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Chapter 8BlinckSteen.1.8

Tweede deel — IV. Jezus volgen op de Thabor der blote gedachte

Ascending the Mountain of Bare Thought

The soul follows Jesus up the mountain of bare thought, mirroring the transfiguration of the apostles.

And for this reason, so that his name may be exalted and made clear in us, we will follow him up the mountain of our bare thought, just as Peter and James and John followed him up Mount Tabor.1 Tabor means as much in Dutch as an increase of the light.2 If we are Peter, acknowledging the truth; James, overcoming the world; and John, full of grace and possessing virtue in righteousness, then Jesus leads us up the mountain of our bare thought into a desolate hiddenness, and reveals himself to us, glorified in divine brightness.3

The Living Book of Wisdom

God reveals His eternal wisdom to the soul, inviting it into a state of unity and divine light.

And in his name, his heavenly Father opens to us the living book of his eternal wisdom. And God's wisdom takes hold of our bare vision and the simplicity of our spirit in a modeless, simple taste of all good without distinction.45 For there, seeing and knowing, tasting and feeling, essence, life, having, and being are all entirely one in our exaltation with God.6 We all stand before this exalted state, each of us in our own unique way. Our heavenly Father, in His wisdom and goodness, gifts each person specially, according to the nobility of their being and their practices.7 And for this reason, if we always remained with Jesus on Tabor—that is, on the mountain of our bare thought—we would always feel the increase of new light and new truth; for we would always hear the Father's voice, which would touch us as it flows out with grace or draws us in into unity.✦89

Chosen Sons and the Divine Good Pleasure

The soul finds its identity as a chosen child of God, hidden from the world and resting in divine good pleasure.

All who follow our Lord Jesus Christ hear the Father's voice, for he speaks of them all: 'These are my chosen sons, who all well please me.' And from this favor, every person receives grace, according to the measure and manner in which God is pleased with them.10 True love is exercised between these two things—that God is pleased with us and that we please God—and in this way, each person tastes their own name, their own office, and the fruit of their exercises.11 All good people are hidden here from those who live for the world, for they are dead before God and nameless, and because of that, they can neither feel nor taste what belongs to the living.✦12

The Outflowing and Inward-Drawing Touch

The soul experiences the dual movement of God's grace: the outward touch that empowers and the inward-drawing touch that unites.

That outflowing touch of God makes us alive in the spirit, and fills us with graces, and enlightens our reason, and teaches us to know the truth and the distinction of the virtues, and keeps us standing before the presence of God in such great power that we can bear every savor and every feeling and all the outflowing gifts of God without our spirit failing.13 But that inward-drawing touch of God requires us to be one with God, and that we empty ourselves of spirit and die in blessedness—that is, in the one love that encompasses the Father and the Son in a single enjoyment.1415 And for this reason, when we've climbed with Jesus onto the mountain of our imagelessness, if we then follow him with a simple gaze, with inward delight, and with inclinations bent toward fruition, we feel the intense heat of the Holy Spirit, which burns and melts us into the unity of God.1617

The Eternal Embrace of the Trinity

The soul is drawn back into its origin, finding total fulfillment and rest in the loving embrace of the Triune God.

For there, where we are one with the Son of God and are lovingly bent back into our beginning, we hear the Father's voice, which touches us as it draws us in; for he speaks all his chosen ones in his eternal Word: "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."18 You should know that the Father with the Son, and the Son with the Father, have held an eternal good pleasure in this: that the Son would take on our humanity, die, and bring all the chosen back to their beginning.19 And for this reason, when we are lifted up through the Son into our origin, we hear the Father's drawing-in voice, which enlightens us with eternal truth; that truth shows us the wide-open good pleasure of God, in which all good pleasure begins and ends.20 There all our powers fail, and we fall prostrate into our open vision, and become wholly one, and one all, in the loving embrace of the threefold unity.2122 Where we feel this unity, we are one being and one life and one blessedness with God; and there all things are fulfilled, and there all things are made new.✦ For when we are plunged into that wild embrace of God's love, each person's joy is so great and so singular that they can neither think of nor notice anyone else's joy.✦23 For there he is love in full enjoyment—love which is itself everything—and outside it he neither needs nor can seek anything.24

Read the original Latin

Ende hier-omme, op-dat zijn name verhoghet ende verclaert werde in ons, soe zelen wij hem na-volghen opden berch onser bloter ghedachten, ghelijckerwijs dat hem peeter ende jacob ende jan na-volchden opden berch thabor. Thabor luydt alzoe vele in dietsche als eene toewassinghe des lichts. Eest dat wij sijn peeter, bekinnende de waerheit, ende jacob, verwinnende die werelt ende jan, vol graciën, besittende die duechde in gherechticheit, soe leydt ons jhesus opden berch onser bloeter ghedachten in eene woeste verborghenheit, ende openbaert ons hem selven glorificeert in godlijcker claerheit.

