SR
← Letters on the Christian Life/Book 1 · Письма о христианской жизни
Chapter 25FeofanPisma.1.25

Письмо 25

The Struggle of Repentance and Attention

The author instructs on the necessity of constant repentance, self-rebuke, and maintaining the mind's focus on the Lord to guard the heart.

So now you're starting to learn how to catch flies.1 Good. I mean judging others. Only it's not enough just to say that: you need to feel sorry, be contrite, and with fear, as if at the judgment, confess the sinful thought to the Lord. And that applies to every situation. In this lies continuous repentance, which is the chief work of those who watch over themselves. When bad thoughts attack, you must turn your mind's eye away from them and, by turning to the Lord, drive them off using His name. But when a thought stirs the heart, and this crafty heart takes even a little pleasure in it, then you must rebuke yourself and plead with the Lord for mercy, and keep striking yourself until the opposite feeling is born in the heart—for example,2 — instead of condemning, exalt the other person, or at least feel genuine respect for him in your heart.3 Self-praise and condemning others are the two most common things among us. The crafty heart is itself nothing but trash, yet it keeps blaring, "I am not like other people."4 And there are so many shades of this that you can't even list them all. Work harder at strengthening your mind's attentiveness, and you'll see what a treasure our heart is. Do it this way: first thing in the morning, settle yourself more deeply in thought of the Lord; stand before Him with your mind during prayer; and then all day long strain not to leave Him, taking His sweetest name as your help. Whether you're doing something, talking with someone, walking, sitting, or eating — let the mind stay with the Lord always. If you drift, come back to the Lord again and rebuke yourself with compunction. . . And so on. . . The struggle of attention lies in this.5 Then, in the light of the Lord, not a single thought will remain hidden, and the judgment of them will be true; every fair appearance will scatter.✦✦6 Meanwhile, the soul will cling more and more firmly to the invisible and grow stronger.✦

Finding Refuge in the Heart

The author advises creating a quiet place in the heart at the Lord's feet to serve as a refuge during times of spiritual anxiety.

Remember what happened to you in the monastery. Those were trivial urges. But that anxiety you felt during the fast, when anger was present—that was stronger.7 There are even stronger ones. . . Where can you turn then? So you need to prepare ahead of time a quiet little place in your heart, at the Lord's feet.✦ Does anxiety come? . . Go there at once, and cry out and cry out, as if rebuking the black sickness, and the Lord will help: everything will quiet down.8 If a storm hits again, do the same thing. And that's the whole program of life. May the Lord help you. Just don't be lazy!

The Nature of Prayer and Effort

The author discusses the balance between human effort and divine grace in prayer, emphasizing the importance of ascetic reading.

The Lord will see that you're forcing yourself toward attention and remembrance of Him, and He will give this grace.9 . . But effort is still needed, even though effort alone won't settle the matter. Sometimes at prayer you find you don't want to speak words or read—then don't speak and don't read; just stand as you are, or make prostrations.10 . . How good it is not to break up this state, and to keep it going as long as you can. But the evil one is crafty. He'll slip some task your way at once to occupy you with it, and everything will fly away.11 Stay alert, and don't give in. But you can't make prayer without words and reading a general rule. . . and no one has ever done so.12 Still, you need to follow your rule properly, as you should.13 . . And if during it warmth comes and binds the tongue, leave off the reading.14 . . But when the warmth is light and is sustained only by reading, then you need to read everything without stopping. Reading ascetic books to strengthen yourself in attentiveness is also a necessary condition—but only books on sobriety, attentiveness, and prayer.15 Other books distract.16

The Essence of Noetic Prayer

The author clarifies that the essence of the Jesus Prayer is the mind standing before the Lord, rather than the mere repetition of words.

