-^^^-^^^one can have to enter it, for it is the person him- ^---'''^^self: one might as well tell some one to go into a room he is already in! There are, however, very different ways of being in this castle; many souls live in the courtyard of the building where the sentinels stand, neither caring to enter farther, nor to know who dwells in that most delightful place, what is in it and what rooms it contains.
8. Certain books on prayer that you have read ad- ^ vise the soul to enter into itself,'° and this is what I mean. I was recently told by a great theologian that souls without prayer arc like bodies, palsied and lame, having hands and feet they cannot use.
'" imitation, bk. 1 1. ch. i: ' Regnum Dei intra vos est.' Luke. xvii. 2 1. The imitation is one of the books which according to St. Teresa's Constitutions, ( § 7) every prioress was bound to provide for her convent.
CHAP. I.] FIRST MANSIONS 43 Just so, there are souls so infirm and accustomed to think of nothing but earthly matters, that there seems no cure for them. It appears impossible for them to retire into their own hearts; accustomed as they are to be with the reptiles and other creatures which live outside the castle, they have come at last to imitate their habits. Though these souls are by their nature so richly endowed, capable of communion even with God Himself, yet their case seems hopeless. Unless they endeavour to under- stand and remedy their most miserable plight, their minds will become, as it were, bereft of movement, just as Lot's wife became a pillar of salt for looking backwards in disobedience to God's command. " 9. As far as I can understand, the gate by which to enter this castle is prayer and meditation. I do^\ not allude more to mental than to vocal prayer, for if it is prayer at all, the mind must take part in it. If a person neither considers to Whom he is addressing himself, what he asks, nor what he is who ventures to speak to God, although his lips may utter many words, I do not call it prayer." Sometimes, indeed, one may pray devoutly without making all these considerations through having practised them at other times. The custom of speaking to God Almighty as freely as with a slave — caring nothing whether the words are suitable or not, but simply saying the first thing that comes to mind from being learnt by rote by frequent repetition — cannot be called prayer: God grant that "Gen. xix. 26: ' Respiciensque uxor ejus post se, versa est in statuam salis.'
'* Way of Per/, ch. xxi. 6; xxix. 4.
44 THE INTERIOR CASTLE [chap. i.
no Chriatian may address Him in this manner. I trust His Majesty will prevent any of you, sisters, from doing so. Our habit in this Order of conver- sing about spiritual matters is a good preservative against such evil w^ays.
10. Let us speak no more of these crippled souls, who are in a most miserable and dangerous state, unless our Lord bid them rise, as He did the palsied man who had waited more than thirty years at the pool of Bethsaida.'' We will now think of the others who at last enter the precinfts of the castle; they are still very worldly, yet have some desire to do right, and at times, though rarely, commend themselves to God's care. Thev think about their souls every now and then; although very busy, they pray a few times a month, with minds generally filled with a thousand other matters, for where their treasure is, there is their heart also. '"^ Still, occasion- ally they cast aside these cares; it is a great boon for them to realize to some extent the state of their souls, and to see that thev will never reach the gate by the road they are following.
11. At length they enter the first rooms in the basement of the castle, accompanied by numerous reptiles'* which disturb their peace, and prevent their seeing the beauty of the building; still, it is a great gain that these persons should have found their way in at all.
" St. John V. 5: 'Erat autem quidam homo ibi triginta et octo annos habens in infirmitate sua.'
'* St. Matt. vi. 21: *Ubi enim est thesaurus tuus ibi est et cor tuum.
'* Many an ancient castle was provided with a bear-garden where rare animals were kept for the amusement of the inhabitants. This may have supplied the material for St. Teresa's comparison.
CHAP. II.] FIRST MANSIONS 45 12. You may think, my daughters, that all this does not concern you, because, by God's grace, you are farther advanced; still, you must be patient with me, for 1 can explain myself on some spiritual matters concerning prayer in no other way. May our Lord enable me to speak to the point; the subjed: is most difficult to understand without per- sonal experience of such graces. Any one who has received them will know how impossible it is to avoid touching on subjedfs which, by the mercy of God, will never apply to us.
CHAPTER II.
CHAPTER II.
DESCRIBES THE HIDEOUS APPEARANCE OF A SOUL IN MORTAL SIN AS REVEALED BY GOD TO SOME ONE: OFFERS A FEW RE- MARKS ON SELF-KNOWLEDGE: THIS CHAPTER IS USEFUL AS IT CONTAINS SOME POINTS REQUIRING ATTENTION. AN EXPLAN- ATION OF THE MANSIONS.
