Discourse 27

In how many distinctions the vision of the incorporeal is received by the rational nature. 27. All natures, then, are not simple and limited from the known bodies: the small things fall under the perception of their existence beneath the sense of the rational nature. In the thickness of hypostases without substance, and in the limitation of hypostases without nature, and in the theory of truth, which is the substantial vision. And concerning one: the dominion of the senses. And concerning another: the spiritual perception of the companion. And concerning the third: the natural power of thought. And again concerning one of them: the will and thought are dominant. And concerning one: the will and the spiritual light, and that which empowers this. The will is the prior cause, and these are the children of freedom; even in the time of need, freedom and will are suspended, as there is place and standing for actions there. And concerning one, that which is indicative by itself alone, even without the will of the recipients, and the true knowledge. Because the senses are the recipients of all affections, even without the will. To these three small things, the holy powers minister in their mixture with us, for our learning and for the discovery of our life. These, then, are the tastes: to the two of these they have the power to minister, and to be useful in them in their approach to us.

...tence. But not to diminution, nor to increase. The third nature is not able to approach to be perceived in it. As it is possible that even in this nature there is no darkness to approach the light. Because the demons do not possess power to disturb the natural concepts in the air. The holy angels, however, possess this: to disturb and to enlighten. The demons, on the other hand, possess power and authority over the concepts of falsehood, the children of darkness. From the luminous ones, light is received by the recipient; and from the dark ones, darkness. And what is the cause that this is given to those and not to these? Each one of these teachers teaches and instructs the concept that manifests each one: first he himself sees in his own person, learns, and tastes; and then he is able to convey to the learners. The teachers from these first ones bring to us the truth of their intentions from their certain knowledge of them, which was able to be attained before, by the sharp perception of the light, subtle and pure air. And the demons possess sharpness, but not also luminosity, however. One is sharpness, and another is luminosity. The first, without both, manifests the truth. That is: to its own likeness. Because light is the revealer of every certain intention, and from the measure of the abundance and deficiency of the modes of conduct.

...tence. But not to diminution, nor to increase. The third nature is not able to approach to be perceived in it. As it is possible that even in this nature there is no darkness to approach the light. Because the demons from the knowledge of them is that which is fitting in the holy angels concerning the movements of the wills: that which they first taste and perceive, and then they bring it to us. And also these two teachers: from the measure of their knowledge they are moved in the movements concerning the wills. That which they are in it they do not leave, but to stir up right thoughts concerning such as these: it is possible. But as I said: I reveal to you this, that not even if they were sufficient to receive, would they be able to teach the theory of truth to us; and when it is good, from before they are in it they were. Again, then, each one of these and of those: according to the conduct by which he is governed, he teaches and incites, and also to learners to be governed: whether holy angels, or those of the opposite. To me, then, and this is certain to me: that man, and apart from the mediation of holy angels, from it is he moved towards good, and also without teaching. The knowledge of evil things, however, apart from the mediation of demons or senses to receive, or upon them to be moved from it, cannot man. By nature: good is true. Evil, then: no. And all that is a remembrance: and from without enters the finding of its teaching, upon a mediator is necessary.

...tence. But not to diminution, nor to increase. The third nature is not able to approach to be perceived in it. As it is possible that even in this nature there is no darkness to approach the light. Because the demons ...that which is without interior and without instruction, it casts down nature, even into light. But also thus: and its nature is moved from its place toward goodness, the growth of this and the being illuminated in it, except for the revelation of the holy angels, it is not possible. The teachers stand before it, as also they stand before one another. These lower ones before that which is more subtle and more luminous than them. And thus before one another, until that one which the holy third teaching stands. And also this: I say confidently, not from it and to it, but the teaching stands for the middle Jesus, that which receives from his hand and conveys to those who are from him and below. But what is to be understood also this: that when the divine theory is good, the natures do not have power naturally to be moved upon it, and for this deficiency equally they have a limit with all the heavenly substances, and for those without disputation and thought upon it, by grace alone it is moved in them, something which is naturally remembered for that human and angelic.

