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 Saint
Teresa of Avila (1515 - 1582) was a 16th century Spanish saint and
mystic, as well as a doctor of the Church, and a beloved friend to another
great Spanish mystic, St. John of the Cross.
Written at the command of her confessors, St. Teresa's books remain
classics of Christian mysticism, and contain much that is useful to
beginners in any tradition of spiritual practice. Less abstract and
theoretical than her friend, Teresa's works are no less noteworthy for
the brilliance of their ability to convey with both warmth and rigor
some flavor of this most extraordinary experience: union with God. Her
autobiography may well be the best entry point into her work and into
the mystical literature of the Christian church. Here she describes
her early life and education, the conflicts and crisis she underwent,
culminating in her determination to enter fully into the path of prayer.
Following a description of the contemplative life, which she explores
in four stages, she returns to her own life in order to describe (in
erotic language reminiscent of the Song of Songs) the ecstatic experiences
given to her by God.
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We are so
mean-spirited that we imagine the earth would slide from beneath
our feet if for one moment we were slightly to turn our attention
from the body and give it to the spirit. Since worldly anxieties
disturb our prayer, we think that to have abundance of all that
we require is a help to recollection. It distresses me that we
have so little trust in God and so much self-love as to be troubled
by such things. The fact is that when the spirit is making such
small progress, a few trifles give us as much anxiety as great
and important matters give to others. Yet in our minds we think
of ourselves as spiritual!
Now this kind
of life seems to me an attempt to reconcile soul and body, so
that we may not lose our comfort in this world or the enjoyment
of God in the next. We shall do all right . . . but we shall
advance at a snail's pace. Freedom of spirit is not to be
had in that way. . . . I tried it myself, and should have been
practising it to this day if the Lord had not shown me a shortcut.
Teresa
of Avila, The
Life of Saint Teresa of Avila by Herself
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 Saint
John of the Cross (1542 - 1591) is one of the most famous mystics
in the Catholic Church, as well as the world. He was a Carmelite priest,
and lived (and suffered imprisonment) in sixteenth century Spain, along
with the equally famous mystic, St. Teresa of Avila;
the two knew and had great admiration for each other. He left behind
a body of work that is classic in mystical literature: maxims on the
spiritual life, instructions as to preparation, purification and ascent
to God (The Ascent of Mount Carmel), the perils and trials of the spiritual
life (The Dark Night of the Soul), and depth of union with God (The
Living Flame of Love and The Spiritual Canticle). The profundity of
his knowledge of God and the beauty of his poetic writings rank him
as a master in the mystical life. He uses, at times, difficult and deep
(sometimes verbose) descriptions. This should not frighten off someone
interested in discovering the realities and pitfalls of genuine spiritual
practice. One must also appreciate the fact that each saint has their
own language on these matters, and that it is filtered through their
personality. He is a master teacher and model in spiritual matters,
which go from leading a "right" life, to purification (by
God) of one's life, to trials (the "dark night") that purify
us, strengthen our faith, and instruct us, to union with God, always
stating that no two people can expect exactly the same experiences.
Concerning this, he gives advice, warning, and illumination as to temptations,
dangers, and expectations.
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Since their
motivation in their spiritual works and exercises is the consolation
and satisfaction they experience in them, and since they have
not been conditioned by the arduous struggle of practicing virtue,
[spiritual beginners] possess many faults and imperfections in
the discharge of their spiritual activities. Assuredly, since
everyone's actions are in direct conformity with the habit of
perfection that has been acquired, and since these persons have
not had time to acquire those firm habits, their work must of
necessity be feeble, like that of weak children. For a clearer
understanding of this and of how truly imperfect beginners are,
insofar as they practice virtue readily because of the satisfaction
attached to it, we will describe, using the seven capital vices
as our basis, some of the numerous imperfections beginners commit.
Thus we will clearly see how very similar their deeds are to those
of children. The benefits of the dark night will become evident,
since it cleanses and purifies the soul of all these imperfections.
John
of the Cross, The Dark Night of the Soul
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 The
contemporary Tibetan Buddhist Master, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche
(1940 - 1987), has often been referred to as one of the few lamas who
truly understood the Western mind; he is certainly one of the most influential
Tibetan Buddhist teachers in the West. In this classic, he examines
some of the self-deceptions, distortions, and sidetracks that imperil
the spiritual journey as well as the awareness and fearlessness of a
genuine spiritual practice. Trungpa's book is a reality check for wide-eyed
spiritualists, mystics and "believers" of all kinds. He makes a clever,
back door assault on the ego and its overwhelming tendency to hijack
the spiritual process. I would especially recommend it to anyone who
suspects themselves of turning a genuine spiritual practice into a form
of self-development and self-fulfillment. This book is
aimed at destroying many common, but incorrect assumptions made by beginning
spiritual practitioners (particularly, those raised in Western civilization),
and pointing out the necessity of a genuine Spiritual Master.
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Walking the
spiritual path properly is a very subtle process; it is not something
to jump into naively. There are numerous sidetracks which lead
to a distorted, ego-centered version of spirituality; we can delude
ourselves into thinking we are developing spiritually when instead
we are strengthening our egocentricity through spiritual techniques.
This fundamental distortion may be referred to as spiritual
materialism.
Chögyam
Trungpa, Cutting
Through Spiritual Materialism
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