第一章

本章談我們靈魂的美麗與尊貴，並以譬喻說明這一點，並闡述認識這份美麗、明白天主所賜恩典的好處，以及祈禱如何成為靈心城堡的入口。

1. 本書的旨趣。 2. 靈心城堡。 3. 我們的自我無知是可以醫治的。 4. 天主住在靈魂的中心。 5. 何以並非所有靈魂都領受某些恩寵。 6. 何以要談及這些恩寵。 7. 城堡的入口。 8. 進入自己的內心。 9. 祈禱。 10. 住在第一重居所裡的人。 11. 進入。 12. 主題的難處。

1. 今天我懇求吾主替我發言；因我不知該說什麼，也不知如何起筆這份順命所託付的工作。就在此時，心裡忽然浮現一個念頭，且容我細說，將以此作為下文的根基。

2. 我把靈魂想成一座城堡，³¹由一整顆鑽石、或一塊極為剔透的水晶雕成，³²裡面有許多房間，正如天上有許多居所。³³姐妹們，靜下心想想就會明白：義人的靈魂正是一座樂園，天主親自告訴我們，祂在那裡得享喜樂。³⁴那麼，這位至大、至智、至潔、本身蘊含一切美善的君王，所願安息的居所該是何等模樣？沒有東西比得上靈魂的莊嚴美麗與能力。我們的理智再敏銳，也無法窺其全貌，正如無法測度天主一樣；因為祂親口告訴我們，祂照自己的肖像和模樣造了我們。³⁵

3. 既然如此，我們也不必勉強自己去窮究這座城堡的全部美麗。靈魂雖是天主的受造物，與天主之間自有受造者與造物主的距離；可正因照天主的肖像所造，便足見其尊貴與可愛。我們因自身的過失，既不認識本性，也不明白來歷，這實在是極大的不幸與羞辱。我的女兒們，若有人連自己的姓名、家鄉、父母都答不出來，豈不是粗淺至極？荒唐如此，但更荒唐的是：我們對自己的本性，只知道有個身體；至於有靈魂這件事，僅因眾人這麼說、信理也這麼教，才模糊地略知一二。我們鮮少思想：靈魂裡蘊含什麼恩賜？是誰住在裡面？它是何等寶貴？因此，我們幾乎不在意保全它的美麗，所有的關心都放在身體上——那不過是鑽石的粗糙鑲座，或城堡的外牆罷了。³⁶

4. 如同前面所說，姑且想像這座城堡裡有許多房間，有些在上、有些在下、有些在兩側；居於正中、為眾房之核心的，是一間主室，天主與靈魂在那裡進行最隱密的交往。³⁷請仔細推敲這個比喻；願天主藉此光照妳們，讓妳們認識祂樂意賜予靈魂的種種恩寵。這些恩寵沒有人能盡知，何況是像我這樣無知的人？只要明白這些事真有可能，將來吾主若把任何一份恩寵賜給妳，妳便能得極大的安慰；連自己未曾領受的人，至少也能因祂如此豐厚地賜給別人而讚美祂。想到天上的國及聖人們的福樂，對我們毫無壞處，反而能鼓舞我們、催促我們去爭取這份喜樂；至於明白祂在這流放之地願與我們這些可厭的蟲蟻相通，也不會傷害我們，反而會使我們因祂這般無比的良善與無限的慈悲而更加愛祂。

5. 我相信，若一想到天主在世時把這些恩寵賜給別人的靈魂便心生不悅，這正顯出謙遜不足、缺乏對近人的仁愛。弟兄領受了天主的恩賜，又絲毫不減我們自己應得的份額，我們為何不該替他高興？至於至尊陛下不論在哪裡、怎樣彰顯祂的偉大，我們不更該歡喜嗎？³⁸有時，吾主這樣行只為顯示祂的大能，正如祂回答宗徒時所宣告的——當時宗徒問祂所治癒的瞎子，究竟是為自己的罪、還是父母的罪而受苦。³⁹天主把這些恩寵賜給某些靈魂，並不是因為他們比未領受者更聖善，而是要彰顯祂自己的偉大；好比聖保祿與聖瑪利亞.瑪達肋納，正是要我們在祂的受造物身上頌揚祂。

