It seems a bit unusual. Tas šķiet mazliet neparasti. Это кажется немного необычно. (Webster's Bible: John14:6 - Jesus saith to him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no man cometh to the Father, but by me. Jāņa 14:6 - Jēzus viņam sacīja: Es esmu ceļš, patiesība un dzīvība; neviens nenāk pie Tēva, kā vien caur mani. От Иоанна 14:6 - Иисус сказал ему: Я есмь путь и истина и жизнь; никто не приходит к Отцу, как только через Меня. German Bible tr. by Martin Luther (1545): John 14:6 - Jesus spricht zu ihm: Ich bin der Weg und die Wahrheit und das Leben; niemand kommt zum Vater denn durch mich.) (A.A.).
THOUGHT strictly consists in the search after truth, which in God has no place. But when the understanding has arrived at truth, it does not think but perfectly contemplates the Truth.
Thought, according to Richard of Saint Victor, seems to belong to the examination of many things from which one intends to gather one simple truth. Whence under the term thought may be comprehended both the sense perceptions directed to the knowledge of certain effects and imaginations and processes of the reason about diverse signs, or whatever lead to the knowledge of the truth on which the mind is bent; although, according to Augustine, every actual operation of the understanding may be called thought. But meditation seems to belong to the process of reason on certain principles touching upon the contemplation of a given truth; and to the same belongs consideration, according to Bernard, although the philosopher holds that every operation of the understanding may be called consideration. But contemplation belongs to the simple gazing on the truth, whence the same Richard says that “contemplation is the penetrating and free gaze of the soul on things to be explored,” but meditation is “the gaze of the soul occupied in the search after truth: and thought is the disposition of the soul prone to wandering”.
According to Augustine, to think, to discern, and to understand are not the same things. To discern is to know a thing through its differences from others. But to think is to consider a thing as to its parts and properties: whence to think (cogitare) is called, so to say, to urge together (coagitare). But to understand is nothing other than the simple gaze of the intellect upon that intelligible thing that is present to it. I say, therefore, that the soul does not always think about and discern God, nor itself; for if this were so every one would know naturally the whole nature of his soul, at which one may hardly arrive by great study; for such knowledge it is not sufficient that the thing should be present in any way, but it is necessary that it should be there in the way of an object of knowledge, and the intent of him knowing is requisite. But in so far as to understand is nothing other than a gazing upon, which itself is only the presence of the intelligible thing to the understanding in any way: in this manner the soul ever understands itself, and God indeterminately, and there follows a certain undefined love. Yet in another fashion, according to the philosopher, it is held that the soul ever understands itself, since everything which is understood is not understood except it be illuminated by the light of the active intellect, and received in the possible intellect. Whence just as in all colour corporeal light is seen, so in everything intelligible is seen the light of the active intellect, not, however, in the nature of an object, but in the nature of the medium of knowing.
Quote from:
NEW THINGS & OLD
IN
Saint THOMAS AQUINAS
A TRANSLATION OF VARIOUS WRITINGS
& TREATISES OF THE ANGELIC DOCTOR
WITH AN INTRODUCTION
BY
H. C. O NEILL
MDCCCCIX LONDON
J. M. DENT & COMPANY
29 AND 30 BEDFORD STREET, W.C.
(page 207-208)
A.A