Articles of Monasticism, Eldership & Hesychasm

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A Holy Conversation -- Money and the Passions (Part IV)
BROTHER: Is he who loves money able to believe the promises?

OLD MAN: No. If he believes, why does he possess riches? Perhaps our hope is set upon gold, or perhaps the hand of the Lord is too small to redeem us? The body of our Lord is given unto us for our happiness, and His blood is the drink of our redemption, and He withholds from us the loaves of bread and the apparel which grows old. He who loves money is divided in his mind concerning God, and he prepares for himself pleasures before God gives them unto him; and though he rejoices in the promises in his word, he makes them to be a lie by his deed. True indeed is the word of our Lord which He spake, "It is as difficult for the rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven as it is for a camel to go through the eye of the needle"; it is impossible to possess in one dwelling both God and mammon. Monks should, then, not belong unto the things which are seen.

BROTHER: From what is the love of money produced?

OLD MAN: From desire, for unless a man desires he does not possess. When a man desires, he possesses, and when he possesses he has fulfilled his desire; and when he has fulfilled his desire, he becomes greedy; and when he has become greedy he commits fraud, and when he has committed fraud his possessions have become many.

When his possessions are many, his love diminishes, and when his love has diminished, the remembrance of God is removed from his heart. And when the remembrance of God has been removed from his heart, the mind becomes darkened, and his understanding is blinded; and when his understanding has become blinded, the power of discernment is darkened, and when the power of discernment has become dark, the soul loses its sight.

And when the soul has lost its sight, good is rooted out therefrom, and wickedness enters in, and sin takes up its rule; and when sin has taken up its rule, the thought of God is blotted out, and the passions of the body are stirred up, and they seek to satisfy their needs. And having taken that which they sought for, it is necessary for much money to be collected, and when money is multiplied, the gratification of the body is fulfilled, and when it eats and drinks, and commits adultery and fornication, and it lies and works fraud and oppression, and it transgresses the covenant, and destroys the Law, and treats the promises with contempt, and the lust for the things which are seen is fulfilled.

Let money be an abominable thing in our sight, and let us not love it; but if we perform the lust of the flesh it is an absolute necessity to love money; for money belongs to the flesh and not to the spirit, even as the Apostle says, "The flesh hurts the spirit, and the spirit the flesh, and both are opponents each of the other" (Galatians 5:17).

BROTHER: Who is, indeed, the man of excellence?

OLD MAN: He who cries out always that he is a sinner, and asks mercy from on high, whose word is laden with the feeling of discernment, and his senses with the watchfulness of deeds; and who, being silent, yet speaks; and who, though speaking, holds his peace, and whose actions are wholly good fruits for the life of time and the revelation of Christ.

BROTHER: What is the way of life?

OLD MAN: The going forth of a man from this world on his entrance into another. But if a man forsakes his childhood of humility and comes to the old age of the world in his love, he reveals the way of life. To go forth truly from this world is to be remote from it.

BROTHER: And what shall I do in respect of the world which troubles me?

OLD MAN: The world troubles you because its care is in your mind, and the love of it is in your body, and its pleasures are in your heart; forsake the world and it will depart from you; and root up from yourself all its branches, and behold, the war thereof will die down in you. For as long as your body seeks its gratifications, and its lust is of this world, you are not capable of life.

from E. A. Wallis Budge, "The Paradise of the Holy Fathers," Seattle: St. Nectarios Press, 1984, pp. 265-266

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A Holy Conversation -- The Meaning of Prayer (Part V)
BROTHER: What is pure prayer?

OLD MAN: Pure prayer is little in speech and great in deeds, for if it were not so work would be more excellent than supplication . . . . For if it be not so why do we ask and yet not receive, seeing that the mercy of God abounds? The method of penitents is, however, something different, as is also the labor of the humble, for the penitents are hirelings, and the humble are sons.

BROTHER: What is the kind of prayer which is not acceptable before God?

OLD MAN: The destruction of enemies, and asking for evil things to come upon those who do harm to us, and the health of the body, and a multitude of possessions, and abundance of offspring -- prayers for these things are not acceptable before God. But if God bears with us while we are sinners and commit offences against Him, how much more is it right that we should bear with each other? It is not right for us to ask for the things which belong to the Body, for the wisdom of God provides all things.