6. 或許有人會說，這類事聽來不可能，最好別講出來，免得絆倒信德軟弱的人。可寧讓他們不信我們，也勝過我們因此停手——因為若我們不向領受這些恩寵的靈魂闡明這些事，他們便無法歡喜，也無法因見天主的偉大而更深愛祂。我寫此書是為了妳們，談這類事絕無驚嚇妳們之虞；妳們本就知道並相信，天主賜下的愛還有更大的明證。我確信，若妳們之中有人懷疑此事的真實性，天主絕不會讓她親身體驗——因為祂不願自己的工作受到任何限制；所以，切勿因自己未蒙這般引領，就否定別人。

7. 現在，讓我們回到那座美麗動人的城堡，看看該如何走進去。這話聽來矛盾：城堡若就是靈魂，誰還用得著「進去」呢？因為那本是人自身——如同要人走進一間他已身處其中的房間，豈不可笑？然而，住在這城堡裡的方式其實千差萬別。許多靈魂只待在守衛站立的庭院，既不想再走進去，也不想知道那最令人歡喜之處住的是誰、裡面有什麼、有什麼房間。

8. 妳們讀過一些談祈禱的書，勸靈魂走進自己的內心，⁴⁰我意指的正是這件事。最近，一位學識淵博的神學家告訴我：不祈禱的靈魂猶如癱瘓跛足的身體，徒有手腳卻無法使用。確是如此。有些靈魂虛弱已極，習慣只想塵世的事，看似無藥可救。要他們返回內心，似乎是不可能的事；他們慣於和城堡外的爬蟲及他類生物為伍，到頭來也學會了那些東西的習性。這些靈魂本性極為富厚，本能與天主親自相通，可情況卻似已絕望。除非他們努力認清並補救這悲慘的境地，否則心靈就會像羅特的妻子一樣失去活動——她違命回頭一望，便化為鹽柱。⁴¹

9. 就我所能明白，進入這城堡的門就是祈禱和默想。我這裡並非偏指心禱、輕忽口禱；只要稱得上祈禱，心智就必須參與其中。一個人若既不顧及自己在向誰說話、所求何事，也不顧及自己以何身分膽敢與天主交談，即便嘴裡念出許多話，我也不把那叫做祈禱。⁴²當然，偶爾也會有人雖未當下作這番思量，仍能虔心祈禱，因為平日已養成習慣。可若把跟全能天主說話當成跟僕人聊天那般隨便——詞句合宜與否一概不顧，只把日久誦讀背得滾瓜爛熟、口舌脫口而出的第一句話拋出去——這就不能叫祈禱了。願天主保佑，不讓任何基督徒這樣對祂講話。姐妹們，我深信至尊陛下也會保守妳們不致如此。我們會中常談屬靈之事的好習慣，正是抵禦此弊的良方。

10. 我們不必再多提這些殘廢靈魂——他們處境可悲、險境重重，除非吾主開口叫他們起來，正如祂叫起那位在貝特匝達池旁躺了三十多年的癱子。⁴³我們現在來談另一群人，他們終於進到城堡的範圍裡：仍然極為世俗，卻略有行善的意願，間或——雖然很少——把自己交託給天主照顧。他們時不時想起自己的靈魂；雖然忙碌，每月也祈禱幾次，可心裡多被千百件雜事佔滿——因為財寶在哪裡，心也就在那裡。⁴⁴儘管如此，他們偶爾也會擱下這些俗慮。對他們而言，能稍稍意識到自身靈魂的處境，看出沿著現行的路永遠走不到那道門，已是莫大的恩惠。

