Chapter 111 explores the profound difference between the sweetness of peace, which transcends all understanding and is granted by God in the union of love, and the war of reproach or guilt, which arises when the soul clings to its own will. True peace is found only when the soul renounces its own will and enters into complete surrender to God, akin to its original creation by divine goodness without its own participation. Free will, granted by God out of pure love, becomes a source of conflict and potential ruin when misused. Through the Incarnation, Christ reconciles this fallen will by joining human nature to divine goodness. Ultimately, the chapter underscores that spiritual annihilation-the return to the nakedness and simplicity of the soul’s origin-enables the soul to be at rest in God’s love, free from inner war and reproach.
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1. “There is a great difference between the sweetness of peace, which surpasses all senses [and] which remains in the delights of full sufficiency the Lover gives through the juncture of love, and the war which creates reproach.”
Marguerite Porete distinguishes between two contrasting spiritual states. The first is a profound peace, a state of sufficiency in divine love where the soul experiences a deep union with God. This peace transcends sensory experience and intellectual comprehension. In contrast, the “war” signifies the inner conflict that arises when the will operates independently of God, creating guilt and spiritual unrest. The juxtaposition highlights the soul’s journey from self-will to divine will.
2. “One who remains in will is often in such a war, whatever good works his will might do. But that one has peace who remains in willing nothing where he was before he had will.”
This sharp distinction shows that good works driven by one’s own will, even if externally virtuous, can still produce inner discord. True peace comes only from the annihilation of personal will-a return to the state of “willing nothing,” akin to the soul’s original created state before self-assertion. This peace is a complete surrender to God’s will.
3. “Ah, God, how this is well said! says the Unencumbered Soul. But it is necessary that He do this without me, just as He created me without myself by His divine goodness.”
The Unencumbered Soul recognizes that her journey toward union with God is a work of divine grace, not self-effort. Just as she was created without contributing to her own existence, so must she surrender her will and allow God to work in her. This emphasizes the primacy of divine initiative and the soul’s radical dependence on God.
4. “Now Uncreated Goodness possesses properly of herself free will, and she gives us free will also by her goodness, free will beyond her power, without any why except for our sakes that we might be of her goodness.”
Marguerite presents a profound reflection on divine generosity. God (Uncreated Goodness) has complete freedom but grants humanity free will as a gift rooted in pure love, without necessity. This freedom is meant to enable us to share in God’s goodness, but it also carries the risk of choosing separation from Him.
5. “Now the Divine Goodness saw that we might go the way of pestilence and perdition by the free will which He gave us and which departs from His goodness. And this goodness is given to us through Goodness. Thus He joins human nature to Divine Goodness in the person of the Son in order to pay the debt which we had committed by our unrighteous will.”
This passage highlights the redemptive mystery of the Incarnation. Recognizing the danger inherent in human free will, God in His goodness unites with human nature through Christ to reconcile us. This underscores both human weakness and divine mercy, with Christ’s sacrifice providing the means for restoration.
6. “Now I cannot be, says Unrighteous Will, what I ought to be until I return to where I was before I departed from Him, where I was as naked as He is who is; to be as naked as I was when I was who was not.”
Here Marguerite dramatizes the voice of Unrighteous Will, which acknowledges the necessity of returning to a state of utter nothingness and surrender, mirroring God’s own self-sufficiency (“as naked as He is who is”). The return to nothingness-shedding all self-will-is the only way to receive what rightfully belongs to the soul: union with God.
7. “Gloss this if you wish, or if you can. If you cannot, you are not of this kind; but if you are of this kind, it will be opened to you.”
Marguerite challenges the reader to penetrate the depth of her mystical teaching. Only those already disposed through inner annihilation and spiritual transformation will comprehend. This underscores her audience: souls already on the advanced path of spiritual union, prepared to move beyond mere intellectual understanding.
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1. What are the two contrasting states Marguerite presents in this chapter?
Marguerite contrasts the sweetness of peace with the war of reproach or guilt. The sweetness of peace refers to a state that surpasses sensory understanding, found in the delights of divine love. This peace is given when the soul lives in full sufficiency through union with the Lover (God). The war of reproach arises when a person remains in self-will, even if performing good works. This internal conflict and guilt result from being separated from God’s will.
2. How does Marguerite explain the relationship between will and peace?
Marguerite argues that as long as the soul retains its own will, it experiences inner conflict (“war”) because it acts outside of God’s perfect will. Even good works done by self-will cannot bring true peace. Peace comes only when the soul abandons its own will and reposes in “willing nothing,” returning to the original state before having will. This means complete surrender to God’s initiative.
3. What does the Unencumbered Soul recognize about her relationship with God?
The Unencumbered Soul acknowledges that her creation and spiritual journey are entirely God’s work. Just as she was created without her own involvement, so too must she be placed in union with God by His action alone. The soul cannot “get there” by her own efforts but must surrender and allow God to act within her. This highlights the absolute primacy of grace.
4. How does Marguerite describe the role of free will in this chapter?
Marguerite presents Uncreated Goodness (God) as possessing true free will and generously granting it to humanity as a gift of pure love, beyond any necessity. This free will is given “without any why” so that we might participate in God’s goodness. However, human free will, when misused, can lead to “pestilence and perdition.” Recognizing this, God united human nature with divine goodness in the person of Christ to reconcile us to Himself.
5. What is the significance of the voice of Unrighteous Will in this chapter?
The voice of Unrighteous Will admits that it cannot become what it ought to be until it returns to a state of complete surrender, as it was before it departed from God. This “nakedness” represents total abandonment of self-will and a return to the simplicity and openness of the soul as created by God. This passage highlights the necessity of self-emptying in the journey back to God.
6. What does Marguerite mean by saying “Gloss this if you wish, or if you can”?
This is a direct challenge to the reader or hearer, suggesting that only those who have undergone the spiritual annihilation of self-will will be able to truly understand this teaching. It signals that the message is meant for advanced souls, capable of comprehending mystical truths through their lived experience rather than mere intellectual effort.
7. How does this chapter deepen the concept of spiritual annihilation?
This chapter emphasizes that true peace and union with God come not through self-willed action, even virtuous ones, but through radical surrender and “willing nothing.” The soul’s journey mirrors its original creation-an act entirely by God’s initiative. Spiritual annihilation, therefore, is the soul’s return to this original state: a stripping away of self-will and a complete openness to God’s transformative love.
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In chapter 112, Marguerite Porete articulates that God is the One Eternal Goodness, which is Eternal Love, inherently inclined to give and overflow His perfect goodness into creation. This eternal goodness naturally produces pleasing goodness, a way in which God’s love manifests in the soul, making divine love perceptible and delightful. The loving Love that originates from this eternal and pleasing goodness binds the Lover (God) and the Beloved (soul) in an unbreakable relationship. The soul responds by continually regarding God through this love, a perpetual, contemplative gaze born of union and surrender. Thus, Porete highlights the soul’s passive reception and active response within the dynamic of divine love, where human will is dissolved in favor of eternal goodness, allowing the soul to participate in God’s loving nature.
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1. “He is One Eternal Goodness who is Eternal Love, which tends, by the nature of charity, to give and overflow His total goodness.”
Marguerite Porete presents God as the essence of Eternal Goodness and Eternal Love, emphasizing that divine love is inherently generous and self-giving. This love is not passive or limited but naturally expansive, overflowing to share the fullness of divine goodness with creation. Charity, the highest form of love, is depicted as an intrinsic dynamic of God’s being, moving outward to communicate His love.
2. “Such eternal goodness begets pleasing goodness, and from this eternal goodness and pleasing goodness the loving Love of the Lover is in the Beloved.”
Here, Porete distinguishes between eternal goodness (the inherent, unchanging nature of God) and pleasing goodness (the way this divine goodness is experienced by creatures, especially the soul). The interplay between God’s eternal nature and His relational love for the soul is beautifully expressed: divine love is not static but is incarnate in the soul’s experience of being beloved. This generates a reciprocal relationship-God as Lover, the soul as Beloved, united in mutual delight and love.
3. “The Beloved regards the Lover forever by this loving Love.”
The chapter concludes with the enduring vision of the soul (the Beloved) turning toward God (the Lover) in a ceaseless gaze of love. This mutual regard is not based on duty or fear but flows naturally from the divine goodness and love poured into the soul. In this contemplation, the soul transcends itself and becomes a vessel of divine love, mirroring back to God the eternal love she receives.
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1. What does Marguerite Porete mean by “One Eternal Goodness who is Eternal Love”?
Marguerite identifies God as the singular source of Eternal Goodness and Eternal Love. These are not separate attributes but the same reality, expressing God’s essence. God’s goodness is eternal because it exists beyond time, and it is love because it seeks to share and communicate itself. Love is the nature of divine goodness, and charity is its expression-God’s nature as love compels Him to overflow His goodness into creation.
2. How does Porete describe the relationship between eternal goodness and pleasing goodness?
Porete distinguishes eternal goodness as the unchanging, absolute nature of God, and pleasing goodness as the way this goodness is perceived and received by creation, especially by the soul. Pleasing goodness refers to the soul’s experience of divine love, making God’s inherent goodness tangible and delightful. It represents how divine love becomes a personal experience in the relationship between God (the Lover) and the soul (the Beloved).
3. What role does “loving Love” play in the relationship between the Lover and the Beloved?
The phrase “loving Love” expresses the dynamic and relational aspect of divine love. It signifies the active movement of love between God (the Lover) and the soul (the Beloved). This love originates from God’s eternal and pleasing goodness and sustains the relationship by continually drawing the Beloved into deeper union with the Lover. It is not merely an abstract quality but an actual communication of love, whereby the Beloved is transformed by receiving and reflecting God’s love.
4. Why does the Beloved regard the Lover “forever by this loving Love”?
The Beloved’s eternal regard for the Lover is made possible by the nature of divine love itself. Since the Lover’s love (God’s love) is eternal and unchanging, the Beloved (the soul) is drawn into a perpetual response of love and contemplation. This ongoing gaze reflects the soul’s complete surrender and union with God, where love no longer needs effort or mediation. It is a state of loving contemplation, where the soul’s being and God’s being are so aligned that the soul cannot but regard God in love.