1. Effects of mortal sin. 2. It prevents the soul's gaining merit. 3. The soul compared to a tree. 4. Disorder of the soul in mortal sin. 5. Vision of a sinful sojil. 6. Profit of realizing these lessons. 7. Prayer. 8. Beauty of the Castle. 9. Self -knowledge 10. Gained by meditating on tlie divine perfections. 11. Advantages of such meditation. 12. Christ should be our model. 13. The devil en- traps beginners. 14. Our strength must come from God. 15. Sin blinds the soul. 16. Worldliness. 17. The world in the cloister. 18. Assaults of the devil. 19. Examples of the devil's arts. 20. Perfection consists in charity. 21. Indiscreet seal. 22. Danger of detraction.
I. Before going farther,! wish you to consider the state to which mortal sin' brings this magnificent and beautiful castle, this pearl of the East, this tree of life, planted beside the living waters of life* ' Life, ch. xxxviii. 31; ch. xl. 15.'
^ Ps. i. 3: '£t erit tamquam lignum quod plantatum est secus decursus aquarum.'
46 THE INTERIOR CASTLE [chap. ii.
which symbolize God Himself. No night can be so dark, no gloom nor blackness can compare to its obscurity. Suffice it to say that the sun in the centre of the soul, which gave it such splendour and beauty, is totally eclipsed, though the spirit is as fitted to enjoy God's presence as is the crystal to refled: the sun.^ 2. While the soul is in mortal sin nothing can profit it; none of its good works merit an eternal reward, since they do not proceed from God as their first principle, and by Him alone is our virtue real virtue. The soul separated from Him is no longer pleasing in His eyes, because by committing a mortal sin, instead of seeking to please God, it prefers to gratify the devil, the prince of darkness, and so comes to share his blackness. I knew a person to whom our Lord revealed the result of a mortal sin* and who said she thought no one who realized its effecfts could ever commit it, but would suffer unimaginable torments to avoid it. This vision made her very desirous for all to grasp this truth, therefore I beg you, my daughters, to pray fervently to God for sinners, who live in blindness and do deeds of darkness.
3. In a state of grace the soul is like a well of limpid water, from which flow only streams of clearest crystal. Its works are pleasing both to God and man, rising from the River of Life, beside which it is rooted like a tree. Otherwise it would produce neither leaves nor fruit, for the waters of grace ^ IVay of P erf. ch. xxviii. 9.
* In this as in most other cases when the Saint speaks of 'a person ghe knows,' she means herself. Life, ch. xl. 15.
CHAP. II.] FIRST MANSIONS 47 nourish it, keep it from withering from drought, and cause it to bring forth good fruit. But the soul by sinning withdraws from this stream of life, and growing beside a black and fetid pool, can produce nothing but disgusting and unwholesome fruit. Notice that it is not the fountain and the brilliant sun which lose their splendour and beauty, for they are placed in the very centre of the soul and can- not be deprived of their lustre. The soul is like a crystal in the sunshine over which a thick black cloth has been thrown, so that however brightly the sun may shine the crystal can never refled: it. 4. O souls, redeemed bv the Blood of Jesus Christ, take these things to heart; have mercy on your- selves! If you realize your pitiable condition, how can you refrain from trying to remove the darkness from the crystal of your souls.? Remember, if death should take you now, you would never again enjoy the light of this Sun. O Jesus! how sad a sight must be a soul deprived of light! What a terrible state the chambers of this castle are in! How disorderly must be the senses — the inhabitants of the castle — the powers of the soul — its magistrates, governors, and stewards — blind and uncontrolled as they are! In short, as the soil in which the tree is now planted is in the devil's domain, how can its fruit be anything but evil.? A man of great spiritual insight once told me he was not so much surprised at such a soul's wicked deeds as astonished that it did not commit even worse sins. May God in His mercy keep us from such great evil, for nothing in this life merits the name of evil in comparison with 4$ THE INTERIOR CASTLE [chap. ii.
this, which dehvers us over to evil which is eternal.
5. This is what we must dread and pray God to deliver us from, for we are weakness itself, and un- less He guards the city, in vain shall we labour to defend it.^ I'he person of whom I spoke ^ said that she had learnt two things trom the vision granted her. I'he tirst was, a great fear of offending God; seeing how terrible were the consequences, she constantly begged Him to preserve her from falling into sin. Secondly, it was a mirror to teach her humility, for she saw that nothing good in us springs from ourselves but comes from the waters of grace near which the soul remains like a tree planted be- side a river, and from that Sun which gives life to our works. She realized this so vividly that on see- ing any good deed performed by herself or by other people she at once turned to God as to its fountain head — without whose help she knew well we can do nothing — and broke out into songs of praise to Him. Generally she torgot all about lierself and only thought of God when she did any meritorious adtion.