11. 終於，他們進到城堡底層的頭幾間房，身旁跟著大批爬蟲，⁴⁵擾亂他們的平安，使他們無法看見這座建築的美。儘管如此，這些人能找到進門的路，已是極大的收穫。

12. 我的女兒們，妳們也許會想：這些話和我們無關，因為靠著天主的恩典，我們已走得更深了。但仍請妳們對我寬容，因為要說明某些有關祈禱的屬靈事，我實在沒有別的講法。願吾主使我能說到要點；此題若無親身領受過這些恩寵的經驗，極難理解。但凡領受過的人都會明白：要避免觸及某些主題——縱然靠天主的仁慈，那些主題或許永遠不會落到我們頭上——是何等不可能的事。

THIS CHAPTER TREATS OF THE BEAUTY AND DIGNITY OF OUR SOULS AND MAKES A COMPARISON TO EXPLAIN THIS. THE ADVANTAGE OF KNOWING AND UNDERSTANDING THIS AND THE FAVOURS GOD GRANTS TO US IS SHOWN, AND HOW PRAYER IS THE GATE OF THE SPIRITUAL CASTLE.

1. Plan of this book. 2. The Interior Castle. 3. Our curable self ignorance. 4. God dwells in the centre of the soul. 5. Why all souls do not receive certain favours. 6. Reasons for speaking of these favours. 7. The entrance of the Castle. 8. Entering into oneself. 9. Prayer. 10. Those who dwell in the first mansion. 11. Entering. 12. Difficulties of the subject.

1. WHILE I was begging our Lord to-day to speak for me, since I knew not what to say nor how to commence this work which obedience has laid upon me, an idea occurred to me which I will explain, and which will serve as a foundation for that I am about to write.

2. I thought of the soul as resembling a castle,³¹ formed of a single diamond or a very transparent crystal,³² and containing many rooms, just as in heaven there are many mansions.³³ If we reflect, sisters, we shall see that the soul of the just man is but a paradise, in which, God tells us, He takes His delight.³⁴ What, do you imagine, must that dwelling be in which a King so mighty, so wise, and so pure, containing in Himself all good, can delight to rest? Nothing can be compared to the great beauty and capabilities of a soul; however keen our intellects may be, they are as unable to comprehend them as to comprehend God, for, as He has told us, He created us in His own image and likeness.³⁵

3. As this is so, we need not tire ourselves by trying to realize all the beauty of this castle, although, being His creature, there is all the difference between the soul and God that there is between the creature and the Creator; the fact that it is made in God’s image teaches us how great are its dignity and loveliness. It is no small misfortune and disgrace that, through our own fault, we neither understand our nature nor our origin. Would it not be gross ignorance, my daughters, if, when a man was questioned about his name, or country, or parents, he could not answer? Stupid as this would be, it is unspeakably more foolish to care to learn nothing of our nature except that we possess bodies, and only to realize vaguely that we have souls, because people say so and it is a doctrine of faith. Rarely do we reflect upon what gifts our souls may possess, Who dwells within them, or how extremely precious they are. Therefore we do little to preserve their beauty; all our care is concentrated on our bodies, which are but the coarse setting of the diamond, or the outer walls of the castle.³⁶

4. Let us imagine, as I said, that there are many rooms in this castle, of which some are above, some below, others at the side; in the centre, in the very midst of them all, is the principal chamber in which God and the soul hold their most secret intercourse.³⁷ Think over this comparison very carefully; God grant it may enlighten you about the different kinds of graces He is pleased to bestow upon the soul. No one can know all about them, much less a person so ignorant as I am. The knowledge that such things are possible will console you greatly should our Lord ever grant you any of these favours; people themselves deprived of them can then at least praise Him for His great goodness in bestowing them on others. The thought of heaven and the happiness of the saints does us no harm, but cheers and urges us to win this joy for ourselves, nor will it injure us to know that during this exile God can communicate Himself to us loathsome worms; it will rather make us love Him for such immense goodness and infinite mercy.

5. I feel sure that vexation at thinking that during our life on earth God can bestow these graces on the souls of others shows a want of humility and charity for one’s neighbour, for why should we not feel glad at a brother’s receiving divine favours which do not deprive us of our own share? Should we not rather rejoice at His Majesty’s thus manifesting His greatness wherever He chooses?³⁸ Sometimes our Lord acts thus solely for the sake of showing His power, as He declared when the Apostles questioned whether the blind man whom He cured had been suffering for his own or his parents’ sins.³⁹ God does not bestow these favours on certain souls because they are more holy than others who do not receive them, but to manifest His greatness, as in the case of St. Paul and St. Mary Magdalen, and that we may glorify Him in His creatures.