5. What does this chapter suggest about the soul’s participation in divine love?
This chapter highlights the soul’s passive yet profound participation in divine love. The soul’s role is not to initiate or merit this love but to receive it and to respond in kind. God’s overflowing love begets a reciprocal relationship in which the soul, as Beloved, mirrors back the love it receives. This participation is marked by a loss of self-centered will and a complete openness to God’s eternal and pleasing goodness. The soul, by being filled with divine love, enters into a timeless, intimate union with God.
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In Chapter 113 of The Mirror of Simple Souls, Marguerite Porete teaches that true spiritual victory comes through an interior retreat where the soul, through thoughts of devotion, works of perfection, and petitions of Reason, seeks to imitate Christ’s life. However, this imitation, no matter how noble, must eventually be surpassed by a deeper self-emptying, where the soul surrenders all personal effort and works into God’s hands. This total renunciation of self-embracing complete “naked nothingness”-allows the divine to act within the soul without its interference, replacing human striving with divine action. Porete emphasizes that God alone is Lover, Loved, and Love, and that the soul must abandon itself entirely to receive His fullness.
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1. “I will help those who will hear this book to grasp that it is necessary for us to retreat within ourselves-through thoughts of devotion, through works of perfection, through petitions of Reason-our whole life, by our power, which Jesus Christ did and which He preached to us.”
Porete calls the reader to an inward journey, mirroring Christ’s own life and teachings. This retreat into oneself, marked by devotion, good works, and reasoned prayer, represents the soul’s initial effort to align with Christ’s example. However, she subtly signals that this effort, though necessary, is only a precursor to a deeper spiritual transformation.
2. “Whoever will believe in me, he will do such works as I do, and still even greater works will he do.”
Porete references Jesus’ own words to underscore the believer’s calling to imitate and even surpass Christ’s external works. However, her deeper intent is to illustrate that external works are not the final goal but a necessary stage on the soul’s path to surrender and union.
3. “It is necessary for us to do this before we have victory over ourselves.”
Porete emphasizes that victory over the self-the renunciation of self-will and self-effort-requires the soul to engage fully in devotion, works, and rational petitions. Only by exhausting these means can the soul come to the realization of their insufficiency and move beyond them.
4. “If we were to do this by our power, we would arrive at the point where we would possess all this, in placing outside of ourselves all thoughts of devotion and all works of perfection and all the petitions of Reason, for we would not have anything more to do with those.”
Here Porete unveils a profound mystical insight: the soul’s journey of self-conquest leads not to mastery through effort, but to a radical relinquishment of effort itself. Once all striving is abandoned, the soul becomes empty-ready to receive divine action.
5. “And then the Deity would work His divine works in us, for our sakes, without us.”
This is the core of Porete’s teaching. True transformation comes not through human effort, but by divine grace acting without our involvement. The soul’s final victory is the loss of self-will, allowing God’s pure goodness to operate within.
6. “He is who is, because He is what He is of Himself: Lover, Loved, Love. And therefore we are nothing because we have nothing of our own.”
Porete contrasts God’s self-sufficient being-a trinity of Lover, Loved, Love-with the creature’s utter nothingness. The soul recognizes its complete dependency on God, shedding any claims to autonomous existence.
7. “May you see this complete naked nothing by hiding or veiling, and then you would have Him who is his true being in us.”
Porete concludes with an invitation to contemplative annihilation. By embracing spiritual nakedness-the stripping away of self and the veiling of all external faculties-the soul makes space for God’s indwelling. This is the mystical union where God is all and the soul is nothing.
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1. What does Marguerite Porete mean by “retreat within ourselves”?
Porete calls for a profound inner withdrawal from worldly distractions, achieved through thoughts of devotion, works of perfection, and petitions of Reason. This retreat involves the soul aligning its entire life with the model of Jesus Christ, who both exemplified and taught such a path. However, this inward movement is only preparatory, as it leads to the recognition that self-effort is ultimately insufficient for union with God.
2. How does Porete interpret Christ’s statement, “Whoever will believe in me, he will do such works as I do, and still even greater works will he do”?
Porete highlights that believers are called to imitate Christ’s works and even exceed them in external expression. Yet, she uses this statement to hint that these “greater works” are not necessarily outward achievements, but rather point toward a deeper spiritual transformation where the soul surpasses itself by surrendering completely to divine action, moving beyond external works to interior union with God.
3. What is the “victory over ourselves” that Porete describes, and why is it necessary?
The victory over ourselves involves the complete renunciation of self-will, self-effort, and attachment to personal merit. It is necessary because, while the soul may initially engage in devotion, good works, and rational petitions, these alone cannot achieve the union with God that Porete envisions. Victory is attained when the soul fully lets go of its striving and becomes utterly receptive to God’s presence.
4. Why does Porete say that even our good works and petitions must eventually be placed “outside of ourselves”?
Porete teaches that human works-no matter how virtuous-are still rooted in self-will and human limitation. When the soul reaches the point of placing these efforts “outside of ourselves,” it signifies that the soul has transcended its own striving and has entered a state of naked receptivity. At this stage, divine action can fully replace human effort, and God Himself becomes the actor within the soul.
5. What does Porete mean by “the Deity would work His divine works in us, for our sakes, without us”?
This phrase encapsulates Porete’s central mystical teaching: that union with God is achieved not through human action, but through God’s free and gracious action within us. The soul, having relinquished all its own works and attachments, becomes the space where God’s pure love and goodness can operate. The “without us” signals the total absence of self-will or ego in this divine union.
6. How does Porete contrast God’s nature with the soul’s nature in this chapter?
God is described as Eternal Being-the Lover, Loved, and Love-whose essence is self-sufficient and perfect. In contrast, the soul is characterized as nothing, having nothing of its own and entirely dependent on God for its being and goodness. This stark contrast highlights the soul’s need to abandon all illusions of autonomy and surrender fully to God’s reality.
7. What is the significance of the “complete naked nothing” that Porete invites the soul to see?
The “complete naked nothing” represents the soul’s radical self-emptying and the stripping away of all illusions of self-sufficiency, merit, and control. By recognizing its nothingness and embracing spiritual poverty, the soul creates space for God’s indwelling presence, achieving true union where God is all and the soul is nothing.
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Chapter 114 of The Mirror of Simple Souls delves into the profound spiritual state where the human soul, by complete self-surrender and annihilation of personal will, becomes utterly “without herself.” In this condition, the soul detaches from all natural feelings, personal efforts, honor or shame, fear, and even affection for divine things. It possesses no inner or outer work, and no personal will remains. Instead, the soul lives entirely by divine substance, allowing God to act solely through it without resistance or self-interest. This state of complete passivity and divine indwelling is accessible only to those of deep spiritual understanding and experience, for it involves an existential transformation where the soul ceases to live for itself and becomes entirely God’s own life in her.
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1. “I ask the blind, or the clarified ones who see better than do the former, if the human creature can remain in life and be forever ‘without’ herself?”
Marguerite Porete begins with a rhetorical question that probes the possibility of living a life completely detached from self. She appeals to both those spiritually “blind” and those with heightened spiritual “sight,” suggesting that only the spiritually advanced (those of “this lineage”) can comprehend the profound truth she is about to reveal.
2. “Truth says yes for her, and Love declares it, who says that the Annihilated Soul is ‘without’ herself when she has no feeling of nature, no work, nor any interior work, neither shame nor honor, nor any fear of anything which might happen, nor any affection in the divine goodness; nor does she know any longer any indwelling of will, but instead [she] is without will at all moments.”
Here Porete presents a radical vision of detachment. “Truth” and “Love” affirm that a human soul can indeed live “without” herself-that is, fully detached from natural inclinations, personal achievements, or even inward spiritual exercises. The soul becomes free from human feelings, reputations, fears, affections, and even personal will. This description points to total annihilation of self, not as death, but as living entirely in divine substance.
3. “Thus she is annihilated, ‘without’ herself, whatever thing God might suffer from her. Thus she does all things without herself, and so she leaves all things without herself.”
The soul, having surrendered all attachments and interior actions, now functions solely through God’s life within her. Even her actions, thoughts, and choices are performed “without herself,” meaning her will is no longer the origin of these acts. This state is marked by complete surrender and self-emptying, where divine action alone sustains her existence and agency.
4. “This is no marvel: she is no longer ‘for’ her own sake, for she lives by divine substance.”
Porete concludes that this complete state of detachment-far from being surprising or impossible-is a natural consequence of the soul’s union with God. The soul’s annihilation of self leads her to live entirely by divine substance, motivated and moved solely by God’s will. This is the ultimate realization of spiritual poverty and union, where personal striving ceases and God’s life alone endures.
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1. What does Marguerite Porete mean by asking if the human creature can remain in life and be forever “without” herself?
Porete is asking whether it is possible for a person to live a life entirely free from self-interest, self-will, and even the natural inclinations of human nature. This “without herself” means living in a state of spiritual annihilation, where the soul is emptied of all attachments, efforts, desires, and even its own will. The person becomes completely surrendered, living not by personal effort or identity, but purely by God’s divine life within her.
2. Who can answer Porete’s question about being “without” oneself, and why?
Porete suggests that only two types of people might answer this question: the “blind,” who represent those spiritually unaware and unable to see the truth, and the “clarified ones,” who see with spiritual insight beyond the ordinary. However, the true understanding of this mystery is reserved for those of the same spiritual “lineage”-those who have undergone profound self-annihilation and live entirely in God. Thus, it is an experiential truth, inaccessible to the unenlightened.
3. What characteristics does Porete associate with the “Annihilated Soul” who is “without” herself?
The “Annihilated Soul” is characterized by total detachment and surrender:
* She has no feelings of nature (no attachment to bodily or natural instincts).
