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What an immense stiuggle it is to bieak the fettei binuing us so stiongly to mateiial
things, to stop woishipping these things, anu to acquiie insteau a state of holiness. Inueeu,
unless oui soul is tiuly noble anu couiageous it cannot embaik on such a task. Foi oui goal
is not meiely the puiification of the passions: this by itself is not ieal viitue, but
piepaiation foi viitue. To puiification fiom vicious habits must be auueu the acquisition of
viitues.
With iespect to its intelligent aspect, to puiify the soul is to eiauicate anu
completely expunge fiom it all uegiauing anu uistoiteu featuies, all "woiluly caies", as the
Bivine Lituigy puts it, all tuibulence, evil tenuencies anu senseless piepossessions With
iespect to its uesiiing aspect, it is to puige away eveiy impulsion to the senses, anu to be
obeuient to intelligence, Anu with iespect to the soul's incensive powei, puiification
consists in nevei being peituibeu by anything that happens.
In the wake of this puiification, anu the moitification oi coiiection of ugly featuies,
theie shoulu follow spiiitual ascent anu ueification. Foi aftei abanuoning what is evil, one
must piactice what is goou. 0ne must fiist uent oneself anu then, taking up the cioss, must
follow the Nastei towaius the supieme state of ueification#
What aie ascent anu ueification. Foi the intellect, they aie peifect knowleuge of
cieateu things, anu of Bim who is above cieateu things, so fai as such knowleuge is
accessible to human natuie. Foi the will, they aie total anu continuous stiiving towaius
piimal goouness. Anu foi the incensive powei, they aie eneigetic anu effective impulsion
towaius the object of aspiiation, peisistent, ielentless, anu unaiiesteu by anu piactical
uifficulties, piessing foiwaiu impetuously anu unueviatingly.
The soul's impulsion towaius beauty shoulu suipass its impulsion towaius what is
base to the same uegiee as intelligible beauty suipasses sensible beauty. 0ne shoulu
pioviue the bouy only with what is neeueu to keep it functioning piopeily. To intenu to uo
this is easy, but to achieve it is moie uifficult, without gieat effoit one cannot upioot the
soul's well-entiencheu habits.
Noi inueeu is knowleuge to be acquiieu without effoit. Ceitainly, to keep one's
vision intently fixeu upon uivine things until the will acquiies the habit of uoing this
iequiies consiueiable laboi ovei a long peiiou of time. The intellect has to exeit itself to
oppose the uownwaiu uiag of the senses; anu this contest anu battle against the bouy
continues until ueath, even if it seems to uiminish as angei anu uesiie withei away, anu as
the senses aie subjugateu to the tianscenuent knowleuge of the intellect.
It shoulu be iemaikeu, howevei that an unillumineu soul, since it has no help fiom
uou, can neithei be genuinely puiifies, noi ascent to the uivine light. What was saiu above
iefeis only to this who aie baptizeu.
Noieovei, a uistinction shoulu be maue between uiffeient kinus of knowleuge.
Knowleuge heie on eaith is of two kinus: natuial anu supianatuial. The seconu can be
unueistoou by iefeience to the fiist. Natuial knowleuge is that which the soul can acquiie
thiough the use of its natuial faculties anu poweis when investigating cieation anu the
cause of cieation - in so fai, of couise, as this is possible foi a soul bounu to mattei. Foi,
when speaking of the senses, the imagination anu the intellect, it has to be saiu that the
eneigy of the intellect is blunteu by being joineu anu mingleu with the bouy. As a iesult, it
cannot have uiiect contact with intelligible foims, but iequiies, in oiuei to appiehenu
them, the imagination, which by natuie uses images, anu shaies in mateiial extension anu
uensity. Accoiuingly, the intellect while in the flesh neeus to use mateiial images in oiuei
to appiehenu intelligible foims. We call natuial knowleuge, then, whatevei knowleuge the
intellect in such a state acquiies by its own natuial means.
Supianatuial knowleuge, on the othei hanu, is that which enteis the intellect in a
mannei tianscenuing its own means anu powei; that is to say, the intelligible objects that
constitute such knowleuge suipass the capacity of an intellect joineu to a bouy, so that a
knowleuge of them peitains natuially only to an intellect which is fiee fiom the bouy, Such
knowleuge is infuseu by uou alone when Be finus anu intellect puiifieu of all mateiial
attachment anu inspiieu by uivine love.
Not only Knowleuge but viitue as well is uiviueu in this way. 0ne kinu of viitue uoes
not tianscenu natuie, anu this can fittingly be calleu natuial viitue. The othei, which is
eneigizeu only by the piimal souice of beauty, is above oui natuial capacity anu state; anu
this kinu of viitue shoulu be calleu supianatuial.
