The elleventh chapitre. That a man schuld charge iche thought and iche stering after that it is, and alweis eschewe rechelesnes in venial synne.
Tending First Stirrings
The author urges the reader to take every thought and stirring seriously, because carelessness about first motions leads to venial sin, and though venial sin cannot be fully avoided in this life, recklessness in it must be shunned by all who seek perfection.
I'm not saying this because I think that you, or any others like those I'm speaking of, are guilty and burdened with any such sins; but because I want you to take each thought and each stirring for what it is, and because I want you to work hard to destroy the first stirring and thought of these things in which you might thus sin. For I'll tell you one thing: whoever doesn't take the first thought seriously, or sets little store by it — yes, even though it may be no sin for him at all — that person, whoever he may be, will not avoid recklessness in venial sin. No one can completely avoid venial sin in this mortal life. But recklessness in venial sin should always be avoided by all the disciples of perfection; and otherwise I wouldn't be surprised if they soon fall into mortal sin.
Read the original Middle English
I say not this for I trowe that thou, or any other soche as I speke of, ben gilty and combrid with any soche synnes; bot for I wolde that thou chargedist iche a thought, and iche a steryng after that it is, and for I wolde that thou travailedist besily to distroie the first steryng and thought of thees thinges that thou maist thus synne inne. For o thing I telle thee: that who chargeth not, or setteth litil bi the first thought -ye, though al it be no sinne unto him -- he, that whosoever that he be, schal not eschewe rechelesnes in venial sinne. Venial synne schal no man utterly eschue in this deedly liif. Bot rechelesnes in venial synne schuld alweis be eschewed of alle the dissiples of perfeccion; and elles I have no wonder thof thei sone sinne deedly.
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