6. The time which has been spent in reading or writing on this subject will not have been lost if it has taught us these two truths; for though learned, clever men know them perfedtiy, women's wits are dull and need help in every way. Perhaps this is why our Lord has suggested these comparisons to me; may He give us grace to profit by them!
7. So obscure are these spiritual matters that to '' cxxvi. 1: 'Nisi Dominus custodierit civitatem, frustra vigilat qui cu&todit earn.'
'Life, ch. xxxviii. 33 j ch. xl. 15, 16.
CHAP. II.] FIRST MANSIONS 49 explain them an ignorant person like myself must say much that is superfluous, and even alien to the subjed:, before coming to the point. My readers must be patient with me, as I am with myself while writing what I do not understand; indeed, I often take up the paper like a dunce, not knowing what to say, nor how to begin. Doubtless there is need for me to do my best to explain these spiritual subjedts to you, for we often hear how beneficial prayer is for our souls; our Constitutions oblige us to pray so many hours a day, yet tell us nothing of what part we ourselves can take in it and very little of the work God does in the soul by its means.^ It will be helpful, in setting it before you in various ways, to consider this heavenly edifice within us, so little understood by men, near as they often come to it. Our Lord gave me grace to understand something of such matters when I wrote on them before, yet I think I have more light now, especially on the more difficult questions. Unfortunately 1 am too ignorant to treat of such subjedis without saying much that is already well known.
8. Now let us turn at last to our castle with its many mansions. You must not think of a suite of rooms placed in succession, but fix your eyes on the keep, the court inhabited by the King.* Like the kernel of the palmito,' from which several rinds ^ IVay of P erf. ch. xxviii. i.
" The palmito here referred to is not a palm, but a shrub about four feet high and very dense with leaves, resembling palm leaves. The poorer classes and principally children dig it up by the roots, which they peel of its many layers until a sort of kernel is disclosed, which is 50 THE INTERIOR CASTLE [chap. ii.
must be removed before coming to the eatable part, this principal chamber is surrounded by many others. However large, magnificent, and spacious you imagine this castle to be, you cannot exagge- rate it; the capacity of the soul is beyond all our V understanding, and the Sun within this palace en- lightens every part of it.
9. A soul which gives itself to prayer, either much or little, should on no account be kept within narrow bounds. Since God has given it such great dignity, permit it to wander at will through the rooms of the castle, from the lowest to the highest. Let it not force itself to remain for very long in the same mansion, even that of self-knowledge. Mark well, however, that self-knowledge is indis- pensable, even for those whom God takes to dwell in the same mansion with Himself. Nothing else, however elevated, perfecfls the soul which must never seek to forget its own nothingness. Let hu- mility be always at work, like the bee at the honey- comb, or all will be lost. But, remember, the bee leaves its hive to fly in search of flowers and the soul should sometimes cease thinking of itself to rise in meditation on the grandeur and majesty of its God. It will learn its own baseness better thus than by self-contemplation, and will be freer from the reptiles which enter the first room where self-know - ledge is acquired. Although it is a great grace from God to practise self-examination, yet 'too much is as bad as too little,' as they say; believe me, by God's help, we shall advance more by contemplating the eaten, not without relish, and is somewhat like a filbert in taste. Sec St. John of the QxoHf Ascent of Mount Carme/, bk. ii. ch. xiv. 3.
CHAP. II.] FIRST MANSIONS 51 Divinity than by keeping our eyes fixed on our- selves, poor creatures of earth that we are.
10. I do not know whether I have put this clearly; self-knowledge is of such consequence that I would not have you careless of it, though you may be lifted to heaven in prayer, because while on earth nothing is more needful than humility. Therefore, I repeat, not only a good way, but the best of all ways, is to endeavour to enter first by the room where humility is pracflised, which is far better than at once rushing on to the others. This is the right road; — if we know how easy and safe it is to walk by it, why ask for wings with which to fly? Let us rather try to learn how to advance quickly. I believe we shall never learn to know ourselves except \y by endeavouring to know God, for, beholding His greatness we are struck by our own baseness. His purity shows our foulness, and by meditating on His humility we find how very far we are from being humble.
