True detachment is a rare and precious freedom. "I wonder if there are twenty [people] alive in the world now who see things as they really are. That would mean that there were twenty men who were free, who were not dominated or even influenced by any attachment to any created thing or to their own selves or to any gift of God." [1] This statement speaks to the reality that true freedom is exceedingly rare, even among those who pursue the spiritual path. To detach ourselves from all things, even from our own desires, is a form of liberation that is difficult to attain, and yet it is the key to entering into a deeper relationship with God. It’s not merely about letting go of material possessions but about the freedom of heart that allows us to see the world as it truly is, without the distortions of our attachments (Matthew 6:19-21).
Attachments to anything other than God cloud our ability to discern right from wrong. "Everything you love for its own sake, outside of God alone, blinds your intellect and destroys your judgment of moral values." [1] When we are attached to things, we are no longer able to make decisions from a place of moral clarity. Our attachments shape our desires and influence our choices, often without our awareness. As a result, we fail to see the deeper truths of life and make choices that are misaligned with God’s will. True discernment, then, comes when we allow ourselves to be detached from everything—material goods, emotional desires, and even the good things that distract us from the highest calling (Romans 12:2).
Even when we follow moral principles, there is often a hidden imperfection in our actions due to attachments. "When you love and desire things for their own sakes, even though you may understand general moral principles, you do not know how to apply them." [1] This tells us that it’s not enough to know what is right; we must be free of personal desires in order to apply moral principles in their purest form. When we are attached to an outcome or to our own preferences, even the most virtuous actions become tainted. Detachment purifies our hearts, allowing us to act in ways that are truly aligned with God’s will (James 1:22-25).
Sin and attachment render us unable to understand moral principles. "As for those who have thrown themselves entirely into the disorder of sin—they often make themselves incapable of understanding the simplest principles." [1] Attachment to sin, or even to the subtle ways we fail to live out God’s will, prevents us from seeing what is true and good. Our minds and hearts become clouded by desires that lead us astray. When we free ourselves from these attachments, we begin to clear the fog and return to a place of moral clarity where we can understand and live out the simplest truths (1 John 2:16-17).
Many who sincerely dedicate themselves to the spiritual path fail to recognize the subtle ways they remain attached. "Even in the strictest monasteries and in places where people have seriously dedicated their lives to the search for perfection, many never come to suspect how much they are governed by unconscious forms of selfishness." [1] This speaks to the challenge of spiritual growth—it is easy to think that we have detached from all things when, in fact, we may still be clinging to subtler forms of selfishness. These attachments can often go unnoticed, hiding deep within our motivations and actions. True spiritual freedom requires that we look carefully within to discern these hidden attachments and confront them honestly (Jeremiah 17:9).
It’s not just material attachments that need to be addressed; even spiritual practices can become objects of attachment. "Sometimes a [person] can develop an attachment to prayer or fasting, or to a pious practice or devotion, or to a certain external penance, or to a book or to a system of spirituality or to a method of meditation or even to contemplation itself..." [1] Spiritual practices are meant to draw us closer to God, but when we become attached to the practice itself, we lose sight of the goal. Even a devotion to contemplation can become an attachment, leading us to think that the practice itself is the end rather than a means to deepen our relationship with God. The spiritual life is about surrendering not only to the material world but also to the practices we use to approach God, recognizing that they are only tools to bring us to a deeper union with the Divine (Matthew 6:5-6).
Sometimes contemplatives think that the whole end and essence of their life is to be found in recollection and interior peace and the sense of the presence of God. "Sometimes contemplatives think that the whole end and essence of their life is to be found in recollection and interior peace and the sense of the presence of God." [1] Spiritual practices, including contemplation, are gifts that help us open ourselves to God, but we must remember that they are not ends in themselves. When we become attached to these experiences, we risk missing the point of the contemplative life, which is union with God. True spiritual freedom is found when we surrender even our attachment to spiritual experiences and let God be God, regardless of what we feel or experience (Philippians 3:7-8).
A rush to action, driven by the desire for success, can obstruct the contemplative path. "Blinded by their desire for ceaseless motion, for a constant sense of achievement, famished with a crude hunger for results... they get further and further away from reality." [1] In our world, we often prioritize activity and achievement. But in the spiritual life, it is precisely the opposite—the key is slowing down and resting in God, not in striving to achieve. If we rush too quickly toward results, we miss the deeper work that God wants to do in us. Contemplation requires patience and trust in God’s timing, and it is only through stillness and surrender that we can truly encounter His presence (Psalm 46:10).