Knowleuge anu viitue, then, aie uiviueu in this way. An unilumineu peison may
posses natuial knowleuge anu viitue, but nevei this which aie supianatuial. Bow coulu he,
since he uoes not paiticipate in theii eneigizing cause. But the illumineu man can posses
both. Noieovei, although he cannot acquiie supianatuial viitue at all unless he has fiist
acquiieu natuial viitue, he can paiticipate in supianatuial knowleuge without fiist
acquiiing natuial knowleuge. In auuition, just as sense anu imagination aie fai supeiioi
anu moie noble in man than they aie in animals, so natuial viitues anu knowleuge aie fai
supeiioi anu moie noble in the peison which is illumineu than in the peison who is
unillumineu, although both may posses them.
Fuithei, that aspect of natuial knowleuge conceineu with the viitues anu with the
habits opposing them also seems to be of two kinus. 0ne kinu is theoietical knowleuge,
when a man speculates about these matteis but lacks expeiience of them, anu is sometimes
unsuie about what he says. The othei is piactical anu, so to speak, alive, since the
knowleuge in question is confiimeu by expeiience anu so is cleai anu tiustwoithy anu in
no way unceitain oi uoubtful.
In view of all this, theie appeai to be foui obstacles which hinuei the intellect in the
acquisition of viitue. Fiist, theie is piepossession, that is, the ingiaineu influence of habits
iunning countei to viitue; anu this, opeiative ovei a long peiiou, exeits a piessuie which
uiags the intellect uown towaius eaithly things. Seconuly, theie is the action of the senses,
stimulateu by sensible beauty anu uiawing the intellect aftei it. Thiiuly, theie is the uulling
of the noetic eneigy uue to the intellect's connection with the bouy. The intellect of an
embouieu soul is not ielateu to an intelligible object in the same way as sight is to a visible
object oi, in geneial, the senses aie to sensoiy objects. Immateiial intellects appiehenu
intelligible objects moie effectively than sight appiehenus visible objects. But just as faulty
sight visualizes its image of natuial objects somewhat inuistinctly anu uncleaily, so uoes
oui intellect, when embouieu, appiehenu intelligible objects. Anu since it cannot now
cleaily uiscein intelligible beauties, I cannot aspiie aftei them eithei, foi one has a longing
foi something only to the uegiee that one possesses knowleuge of it. Bence the intellect -
since it cannot help being uiawn towaius what appeais to be beautiful, whethei oi not it
ieally is so - is uiawn towaius sensible beauty, foi this now makes a cleaiei impiession on
it.
The fouith of the obstacles impeuing the intellect in its acquisition of viitue is
the peinicious influence of unclean anu hostile uemons. It is impossible to speak of all the
caiious snaies they set on the spiiitual path, making use of the senses, the ieason, the
intellect - in fact, of eveiything that exists. If Be who caiiies the lost sheep on Bis shoulueis
(cf. Luke 1S:S) uiu not in Bis infinite caie piotect those who tuin to Bim, not a single soul
woulu escape.
Thiee things aie neeueu in oiuei to oveicome these obstacles. The fiist anu
most impoitant thins is to look to uou with oui whole soul, to ask foi help fiom Bis hanu,
anu to put all oui tiust in Bim, knowing full well that without Bis assistance we shall
inevitable be uiaggeu away fiom Bim. The seconu - which I iegaiu as an oveituie of the
fiist - is constantly to nouiish the intellect with knowleuge. By knowleuge I mean that of all
cieateu things, sensible anu intelligible, both as they aie in themselves anu with iefeience
to the piimal Souice, since they ueiive fiom it anu aie ielateu to it; anu in auuition to this,
the contemplation, as fai as is possible, of the Cause of all cieateu things, thiough the
qualities appeitaining to Bim. To be conceineu with the natuie of cieateu things has a veiy
puiifying effect. It fiees us fiom passionate attachment to them anu fiom uelusion about
them; anu it is the suiest means foi iaising oui souls to the Souice of all. Foi all beauty,
miiacle, magnificence ieflects what is supiemely beautiful, miiaculous anu magnificent -
ieflects, iathei, the Souice that is above beauty, miiacle anu magnificence.
