Sometime shortly before the year 1160, he was inspired by a series of events, firstly, after hearing a sermon on the life of St. Alexius, secondly, rejection of transubstantiation when it was considered a capital crime to do it, thirdly, the sudden and unexpected death of a friend during an evening meal.
Beberapa waktu sebelum tahun 1160, ia terilhami oleh serangkaian peristiwa, pertama, setelah mendengar khotbah tentang kehidupan St. Aleksius, kedua, penolakan terhadap ajaran transubstansiasi bilamana penolaknya dianggap patut diganjar hukuman mati, ketiga, kemangkatan seorang temannya secara mendadak pada saat makan malam.