Zeal for action, without wisdom, can lead to mistakes. "How many there must be who have smothered the first sparks of contemplation by piling wood on the fire before it was well lit." [1] Zeal is an admirable quality, but when it is not tempered by wisdom, it can derail us from our spiritual path. Contemplation requires patience and a willingness to allow the inner flame to grow slowly, rather than forcing things prematurely. When we rush toward spiritual achievements without waiting for God’s work to unfold naturally, we may inadvertently snuff out the spark before it has had a chance to ignite (Galatians 6:9).
True detachment is the renunciation of not just material goods but even the desire for spiritual goods. "You will never be able to have perfect interior peace and recollection unless you are detached even from the desire of peace and recollection." [1] This teaching challenges us to let go not only of material attachments but also of our desire for spiritual experiences. Even the desire for inner peace or spiritual consolation can become a form of attachment that hinders us from fully surrendering to God’s will. True peace comes not when we chase it but when we surrender all desires to God, trusting that He knows what is best for us (Matthew 6:33).
Detachment allows us to focus solely on God’s will, not on personal desires or spiritual achievements. "If you give up all these desires and seek one thing only, God’s will, He will give you recollection and peace in the middle of labor and conflict and trial." [1] The heart of true detachment is surrendering to God’s will, regardless of our desires or circumstances. In doing so, we find peace not in the absence of conflict but in the presence of God within the conflict. This is a reminder that peace is not a feeling but a state of being in God’s will (Romans 8:28).
The first step in true asceticism is the renunciation of material goods, but this is just the beginning. "Of course we have to be detached from gross and sensual things before the interior life can even begin." [1] The journey toward spiritual growth requires a detachment from material goods, but this is only the first step. True asceticism goes much deeper, requiring us to detach from everything that hinders us from a full surrender to God. This is not just about giving up luxuries but about entering into a process of continuous purification (Luke 14:33).
Once material goods are renounced, deeper layers of detachment are required from intellectual and spiritual attachments. "A man who hopes to become a contemplative by detaching himself only from the things that are forbidden by reason, will not even begin to know the meaning of contemplation." [1] This teaching reveals that detachment is not merely about external things; it is about an internal renunciation of everything that distracts us from God, including our intellectual pursuits and even spiritual goals. Only when we let go of all attachments—physical, mental, and spiritual—can we truly enter into the depths of contemplation (1 Corinthians 2:6-10).
True spiritual freedom requires a "mystical death" where all attachments are fully surrendered, even those to spiritual goods. "Beyond rational temperance there comes a sacrificial death which is on a higher level than mere virtue or practiced discipline." [1] True freedom is found not just in the renunciation of outward things but in the deeper surrender of the self, even our spiritual identity. This "mystical death" requires that we die to our ego, to our sense of control, and to our attachment to any notion of spiritual superiority. Only in this surrender can we experience the fullness of life in God (Galatians 2:20).
True contemplation goes beyond spiritual pleasure or experiences and is rooted in pure, unmediated union with God. "True contemplation is the work of a love that transcends all satisfaction and all experience to rest in the night of pure and naked faith." [1] The heart of contemplation is not about seeking experiences, whether pleasurable or enlightening, but about surrendering to God in faith. It is in this place of surrender, in the darkness of pure faith, that we encounter the deepest union with God. The love we seek is not a love that gives us satisfaction but a love that calls us to rest in God, beyond all experience (2 Corinthians 5:7).
Becoming attached to the experience of peace or spiritual feelings can hinder true union with God. "If we attach too much importance to these accidentals we will run the risk of losing what is essential, which is the perfect acceptance of God’s will, whatever our feelings may happen to be." [1] The goal of the spiritual life is not to experience peace or comfort but to accept God’s will in all things. When we cling to spiritual experiences or feelings, we lose sight of the true goal—surrender to God’s perfect will, regardless of our emotional state or experiences (Philippians 4:11-13).
[1] Thomas Merton, New Seeds of Contemplation
Thank you for all this much-needed wisdom. It confirms my prayer earlier this morning: "Not my will, but yours be done." Of course, that's actually Jesus' prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. I now realize that if we are to follow Jesus, we need to pray the way he did. Thank you for this validation, Robert!