the destruction of the past, the culmination of the present, the birth of the future. the death of beauty, the birth of the end. the denial of post modernism, the acceptance of synchronicity. the last page, the total library. the infinity of chess, the infinity of go. one flower growing from an iceberg. a wind uncovering mines. one world and it's government. the color of midnight and the color of a streetlamp. the constellation orion and the constellation pegasus. the orbit of mars and the orbit of the sun. the two dimensional floor and the dimensionless plane. the finite number of thoughts. the surface area of the sun and the surface area of an electron. the vacuum of space and depth of the sea. the colors behind your eyelids, the first and last dream. a nightmare about flying, a daymare about dying. every species of animal, every species of plant, every kind of rock, every chemical, every particle. the number of people who have ever lived is the same number of people who have ever died. communism. socialism. objectivism. devicism. monotheism. functionality. the ratio of angels to demons. the number of words spoken by human beings. the similarities between the antichrist and today. an infinitely small space containing an infinite amount of space. nintendo NES.
the nameless old man in Zeldatotal idiots BELIEVE in astrology
!!! red animal war. ratatat. outhud. daft punk. 41 gorgeous blocks. the indigints. kid tested. maintenance man. briefing room. the sun tzus. riverboat gamblers. the komits. psi. june of 44. radiohead. bjork. tom waits. nirvana. yes. at the drive in. springfield university. slint. apb. lab rats. bob marley. chuck berry. make up. anniversary. cake. saves the day. rancid. dismemberment plan. rhapsody. luca turilli. dilinger escape plan. nofx. all that jazz. leningrad. zzzz. vangelis. they might be giants. the streets. stereolab. refused. public enemy. portishead. ninety pound wuss. the metallicas. mazzy star. mars volta. karate. johnny cash. merle haggard. goldie looking chain. cody ross. blackalicious. hot water music. tourniquet. eater of planets. the blank tapes. milad nazeri. cream. bob dylan. crummy fred. sonic youth. cypress hill. smashing pumpkins. thin lizzy. police. new bohemians. onyx. wu tang. run dmc. john coltrane. miles davis. ray charles. louis armstrong. fugazi. fear. black flag. tsol. vandals. di. my spacecoaster. bach. hadyn. mozart. beethoven. schubert. tchaikovsky. stravinsky. muldowney. john williams. danny elfman. james newton howard. wyld stallions. infirmity. farewell to shadowlands. monster. rites of spring. the light fantastic. pixies. pennywise. blink one eighty two. gilbert and sullivan. beastie boys. 187. zwan. soundgarden. metallica. lagwagon. overcome. weezer. dizzy rascal. mia. beatles. blaster the rocketboy. blenderhead. cool hand luke. cranberries. damian marley. debussy. elliot smith. chopin. gorillaz. grieg. holst. mahavishnu orchestra. marvin gaye. meshuggah. modest mouse. murder city devils. murph and the magictones. nas. nine inch nails. operation ivy. paul wall. pedro the lion. rachmaninoff. ravel. rentals. shmunks for your mother. squirrel nut zippers. starflyer 59. system of a down. tendril. travis morrison. u2. warren g. aphex twin. pj harvey. the roots. black heart procession. jeff buckley. bad brains. mos def. talib kweli. channels. burning airlines. little grizzly. cristina wagner. outkast. bob wills. hank williams. the king. ice t. nwa. dr dre. snoop dogg. deftones. modeselektor. within. asaph. pearl jam. lynard skynard.
bottlerocket
capitalist propaganda perpetually opiating the mind of the proletariet. the cultural anesthesia. the antichrist. television is the catalyst of the one world government. it has brought people together and torn them apart. it hypnotizes the masses. it isolates people from the commune. it is a drug. people who watch television chronically allow themselves to become brainwashed by the manifesto of capitalism. they learn to consume rather than to produce. they learn to accept rather than to question. they learn to trust tv rather than each other. they form friendships with fictional characters. they connect emotionally with what is not real. in the future, the population of the world will see the face of the all-encompassing product on their television. they will sell and steal to consume this product. they will believe that the wealth of humanity finally has a one-time perfect solution to any problem encountered by the common man. this will be the first version of the product. people will forget it to believe in a new product that will save the world from complaining, but again it will be replaced. this cycle will envelope the human race into a slavery that has yet to be experienced on the face of the earth. at least watch the discovery channel. or at least develop your mind with chess or a simple video game like
fight the copyright law