Ende, in sinen name, opent ons zijn hemelsche vader dat levende boec zijnder ewigher wijsheit. Ende die wijsheit gods beveet onse bloete ghesichte ende die eenvoldicheyt ons gheests in eenen wiselosen eenvoldighen smaec alles goets zonder ondersceet. Want daer is scouwen ende weten; smaken ende ghevoelen; wesen, leven, hebben ende sijn: dit es te-male één in onze verhavenheit met gode.

Ende vore dese verhavenheit sijn wij alle ghestaen, ende yeghewelc in zonderlingher wijs. Ende onze hemelsce vader, overmids sine wijsheit ende sine goetheit, soe begaeft hi yghewelcken sonderlinghe, na die eedelheit sijns wesens ende sijnder oefeninghen. Ende hier-omme, bleven wij altoes met jhesuse op thabor, dat es opden berch onser bloter ghedachten, wij souden altoes ghevoelen toewassinghe nuwes lichts ende nuwer waerheit; want wij souden altoes horen des vaders stemme die ons gherijnen soude uutvloeyende met ghenaden ochte intreckende in eenicheiden

Des vaders stemme horen alle die navolgheren ons heeren jhesu criste, want hi spreect van hen allen: ‘Dit sijn mijne uutvercorne sonen, die my alle wel behaghen.’ Ende uut desen behaghene ontfeet yeghewelc mensche ghenade, na die mate ende na die wise dat hem god behaecht.

Ende tuschen dien, dat ons god behaecht ende dat wij gode behaghen, soe wert gherechte minne gheoefent; ende soe ghesmaect yeghewelc sijns namen ende zijns ambachts, ende de vrocht zijnder oefeninghen.

Ende hier zijn alle goede menschen verborghen denghenen die der werelt leven, want die zijn doot vore gode ende sonder name, ende hieromme en connen sy niet ghevoelen noch ghesmaken dat den levenden toebehoort.

Dat uutvloeyende gherijnen gods maect ons levende inden gheeste, ende vervult ons met graciën, ende verclaert onse redene, ende leert ons te bekinnen die waerheit ende ondersceet der duechde, ende behout ons staende vore de jeghenwoordicheit gods in alsoe groter macht, dat wij allen smaec ende al ghevoelen ende alle uutvloeyende gaven gods ghedraghen moghen sonder falieren van gheeste.

Maer dat intreckende gherijnen gods eyscht ons één te sine met gode, ende dat wij ons ontgheesten ende sterven in salicheiden, dat es: in die eeneghe minne die den vader ende den sone beveet in één ghebruyken.

Ende hieromme, alse wij gheclommen sijn met jhesumme opden berch onser onghebeeltheit, eest dat wij hem dan navolghen met eenvoldighen ghesichte, met inneghen behagene, met ghebrukelijcker neyghinghen, soe ghevoelen wij de sterke hitte des heilichs gheests, die ons verberren ende versmelten doet tot in die eenicheit gods.

Want daer wij, één met den sone gods, minlijc wederboecht zijn in onse beghin, daer horen wij des vaders stemme die ons intreckende gherijnt; want hi spreect alle sine vercorne in sinen ewighen woorde: ‘Dit es mijn lieve sone inden welcken ic my met-behaghede.’ Want ghi zult weten dat die vader met den sone, ende die sone met den vader hebben gheoefent een eewich behaghen van dien dat die sone onse menscheyt aen-nemen soude, ende sterven soude, ende alle die vercorne wederbringen soude in haer beghin. Ende hier-omme, eest dat wij overmids den sone verheven werden in onsen oerspronc, so horen wij die intreckende stemme des vaders die ons verclaert met eewigher waerheit: ende die waerheit vertoent ons dat wide ontplokene behaghen gods daer alle behaghene in beghinnen ende inden

Aldaer falieren alle onse crachte, ende wij vallen voer ons neder in onse opene ghesichte, ende worden alle één, ende een al, in dat minlijcke omhelsen der driër eenicheit.

Daer wij dese eenicheit ghevoelen daer zijn wij één wesen ende één leven ende ééne zalichede met gode; ende daer zijn alle dinghe volbracht, ende daer vernuwen alle dinghe. Want daer wij ghedoept werden in dat wilde behelsen der minnen gods, daer es yeghewelcs vroude alsoe groot ende alsoe zonderlinghe, dat hy niements vroude ghedincken noch ghemerken en can. Want hi es daer ghebrukelijcke minne, die selve es al, ende buten haer niet soeken en darf noch en mach.