BROTHER: How ought we to pray before God?

OLD MAN: For the return of sinners, and the finding of the lost, and the bringing near of those who are afar off, and friendliness towards those who wrong us, and love towards those who persecute us, and a sorrowful care for those who provoke to wrath; if a man does these things, truly there is repentance in his mind, and sinners will often live, and their souls be redeemed in life. For the prayer which our Lord delivered unto us for the need of the body is a word which covereth the whole community, and was not uttered solely for those who are strangers to the world, and who hold in contempt the pleasures of the body. For he in whose dwelling the kingdom of God and the righteousness thereof are found lacks nothing, even when he asks not.

BROTHER: What is purity of soul?

OLD MAN: Remoteness from anger and from the error of the remembrance of evil things, and being weaned from the bitter nature, and reconciliation with our enemies, and peace which is beyond troubling, and simplicity of love which is above this world; with these things is the inner man cleansed, and he puts on Christ and is redeemed.

BROTHER: What is envy?

OLD MAN: Hatred toward the virtues of other folk, and wickedness towards the good, and a bitter mind towards the innocent, and anger against those who are prosperous in this world, and the cloaking of the upright conduct of those who repent, and vexation with the peace of the lovers of God.

from E. A. Wallis Budge, "The Paradise of the Holy Fathers," Seattle: St. Nectarios Press, 1984, pp. 266-267

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A Holy Conversation --
The Meaning of Solitude (Part VI)
BROTHER: What is remoteness from the world?

OLD MAN: The thought (or mind) which overcomes the love of the body; for if the body be not trampled upon by the feeling of patient endurance a man cannot conquer in his strife.

BROTHER: Who is the mighty man, he who is remote from the world, or he who dwelleth therein?

OLD MAN: The mighty man conquers in every place, whether he be in the world or without. Nevertheless, the fathers departed to the wilderness, the place which is preserved from the uproar of those who are afraid that as long as they dwell in the body the passions which trouble will cleave to them. Now, for those who have ended the great strife of their conflict in the world, Divine Grace has worked with its power, and it still works for the remembrance and benefit of the community, and truly great is the crown of those whose spiritual ship has not sunk to the bottom of the tossed and troubled sea of this world, and has not ceased its course heavenwards by the straight road which is full of fear.

BROTHER: Is it helpful to the soul to make oneself a stranger?

OLD MAN: With perfect thanksgiving it does help, provided that the soul bears chastely afflictions, and rejoices in our Lord who gives pleasure; but if it does not, its good seed is made of no effect because it does not give fruit beloved of God, and if it endures and utters blessing it has a reward, but if it lack these things, it becomes a mere wandering of the mind and a sight which is without profit. The best thing of all is the quietness of the mind which is akin to God.

from E. A. Wallis Budge, "The Paradise of the Holy Fathers," (Seattle: St. Nectarios Press, 1984), pp. 268-269

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BEGIN: What are you saying? "Shall I forgive him?" Christ is saying, "Yes!" This sacrifice was instituted for the sake of peace with your brother. Accordingly, if the sacrifice was instituted for the sake of peace with your brother, but you do not establish peace, you partake of the sacrifice in vain, the work has become of no profit to you. Do first, then, that for the sake of which the sacrifice is offered, and then you will properly enjoy its benefits. The Son of God came down for this purpose, to reconcile our human nature to the Lord. But He did not come down for that purpose alone, but also for the purpose of making us, if we do likewise, sharers of His title. For He says: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God" (Mt. 5:9). You, according to human capacity, must do what the Only begotten Son of god has done, be an agent of peace, for yourself and for others. For this reason, at the very time of sacrifice He recalls to us no other commandment that that of reconciliation with one’s brother, showing that it is the greatest of all. END

from Anthony M. Coniaris, ed., "Daily Readings From the Writings of St. John Chrysostom," (Minneapolis, MN.: Light and Life Publishing Co., 1988), pp. 22-23