* She performs no work of her own, neither outwardly nor inwardly.
* She experiences neither shame nor honor, nor fear of any possible outcome.
* She holds no affection, even in divine matters.
* She no longer possesses any will of her own, but lives in total passivity to God’s will.
In this state, she is completely “without herself,” having no self-originated actions or desires.
4. How does Porete explain the soul’s actions once it is in this state of being “without” itself?
In this state, all actions performed by the soul are done “without herself,” meaning that the soul has no personal involvement or ownership over them. Everything is done solely by God acting through her, and she leaves all things behind-attachments, desires, works, and thoughts. The soul has fully surrendered to divine life, allowing God to act entirely without interference from her self-will or personal striving.
5. Why does Porete say this state of living by divine substance is “no marvel”?
Porete concludes that this profound state is not surprising because it is a natural consequence of the soul’s union with God. The soul ceases to live “for her own sake” and instead lives solely by divine substance-God’s life and power. The annihilation of self is a necessary transition to living fully in God. Therefore, what may seem miraculous to some is, for the “Annihilated Soul,” the true and inevitable result of surrendering completely to divine love.
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Chapter 115 of The Mirror of Simple Souls teaches that the Trinity-comprising the Father as eternal substance, the Son as pleasing fruition, and the Holy Spirit as loving conjunction-is dynamically mirrored within the soul. Through surrender and transformation, the Annihilated, Unencumbered, and Transparent Soul participates in the divine life, with its memory reflecting the Father’s power, intellect mirroring the Son’s wisdom, and will embodying the Spirit’s goodness. This deep union leads to a state where the soul lives “being without being”-ceasing to act for itself and becoming an instrument of divine will. God’s utter simplicity and self-giving love flow into the soul, enlarging and delighting it, bringing it to rest in the boundless, unified love of the Trinity.
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1. “He is one eternal substance, one pleasing fruition, one loving conjunction. The Father is eternal substance; the Son is pleasing fruition; the Holy Spirit is loving conjunction. This loving conjunction is from eternal substance and from pleasing fruition through the divine love.”
Here, Marguerite describes the inner life of the Trinity as a dynamic interplay of substance (Father), fruition (Son), and conjunction (Holy Spirit). Each Person of the Trinity expresses an aspect of divine life: the Father as the source of being, the Son as the fulfillment of joy, and the Spirit as the bond of love. This profound mystery of unity in diversity becomes the template for the soul’s own transformation, echoing the Trinitarian nature within.
2. “Ah, Unity, says the Soul grasped by Divine Goodness, you generate unity, and unity reflects its ardor in unity.”
The soul, immersed in divine love, experiences the unity of the Godhead as a transformative and generative force. The “ardor” or fervor of unity reflects back upon itself, indicating a cyclical and self-replenishing love, where the soul not only recognizes but also participates in this unity, mirroring God’s own life.
3. “Divine love of unity generates in the Annihilated Soul, in the Unencumbered Soul, in the Transparent Soul, eternal substance, pleasing fruition, loving conjunction.”
The soul that has been stripped of all self (annihilated, unencumbered, transparent) becomes a living reflection of the Trinity itself. In its total openness to divine action, it mirrors the Father (substance), Son (fruition), and Spirit (conjunction). This implies that the soul’s journey is not just moral but metaphysical, becoming a participatory image of God.
4. “From the eternal substance the memory possesses the power of the Father. From the pleasing fruition the intellect possesses the wisdom of the Son. From the loving conjunction the will possesses the goodness of the Holy Spirit.”
Marguerite assigns the soul’s faculties (memory, intellect, will) to mirror the Trinity. Memory corresponds to the Father’s power, intellect to the Son’s wisdom, and will to the Spirit’s goodness. This establishes a deep interior alignment of the soul’s faculties with divine life, where even human faculties are deified through love.
5. “This conjunction places the Soul in being without being which is Being. Such Being is the Holy Spirit Himself, who is Love from the Father and from the Son.”
Marguerite expresses a mystical paradox: the soul is placed in “being without being”-a state of annihilation where personal existence is so surrendered that it merges into divine Being itself. The Holy Spirit, as Love, brings the soul into this mystery of divine life, not obliterating the soul but transforming it into Love itself.
6. “Such Love from the Holy Spirit flows into the Soul and she is enlarged from the abundance of delights from a very lofty gift, which is given by a spark and majestic juncture from the sovereign Lover, who gives Himself simple, and makes Himself a simple One.”
Here, the soul receives a “spark” from the Holy Spirit, symbolizing divine grace that enlarges and elevates her beyond herself. The “sovereign Lover” gives Himself in utter simplicity, emphasizing God’s generosity and humility. The soul becomes a vessel of divine abundance, united to God’s own simplicity and sufficiency.
7. “And because He gives Himself simple, He shows that there is nothing except Him from Whom all things have being. And so nothing is except Him in love of light, of union, of praise: one will, one love, and one work in two natures.”
This passage highlights the absolute primacy of God: all existence, love, light, and union flow from Him. The soul participates in this divine singularity-where all division dissolves into one unified love and will, embracing the dual nature of Christ (divine and human) yet operating as one.
8. “One sole goodness, through conjunction of the transforming power of love from my Lover, says this Soul who is at rest without obstructing the outpouring of divine Love. By such divine Love, the divine Will works in me, for me and without my possession.”
The final lines portray the soul’s complete rest and surrender, letting go of self-possession to allow divine Love to flow freely. The transforming power of Love from God (“my Lover”) makes the soul’s own will unnecessary, replaced by the divine Will. The soul becomes purely receptive, a vessel for God’s action and love.
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1. What three aspects of the Trinity does Marguerite describe, and how are they related?
Marguerite describes the Trinity as composed of one eternal substance (Father), one pleasing fruition (Son), and one loving conjunction (Holy Spirit). These aspects are interrelated in a dynamic unity: the Father is the origin of being, the Son embodies the joy of divine life, and the Spirit unites them in the bond of love. The Holy Spirit’s loving conjunction flows from both the Father’s substance and the Son’s fruition, indicating an eternal outpouring of divine love.
2. How does Marguerite portray the soul’s participation in the Trinity?
Marguerite suggests that the Annihilated Soul, Unencumbered Soul, and Transparent Soul become mirrors of the Trinity. The soul’s memory corresponds to the Father’s power, the intellect to the Son’s wisdom, and the will to the Holy Spirit’s goodness. This participation is not merely symbolic but transformative-the soul’s faculties are elevated to align with the inner life of the Trinity, enabling it to live in unity with divine being.
3. What does Marguerite mean by “being without being which is Being,” and how does it relate to the soul’s mystical experience?
The phrase “being without being which is Being” describes a mystical state where the soul surrenders its self-existence to merge with divine Being. This is a form of annihilation-not a loss of existence but a transformation of it. The soul no longer acts from its own will or nature but is infused with the divine will, becoming Love itself. This “being without being” paradox captures the mystical union where the soul abides in God’s own reality.
4. How is the simplicity of God portrayed, and what impact does it have on the soul?
Marguerite emphasizes God’s utter simplicity, where He gives Himself “simple” and becomes “a simple One.” This simplicity signifies God’s absolute sufficiency and the seamless unity of His being. For the soul, this means letting go of complexity, self-possession, and multiplicity to become a receptive vessel of divine love. As God gives Himself without reservation, the soul is “enlarged” and delighted by this abundant and majestic union.
5. What role does divine love play in the transformation of the soul?
Divine love is the transforming power that flows from the Holy Spirit into the soul. It elevates and expands the soul, allowing it to live beyond itself. By surrendering to this love, the soul experiences unity with God’s will-acting “for me, in me, and without my possession.” The soul becomes transparent to God’s presence, resting in divine love without obstructing its outpouring. Love thus becomes the soul’s new identity and mode of existence.
6. How does Marguerite’s vision of the Trinity influence her understanding of human faculties (memory, intellect, will)?
Marguerite assigns each faculty of the soul a Trinitarian correspondence:
* Memory aligns with the Father’s power (eternal substance).
* Intellect aligns with the Son’s wisdom (pleasing fruition).
* Will aligns with the Spirit’s goodness (loving conjunction).
This mapping reveals a spiritual anthropology where human nature, when transformed by divine love, reflects the Trinity itself. Each faculty participates in divine operations, not merely in imitation but in a profound union that transcends self.
7. What does it mean for the soul to act “without herself,” and how does this lead to her rest in God?
To act “without herself” means that the soul renounces her own will, plans, and actions, and becomes a pure instrument of divine will. She no longer clings to personal possession or effort but surrenders entirely to God’s action. This leads to rest in God, where she experiences perfect peace and union, no longer obstructing divine love. Her life becomes a continuous act of love, harmony, and praise in alignment with God’s nature.
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Chapter 116 explores the paradoxical delight the Soul experiences in the suffering of her neighbors, which emerges not from malice but from her profound union with God. The Soul’s intimate alignment with divine Love enables her to perceive the redemptive potential in others’ suffering, a perspective that transcends natural Reason’s limited comprehension. Reason, described as “one-eyed,” misconstrues this delight as sinful, failing to grasp the Soul’s participation in God’s eternal plan where suffering leads to salvation. Thus, the chapter illuminates the contrast between the finite judgments of Reason and the infinite, salvific Love of God, into which the Soul is fully absorbed.
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1. “This [Soul] sees in her Lover a full perfect love, and so she seeks no occasion to have His assistance, but instead she takes what is His as her own.”
The Soul’s complete union with God’s perfect love enables her to live entirely within His will, no longer seeking external aid but absorbing His love as her own. This profound union signifies the Soul’s detachment from self-interest and immersion in divine love.
2. “Within her highest part this Soul is delighted many times, without her knowledge and willingly or not, by the sufferings of her neighbors, for she discerns within his’ spirit and knows without her own knowledge, that this is the way by which they will arrive at the gate of their salvation.”
