The Cloud of Unknowing
83 chapters English Public domain
About this book
This is Evelyn Underhill's translation of the medieval spiritual guidebook called The Cloud of Unknowing, written by an anonymous English monk. At the core is a mystical approach to Christian prayer, in which God is found not through rote knowledge, but through 'blind love.' It has been described as Christianity with a Zen outlook. --J.B. Hare
Table of contents
83 chapters
26 Chapter 19: A short excusation of him that made this book, teaching how all contemplatives should have all actives fully excused of their complaining words and deeds 27 Chapter 20: How Almighty God will goodly answer for all those that for the excusing of themselves list not leave their business about the love of Him 28 Chapter 21: The true exposition of this gospel word, 'Mary hath chosen the best part' 29 Chapter 22: Of the wonderful love that Christ had to man in person of all sinners truly turned and called to the grace of contemplation 30 Chapter 23: How God will answer and purvey for them in spirit, that for business about His love list not answer nor purvey for themselves 31 Chapter 24: What charity is in itself, and how it is truly and perfectly contained in the work of this book 32 Chapter 25: That in the time of this work a perfect soul hath no special beholding to any one man in this life 33 Chapter 26: That without full special grace, or long use in common grace, the work of this book is right travailous; and in this work, which is the work of the soul helped by grace, and which is the work of only God 34 Chapter 27: Who should work in the gracious work of this book 35 Chapter 28: That a man should not presume to work in this work before the time that he be lawfully cleansed in conscience of all his special deeds of sin 36 Chapter 29: That a man should bidingly travail in this work, and suffer the pain thereof, and judge no man 37 Chapter 30: Who should blame and condemn other men's defaults 38 Chapter 31: How a man should have him in beginning of this work against all thoughts and stirrings of sin 39 Chapter 32: Of two ghostly devices that be helpful to a ghostly beginner in the work of this book 40 Chapter 33: That in this work a soul is cleansed both of his special sins and of the pain of them, and yet how there is no perfect rest in this life 41 Chapter 34: That God giveth this grace freely without any means, and that it may not be come to with means 42 Chapter 35: Of three means in the which a contemplative prentice should be occupied; in reading, thinking, and praying 43 Chapter 36: Of the meditations of them that continually travail in the work of this book 44 Chapter 37: Of the special prayers of them that be continual workers in the work of this book 45 Chapter 38: How and why that short prayer pierceth heaven 46 Chapter 39: How a perfect worker shall pray, and what prayer is in itself; and, if a man shall pray in words, which words accord them most to the property of prayer 47 Chapter 40: That in the time of this work a soul hath no special beholding to any vice in itself nor to any virtue in itself 48 Chapter 41: That in all other works beneath this, men should keep discretion; but in this none 49 Chapter 42: That by indiscretion in this, men shall keep discretion in all other things; and surely else never 50 Chapter 43: That all writing and feeling of a man's own being must needs be lost if the perfection of this work shall verily be felt in any soul in this life
Audiobook
Listen to this edition
Audiobooks are coming soon
Narrated editions will appear here when they are ready to listen.
Membership
Support the archive
$10 / month
Helps fund new texts & growth
Unlimited highlights & annotations
Unlimited bookmarks
Ad free reading experience
Early access to new features
Early access to quality TTS Audiobooks
Priority support & feature requests
4,000 Points monthly for Search usage
Access to point system rewards and value
Cancel anytime. Helps us pay the bills.
Discussion
Community conversation
Discussions are coming soon
Join conversations around this text and its interpretations.
The Cloud of Unknowing
83 chapters English Public domain
About this book
This is Evelyn Underhill's translation of the medieval spiritual guidebook called The Cloud of Unknowing, written by an anonymous English monk. At the core is a mystical approach to Christian prayer, in which God is found not through rote knowledge, but through 'blind love.' It has been described as Christianity with a Zen outlook. --J.B. Hare
Table of contents
83 chapters
26 Chapter 19: A short excusation of him that made this book, teaching how all contemplatives should have all actives fully excused of their complaining words and deeds 27 Chapter 20: How Almighty God will goodly answer for all those that for the excusing of themselves list not leave their business about the love of Him 28 Chapter 21: The true exposition of this gospel word, 'Mary hath chosen the best part' 29 Chapter 22: Of the wonderful love that Christ had to man in person of all sinners truly turned and called to the grace of contemplation 30 Chapter 23: How God will answer and purvey for them in spirit, that for business about His love list not answer nor purvey for themselves 31 Chapter 24: What charity is in itself, and how it is truly and perfectly contained in the work of this book 32 Chapter 25: That in the time of this work a perfect soul hath no special beholding to any one man in this life 33 Chapter 26: That without full special grace, or long use in common grace, the work of this book is right travailous; and in this work, which is the work of the soul helped by grace, and which is the work of only God 34 Chapter 27: Who should work in the gracious work of this book 35 Chapter 28: That a man should not presume to work in this work before the time that he be lawfully cleansed in conscience of all his special deeds of sin 36 Chapter 29: That a man should bidingly travail in this work, and suffer the pain thereof, and judge no man 37 Chapter 30: Who should blame and condemn other men's defaults 38 Chapter 31: How a man should have him in beginning of this work against all thoughts and stirrings of sin 39 Chapter 32: Of two ghostly devices that be helpful to a ghostly beginner in the work of this book 40 Chapter 33: That in this work a soul is cleansed both of his special sins and of the pain of them, and yet how there is no perfect rest in this life 41 Chapter 34: That God giveth this grace freely without any means, and that it may not be come to with means 42 Chapter 35: Of three means in the which a contemplative prentice should be occupied; in reading, thinking, and praying 43 Chapter 36: Of the meditations of them that continually travail in the work of this book 44 Chapter 37: Of the special prayers of them that be continual workers in the work of this book 45 Chapter 38: How and why that short prayer pierceth heaven 46 Chapter 39: How a perfect worker shall pray, and what prayer is in itself; and, if a man shall pray in words, which words accord them most to the property of prayer 47 Chapter 40: That in the time of this work a soul hath no special beholding to any vice in itself nor to any virtue in itself 48 Chapter 41: That in all other works beneath this, men should keep discretion; but in this none 49 Chapter 42: That by indiscretion in this, men shall keep discretion in all other things; and surely else never 50 Chapter 43: That all writing and feeling of a man's own being must needs be lost if the perfection of this work shall verily be felt in any soul in this life
Audiobook
Listen to this edition
Audiobooks are coming soon
Narrated editions will appear here when they are ready to listen.
