In chapters 21 through 23 of The Spiritual Combat, priest and spiritual writer Lorenzo Scupoli (1530–1610) shows how every sensory experience can become a ladder of ascent to God.
Our appetite for pleasure uses the senses as “soldiers” to seek pleasures and to spread a corrupting delight to both soul and body. Left unregulated, the senses keep us enslaved to passing pleasures, preventing the soul from rising toward God.
To counter this, the Christian must exercise “great watchfulness,” not letting sight, hearing, taste, and touch wander aimlessly or seek pleasure for its own sake, but using them only under the guidance of necessity, utility, or a good spiritual purpose.
When the senses stray, they should be quickly recalled and redirected so that, instead of serving vanity, they become instruments that bring “noble spoil” to the soul and help it rise toward God.
St. Francis de Sales teaches, “We must use creatures as steps to mount up to our Creator.” The greatest tragedy is not that we use our senses, but that we stop at the surface and never penetrate to the depths where God dwells in all things.
St. Gregory of Nyssa (c. 335–395) teaches, “When someone whose mind is but partially developed sees something clothed in some semblance of beauty, he believes that this thing is beautiful in its own nature … but someone who has purified the eyes of his soul and is trained to see beautiful things makes use of the visible as a springboard to rise to the contemplation of the spiritual.”
In chapter 21, Scupoli proposes a method: whenever something sensible presents itself—beautiful objects, plants, animals, sounds, or tastes—one should mentally “separate” the creature from its visible qualities and recognize that all being, life, beauty, goodness, and harmony in it come from God alone. The soul then rejoices that God is the true source and infinite fullness of these perfections, while all created excellences are but tiny reflections of his divine attributes.
In chapter 22, Scupoli extends the same method to the incarnate Word. All created things, if viewed in the light of faith, can lead the soul to meditate on the mysteries of Christ’s life and Passion. Tools and instruments suggest the instruments of the Passion—scourges, nails, thorns, hammers. A poor dwelling calls to mind the stable and manger. Rain recalls Christ’s blood in Gethsemane. Rocks, earthquakes, sun, and darkness evoke his death. Water suggests the blood and water from his pierced side. Wine and other tastes recall vinegar and gall. Sweet scents contrast with the stench of Calvary. Clothing and unclothing recall Christ clothing himself with our humanity and being stripped for scourging and crucifixion. Cries of crowds recall “Crucify Him!” The striking of a clock can recall the nails driven into his flesh. All sufferings, whether ours or others’, are to be compared with, and thus overshadowed by, the incomparably greater pains of Jesus.
In chapter 23, Scupoli provides “other ways of regulating our senses according to the different occasions which present themselves.” Pleasant earthly sights should prompt contempt for worldly goods when compared with heavenly riches. Looking at the sun or heavens should remind one of the soul’s greater beauty in grace or its darkness in sin, and of heaven as the true homeland. The songs of birds lead the mind to the eternal alleluia of Paradise.
Attractive creatures should also trigger holy fear. Beneath their charm lies a “serpent” of temptation, which should drive the soul to the wounds of the Crucified and to the remembrance of death and judgment. Walking, moving water, and flying birds recall the swiftness of life and the approach of death. Storms, lightning, and thunder recall the Last Judgment and urge immediate repentance and preparation.
In daily circumstances, each discomfort should be accepted as God’s will. When seeing a cross, remember it is your standard of warfare. When entering a church, recall that your soul is God’s temple.
Scupoli concludes with an important warning: these many methods are helps, not ends. One must not become attached to a multiplicity of exercises, as this can lead to confusion, self-love, instability, and even demonic snares.
The goal is simple: be watchful, so that we are moved not by attraction or aversion to things themselves, but by God’s will alone. The mind should remain primarily fixed on God and the battle against sinful passions.
St. Basil the Great said, “I want creation to penetrate you with so much admiration that everywhere, wherever you may be, the least plant may bring to you the clear remembrance of the Creator.”
Your voice matters! Join the conversation by submitting a Letter to the Editor here.