The Soul, deeply united to God, perceives (even unconsciously) that the trials of others are a path to their salvation. Her delight is not in their suffering per se but in recognizing the divine purpose at work, aligning her joy with God’s pleasure and salvific will.
3. “She discerns her light in the highest place where she is united, and so she is pleased by the pleasure of Him to whom she is united, for His pleasure is the salvation of creatures.”
The Soul’s highest union with God grants her insight into divine pleasure-namely, the salvation of all beings. Her delight in this salvation is a natural outflow of her unity with God’s will, reflecting a love so complete that it embraces even the mysterious workings of redemptive suffering.
4. “Reason always judges according to what she knows, for she wishes always to do the work which is fitting for her to do. But in this case she is one-eyed, and so she cannot see the high things, and thus she makes her complaint to the Soul.”
Reason, though essential, operates with limited sight-it cannot grasp the profound, hidden operations of divine love. It perceives the Soul’s delight in others’ suffering as sinful, not realizing this delight stems from alignment with God’s salvific purpose. The “one-eyed” Reason cannot fathom the paradox of love that transcends mere appearances.
5. “No one can see high things unless he exist eternally. And rightly Reason cannot see this for it is necessary that her being faint away.”
True vision of divine mysteries, such as delight in others’ suffering for the sake of salvation, requires an eternal perspective that transcends human Reason. The Soul’s union with God allows her to participate in this eternal vision, where Reason must “faint away” or be relinquished in favor of divine wisdom and love.
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1. Why does the Soul no longer seek God’s assistance but instead takes what is His as her own?
The Soul, deeply united with her Lover (God), perceives His perfect love so fully that she no longer seeks external assistance from Him. Instead, she lives entirely within His love, absorbing it as her own and recognizing no distinction between His will and hers. This reflects her complete detachment from self-interest and full participation in divine love, in which her identity is subsumed into God’s being.
2. Why is the Soul “delighted by the suffering of her neighbors,” and is this delight sinful?
The Soul’s delight in her neighbors’ suffering is not rooted in malice or cruelty. Rather, it arises from her deep union with God, in which she perceives, even unconsciously, that these sufferings serve as a path to salvation. She delights in God’s pleasure-the salvation of all creatures-rather than in the suffering itself. From the perspective of human Reason, which operates with limited understanding, this delight might seem sinful. However, from the Soul’s union with God’s eternal vision, it is an expression of divine love and compassion.
3. How does Reason misunderstand the Soul’s delight in others’ suffering?
Reason, described as “one-eyed,” lacks the capacity to comprehend the high things of divine love and salvation. It operates within the limits of natural understanding and assumes that any delight in others’ suffering must stem from selfishness or sin. Reason judges according to what it can grasp, failing to recognize the Soul’s alignment with God’s will and the redemptive value of suffering. Thus, Reason mistakenly reproaches the Soul, not realizing that her delight is in God’s salvific work rather than in suffering itself.
4. What is meant by “no one can see high things unless he exist eternally,” and how does this relate to the Soul’s experience?
This statement underscores that only those united with God’s eternal perspective can truly perceive the divine mysteries and workings of love and salvation. The Soul’s experience of being “delighted” in others’ suffering is rooted in her participation in the eternal life of God, where suffering has a redemptive purpose. Human Reason, limited by temporal and finite understanding, cannot grasp these high truths. Only the Soul, existing in union with God’s eternity, can perceive the fullness of divine love, which often transcends and even contradicts natural reason.
5. How does this chapter illustrate the tension between human Reason and divine Love?
The chapter highlights a fundamental tension: Reason, confined to natural understanding, cannot comprehend the paradoxes of divine Love, especially when it comes to the role of suffering in salvation. The Soul’s delight in her neighbors’ suffering, seen through Reason’s lens, appears as sin. However, from the vantage point of divine Love, it is a sign of her participation in God’s salvific will. The Soul’s union with God elevates her beyond Reason’s capacity, revealing the limitations of purely rational thought in grasping the mysteries of divine grace.
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Chapter 117 presents the Soul’s profound realization of her own total wretchedness, which paradoxically becomes the very foundation of her union with divine goodness. The Soul claims that because she contains utter wretchedness by her nature, God’s total goodness must necessarily fill her, for justice would not allow her to be left lacking. This is not achieved through any merit or good work, but solely through the righteousness and generosity of divine love. Her continuous awareness of her own deep need and helplessness makes her the exemplar of salvation and the praise of God’s glory. The Soul becomes a conduit through which all creatures understand God’s goodness, for salvation consists in perceiving and acknowledging this boundless generosity. Her transformation into God through love is likened to the stronger drawing the weaker into itself. In this way, her very poverty and brokenness are transfigured into a mysterious participation in divine life, revealing the pattern of redemption for every creature.
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1. “God has nowhere to place His goodness, it says, if He places it not in me, nor has He a dwelling place which might be appropriate for Him, nor can there be a place where He might completely place Himself, if it is not in me.”
This Soul boldly claims that she is the singular vessel where God’s goodness can dwell. The audacity here stems from a profound realization: in her own nothingness and wretchedness, she becomes a perfect receptacle for the fullness of divine love and goodness. This paradox underlines a major theme in Porete’s work as well as other mystical writers of the time – that the soul’s poverty is the very space where God fully manifests Himself.
2. “Thus I am total wretchedness and He is total goodness, and one must give alms to the poorest lest one take from them what is theirs by right.”
The Soul acknowledges her complete poverty and contrasts it with God’s total goodness. She frames divine giving as an act of justice, not merely mercy: just as it is right to give to the poor, God’s bestowal of goodness is necessary, for her utter destitution demands total divine generosity. This reversal-where wretchedness entitles the soul to divine riches-redefines salvation as rooted in God’s justice responding to human need.
3. “I am total wretchedness; for anything less than the totality of the abundance of all His goodness could not fill the abyss of the depth of my own wretchedness.”
This dramatic language heightens the contrast between divine fullness and human emptiness. The Soul’s “abyss” of wretchedness isn’t merely moral but existential: nothing finite could ever satisfy her need, only the infinite totality of God’s goodness. This vision aligns with the apophatic mysticism of knowing God through the soul’s experience of utter incapacity.
4. “Thus He knows completely this need, and through [this need] have I possessed completely [His goodness] by the knowledge of His divine wisdom, by the will of His divine goodness, by the work of His divine power.”
The Soul explains that her possession of divine goodness is entirely a divine initiative-wisdom, will, and power meet to fulfill her need. There’s a radical passivity here, where salvation isn’t earned but given purely in response to the soul’s acknowledged poverty.
5. “I am the salvation of every creature and the glory of God. As Christ by His death is the redemption of the people and the praise of God the Father, so I am by reason of my wretchedness the salvation of the human race and the glory of God the Father.”
Here Porete’s voice becomes almost shocking: she draws a direct parallel between herself and Christ. While Christ’s death reveals God’s goodness and secures salvation, her own radical poverty (wretchedness) accomplishes a similar work, because it compels the manifestation of divine goodness. This isn’t blasphemous but mystically participatory: the soul becomes a mirror of Christ’s redemptive role, showing how human need is the conduit of divine glory.
6. “For the salvation of every creature is nothing other than the understanding of the goodness of God.”
Salvation is defined here not juridically (as a legal pardon) but contemplatively-as a deepened understanding of divine goodness. This mystical epistemology reorients salvation from an external transaction to an inner transformation, achieved through the recognition of God’s pure generosity.
7. “I can never lose His goodness, for I cannot lose my wretchedness, and in this point He has assured me about His goodness.”
This is both humbling and triumphant: the Soul is assured of her unshakable possession of God’s goodness, precisely because her wretchedness is inescapable. This inversion of security-rooted in inability rather than strength-becomes a profound comfort and a radical redefinition of spiritual stability.
8. “Thus I am the same that He is through the transformation of love. For the stronger transforms the weaker into itself.”
The Soul asserts a mystical union: divine love, being stronger, assimilates her into itself. This recalls the classical theme of deification or theosis, where the human, in its weakness, is “divinized” by God’s love. The “transformation of love” describes this process as dynamic and mutual-the soul, utterly passive in her wretchedness, is actively transformed into God’s own being.
9. “There is not a pupil of the eye which is so impenetrable… as is divine love if one does something contrary to it [love], and if one is not always in the perfect fullness of her pure will.”
This striking metaphor compares divine love’s impenetrability to an eye pupil’s resistance to intrusion. Divine love brooks no resistance; any contrary will or imperfection disrupts the soul’s participation. The warning is clear: to experience the fullness of God’s goodness, one must surrender completely to His love.
10. “Now you can perceive how my wretchedness is the source of possessing His goodness, on account of the occasion of my necessity.”
Porete explicitly identifies her wretchedness as the cause of her reception of God’s goodness. This theology of necessity turns human weakness into the doorway for divine action. It reflects the mystic paradox that the soul’s poverty is the precondition for union with God.
11. “All those who are planted as seeds from the Father and are come into this world, have descended from the perfect into the imperfect, in order to attain to the most perfect.”
This profound statement suggests that human existence is a journey from divine perfection into imperfection, with the ultimate goal of reattaining a higher form of perfection. This cyclical descent and ascent underpins the mystic’s vision of the soul’s journey through fallenness into glorification.
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1. How does the Soul claim to be an exemplar of salvation and even salvation itself for every creature?
The Soul claims to be an exemplar of salvation because she represents the very height of wretchedness, just as God represents the height of goodness. By being totally wretched by nature, she becomes the perfect recipient for the totality of God’s goodness, since it is fitting that the most wretched should receive the fullness of grace. In this dynamic, her wretchedness provides the occasion for God’s total goodness to be manifest and poured out. This pouring out of divine goodness in response to her necessity is seen as the very means of salvation for every creature. The Soul declares that just as Christ’s death is the redemption and praise of God, so too is her wretchedness the salvation of humanity and the glory of God.