6. People may say such things appear impossible and it is best not to scandalize the weak in faith by speaking about them. But it is better that the latter should disbelieve us, than that we should desist from enlightening souls which receive these graces, that they may rejoice and may endeavour to love God better for His favours, seeing He is so mighty and so great. There is no danger here of shocking those for whom I write by treating of such matters, for they know and believe that God gives even greater proofs of His love. I am certain that if any one of you doubts the truth of this, God will never allow her to learn it by experience, for He desires that no limits should be set to His work: therefore, never discredit them because you are not thus led yourselves.

7. Now let us return to our beautiful and charming castle and discover how to enter it. This appears incongruous: if this castle is the soul, clearly no one can have to enter it, for it is the person himself: one might as well tell some one to go into a room he is already in! There are, however, very different ways of being in this castle; many souls live in the courtyard of the building where the sentinels stand, neither caring to enter farther, nor to know who dwells in that most delightful place, what is in it and what rooms it contains.

8. Certain books on prayer that you have read advise the soul to enter into itself,⁴⁰ and this is what I mean. I was recently told by a great theologian that souls without prayer are like bodies, palsied and lame, having hands and feet they cannot use.  Just so, there are souls so infirm and accustomed to think of nothing but earthly matters, that there seems no cure for them. It appears impossible for them to retire into their own hearts; accustomed as they are to be with the reptiles and other creatures which live outside the castle, they have come at last to imitate their habits. Though these souls are by their nature so richly endowed, capable of communion even with God Himself, yet their case seems hopeless. Unless they endeavour to understand and remedy their most miserable plight, their minds will become, as it were, bereft of movement, just as Lot’s wife became a pillar of salt for looking backwards in disobedience to God’s command.⁴¹

9. As far as I can understand, the gate by which to enter this castle is prayer and meditation. I do not allude more to mental than to vocal prayer, for if it is prayer at all, the mind must take part in it. If a person neither considers to Whom he is addressing himself, what he asks, nor what he is who ventures to speak to God, although his lips may utter many words, I do not call it prayer.⁴² Sometimes, indeed, one may pray devoutly without making all these considerations through having practised them at other times. The custom of speaking to God Almighty as freely as with a slave—caring nothing whether the words are suitable or not, but simply saying the first thing that comes to mind from being learnt by rote by frequent repetition—cannot be called prayer: God grant that no Christian may address Him in this manner. I trust His Majesty will prevent any of you, sisters, from doing so. Our habit in this Order of conversing about spiritual matters is a good preservative against such evil ways.

10. Let us speak no more of these crippled souls, who are in a most miserable and dangerous state, unless our Lord bid them rise, as He did the palsied man who had waited more than thirty years at the pool of Bethsaida.⁴³ We will now think of the others who at last enter the precincts of the castle; they are still very worldly, yet have some desire to do right, and at times, though rarely, commend themselves to God’s care. They think about their souls every now and then; although very busy, they pray a few times a month, with minds generally filled with a thousand other matters, for where their treasure is, there is their heart also.⁴⁴ Still, occasionally they cast aside these cares; it is a great boon for them to realize to some extent the state of their souls, and to see that they will never reach the gate by the road they are following.

11. At length they enter the first rooms in the basement of the castle, accompanied by numerous reptiles⁴⁵ which disturb their peace, and prevent their seeing the beauty of the building; still, it is a great gain that these persons should have found their way in at all.

12. You may think, my daughters, that all this does not concern you, because, by God’s grace, you are farther advanced; still, you must be patient with me, for I can explain myself on some spiritual matters concerning prayer in no other way. May our Lord enable me to speak to the point; the subject is most difficult to understand without personal experience of such graces. Any one who has received them will know how impossible it is to avoid touching on subjects which, by the mercy of God, will never apply to us.