2 October 2022

Maximus of Tyre on Contemplation

“But the Divine itself cannot be seen by the eye or spoken of by the tongue or touched by the flesh or heard by the ear; it is only the noblest and purest and most intelligent and subtlest and most venerable aspect of the soul that can see it in virtue of their similarity, and hear it in virtue of their kinship, grasping it all at once in a single act of comprehension.  So, just as if someone desires to see the sun, he does not seek to grasp it with his sense of hearing; and if someone is passionate for vocal harmonies, he does not pursue them with his eyes – it is sight that is passionate for colours and hearing for sounds – just so what intellect ‘sees’ and ‘hears’ is the Intelligible . . .

How then does the intellect see, and how does it hear?  By bringing to bear an upright, vigorous soul, by fixing its gaze firmly on that pure light and not falling prey to vertigo, nor sinking back towards the earth, but blocking off its ears, and turning ears and eyes in upon itself; by forgetting the groans and lamentations and pleasures and fancies and honours and dishonours below and entrusting its guidance to true Reason and vigorous Love – Reason to instruct it on the correct path, Love to watch over it and to ease the labours of the journey with its persuasive charm. As the soul advances thither and distances itself from things below, the clear radiance of what lies ahead of it, stage by stage, serves as a prelude to God’s true nature.  As it advances, it hears of God’s nature; as it ascends, it sees it.  The end of the journey is not the heavens nor the heavenly bodies.  For though these are indeed things of wondrous beauty, in that they are his true and legitimate offspring, in harmony with supreme Beauty, yet must we go beyond even these and emerge beyond the heavens, into the region of true Reality and the peace which reigns there , , ,”

(Maximus of Tyre, The Philosophical Orations, Oration 11, translated by M. B. Trapp, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1997, pages 103 and 104)

Maximus was a Platonist philosopher of the second century; his exact dates are unknown as are details about his life.  His essays, which seem to have been publicly given speeches, hence ‘Orations’, were collected at an early date and have circulated ever since.  Oration 11 has had a profound influence on the understanding of contemplation in various Christian traditions such as Catholicism and the Quaker tradition.

When I read this Oration, I am struck by the centrality of contemplation in the Platonic tradition; it is the beating heart of philosophy as understood in Platonism.  Contemplation is the means whereby the mystical ascent to that which lies beyond sense experience, and is the source of all sensory experience, is attained.