The Soul as an Interior Castle

If this castle is the soul, clearly no one can be said to “enter” it in a literal sense, for it is the person himself. It is as though one were told to go into a room in which one is already present.

Yet there are very different ways of dwelling within this interior castle.

Living on the Exterior Level of the Soul

Many souls live only in the courtyard of the building, where the sentinels stand. They neither care to enter further nor desire to know who dwells in that most delightful place within, what it contains, or what rooms it holds.

Their life remains outward, occupied with surface concerns, while the deeper interior remains unknown and untouched.

The First Entry Into Self-Knowledge

Others begin the journey of entering into themselves and, in doing so, at last find the first rooms of the castle. These are like the lower chambers of the building.

However, they enter accompanied by many distractions and “reptiles” — that is, disordered passions and interior disturbances. These creatures trouble their peace and prevent them from clearly seeing the beauty of the soul.

The Beginning of Interior Progress

Still, it is a great gain that such souls have found their way inside at all. Even if they are not yet purified or peaceful, the very fact that they have begun to turn inward marks the beginning of true spiritual growth and the path toward deeper union with God.