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Chapter 22FeofanPisma.1.22

Письмо 22

The Reality of Temptation and the Call to Vigilance

The author addresses a recent spiritual trial, urging the recipient to seek refuge in God and the saints against the constant threat of temptation.

I'm astonished, and I can't figure out what was going on with you. Thanks be to the Lord that it's over. Let's pray that it doesn't happen again. His Darkness, the prince of this age, is getting at you, trying from which side he can knock you off your feet.1 There are many temptations all around. Run under the shelter of the Mother of God and of God's saints! No one can escape temptations; but falls can be avoided! Not on your own, but with God and help from heaven.

The Interior Life and Spiritual Sobriety

The author defines the necessity of interior vigilance and recommends the Philokalia as a guide for maintaining a sober, prayerful heart.

It is ready and surrounds everyone; you only need to make sure you don't separate yourself from it or drive it away.2 It is driven away by passionate thoughts, feelings, and desires. The Lord looks at the heart, and as it is toward Him, so He is toward it! There is an inevitable law for everyone who seeks the Lord: attend to yourself—that is, lead an internally vigilant and spiritually sober life.3 Do you have the Philokalia?4 Look there at Hesychius, Philotheus of Sinai, Theoleptus, and also Diadochus, bishop of Photiki—all on spiritual sobriety.5 With their help you'll understand what spiritual sobriety, spiritual vigilance, and wakefulness are.6 There is a saying: silence so deep you can hear a fly go by. . . That's how it is with the spiritually sober: everything in the soul is quiet; like a candle burning, the lifting of the heart to God goes on without a break. The slightest thing from outside, he sees at once and drives away; and quiet returns again. . . And so on. . .

The Practice of Prayer and Heartfelt Attention

Practical instruction is given on finding the 'place of the heart' in prayer and the necessity of interior purification through spiritual heat.

This is what you need to strive for. Do it this way. Do you know the place of prayer—or the place of the heart of one who prays with warmth? There, where warmth comes during prayer, stand with your attention, stay there, and don't want to leave; but don't be alone—be there with the thought of the Lord, who is also present in you; and in this care about one thing only: to keep this warmth toward the Lord from going out. This is the main thing! When you begin this interior struggle, the work itself will teach you how to do it—what helps and what gets in the way.7 Take this up. Only when the warmth is established does interior purification begin. When is pure metal separated from the ore? When the ore is heated white-hot. . . It's the same here. . . And until then, everything isn't exactly nothing — but it also isn't anything solid or lasting.8

The Jesus Prayer and the Fear of God

The author teaches the use of the Jesus Prayer to steady the wandering mind, grounded in a constant, reverent fear of God.

So, there's your lesson. Learn it well, and say what will happen to you and within you! When you stand in your heart with the thought of the Lord, your mind will stay still for a while, then grow weary and start wandering this way and that, as if trying to run away. Then give it the sweetest name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that9 is,10 the Jesus Prayer, and let it keep repeating it. But remember that the fear of God must first refresh the air of the heart, and keep refreshing and purifying it the whole time.11 . . There is an interior falling down before God—reverent and self-abasing—that turns a person into dust and ashes before the Lord.✦ . . Do this. . . And so it will go with us: in the morning, from the first moment of waking consciousness, refresh everything inside with the fear of God.12 . . Then prayer will warm everything within. . . The Jesus Prayer, with an interior falling before the Lord, will prolong this warmth.13 . .

Guarding the Senses and Avoiding Vainglory

The author warns against the dangers of sensory distraction and the subtle trap of vainglory, emphasizing the need for constant, humble labor.

And glory to God! But you have to strive for this. It doesn't come all at once; it's not like knitting with a needle—one look and you know.14 Morning reading is a great help toward keeping that warmth—and from it, the thought that rivets the attention and falls like a ray on the heart and lights up everything within. Afterward, you need to recall that thought often and turn it over in your mind. You can even make it a rule: as soon as such a thought meets you in reading, stop reading. There are many enemies of this work; you'll see for yourselves. . . The main ones are the eyes, the ears, and the movement of the tongue—that is,15 i.e. looking at too much, hearing too much, talking too much, and free restless movement.16 . . How do you carry a glass of water that has settled so it doesn't get stirred up? You have to walk very carefully. . . But you'll see it all for yourselves once you start the work. Just begin; otherwise you'll be in trouble. You'll get confused. Temptation has overtaken you from vain thoughts and from inward self-satisfaction and self-praise!17 And here is the objection: How is that possible? As if I'm not humble!18 Wait a moment! Make the effort to do it exactly as it's prescribed. . . And then, whatever turns out will be what is. . . But for now, what is there to say? Until the soul settles with its mind in the heart, it neither sees itself nor knows itself as it should. Praise, as I mentioned before, is like sticking your foot out in front of a runner. . . He will stumble immediately. . . and his nose gets broken. . . and for another, even the spirit leaves entirely.19 . . God forbid! Well, I've worn you out!20 But this is a lesson.

