Spiritual Ascents and Descents

Q: What does it mean to say that a descent brings another descent, and in between we will not feel any ascent take place?

A: When a person regards every situation as a descent, meaning when one is dissatisfied with everything, it is an excellent situation. If that person were satisfied with the present situation, progress would stop. Clearly, it would be best if one didn’t stop at all until the end of correction!

But if it is one long descent is it felt as several descents, with no ascents between them? It must be that the ascent is felt as several separated ascents because it relates to several areas: aims, the form of the pleasure, the feeling of disappointment in former goals, and the giving of new meanings to old values.

Generally speaking, all these are excellent situations. It is through them that the desires are created, and the vessels in which to perceive the Creator. After all, there is nothing more opposite to man than the Creator. Therefore, ultimately, the Creator is sensed only in the opposite sensations to those sensations that we feel toward ourselves.