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BEGIN: Striving to attain perfect purity, it is needful to bear the labours of repentance both in soul and body, harmoniously and in equal measure. When the mind is granted such grace that it can enter upon its struggle against passions without self-pity or self-indulgence, it receives suggestions, directions and comforts of the Spirit, with Whose help it can successfully repulse from the soul all impure impacts that come from the lusts of the heart. Combining with the mind or the spirit of man, this Spirit helps a man in his decision strictly to fulfil the commandments he has learned, by directing him to repulse from the soul all passions, both those which mix with it from the side of the body and those of its own, which exist in it independently of the body. He teaches a man to keep the body in order - the whole of it, from head to foot; eyes - to look with purity; ears - to listen in peace (or to peaceful things) and not to take pleasure in gossip, slander and criticism; tongue - to say only what is good, weighing every word, and allowing nothing impure or passionate to become mixed with its speech; hands - to be moved primarily for lifting in prayer and for acts of mercy and generosity; stomach - to be kept within suitable bounds in food and drink, allowing only as much as is needful to support the body, not letting lust and gluttony lead it beyond that measure; feet - to walk righteously, according to the will of God, aiming at the service of good deeds. In this way the whole of the body becomes accustomed to every good and, submitting to the power of the Holy Spirit, gradually changes, so that in the end it begins to participate, in a certain measure, in the qualities of the spiritual body, which it is to receive at the resurrection of the just.

. . . With all my strength I pray to God for you, that He may send into your hearts that fire, which our Lord Jesus Christ has come to send on the earth (Luke 12:49), that you may have power to govern rightly your intentions and senses and to distinguish good from evil.

When the wind blows steadily, every sailor can think highly of himself and boast of his skill; but only a sudden change of wind reveals the skill of experienced helmsmen.

God guides all by the action of His grace. Therefore do not be lazy or lose heart, but call to God day and night to entreat God the Father in His loving-kindness to send you help from above to teach you what to do. Do not give sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids (Psalms 131:4) in your zeal to bring yourself to God as a pure offering, in order to see Him; for without holiness no one can see God, as the Apostle says (Hebrews 12:14).

He who does not with his whole heart conceive hatred of all that belongs to the material and earthly flesh and to all its movements and actions, and who does not lift his mind on high to the Father of all, cannot receive salvation. But a man who does this will move our Lord to mercy by his labours and will be given an invisible transubstantial fire, which will burn up all the passions in him and completely purify his mind. Then the Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ will come to dwell in him and will abide there, teaching him to worship the Father aright. But as long as we take pleasure in our material flesh we shall be enemies of God, His angels and all the saints. I beseech you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, do not neglect your life and your salvation, do not let this short moment of time rob you of eternity which has no end, nor this material body deprive you of the kingdom of light, which has no bounds and which no words can describe. Truly my soul is troubled and my spirit freezes at the fact that, although we are given freedom to choose and do the deeds of the saints, we are intoxicated by passions, as though drunk with wine, and do not want to lift our minds on high and seek greater glory, do not want to imitate the deeds of the saints nor follow in their footsteps, to become heirs of their words and receive with them an eternal heritage.

How many myriads there are of evil demons and how numberless are their varied wiles! . . . They urge us to speak evil of one another, or, speaking sweet words, to conceal bitterness in our hearts, to criticise the outer aspect of our brother, while we harbour a wild beast in ourselves, to quarrel among ourselves and oppose one another, wishing to have our own way and appear as the most upright. Every man who enjoys sinful thoughts falls willingly when he welcomes (as in sympathy with) the suggestions of the enemies and when he expects to justify himself solely by his visible deeds, while within he is the abode of the spirit of wickedness, who teaches him every evil. The body of such a man will be full of shameful uncleanness - for he becomes a prey to devilish passions, which he does not repulse from himself. Demons are not visible bodies, but we become their bodies when our souls accept dark thoughts from them. For, having accepted these thoughts, we accept the demons themselves and make them bodily manifest. END

from "Early Fathers From the Philokalia," by E. Kadloubovsky and G.E.H. Palmer, (London: Faber and Faber, 1954), pp. 41-44.