2. Why does the Soul claim that God’s goodness belongs to her by right?
The Soul explains that because she is “total wretchedness,” it is necessary for her to receive the fullness of God’s goodness in order to terminate her misery. Anything less than the entirety of divine goodness would leave her in her wretchedness. Moreover, God cannot act unjustly; denying her His goodness when she is the poorest would be unjust, since one must give alms to the most destitute. Thus, by divine justice and necessity, His goodness belongs to her, not because of merit but because of her utter destitution and God’s unchanging justice and pure goodness.
3. What relationship does the Soul draw between her wretchedness and God’s goodness?
The Soul presents a paradoxical relationship where her total wretchedness corresponds to God’s total goodness. Her utter destitution provides the space for the totality of divine goodness to be poured out into her. Her necessity creates the occasion for God to manifest His goodness fully. The Soul emphasizes that this relationship is not based on her own works or merit but on the unchanging nature of God’s goodness, which is revealed and understood precisely through her wretchedness.
4. How does the Soul describe her role as the cause of the salvation of every creature?
The Soul declares that salvation consists in the understanding of God’s pure goodness. Humanity comes to understand this goodness through her wretchedness because divine goodness is revealed in the act of filling her emptiness. By recognizing how God’s fullness is poured into the Soul’s emptiness, others can comprehend God’s mercy and generosity. Thus, the Soul becomes the cause of the salvation of every creature-not as an intermediary like Christ, but as the one through whom the understanding of divine goodness is made manifest. Since salvation is founded on understanding divine goodness, and this understanding comes through her, she claims to be the salvation of all.
5. How does the Soul explain her inseparability from God’s goodness?
The Soul asserts that she can never lose God’s goodness because she can never lose her wretchedness. Her state of destitution is permanent, and it is this very destitution that guarantees the continued bestowal of divine goodness. This inseparability rests not on her merits or actions but solely on her nature as utterly poor and wretched and God’s nature as pure goodness and justice. The Soul even states that good works give her neither comfort nor hope; it is solely her wretchedness that assures her of God’s goodness.
6. What is the significance of the Soul’s statement about transformation?
The Soul claims that, because she possesses the totality of God’s goodness, she becomes the same as He is through the transformation of love. In this transformation, the stronger (God’s love and goodness) changes the weaker (the Soul’s wretchedness) into itself. This process is described as “most delicious,” indicating a profound mystical union where the Soul, through love, is transfigured into God’s own likeness. However, she also notes that divine love is impenetrable and reacts sharply to anything contrary to its perfect will, just as the pupil of the eye is destroyed by any foreign object. This highlights both the joy of transformation and the demand for perfect union with God’s will.
7. How does the Soul explain the relationship between evil and good in the divine plan?
The Soul acknowledges that sometimes God allows evil for the sake of a greater good that must emerge from it. She compares this to seeds descending from perfection into imperfection in order to attain the most perfect state. The “wound” of her wretchedness is opened so that God may heal not only her but also others. This echoes the redemptive dynamic seen in Christ’s Passion, where suffering and apparent loss become the occasion for a deeper revelation of divine goodness and glory.
8. What does the Soul mean when she claims her salvation and glory are assured, independent of good works?
The Soul insists that her salvation and God’s glory are assured not because of any good works she could perform but because of her inherent wretchedness. This wretchedness necessitates God’s outpouring of total goodness, which ensures her transformation and salvation. Good works do not add to this process, for they are not the source of her hope or comfort. Instead, her unalterable wretchedness is the very basis for God’s justice and goodness to act fully upon her, thereby guaranteeing her salvation and glorifying God.
9. How does this chapter deepen the Soul’s overall teaching in The Mirror of Simple Souls?
Chapter 117 encapsulates the radical mystical teaching of the Soul’s journey: complete annihilation of self (recognition of total wretchedness) becomes the condition for the fullness of divine union (transformation into God’s goodness). It brings together earlier themes of poverty, love, divine justice, and transformation, presenting the Soul’s emptiness not as a flaw but as the gateway through which divine fullness is revealed. It also emphasizes the communal dimension of salvation: by manifesting God’s goodness through her own poverty, the Soul becomes the exemplar and instrument of the salvation and glorification of all creation.
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Chapter 118 – First through Fourth Stages
This section of The Mirror of Simple Souls presents a profound teaching on the soul’s progressive ascent toward union with God. It describes the first four of seven stages through which the soul must pass, beginning with a fearful obedience to God’s commandments, moving through voluntary self-mortification and renunciation of all things, advancing to an ardent love that surpasses mere actions, and culminating in an ecstatic delight in divine love. However, even this fourth stage is revealed to be a deceptive resting place, where the soul, intoxicated with spiritual pleasure, may mistakenly think it has attained its goal. The key insight is that true union with God demands not only detachment from sin and material goods, but also from the soul’s own will and its attachments to spiritual joys and accomplishments.
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1. “These are the degrees by which one ascends from the valley to the height of the mountain, which is so isolated that one sees nothing save God.”
Porete introduces the seven stages as a spiritual ascent from the world (the valley) to a profound union with God (the mountain). The mountain’s isolation represents the complete detachment from worldly distractions, enabling the soul to focus solely on God.
2. “The first state, or degree, is that the Soul, who is touched by God through grace and stripped of her power of sin, intends to keep for the rest of her life, that is until death, the commandments of God…”
The first stage is one of conversion and commitment. The soul, awakened by divine grace, resolves to obey God’s commandments with lifelong dedication. This stage is characterized by reverent fear and an awareness of personal limitation.
3. “At such a point and in such a stage I found myself once upon a time, says the Unencumbered Soul… But a petty heart dares not to undertake a great thing or to climb high, because of a lack of love.”
Porete’s “Unencumbered Soul” reflects on her own past experience, warning that fear and sloth prevent the soul from advancing. Courage and noble-heartedness are needed to progress beyond mere obedience.
4. “The second state or degree is that the Soul considers that God counsels His special lovers to go beyond what He commands… in mortification of nature, in despising riches, delights and honors…”
This second stage involves embracing the counsels-voluntary acts of self-denial, poverty, and humility. It marks a transition from obligatory obedience to a generous self-offering that imitates Christ’s example of radical love.
5. “For her beloved does not fear them, and so neither can the Soul who is overtaken by Him.”
The soul in this stage is so captivated by divine love that she mirrors the fearlessness of Christ, undeterred by suffering, loss, or scorn.
6. “The third stage is when the Soul considers herself in the affection of the love of the work of perfection… a boiling desire of love… to offer consolation to her beloved except in what He loves.”
Here, the soul’s love becomes intense and active, delighting in performing virtuous works for God’s sake. The “boiling desire” expresses the soul’s yearning to please God, even if it means sacrificing her own will.
7. “For no death would be martyrdom to her except abstaining from the work she loves… she puts the will to death… to destroy her own will.”
This stage reveals a profound inner struggle: the soul’s willingness to relinquish even her cherished works and surrender her own will to God’s, demonstrating a deeper form of martyrdom.
8. “The fourth stage is that the Soul is drawn by the height of love into the delight of thought through meditation… the Soul is so impenetrable, noble, and delicate that she cannot suffer any kind of touch except the touch of the pure delight of love…”
The fourth stage shifts from active works to contemplative union. The soul is absorbed in a loving meditation, tasting divine delight. However, she may become enamored with these pleasures, mistaking them for the summit of union.
9. “And thus the Soul cannot value another state, for the great brightness of love has so totally dazzled her sight that she sees nothing beyond her love… And there she is deceived…”
Porete warns that the soul, intoxicated by the sweetness of contemplation, might become complacent, thinking she has reached the highest state. In reality, greater stages of love and detachment remain.
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1. What is the Soul’s initial declaration about the seven stages or states, and how does it describe the journey?
The Soul declares her intention to describe the seven stages, called states, through which a soul ascends from the “valley” to the “mountain,” where one sees nothing but God. These degrees represent a progressive ascent from worldly attachments to spiritual union, each level building upon the one before it. The Soul emphasizes that these stages involve a transition from fear and obligation toward complete self-emptying and union with divine love.
2. What characterizes the first stage, and what kind of fear and commitment are present here?
In the first stage, the Soul is “touched by God through grace” and commits herself to obey God’s commandments for the rest of her life. This stage is marked by fear-particularly the fear of disobeying God’s commands, especially the commandments to love God and neighbor. The Soul feels overwhelmed, believing that even if she lived a thousand years, her entire strength would be needed just to keep the commandments. This is a stage of initial moral conversion and awe-filled commitment to God’s law.
3. How does the Unencumbered Soul reflect on the first stage and encourage progression beyond it?
The Unencumbered Soul shares that she once occupied this first stage but warns that one should not fear ascending higher. She encourages those with a “gentle heart and noble courage” to strive for greater love and detachment, while criticizing the cowardice of those who remain stagnant in sloth. This commentary suggests that remaining in the first stage is a form of spiritual inertia that prevents deeper union with God.
4. What is the second stage, and how does it differ from mere obedience to commandments?
The second stage involves transcending obedience to embrace counsel-that is, the voluntary pursuit of evangelical perfection beyond basic moral obligations. The Soul strives for self-mortification, detachment from wealth, honors, and bodily comforts, mirroring the example of Christ. Here, love motivates the soul to go beyond duty, renouncing everything to please the Beloved. This stage introduces voluntary poverty, humility, and the spirit of sacrifice.
5. What defines the third stage, and why is it considered more difficult than the previous two?
In the third stage, the Soul is driven by an intense, boiling desire for love, seeking to perform good works purely to delight the Beloved. However, the key challenge here is detachment even from these good works. The Soul must relinquish her own will-especially her attachment to doing good-as a form of spiritual martyrdom. This is harder than overcoming bodily desires because it requires dying to one’s spiritual ambitions and attachments. True love demands not only external renunciation but inward self-emptying.
6. What experience characterizes the fourth stage, and what deception can occur here?
The fourth stage is marked by a rapturous immersion in contemplative love. The Soul enters a realm of inward delight and joy, detached from external works and even obedience to others. She experiences such intense spiritual pleasure that she believes she has reached the summit of divine love. However, the Soul is deceived here: Love itself, through its sweetness, can lead to a false sense of completion. The Soul becomes “inebriated” with love and may fail to see that there are still higher stages beyond this delightful state.
