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 God is not purely your all.
-- John of the Cross, "The Ascent of Mount Carmel"