holy bible. 1984. animal farm. we. in the midst of life. the doors of perception. man and his symbols. catcher in the rye. lord of the flies. screwtape letters. great divorce. out of the silent planet. perelandra. that hideous strength. brave new world. ape and essence. island. crome yellow. one day in the life of ivan denisovich. the gulag archipeligo. the way of life. what is to be done? the state and the revolution. the communist manifesto. capital. brief history of time. the metamorphosis. the devils dictionary. king lear. the dhammapada. the tibetan book of the dead. the way of life. infinity and the mind. the cloud of unknowing. here are the first twelve chapitres. Here biginneth the first chapitre. Goostly freende in God, thou schalt wel understonde that I fynde, in my boistous beholdyng, foure degrees and fourmes of Cristen mens levyng; and ben theese: Co- moun, Special, Singuler, and Parfite. Thre of theese mow be bigonnen and eendid in this liif; and the ferthe may bi grace be bigonnen here, bot it schal ever laste with outen eende in the blis of heven. And right as thou seest how thei ben set here in or dre, ilch one after other, first Comoun, than Special, after Syngulere, and last Parfite: right so me thinketh that, in the same ordre and in the same cours, oure Lorde hath of His grete mercy clepid thee and ledde thee unto Him bi the desire of thin herte. For first thou wote wel that when thou were levyng in the comoun degree of Cris- ten mens levyng in companie of thi wordely freendes, it semeth to me that the ever- lasting love of His Godheed, thorow the whiche He mad thee and wrought thee when thou were nought, and sithen bought thee with the prise of His precious blood when thou were loste in Adam, might not suffre thee be so fer fro Him in forme and degree of levyng. And therfore He kyndelid thi desire ful graciously, and fastnid bi it a lyame of longing, and led thee by it into a more special state and forme of levyng, to be a servaunt of the special servauntes of His; where thou mightest lerne to live more specialy and more goostly in His servise than thou dedist, or mightest do, in the co- moun degree of levyng bifore. And what more? Yit it semeth that He wolde not leve thee thus lightly, for love of His herte, the whiche He hath evermore had unto thee sith thou were oughtes. Bot what did He? Seest thou nought how lystly and how graciously He hath pulled thee to the thrid degre and maner of leving, the whiche hight Singuleer? In the whiche solitari forme and maner of levyng thou maist lerne to lift up the fote of thi love and step towardes that state and degré of levyng that is Parfite, and the laste state of alle. Here biginneth the secound chapitre. Look up now, weike wreche, and see what thou arte. What arte thou, and what hast thou deserved thus to be clepid of oure Lorde? What weri wrechid herte and sleping in sleuthe is that, the whiche is not waknid with the drawght of this love and the voise of this cleping? Bewar now, wreche, in this while with thin enemye; and holde thee never the holier ne the beter for the worthinesof this cleping and for the singuler fourme of levying that thou art in; bot the more wrechid and cursid, bot yif thou do that in thee is goodly, bi grace and bi counsel, to lyve after thi cleping. And insomo- chel thou schuldest be more meek and lovyng to thi goostly spouse, that He, that is the Almighty God, King of kynges and Lorde of lordes, wolde meek Hym so lowe unto thee, and amonges alle the flok of scheep, so graciously wolde chese thee to be one of His speciales, and sithen set thee in the stede of pasture, where thou maist be fed with the swetnes of His love, in erles of thin heritage, the kingdome of heven. Do on than, I preie thee, fast. Look now forwardes, and lat be bacwardes. And see what thee faileth, and not what thou haste: for that is the rediest getyng and keping of meeknes. Alle thi liif now behoveth algates to stonde in desire, yif thou schalt profite in degré of perfeccion. This desire behoveth algates be wrought in thi wille bi the honde of Almighti God and thi consent. Bot oo thing I telle thee: He is a gelous lover and suffreth no felawschip, and Him list not worche in thi wille bot yif He be only with thee bi Hymself. He asketh none helpe, bot only thiself. He wil thou do bot loke on Hym and late Him alone. And kepe thou the windowes and the dore for flies and enemies assailyng. And yif thou be willy to do this, thee thar bot meekly put apon Him with preier, and sone wil He help thee. Put on than: lat see how thou berest thee. He is ful redy, and doth bot abideth thee. Bot what schalt thou do, and how schalt thou put? Here biginneth the thrid chapitre. Lift up thin herte unto God with a meek steryng of love; and mene Himself, and none of His goodes. And therto loke thee lothe to thenk on ought bot on Hymself, so that nought worche in thi witte ne in thi wille bot only Himself. And do that in thee is to forgete alle the creatures that ever God maad and the werkes of hem, so that thi thought ne thi desire be not directe ne streche to any of hem, neither in general ne in special. Bot lat hem be, and take no kepe to hem. This is the werk of the soule that moste plesith God. Alle seintes and aungelles han joie of this werk, and hasten hem to helpe it in al here might. Alle feendes ben wood whan thou thus doste, and proven for to felle it in alle that thei kun. Alle men levyng in erthe ben wonderfuli holpen of this werk, thou wost not how. Ye, the soules in purgatori ben esed of theire peine by vertewe of this werk. Thiself arte clensid and maad vertewos by no werk so mochel. And yit it is the lightest werk of alle, when a soule is holpen with grace in sensible liste, and sonnest done. Bot elles it is hard and wonderful to thee for to do. Lette not therfore, bot travayle therin tyl thou fele lyst. For at the first tyme when thou dost it, thou fyndest bot a derknes, and as it were a cloude of unknowyng, thou wost never what, savyng that thou felist in thi wille a nakid entent unto God. This derknes and this cloude is, howsoever thou dost, bitwix thee and thi God, and