SaintTeresaisasemphatic，andmuchmoredetailed。YoumayperhapsrememberapassageIquotedfromherinmyfirstlecture。[261]Therearemanysimilarpagesinherautobiography。
Whereinliteratureisamoreevidentlyveraciousaccountoftheformationofanewcentreofspiritualenergy，thanisgiveninherdescriptionoftheeffectsofcertainecstasieswhichindepartingleavethesouluponahigherlevelofemotionalexcitement？
“Often，infirmandwroughtuponwithdreadfulpainsbeforetheecstasy，thesoulemergesfromitfullofhealthandadmirablydisposedforaction……asifGodhadwilledthatthebodyitself，alreadyobedienttothesoul’sdesires，shouldshareinthesoul’shappiness……ThesoulaftersuchafavorisanimatedwithadegreeofcouragesogreatthatifatthatmomentitsbodyshouldbetorntopiecesforthecauseofGod，itwouldfeelnothingbuttheliveliestcomfort。Thenitisthatpromisesandheroicresolutionsspringupinprofusioninus，soaringdesires，horroroftheworld，andtheclearperceptionofourpropernothingness……Whatempireiscomparabletothatofasoulwho，fromthissublimesummittowhichGodhasraisedher，seesallthethingsofearthbeneathherfeet，andiscaptivatedbynooneofthem？Howashamedsheisofherformerattachments！
Howamazedatherblindness！Whatlivelypityshefeelsforthosewhomsherecognizesstillshroudedinthedarkness！……Shegroansathavingeverbeensensitivetopointsofhonor，attheillusionthatmadehereverseeashonorwhattheworldcallsbythatname。Nowsheseesinthisnamenothingmorethananimmenselieofwhichtheworldremainsavictim。Shediscovers，inthenewlightfromabove，thatingenuinehonorthereisnothingspurious，thattobefaithfultothishonoristogiveourrespecttowhatdeservestoberespectedreally，andtoconsiderasnothing，oraslessthannothing，whatsoeverperishesandisnotagreeabletoGod……Shelaughswhensheseesgravepersons，personsoforison，caringforpointsofhonorforwhichshenowfeelsprofoundestcontempt。Itissuitabletothedignityoftheirranktoactthus，theypretend，anditmakesthemmoreusefultoothers。ButsheknowsthatindespisingthedignityoftheirrankforthepureloveofGodtheywoulddomoregoodinasingledaythantheywouldeffectintenyearsbypreservingit……Shelaughsatherselfthatthereshouldeverhavebeenatimeinherlifewhenshemadeanycaseofmoney，whensheeverdesiredit……Oh！ifhumanbeingsmightonlyagreetogethertoregarditassomuchuselessmud，whatharmonywouldthenreignintheworld！Withwhatfriendshipwewouldalltreateachotherifourinterestinhonorandinmoneycouldbutdisappearfromearth！Formyownpart，Ifeelasifitwouldbearemedyforallourills。”
Mysticalconditionsmay，therefore，renderthesoulmoreenergeticinthelineswhichtheirinspirationfavors。Butthiscouldbereckonedanadvantageonlyincasetheinspirationwereatrueone。Iftheinspirationwereerroneous，theenergywouldbeallthemoremistakenandmisbegotten。Sowestandoncemorebeforethatproblemoftruthwhichconfrontedusattheendofthelecturesonsaintliness。Youwillrememberthatweturnedtomysticismpreciselytogetsomelightontruth。Domysticalstatesestablishthetruthofthosetheologicalaffectionsinwhichthesaintlylifehasitsroot？
Inspiteoftheirrepudiationofarticulateself-description，mysticalstatesingeneralassertaprettydistincttheoreticdrift。Itispossibletogivetheoutcomeofthemajorityofthemintermsthatpointindefinitephilosophicaldirections。
Oneofthesedirectionsisoptimism，andtheotherismonism。Wepassintomysticalstatesfromoutofordinaryconsciousnessasfromalessintoamore，asfromasmallnessintoavastness，andatthesametimeasfromanunresttoarest。Wefeelthemasreconciling，unifyingstates。Theyappealtotheyes-functionmorethantotheno-functioninus。Inthemtheunlimitedabsorbsthelimitsandpeacefullyclosestheaccount。Theirverydenialofeveryadjectiveyoumayproposeasapplicabletotheultimatetruth——He，theSelf，theAtman，istobedescribedby“No！no！”
only，saytheUpanishads[263]——thoughitseemsonthesurfacetobeano-function，isadenialmadeonbehalfofadeeperyes。