The Call to Labor and Patristic Wisdom

The letter concludes with a firm exhortation to spiritual labor and a recommendation to study the homilies of Isaac the Syrian.

. . Like it or not, work—if you want what's good for yourself and love the Lord. . . Work. Once you see a little progress, your laziness will vanish immediately. I opened Isaac the Syrian and came upon a chapter that it wouldn't hurt you either to read and take in fully. Our entire life, both interior and exterior, is laid out there. It's Homily 47.21

Read the original Russian

Удивляюсь и не догадаюсь, что такое с вами было. Благодарение Господу, что прошло. Будем молиться, чтоб не повторялось. Его мрачность, князь века, добирается до вас, пробует с какой стороны можно сбить с ног. Искушений вокруг много. Подбегите под кров Матери Божией и Святых Божиих! От искушений никому не избежать; но можно избежать падений! Самому нельзя, – а с Богом и помощию небесною.

Она готова, окружает всякаго, только надо не разделять себя от ней, не отгонять ее. Отгоняется она страстными помыслами, чувствами и желаниями. В сердце смотрит Господь, и каково оно к Нему, таков и Он к нему! Затем неизбежный закон для всех ищущих Господа: внимать себе, или вести внутренно бодренную и трезвенную жизнь. У вас есть Добротолюбие? Посмотрите там Исихия, Филофея Синаита, Феолипта, и еще Диодоха, епископа Фотики, – все о трезвении. С помощию их поймете, что такое трезвение, бдение духовное и бодренность. Есть поговорка: тишина такая, что муха пролетит, слышно.

. . Так у трезвеннаго все тихо в душе; как свеча горит, возношение сердца к Богу непрерывно. Чуть что стороннее, сейчас видит и прогоняет; и опять покой. . . и так далее. .

.

Вот этого надобно добиваться. Делайте так. Знакомо вам место молитвы, или место сердца, тепло молящагося? Там, где бывает тепло во время молитвы, станьте вниманием, и будьте там и не желайте выходить; но будьте не одни, а с мыслию о Господе, сущем и в вас; пекитесь при сем о едином, сохранить непотухаемою сию теплоту ко Господу. Это главное! Когда начнете сей внутренний подвиг, тогда дело научит вас само, как сие делать, – что помогает ему и что мешает. Возьмитесь за это. Только тогда, как теплота установится, начинается внутреннее очищение.

Когда отделяется чистый металл от руды? Когда раскалится руда. . . Так и здесь. . . А до того все – не то что ничто, но и не что-нибудь дельное, прочное.

Так вот вам и урок! Выучите и скажите, что будет с вами и в вас! Когда будете стоять в сердце с мыслию о Господе, тогда ум постоит-постоит, и уморится и начнет вилять туда и сюда, как бы убежать. Тогда дайте ему сладчайшее имя Господа нашего Иисуса Христа, т. е. молитву Иисусову и пусть твердит. Но помните, что страх Божий на перед должен освежать воздух сердца и во все время освежать и очищать. .

. Есть внутреннее благоговейное и уничиженное к Богу припадание, обращающее человека в пыль и прах пред Господом. . . Сие творите. . . И будет у нас так: утром, с перваго сознания страхом освежать все внутри.

. . молитва за тем согреет. . . молитва Иисусова с внутренним к Господу припаданием продлит сию теплоту. . .

и слава Богу! Но добиваться надобно до сего. Не вдруг – то; – не то, что вязать иглою, – посмотрел и знаешь. Весьма помощно к сохранению теплоты утреннее чтение, – и из него та мысль, которая прикует внимание, и как лучем падет на сердце и осветит все внутри. Ее чаще потом поминать надо и вращать в уме. Можно и правилом положить, – коль скоро встретится такая мысль при чтении, прекращать чтение. Врагов сему делу много, сами увидите. .

. Главнейшие: глаза, уши, и движение с языком, т. е. : многовидение, многослышание, многоглаголание, вольнодвижение. . . Как пронесть стакан воды отстоявшейся, чтоб не возмутилась? Чуть, чуть шагать надобно.

. . Но все сами увидите, когда начнете дело. Только начните; а то вам беда будет. Собьетесь с толку. Искушение вас постигло от тщеславных мыслей и внутренняго самодовольства и самохвальства! Вот и возражение: как можно? Уж я ли не смиренна?

