Cloud of Unknowing

Greg27 · October 18, 2012, 3:58am

I am returning to this lovely spiritual classic after having a lot of difficulties with my faith. I find that in the silent, meditative prayer recommended by the author of this work, life seems much easier to deal with. I am wondering if anyone else uses the Cloud of Unknowing and the technique in there, or do you think (as the author warns) this path of silent, imageless prayer is only for a few?

Beesmakehoney · October 18, 2012, 5:17am

The Cloud of Unknowing… is the most enigmatic method, that this humble woman knows of. Evelyn Underhill’s “Mysticism”, is also a heady read, if one is interested in the stories of the Saints, and their personal experiences.

Personally, and I know nothing, I prefer to listen to the Church, and just read a lot.

Bees

Vouthon · October 18, 2012, 7:58am

A classic work of Catholic mysticism, and no I think that its imageless form of contemplative prayer should be practised by all Catholics. We are all called to be mystics, not a select few.

AlanFromWichita · October 18, 2012, 10:00am

I loved the Cloud.

I also believe that we are all called to be mystics, although it wasn’t probably thought possible at the time of the Cloud.

But the CCC says prayer life “should” progress beyond even meditation into true union with the mystery of Christ, (CCC 2708) and that contemplative prayer achieves this union. (CCC 2709-2724)

And the “method” the author describes is contemplative prayer, which invites “contemplation,” which is a healing process through the Holy Spirit. There are different ways people go about doing this, and after I while I learned to do it on an ad hoc basis. One way to do it is Lectio Divina, which includes a contemplative component.

Alan

centurionguard · October 18, 2012, 11:17am

Love the book the Cloud of Unknowing. It can be re-read numerous times to get a more profound spiritual insight. To me its a spiritual classic study book. Every time I contemplate the writings of this book I think of the paradoxical writings of Saint John of the Cross book Ascent to Mount Carmel.

icspublications.org/images/Drawings1.html

To reach satisfaction in all
desire its possession in nothing.

To come to the knowledge of all
desire the knowledge of nothing.

To come to possess all
desire the possession of nothing.

To arrive at being all
desire to be nothing.

To come to the pleasure which you have not
you must go by a way in which you enjoy not.

To come to the knowledge which you have not
you must go by a way in which you know not.

To come to the possession you have not
you must go by a way in which you possess not.

To come to be what you are not
you must go by a way in which you are not.

When you turn toward something
you cease to cast yourself upon the all.
For to go from the all to the all
you must leave yourself in all.

And when you come to the possession of the all
you must possess it without wanting anything.

In this nakedness the spirit finds
its quietude and rest.

For in coveting nothing,
nothing raises it up
and nothing weighs it down,
because it is the center of its humility.

tskrobacz · October 18, 2012, 11:45am

Contemplation is a lofty goal for most of us - especially when our minds are busy with the tasks of the day or constantly stimulated by reading or other activities. You might read Into the Silent Land by Martin Laird. This book provides some practical steps as to how to enter into the silence of contemplation to allow the spirit to move in and through you.

JimR-OCDS · October 18, 2012, 1:41pm

It’s an absolutely beautiful book with much wisdom on contemplative prayer.

I practice the quiet prayer method as described in the Cloud. That being said, it’s not the only writing in the Church on the subject. The writings of resting in the stillness of God’s presence is the heart of contemplative prayer going back to the 4th century fathers of the desert.

I’m glad that the Lord has blessed you with this work and it’s touching your heart. People often find the Cloud difficult to understand.

Jim

JimR-OCDS · October 18, 2012, 1:43pm

I’m just finishing Into The Silent Land, by Martin Laird. It’s a very good work and easy for beginners to get into.

Jim

centurionguard · October 18, 2012, 4:26pm

JimR-OCDS:

I practice the quiet prayer method as described in the Cloud. That being said, it’s not the only writing in the Church on the subject. The writings of resting in the stillness of God’s presence is the heart of contemplative prayer going back to the 4th century fathers of the desert.