letteth thee that thou maist not see Him cleerly by light of understonding in thi reson, ne fele Him in swetnes of love in thin affeccion. And therfore schap thee to bide in this derknes as longe as thou maist, evermore criing after Him that thou lovest; for yif ever schalt thou fele Him or see Him, as it may be here, it behoveth alweis be in this cloude and in this derknes. And yif thou wilte besily travayle as I bid thee, I triste in His mercy that thou schalt come therto. Here beginneth the feerthe chapitre. But forthi that thou schalt not erre in this worching, and wene that it be otherwise then it is, I schal telle thee a lityl more therof, as me thinketh. This werk asketh no longe tyme er it be ones treulich done, as sum men wenen; for it is the schortest werke of alle that man may ymagyn. It is neither lenger ne schorter then is an athomus; the whiche athomus, by the diffinicion of trewe philisophres in the sciens of astronomye, is the leest partie of tyme; and it is so litil that, for the littil- nes of it, it is undepartable and neighhonde incomprehensible. This is that tyme of the whiche it is wretyn: Alle tyme that is goven to thee, it schal be askid of thee how thou haste dispendid it. And skilful thing it is that thou geve acompte of it; for it is neither lenger ne schorter, bot even acording to one only steryng that is withinne the principal worching might of thi soul, the whiche is thi wille. For even so many willinges or desiringes - and no mo ne no fewer - may be and aren in one oure in thi wille, as aren athomus in one oure. And yif thou were reformid bi grace to the first state of mans soule, as it was bifore sinne, than thou schuldest evermore, bi help of that grace, be lorde of that stering or of thoo sterynges; so that none yede forby, bot alle thei schulde streche into the soverein desirable and into the heighest wilnable thing, the whiche is God. For He is even mete to oure soule by mesuring of His Godheed; and oure soule even mete unto Him bi worthines of oure creacion to His ymage and to His licnes. And He by Himself withouten moo, and none bot He, is sufficient at the fulle, and mochel more, to fulfille the wille and the desire of oure soule. And oure soule, bi vertewe of this reformyng grace, is mad sufficient at the fulle to comprehende al Him by love, the whiche is incomprehensible to alle create knowable might, as is aungel and mans soule. (I mene by theire knowyng and not by theire lovyng, and therfore I clepe hem in this caas knowable mightes). Bot seth: alle resonable creatures, aungel and man, hath in hem, ilchone by hem self, o principal worching might, the whiche is clepid a knowable might, and another principal worching might, the whiche is clepid a lovyng might: of the whiche two mightes, to the first, the whiche is a knowyng might, God, That is the maker of hem, is evermore incomprehensible; and to the secound, the whiche is the lovyng myght, in ilchone diversly He is al comprehensible at the fulle, insomochel that o lovyng soule only in itself, by vertewe of love, schuld comprehende in it Hym that is suffi cient at the fulle - and mochel more, withoute comparison - to fille alle the soules and aungelles that ever may be. And this is the eendles merveilous miracle of love, the whiche schal never take eende; for ever schal he do it, and never schal he seese for to do it. See, who bi grace see may, for the felyng of this is eendles blisse; and the contrary is eendles pyne. And therfore whoso were refourmyd by grace thus to continow in keping of the sterynges of the wille, schuld never be in this liif - as he may not be withouten thees sterynges in kynde - withouten som taast of the eendles swetnes; and in the blisse of heven withouten the fulle food. And therfore have no wonder thof I stere thee to this werk. For this is the werk, as thou schalt here after, in the whiche man schuld have contynowed yif he never had synned, and to the whiche worching man was maad, and alle thing for man, to help him and forther him therto, and by the whiche a man schal be reparailed agein. And for the defaylyng in this worching a man falleth depper and depper in synne, and ferther and ferther fro God. And by kepyng and contynowel worching in this werk only, withouten mo, a man evermore riseth hier and hier fro synne, and nerer and nerer unto God. And therfore take good keep into tyme, how that thou dispendist it. For nothing is more precious than tyme. In oo litel tyme, as litel as it is, may heven be wonne and lost. A token it is that time is precious: for God, That is gever of tyme, geveth never two tymes togeder, bot ichone after other. And this He doth for He wil not reverse the ordre or the ordinel cours in the cause of His creacion. For tyme is maad for man, and not man for tyme. And therfore God, That is the rewler of hy kynde, wil not in the gevyng of tyme go before the steryng of kynde in a mans soule; the whiche is even acordyng to o tyme only. So that man schal have none excusacion agens God in the Dome and at the gevyng of acompte of dispendyng of tyme, seiing: "Thou gevest two tymes at ones, and I have bot o steryng at ones." Bot soroufuly thou seist now: "How schal I do? and sith this is soth that thou seist, how schal I geve acompte of iche thing seerly. I that into this day, now of foure and twenty yere age, never toke hede of tyme? Yif I wolde now amende it, thou wost wel, bi verrey reson of thi wordes wretyn before, it may not be after the cours of kynde ne of comoun grace, that I schuld