11. Two advantages are gained by this praftice. First, it is clear that white looks far whiter when placed near something black, and on the contrary, black never looks so dark as when seen beside something white. Secondly, our understanding and will become more noble and capable of good in every way when wc turn from ourselves to God: it is very injurious never to raise our minds above the mire of our own faults. I described how murky and fetid are the streams that spring from the source of a soul in mortal sin. '*' Thus (although the case is ' 52 THE INTERIOR CASTLE [chap. ii.
not really the same, God forbid! this is only a comparison), while we are continually absorbed in contemplating the weakness of our earthly nature, the springs of our anions will never flow free from the mire of timid, weak, and cowardly thoughts, such as: 'I wonder whether people are noticing me or not! If 1 follow this course, will harm come to me? Dare I begin this work? Would it not be presumptuous? Is it right for any one as faulty as myself to speak on sublime spiritual subjecfts?" Will not people think too well of me, if I make myself singular? Extremes are bad, even in virtue; sinful as I am I shall only fall the lower. Perhaps I shall fail and be a source of scandal to good people; such a person as I am has no need of peculiarities.'
1 2. Alas, my daughters, what loss the devil must have caused to many a soul by such thoughts as these! It thinks such ideas and many others of the same sort I could mention arise from humility. This comes from not understanding our own nature; self-knowledge becomes so warped that, unless we take our thoughts off ourselves, I am not surprised that these and many worse fears should threaten us. Therefore I maintain, my daughters, that we shouldJix..Qur_£^£SjaD_.Christ our only good, and on His saints; there we shall learn true humility, and our minds will be ennobled, so that self-know- edge will not make us base and cowardly. Although only tlie lirst, this mansion contains great riches and such treasures that if the soul only manages to " Life, ch. viil. 6, x. 4, xxiii. 3-5. IVay of Per/, ch. xxxix. I.
CHAP, ir.] FIRST MANSIONS 53 elude the reptiles dwelling here, it cannot fail to advance farther. Terrible are the wiles and strata- gems the devil uses to hinder people from realizing their weakness and detecting his snares.
13. From personal experience I could give you much information as to what happens in these first mansions. I will only say that you must not imagine there are only a few, but a number of rooms, for souls enter them by many different ways, and always with a good intention. The devil is so angry at this that he keeps legions of evil spirits hidden in each room to stop the progress of Christians, whom, being ignorant of this, he entraps in a thousand ways. He cannot so easily deceive souls which dwell nearer to the King as he can begin- V' ners still absorbed in the world, immersed in its pleasures, and eager for its honours and distinctions.
As the vassals of their souls, the senses and powers bestowed on them by God, are weak, such people are easily vanquished, although desirous not to offend God.
14. Those conscious of being in this state must as often as possible have recourse to His Majesty, taking His Blessed Mother and the saints for their advo- cates to do battle for them, because we creatures possess little strength for self-defence. Indeed in every state of life all our help must come from God; may He in His mercy grant it us, Amen! What a miserable life we lead! As I have spoken more fully in other writings'* on the ill that results from ignoring the need of humility and self-knowledge, Twill treat ^* Life ch. xiii. 23. Way of P erf. ch. x. 4. Castle, M. iii. ch. ii. 8. Concep. ch. ii. 20. Const. 21.
54 THE INTERIOR CASTLE [chap. ii.
no more about it here, my daughters, although it is of the first importance. God grant that what I have said may be useful to you.
15 You must notice that the light which comes from the King's palace hardly shines at all in these first mansions; although not as gloomy and black as the soul in mortal sin, yet they are in semi- darkness, and their inhabitants see scarcely anything. I cannot explain myself; I do not mean that this is the fault of the mansions themselves, but that the number of snakes, vipers, and venomous reptiles from outside the castle prevent souls entering them from seeing the light. They resemble a person entering a chamber full of brilliant sunshine, with eyes clogged and half closed with dust. Though the room itself is light, he cannot see because of his self-imposed impediment. In the same way, these fierce and wild beasts blind the eyes of the beginner, so that he sees nothing but them.
16. Such, it appears to me, is the soul which, though not in a state of mortal sin, is so worldly and preoccupied with earthly riches, honours, and aff^airs, that as I said, even if it sincerelv wishes to enter into itself and enjoy the beauties of the castle, it is prevented by these distrad:ions and seems unable to overcome so many obstacles. It is most important to withdraw from all unnecessary cares and business, as far as compatible with the duties of one's state of life, in order to enter the second mansion. This is so essential, that unless done immediately I think it impossible for any one ever to reach the principal room, or even to remain CHAP. II.] FIRST MANSIONS 55 where he is without great risk of losing what is already gained; otherwise, although he is inside the castle, he will find it impossible to avoid being bitten some time or other by some of the very venomous creatures surrounding him.