Indeed; before reading the Cloud of Unknowing for the first time I read (“The Ways of Mental Prayer”) tanbooks.benedictpress.com/index.php/Ways-of-Mental-Prayer
and later picked up a book called (“The Soul of the Apostolate”). tanbooks.com/index.php/The-Soul-of-The-Apostolate
When I began reading the Cloud of Unknowing it became a refreshing familiarity especially having begun studies in reading the great Mystical Saintly Doctors in the Catholic Church. Saint John of the Cross being one of my favorites.

But as you have mentioned about this practice the quiet prayer method as described in the Cloud. also known as the CENTERING PRAYER PROCEDURE:

Keeping strictly to the teachings of the “The Cloud of Unknowing” follow the six rules mentioned below.
Rule 1: : ‘ Simply sit down be relaxed and quiet’
It emphasizes the importance of posture and even the place in prayer. If both posture and place are expressive of what prayer is meant to be –
a listening and an openness to the presence of God and to his word- prayer can easily take off
Rule 2: Still your mind, take your time. Vipassana, Yoga, Awareness of sounds, sensations and breathing are great helps to still the mind.
Rule 3. In faith only, approach God dwelling in the depths of your being.
•
‘Center your entire attention and desire on Him alone’, namely, ‘God Himself, and not what you get from of him’.
•
‘With a detached intention keep centered on God and God alone’
•
‘With blind love for God himself, strike that thick “cloud of unknowing” with the sharp dart of longing love.
•
And on no account whatever, think of giving up’’
Rule 4. Then, take a single word which expresses your longing and faith, and repeat
it, within your heart slowly, gently and without strain.
• This word is a sign of our desire to open ourselves to the mystery of God’s presence
within us. A short word, preferably of one syllable, could be, for example: God,
Love, Lord, Abba, Jesus, Spirit, Om.
• This word expresses our deep longing, our yearning for God and its repetition
helps to produce and to sustain in us an inner stillness that makes God the single
focus of our attention and awareness.
Rule 5. Whenever you realize that something other than God – thoughts,
images, feelings - become the center of your awareness, return immediately, to
your prayer word.
• Whether such distractions are superficial thoughts or preoccupations, insights
reflections or whatever, even if you have an over-whelming experience of God, this is
not the time to think of them.
• Take everything that happens peacefully, gratefully, without judging, but keep ever
returning to your prayer word.
• You have to ‘die’ to your thoughts, images and feelings even of God, while waiting in
hope for ‘contact’ with God himself.
Rule 6. At the end of your prayer period, come out of it slowly and gradually as
you may be deep within yourself.
You may do so praying mentally the “Our Father” or any other suitable prayer.

The Cloud of Unknowing goes on to describe this (“CENTERING PRAYER PROCEDURE”) like (“MYSTICAL SLEEP”).
From this it can be seen that the Cloud is an image to express that prayer of silent repose in “unknowing”,
later called by Saint Teresa (“the prayer of quiet”), or (“when the faculties are more deeply united to God.”)
Hear the soul is deeply attentive to God at the deepest part of its being while "the wild and ghostly wits of the human psyche are ignored
or, rather, ignored fast bound and utterly voided, that is, deprived of images “by the cloud of forgetting” and filled with God in Love.
This, too, will be echoed by a future mystic. (“Saint John of the Cross”). In this spiritual sleep which the soul has in the bosom of its Beloved;
it possesses and enjoys all the calm and rest quiet of the peaceful night, and it receives in God, together with this, a profound Dark and
Divine intelligence. In short, this mystical sleep is yet another description of the Cloud of Unknowing.

Your in Christ Jesus
Chris

Bookcat · October 18, 2012, 7:23pm

An important document from the Church (from before he was Pope but head of the CDF)

vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_19891015_meditazione-cristiana_en.html

Bookcat · October 18, 2012, 7:26pm

Such can be said not to represent what is in the Cloud of Unknowing…but we really can not discuss what has been called Centering Prayer – for Centering Prayer is not a permitted topic of discussion on Catholic Answers Forum --any questions one may direct them to the Catholic Answers Apologists --as is noted in the “sticky” up top.