Let's continue our conversation. You think you're working in vain over the Jesus Prayer; thoughts like that come. But do you think all the power is in the words? The words are aids for a weak mind that will not willingly stay in one place, fixed on one object. But the essence of this practice is the mind standing before the Lord—with fear and trembling, unceasing, never turning away, accompanied by a warmth of heart that draws all thoughts, feelings, and intentions into one.17 When your heart is warm, there is reverence, and the mind sees the Lord—that is the essence of the work. . . Put that state into words, and it becomes: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me! And conversely, when that state isn't there, this prayer will bring it back; only you have to say it with attention, with thought, and with awareness. What good is reading without awareness? This isn't some kind of spell, after all.18 If prayer to the Mother of God is more pleasing to you, say that. . . or the Our Father. . . Or another short verse that keeps your mind focused. The Fathers did the same; they didn't all use the exact same prayer. Joannicius the Great used this: "My hope is the Father, my refuge the Son, my covering the Holy Spirit."19 . . Eventually, the Jesus Prayer was recognized by everyone—much like Mary sitting at the Savior's feet, finding the one thing needful.✦

Understanding the Divided Self

The author explains the internal conflict between the fallen nature and the renewed person, encouraging the reader to align their will with God.

You've seen this split within yourself, and you're amazed that it's even possible. It has to be that way. At first, the human person was undivided within.20 After the Fall, another person emerged, completely opposite to the first. Until a person turns to the path of righteousness, the passionate person—made entirely of the passions—overpowers and drowns out the passionless, pure person, but doesn't destroy him.21 When, with God's help, a person wakes from this sleep, he begins to fight, to tear free from the claws of the passionate person, or to tear himself free piece by piece; one stands on one side, the other on the other, and the fire between them is terrible.✦22 But a person's consciousness is one, even though the inner movements are split in two. And so it's hard to understand how two opposite voices can come from one heart. Watch yourselves. Cast off what is evil and cling to what is good.✦ Look—you've probably already read it—Macarius of Egypt has a beautiful picture of this dividedness.23 Read it again, and read more of it. . . What is written in the Apostle24 Paul: "I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and taking me captive by the law of sin" (Rom.).✦25 that’s our dual makeup.✦26 A person who, in mind and heart, aligns with their passions is completely governed by them and stands opposed to God. A person who aligns with the passionless, even if passions are present within and challenge him, is not opposed to God, because he doesn’t love those passions and seeks to act according to God’s will instead.27 Through this good resolve of the heart and determination to please God, he is considered not guilty of the passions that tempt him, since he doesn’t desire them.28 Until they quiet down, you must cry out earnestly to God.29 We walk on leading strings, while under our feet a volcano is ready to erupt.30 . .

Ascetic Methods and Tools

The author concludes with a prayer to the Theotokos and guidance on how to interpret traditional ascetic techniques and readings.

Mother of God! Cover us with your honorable omophorion.31 Should you read other articles in the Philokalia? The ones already pointed out are enough. Don't be troubled that they prescribe certain bodily practices—for example, restraining the breath, sitting on a low stool, keeping the room dim, and so on. All of this is often needed by many; it isn't the essence of the matter, but rather the setting—an adaptation of the outer to the inner—and it isn't useless. When you come across something hard to understand, skip it and let me know. Restraining the breath doesn't mean stopping it, but only tightening the throat. You do the same thing yourselves—you just don't notice it. When you're in sorrow and plead for help, your speech comes from a constricted throat, with your breath held back. Isn't that right? .32 .33 That's exactly what those passages are talking about. The effect is taken as a means toward the cause.34 There's a lot about this in the article by Callistus and Ignatius, and, I believe, Nicephorus, as well as in Gregory of Sinai. If it comes before your eyes, don't be troubled. This is the setting, a means, an aid—not the essence of the matter. P. S. With this I'm sending you a little notebook—on correcting the heart and the struggle with sin. Read it carefully. These articles will explain what happens inside us because of the sin that lives within us.✦

Read the original Russian

Вот вы начинаете учиться ловить мух. Хорошо. – Разумею осуждение. Только мало сказать, надо пожалеть, сокрушиться и со страхом, как на суде, исповедать Господу греховный помысл. Так и во всяком случае. В сем непрестанное раскаяние, которое есть главное дело внимающих себе. Когда нападают недобрые помыслы, надобно отвращать от них око ума, и, обращаясь к Господу, именем Его гнать их. Но когда помысл пошевелит сердце, и сие лукавое мало мало усладится им, тогда надобно бранить себя и умолять Господа о помиловании, и бить себя до тех пор, пока в сердце родится противоположное чувство; на пр.

