The Ineffable Cannot be Thought
Lessons in The Cloud of Unknowing emphasize the profound distinction between the capabilities of our thinking mind and the boundless potential of our capacity to love. In this exploration, the text presents the idea of two faculties bestowed upon us by God: the intellectual faculty for thinking and the loving faculty for embracing the divine.
While the thinking mind is crucial for comprehending created beings and thinking clearly about them, it falls short when it comes to grasping the infinite nature of God. God exists beyond the confines of concepts, images, and words; attempting to encapsulate the divine within the limitations of human thought is futile. God can be truly loved and embraced through the faculty of love, but the intellectual faculty cannot fully apprehend or contain the essence of the divine.
Initially seeking God as an external object—a tangible entity to be located and controlled—we only find true connection when we forget ourself. It is in moments of divine caress and the closing of our eyes to worldly seductions that we begin to transcend our own limitations. The awakening occurs when we abandon the external search and turn inward, discovering the luminous vastness of God with the inner eye.
As we embark on our own journeys toward the ineffable God, may we, too, experience the shift from external seeking to inner awakening. Let us find solace in our grounding silence, awakening in God who has been with us from eternity—a silent companion on our profound spiritual voyage.
May our journeys towards the divine be guided by the wisdom of unknowing, recognizing the limitations of the thinking mind and embracing the boundless capacity to love. May we find solace in our inner awakening, discovering the luminous vastness of God.
In the quiet expanse where thought meets its limits, Lessons unfold in the dance of faculties bestowed. Intellectual murmurs, the language of comprehension, Navigate the realms of created beings, a dance of clarity. Yet, in the vast banquet of existence, the mind falters, Struggling to grasp the infinite hues of divinity. God, a boundless dance, eludes the confines of language, An elusive partner in the ballroom of concepts. Love, the silent maestro, conducts the symphony within, A melody that transcends the finite echoes of thought. Seeking God as an external sculpture, a crafted deity, We find connection only in the forgetting of self. In the tender caress of the divine, eyes close, Shutting out the worldly allure, transcending limitations. An awakening unfolds, turning inward to the luminous vastness, A revelation witnessed by the inner eye's silent gaze. Embarking on journeys to the ineffable, we shift, From external quests to the depths of inner awakening. Solace found in the grounding silence of eternity, A silent companion whispers through the profound voyage.