Stare Into The Infinite Void. “The Cloud of Unknowing,” by Anonymous 14th century Christian Mystic

Why Read It

The Cloud of Unknowing plays a precious role in the history of the Perennial Philosophy as one of the earliest, clearest deliveries of non-dual teaching in the Christian tradition. The Author chose to remain anonymous even in their own lifetime, so there is no record of who wrote the masterpiece, but the original manuscript was written in Middle English in the mid-14th century, likely by an English nun or monk.

The Author of The Cloud presents a specific technique of ecstasy that, if practiced with complete devotion, guides a person into realization of God, or one’s True Essence. The practical technique is a method of prayer, meditation, and contemplation that shares much in common with Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras and with Vedanta, in general. In short, a spiritual seeker must understand that God created humans with two primary powers, the power to know and the power to love. By the power of knowing, we can gain mastery over all material forms. But God cannot be known. God is outside of all concepts and forms and subject-object dichotomy, so God can never be known. But God can be loved. And this is the path. To leave behind all thought, all emotion, all concepts, all forms, and reach out with naked intent to LOVE GOD. This practice of leaving behind all known content resonates deeply with the neti-neti technique outlined so clearly in all of the Eastern classics.

Throughout the work, the Anonymous addresses a host of common challenges that one faces on the spiritual path, including what to do about wandering thoughts, spiritual lethargy, enemies, and many other perceived obstacles. The answer to every challenge is always the same: love God with naked intent and leave the obstacles behind you in the Cloud of Forgetting.

The Cloud was written over 800 years ago. It’s impact on culture has been significant, but it is highly likely its future impact will grow substantially, as more individuals outside the Church study the Perennial Philosophy and begin to familiarize themselves with the timeless classics found in the various spiritual traditions. Celebrated mystics and thinkers, such as Thich Nhat Hanh, Dalai Lama, Ram Dass, Thomas Merton, Alduous Huxley, Evelyn Underhill, Thomas Keating, and Eckhart Tolle have spoken highly of the The Cloud as an expression of the Divine Statement, which is that there is a fundamental ground of Being from which all material forms arise, and we are this fundamental Ground, which is God, and this can be realized by humans, and this realization substantially transforms the human consciousness into a new creation form that is in line with the Highest Self, God, The Nameless, The No-Word, The No-Thing.

Overview

The Cloud of Unknowing, penned in the latter half of the 14th century, stands as a seminal work in the rich tapestry of Christian Mysticism. Written during a time of significant religious and social upheaval in England, marked by the Black Death and the beginnings of the Reformation, this text emerges as a beacon of introspective spirituality. Its Anonymous Author, likely a monk or spiritual advisor, presents a radical, heart-centered approach to experiencing the Divine that contrasted with the era’s often rigid and dogmatic religious practices that were controlled exclusively by the Catholic Church.

Published around the 1370s, this work has exerted a profound influence over the centuries, resonating through the ages as a guide for those seeking a deeper, more personal spiritual experience. Its call for direct, experiential knowledge of God through contemplative prayer was revolutionary, diverging from the prevalent emphasis on theological doctrine and liturgical practice. The Cloud presents a spirituality that is deeply personal and internal, focusing on the individual’s direct encounter with the mystery of God, rather than mediated through institutional structures.

The metaphor of the Cloud—symbolizing the impenetrable mystery of God and the necessity of embracing unknowing—has echoed across centuries, inspiring countless spiritual seekers and mystics. The book’s emphasis on love, desire, and the surrender of the ego prefigures many modern spiritual movements, emphasizing an experiential, heart-centered approach.

The Cloud of Unknowing’s impact is felt not just in Christian mysticism, but in the broader context of spiritual literature, offering a timeless message about the nature of the divine-human relationship. Its enduring appeal lies in its profound simplicity and the universal quest for a deeper understanding of the ineffable. Even today, 800 years after its composition, the ‘Cloud‘ continues to be a vital resource for those on the path to spiritual enlightenment, offering guidance and insight into the journey of the soul towards the divine unknown.