mowe kepe or elles make aseeth to any mo tymes than to thoo that ben forto come. Ye, and moreover wel I wote, bi verrey proef, that of thoo that ben to come I schal on no wise, for habundaunce of freelté and slownes of sperite, mowe kepe one of an hondred; so that I am verrely conclude in theese resons. Help me now, for the love of Jhesu!" Right wel hast thou seide "for the love of Jhesu." For in the love of Jhesu there schal be thin help. Love is soche a might that it makith alle thing comoun. Love ther fore Jhesu, and alle thing that He hath it is thin. He by His Godheed is maker and gever of tyme. He bi His Manheed is the verrey keper of tyme. And He, bi His God heed and His Manheed togeders, is the trewist domesman and the asker of acompte of dispending of tyme. Knyt thee therfore to Him bi love and by beleve; and than by vertewe of that knot thou schalt be comoun parcener with Him and with alle that by love so be knittyd unto Him; that is to sey, with oure Lady Seinte Mary, that ful was of alle grace in kepyng of tyme with alle the aungelles of heven that never may lese tyme, and with alle the seintes in heven and in erthe, that by the grace of Jhesu kepen tyme ful justly in vertewe of love. Loo! here lith counforte; construe thou cleerly and pike thee sum profite. Bot of oo thing I warne thee amonges alle other: I cannot see who may trewliche chalenge comunité thus with Jhesu and His just Moder, His highe aungelles and also with His seyntes, bot yif it be soche one that doth that in hym is, with helping of grace, in kepyng of tyme; so that he be seen to be a profiter on his partye, so litil as is, unto the comunité, as ichone of hem doth on his. And therfore take kepe to this werk and to the merveylous maner of it withinne in thi soule. For yif it be trewlich conceyved, it is bot a sodeyn steryng, and as it were unavisid, speedly springing unto God as sparcle fro the cole. And it is merveylous to noumbre the sterynges that may be in one oure wrought in a soule that is disposid to this werk. And yit, in o steryng of alle theese, he may have sodenly and parfitely for- geten alle create thing. Bot fast after iche steryng, for corupcion of the flesche, it falleth doune agein to som thought or to some done or undone dede. Bot what therof? for fast after, it riseth agen as sodenly as it did bifore. And here mowe men schortly conceyve the maner of this worching, and cleerly knowe that it is fer fro any fantasie, or any fals ymaginacion, or queynte opinion; the whiche ben brought in, not by soche a devoute and a meek blynde stering of love, bot by a proude, coryous, and an ymaginatiif witte. Soche a proude, corious witte behoveth algates be born doun and stifly troden doun under fote, yif this werke schal trewly be conceyvid in pureté of spirite. For whoso herith this werke outher be red or spoken, and weneth that it may or schuld be comen to by travayle in theire wittes (and therfore thei sitte and sechin in theire wittes how that it may be, and in this coriousté thei travayle theire ymagina- cion, paraventure, agens cours of kynde, and thei feyne a maner of worching, the whiche is neither bodily ne goostly): trewly this man, whatsoever he be, is perilously disseyvid; insomochel that, bot yif God of His grete goodnes schewe His mercyful myracle and make hym sone to leve werk and meek him to counsel of provid worchers, he schal falle outher into frenesies, or elles into other grete mischeves of goostly sinnes and devels disseites; thorow the whiche he may lightly be lorne, bothe liif and soule, withouten any eende. And therfore, for Goddes love, beware in this werk, and travayle not in thi wittes ne in thin ymaginacion on no wise. For I telle thee trewly, it may not be comen to by travaile in theim; and therfore leve theim and worche not with theim. And wene not, for I clepe it a derknes or a cloude, that it be any cloude congelid of the humours that fleen in the ayre, ne yit any derknes soche as is in thin house on nightes, when thi candel is oute. For soche a derknes and soche a cloude maist thou ymagin with coriousté of witte, for to bere before thin ighen in the lightest day of somer; and also, agenswarde, in the derkist night of wynter thou mayst ymagin a clere schinyng light. Lat be soche falsheed; I mene not thus. For when I sey derknes, I mene a lackyng of knowyng; as alle that thing that thou knowest not, or elles that thou hast forgetyn, it is derk to thee, for thou seest it not with thi goostly ighe. And for this skile it is not clepid a cloude of the eire, bot a cloude of unknowyng, that is bitwix thee and thi God. Here beginneth the fifthe chapitre. And yif ever thou schalt come to this cloude, and wone and worche therin as I bid thee, thee byhoveth, as this cloude of unknowyng is aboven thee, bitwix thee and thi God, right so put a cloude of forgetyng bineth thee, bitwix thee and alle the cretures that ever ben maad. Thee thinketh, paraventure, that thou arte ful fer from God, forthi that this cloude of unknowing is bitwix thee and thi God; bot sekirly, and it be wel conseyved, thou arte wel ferther fro Hym when thou hast no cloude of forgetyng bitwix thee and alle the creatures that ever ben maad. As ofte as I sey "alle the crea- tures that ever ben maad," as ofte I mene, not only the self creatures, bot also alle the werkes and the condicions of the same creatures. I oute take not o creature, whether thei ben bodily creatures or goostly, ne yit any condicion or werk of any creature, whether thei be good or ivel; bot