The Cloud of Unknowing (Element Classics of World Spirituality Editions,)

Rating:
Summary: Gem of Western Spirituality
Review: A very interesting description of a contemplative discipline conveyed intimately from an unknown teacher to an unknown student. The text is a mystic exploration of the divine that rejects the use of the intellect and the imagination, preferring an inner knowing, like a numinous experience based on feeling, a gnosis of the heart. An important theme is the difference between the active and the contemplative personality; others include the awareness of self, death of the ego, and advice on leading the contemplative life. Although this writing is deeply embedded in Christian tradition and I disagree with many of these beliefs, I still admire the author's gentleness and sense of humor. All spiritually-minded people will benefit from a study of this almost poetic text. The most beautiful sentiment is this: "For it is not what you are nor what you have been that God regards with his most merciful eyes, but what you would like to be."

Rating:
Summary: Good writing, lousy edition
Review: Although the work itself is magnificent, this particular edition of it is very disappointing. It looks nothing like what's pictured here (and I checked the link to make sure I ordered the right one). The one I received is an oversized purple volume. It appears that someone just xeroxed an earlier edition of the work and bound it together. Also this edition has almost no footnotes or translation, and some of the medieval text is a bit difficult to understand. I'd recommend the penguin edition.

Rating:
Summary: Breathtaking
Review: This is a beautiful translation of one of the most exceptional surviving mystical works.

What words can capture the breadth of a mystical work that, five minutes into reading it, brings forth tears of ecstasy running down the reader's cheeks?

Whoever wrote these words was most certainly one close to God, and Underhill's translation is incredible.

Read it. The scope is breathtaking.

Oh Heavenly Father, I beg you: fill me with your Being!

Blessings,

Stephan Vrudny