S p i r i t ua l i t y S t u d i e s 4 - 1 S p r i n g 2 0 1 8 1 3 Hanneke Arts-Honselaar formed” as described in the poem of Rule 1–10. “When anyone seeks Love and undertakes her service,” this is where one is not in the enjoyment, “he must do all things for her glory, for during all this time he is human and needy”. When one enjoys Minne, one has become God, one is included in the Unity in which work and “refraining from work” coincide. This soul gets part in the properties of God, mighty and just. In this Unity his will and work and power are equally just. Here his will and work and power are included in the Unity and made righteous by the righteousness of Love. In the human soul, therefore, “work” and “refraining from work” coincide: “then will, work, and might have an equal part in his justice, as the Three Persons in one God”. Rule 101–122: The Vision These prohibitions were laid upon me on Ascension Day, four years ago, by God the Father himself, at the moment when his Son came upon the altar. At this coming, I received a kiss from him, and by this token I was shown what follows. Having been made one with him, I came before his Father. There the Father took the Son to himself with me and took me to himself with the Son. And in this Unity into which I was taken and where I was enlightened, I understood this Essence and knew it more clearly than, by speech, reason, or sight, one can know anything that is knowable on Earth. This seems wonderful indeed. But although I say it seems wonderful, I know indeed it does not astonish you. For Earth cannot understand heavenly wisdom. Words enough and Dutch enough can be found for all things on Earth, but I do not know any Dutch or any words that answer my purpose. Although I can express everything insofar as this is possible for a human being, no Dutch can be found for all I have said to you, since none exists to express these things, so far as I know. In this section, Hadewych describes how and when she received the orders and prohibitions from God as described in the poem of Rule 1–10. It was at Ascension Day, four years ago, during the Eucharist, more specifically; During the Eucharistic prayer, when the Son came upon the altar. Upon that coming, Hadewych was, as she says, kissed by him. The mystical kiss occurs in many mystical writings. It symbolizes the fusion of the active and the passive element and is as such a sign of association with the Deity, “and by this token I was shown” (for whom or to whom is not clear). “I was shown” is indeed: the fusion with the Son: “Having been made one with him, I came before his Father … There the Father took the Son to himself with me and took me to himself with the Son.” From this sentence it becomes clear that Hadewych experienced that she was one with the Father through the Son. “And in this Unity into which I was taken and where I was enlightened, I understood this Essence and knew it more clearly than, by speech, reason, or sight, one can know anything that is knowable on Earth.” In the Unity a certain insight is conducted to Hadewych. Here she makes clear how she has come to this insight. In the Unity in which she was engulfed and glorified (being engulfed is at the same time being glorified, this refers again to the fruition associated with the unison, as described above), she understood the essence of God, who is three and yet one, and she learned to know it in a way that cannot be matched by human language, with human reason and with human perception. It is a new, more intensive way of knowing. This new way of knowing belongs, according to Hadewych, substantially to the unification. It’s a mystical way of knowing. This seems wonderful indeed. But although I say it seems wonderful, I know indeed it does not astonish you. For Earth cannot understand heavenly wisdom. Words enough and Dutch enough can be found for all things on Earth, but I do not know any Dutch or any words that answer my purpose. Although I can express everything insofar as this is possible for a human being, no Dutch can be found for all I have said to you, since none exists to express these things, so far as I know. In this section, Hadewych explains the form of mystical knowing she means. She calls her strange. However, she believes that her readers will not be surprised. “For Earth cannot understand heavenly wisdom.” Hadewych assumes that her readers have some experience of knowing this language of heaven, even if she denies the possibility to that at the same way. The continuation of the sentence makes it clear that, however, it is not so much about the understanding of the language of heaven, but much more about speaking the language of heaven: “Words enough and Dutch enough can be found for all things on Earth, but I do not know any Dutch or any words that answer my purpose.” In comparison to what is of the Earth, for what is of heaven there is no language that can say what should be said, namely what was perceived as heavenly. “Although I can express everything insofar as this is possible for a human being, no Dutch can be found for all I have said to you, since none exists to express these things, so far as I know.” It is possible that Hadewych here hints at the fact that she has had a thorough education as a woman of a prominent family. She understands all forms of meaningful speech. Behind this remark a developed woman can hide. But despite of the fact that she understands all these forms of meaningful speech, it is not possible for her to put into words what happened to her as “heavenly”. No Dutch is possible to express this knowing because there is no Dutch
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MzgxMzI=