The Dark Night of the Soul

The dark night of the soul is like the dark desert with no place to turn. Our faith in God is undermined and the mind cannot find any consolation. This existential crisis is the dark night of the soul. ‘God, oh my God, why hast thou forsaken me?’ Sorrow is unbearable and unavoidable, with nothing to do, no prospect of future happiness. This is the cloud of unknowing in which one must sit without expectation. When all hope and faith are removed, what remains? We stand naked in the open, empty unknowing. Have the clarity, courage and love to remain there, seeking, resisting and being nothing. The death of the separate self is symbolised by the crucifixion. Even this darkness is illumined by the light of awareness. The ‘I Am’ is present. In darkness, one finds the light. Sitting in unknowing, ‘I Am’, God’s presence, shines as our very being. Nothing else can satisfy.

The dark night of the soul is like the dark desert with no place to turn. Our faith in God is undermined and the mind cannot find any consolation. This existential crisis is the dark night of the soul. ‘God, oh my God, why hast thou forsaken me?’ Sorrow is unbearable and unavoidable, with nothing to do, no prospect of future happiness. This is the cloud of unknowing in which one must sit without expectation. When all hope and faith are removed, what remains? We stand naked in the open, empty unknowing. Have the clarity, courage and love to remain there, seeking, resisting and being nothing. The death of the separate self is symbolised by the crucifixion. Even this darkness is illumined by the light of awareness. The ‘I Am’ is present. In darkness, one finds the light. Sitting in unknowing, ‘I Am’, God’s presence, shines as our very being. Nothing else can satisfy.