, вместо осуждения возвеличение другаго, или по крайней мере сердечное чувство почтения к нему. Самохваление и осуждение две самыя обычные у нас вещи. Лукавое сердце само дрянь дрянью, а все трубит: несмь якоже прочии. И сколько оттенков этого, что перечислить нельзя. Трудитесь усерднее над укреплением себя во внимании ума, и увидите, что за сокровище наше сердце. Делайте так: с утра поглубже утвердитесь в помышлении о Господе, станьте пред Ним умом, во время молитвы; и потом весь день напрягайтесь неотступать от Него, взявши в пособие сладчайшее имя Его. Делаете ли что, говорите с кем, идете, сидите, кушаете, – ум все с Господом да будет. Забудитесь, и опять воротитесь ко Господу и себя побраните с сокрушением.

. . и все так. . . в этом подвиг внимания. Тогда, при свете Господа, ни один помысл не укроется, и оценка им будет верная, разлетятся все благовидности. А между тем душа будет все крепче и крепче прилепляться к невидимому, и становиться сильнее.

Помните, что было с вами в монастыре. То пустяшные позывы. Вот та тревога, что была во время поста, когда серчание было, – посильнее. Бывают и еще сильнее. . . Куда тогда деваться? Вот и надобно загодя приготовить в сердце покойное местечко, у ног Господа.

Случится тревога? . . сейчас туда, и кричать и кричать, как бы отчитывать черную немочь, и Господь поможет: все стихнет. Опять буря; и опять тоже делать. Вот и вся программа жизни. Господь да поможет вам. Только не ленитесь!

Увидит Господь, что вы себя нудите на внимание и память о Нем, и подаст сию благодать. . . А труд все таки нужен, хоть он один не порешит дела. У вас бывает иногда при молитве, что слова говорить или читать не хочется, – и не говорите и не читайте; а стойте так, или кладите поклоны. . . Как хорошо не разорять сего состояния и продолжать его сколько можно долее.

Но лукавый хитр. Сейчас подсунет какое-нибудь дело, чтоб занять им, и все улетит. Внимайте и не поддавайтесь. Но общим правилом молитву без слов и чтения поставить нельзя. . . и никто никогда не ставил. Правило свое все же надо исправлять, как следует.

. . и если во время его припадет теплота, и свяжет язык, оставить чтение. . . Но когда есть теплота легкая, которая поддерживается только чтением, тогда надобно все читать не останавливаясь. Также чтение подвижнических книг, для укрепления себя во внимании, есть необходимое условие; но только чтение книг о трезвении, внимании и молитве. Другия книги развлекают.

Будем продолжать нашу беседу. Вы думаете, что напрасно трудитесь над молитвою Иисусовою, приходят такия мысли. Но не думаете ли вы что в словах вся сила? Слова – пособия немощному уму, который не охотно стоит на одном месте, и на одном предмете. А существо сего дела: умное стояние пред лицем Господа, – со страхом и трепетом, непрестанное, неотходное, сопровождаемое теплотою сердца, стягивающею во едино все мысли и чувства и расположения. Когда у вас тепло на сердце, есть благоговение, ум зрит Господа, это и есть существо дела. . .

облеките в форму слова это состояние и будет: Господи Иисусе Христе, Сыне Божий, помилуй мя! И обратно, когда нет того состояния, сия молитва будет воспроизводить его; только со вниманием, с мыслию и с сознанием надобно произносить ее. Читать без сознания какая польза? Ведь это не заговор какой. Вам приятнее молитва Богородице, читайте ее. . . или Отче наш.