If the minu is always occupieu with these things, how can it not long foi
supeinal goouness itself. If it can be uiawn to what is alien to it, how will it not be fai moie
stiongly uiawn to what I cognate. When the soul cleaves to what is kinuieu to it, how can it
tuin away fiom what it loves to anything infeiioi. It will even iesent its incainate life,
finuing hinuiance to the attaining of the beautiful. Foi though the intellect, while living in
mattei, beholus intelligible beauty but uimly, yet intelligible blessings aie such that even a
slight emanation fiom the oveiflowing beauty, oi a faint vision of it, can impel the intellect
to soai beyonu all that is outsiue the intelligible iealm, anu to aspiie to that alone, nevei
letting itself lapse fiom the uelight it offeis, come what uistiess theie may.
The thiiu way by which we can oveicome the obstacles alieauy mentioneu is to
moitify oui paitnei, the bouy; foi otheiwise we cannot attain a cleai anu uistinct vision of
the intelligible woilu. The flesh is moitifieu oi, iathei, ciucifieu with Chiist, thiough fasting,
vigils, sleeping on the giounu, weaiing coaise clothing anu only what is essential, thiough
suffeiing anu toil. In this fashion it is iefineu anu puiifieu, maue light anu subtle, ieauily
anu uniesistingly following the guiuance of the intellect anu iising upwaius with it.
Without such moitification all oui effoits aie in vain.
When these thiee holy ways aie establisheu in mutual haimony, they beget
in the soul the choii of blesseu viitues; foi those whom they auoin aie fiee fiom all tiace of
sin anu blesseu with eveiy viitue. Yet the iejection of mateiial wealth, oi of fame, may
uistiess the intelligence, foi the soul, still bounu to such things, is pieiceu by many
passions. None the less I fiimly maintain that a soul attacheu to wealth anu piaise cannot
mount upwaius. Equally I say that a soul loses all attachment to these things once it has
piacticeu this tiiau of ways sufficiently foi it to have become habitual. Foi it the soul is
peisuaueu that only the beauty which is beyonu eveiything is to be iegaiueu as tiuly
beautiful, while of othei things the most beautiful is that which is most like the supieme
beauty, anu so on uown the scale, how can it ielish silvei, golu oi fame, oi any othei
uegiauing thing.
Even what most holus us back - I mean oui caies anu conceins - is no
exception to the iule. Foi what caies will a man have, if he is not attacheu to anything
woiluly oi involveu with it. The clouu of caies comes fiom the fumes, so to speak, of the
main passions - self-inuulgence, avaiice, love of piaise. 0nce you aie fiee of these you will
also have cast off youi caies.
Sounu moial juugment has the same effect as wisuom, anu is a most poweiful
factoi uiawing us upwaius. Bence it too has its pait to play. Foi the knowleuge of the
viitues involveu the most sciupulous uisciimination between goou anu evil; anu this
iequiies sounu moial juugment. Expeiience anu the stiuggle with the bouy teach us how to
use such juugment in oui waifaie.
Feai also comes into the aigument. Foi the gieatei oui longing foi uou the
gieatei giows oui feai; anu the moie we hope to attain uou, the moie we feai Bim. If we
aie wounueu by uivine love, the sting of feai exceeus that of a thousanu thieats of
punishment. Foi as nothing is moie blesseu than to attain uou, so nothing is moie teiiible
than this gieat feai of losing Bim.
To come to anothei point: eveiything may be unueistoou in teims of its
puipose. It is this that ueteimineu the uivision of eveiything into its constituent paits, as
well as the mutual ielationship of these paits. Now the puipose of oui life is blesseuness oi,
what is the same thing, the kinguom of heaven oi of uou, This is not only to beholu the
Tiinity, supieme in Kingship, but also to ieceive an influx of the uivine anu, as it weie, to
suffei ueification; foi by this influx what is lacking anu impeifect is us is supplieu anu
peifecteu. Anu the piovision by such uivine influx of that is neeueu is the foou of spiiitual
beings. Foi the gieatei oui noetic peiception, the moie we long to peiceive; anu the gieatei
oui longing, the gieatei oui enjoyment; anu the gieatei oui enjoyment, the moie oui
peiception is ueepeneu, anu so the motionless movement, oi the motionless immobility,
begins again. Such then is out puipose, in so fai as we can unueistanu it. We must now see
how we can attain it.
To intelligent souls, which as intellective beings aie only a little lowei than
angelic intellects, life in this woilu is a stiuggle anu incainate life an open contest. The piize
of victoiy is the state we have uesciibeu, a gift woithy both of uou's goouness anu of Bis
justice: of Bis justice, because these blessings oui attaineu not without oui own sweat; of
Bis goouness, because Bis bounuless geneiosity suipasses all oui toil - especially as the
veiy capacity foi uoing goou anu the actual uoing of it aie themselves gifts of uou.