7. What caution does the text give about the fourth stage, and what is implied about higher stages?
The text warns that although the fourth stage brings ecstatic union and joy, it is not the highest level. There are two further stages, “greater and more noble,” which surpass the joy-filled contemplation of the fourth stage. The danger is that souls, overtaken by the sweetness of love, might stop progressing, mistaking delight for ultimate union. The text hints that true love requires further stripping of the self, moving beyond even spiritual ecstasy.
8. How does this chapter reflect Marguerite Porete’s overall spiritual teaching?
This chapter illustrates Porete’s radical teaching on annihilation of the will, detachment from both sin and virtue, and the soul’s journey through increasing levels of self-emptying. It shows the Soul’s ascent from mere obedience, through active love and sacrifice, to delight in God’s love, while warning against mistaking spiritual pleasure for ultimate union. The emphasis on breaking self-will, even in good works, reveals Porete’s core insight: union with God comes only when the soul becomes entirely emptied and surrendered.
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Chapter 118 – Fifth Stage:
In this stage, the Soul’s journey reaches a profound realization of her own nothingness in contrast to God’s supreme being and goodness. She comes to see that her free will, though tarnished by sin, is a gift from God, and that only by relinquishing her own will and merging it with the Divine Will can she be truly transformed. As Divine Light penetrates her will, it leads her away from self-centeredness and aligns her perfectly with God’s will, bringing peace and rest. The Soul’s deep humility opens her fully to divine grace, transforming her into pure love and goodness. She ceases to desire anything for herself and is wholly united with God, becoming both All and Nothing in a mystical union that transcends human comprehension. This union leaves her at rest in God’s will, free from her own striving, and filled with a divine peace that is beyond measure.
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1. “The fifth stage is that the Soul considers that God is Who is, from whom all things are, and she is not if she is not of Him from whom all things are.”
The Soul reaches a realization of God’s absolute being (“Who is”) contrasted with her own non-being except as a gift from Him. This insight produces a profound humility, as she recognizes that her very existence depends entirely on God’s goodness.
2. “These two considerations give her a marvelous amazement, and she sees that He is total goodness who has placed free will in her who is not, except in total wretchedness.”
Astonished, the Soul contemplates the paradox that God’s pure goodness placed free will within her, though she is by nature wretched and nothing without God. This recognition leads to deep gratitude and awe for divine generosity.
3. “Now the will sees by the light from the overflow of Divine Light, which Light gives itself to such a will in order to dissolve this will into God, not being able to place itself there without such Light.”
Here, the Soul’s will, illuminated by Divine Light, sees that it must relinquish itself and dissolve into God’s will. This “dissolution” is impossible without divine illumination; it is God’s grace that moves the Soul to total surrender.
4. “For its nature is evil on account of the tendency of nothingness, toward which nature is inclined, and the will has placed her [the soul] in less than nothing.”
The Soul perceives that her natural will, apart from God, is inclined toward “nothingness”-not just moral evil but ontological nothingness. It traps her in “less than nothing” by clinging to her own will, which must be renounced.
5. “And thus the Soul removes herself from this will, and the will is separated from the Soul and dissolves itself, and [the will] gives and renders itself to God, whence it was first taken, without retaining anything of its own in order to fulfill the perfect Divine Will.”
This marks the Soul’s radical self-abandonment: her will is surrendered entirely to God, stripped of self-claim. It returns to God, fulfilling His perfect will, not partially but totally.
6. “Now this Soul is nothing, for she sees her nothingness by means of the abundance of divine Understanding, which makes her nothing and places her in nothingness. And so she is all things.”
Paradoxically, by seeing herself as nothing through divine understanding, the Soul is made “all things.” This reversal reflects the Christian mystery: the self-emptying into God brings a participation in God’s own fullness.
7. “Such is the flood of sin which contains within it all perdition. This Soul sees herself as such, without seeing. And who makes her see herself? The depth of humility which seats her on the throne, who reigns without pride.”
The Soul’s self-knowledge is grounded in a humility so deep that pride cannot enter. This humility becomes her exaltation-she “sits on the throne” not through pride but through recognition of her nothingness and surrender.
8. “Now this Soul is at rest in the bottomless depths, and the depths are the lowest. And this depth makes [the Soul] see very clearly the true Sun of the Highest Goodness, for she has nothing which would impede the vision.”
From the lowest depth of self-emptying, the Soul has a clear vision of God’s infinite goodness, unclouded by self-will or pride. Her “bottomless” humility becomes the place where God’s light shines most purely.
9. “Therefore she wills only one thing: the Spouse of her youth, who is only One. Mercy shaped with justice makes peace which has transformed such a Soul into His goodness. Now she is All, and so she is Nothing, for her Beloved makes her One.”
The Soul, stripped of her own will, now desires only God, her “Spouse.” Mercy and justice join in her transformation. She is “All” and “Nothing” because she has become one with the Beloved, fully united with Divine Will.
10. “Now this Soul has fallen from love into nothingness, and without such nothingness she cannot be All.”
The Soul’s descent into nothingness-total surrender and self-emptying-paradoxically enables her to be “All” in God. This “fall” is necessary for complete union with God.
11. “And also she ought not to do it, but instead she ought always to remain there. And there the Soul loses pride and youth, for the spirit has become old… [and] she is completely in repose and placed in possession of free being.”
The Soul recognizes that she should not strive to lift herself from this abyss of humility and nothingness. Pride and youthful striving are gone, replaced by mature, peaceful repose and the possession of true freedom.
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1. What does the Soul recognize in the Fifth Stage about God and herself?
In the Fifth Stage, the Soul recognizes that God is “He who is” (the source of all being), while she herself is “not” (nothing) except through Him. This realization leads to a profound amazement as she contemplates God’s absolute goodness and her own total wretchedness.
2. How does free will feature in this stage?
The Soul realizes that her free will, though enclosed in her own wretchedness, is a gift from Divine Goodness. This gift enables her, despite her nothingness and sinfulness, to choose union with God’s will. Free will, therefore, becomes the means by which God invites her to participate in His being and goodness.
3. What role does Divine Light play in transforming the Soul?
The Divine Goodness pours out an overflow of Divine Light into the Soul. This Light:
* Illuminates her will, showing her what is right and what is not.
* Moves her will away from her own desires to align with the Divine Will.
* Dissolves her will into God’s will, stripping her of self-centeredness and uniting her with God.
4. Why must the Soul let go of her own will?
The Soul sees that her own will is inherently evil, inclined towards nothingness and self-destruction. It has led her into less than nothingness, deepening her wretchedness. Only by abandoning her own will and choosing the Divine Will can she be transformed and freed from warfare and deficiency.
5. What happens when the Soul’s will is given completely to God?
When the Soul’s will is dissolved into God’s will:
* She is transformed into Love, filled with peace and divine nourishment.
* She is no longer engaged in the war of nature (the internal conflict of human desires vs. divine will).
* Her will is returned to its source, aligning perfectly with the Divine Will, resulting in a state of rest and fulfillment.
6. How does the Soul’s self-understanding deepen in this stage?
The Soul sees her own nothingness with increasing clarity, recognizing a bottomless abyss of wretchedness within herself. This understanding is not a source of despair but of humility, making her more open to Divine Grace and less susceptible to pride. The Soul’s “not-seeing” of herself (losing herself in the depths of humility) actually makes her see herself more perfectly.
7. How does this deep humility transform her relationship with God?
In the depths of humility, the Soul sees God as the true Sun of the Highest Goodness. Her nothingness leaves nothing to obstruct divine vision. God’s Goodness draws, transforms, and unites her into itself. This union is characterized by peace, justice, and mercy, transforming her completely into God’s goodness.
8. What is the paradox about the Soul’s identity in this stage?
The Soul, having “fallen from love into nothingness,” is now both All and Nothing. She is All because she is united with God’s infinite being and goodness. She is Nothing because she has fully emptied herself of pride, will, and personal identity. This paradox reflects the mystical union with God that transcends human logic.
9. Why is the Soul now “at rest” and “free”?
The Soul, having surrendered her own will and embraced her nothingness, is now at rest in the bottomless depths of humility. She experiences no pride, desire, or restlessness. This profound rest comes from being in complete harmony with God’s will, no longer divided by her own. Her freedom arises from this complete alignment with Divine Being.
10. What is the lasting effect of this stage on the Soul’s desires and actions?
The Soul’s desires and actions are stripped away. She no longer seeks spiritual pleasure, consolation, or her own righteousness. Instead, she abides in a state of pure being, where the Divine Will alone acts. Her only desire is for the Spouse of her youth, a symbol of her original and final union with God.
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Chapter 118 – Sixth and Seventh Stages:
In this sixth and seventh stage of the soul’s ascent, the main teaching is that the soul reaches a profound depth of humility and purification, where she no longer perceives herself or even God directly, but God Himself sees His own divine majesty reflected within her. The soul is entirely clarified, emptied of all that is not God, and lives solely in the awareness that God alone exists, and everything is from Him. This stage, however, is not yet the full glorification of the soul, which is reserved for the seventh stage in eternal life-something beyond human comprehension and expressible only in the glory of heaven. Love, the guiding force, has paid the price to bring the soul to this sublime state of spiritual union, preparing her for the final transformation into divine glory.
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1. “The sixth stage is that the Soul does not see herself on account of such an abyss of humility which she has within her. Nor does she see God on account of the highest goodness which He has.”
At this stage, the Soul is immersed in profound humility, so deeply aware of her own nothingness that she cannot even see herself. Simultaneously, the immense goodness and transcendence of God is so overwhelming that she cannot directly perceive Him either. However, this absence of self-perception and God-perception is not a sign of separation but of union at a level beyond comprehension.