...in that unmingled contemplation of the Godhead with the other contemplations. In that which pertains to these, in the participation of the nature that is united with the natures, the contemplation that is theirs is limited, being separate from everything else. But from the nature of being, no, not even a little, nor its contemplation. And when all the first and middle rational beings are something that is not a nature, and it is by grace that the movement upon this contemplation is possible in all the heavenly and earthly beings. And it is not a possibility of nature like the rest. And however much it is purified and cleansed, yet it is only a beginning, that which is also true, and it lives in visible revelations and ascents that lead until it reaches that contemplation of being, which is a manifest and solid mystery, without the mediation of their own, they are not led in the beings. And our beings do not have this power, that like these high and lofty essences, from the being without mediation they receive all revelations and contemplations. When even they are by the image of her and not from her in a separated manner, that our beings are also thus, where even other orders apart from that one, from him from Jesus who holds the key of the kingdom, are able to receive revelations and contemplation from them and to them without mediation.

...that they are: the other orders, the first ones. But through transmission they receive one from another, concerning all the administrations and the reasons that pertain to them. It does not speak about the substance, from that first one to the second. And thus, until the mystery passes through all the orders. Many of the mysteries, however, remain in that first order and do not go out to the other orders, as if they are not sufficient to depart from that one to the reception of the greatness of the mystery. And there are some of the mysteries that, when they have gone out from that first order, are revealed only to the second and are stopped there in silence, while these other orders do not perceive them. And there are those that go to the third and fourth. There is also greatness and lowliness in the revelation that occurs to each one of the holy angels. There is one who is rich in revelations, and the rank of the mysteries revealed to him is high, and he is a receiver of greater light. And there is one who is lower than him, and the mysteries are weak in their movements. And thus, there is superiority and inferiority, greatness and lowliness, in the spiritual ranks with respect to the reception of revelations. From all perspectives, however, apart from that one alone, the first and foremost order of all the ranks.

...that the rest of the orders receive from their companions the theory and the signs concerning all the divine administrations. And if it is so, how much more does it hold: without them and without a mediator they are unable to receive mysteries such as these. But from them it happens: when one falls among the ranks of the saints, a perception of the revelation of the mystery such as it is, and how that which is ordained by God is revealed to a rank from the rank above it, and so on down to the last. In this very way, when it is ordained by a sign, even up to the final spiritual one, the mystery is conveyed to those who are equal. In general, it is through their hands that the saints are recipients of the light of theory, up to the blessed substance itself, the mystery that cannot be learned, nor is it from one another. They are the spirits of the service, who are sent to those who are destined to inherit life, through the perception of the concepts of truth that are deposited in them. In the world to come, however, this order of transmission ceases. For then, no one receives from his companion the revelation of God's glory for the delight of his soul, but each one receives from him and is given to him that which is appropriate according to the measure of his excellence from the Lord of all, and not through his companion does he receive a gift as here.

There is no one there who learns and teaches, and there is no one who ascends with his companion and receives his lacks. For the one giver is revealed there without a mediator to all the receivers. And from him himself do those who receive receive: all the spiritual delights. Not by means of concepts that perceive something in him, but by his own revelation, without any outward movement from him through motions. There the order of learners and teachers ceases. And in one single thing the sharpness of the love of all is terminated. But she says that even the tortured in Gehenna are choked by the cords of love. The cords that are from love are hard and bitter. But this is from those who perceived and sinned through love: from the silences that are from fear. The pain from the folly of love that burns in the heart is sharper than all silences that exist. It is credible that the one who would say that sinners in Gehenna are circumcised by the love of the Creator: for love is the begetter of the knowledge of truth, by which the whole inner self that is given is confessed. But love acts with its power in a hidden manner. To those who did not sin, it is sweet. As also the affection of lovers towards lovers occurs. And to those who kept its obligations, love delights. Thus also in Gehenna. The consolation that is from love, she says, is the hardness of silence.

They drink the heights of knowledge; the fullness of the vision fills their souls. A person asked: when can a person be confident that he has received the forgiveness of his sins? And he answered: when he perceives in himself that a change has occurred from his heart fully, and in his revelations that are opposite to his former ones, he is transformed. That is, as follows: he has confidence in the forgiveness of sins from God, by the testimony of the awareness that dwells in his soul, like the word of the Apostle. But the heart that has no awareness, that one testifies against itself.