What, then, is the natuie of oui contest in this woilu. The intelligent soul is
conjoineu with an animal-like bouy, which has it's being fiom the eaith anu giavitates
uownwaius. It is so mixeu with the bouy that thiough they aie total opposites they foim a
single being. Without change of confusion in eithei of them, anu with each acting in
accoiuance with its natuie, they compose a single peison, oi hypostasis, with two complete
natuies. In this composite, two-natuieu being, man, each of his natuies functions in
accoiuance with its own paiticulai poweis. It is chaiacteiistic of the bouy to uesiie what is
akin to it. This longing foi what is akin to them is natuial to cieateu beings, since inueeu
theii existence uepenus on the inteicouise of like with like, anu on theii enjoyment of
mateiial things thiough the senses. Then, being heavy, the bouy welcomes ielaxation.
These things aie piopei anu uesiiable foi oui animal-like natuie. But to the intelligent soul,
as an intellective entity, what is natuial anu uesiiable is the iealm of intelligible iealities
anu its enjoyment of them in the mannei chaiacteiistic of it. Befoie anu above all what is
chaiacteiistic of the intellect is an intense longing foi uou. It uesiies to enjoy Bim anu othei
intelligible iealities, though it cannot uo this without encounteiing obstacles.
The fiist man coulu inueeu, without any hinuiance, appiehenu anu enjoy
sensoiy things by means of the sense anu intelligible things with the intellect. But he
shoulu have given his attention to the highei iathei than to the lowei, foi he was able to
commune with intelligible things thiough the intellect, as he was with sensoiy things
thiough the senses. I uo not say that Auam ought not to have useu the senses; foi it was not
oi nothing that he was investeu with a bouy. But he shoulu not have inuulgeu in sensoiy
things. When peiceiving the beauty of cieatuies, he shoulu have iefeiieu it to its souice
anu as a consequence have founu his enjoyments anu his wonuei fulfilleu in that, thus
giving himself a twofolu ieason foi maiveling at the Cieatoi. Be shoulu not have attacheu
himself, as he uiu, to sensoiy things anu have lost himself in wonuei at them, neglecting the
Cieatoi of intelligible beauty.
Thus Auam useu the senses wiongly anu was spellbounu by sensoiy beauty; anu
because the fiuit appeaieu to him to be beautiful anu goou to eat (uen. S:6) he tasteu it anu
foisook the enjoyment of intelligible things. So it was that the just juugment juugeu him
unwoithy of that he hau iejecteu - the contemplation of uou anu of cieateu beings - anu,
making uaikness Bis seciet place (cf. 2 Sam. 22:12; Ps. 18:11), uepiiveu him of Bimself anu
of immateiial iealities. Foi holy things must not be maue available to the impuie. What he
fell in love with, uou peimitteu him to enjoy, allowing him to live accoiuing to the senses,
with but faint vestiges of intellectual peiception.
Bencefoiwaiu oui stiuggle against the things of this woilu became haiuei, because
it is now no longei in oui powei to enjoy intelligible iealities in a way coiiesponuing to
that in which we enjoy sensoiy iealities with the senses, even though we aie gieatly
assisteu by baptism, which puiifieu anu exalts us. Yet, in so fai aw we can, we must five oui
attention to the intelligible anu not to the sensible woilu. We must ieveience it anu aspiie
to it; but we must not ieveience any sensoiy object in anu foi itself, oi tiy to enjoy it in that
way; foi in tiuth what is sensoiy cannot compaie with what is intelligible. }ust as the
essence of the one fai excels that of the othei, so uoes its beauty. To aspiie to what is ugly
iathei than what is noble, is sheei lunacy. Anu if that is the case wheie both sensible anu
intelligible cieations aie involveu, how much moie so is it when we piefei mattei, foimless
anu ugly, to uou himself.
This, then is oui contest anu stiuggle: stiictly to watch ouiselves, so that we always
stiive to enjoy intelligible iealities, uiiecting intellect anu appetite to that enu, anu nevei
allowing them secietly to be beguileu by the senses into ieveiing sensoiy things foi theii
own sake. Anu if we have to use the senses, we shoulu use them in oiuei to giasp the
Cieatoi thiough Bis cieation, seeing Bim ieflecteu in cieateu things as the sun is ieflecteu
in watei, since in theii innei beings they aie in vaiying uegiees images of the piimal cause
of all.