2. “But God sees Himself in her by His divine majesty, who clarifies this Soul with Himself, so that she sees only that there is nothing except God Himself Who is, from whom all things are.”
In this union, God takes the initiative. He sees Himself reflected in the purified Soul by His divine majesty. The Soul’s vision is not her own, but a gift-she sees that nothing exists except God. This stage emphasizes that all being originates from and belongs to God, and that the Soul’s own being is entirely dependent on His self-giving goodness.
3. “And so the Soul is at the sixth stage, freed, and pure and clarified from all things – but not at all glorified. For the glorification is at the seventh stage, which we will have in glory, of which none know how to speak.”
The sixth stage represents the final stage of purification on this side of eternity. The Soul is freed from all created attachments, perfectly pure and clarified, but not yet glorified. The glorification reserved for the seventh stage pertains to the fullness of union with God in the afterlife, a reality too sublime for human comprehension or articulation.
4. “But this Soul, thus pure and clarified, sees neither God nor herself, but God sees Himself of Himself in her, for her, without her.”
This paradox expresses the depth of union. The Soul cannot see God or herself, but God’s gaze within her maintains the relationship. The Soul’s identity dissolves in God’s majesty; she becomes a mirror in which God beholds His own image, without the Soul’s self-awareness or striving. This shows the utter self-surrender and receptivity of the Soul.
5. “For whatever is, exists by His goodness, and God loves His Goodness whatever part He has given through goodness. And His goodness given is God Himself, and God cannot separate Himself from His goodness so that it would not remain in Him.”
The passage highlights the ontological reality that all being stems from God’s inherent goodness. God’s self-giving is both the cause of creation and the bond of union with the Soul. Since God and His goodness are inseparable, the Soul’s participation in this goodness is not an external or accidental relation, but a profound sharing in God’s very life.
6. “This is the sixth stage, which we have promised to say to the hearers, by the enterprise of Love. Love of herself through her high nobility has paid the debt.”
The sixth stage is portrayed as the culmination of the Soul’s journey in this life, a state reached through Love’s own initiative. Love, in its nobility, has brought the Soul to this point of complete surrender and union, where the ‘debt’ of separation and striving has been repaid through Love’s transforming power.
7. “The seventh stage Love keeps within herself in order to give it to us in eternal glory, of which we will have no understanding until our soul has left our body.”
The text concludes by pointing beyond this life. The seventh stage, the stage of full glorification and eternal union with God, is not accessible while we are still in the body. It is a mystery that awaits us in the life to come, where Love will finally reveal her ultimate gift to the soul.
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1. What characterizes the soul at the sixth stage?
In the sixth stage, the soul no longer perceives herself because she is immersed in an “abyss of humility.” She has descended so deeply into humility that her self-awareness disappears. She cannot even see God, as she is entirely absorbed into His supreme goodness. The “highest goodness” of God that makes her unable to perceive Him. However, it is not a lack of vision but rather a profound spiritual clarity where God sees Himself in the soul through His divine majesty. The soul becomes so purified and clarified that she perceives nothing but God Himself as the sole reality, the source and being of all that exists. This stage signifies perfect detachment and self-surrender, where the soul’s vision is no longer from her own capacity but from God’s presence in her.
2. How does God’s self-revelation operate in the soul at this stage?
God sees Himself in the soul at the sixth stage, illuminating and clarifying her. While the soul cannot directly see God or herself, God sees Himself in her through His divine majesty. He illuminates the soul by uniting her with His being, so that she becomes a mirror of His goodness. In this process, the soul’s own faculties are not the means of vision; instead, God sees Himself within her without appropriation, without drawing anything from her being, because all being belongs to Him. This reveals God’s self-giving love and the deep mystery of participation in His life.
3. Why is the sixth stage considered purified but not yet glorified?
The sixth stage represents a complete clarification and purification of the soul, where she is free from all attachments and clarified from everything except God. However, glorification belongs to the seventh stage, which refers to the ultimate union with God in the life to come, beyond the limits of earthly existence. Glorification involves not only purity but also a sharing in God’s eternal glory, a reality that no human words or understanding can express in this life. Therefore, the sixth stage is a foretaste of union, but the fullness of glory is reserved for the afterlife.
4. What is the significance of the phrase “God loves His goodness whatever part He has given through goodness”?
This phrase highlights the inseparable link between God and His goodness. God’s goodness is His very essence, and everything that exists derives from this goodness. Whatever share of goodness a creature possesses comes directly from God Himself, and because God is goodness itself, He loves this goodness in the creature as an extension of Himself. God’s love is thus not merely directed at creatures in themselves, but at the manifestation of His own goodness within them. This underscores the idea that all being, life, and love are rooted in God’s unchanging nature.
5. How does the text describe Love’s role in bringing the soul to this stage?
The text attributes the soul’s arrival at the sixth stage to the work of Love. It portrays Love as a noble force that has “paid the debt” and brought the soul to this purified state. Love operates as the dynamic principle guiding the soul to the point of complete surrender and union with God. Through Love, the soul has been emptied of all lesser loves and self-perceptions, becoming a pure reflection of God’s goodness. This shows that it is not the soul’s effort but Love’s initiative that accomplishes the soul’s final transformation.
6. What is the overarching message of the sixth stage?
The sixth stage teaches that the soul, emptied of all self-will and self-perception, becomes the place where God sees Himself by His own majesty. The soul is purified and clarified by God’s light and love, understanding that everything comes from His goodness. Yet this state is not yet complete, as the fullness of glorification is reserved for the seventh stage in heaven.
7. What does the text say about the seventh stage, and why is it beyond our understanding?
The text briefly touches on the seventh stage, describing it as a mystery reserved for the afterlife. It is the stage of eternal glorification, where Love will reveal her ultimate gift to the soul. However, it remains completely beyond human understanding while we are still in the body. This stage involves a fullness of union with God’s glory that surpasses all earthly experiences and concepts. It is a reality we cannot yet comprehend or articulate, but which will be revealed after death in the beatific vision.
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In Chapter 119, the Soul offers a humble apology for the length and discursiveness of the book, recognizing that while it may seem extensive in human terms, it is profoundly insufficient to those souls who dwell in the ineffable state of divine nothingness and being. These souls, unknown to Reason and utterly united with God, have no need for words or explanations. The Soul confesses that the book was shaped by the limitations of human reason and senses, which are incapable of grasping or conveying the essence of divine love and knowledge. Though Love was the true source behind its inspiration, the Soul admits that her intellect and cowardice deferred too often to Reason. Ultimately, she declares that all speech about God falls short, even verging on falsehood compared to the inexpressible reality of God’s being. Thus, the book, though born of love, belongs to the “lower life,” as it still depends on human faculties to speak of what surpasses them entirely.
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1. “Ah, Ladies in no way known, says the Soul who causes this book to be written, you who are in being and established without separating yourselves from the Being [which] is not known, truly you are in no way known, but this is in the land where Reason has lordship.”
The Soul addresses those advanced souls who dwell in a hidden, unknowable union with God-referred to as “Ladies in no way known.” These are souls who abide in God without separation, beyond the grasp of rational understanding. The soul laments that such beings remain unrecognized precisely because they exist in realms untouched by Reason, which dominates the earthly domain. This line emphasizes the limits of reason in comprehending the deepest spiritual union.
2. “I excuse myself, says this Soul, to all those who remain in nothingness and who are fallen from love into such being. For I have made this book very large through words, [though] it seems to you very small, insofar as I am able to understand you.”
The authorial soul expresses a humble apology to those highly purified souls who abide in “nothingness”-a spiritual condition of total self-emptying and divine union. To them, her long and wordy book appears small or even insignificant. This contrast highlights the difference between discursive, reason-based theology and the simple, wordless experience of God in pure love. The soul recognizes the inadequacy of language to convey divine realities.
3. “Now please pardon me by your courtesy, for necessity has no law. I did not know to whom to speak my intention.”
The soul pleads for understanding, explaining that the book was written out of necessity-perhaps as a response to interior movements of love and longing-but without a clear audience in mind. This underscores the spontaneous and compelled nature of mystical writing, not undertaken as a systematic treatise, but as an outpouring prompted by divine motion.
4. “Now I understand, on account of your peace and on account of the truth, that [this book] is of the lower life. Cowardice has guided [this book], which has given its perception over to Reason through the answers of Love to Reason’s petitions.”
The soul now perceives that the book belongs to a “lower life,” not in a moral sense but because it operates within the framework of Reason. She admits that fear-or spiritual immaturity-caused her to rely on Reason, allowing Love only to respond within rational constraints. This reflects the tension between the unmeasurable experience of divine love and the structured explanations demanded by human intellect.
5. “And so [this book] has been created by human knowledge and the human senses; and the human reason and the human senses know nothing about inner love, inner love from divine knowledge.”
Here, the soul critiques the limitations of human faculties. While the book is shaped by knowledge and sense-perception, true inner love arises only from divine knowledge, not from anything the natural faculties can produce. This deepens her self-critique: the very tools used to create the book are unfit for its divine subject.
6. “My heart is drawn so high and fallen so low at the same time that I cannot complete [this book]. For everything one can say or write about God, or think about Him, God who is greater than what is ever said, [everything] is thus more like lying than speaking the truth.”
The soul admits the impossibility of finishing her task. Her heart is caught between the heights of mystical union and the depths of her limitations. Any language about God, she confesses, is ultimately false in comparison to the ineffable truth. This is a hallmark of apophatic (negative) theology: the acknowledgment that God surpasses all conceptual expression.
7. “I have said, says this Soul, that Love caused [the book] to be written through human knowledge and through willing it by the transformation of my intellect with which I was encumbered, as it appears in this book.”
She reiterates that Love inspired the book but had to work through the soul’s limited intellect. The intellect was an encumbrance-an obstacle to pure expression-yet Love managed to guide the process. This acknowledges both divine origin and human limitation in mystical authorship.
8. “For Love made the book in unencumbering my spirit by her three gifts, of which we have spoken.”
