John of the Cross (1542-1591)
This Carmelite mystic, a true Black Dragon, once whispered the following—intended as an antidote for those afflicted by endless yearnings; with one paraphrased nuance:
To reach satisfaction in all
desire its possession in nothing.
To come to possession in all
desire the possession of nothing.
To arrive at being all
desire to be nothing.
To come to the knowledge of all
desire the knowledge of nothing.
To come to the pleasure you have not
you must go by the way in which you enjoy not.
To come to the knowledge you have not
you must go by the way in which you know not.
To come to the possession you have not
you must go by the way in which you possess not.
To come by the what you are not
you must go by a way in which you are not.
When you turn toward something
you cease to cast yourself upon the all.
For to go from all to the all
you must deny yourself of all in all.
And when you come to the possession of the all
you must possess it without *wanting* anything.
Because if you desire to have something in all
your treasure in the Unborn is not purely your all.”
Once desire is laid-low, the All will reveal Itself freely and unhindered in All as All…
One slight movement—one minuscule desirous intent—then the Living Flame of the Unborn is extinguished.