– Подождите! Потрудитесь делать, так как прописано. . . И тогда, что окажется, то и есть. . . А теперь, что говорить?

Пока не сядет душа умом своим в сердце, до тех пор не видит себя и не сознает, как следует. Похвалы, как я уже писал, тоже, что ногу подставить бегущему. . . тотчас споткнется. . . и нос разбит.

. . а у иного и дух вон. . . Боже упаси! Ну, уморил я вас! Но это урок.

. . Уж как хотите, а трудитесь, если хотите добра себе и любите Господа. . . Трудитесь. Лишь чуточку окажете успех, тотчас и леность вся пройдет.

Развернул Исаака Сирианина и напал на главу, которую и вам прочитать и усвоить всю сполна не худо. Вся жизнь наша и внутренняя и внешняя изъяснена. Это слово 47.

Scripture echoes

  1. ↩Gen.18.27;Job.42.6 — Then Abraham answered and said, "Behold, I have now ventured to speak to the Lord, though I am but dust and ashes." Job.42.6 — Therefore I despise myself, and I repent in dust and ashes.

Notes

  1. 1 ↩Russian «Его мрачность» plays like a mock title (cf. «Его светлость») for the devil; rendered as «His Darkness» to keep that ironic epithet. «Князь века» is the biblical «prince of this age/world».
  2. 2 ↩Она continues the feminine antecedent from the previous section's помощию небесною (heavenly help); rendered as 'it' for English naturalness. Less likely, but possible, is the protection of the Mother of God (also feminine).
  3. 3 ↩бодренную и трезвенную life: бодренность = wakeful vigilance; трезвение = Orthodox nepsis (spiritual sobriety/watchfulness), not mere temperance from drink. 'Или' read epexegetically as 'that is/namely,' clarifying внимать себе rather than offering an alternative.
  4. 4 ↩Добротолюбие is the standard Russian title of the Philokalia (the ascetical anthology).
  5. 5 ↩Philokalia authors: Исихий = Hesychius; Филофей Синаит = Philotheus of Sinai; Феолипт = Theoleptus; Диодох, епископ Фотики = Diadochus of Photiki. Трезвение rendered as spiritual sobriety (nepsis).
  6. 6 ↩Triplet kept distinct: трезвение = spiritual sobriety (nepsis); бдение духовное = spiritual vigilance/watch; бодренность = wakeful alertness.
  7. 7 ↩Russian «внутренний подвиг» is ascetical jargon for sustained interior spiritual labor/struggle, not a heroic «feat».
  8. 8 ↩«дельное, прочное» rendered as 'solid or lasting' (worthwhile/substantial and firm/durable); the point is that work before established warmth is real, but not yet the real thing that holds.
  9. 9 ↩Source ends mid-abbreviation «т.» of «т.е.» (that is); continued in s5–s6.
  10. 10 ↩Source is only «е.», the second half of «т.е.» (that is).
  11. 11 ↩«на перед» read as наперёд, 'first / beforehand'.
  12. 12 ↩Russian «страхом» is bare ‘with fear’; prior section makes clear this is fear of God (страх Божий), so that sense is supplied for fidelity of meaning.
  13. 13 ↩«припадание» is the same interior prostration/falling-before God named in the previous section (reverent self-abasement), not a mere physical bow.
  14. 14 ↩«вязать иглою» is a craft simile (needlework/knitting): the point is that this is not a simple skill you master at a glance.
  15. 15 ↩Source ends mid-abbreviation «т.» of «т. е.» (that is); sense completed from the following fragment.
  16. 16 ↩«вольнодвижение» rendered as free restless movement (unrestrained bodily restlessness), not mere voluntary motion.
  17. 17 ↩тщеславных мыслей rendered as 'vain thoughts' (vainglorious/self-admiring thoughts); самодовольства as self-satisfaction; самохвальства as self-praise.
  18. 18 ↩Уж я ли не смиренна? is a rhetorical self-defense (feminine form). Rendered as natural modern self-justifying speech; could also be 'Am I not humble enough?'
  19. 19 ↩Russian «дух вон» is a colloquial idiom for the spirit/breath of life departing (death or near-death). In context after the stumble-and-broken-nose image for those tripped by praise, it escalates the hazard: some only break their nose; another is done for entirely.
  20. 20 ↩«уморил» can mean worn out, bored half to death, or (playfully) nearly killed with talk; after the death-image of «дух вон», the wry double edge is intentional. Rendered as natural conversational English rather than stiff 'I have exhausted you'.
  21. 21 ↩Russian «слово» names a unit in Isaac the Syrian's ascetical collection; English editions usually call these Homilies or Discourses. Rendered Homily here as the common modern designation.

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