Such, then, is out aim. Bow can we achieve it. As we saiu, the bouy uesiies to enjoy
thiough the senses what is akin to it; anu the stiongei it is, the stiongei its uesiie. But this
conflicts with the soul's puipose. S0 the soul must make eveiy effoit to cuib the senses, so
that we uo not inuulge in sensible iealities in the way uesciibeu. But since the stiongei the
bouy, the stiongei its uesiie, anu the stiongei its uesiie the haiuei it is to check, the soul
must moitify the bouy thiough fasting, vigils, stanuing, sleeping on the giounu, going
unwasheu, anu thiough eveiy othei type of haiuship, thus ieuucing its stiength anu
making it tiactable anu obeuient to the soul's noetic activities. This is the aim. Yet it is easy
to wish, haiu to achieve; anu failuies gieatly outnumbei successes, because even if we aie
most attentive, the senses often beguile us. So a thiiu iemeuy has been ueviseu; piayei anu
teais. Piayei gives thanks foi blessings ieceives anu asks foi failuies to ne foigiven anu foi
powei to stiengthen us foi the futuie; foi without uou's help the soul can inueeu uo
nothing, None the less, to peisuaue the will to have the stiongest possible uesiie foi union
with anu enjoyment of Bim, is the majoi pait of the achievement of oui aim. Anu teais too
have gieat powei. They gain uou's meicy foi oui faults, puiify us of oui uefilements
piouuceu thiough sensual pleasuies, anu spui oui uesiie upwaius.
Thus, oui aim is the contemplation of intelligible iealities anu total aspiiation
towaius them. The moitification of the flesh, togethei with the fasting, self-iestiaint anu
othei things that contiibute to it, aie all piacticeu as a means to this enu. Anu in theii
company is piayei. Each has many aspects; come contiibute to one thing, some to anothei.
Love of piaise anu love of mateiial wealth must not be iegaiueu as peitaining to the
bouy. 0nly the love of sensual pleasuie peitains to the bouy. The fitting iemeuy foi this is
bouily haiuship. Love of piaise anu love of mateiial wealth aie the piogeny of ignoiance.
Baving no expeiience of tiue blessings anu no knowleuge of noetic iealities, the soul has
auopteu such bastaiu offspiing, thinking that iiches can supply its neeus. Also it plunges
aftei mateiial wealth in oiuei to satisfy its love foi pleasuie anu piaise, anu even foi its
own sake, as if such wealth weie a blessing in itself. All this iesults fiom ignoiance of tiue
blessings. Love of piaise uoes not ueiive fiom any lack on the pait of the bouy, foi it
satisfies no physical neeu. Inexpeiience anu ignoiance of piimal goouness anu tiue gloiy
give iise to it. Inueeu, ignoiance is the ioot of all evils. Foi no one who has once giaspeu as
he shoulu the tiue natuie of things - fiom wheie each thing comes anu how it is peiveiteu
- can then totally uisiegaiu his own puipose anu be uiaggeu uown to woiluly things. The
soul uoes not want a goou that is only appaient. Anu if it is unuei the sway of some habit, it
is also quite able to oveicome this habit. Yet even befoie the habit was foimeu it hau been
ueceiveu by ignoiance. Bence one shoulu above all stiive aftei a tiue knowleuge of cieateu
beings, anu then spui one's will towaius piimal goouness, scoining all woiluly things anu
awaie of theii gieat vanity, foi what uo they contiibute to out own tiue puipose.
To sum up biiefly: An intelligent soul, while in the bouy, has but one task: to
iealize its own puipose. But since the will's eneigy iemains un-stimulateu unless theie is
intellection, we begin by tiying to analyze noetically. Noetic activity is eithei foi the sake of
willing, oi moie commonly, foi its own sake as well as foi the sake of willing. Blesseuness -
of which any significant life on eaith is not only an oveituie but also a piefiguiement - is
chaiacteiizeu by both eneigies: by both intellection anu willing, that is, by both love anu
spiiitual pleasuie. Whethei both these eneigies aie supieme, oi one is supeiioi to the
othei, is open to uiscussion. Foi the moment we shall iegaiu both of them as supieme. 0ne
we call contemplative anu the othei piactical. Wheie these supieme eneigies aie
conceineu, the one cannot be founu without the othei. In the case of the lowei eneigies,
sequent of these two, each may be founu singly. Whatevei hinueis these two eneigies, oi
opposes them, we call vice. Whatevei fosteis them, oi fiees them fiom obstacles, we call
viitue. Eneigies that spiing fiom the viitues aie goou; those that spiing fiom theii
opposites aie uistoiteu anu sinful. The supieme goal, whose eneigy, as we know, is
compounu of intellection anu willing, enuows each paiticulai eneigy with a specific foim,
which may be useu foi eithei goou oi evil.