Spiritual Insights from Valentin Tomberg

[AshvinP]

I took the liberty of splitting some of the recent comments into a new thread where we can continue that discussion - viewtopic.php?t=933

I may continue posting some more Tomberg excerpts here and I figure it will be easier to have two different threads.

[benjaqu]

Now this power is just as much there for all human beings as suffering and guilt are there for them. This power, which makes all suffering holy, which can transform every punishment into sacrifice, which is the sun of the conscience, the light ‘which lighteth every man that cometh into the world’—this power is Christ. Christ is for Dostoevsky neither a dogma nor an ideal. He is actually present wherever suffering is felt in such a way that one wishes to kneel before it, wherever punishment suddenly, through the miracle of inner transformation, begins to shine as a sacrifice for all humanity. When light falls on hidden tendencies of your own soul that make you co-responsible for things and deeds that you would have otherwise immediately turned away from—then Christ is present. And this is the final and most central thesis of Dostoevsky’s ‘wisdom of suffering’: All suffering can be experienced as the breath of Christ’s spirit in human souls.

Yuck, what unholy, decadent view. If you don't want to journey towards lower, or more insane worlds I think that corrupted point of view needs to be let go of.

Suffering is to be transcended not glorified. It is incredibly decadent to dissociate from suffering personally while expecting suffering people or holy men or an imagined God to glorify it for you, so to speak.

It is our duty to orient towards the glory of God and the utter transcendence of worlds of woe. We need to move from the worldly or spiritually fake, coercive hierarchies to the ranks of supreme divinity, benediction and free love.

[AshvinP]

Now this power is just as much there for all human beings as suffering and guilt are there for them. This power, which makes all suffering holy, which can transform every punishment into sacrifice, which is the sun of the conscience, the light ‘which lighteth every man that cometh into the world’—this power is Christ. Christ is for Dostoevsky neither a dogma nor an ideal. He is actually present wherever suffering is felt in such a way that one wishes to kneel before it, wherever punishment suddenly, through the miracle of inner transformation, begins to shine as a sacrifice for all humanity. When light falls on hidden tendencies of your own soul that make you co-responsible for things and deeds that you would have otherwise immediately turned away from—then Christ is present. And this is the final and most central thesis of Dostoevsky’s ‘wisdom of suffering’: All suffering can be experienced as the breath of Christ’s spirit in human souls.

Yuck, what unholy, decadent view. If you don't want to journey towards lower, or more insane worlds I think that corrupted point of view needs to be let go of.

Suffering is to be transcended not glorified. It is incredibly decadent to dissociate from suffering personally while expecting suffering people or holy men or an imagined God to glorify it for you, so to speak.

It is our duty to orient towards the glory of God and the utter transcendence of worlds of woe. We need to move from the worldly or spiritually fake, coercive hierarchies to the ranks of supreme divinity, benediction and free love.

Hi Ben,

I don't quite understand where it was suggested we "dissociate from suffering personally". Could you clarify?

Do you think there is any higher purpose that is accomplished by God through our suffering?