Membership
Support the archive
$10 / month
Helps fund new texts & growth
Unlimited highlights & annotations
Unlimited bookmarks
Ad free reading experience
Early access to new features
Early access to quality TTS Audiobooks
Priority support & feature requests
4,000 Points monthly for Search usage
Access to point system rewards and value
Cancel anytime. Helps us pay the bills.
Discussion
Community conversation
Discussions are coming soon
Join conversations around this text and its interpretations.
The archive, offline Own the Wisdom of the Ages Every text in the library on a single USB drive. Read offline, cite freely, keep forever. No subscription required.
Get the drive $127.00
The Cloud of Unknowing
83 chapters English Public domain
About this book
This is Evelyn Underhill's translation of the medieval spiritual guidebook called The Cloud of Unknowing, written by an anonymous English monk. At the core is a mystical approach to Christian prayer, in which God is found not through rote knowledge, but through 'blind love.' It has been described as Christianity with a Zen outlook. --J.B. Hare
Table of contents
83 chapters
26 Chapter 19: A short excusation of him that made this book, teaching how all contemplatives should have all actives fully excused of their complaining words and deeds 27 Chapter 20: How Almighty God will goodly answer for all those that for the excusing of themselves list not leave their business about the love of Him 28 Chapter 21: The true exposition of this gospel word, 'Mary hath chosen the best part' 29 Chapter 22: Of the wonderful love that Christ had to man in person of all sinners truly turned and called to the grace of contemplation 30 Chapter 23: How God will answer and purvey for them in spirit, that for business about His love list not answer nor purvey for themselves 31 Chapter 24: What charity is in itself, and how it is truly and perfectly contained in the work of this book 32 Chapter 25: That in the time of this work a perfect soul hath no special beholding to any one man in this life 33 Chapter 26: That without full special grace, or long use in common grace, the work of this book is right travailous; and in this work, which is the work of the soul helped by grace, and which is the work of only God 34 Chapter 27: Who should work in the gracious work of this book 35 Chapter 28: That a man should not presume to work in this work before the time that he be lawfully cleansed in conscience of all his special deeds of sin 36 Chapter 29: That a man should bidingly travail in this work, and suffer the pain thereof, and judge no man 37 Chapter 30: Who should blame and condemn other men's defaults 38 Chapter 31: How a man should have him in beginning of this work against all thoughts and stirrings of sin 39 Chapter 32: Of two ghostly devices that be helpful to a ghostly beginner in the work of this book 40 Chapter 33: That in this work a soul is cleansed both of his special sins and of the pain of them, and yet how there is no perfect rest in this life 41 Chapter 34: That God giveth this grace freely without any means, and that it may not be come to with means 42 Chapter 35: Of three means in the which a contemplative prentice should be occupied; in reading, thinking, and praying 43 Chapter 36: Of the meditations of them that continually travail in the work of this book 44 Chapter 37: Of the special prayers of them that be continual workers in the work of this book 45 Chapter 38: How and why that short prayer pierceth heaven 46 Chapter 39: How a perfect worker shall pray, and what prayer is in itself; and, if a man shall pray in words, which words accord them most to the property of prayer 47 Chapter 40: That in the time of this work a soul hath no special beholding to any vice in itself nor to any virtue in itself 48 Chapter 41: That in all other works beneath this, men should keep discretion; but in this none 49 Chapter 42: That by indiscretion in this, men shall keep discretion in all other things; and surely else never 50 Chapter 43: That all writing and feeling of a man's own being must needs be lost if the perfection of this work shall verily be felt in any soul in this life
Audiobook
Listen to this edition
Audiobooks are coming soon
Narrated editions will appear here when they are ready to listen.
Membership
Support the archive
$10 / month
Helps fund new texts & growth
Unlimited highlights & annotations
Unlimited bookmarks
Ad free reading experience
Early access to new features
Early access to quality TTS Audiobooks
Priority support & feature requests
4,000 Points monthly for Search usage
Access to point system rewards and value
Cancel anytime. Helps us pay the bills.
Discussion
Community conversation
Discussions are coming soon
Join conversations around this text and its interpretations.