schortly to sey, alle schuld be hid under the cloude of forgetyng in this caas. For thof al it be ful profitable sumtyme to think of certeyne condicions and dedes of sum certein special creatures, nevertheles yit in this werke it profiteth lityl or nought. For why mynde or thinkyng of any creature that ever God maad, or of any of theire dedes outher, it is a maner of goostly light; for the ighe of thi soule is openid on it and even ficchid therapon, as the ighe of a schoter is apon the prik that he schoteth to. And o thing I telle thee, that alle thing that thou thinkest apon it is aboven thee for the tyme, and bitwix thee and thi God. And insomochel thou arte the ferther fro God, that ought is in thi mynde bot only God. Ye, and yif it be cortesye and semely to sey, in this werk it profiteth litil or noght to think of the kyndenes or the worthines of God, ne on oure Lady, ne on the seintes or aungelles in heven, ne yit on the joies in heven: that is to say, with a special be- holding to hem, as thou woldest bi that beholding fede and encrees thi purpos. I trowe that on no wise it schuld be so in this caas and in this werk. For thof al it be good to think apon the kindenes of God, and to love Hym and preise Him for hem: yit it is fer betyr to think apon the nakid beyng of Him, and to love Him and preise Him for Himself. Here biginnith the sixthe chapitre. But now thou askest me and seiest: "How schal I think on Himself, and what is Hee?" And to this I cannot answere thee bot thus: "I wote never." For thou hast brought me with thi question into that same derknes, and into that same cloude of unknowyng that I wolde thou were in thiself. For of alle other crea- tures and theire werkes - ye, and of the werkes of God self - may a man thorou grace have fulheed of knowing, and wel to kon thinke on hem; bot of God Himself can no man thinke. And therfore I wole leve al that thing that I can think, and chese to my love that thing that I cannot think. For whi He may wel be loved, bot not thought. By love may He be getyn and holden; bot bi thought neither. And therfore, thof al it be good sumtyme to think of the kyndnes and the worthines of God in spe- cial, and thof al it be a light and a party of contemplacion, nevertheles in this werk it schal be casten down and keverid with a cloude of forgetyng. And thou schalt step aboven it stalworthly, bot listely, with a devoute and a plesing stering of love, and fonde for to peerse that derknes aboven thee. And smyte apon that thicke cloude of unknowyng with a scharp darte of longing love, and go not thens for thing that befal leth. Here beginnith the seventh chapitre. And yif any thought rise and wil prees algates aboven thee, bitwix thee and that derknes, and asche thee seiing: "What sekist thou, and what woldest thou have?" sey thou that it is God that thou woldest have. "Him I coveite, Him I seche, and noght bot Him." And yif he ascke thee what is that God, sey thou that it is God That maad thee and bought thee, and That graciously hath clepid thee to His love. And in Him sei thou kanst no skile. And therfore sey: "Go thou down agein." And treed him fast doun with a steryng of love thof he seme to thee right holy, and seme to thee as he wolde help thee to seke Hym. For, paraventure, he wil bryng to thi minde diverse ful feire and wonderful pointes of His kyndnes, and sey that He is ful swete and ful lovyng, ful gracious and ful mer cyful. And yif thou wilt here him, he coveiteth no beter; for at the last he wil thus jangle ever more and more til he bring thee lower to the mynde of His Passion. And there wol he lat thee see the wonderful kyndnes of God; and if thou here him, he kepeth no beter. For sone after he wil lat thee see thin olde wrechid leving; and paraventure, in seing and thinkyng therof, he wil bryng to thi mynde som place that thou hast wonid in before this tyme. So that at the last, er ever wite thou, thou schalt be scaterid thou wost never where. The cause of this scateryng is that thou herddist him first wilfuly, answeredist him, resceivedist him, and letest him allone. And yit, nevertheles, the thing that he seide was bothe good and holy; ye, and so holy that what man or womman that wenith to come to contemplacion withoutyn many soche swete meditacions of theire owne wrechidnes, the Passion, the kyndenes and the grete goodnes and the worthynes of God comyng before, sekirly he schal erre and faile of his purpos. And yit, nevertheles, it behoveth a man or a womman, that hath longe tyme ben usid in theese meditacions, algates leve hem, and put hem and holde hem fer doun under the cloude of forgetyng, yif ever schal he peerse the cloude of unknowyng bitwix him and his God. Therfore, what tyme that thou purposest thee to this werk, and felest bi grace that thou arte clepid of God, lift than up thin herte unto God with a meek steryng of love. And mene God love That maad thee, and bought thee, and That graciousli hath clepid thee to this werk; and resseive none other thought of God. And yit not alle theese, bot thee list; for it suffiseth inough a naked entent directe unto God, with- outen any other cause then Himself. And yif thee list have this entent lappid and foulden in o worde, for thou schuldest have betir holde therapon, take thee bot a litil worde of o silable; for so it is betir then of two, for ever the schorter it is, the betir it acordeth with the werk of the spirite. And soche a worde is this worde God or this worde love. Cheese thee whether thou wilt, or another as