The fourty chapitre. That in the tyme of this work, a soule hath no special beholding to any o vice in itself ne to any o vertew in itself.
The Undifferentiated Lump of Sin
In contemplative prayer, we should regard all sin as a single lump, without distinguishing sins, and cry out spiritually for its removal.
In the same way, fill your spirit with the spiritual meaning of this word sin, without focusing on any particular kind of sin—whether venial or mortal: pride, anger, envy, covetousness, sloth, gluttony, or lust. What does it matter to contemplatives what sin it is, or how great a sin it is? For all sin seems to them—I mean during the time of this work—equally great in itself, since the least sin separates them from God and keeps them from their spiritual peace. And feel sin as a lump — you never know what it is, except that it's nothing other than yourself. And then cry out spiritually, always upon that one cry: "Sin, sin, sin; out, out, out!" This spiritual cry is better learned from God by experience than from any person by words.1 For it's best when it stays in pure spirit, without any particular thought or any speaking of words — except perhaps at some rare moment, when from abundance of spirit it bursts up into words, so that body and soul are both filled with sorrow and the burden of sin.2
The Single Regard for God
Similarly, we should fill our spirit with the meaning of God alone, without focusing on His works or virtues, desiring only God Himself.
You should do the same with this little word, God. Fill your spirit with its spiritual meaning, without focusing on any of His works—whether they are good, better, or best, bodily or spiritual—or on any virtue that may be worked in a person's soul by any grace. Don't look at whether it is meekness or charity, patience or abstinence, hope, faith, or soberness, chastity or voluntary poverty.3 What need do contemplatives have to concern themselves with that?4 For they find and feel all virtues in God; for in Him is everything, both by cause and by being.5 For it seems to them that if they had God, they would have every good; and therefore they desire nothing with special regard, but only good God. Do the same yourself, as far as you can by grace; and mean God entirely, and entirely God, so that nothing works in your mind and in your will but God alone.6
The Alternating Practice
Because the lump of sin remains with us, we should alternately mean 'sin' and 'God,' understanding that possessing God removes sin and lacking sin brings God.
And because, as long as you live in this miserable life, you must always feel to some extent this foul, stinking lump of sin, as if it were fused with the very substance of your being, you should therefore intend these two words alternately — sin and God — with this general understanding: that if you had God, you'd lack sin; and if you could lack sin, you'd have God.7
Read the original Middle English
Do thou, on the same maner, fille thi spirit with the goostly bemenyng of this worde synne, and withoutyn any specyal beholdyng unto any kynde of synne, whether it be venial or deedly: pryde, wraththe or envye, covetyse, slewth, glotenie or lecherye. What thar reche in contemplatives what synne that it be, or how mochel a synne that it be? For alle synne hem thinkyth -- I mene for the tyme of this werk -iliche greet in hemself, when the leest synne departeth hem fro God, and letteth hem of here goostly pees.
And fele synne a lumpe, thou wost never what, bot none other thing than thiself. And crye than goostly ever upon one: "Synne, synne synne; oute, oute, oute!" This goostly crie is betyr lernid of God by the proef then of any man by worde. For it is best whan it is in pure spirit, withoutyn specyal thought or any pronounsyng of worde; bot yif it be any seeldom tyme, when for habundaunce of spiryt it brestith up into worde, so that the body and the soule ben bothe fillid with sorow and kumbryng of synne.
On the same maner schalt thou do with this lityl worde God. Fille thi spirit with the goostly bemenyng of it withoutyn any specyal beholdyng to any of His werkes whether thei be good, betir, or alther best, bodily or goostly -- or to any vertewe that may be wrought in mans soule by any grace, not lokyng after whether it be meeknes or charité, pacyence or abstynence, hope, feith, or sobirnes, chastité or wilful poverté. What thar reche in contemplatyves? For alle vertewes thei fynden and felyn in God; for in Hym is alle thing, bothe by cause and by beyng. For hem think and thei had God, thei had alle good; and therfore thei coveyte nothing with specyal beholdyng, bot only good God. Do thou on the same maner, as forth as thou maist by grace; and mene God al, and al God, so that nought worche in thi witte and in thi wile, bot only God.
And forthi that ever the whiles thou levyst in this wrechid liif, thee behoveth alweys fele in som partye this foule stynkyng lump of synne, as it were onyd and congelid with the substaunce of thi beyng, therfore schalt thou chaungabely mene thees two wordes -- synne and God: with this general knowyng: that and thou haddest God, then schuldest thou lacke synne, and mightest thou lacke synne, then schuldest thou have God.
Notes
- 1 ↩ME 'proef' can mean proof, trial, or lived experience; rendered as 'experience' for the contemplative sense of learning by God's proving, not by verbal instruction.
- 2 ↩ME 'kumbryng' means encumbrance, trouble, or burden; rendered as 'burden' to keep the weight of sin without archaic 'cumbering'.
- 3 ↩goostly bemenyng rendered as "spiritual meaning" (the inward sense/import of the word God, not a discursive definition).
- 4 ↩What thar reche is an impersonal Middle English idiom ("what need is there to care/take account"); rendered as a rhetorical question about contemplatives' concern for particular virtues.
- 5 ↩bothe by cause and by beyng keeps the scholastic double claim: God is the cause of all things and all being is in Him.
- 6 ↩mene keeps the Cloud's technical sense of contemplative intending/meaning; witte and wile rendered as mind and will.
- 7 ↩ME 'mene' is the Cloud's technical term for directing intention toward the little prayer-word; rendered here as 'mean' to keep that sense. 'chaungabely' = alternately / by turns, switching between the two words rather than fixing on either alone.
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