Love ultimately liberates the soul’s spirit, granting her three gifts that have been discussed earlier in the text. These gifts likely refer to interior purification, divine union, and the annihilation of self-will. The book, then, emerges from Love’s liberating action-even if filtered through fallible human faculties.
9. “And thus I say that [the book] is of the lower life and very small, even though it seemed to be large at the beginning of the demonstration of this being.”
In closing, the soul maintains that the book, though perhaps appearing vast in its intellectual reach, is “very small” when compared to the reality of divine being. This humility is not false modesty but a mystical awareness: nothing written, no matter how vast, can do justice to the simplicity and fullness of God.
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1. Why does the Soul feel the need to excuse herself for writing such a long book?
The Soul feels compelled to apologize because, although the book is long in words, she acknowledges that to souls who live in “nothingness” and divine union, it appears very small or even inadequate. These highly advanced souls, who have transcended reason and fallen from love into pure being, experience God directly and see little value in rational discourse. The Soul recognizes this gap and humbly excuses the prolixity of the text, admitting it was written out of necessity, guided by her limited understanding and spiritual immaturity at the time.
2. Who are the “Ladies in no way known,” and what is their significance?
The “Ladies in no way known” refer to the souls who dwell in a hidden, unknowable state of divine being. They are entirely united with God, established in a reality beyond comprehension and untouched by human reason. Their significance lies in the fact that they exemplify the highest stage of spiritual transformation-where the self is annihilated in God. These souls are invisible to the rational world, living in pure divine simplicity and love, and serve as silent witnesses to the ineffable nature of God.
3. How does the Soul contrast divine knowledge with human faculties such as reason and the senses?
The Soul draws a clear distinction between divine knowledge and human faculties. She laments that the book was created through “human knowledge and the human senses,” which, she asserts, know nothing of “inner love from divine knowledge.” Human reason and perception are incapable of grasping or communicating the profound truths of divine union. Thus, while reason was used to articulate the book’s content-often in response to Love’s promptings-its limitations render it inadequate for expressing the depths of inner love that flow only from divine illumination.
4. What does the Soul mean when she says that writing or speaking about God is “more like lying than speaking the truth”?
This statement reflects a deeply apophatic (negative) theological perspective. The Soul means that any attempt to speak or write about God inevitably falls short of the divine reality, which surpasses all human concepts and language. Therefore, even well-intentioned expressions of God’s nature are more misleading than accurate because they suggest comprehension where there can be none. True divine reality is ineffable, and the Soul acknowledges her own inability to convey it truthfully, no matter how earnest her efforts.
5. How does the Soul describe the process by which Love influenced the writing of the book?
The Soul explains that Love was the driving force behind the book, working through her limited intellect and human faculties. Although her intellect was an encumbrance, Love managed to work through it, inspiring the content indirectly. The book is thus a result of Love’s influence mediated by the Soul’s inner transformation. Love unencumbered her spirit by bestowing three divine gifts (mentioned earlier in the text), enabling her to bear witness to divine truths, albeit in a form conditioned by her humanity.
6. Why does the Soul ultimately label the book as belonging to the “lower life”?
The Soul calls the book part of the “lower life” because it remains within the realm of Reason, human speech, and discursive understanding. It was composed through the intellect and guided by cautious engagement with rational petitions, rather than from the wordless, all-consuming state of divine union. From the perspective of those in the highest spiritual state-where all is God and all is silence-the book is a mere shadow of the divine reality it attempts to express. Its written form, no matter how inspired, cannot transcend the limitations of created faculties.
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Chapter 120 presents a poetic dialogue between Truth and the Soul, in which Truth praises the Soul who has fully surrendered to Love, calling her a radiant, noble being who asks nothing of Love but to fulfill Love’s divine pleasure. The Soul responds with profound humility, denying any self-originated merit and affirming that she has never acted independently, but only through Love, who now governs all her faculties-sense, will, and reason. The main teaching centers on the soul’s complete dispossession and transformation by divine Love, such that she becomes a vessel through which God acts. Her perfection lies not in self-knowledge or mystical achievement, but in her utter abandonment of self-will and her quiet, radiant conformity to Love’s will alone.
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1. “O emerald and precious gem, / True diamond, queen and empress, / You give everything from your fine nobility, / Without asking from Love her riches, / Except the willing of her divine pleasure.”
Truth begins with a lofty hymn of praise for the soul who has reached the heights of divine union. The soul is compared to precious stones-emerald and diamond-signifying clarity, value, and incorruptibility. She is also called “queen and empress,” pointing to her royal dignity in spiritual nobility. What makes her so noble is not any claim or grasping after Love’s gifts, but her total surrender to Love’s will-she desires nothing but Love’s pleasure. This reveals the paradox of true love: the greatest souls do not seek divine gifts, only to will what Love wills.
2. “Thus is this right by righteousness, / For it is the true path / of Fine Love, whoever wishes to remain on it.”
Truth affirms that this humble, self-emptying attitude is right by righteousness-a deeply theological statement. It is not just admirable, but in perfect conformity with divine justice and truth. Such surrender is the true and only path of “Fine Love”-a love purified of self-interest. Remaining on this path means abiding in the will of God without personal desire, which defines the sanctified soul.
3. “O deepest spring and fountain sealed, / Where the sun is subtly hidden, / You send your rays, says Truth, through divine knowledge; / We know it through true Wisdom: / Her splendor makes us completely luminous.”
The soul is called a “sealed fountain,” echoing biblical imagery from the Song of Songs (4:12), suggesting mystery, purity, and a source of life veiled in secrecy. The “sun subtly hidden” within her is the divine presence, hidden yet radiating its light. The rays she sends out are manifestations of divine knowledge, not her own. Truth, speaking for all who are illumined, proclaims that it is through Wisdom (a divine attribute, not mere intellect) that such splendor makes all luminous. This is not knowledge possessed, but light received and reflected.
4. “O Truth, says this Soul, for God’s sake, do not say / That of myself I might ever say something of Him, / save through Him; / And this is true, do not doubt it, / I was never lady by myself in this.”
The soul responds with profound humility and theological precision. She rebukes any praise that might attribute divine speech or knowledge to her own capacity. Whatever she has said of God is only because God spoke through her. She denies autonomy in divine matters: she was “never lady” of herself. This is a direct affirmation of the soul’s passivity in divine union-she is an instrument, not a source.
5. “And if it pleases you to know whose I am, / I will say it through pure courtesy: / Love holds me so completely in her domain, / That I have neither sense, nor will, / Nor reason to do anything, / Except through her, as you know.”
The soul reveals her full identity-not as an autonomous being, but one wholly possessed by Love. “Love holds me” evokes a total spiritual capture. She has surrendered all faculties: sense, will, and reason. Her every action is moved by Love, not by her own initiative. This final declaration perfectly encapsulates the doctrine of mystical annihilation: the soul becomes a vessel wholly moved by divine Love, no longer acting from herself.
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1. Who is speaking in this chapter, and what is the structure of the dialogue?
This chapter presents a dialogue between Truth and the Soul. Truth opens with a poetic praise of the soul who has attained union with Love, describing her nobility and divine radiance. The Soul then responds with deep humility, denying any self-originated worth or power and attributing everything to Love. The structure reinforces the reciprocal movement between divine recognition and humble self-effacement.
2. How does Truth describe the Soul who has attained this level of spiritual union?
Truth extols the soul using rich, regal, and precious imagery-calling her an emerald, true diamond, queen, and empress. These images signify the soul’s beauty, incorruptibility, and elevated status. Truth also praises the soul’s fine nobility, noting that she gives everything of herself without asking for any of Love’s riches, except for the fulfillment of Love’s divine pleasure. This underscores the soul’s utter selflessness and perfect conformity to divine will.
3. What is the “true path of Fine Love” according to this chapter?
The “true path of Fine Love” is the soul’s total self-emptying and willing only what Love wills. Truth calls this the path “right by righteousness,” meaning it is not merely virtuous but divinely ordered. To remain on this path, one must act with no self-interest, seeking nothing but to fulfill the divine pleasure. It is a love purified of desire for spiritual gifts, merit, or even self-awareness.
4. What theological meaning is conveyed in the image of the “sealed fountain” and the “sun subtly hidden”?
These images draw from the Song of Songs and medieval mystical symbolism. The “sealed fountain” suggests the soul’s interiority, purity, and hiddenness in God. The “sun subtly hidden” refers to the indwelling of God in the soul-His presence is real and radiant but not seen directly. The rays that go out from the fountain are divine knowledge and light, communicated through the soul. Thus, the soul is a hidden source of divine illumination, not by her own power but by union with divine Wisdom.
5. How does the Soul respond to the praise given by Truth?
The Soul responds with profound humility and theological accuracy. She insists that she can say nothing of God except through God. She declares she has never acted as her own “lady” (mistress or sovereign) in anything divine. Her entire being-sense, will, reason-is now governed by Love. She denies all autonomy and attributes everything to divine initiative, especially the transformative power of Love.
6. What does the Soul mean by saying, “Love holds me so completely in her domain”?
This line expresses the complete spiritual possession of the soul by Love. It signifies that the soul’s faculties and actions are no longer her own but are moved entirely by Love. She no longer uses her senses, will, or reason autonomously; instead, she acts only through Love. This is the culmination of mystical annihilation: the soul becomes a vessel through which Love alone acts.
7. How does this chapter illustrate the key themes of the Mirror of Simple Souls as a whole?
Chapter 120 encapsulates several central themes of the work:
* Mystical annihilation: The soul’s self is emptied so that only Love acts in her.
* Divine initiative: All wisdom, speech, and action come from God, not the soul.
* The nobility of spiritual poverty: The soul who seeks nothing but God’s will is exalted.
* Humility and hiddenness: The soul’s greatness is invisible to reason and rooted in divine union.
* Transformation by Love: Love is both the goal and the agent of transformation.
Together, these affirm that true spiritual perfection is found not in mystical experience per se, but in total dispossession and willing only what God wills, without self-regard.