thee list: whiche that thee liketh best of o silable. And fasten this worde to thin herte, so that it never go thens for thing that bifalleth. This worde schal be thi scheeld and thi spere, whether thou ridest on pees or on werre. With this worde thou schalt bete on this cloude and this derknes aboven thee. With this worde thou schalt smite doun al maner thought under the cloude of forget- ing; insomochel that yif any thought prees apon thee to aske thee what thou woldest have, answere him with no mo wordes bot with this o worde. And yif he profre thee of his grete clergie to expoune thee that worde and to telle thee the condicions of that worde, sey him that thou wilt have it al hole, and not broken ne undon. And yif thow wilt holde thee fast on this purpose, sekir be thou he wil no while abide. And whi? For thou wilt not late him fede him on soche swete meditacions touchid before. Here biginnith the eighte chapitre. But now thou askest me: "What is he, this that thus preesith apon me in this werk?" And whether it is a good thing or an ivel? "And yif it be an ivel thing, then have I merveyle," thou seist, "whi that he wil encrees a mans devocion so mochel. For sumtyme me think that it is a passing counforte to listen after his tales. For he wil sumtyme, me think, make me weep ful hertly for pité of the Passion of Criste, som- tyme for my wrechidnes, and for many other skiles that, me thinketh, ben ful holy, and that done me mochel good. And therfore me thinkith that he schuld on no wise be ivel. And yif he be good, and with his swete tales doth me so moche good withal, than I have greet merveyle whi that thou biddist me put him doun and awey so fer under the cloude of forgetyng." Now sekirly me thinketh that this is a wel movid questyon, and therfore I think to answere therto so febeli as I can. First, when thou askest me what is he, this that pre- seth so fast apon thee in this werk, profryng to help thee in this werk: I sey that it is a scharp and a clere beholding of thi kindely witte, preentid in thi reson withinne in thi soule. And where thou askist me therof whether it be good or ivel, I sey that it be- hoveth algates be good in his kynde, for whi it is a beme of the licnes of God. Bot the use therof may be bothe good and ivel. Good, when it is openid bi grace for to see thi wrechidnes, the Passion, the kyndnes, and the wonderful werkes of God in His crea- tures bodily and goostly; and than it is no wonder thof it encrees thi devocion so mochel as thou seist. Bot then is the use ivel, when it is swollen with pride and with coriousté of moche clergie and letterly conning as in clerkes, and maketh hem prees for to beholden not meek scolers and maystres of devinité or of devocion, bot proude scolers of the devel and maysters of vanité and of falsheed. And in other men or wommen, whatso thei be, religious or seculers, the use and the worching of this kyn- dely witte is than ivel, whan it is swollen with proude and corious skyles of wordely thinges and fleschely conceites, in covetyng of wordly worschipes and havyng of richesses and veyne plesaunce and flateringes of other. And where that thou askest me whi that thou schalt put it doune under the cloude of forgetyng, sithen it is so that it is good in his kynde, and therto when it is wel used, it doth thee so mochel good and encreseth thi devocion so mochel, to this I an- swere and sey that thou schalt wel understonde that ther ben two maner of lives in Holy Chirche. The tone is active liif, and the tother is contemplative liif. Actyve is the lower, and contemplative is the hier. Active liif hath two degrees, a hier and a lower; and also contemplative liif hath two degrees, a lower and a higher. Also theese two lives ben so couplid togeders, that thof al thei ben divers in som party, yit neither of hem may be had fully withouten som party of the other; for whi that party that is the heigher party of actyve liif, that same party is the lower party of contem- plative liif. So that a man may not be fully active, bot yif he be in party contempla- tive; ne yit fully contemplative (as it may be here), bot yif he be in partie actyve. The condicion of actyve liif is soche, that it is bothe bygonne and eended in this liif. Bot not so of contemplative liif; for it is bigonne in this liif, and schal last withouten eende, for whi that partie that Mary chees schal never be taken awey. Active liif is troublid and travailid aboute many thinges; bot contemplative sitteth in pees with o thing. The lower party of active liif stondeth in good and honeste bodily werkes of mercy and of charité. The hier party of active liif and the lower party of contemplative liif lith in goodly goostly meditacions, and besy beholding - unto a mans owne wre chidnes with sorow and contricion, unto the Passion of Crist and of His servauntes with pité and compassion, and unto the wonderful giftes, kyndnes, and werkes of God in alle His creatures, bodili and goostly, with thankyng and preising. Bot the higher partye of contemplacion (as it may be had here) hongeth al holy in this derknes and in this cloude of unknowyng, with a lovyng steryng and a blinde be- holdyng unto the nakid beyng of God Himself only. In the lower partye of active liif a man is withouten himself and bineeth himself. In the higher party of actyve liif and the lower party of contemplative liif, a man is withinne himself and even with himself. Bot in the higher partie of contemplative liif, a man is aboven himself and under his God. Aboven himself