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SPIRITUAL DIRECTION

Teresa warns that this surrender will be a way of going through the suffering of the sixth mansion: refuse
the cross. Aridity in prayer becomes “our daily bread” to suffer from it—keep leaping into the world of light,
(Burrows, 98). All suffering at this stage is not to be security, and joy (Burrows, 98). It is her way of guiding
merely endured. To have any value, it is to be used spiritual travellers in this mansion to avoid giving undue
to purify and transform the self. Teresa’s Christology significance to either suffering or spiritual favours. Thus
becomes heightened as she describes her primary rela- she guides them to self-emptying detachment from every-
tionship with Jesus Christ throughout her various stages thing so that they become totally exposed to God (96).
of transformation. Author and professor of religion and Teresa sees a great need for discernment at this stage
spirituality Janet Ruffing, RSM explains, “Teresa’s self- of internal and external trials, obstacles, and opposition,
image and her Christ-image correlate with one another and a need for great courage, faith, confidence, and
throughout her spiritual development” (150). an ever-deeper resignation to the divine will (McLean,
Teresa’s frame of reference for her experience of the 7–8). However, Michael notes the danger of it going
mutual desiring in her human-Divine intimacy was that to their heads in self-inflation and the development of
of mystical romantic love (similar to some Sufis who even a Messiah complex. They need spiritual direction for
call men “brides” of the Beloved [Al-Jilani, 16]), rather objectivity and balance between contemplation and
than the apophatic mystical path followed by most peo- action (Michael, 116). Spiritual directors for those expe-
ple where feeling is typically minimized and darkness or riencing the romantic mystical path need to encourage
aridity is emphasized. Yet both modes in the sixth man- spiritual directees to take all and none of their experi-
sion experience the paradox of a sense of presence and ences of the presence and absence of God seriously, but
absence of God. Burrows sums up Teresa’s assessment guide them to ever deepening surrender and mutuality.
of those who have travelled ever deeper into their souls Spiritual directees in the apophatic path experiencing
in the sixth mansion and are about to leave it: “with the the presence-absence paradox need to be encouraged to
close of the sixth mansion, we leave the obsessed, enam- maintain fidelity to contemplative prayer, despite the
oured creature, ravaged with desire, a hungry emptiness absence of “events” (Ruffing, 96). Although the absence
nothing can satisfy” (109). The stage-six gift of the total of God in prayer can feel like a regression, it can actually
surrender of tawakkul in Sufism and Teresa’s spiritual be a sign that the spiritual directee is going deeper into
betrothal are both accompanied by suffering. the mansions of the soul. The spiritual director needs to
be alert to this possibility and assist the spiritual directee
Spiritual Direction for Stage 6 to explore this possible invitation (99).
Sufi Shaykhs encourage those at the sixth station of
the heart to acknowledge their longing for a direct com- Stage 7
munication with God, and to face both the difficulty of In the final station of the heart in Sufism, those on the
feeling vulnerable and the tendency to avoid this pain. spiritual journey have developed a strong desire to attain
Shaykhs do not help spiritual directees make the pain go unity with the Creator and enter the state of rida—con-
away, but it is their job to keep this fire of love burning tentment, Attar’s Valley of Poverty and Nothingness
within them, to keep them awakened to their heart’s (203). This stage is marked by perfect contentment with
remembrance of God (Vaughan-Lee 2000, 24–26). God’s will. The ego is annihilated (fana), and spiritual
For Teresa of Avila, the surrender of this stage that gives seekers experience pure love and joy in their union with
the capacity to receive the “rapture” requires much cour- God. The individual’s consciousness has merged with the
age, faith, confidence, and resignation and is accompa- Divine consciousness. Whether they experience depriva-
nied by a growing self-knowledge and humility (Burrows, tion or abundance, they are happy because self-will is
99, 101). The danger here is that spiritual directees can finished. The Sufi poet Jalaluddin Rumi explains it as
fall victim to their own pride and self-delusion. The “dying before you die” (Helminski, 128).
highs of rapture and the lows of aridity can make the soul The Sufi mystic Mansur Al Hallaj (858–922) believed
restless (Giles, 5). Teresa gives advice to those who are that God was within him, and in this union with the

24 Presence: An International Journal of Spiritual Direction