The Adornment of the Spiritual Marriage

Universal souls—with them, it is never merely the feelings or the intellect that speak, but always the whole person. They are often not scholars and yet they teach the highest wisdom; they are rarely poets and yet their work is full of poetry; they are not moralists and yet they lead us toward the highest virtue. Ruysbroeck is just such a "whole person," the "Wonderful" original: "der Wunderbare" among the mystics. You will, my dear readers, come to love him if you often immerse yourselves in his book. He himself considered The Ornament of the Spiritual Marriage original: "Zierde der geistlichen Hochzeit". This is Ruysbroeck's most influential work, describing the soul's journey toward God through the active, yearning, and contemplative lives. to be his masterpiece; he had it copied several times and sent it to his German friends. Now he sends it to you through me, his latest pupil, so that you may become "good" people, or even "inward" ones—indeed, "God-beholding," if God wills it. )) The double closing parentheses appear in the original text, perhaps marking the end of a specific introductory thought.

Now I must give you a few hints. Do not be put off by certain words like "mode" Weise: In Ruysbroeck's vocabulary, this refers to the 'way' or 'manner' of human action or being. and "modelessness" Unweise: A technical term for the state of being beyond human ways, specifically the 'wayless' way of God's own being., "unattached" Ledig: Literally 'empty' or 'single,' meaning a soul free from worldly attachments and mental images. and "attached," or "unity" and "multiplicity." Like hunters, mystics have their own language. Anyone who engages with mysticism must learn it. I have found again and again that most translators of mystical writings initially try to paraphrase such technical terms or seek to avoid them. By the end of their work, however, they use them all. Therefore, I have preferred to introduce them right from the start. I hope soon to be able to complete a short introduction to Ruysbroeck’s teachings, though it will only bring light to those who have already occupied themselves with our Blessed [author]. There, many a technical term will also be explained. Then I ask you, be