Christian mysticism, please

Who /mystic/ here? I've been granted the key to a family member's secluded home at the edge of an already remote village. I aim to stay there for at least 6 months or so, live terribly sober and only bring with me works of christian mystics. I seek peace of mind, or the first steps towards it. I'm aware of the more canonical medieval Chrstian mystics and their works, but don't want to bring with me an extensive library: any works you'd recommend in particular, from personal experience? Pic somewhat related.

Lives of the Desert Fathers (Apophthegmata Patrum) is a classic. Be sure to read it. Also be sure to bring The Cloud of Unknowing and the works of Meister Eckhart.

I also like Giovanni Pico della Mirandola. He blends Christian mysticism with Renaissance Humanism and Hermeticism. Interesting guy.

here ya go

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

this nag has got it.

cloud of unknowing is the shit.

>bringing wood into your house

Enjoy your fucking bugs dude, you're gonna have bugs everywhere

>yanks

Read this.

>cabbage box
>has wood in it

Absolutely read this. I read this in little segments throughout my day and the positive impact it has had on my day to day thought life has been remarkable. These writings are important.

They wont hurt no one. It might also be the middle of winter.

- Way of the Pilgrim and The Pilgrim Continues his Way (it will give you guidance on how to do the Jesus Prayer and how to read the Philokalia)
- The Philokalia
- and of course the Bible

- optional for inspiration: Apophthegmata Patrum (Sayings of the Desert Fathers)

I very much like the idea of reading only Orthodox masters plus the desert fathers. I've not read a single letter of any of those. Great idea, thanks.

You are missing out if you leave out the Catholic Mystics, the cloud of unknowing itself is incredible.

No doubt, but I suspect I cannot properly familiarize myself with all mystical traditions at once. Do they combine well, I wonder?

Remember that technical everyone is part of the same church until 1054 (whether that is Catholic or Orthodox you'll have to decide). Even then, it took a while for major differences in mystical theology to emerge (e.g. Catholic experiences of meeting the Virgin Mary). Late medieval texts from Western Europe like Cloud of Unknowing or Eckhart would complement the Orthodox writings well and I doubt there will be any irreconcilable differences.

Very well, then. I am excited to read it. I will have to find out how much I can read and contemplate in mere months. I will not hurry, as I'm keen to make the first steps towards a sorting out of my inner life. I will also make sure to bring my telescope so as to familiarize myself better with the observable outer heaven as well.

There is nothing more fascinating to me than speculation about how many angels can dance on the head of a pin.

Philosophical and religious discourse should not be mixed. Here the scholastics went terribly wrong, I think.

looks comfy. Is it?

>Do they combine well, I wonder?

Generally, Catholics will tell you yes, Orthodox will tell you no. Who is right? I don't know. But I think the idea that "the churches didn't separate until 1054 so differences would take a while to appear" is false, and a more accurate understanding is that the schism occurred because of already apparent differences which had been growing for some time. Orthodox like to trace the problem back to Augustine, or the popularization of Augustine by the Franks.