Key Takeaways

Letting Go of Ego: The text encourages the surrender of personal ego and desires to connect with the divine. This mirrors the ego dissolution often experienced in psychedelic states and is a core concept in the Perennial Philosophy, where ego transcendence is seen as essential for spiritual awakening. The path of letting go of ego unfolds as we leave it behind in the cloud of forgetting, where we dis-identify from all of the mental content that appears in consciousness.
Embracing the Mystery Beyond Rational Thought: The book acknowledges the limitations of human reasoning and intellect in understanding the divine. God provides the power of knowing and the power of love to humans. However, we cannot know God through the intellect, but we can love God through the heart. It teaches that the essence of spirituality lies in embracing the mystery that cannot be comprehended by the mind, urging the seeker to find comfort and meaning in the stillness and silence of love for God.
Primacy of Love and Desire: The Author posits that love and a deep, heartfelt desire are central to connecting with the Divine, more so than intellectual effort. This perspective highlights the transformative power of love as a force that guides and enhances the spiritual journey. This is guiding principle is also a basic tenet of the Perennial Philosophy.
Intention in Spiritual Practice: The author places significant importance on the intention behind spiritual endeavors. This focus implies that the purpose and sincerity behind one’s spiritual quest are as crucial as the practices themselves, as true understanding and connection are achieved through genuine seeking.
Union with the Divine as the Ultimate Goal: The ultimate aim described in the book is a complete union with the divine. This union is portrayed as transcending sensory and conceptual experiences, suggesting a state of being where the individual self merges with a larger, all-encompassing reality, which is the basic tenet and aim of the Perennial Philosophy.

Quotes

~ “To the cloud of unknowing above you and between you and your God, add the cloud of forgetting beneath you, between you and creation. If the cloud of unknowing makes you feel alienated from God, that’s only because you’ve not yet placed a cloud of forgetting between you and everything in creation. When I say ‘everything in creation,’ I mean not only the creatures themselves but also everything they do and are, as well as the circumstances in which they find themselves. There are no exceptions. You must forget everything. Hide all created things, material and spiritual, good and bad, under the cloud of forgetting.”

~ “The first time you practice contemplation, you’ll only experience a darkness, like a cloud of unknowing. You won’t know what this is. You’ll only know that in your will you feel a simple reaching out to God. You must also know that this darkness and this cloud will always be between you and your God, whatever you do. They will always keep you from seeing him clearly by the light of understanding in your intellect and will block you from feeling him fully in the sweetness of love in your emotions. So, be sure you make your home in this darkness.”

~ “Become blind during contemplative prayer and cut yourself off from needing to know things. Knowledge hinders, not helps you in contemplation. Be content feeling moved in a delightful, loving way by something mysterious and unknown, leaving you focused entirely on God, with no other thought than of him alone. Let your naked desire rest there.”

~ “Lift up your heart to God with a gentle stirring of love. Focus on him alone. Want him, and not anything he’s made. Think on nothing but him. Don’t let anything else run through your mind and will. Here’s how. Forget what you know. Forget everything God made and everybody who exists and everything that’s going on in the world, until your thoughts and emotions aren’t focused on or reaching toward anything, not in a general way and not in a particular way. Let them be. For the moment, don’t care about anything. This is the work of the soul that most pleases God. All saints and angels rejoice in it, and they’re always willing to help you when you’re spending time in contemplation.”

~ “I know you’ll ask me, ‘How do I think on God as God, and who is God?’ and I can only answer, ‘I don’t know.’ Your question takes me into the very darkness and cloud of unknowing that I want you to enter. We can know so many things. Through God’s grace, our minds can explore, understand, and reflect on creation and even on God’s own works, but we can’t think our way to God. That’s why I’m willing to abandon everything I know, to love the one thing I cannot think. He can be loved, but not thought. By love, God can be embraced and held, but not by thinking. It is good sometimes to meditate on God’s amazing love as part of illumination and contemplation, but true contemplative work is something entirely different. Even meditating on God’s love must be put down and covered with a cloud of forgetting. Show your determination next. Let that joyful stirring of love make your resolute, and in its enthusiasm bravely step over meditation and reach up to penetrate the darkness above you. Then beat on that thick cloud of unknowing with the sharp arrow of longing and never stop loving, no matter what comes your way.”