The on and sixty chapitre. That alle bodili thing is soget unto goostli thing, and is rewlid therafter bi the cours of kinde, and not agensward.
The Body Subject to the Spirit
Bodily gestures in prayer are only valid when they arise from spiritual stirring, for the body is always subject to the spirit.
Nevertheless, it is necessary to lift up our eyes and our hands bodily, as if toward that bodily heaven in which the elements are fixed. I mean, only if we are stirred by the work of our spirit—and not otherwise.1 After all, everything physical is subject to what is spiritual and is ruled by it, not the other way around.
The Example of Christ's Ascension
Christ's Ascension exemplifies how the body follows the spirit, with upward movement being the most fitting visible expression.
An example of this can be seen in our Lord's Ascension; for when the appointed time had come that He was pleased to go bodily to His Father in His manhood—He who was never, and never can be, absent in His Godhead—then mightily, by the power of the Spirit of God, the manhood with the body followed in the unity of Person.2 The visible demonstration of this was most fitting and appropriate as an upward movement.
The Body Follows the Spirit in Contemplation
In the practice of contemplation, the body spontaneously sets itself upright, following the spirit's work without conscious effort.
This same subjection of the body to the spirit can, in a way, be truly grasped in the proof of this spiritual work of this book by those who practice it. For whenever a soul effectively sets itself to this work, then all at once, suddenly—without the one who is working even knowing it—the body, which perhaps before he began was leaning somewhat downward to one side or the other for the ease of the flesh, will by the power of the spirit set itself upright, following in manner and in bodily likeness the work of the spirit that is done spiritually. And so this is the most fitting way for it to be.
Uprightness: Bodily Figure, Spiritual Meaning
Human beings are created upright toward heaven to symbolize the soul's spiritual uprightness, which must not be confused with bodily posture.
And it is for this fitness that a human being—who is the most fitting creature in body that God ever made—is not made bent toward the earth, as all other beasts are, but upright toward heaven; so that the body should figure, in bodily likeness, the spiritual work of the soul, which is meant to be upright spiritually and not bent spiritually. Take care that I say upright spiritually, and not bodily. For how could a soul, which in its nature has nothing of bodiliness about it, be stretched upright bodily?3 No, it cannot be.
Spiritual Words, Spiritual Understanding
Spiritual teachings, though expressed in bodily language, must always be understood spiritually, not literally.
And therefore beware that you do not take bodily what is meant spiritually, even though it is spoken in bodily words — words like these: up or down, in or out, behind or before, on one side or the other. For even if a thing is ever so spiritual in itself, nevertheless if it is to be spoken of — since speech is a bodily work done with the tongue, which is an instrument of the body — it must always be spoken in bodily words. But what of that? Should it therefore be taken and understood bodily? No, only spiritually.4
Read the original Middle English
Nevertheles it is needful to lifte up oure ighen and oure hondes bodely, as it were unto yone bodely heven, in the whiche the elementes ben fastnid. I mene yif we ben sterid of the werk of oure spirit, and elles nought. For alle bodely thing is sogette unto goostly thing and is reulid therafter, and not agensward.
Ensaumple herof may be seen by the assencion of oure Lorde; for whan the tyme statute was icomen that Him likyd to weende to His Fader bodely in His Manheed -the whiche was never, ne never may be, absent in his Godheed -- than mightely, by the vertewe of the Spirit God, the Manheed with the body folowed in onheed of Persone. The visibilité of this was moste seemly and most acordyng to be upward.
This same subjeccion of the body to the spirit may be in maner verrely conceived in the preof of this goostly werk of this book by hem that worchen therin. For what tyme that a soule disposeth him effectuely to this werk, than as fast sodenly -- unwetyng himself that worcheth -- the body, that paraventure bifore er he bygan was sumwhat heeldyng donwardes on o syde or on other for ese of the flesche, by vertewe of the spirit schal set it upright, folowyng in maner and in licnes bodely the werk of the spirit that is maad goostly. And thus it is moste semely to be.
And for this seemlines it is that a man, the whiche is the seemliest creature in body that ever God maad, is not maad crokid to the erthewardes, as ben alle other beestes, bot upright to hevenwardes; for whi that it schulde figure in licnes bodely the werke of the soule goostly, the whiche falleth to be upright goostly and not crokid goostly. Take kepe that I sey upright goostly, and not bodely. For how schulde a soule, the whiche in his kynde hath no maner thing of bodelines, be streinid upright bodely? Nay, it may not be.
And therfore beware that thou conceyve not bodely that that is mente goostly, thof al it be spokyn in bodely wordes, as ben thees: up or doun, in or oute, behinde, or before, on o side or on other. For thof al that a thing be never so goostly in itself, nevertheles yit yif it schal be spoken of, sithen it so is that speche is a bodely werk wrought with the tonge, the whiche is an instrument of the body, it behoveth alweis be spoken in bodely wordes. Bot what therof? Schal it therfore be taken and conceyvid bodely? Nay, it bot goostly.
Notes
- 1 ↩enm 'sterid of' = stirred/moved by; 'werk of oure spirit' = the spirit's working or activity, not a crafted artifact.
- 2 ↩ME "the Spirit God" is rendered "the Spirit of God"; it may also be read as apposition ("the Spirit, who is God").
- 3 ↩ME "streinid" can mean strained, stretched, or drawn taut; rendered here as "stretched" for the impossible bodily forcing of an immaterial soul into an upright posture.
- 4 ↩Source 'Nay, it bot goostly' is elliptical; rendered as the natural modern answer 'No, only spiritually,' supplying the implied verb of taking/conceiving from the prior sentence.
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