spiritual exercise, n.All

A Spiritual exercise (n.) keeps ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the proofs that apparent goods are not real goods always ready to hand.

A Spiritual exercise (n.) can ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠start on the doorstep: test everyone you meet by one rule — is this inside my choice or outside? — and throw away whatever fails.

Spiritual exercise (n.) may ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠descend from shamanist feats — enduring hunger and cold, holding the breath, rehearsing death; Socrates standing motionless all night in the cold would be the trace.

A Spiritual exercise (n.) lets ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the stream of representations run freely and works on each one as it passes; intellectual method lets in only what follows by necessary link from what came before.