The Works of Dionysius the Areopagite

most Divine Transfiguration, and participating in His gift of spiritual light with an unimpassioned and immaterial mind. Even in the union beyond conception, through the agnostic (unknowing) and most blessed efforts toward rays of surpassing brilliancy, we shall participate in a more Divine imitation of the supercelestial minds. For we shall be equal to the angels, as the truth of the Oracles affirms, and sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.

But now, to the best of our ability, we use symbols appropriate to things Divine, and from these again we elevate ourselves, according to our degree, to the simple and unified truth of the spiritual visions. After every conception of things godlike, laying aside our mental energies, we cast ourselves to the best of our ability toward the superessential ray. In this ray, all terms of every kind of knowledge pre-existed in a manner beyond expression—which it is neither possible to conceive nor express, nor entirely in any way to contemplate, on account of Its being pre-eminently above all things, and super-unknown. It contains within Itself, superessentially, the whole perfections of all kinds of essential knowledge and power, being firmly fixed by Its absolute power above all, even the supercelestial minds. For, if all kinds of knowledge are of things existing and are limited to things existing, that which is beyond all essence is also elevated above all knowledge.

SECTION V.

And yet, if It is superior to every expression and every knowledge, and is altogether placed above