. . или другой стишек, который держит ум в порядке. И Отцы так делали, не все одну молитву творили. У Иоанникия Великаго было: Упование мое Отец, прибежище мое Сын, покров мой Дух Святый. . . А потом всеми признана молитва Иисусова, – по чину Марии, у ног Спасителя приседящей, в чем единое на потребу.

Вы видели в себе раздвоение, и дивитесь, как оно возможно. Оно должно быть. Сначала человек был единичен в себе. По падении пришел другой человек, противоположный первому совершенно. До обращения человека на путь правды, страстный – весь составленный из страстей – человек одолевает, заглушает бесстрастнаго, чистаго человека, но не уничтожает. Когда с помощию Божиею пробудится человек от усыпления, то начнет бороться, вырываться из когтей страстнаго человека, или вырывать себя по частям; один стоит на одной стороне, другой – на другой и страшная у них пальба. Но сознание у человека одно, хотя внутренния движения раздвоены. Вот и непонятно, что такое из одного сердца два противоположные голоса.

Внимайте себе. И злое отревайте, а к доброму прилегайте. Посмотрите (да вы, чай, читали), у Макария Египетскаго прекрасно изображено сие раздвоение. Прочитайте и еще. . . Что писано у Ап. Павла: «вижду ин закон во удех моих, противовоюющь закону ума моего, и пленяющь мя законом греховным» (Рим.

7:23), это и есть наше двоесоставие. Человек сознанием и сердцем сущий на стороне страстнаго, страстен весь, и Богу противен. Человек сущий на стороне бесстрастнаго, хотя в нем есть и борют его страсти, не противен Богу, ради нелюбления страстей и желания делать не по ним, а по воле Божией. Этим благим предложением сердца и решимостию угождать Богу, он считается не виновным в тех страстях, кои искушают его, ибо он не хочет их. Пока смолкнут, к Богу вопиять сильно нужно. На помочах ходим, а под ногами вулкан готов взорваться. . .

Мати Божия! Покрой нас честным Твоим омофором.

«Читать ли вам другия статьи в Добротолюбии?» Довольно и тех, которыя указаны. Не смущайтесь тем, что в них прописываются некоторыя телесные делания, напр. стеснение дыхания, сидение на стульце, примрачность места, и пр. Все это бывает многим нужно, – и не есть существо дела, а обстановка, приспособление внешняго ко внутреннему – не бесполезное. Когда встретите что не удобопонятное, пропускайте, и давайте знать. Стеснение дыхания не есть прекращение его, а только сжатие гортани. Вы делаете тоже, только не замечаете.

Когда в скорби умоляете о помощи, речь идет из стесненной гортани и с дыханием сдерживаемым. Так ли? . . Вот это и есть, о чем там говорится. Берется следствие средством к причине. В статье Каллиста и Игнатия и, кажется, Никифора много есть о сем, и у Григория Синаита. Попадет на глаза, не смущайтесь.

Это обстановка, средство, пособие, а не существо дела.

P. S. Посылаю вам при сем тетрадку – об исправлении сердца и борьбе со грехом. Прочитайте со вниманием. Эти статьи пояснят вам, что бывает внутри нас ради живущаго в нас греха.

Scripture echoes

  1. ↩Ps.36.9;1Cor.4.5 — They drink their fill of the abundance of your house, and from your river of delights you give them drink. 1Cor.4.5 — Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the purposes of the hearts; and then each one's praise will come from God.
  2. ↩Heb.4.12-Heb.4.13;1Cor.4.5 — For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Heb.4.13 — And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. 1Cor.4.5 — Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the purposes of the hearts; and then each one's praise will come from God.
  3. ↩Deut.10.20;Ps.63.8;2Cor.4.18 — You shall fear the LORD your God; Him you shall serve, and to Him you shall hold fast, and by His name you shall swear. Ps.63.8 — For you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I sing for joy." Keeps the causal "for" and removes duplication with the following verse. 2Cor.4.18 — So we do not focus on the things that are seen, but on the things that are unseen; for the things that are seen are temporary, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
  4. ↩Luke.10.39 — She had a sister called Mary, who also sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his word.
  5. ↩Luke.10.38-Luke.10.42 — Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. Luke.10.39 — She had a sister called Mary, who also sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his word. Luke.10.40 — But Martha was distracted by much service. She came up and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me." Luke.10.41 — But the Lord answered her, 'Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.' Luke.10.42 — Few things are needed, or only one. For Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.
  6. ↩Eph.5.14 — Therefore he says, 'Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.'
  7. ↩Rom.12.9 — Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.
  8. ↩Rom.7.23 — But I see another law in my members, waging war against the law of my mind, and making me captive to the law of sin which is in my members.
  9. ↩Rom.7.23 — But I see another law in my members, waging war against the law of my mind, and making me captive to the law of sin which is in my members.
  10. ↩Rom.7.17 — So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.