Scripture echoes

  1. ↩Matt.17.5;Mark.9.7;Luke.9.35 — While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice from the cloud said, 'This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.' Mark.9.7 — And a cloud came, overshadowing them, and a voice came from the cloud: This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him. Luke.9.35 — And a voice came from the cloud, saying, 'This is my Son, the Chosen One. Listen to him.'
  2. ↩Eph.2.1;Col.2.13;Rev.3.1 — And you, though dead in your trespasses and sins, Col.2.13 — And you, who were dead in your trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, he made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses. Rev.3.1 — And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of the one who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your works; you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.
  3. ↩Rev.21.5 — And the One seated on the throne said, 'Behold, I am making all things new.' And He said, 'Write, for these words are trustworthy and true.'
  4. ↩Rom.6.3-Rom.6.4;Gal.3.27 — Or are you unaware that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Rom.6.4 — Therefore we were buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so also we might walk in newness of life. Gal.3.27 — For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

Notes

  1. 1 ↩Middle Dutch bloter ghedachten is Ruusbroec’s technical term for imageless, stripped contemplative attention (bare/naked thought), not ordinary mental chatter.
  2. 2 ↩toewassinghe is etymological folk-glossing (growth/waxing/increase). Kept as ‘increase’ to preserve Ruusbroec’s light-mysticism wordplay rather than a modern dictionary etymology of Tabor.
  3. 3 ↩woeste verborghenheit combines desert/wilderness emptiness with secrecy: a stripped, hidden solitude, not mere geographical wilderness.
  4. 4 ↩Middle Dutch wiseloos is Ruusbroec's technical term for knowledge without intermediate modes or manners; rendered 'modeless' rather than paraphrased as 'formless' or 'undifferentiated,' which would blur the technical sense.
  5. 5 ↩bevaen/beveet can mean seize, enclose, or comprehend; 'takes hold of' preserves the force of the wisdom of God actively grasping bare vision and spiritual simplicity.
  6. 6 ↩The paired list wesen, leven, hebben ende sijn stacks near-synonyms of being and possession; 'essence' for wesen and 'being' for sijn keeps the full inventory without collapsing it into one English verb.
  7. 7 ↩sijns wesens ende sijnder oefeninghen: the possessives most naturally refer to each person (yghewelcken), not the Father—God gifts each according to the nobility of that one's being and spiritual exercises.
  8. 8 ↩bloter ghedachten: Ruusbroec's technical term for bare/naked thought—pure interior attention free of images; rendered 'bare thought' to keep the technical force without archaism.
  9. 9 ↩uutvloeyende met ghenaden ochte intreckende in eenicheiden: two complementary divine motions—grace flowing outward to us, or drawing us inward into unity (eenicheiden).
  10. 10 ↩behaghene / behaecht: 'good pleasure' and 'is pleased with' keep Ruusbroec's mutual-pleasing vocabulary (God's delight in the person), which the next section pairs with our pleasing God.
  11. 11 ↩Middle Dutch ambacht is the soul’s particular spiritual office or vocation before God, not a trade in the worldly sense; oefeninghen are the soul’s spiritual exercises or practices.
  12. 12 ↩sonder name: in this chapter's vocabulary, a 'name' is the spiritual office and fruit of right love (cf. BlinckSteen.1.8.5); worldly people lack that name before God.
  13. 13 ↩Middle Dutch gherijnen is Ruusbroec's technical term for the divine touch; uutvloeyende (outflowing) contrasts with the intreckende (in-drawing) touch named in the following section.
  14. 14 ↩Middle Dutch ontgheesten is a Ruusbroec technical term: to be stripped of / emptied of (created) spirit, dying beyond the spirit’s own activity into bare union. Rendered here as “empty ourselves of spirit.”
  15. 15 ↩ghebruyken is the mystical fruitio Dei (use/enjoyment of God); “enjoyment” keeps modern readability while preserving the technical sense of fruition.
  16. 16 ↩Middle Dutch onghebeeltheit is Ruusbroec's technical term for the imageless / formless state of bare contemplation (here imaged as the mountain, echoing Tabor in the chapter title).
  17. 17 ↩ghebrukelijc belongs to Ruusbroec's ghebruken vocabulary: fruition / enjoyment of God, not ordinary pleasure. Rendered as 'fruition-bent inclinations'.
  18. 18 ↩minlijc wederboecht: Ruusbroec’s technical image of the soul being lovingly bent or folded back into its origin in God; rendered as 'lovingly bent back,' not mere physical return.
  19. 19 ↩gheoefent een eewich behaghen: oefenen can mean practice/exercise; here the sense is the eternal mutual good pleasure of Father and Son concerning the Incarnation and redemption, rendered as 'have held an eternal good pleasure.'
  20. 20 ↩wide ontplokene behaghen: 'wide-open' / 'fully unfolded' good pleasure of God; the source sentence ends at 'inden' (end), read as complete: all good pleasure begins and ends in that divine delight.
  21. 21 ↩driër eenicheit: Ruusbroec's 'threefold unity' names the Trinity as one undivided life of Three; rendered as 'threefold unity' rather than a free paraphrase into 'Trinity' alone, so the technical mystical force is kept.
  22. 22 ↩een al: the paired formula 'één ... ende een al' is the mystical one-and-all; kept as 'wholly one, and one all' rather than smoothed into ordinary 'completely united'.
  23. 23 ↩wilde behelsen: Ruusbroec's 'wild' means free, boundless, unmeasured—not savage; rendered 'wild' to keep the source's force.
  24. 24 ↩ghebrukelijcke minne: technical Ruusbroec term for love in fruition/enjoyment (ghebruken); rendered 'love in full enjoyment' rather than scholarly 'fruitional love' for Modern Readable register.

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