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BEGIN: Having fallen from his heavenly rank through pride, the devil constantly strives to bring down also all those who wholeheartedly wish to approach the Lord; and he uses the same means which caused his own downfall, that is pride and love of vainglory. These and similar things are the means by which the demons fight us and hope to separate us from God. Moreover, knowing that he who loves his brother loves also God, they put into our hearts hatred of one another - and this to such degree that at times a man cannot bear to see his brother or say a word to him. Many have performed truly great labours of virtue, but have ruined themselves through folly. It would not be surprising if the same thing were to happen to you too; if, for example, having cooled towards active work, you begin to imagine that you already possess virtues. For there you have already fallen into that devilish disease (high opinion of yourself), thinking that you are close to God and are in the light, whereas in actual fact you are in darkness. What made our Lord Jesus Christ lay aside his garments, gird himself with a towel, and, pouring water into a basin, begin to wash the feet of those who were below Him (John 13:4, etc.), if not to teach us humility? For it was humility He showed us by example of what He then did. And indeed those who want to be accepted into the foremost rank cannot achieve this otherwise than through humility; for in the beginning the thing that caused downfall from heaven was a movement of pride. So, if a man lacks extreme humility, if he is not humble with all his heart, all his mind, all his spirit, all his soul and body - he will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Ibid.)

I have prayed for you, that you too may be granted that great Spirit of fire, Whom I have received. If you wish to receive Him, so that He dwells in you, first offer physical labours and humility of heart and, lifting your thoughts to heaven day and night, seek this Spirit of fire with a righteous heart - and He will be given unto you. In this way Elijah the Tishbite, Elisha and other prophets received Him. He who tills himself thus (as I have described) is granted this Spirit for ever and for ages of ages. Remain in prayer, seeking most arduously with your whole heart - and you will be given. For this Spirit resides in righteous hearts. And when He is received, He will reveal to you the highest mysteries, will banish from you the fear of man or beast, and heavenly joy will be yours day and night, so that you will be, in this body, like those who are already in the kingdom.

If a man wishes to attain to love of God, he must have fear of God. Fear gives birth to mourning, and mourning to courage. When all this has ripened in the soul, it begins to bear fruit in all things. And, seeing these beautiful fruits in the soul, God draws it to Himself, like choice incense, takes joy in it with His Angels for all time, fills it with rejoicing, and protects it in all its ways, to let it reach its place of rest without harm. Then, seeing the Most High Guardian encompassing it, the devil no longer attacks it; indeed he fears to come near it owing to this great power. Obtain this power that the demons may fear you, your labours be light and Divine things a sweet joy. This sweetness of Divine love is far sweeter than honey. Many monks and virgins, living in communities, having had no taste of this Divine sweetness nor received Divine power, have thought that they had it already. But, since they had made no effort to gain it, God did not give it to them. He who strives to obtain it will surely gain it through God's mercy; for God is no respecter of persons. When a man wishes to have in himself the light of God and His power, and so disregards both the abuse and the honours of this world, hates all things of the world and ease of the body, and purifies his heart of all bad thoughts, when he unceasingly brings to God fasting and tears day and night, as well as pure prayers, then God enriches him with that power. Strive to obtain this power - and you will do all your works with calm and ease, will receive a great daring towards God and He will grant all that you ask. END

from "Early Fathers From the Philokalia," by E. Kadloubovsky and G.E.H. Palmer, (London: Faber and Faber, 1954), pp. 45-46.

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BEGIN: Pray that God may give you grace to see and understand all things clearly, so that you can discriminate correctly between good and evil. It is written by Apostle Paul that "strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age" (Hebrews 5:14). These are men, who by long and diligent work have their senses and intentions trained to discern both good and evil, who have become sons of the kingdom and are enrolled for Divine sonship. God has given them wisdom and good judgement in all their works, so that neither man nor devil can seduce them. You must know that the enemy tempts the faithful under the guise of good and succeeds in seducing many because they have neither wisdom nor good judgment. Therefore when Apostle Paul had learned the riches of understanding, which are destined for the faithful, and whose greatness has no bounds, he wrote to the Ephesians, "That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him; the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints (Ephesians 1: 17-18). He wrote this from his exceeding great love for them, knowing that if they attain it they will find hardship in nothing, no fear will touch them; but the joy of the Lord will comfort them day and night and their labours will be sweet for them at all times. Many of the monks and virgins living in communities do not attain to this measure. And you, if you wish to attain to this measure, in which is the height of perfection, should withdraw from all those who while they bear such names, that is monkhood and virginity, yet lack this clear vision and good judgment. For, if you become connected with them, they will not let you make progress, and may even cool your ardour, because they themselves have no ardour but only coldness, since they follow their own desires. So, if they come to you and begin worldly conversations, according to their own desires, do not consent to it. For Apostle Paul writes, "Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings" (I Thessalonians 5: 19-20). Know that nothing quenches the Spirit more than idle talk.

