Parva Naturalia and Ambigua

Note that the world consists not only of elements but also of intelligible realities.

Every sense perception, because it has a natural relationship toward sensible things Sensible things (aistheta) are objects that can be perceived through the physical senses, like sight or touch. and is blended with them through its own activity, separates the intellect from divine and intelligible Intelligible things (noeta) are realities that can only be understood by the mind or intellect, beyond physical matter. realities because of the divided nature of sensible things. It introduces a multifaceted wandering to the soul and an ignorance concerning truly existing beings. It hides the soul's kinship with the divine behind the dense veil of the flesh; it presents the multifaceted and varied wandering among sensible things as if it were truth, and it brings about an alienation from real beings as if it were a state of belonging.

Note concerning the contemplation of beings

Wherefore the word of wisdom casts out such an activity of sense perception and such a relationship toward sensible things, viewing it as an alienation of the intellect from the divine, as an ignorance of beings, and as a wandering of the soul. It seeks instead the return toward intelligible and divine things, the true knowledge concerning beings, and the soul’s restoration to kinship with the divine through the purification of the mind and the spiritual contemplation original: θεωρία (theoria) — the practice of looking deeply into the inner spiritual meaning of created things. of beings. I believe the saint does not mean the "world" original: κόσμος (kosmos) — in Greek, this word means both "world" and "order" or "ornament." that is composed of physical elements, but rather the "thickness" or "density" that comes upon the intellect from its attachment to sensible things and its relationship with them—through which the intellect is alienated from intelligible and divine things.

Note

...and clearly indicating the reason why it was so named. Since human nature lost its intellectual kinship toward the divine and invisible through its relationship to the body and its attachment to sensible things by means of the body, the word of wisdom—calling human nature back again—fittingly calls the visible realm a "world." It does this so that, through the beauty and the order of the things seen, it might lead man by the hand original: χειραγωγήσῃ — a frequent term in Greek theology for a teacher or guide leading a student toward a higher truth. toward the intelligible and invisible beauty, and toward the Cause of that beauty.

That the mind also...

That the mind also, whenever it understands their beauty and order through the contemplation of created things, calls itself a "world." It is not merely led by the hand by the beauty of things seen toward the intelligible and invisible beauty; rather, through the accurate knowledge gained by the contemplation of created things, it becomes a "world" itself.

...of this contemplation, it calls itself a world. It is not merely led by the hand by the beauty of things seen toward the intelligible and invisible beauty; rather, through the accurate knowledge gained by the contemplation of created things, it becomes a world itself. It recovers its kinship with the divine through the contemplation of beings; it casts off its ignorance concerning them and its attachment to sensible things. It is led back to the archetypal beauty through the contemplation of created things, and it receives back its kinship with the divine through the purification of the mind. For thus the great Dionysius This refers to Dionysius the Areopagite, a 5th-6th century mystical theologian whose writings profoundly influenced Maximus. says: that the mind, whenever it gives itself over to the contemplation of beings, becomes a world and recovers its kinship with the divine through the contemplation of beings.