17. What then would become of a religious like ourselves, my daughters, if, after having escaped from all these impediments, and having entered much farther into the more secret mansion, she should, by her own fault, return to all this turmoil.? Through her sins, many other people on whom God had bestowed great graces would culpablv relapse into their wretched state. In our convents we are free from these exterior evils; please God our minds may be as free from them, and may He deliver us from such ills.
1 8. Do not trouble yourselves, my daughters, with cares which do not concern you. You must notice that the struggle with the demons continues through nearly all the mansions of this castle. True, in some of them, the guards, which, as I ex- plained, are the powers of the soul, have strength for the combat, but we must be keenly on the watch against the devils's arts, lest he deceive us in the form of an angel of light. He creeps in gradu- ally, in numberless ways, and does us much harm, though we do not discover it until too late.'* 19. As I said elsewhere,'* he works like a file, secretly and silentlv wearing its way: I will give you some examples to show how he begins his wiles.
" Life ch. xxxi. 23.
" No doubt the Saint often used this excellent comparison in her verbal instructions, but it occurs nowhere else in her writings.
S(> THE INTERIOR CASTLE [chap. ii.
For instance: a nun has such a longing for penance as to feel no peace unless she is tormenting herself in some way.'' This is good in itself; but suppose that the Prioress has forbidden her to pradlise any mortifications without special leave, and the sister thinking that, in such a meritorious cause, she may venture to disobey, secretly leads such a life that she loses her health and cannot even fulfil the re- quirements of her rule — you see how this show of s:ood ends. Another nun is verv zealous about re- ligious perfedlion; this is very right, but may cause her to think every small fault she sees in her sisters a serious crime, and to watch constantly whether they do anything wrong, that she may run to the Prioress to accuse them of it. At the same time, may be she never notices her own shortcomings because of her great zeal about other people's religious observance, while perhaps her sisters, not seeing her intention but onlv knowing of the watch she keeps on them, do not take her behaviour in good part.
20. The devil's chief aim here is to cool the charity and lessen the mutual affe6tion of the nuns, which would injure them seriously. Be sure, my daughters, "~ -^^ that true perfecftion consists in the love of God and our neighbour, and the better we keep both these commandments, the more perfed: we shall be. The sole objedt of our Rule and Constitutions is to help us to observe these two laws.
2 1. Indiscreet zeal about others must not be in- dulged in; it may do us much harm; let each one look to herself. However, -as I have spoken fully " fVay ofTerf. ch. x. 5; xxxix. 4; Rel. iii. 12.
CHAP. II.] FIRST MANSIONS 57 on this subjedl elsewhere,'* I will not enlarge on it here, and will only beg vou to remember the ne- cessity of this mutual affecftion. Our souls may lose their peace and even disturb other people's if we are always criticizing trivial adiions which often are not real defeats at all, but we construe them wronglv through ignorance of their motives. See how much it costs to attain perfecftion! Sometimes the devil tempts nuns in this way about the Prior- ess, which is still more dangerous. Great prudence is then required, for if she disobeys the Rule or Constitutions the matter must not always be over- looked, but should be mentioned to her;'^ if, after this, she does not amend, the Superior of the Order should be informed of it. It is true charity to speak in this case, as it would be if we saw our sisters commit a grave fault; to keep silence for fear that speech would be a temptation against charity, would be that very temptation itself.'* 22. However, I must warn you seriously not to talk to each other about such things, lest the devil deceive you. He would gain greatly by your doing so, because it would lead to the habit of detracflion; rather, as I said, state the matter to those whose duty it is to remedy it. Thank God our custom "^ The Saint must frequently have spoken on the subject, but she never treated it more fully than in this place. Way of Per/, ch.. xli.7. Life, ch. xiii. 11, 14 sqq. Visitation of convents.
" Way of Perfection, ch. ii 3. Fisit. 20-22, 34, 36.
'* * It is terrible to think what harm a Prioress can do! For although the Sisters witness things which scandalize them (of which there are plenty here!), yet they think it would be sinning against obedience to see any harm in them.' (Letter to Father Gracian, written at Malagon at the beginning of December, 1579. Letters, Vol. III.)
5 I 58 THE INTERIOR CASTLE [chap. ir.
here of keeping almost perpetual silence gives little opportunity for such conversations, still, it is well to stand ever on our guard.
THE SECOND MANSIONS ONLY CHAPTER