he is, for whi he purposeth him to wynne theder bi grace, whether he may not come bi kynde; that is to sey, to be knit to God in spirite, and in oneheed of love and acordaunce of wile. And right as it is inpossible to mans understondyng a man to come to the higher party of actyve liif, bot if he seese for a tyme of the lower party: so it is that a man schal not mowe com to the higher party of contemplative liif, bot yif he seese for a tyme of the lower partye. And as unleveful a thing as it is, and as moche as it wolde lette a man that sat in his meditacions, to beholde thanne to his outward bodily werkes, the whiche he had done or elles schul do, thof al thei were never so holy werkes in hemself: sekirly as unlicly a thing it is, and as moche wolde it let a man, that schuld worche in this derknes and in this cloude of unknowing with an affectu- ous stering of love to God for Himself, for to late any thought or any meditacion of Goddes wonderful giftes, kyndnes, and werkes in any of His creatures, bodily or goostly, rise apon him to prees bitwix him and his God, though al thei be never so holy thoughtes, ne so liking, ne so counfortable. And for this skile it is that I bid thee put doun soche a scharp sotil thought, and kever him with a thicke cloude of forgetyng, be he never so holy, ne hote he thee never so weel for to help thee in thi purpos. For whi love may reche to God in this liif, bot not knowing. And al the whiles that the soule wonith in this deedly body, evermore is the scharpnes of oure understonding in beholding of alle goostly thinges, bot most specialy of God, medelid with sum maner of fantasie; for the whiche oure werk schuld be unclene, and, bot if more wonder were, it schuld lede us into moche errour. Here biginnith the ninthe chapitre.And therfore the scharp steryng of thin understondyng, that wile alweis prees apon thee when thou settest thee to this werk blynd, behoveth alweys be born doun; and bot thou bere him doun, he wile bere thee doun; insomochel that whan thou wenest best to abide in this derknes, and that nought is in thi mynde bot only God, and thou loke witterly thou schalt fynde thi mynde not ocupied in this derknes, bot in a cleer beholdyng of som thing beneeth God. And yif it thus be, sekirly then is that thing aboven thee for the time, and bitwix thee and thi God. And therfore purpose thee to put doun soche clere beholdinges, be thei never so holy ne so likyng. For o thing I telle thee: it is more profitable to the helthe of thi soule, more worthi in itself, and more plesing to God and to alle the seintes and aungelles in heven - ye! and more helply to alle thi freendes, bodily and goostly, quik and dede - soche a blynde steryng of love unto God for Himself, and soche a privé love put upon this cloude of unknowyng; and beter thee were for to have it and for to fele it in thin af- feccion goostly, then it is for to have the ighe of thi soule openid in contemplacion or beholding of alle the aungelles or seyntes in heven, or in hering of alle the mirthe and the melody that is amonges hem in blisse. And loke thou have no wonder of this, for mightest thou ones se it as cleerly as thou maist bi grace com to for to grope it and feele it in this liif, thou woldest think as I say. Bot seker be thou that cleer sight schal never man have here in this liif, bot the felyng mowe men have thorow grace whan God vouchethsaaf. And therfore lift up thi love to that cloude. Bot yif I schal sey the sothe, lat God drawe thi love up to that cloude; and prove thou thorou help of His grace to forgete alle other thing. For sithen a nakid minde of any thing under God, presyng agens thi wille and thi wetyng, putteth thee ferther fro God than thou schuldest be, nere it were, and letteth thee, and makith thee inasmoche more unable to fele in experience the frute of His love: what trowest thou than that a mynde wetyngly and wilfuly drawen apon thee wil hindre thee in thi purpos? And sithen a mynde of any special seinte or of any clene goostly thing wil hindre thee so moche, what trowest thou than that the mynde of any man levyng in this wrechid liif, or of any maner of bodely or wordely thing, wil hinder thee and let thee in this werk? I say not that soche a nakid sodein thought of any good and clene goostly thing under God, presyng agens thi wille or thi wetyng, or elles wilfuly drawen apon thee with avisement in encresing of thi devocion, though al it be lettyng to this maner of werk, that it is therfore ivel. Nay, God forbede that thou take it so. Bot I say, thof al it be good and holy, yit in this werk it letteth more then it profiteth - I mene for the tyme. For whi sekirly he that sekith God parfitely, he wil not rest him finaly in the mynde of any aungel or seinte that is in heven. Here bygynnith the tenthe chapitre. But it is not thus of the mynde of any man or womman levyng in this liif, or of any bodili or wordly thing, whatsoever that it be. For whi a nakyd sodein thought of any of hem presing agens thi wile and thi wetyng, thof al it be no sinne arettid unto thee - for it is the pyne of the original sinne presing agens thi power, of the whiche sinne thou arte clensid in thi baptyme - nevertheles yit, yif this sodein steryng or thought be not smetyn sone doun, as fast for freelté thi fleschly herte is streynid therby, with sum maner of likyng yif it be a thing that pleseth thee or hath plesid thee bifore, or elles with sum maner of gruching yif it be a thing that thee think greveth thee or hath greved thee