200.02 Spiritual Quests for Potential (pps.81-82)
a Cosmic
b Mortal

hard cover page 81

200.02a Cosmic

At the Genesis Point, a Divine spark leapt forth. The spark initiates a cycle of becoming, creation, and rebirth. It is the core of this spiritual blaze of potentiality whose ultimate perfect achievement is a primal cosmic end. It is this transcendental flame which directly continues the spark of Life which the Divine infused through Primal Man.

200.02b Mortal

Man is a creature with the ability to undertake a search for the Tree of Knowledge. He is a creature with the ability to undertake a long-term spiritual quest. With dominion over the earth, man as a species is not burdened with a battle for survival with nonhuman creation.

Man’s restless spirit seeks to transcend its limits.²⁹⁶ Man must dare to reach down into the depths of his own spirit and find his essence;²⁹⁷ this is his spiritual quest.²⁹⁸

By prayer, study, piety, contemplation, solitude, abstinence, penance, sacrifice, charity, purity, and love, man approaches his goal. This is a resolute and continuous assault, day after

===================================
——————- NOTES ——————-

²⁹⁶ See also Merton, The New Man, p. 31, and his footnote on page 56: “In the Biblical concept [as opposed to the Nietzschean], man is raised above himself by supernatural gifts for which his nature has a passive and obedien- tial potency, gifts by which these hidden potentialities receive a supereminent realization.”

²⁹⁷ See also ibid., p. 27.

²⁹⁸ “Rabbi Kook in his introduction to his commentary on the Siddur Olat Riyah, writes that man’s soul is continually in a state of worship. It expresses the soul’s yearning for inner fulfillment from a state of potentiality to actuality.” Stitskin, Studies in Torah Judaism, p. 86.

~continued~

---

CONVERSION TABLE for this multi-page unit
you are currently on hard cover p. 81
< BACK		NEXT PAGE>
Pages pointer		hard cover page
1 2	> >	81 82

Pages: 1 2