Evelyn Underhill was a renowned English writer and pacifist who is best known for her works on mysticism and spirituality. Her profound insights and wisdom continue to inspire and enlighten people around the world. In this article, we have compiled a collection of some of Evelyn Underhill’s most thought-provoking quotes that will leave you pondering the deeper aspects of life.
Read these Evelyn Underhill quotes
“The spiritual life is not a special career, involving abstraction from the world of things. It is a part of every man’s life; and until he has realized it, he is not a complete human being, has not entered into possession of all his powers.”
“We mostly spend our lives conjugating three verbs: to Want, to Have, and to Do. Craving, clutching, and fussing, on the material, political, social, emotional, intellectual—even on the religious—plane, we are kept in perpetual unrest: forgetting that none of these verbs have any ultimate significance, except so far as they are transcended by and included in, the fundamental verb, to Be: and that Being—not wanting, having, and doing—is the essence of a spiritual life.”
“The spiritual life is a stern choice. It is not a consoling retreat from the difficulties of existence, but an invitation to enter fully into that difficult existence, and there apply the Charity of God, the purifying flame of His Love, to the human dross which obscures His image.”
“We mostly spend our lives conjugating three verbs: to Want, to Have, and to Do. Craving, clutching, and fussing, on the material, political, social, emotional, intellectual—even on the religious—plane, we are kept in perpetual unrest: forgetting that none of these verbs have any ultimate significance, except so far as they are transcended by and included in, the fundamental verb, to Be: and that Being—not wanting, having, and doing—is the essence of a spiritual life.”
“The soul is like a wild animal—tough, resilient, resourceful, savvy, self-sufficient. It knows how to survive in hard places. But it is also shy. Just like a wild animal, it seeks safety in the dense underbrush. If we want to see a wild animal, we know that the last thing we should do is go crashing through the woods yelling for it to come out. But if we will walk quietly into the woods, sit patiently by the base of the tree, breathe with the earth, and fade into our surroundings, the wild creature we seek might put in an appearance.”
“Mysticism is the art of union with Reality. The mystic is a person who has attained that union in greater or less degree; or who aims at and believes in such attainment.”
“The spiritual pilgrimage is the gradual reforming of our attitudes and behavior, the steady transformation of our moods, and the steady growth of habits of sincerity and reverence, of sweetness and humility.”
“Mysticism has been in the past and probably ever will be one of the most vital of religious forces at work in the world, for it is concerned with birth and union. It is not a philosophy: it is a method of union with God through love.”
“The art of restfulness is a part of the spiritual life. Activity without restfulness is mere whirligig. Restfulness means going to sleep in God’s arms, and waking up there.”
“In the region of the soul, God is experienced as an unutterable fullness of life, a life which includes all things and in which all things are seen as they are. It is a state of perception which is utterly beyond our power to describe, but which can be known and experienced by the soul which surrenders itself to the divine influence.”
“The only way to destroy the power of a poison is to dispel the belief in its reality. When that is done, it ceases to hypnotize.”
“The only way to destroy the power of a poison is to dispel the belief in its reality. When that is done, it ceases to hypnotize.”
“What we think of as our self is a small, finite, limited thing, which has its own interests, and its own will, and its own fears. It is always seeking its own advantage, and is always afraid of losing its own security. But the soul does not seek its own advantage, and it has no fear of giving away its life for love’s sake. The soul is not bound by its own interests, because it is free. The soul has no will of its own, because its will is identical with that of God. The soul has no fears because it knows that it is immortal.”
“Mysticism is not a passing mood, but a permanent state of being. It is not a grasping after knowledge, but a living in the heart of God. It is not merely the perception of truth; but a possession of it, not a skillful use of powers, but a life of union with the source of all power.”
“The mystic is not a different kind of Christian, but the same kind; only more so. Whereas the ordinary Christian is content with a minimum of spiritual experience and knowledge, the mystic is not content unless he can see the face of God, and feel his presence in his own soul. Whereas the ordinary Christian may be content to look upon the divine as an object of worship, the mystic wants to be united to it, and to be one with it.”
“The spiritual life is the life of the soul in communion with God, and in communication with the world in which it lives. It is not a life of seclusion and withdrawal, but a life of involvement and engagement. It is not a life of escape from the world, but a life of transformation within the world. It is not a life of isolation and detachment, but a life of love and service. It is not a life of renunciation and self-denial, but a life of self-giving and self-surrender.”
“The spiritual life is not a special career, involving abstraction from the world of things. It is a part of every man’s life; and until he has realized it, he is not a complete human being, has not entered into possession of all his powers.”
“The soul is like a wild animal—tough, resilient, resourceful, savvy, self-sufficient. It knows how to survive in hard places. But it is also shy. Just like a wild animal, it seeks safety in the dense underbrush. If we want to see a wild animal, we know that the last thing we should do is go crashing through the woods yelling for it to come out. But if we will walk quietly into the woods, sit patiently by the base of the tree, breathe with the earth, and fade into our surroundings, the wild creature we seek might put in an appearance.”
“The spiritual pilgrimage is the gradual reforming of our attitudes and behavior, the steady transformation of our moods, and the steady growth of habits of sincerity and reverence, of sweetness and humility.”
These powerful quotes from Evelyn Underhill provide us with glimpses into the profound spiritual insights that she possessed. They invite us to explore the deeper dimensions of life and to embrace the transformative power of spirituality. May these quotes inspire and guide you on your own spiritual journey.