感官的轉化：斯庫波里往天主的階梯
在「神修戰鬥」第21至23章中，斯庫波里神父（1530–1610）教導我們如何將每一種感官經驗都轉化為攀升天主的階梯。
我們對享樂的渴望，常以感官為「士兵」，去追求各種感官的愉悅，並將腐蝕性的快感散播到靈魂與身體。若不加以節制，感官便會使我們受制於稍縱即逝的享樂，使靈魂無法向天主提升。
為了對治這一點，基督徒必須保持「高度警醒」 – 不讓視覺、聽覺、味覺與觸覺漫無目的地遊走，也不為了享樂而使用感官，而是只在需要、有益或具有靈性目的時才使用。
當感官走偏時，應立刻召回並重新導向，使感官不再服務虛榮，而成為靈魂的工具，帶來「高貴的戰利品」，幫助靈魂向天主上升。
聖方濟沙雷教導說：「我們必須以受造物為階梯，藉此攀升到我們的造物主。」最大的悲劇不是我們使用感官，而是我們停留在表面，從未深入到天主在萬物中臨在的深處。
尼撒的聖額我略（約335–395）教導說：「當一個人的心智尚未成熟時，他看到某些披著美麗外表的事物，便以為是美的…。但一個已淨化心靈之眼、受過訓練去欣賞真正美善的人，會以可見之物為跳板，藉此上升到對屬靈事物的默觀。」
在第21章中，斯庫波里神父提出一個方法：每當某種可感知的事物呈現在眼前 – 美麗的物件、植物、動物、聲音、味道 – 人應在心中將受造物與其可見的特質「分離」，並認出其中所有的存在、生命、美善、良善與和諧，都唯獨來自天主。靈魂因而喜樂，因為天主才是真正的泉源，是這些完美的無限圓滿，而一切受造物的美善都只是祂神性屬性微小的反映。
在第22章中，斯庫波里神父將同樣的方法延伸至「降生成人的聖言」。若以信德之光觀看，一切受造物都能引導靈魂默想基督一生與苦難的奧蹟。工具與器具使人想起苦難的刑具（鞭子、釘子、荊棘、鐵鎚）；簡陋的住所使人想起馬槽與馬棚；雨水使人想起基督在革責瑪尼所流的血汗；岩石、地震、太陽與黑暗使人想起祂的死亡；水使人想起祂肋旁流出的血與水；酒與其他味道使人想起祂所嚐的酸酷苦膽；芬芳的氣味與加爾瓦略山的惡臭形成對比；穿衣與脫衣使人想起基督披上我們的人性，並為鞭打與釘十字架而被剝去衣服；群眾的呼喊使人想起「把祂釘在十字架上！」；鐘聲的敲擊使人想起釘子穿透祂聖體的聲音。每當我們或見别人的憂苦疼痛，比起耶穌當日靈魂肉身所受的苦痛來，實有天壤之別。
在第23章中，斯庫波里神父提供「在不同情況下調節感官的其他方法」。悅目的世俗景象，應使人對比天上的財富而生出對世俗財物的輕看；仰望太陽或天空，應使人想起靈魂在恩寵中的更大美麗，或在罪惡中的黑暗，並想起天堂才是我們真正的家鄉。鳥兒的歌聲使人想到天堂永恆的亞肋路亞。吸引人的受造物也應喚起聖善的敬畏：在其魅力之下，隱藏著誘惑的「蛇」，這應促使靈魂奔向被釘者的聖傷，並記起死亡與審判。行走、流水、飛鳥使人想到生命的迅速與死亡的逼近；暴風、閃電與雷聲使人想到最後審判，並催促人立刻悔改與準備。
在日常生活中，接受每一個不舒服的事物，視之為天主的旨意。看到十字架時，記得那是你戰鬥的旗幟。進入聖堂時，記得你的靈魂是天主的宮殿。
斯庫波里神父最後提出重要的警告：這些方法只是輔助，而非目的本身。人不可執著於繁多的操練，否則會導致混亂、自愛、不穩定，甚至落入魔鬼的陷阱。
目標很簡單：保持警醒，使我們的行動不是因為事物本身的吸引或厭惡，而是唯獨因天主的旨意。我們的心神應主要固定在天主身上，並專注於與罪惡情慾的戰鬥。
聖巴西略說：「我願受造界以如此深刻的驚嘆滲透你，使你無論身在何處，即使是一株最微小的植物，也能清楚喚起你對造物主的記念。」
Your voice matters! Join the conversation by submitting a Letter to the Editor here.