WhosocallstheAbsoluteanythinginparticular，orsaysthatitisTHIS，seemsimplicitlytoshutitofffrombeingTHAT——itisasifhelessenedit。Sowedenythe“this。”negatingthenegationwhichitseemstoustoimply，intheinterestsofthehigheraffirmativeattitudebywhichwearepossessed。Thefountain-headofChristianmysticismisDionysiustheAreopagite。
Hedescribestheabsolutetruthbynegativesexclusively。
Muller’stranslation，partii。p。
“Thecauseofallthingsisneithersoulnorintellect；norhasitimagination，opinion，orreason，orintelligence；norisitreasonorintelligence；norisitspokenorthought。Itisneithernumber，nororder，normagnitude，norlittleness，norequality，norinequality，norsimilarity，nordissimilarity。Itneitherstands，normoves，norrests。Itisneitheressence，noreternity，nortime。Evenintellectualcontactdoesnotbelongtoit。Itisneithersciencenortruth。Itisnotevenroyaltyorwisdom；notone；notunity；notdivinityorgoodness；norevenspiritasweknowit。”etc。，adlibitum。[264]
T。Davidson’stranslation，inJournalofSpeculativePhilosophy，1893，vol。
ButthesequalificationsaredeniedbyDionysius，notbecausethetruthfallsshortofthem，butbecauseitsoinfinitelyexcelsthem。Itisabovethem。ItisSUPER-lucent，SUPER-splendent，SUPER-essential，SUPER-sublime，SUPEREVERYTHINGthatcanbenamed。LikeHegelinhislogic，mysticsjourneytowardsthepositivepoleoftruthonlybythe“MethodederAbsolutenNegativitat。”
“DeuspropterexcellentiamnonimmeritoNihilvocatur。”
ScotusErigena，quotedbyAndrewSeth：TwoLecturesonTheism，NewYork，1897，p
Thuscometheparadoxicalexpressionsthatsoaboundinmysticalwritings。AswhenEckharttellsofthestilldesertoftheGodhead，“whereneverwasseendifference，neitherFather，Son，norHolyGhost，wherethereisnooneathome，yetwherethesparkofthesoulismoreatpeacethaninitself。”[266]AswhenBoehmewritesofthePrimalLove，that“itmayfitlybecomparedtoNothing，foritisdeeperthananyThing，andisasnothingwithrespecttoallthings，forasmuchasitisnotcomprehensiblebyanyofthem。Andbecauseitisnothingrespectively，itisthereforefreefromallthings，andisthatonlygood，whichamancannotexpressorutterwhatitis，therebeingnothingtowhichitmaybecompared，toexpressitby。”[OraswhenAngelusSilesiussings：——
“GottisteinlauterNichts，ihnruhrtkeinNunnochHier；
Jemehrdunachihmgreiffst，jemehrentwinderdir。”[
J。Royce：StudiesinGoodandEvil，p。
JacobBellmen’sDialoguesontheSupersensualLife，translatedbyBernardHolland，London，1901，p。
CherubinischerWandersmann，Strophe
Tothisdialecticaluse，bytheintellect，ofnegationasamodeofpassagetowardsahigherkindofaffirmation，thereiscorrelatedthesubtlestofmoralcounterpartsinthesphereofthepersonalwill。Sincedenialofthefiniteselfanditswants，sinceasceticismofsomesort，isfoundinreligiousexperiencetobetheonlydoorwaytothelargerandmoreblessedlife，thismoralmysteryintertwinesandcombineswiththeintellectualmysteryinallmysticalwritings。
“Love。”continuesBehmen，isNothing，for“whenthouartgoneforthwhollyfromtheCreatureandfromthatwhichisvisible，andartbecomeNothingtoallthatisNatureandCreature，thenthouartinthateternalOne，whichisGodhimself，andthenthoushaltfeelwithintheethehighestvirtueofLove。ThetreasureoftreasuresforthesouliswhereshegoethoutoftheSomewhatintothatNothingoutofwhichallthingsmaybemade。
Thesoulheresaith，IHAVENOTHING，forIamutterlystrippedandnaked；ICANDONOTHING，forIhavenomannerofpower，butamaswaterpouredout；IAMNOTHING，forallthatIamisnomorethananimageofBeing，andonlyGodistomeIAM；andso，sittingdowninmyownNothingness，IgiveglorytotheeternalBeing，andWILLNOTHINGofmyself，thatsoGodmaywillallinme，beinguntomemyGodandallthings。”
Op。cit。，pp。42，74，abridged。
InPaul’slanguage，Ilive，yetnotI，butChristlivethinme。
OnlywhenIbecomeasnothingcanGodenterinandnodifferencebetweenhislifeandmineremainoutstanding。
FromaFrenchbookItakethismysticalexpressionofhappinessinGod’sindwellingpresence：——
