Celebrated for almost five centuries as a master of spiritual literature, 16th-century saint Teresa of Avila is one of the most beloved religious figures in history. Overcome one day by a mystical vision of a crystal castle with seven chambers, each representing a different stage in spiritual development, Teresa immediately wrote The Interior Castle. Probably her most important and widely studied work, it guides the spiritual seeker through each stage of development until the soul's final union with the divine. Free of religious dogma, this modern translation renders St. Teresa's work a beautiful and practical set of teachings for seekers of all faiths in need of spiritual guidance. It also places this classic book on spirituality --a gem of mystical literature made accessible and relevant to the modern spiritual seeker -Sharon Salzberg--in a contemporary context, reasserting its literary importance even after more than 400 years.

She sees the soul as a magnificent castle full of spacious and well-lit rooms or mansions each of which leads deeper into the heart of the castle to the seat of the King. However, St. Teresa laments that most people give all their attention to the outer wall of the castle the body ignoring the beauty of the soul within.

St. Teresa gives practical advice regarding the early struggles and the temptations to turn back which beset the beginner. She describes each of the seven mansions and urges us forward to love and serve the Divine Majesty, imparting her absolute conviction that progress toward God through prayer is worth vastly more than all the treasures of this earth.

One of the most celebrated works on mystical theology in existence, as timely today as when St. Teresa of Avila wrote it centuries ago, this is a treasury of unforgettable maxims on self-knowledge and fulfillment.

What the Fathers of the Church taught without
system and confusedly, this virgin, Teresa, has
reduced with such mastery and elegance to a body of
doctrine.
--Pope St. Pius X

Saint Teresa of Ávila, mystic, Carmelite reformer, and Doctor of the Church, is one of the greatest people to ever walk the face of the Earth--and even one of the greatest saints. Her position as a spiritual master is uncontested and, as her Way of Perfection will attest, her method of prayer was simple: through astounding sanctity and humility, as well as intensive recollection, we may approach God through meditation and come to know Him intimately. And He always rewards us more than we deserve.

Born to a pious family in 1515, Teresa grew up fascinated with the faith. A popular anecdote from her youth tells of an impromptu escapade with her brother: they attempted to flee to Africa to be martyred by Moors, only to be brought back from the city walls by their uncle. Teresa later joined the Carmelites at 20, but found their practices to be lacking in austerity. She herself was zealous in mortification, and frequently exerted herself to the point of illness. Upon recovery after a particularly long convalescence, she began to experience religious ecstasies, which continued throughout her life. She experienced interior visions (i.e. without sensory manifestation) of Our Lord, levitations, and other graces, including the famous transverberation, where her heart was mystically pierced by a lance borne by a seraph. But Teresa's principle work in life was to reform the Carmelites; she traveled all about Spain establishing new convents and, with St. John of the Cross, men's monasteries. Throughout all of her reform work, her attitude was joyful, saintly, and profoundly charismatic.

From this saintly life developed a method of prayer, a veritable method of growing in perfection, that includes such insights as this:

• Prayer must never be self-indulgent.
• Only solitude and interior quietude are necessary for meditative prayer.
• Vocal prayer is of extreme use and must be said humbly and attentively.
• Meditation is necessary to grow in virtue.
• Recollection of one's nothingness before prayer is essential.
• Humility and perseverance are necessary for prayer.
• And so much more . . .

Of all of Teresa of Avila's works, The Way of Perfection is the most easily understood. Written at the height of the controversy surrounding the reforms Teresa instituted in the Carmelite order, it instructed the nuns in the practice of prayer. Teresa discusses the three essentials of a prayer-filled life -- fraternal love, detachment from material things, and true humility. Her counsels on these are the fruit of her practical experience. The book develops these ideas and takes up directly the matters of prayer and contemplation. Teresa gives various maxims for the practice of prayer and concludes the book with her masterful and impassioned version of the Lord's Prayer. How is it that Thou canst give us so much with Thy first word? she says of the Our at the beginning of that prayer.

The simple and practical nature of this mystical classic will appeal to all who seek a life of wholeness.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

What does the life of our soul look like?

In The Interior Castle, Saint Teresa imagines the soul as a magnificent castle full of spacious and elaborate rooms. And, as Saint Teresa describes, at the heart of this castle stands the seat of the King Himself.

To help show the beauty of the soul belonging to God and the beauty contained in these pages, we have created a stunning new edition of this classic. With a deluxe leatherette hardcover, a satin ribbon, golden gilded edges, reinforced sides for longevity, smyth-sewn binding, and gold foil, this edition of The Interior Castle will both guide your soul to Christ and beautify your home.

I thought of the soul as resembling a castle, formed of a single diamond or a very transparent crystal, and containing many rooms, just as in Heaven there are many mansions. If we reflect, sisters, we shall see that the souls of the just man is but a paradise, in which, God tells us, He takes His delight (p. 7).

This book provides a remarkable description of the spiritual life of the soul. From the first release of the soul from mortal sin into sanctifying grace, to the mystical marriage of the soul to Christ, The Interior Castle describes the spiritual life as a journey through the imagery of a mysterious and beautiful castle.

Using her image of a castle, Saint Teresa writes about numerous essential aspects of our spiritual journey in this book, including:

- Practical advice to those beginning their spiritual journey, especially regarding the early struggles and temptations to turn back
- Descriptions of the seven mansions and what they mean for the soul
- How and why we should love and serve the Divine Majesty
- The value of our progress towards God

The instructive, witty, kind, and prayerful style of Saint Teresa of Avila will inspire you to see the soul in a new way. After reading The Interior Castle from the TAN Classics Deluxe Set, you will want the beautification of your soul above all earthly treasures.