before. The whiche fastning, thof al it may be in fleschly levyng men and wommen that ben in deedly sinne before, deedly, nevertheles in thee, and in alle other that han in a trewe wile forsaken the woreld, soche a likyng or a gruching fast nyng in the flescheli herte is bot venial synne. The cause of this is the grounding and the rotyng of youre entent in God, maad in the biginnyng of youre levyng in that state that ye stonde in. Bot yif it so be that this likyng or gruching fastnyng in thi fleschly herte and theires be suffred so longe to abide unreproved, that than at the last it is fastnid to the goostly herte (that is to sey the wile) with a ful consent: than it is deedly synne. And this befalleth when thow, or any of hem that I speke of, wilfuly drawen apon yow the mynde of any man or womman levyng in this liif, or of any bodily or wor- dely thing outher; insomoche that yif it be a thing the whiche greveth or hath grevid thee before, ther riseth in thee a teenful passion and an appetite of vengaunce, the whiche is clepid Wrath; or elles a fel dedein and a maner of wlatsomnes of theire persone with dispitous and reprovyng thoughtes, the whiche is clepid Envye; or elles a werines and an unlistines of any good ocupacion, bodily or goostly, the whiche is clepid Slewth. And yif it be a thing that plesith thee, or hath plesid thee before, ther riseth in thee a passaunt delite for to think on that thing whatso it be, insomochel that thou restest thee in that thought, and finaly fastnist thin herte and thi wille therto, and fedest thi fleschely herte therwith, so that thee think for the tyme that thou coveitest none other welthe, bot to live ever in soche a pees and rest with that thing that thou thinkest apon. Yif this thought that thou thus drawest apon thee, or elles resceyvest when it is put unto thee, and that thou restest thee thus in with delite, be worthines of kynde or of knowyng, of grace or of degree, of favour or of faireheed, than it is Pride. And yif it be any maner of worldy good, riches or catel, or what that man may have or be lorde of, then it is Covetyse. Yif it be deinteuous metes and drinkes, or any maner of delites that man may taast, then it is Glotenie. And yif it be love or ple- saunce, or any maner of fleschly daliaunce, glosing or flateryng of any man or womman levyng in this liif, or of thiself outher, than it is Lecherye. Here biginnith the elleven chapitre. I say not this for I trowe that thou, or any other soche as I speke of, ben gilty and combrid with any soche synnes; bot for I wolde that thou chargedist iche a thought, and iche a steryng after that it is, and for I wolde that thou travailedist besily to dis- troie the first steryng and thought of thees thinges that thou maist thus synne inne. For o thing I telle thee: that who chargeth not, or setteth litil bi the first thought - ye, though al it be no sinne unto him - he, that whosoever that he be, schal not es- chewe rechelesnes in venial sinne. Venial synne schal no man utterly eschue in this deedly liif. Bot rechelesnes in venial synne schuld alweis be eschewed of alle the dissiples of perfeccion; and elles I have no wonder thof thei sone sinne deedly. Here biginnith the twelfthe chapitre. And therfore, yif thou wilt stonde and not falle, seese never in thin entent, bot bete evermore on this cloude of unknowyng that is bitwix thee and thi God with a scharpe darte of longing love. And lothe for to think on ought under God. And go not thens for thing that befalleth. For this is only bi itself that werk that distroieth the grounde and the rote of synne. Fast thou never so mochel, wake thou never so longe, rise thou never so eerly, ligge thou never so harde, were thou never so scharp, ye, and yif it were leveful to do - as it is not - puttest thou oute thin yghen, cuttest thou oute thi tonge of thi mouth, stoppedest thou thin eren and thi nose never so fast, though thou schere awei thi prevé membres and dedest al the pine to thi body that thou mightest think: alle this wolde help thee right nought. Yit wil stering and rising of synne be in thee. Ye, and what more! Wepe thou never so moche for sorow of thi sinnes or of the Passion of Criste, or have thou never so moche mynde of the joies of heven, what may it do to thee? Serkirly moche good, moche helpe, moche profite, and moche grace wol it gete thee; bot in comparison of this blinde steryng of love, it is bot a litil that it doth, or may do, withouten this. This bi itself is the best partye of Mary, with outen thees other. Thei withouten it profiten litel or nought. It distroieth not only the grounde and the rote of sinne, as it may be here, bot therto it geteth vertewes. For and it be treuly conceyvid, alle vertewes scholen be sotely and parfitely conceyvid and felid comprehendid in it, withouten any medeling of the entent. And have a man never so many vertewes withouten it, alle thei ben medelid with sum crokid entent, for the whiche thei ben inparfite. For vertewe is not elles bot an ordeinde and a mesurid affeccion, pleinly directe unto God for Himself. For whi He in Himself is the clene cause of alle vertewes; insomochel that yif any man be sterid to any o vertewe by any other cause medelid with Him - ye thof al it be the cheef - yit that vertewe is than inparfite. As thus, bi ensaumple, may be seen in o vertewe or two in stede of alle the other. And wel may theese two vertewes be meeknes and charité, for whoso might gete theese two, cleerly him nedid no mo: for whi he had alle.
jesus christ