The “ways of mental prayer” you mentioned is a wonderful classic text --I have one from the 1920’s or there abouts

Bookcat · October 18, 2012, 7:29pm

A very rich document from the Church (before he was Pope …but from his role as head of the CDF)

vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_19891015_meditazione-cristiana_en.html

JimR-OCDS · October 18, 2012, 7:42pm

centurionguard:

Indeed; before reading the Cloud of Unknowing for the first time I read (“The Ways of Mental Prayer”) tanbooks.benedictpress.com/index.php/Ways-of-Mental-Prayer

and later picked up a book called (“The Soul of the Apostolate”). tanbooks.com/index.php/The-Soul-of-The-Apostolate
When I began reading the Cloud of Unknowing it became a refreshing familiarity especially having begun studies in reading the great Mystical Saintly Doctors in the Catholic Church. Saint John of the Cross being one of my favorites.

But as you have mentioned about this practice the quiet prayer method as described in the Cloud. also known as the CENTERING PRAYER PROCEDURE:

Your in Christ Jesus
Chris

It should be noted that the “Centering Prayer Procedure,” is in line with the teachings of St. John of the Cross, especially from the canticle, “The Living Flame of Love.”
karmel.at/ics/john/fl.html

Whenever the word, “Centering,” is used in this forum, there is an automatic mental block that arises, believing it to mean something other than what it actually is.

As St John wrote in his commentary;

The soul’s center is God. When it has reached God with all the capacity of its being and the strength of its operation and inclination, it will have attained its final and deepest center in God, it will know, love, and enjoy God with all its might.

So, when a Catholic speaks of “Centering Prayer,” or “Centering Prayer Procedure” they are speaking about a method of contemplative prayer rooted in the rich tradition of the Catholic Church, and which goes back further than the Cloud of Unknowing, or St. John of the Cross. The Eastern Orthodox Church seems to have kept the teachings of the 4th century Fathers of the Desert, among it’s general members, better than the Roman Catholic Church has, where until recently, was kept primarily in monasteries and convents.

Thankfully today, we have many authors presenting the Church’s tradition of contemplative prayer to the laity, which can be understood with in contemporary language. F

Centered In Christ Jesus
Jim

JimR-OCDS · October 18, 2012, 7:44pm

This has to do with meditation techniques from other religions.

We’re not talking about other religions here, but Catholicism.

Jim

JimR-OCDS · October 18, 2012, 7:51pm

And as usual, I’ll just unsubscribe to the thread.

Jim

Bookcat · October 18, 2012, 8:18pm

It has a great deal to do with *Christian *Prayer.

Bookcat · October 18, 2012, 8:20pm

Centering Prayer

Is not a permitted topic.

Bookcat · October 18, 2012, 8:23pm

Yes it deals with such…

In doing so it has though wonderfully a great deal to do with Christian Prayer.

AlanFromWichita · October 18, 2012, 8:54pm

I thought one response was in order, because before you said it was not permitted topic, you did throw an opinion out there. Sure, the opinion was worded so you could claim it was not your own opinion, but you can’t “un-say” it.

just sayin’ … :hey_bud:

Bookcat · October 18, 2012, 9:11pm

Maybe a change in careers is in order such would bring home more bacon…

Lets say the thread is about* the Rosary* and the forbidden topic in question was “Yoga” and someone asserted “The Rosary is Yoga”. I think a person could say in response “it can be said that the Rosary (the topic of the thread) is not Yoga… but we really cannot discuss Yoga for that is a forbidden topic”. “So lets get back to the topic…” But I could be wrong. Certainly lets keep to the forum rules.

But perhaps I should have said “lets keep the thread topic to such and such which is a different subject and then add the part about forbidden topics.”

Though maybe I should look for a new position…and bring home that bacon…or maybe not --sounds rather stressful!