“Jesushascometotakeuphisabodeinmyheart。Itisnotsomuchahabitation，anassociation，asasortoffusion。Oh，newandblessedlife！lifewhichbecomeseachdaymoreluminous……Thewallbeforeme，darkafewmomentssince，issplendidatthishourbecausethesunshinesonit。Whereveritsraysfalltheylightupaconflagrationofglory；thesmallestspeckofglasssparkles，eachgrainofsandemitsfire；evensothereisaroyalsongoftriumphinmyheart<410>becausetheLordisthere。Mydayssucceedeachother；yesterdayabluesky；todayacloudedsun；anightfilledwithstrangedreams；butassoonastheeyesopen，andIregainconsciousnessandseemtobeginlifeagain，itisalwaysthesamefigurebeforeme，alwaysthesamepresencefillingmyheart……FormerlythedaywasdulledbytheabsenceoftheLord。Iusedtowakeinvadedbyallsortsofsadimpressions，andIdidnotfindhimonmypath。To-dayheiswithme；andthelightcloudinesswhichcoversthingsisnotanobstacletomycommunionwithhim。Ifeelthepressureofhishand，Ifeelsomethingelsewhichfillsmewithaserenejoy；
shallIdaretospeakitout？Yes，foritisthetrueexpressionofwhatIexperience。TheHolySpiritisnotmerelymakingmeavisit；itisnomeredazzlingapparitionwhichmayfromonemomenttoanotherspreaditswingsandleavemeinmynight，itisapermanenthabitation。Hecandepartonlyifhetakesmewithhim。Morethanthat；heisnototherthanmyself：heisonewithme。Itisnotajuxtaposition，itisapenetration，aprofoundmodificationofmynature，anewmannerofmybeing。”
QuotedfromtheMS。ofanoldmanbyWilfredMonod：IIVit：
sixmeditationssurlemysterechretien，pp。
ThisovercomingofalltheusualbarriersbetweentheindividualandtheAbsoluteisthegreatmysticachievement。InmysticstateswebothbecomeonewiththeAbsoluteandwebecomeawareofouroneness。Thisistheeverlastingandtriumphantmysticaltradition，hardlyalteredbydifferencesofclimeorcreed。InHinduism，inNeoplatonism，inSufism，inChristianmysticism，inWhitmanism，wefindthesamerecurringnote，sothatthereisaboutmysticalutterancesaneternalunanimitywhichoughttomakeacriticstopandthink，andwhichbringsitaboutthatthemysticalclassicshave，ashasbeensaid，neitherbirthdaynornativeland。PerpetuallytellingoftheunityofmanwithGod，theirspeechantedateslanguages，andtheydonotgrowold。[271]
CompareM。Maeterlinck：L’OrnementdesNocesspirituellesdeRuysbroeck，Bruxelles，1891，Introduction，p。xix。
“ThatartThou！”saytheUpanishads，andtheVedantistsadd：
“Notapart，notamodeofThat，butidenticallyThat，thatabsoluteSpiritoftheWorld。”“Aspurewaterpouredintopurewaterremainsthesame，thus，OGautama，istheSelfofathinkerwhoknows。Waterinwater，fireinfire，etherinether，noonecandistinguishthem：likewiseamanwhosemindhasenteredintotheSelf。”[272]“’Everyman，’saystheSufiGulshan-Raz，whoseheartisnolongershakenbyanydoubt，knowswithcertaintythatthereisnobeingsaveonlyOne。InhisdivinemajestytheME，andWE，theTHOU，arenotfound，forintheOnetherecanbenodistinction。Everybeingwhoisannulledandentirelyseparatedfromhimself，hearsresoundoutsideofhimthisvoiceandthisecho：IAMGOD：hehasaneternalwayofexisting，andisnolongersubjecttodeath。’“[273]InthevisionofGod，saysPlotinus，“whatseesisnotourreason，butsomethingpriorandsuperiortoourreason。Hewhothusseesdoesnotproperlysee，doesnotdistinguishorimaginetwothings。Hechanges，heceasestobehimself，preservesnothingofhimself。AbsorbedinGod，hemakesbutonewithhim，likeacentreofacirclecoincidingwithanothercentre。”[274]“Here。”writesSuso，“thespiritdies，andyetisallaliveinthemarvelsoftheGodhead……andislostinthestillnessofthegloriousdazzlingobscurityandofthenakedsimpleunity。ItisinthismodelessWHEREthatthehighestblissistobefound。”“IchbinsogrossalsGott。”singsAngelusSilesiusagain，“Eristalsichsoklein；Erkannnichtubermich，ichunterihmnichtsein。”]
Upanishads，M。Muller’stranslation，ii。
Schmolders：Op。cit。，p。
Enneads，Bouillier’stranslation。Paris，1861，iii。
Comparepp。473-477，andvol。i。p。
Autobiography，pp。