Every man whose effort is to become truly spiritual must try to hold himself aloof from noisy crowds and not go near them, so as to be outside the vortex and turmoil of men in body, heart and mind; for where there are men, there is turmoil. Our Lord showed us an example of withdrawal from people and solitude when He used to go alone up into a mountain to pray. In the wilderness too he conquered the devil, who dared to wrestle with Him. Naturally He was not powerless to conquer him even among the multitude; but He acted thus to teach us that we can more easily overcome the enemy and reach perfection in silence and solitude. Neither did the Lord show His glory to the disciples in the midst of people, but led them up into a mountain and there showed them His glory. John the Forerunner also dwelt in the wilderness until he appeared to Israel. In the world it is easier for the enemy to press upon us with his weapons, both inner and outer; attracting some men as helpers and assistants obedient to him, he there wages war against the faithful. Some shameless woman may serve as a very strong weapon to him, spreading wide her ensnaring nets. When Ezekiel saw four living creatures, each with four faces, all showing the glory of the Lord, he was not in a city or a village but outside in a plain; for God said to him, "Arise, and go forth into the plain, and there shalt thou be spoken to" (Ezekiel 3:22). In general such visions and revelations were given to the saints only in mountains and wilderness. Prophet Jeremiah, knowing how much solitude pleases God, also said, "It is good for a man when he bears a yoke in his youth. He will sit alone, and be silent" (Lamentations 3:27-28). Again, knowing well how much harm human talk brings to those who want to please God, he could not refrain from saying, "Who would give me a most distant lodge in the wilderness, that I might leave my people, and depart from them?" (Jeremiah 9:2). Also Prophet Elijah received food from the angels, and this not among a crowd of people, nor in a city or a village, but in the wilderness. All these and similar things, which occurred to the saints, were written to persuade us to imitate those who loved retirement, for it can lead us too to the Lord. So try to be well grounded in it, that you may be led to the vision of God, which is the most spiritual contemplation.

Oppose the devil and try to discern his wiles. He usually hides his gall under an appearance of sweetness, so as to avoid detection, and he fabricates various illusions, beautiful to look at – which in reality are not at all what they seem – to seduce your hearts by a cunning imitation of truth, which is rightly attractive. All his art is directed to this end – to oppose by all possible means every soul working well for God. Many and varied are the passions he introduces into the soul to quench the Divine fire, in which all strength lies; but above all he overcomes it by the inertia of the body and all this is connected with it. None the less, when he sees at last that some men guard themselves from all this and accept nothing from him and show no promise of ever obeying him – he withdraws from them with shame. Then the Spirit of God comes to dwell in them. And when the Spirit of God comes to dwell in them, He brings them rest, or lets them enjoy rest in all their activities, and makes the yoke of the Lord sweet for them, as it is written in the Gospels "and ye shall find rest unto your soul" (Matthew 9:29), although they have taken His yoke upon themselves and are bearing it. Then they become indefatigable, both in the practice of virtue and in carrying out obediences and night vigils. They feel no anger at human calumny and have no fear, whether of man, beast or spirit; for the joy of the Lord stays with them day and night, gives life to their reason and is their food. Through this joy the soul grows and becomes apt for all things or perfect; and through this joy it ascends to heaven. END.

from "Early Fathers From the Philokalia," by E. Kadloubovsky and G.E.H. Palmer, (London: Faber and Faber, 1954), pp. 46-51.
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