Because in the school of the Spirit man learns wisdom through humility, knowledge by forgetting, how to speak by silence, how to live by dying.
Interpretation
True wisdom comes from humility and understanding the importance of silence and letting go.
In this quote, Johannes Tauler emphasizes that the path to spiritual growth and enlightenment is paradoxical. He suggests that one must embrace humility to gain true wisdom, recognize that often we learn by forgetting preconceived notions, communicate effectively through silence, and understand the essence of living fully requires an acceptance of mortality and letting go of attachments. This reflects a deeper philosophical understanding of life and spirituality.
In practice
During a meditation session, one might reflect on the wisdom of humility and silence as taught by Tauler.
Often when He comes, He finds the soul occupied. Other guests are there, and He has to turn away. He cannot gain entry, for we love and desire other things; therefore, His gifts, which He is offering to everyone unceasingly, must remain outside.
Every one should find some suitable time, day or night, to sink into his depths, each according to his own fashion. Not every one is able to engage in contemplative prayer.
As a good wine must be kept in a good cask, so a wholesome body is the proper foundation for a well-appointed inner ground.
If you fall seventy times a day, rise seventy times and return to God so that you will not fall too often.
If we really want to achieve true prayer, we must turn our backs upon everything temporal, everything external, everything that is not divine.
If ye keep watch over your hearts, and listen for the Voice of God and learn of Him, in one short hour ye can learn more from Him than ye could learn from Man in a thousand years.
I have occasionally - if ever I do interviews that are difficult or nerve-wracking - I take my wife's dog tags and have them in my pocket because it's a very quick way to realize that what I'm doing is not that important. It's not really worth getting stressed about because it's not, you know, war.
Forgive: if you never know forgiveness, _x000D_ You'll never know the blessings that God gives.
It is much easier to try one's hand at many things than to concentrate one's powers on one thing.
When one has the feeling of dislike for evil, when one feels tranquil, one finds pleasure in listening to good teachings; when one has these feelings and appreciates them, one is free of fear.
We ought all to make an effort to act on our first thoughts and let our unspoken gratitude find expression. Then there will be more sunshine in the world, and more power to work for what is good.
What happened to the writer is not what matters; what matters is the large sense that the writer is able to make of what happened.
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