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(Translated by Mira Kim) Let me introduce a good way to pray.
This book has been considered a treasure in the Catholic church.
It was written by an English mystic in the Middle Ages.
Its author is a master of contemplation as well as a highly competent director of meditation.
The author did not reveal his or her name:
Anonymous author.
This book is one of the gems in medieval English classics.
In 1970's, the prayer introduced in the book has been acknowledged as a greatest contemplation.
When it was introduced in the beginning, the prayer was practiced under the name of "the prayer of the cloud."
Next the name was changed to "the Hyang-Sim (Centering) Prayer."
This book can be considered as the bible of the "Hyang-Sim (Centering) Prayer."
In the Chinese character, "Sim" means "Center".
Thus it is the prayer toward the Center, the Father.
The name of the book, "the Cloud of Unknowing", means that
we will meet "the Father" spontaneously when we throw away all our thoughts into the cloud of unknowing.
Moses entered into the cloud and met God there.
The book symbolizes "the cloud" in which Moses met God. You will also meet God when you enter into the Cloud of Unknowing.
Unknowing! When you lay down whatever thought you have in your mind, and only exist as "unknowing" - you will spontaneously meet the Father! You will understand what I mean.
As far as I know, in practising the Centering Prayer, instead of doing this prayer as it was originally introduced,
a method was introduced for practising the prayer of unknowing in the middle of the book,
if it is necessary to say something, it is just enough to say one word "Abba", the Father.
As I know, this is generally used in doing the Centering Prayer.
In repeating 'Abba', 'Abba', with the first syllable, 'A...' - you will enter into the cloud of unknowing.
As you can know from the title of the book, this Centering Prayer emphasizes "unknowing" as the most important.
It is the best to enter into the state of unknowing spontaneously Let me read part of the book.
Let me read this.
"Therefore, I put aside (or forget) everything I can think of
and I will choose the thing I cannot think of as a subject for my love
The Father cannot be thought. Therefore,
I will put aside (or forget) everything I can think of.
Why? The Father can be loved. But,
He cannot be thought.
The Father can be grasped and possessed by love, but never by thought.
Lay down (or forget) any of your thoughts.
What does it say? It even says that you must lay down whatever work for God.
You must even lay down any thought about God.
Because any thought about God is your thought. This book says:
Because those are also all your thoughts.
Because any thought about God is your thought, you must lay down all thoughts.
Let me continue to read. How wonderful it is!
A fervent stirring of love! The reason for saying, "keep love alone" is because
Love is the heart that stretches out toward God.
Keep the heart toward God but abandon all other thoughts.
With the fervent stirring of love, vigorously,
trampling on all your thoughts, and treading them beneath your feet,
you must try to reach out to pierce the darkness above you. This darkness is the "unknowing."
As long as you can stay in the state of "unknowing" or "don't know,"
with the keen dart of your longing love,
pierce the cloud of unknowing,
never give up whatever may come.
Let me continue to read one more.
All of this is just great.
In your heart or mind,
do not let anything interfere except God.
Reject the knowledge and feeling or experience of everything less than God.
Tread it all down beneath the Cloud of Unknowing.
During the time of this work, not only every creature and its deeds,
but also yourself, along with whatever you might have accomplished in God's service.
Keep in mind that you must forget all.
You must forget everything.
You should train yourself to do it
If anything that appears in your heart or mind is not God,
you must come to loathe and regret it.
You should say "don't know" to spurn it all.
Otherwise, everything will be an obstacle between you and God.
I have been teaching for a while to say " don't know".
Last year, I read the book and was very surprised by this same idea.
This contemplative prayer is exactly the same as we have been practising.
See that our meditation says " don't know",
The perfect virtue that is led by contemplation is itself just awesome.
Because it is entirely spiritual, if we can practice contemplation authentically,
unlike a physical movement or
opposite to a place
we will experience something very different and contrasting. What I mean is,
a true contemplation is
not moving but transcendence in itself.
Transcending time and place
Therefore, a true contemplation is not just a movement. The reason for me to say this is, when we think about "meeting God",
we often interpret it as "the ascension" - climbing to the heavens.
Criticizing this misunderstanding about meeting God as 'the ascension", it emphasizes that a true contemplation is not a movement.
In order to meet God, we do not have to climb over the moon to the heavens. God does not exist in the heavens. It is the true God that
we meet when we transcend time and place. Therefore,
contemplation is not a motion but rather a sudden transformation
In the contemplative prayer, therefore, time, place, and any matter in life,
we must forget all. Upon forgetting everything, we will meet God.
The book must have been written by a great spiritual master.
The author can be considered as a great Zen master.
Accordingly, what is the one thing we say to meditate?
What time is it now? You "don't know."
Where is this place? You "don't know."
How about your body? You "don't know."
You should forget even yourself.
Your name? You "don't know."
But you exist.
This is the state that "I just exist" without knowing.
This is the Holy Spirit.
Whatever you see, whatever you listen, whatever you say, all things rely on "the place" to happen.
If you encounter the true self (or the pure Spirit) in you, you will meet the Father.
All the virtues come from the Holy Spirit, the true self:
Charity, prayer, and fasting come out properly.
You should do all of these things from that place.
Rouse the conscience. Be beneficial for all humankind.