I began to
think of the soul as if it were a castle made of a single diamond or of very
clear crystal, in which there are many rooms, just as in Heaven there are many
mansions. ... Now let us return to our beautiful and delightful castle and see
how we can enter it. I seem rather to be talking nonsense, for, if this castle
is the soul, there can clearly be no question of our entering it. For we ourselves
are the castle: and it would be absurd to tell someone to enter a room when he
was in it already! But you must understand that there are many ways of "being" in
a place. Many souls remain in the outer court of the castle, which is the place
occupied by the guards; they are not interested in entering it, and have no idea
what there is in that wonderful place, or who dwells in it, or even how many
rooms it has. You will have read certain books on prayer which advise the soul
to enter within itself: and that is exactly what this means.
- The Interior Castle,
St. Teresa of Avila,
Spanish nun, 1515-1582. |