register while preserving the moral prohibition against the intrusion.
- 10 ↩'for Himself' marks love directed to God for God's own sake, not for His gifts or creatures—the contrast driving the sentence.
- 11 ↩ME 'fantasie' is the imaginative faculty/image-making that adulterates intellectual beholding, not idle daydreaming; rendered as 'fantasy' in that technical sense.
The Cloud of Unknowing 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