Notes

  1. 1 ↩Russian «ловить мух» is a sharp, colloquial image for snagging petty faults—here, as the next sentence makes clear, the habit of judging others.
  2. 2 ↩«сие лукавое» is neuter and elliptical; context (and the next section’s «лукавое сердце») points to the crafty heart rather than the thought alone. «бить себя» is strong self-chastisement (self-reproach, possibly striking the breast), not casual regret. The sentence breaks mid-example at the section boundary («на пр.»).
  3. 3 ↩Sentence is a fragment continuing the previous section's 'for example' (на пр.): when a condemning thought has stirred the heart, replace it with the opposite movement.
  4. 4 ↩дрянь дрянью is deliberately blunt colloquial Russian for utter worthlessness; rendered as 'nothing but trash' to keep the contempt without slang.
  5. 5 ↩Russian подвиг here is ascetic struggle/spiritual labor, not a heroic 'feat'.
  6. 6 ↩благовидности: fair-seeming pretenses / plausible façades; rendered as 'fair appearance' to keep the surface-vs-truth contrast.
  7. 7 ↩серчание rendered as anger; can also mean irritation or vexation of spirit.
  8. 8 ↩Russian «отчитывать черную немочь»: «отчитывать» is the folk/devotional sense of rebuking an affliction by reading prayers over it; «черная немочь» is the traditional term for the black sickness (epilepsy/dark affliction). In context it names a dark spiritual assault to be driven off by urgent prayer at the Lord's feet (cf. 1.25.4.s8).
  9. 9 ↩Russian «нудите» (нудить) means to compel or force oneself; rendered as 'forcing yourself' for the ascetic effort of recollection, not mere mild effort.
  10. 10 ↩«Кладите поклоны» is the Orthodox practice of bows/prostrations; rendered as 'make prostrations' to keep the bodily ascetic sense.
  11. 11 ↩«все улетит» refers to the prayerful state of attention/remembrance of God described just above: the interior grace disperses once the distraction takes hold.
  12. 12 ↩Continues s4: «ставить» = set/make (as a rule); no one has ever established wordless, reading-free prayer as the general rule.
  13. 13 ↩«исправлять правило» in this ascetical usage means fulfill/perform one's prayer rule, not merely correct or revise it.
  14. 14 ↩теплота: spiritual warmth of heart in prayer; свяжет язык: the warmth holds speech so that vocal reading should stop.
  15. 15 ↩трезвение: Orthodox ascetic 'sobriety' (nepsis/watchfulness of mind), not mere temperance from drink.
  16. 16 ↩развлекают: in this spiritual register 'distract/divert attention,' not 'entertain' in a light sense.
  17. 17 ↩«Умное стояние» rendered as “the mind's standing”: hesychast noetic presence before God, not mere physical posture.
  18. 18 ↩Russian заговор here means a charm/incantation, not a political conspiracy.
  19. 19 ↩покров rendered as 'covering' (also protectively 'shelter'/'protection'); keeps the traditional Trinitarian prayer phrasing of St. Joannicius the Great.
  20. 20 ↩единичен: rendered as 'undivided' (single/integral within), not merely 'alone'.
  21. 21 ↩бесстрастнаго: 'passionless' in the ascetical sense (free of disordered passions), not emotionally numb; paired with 'pure' for the clean inner person.
  22. 22 ↩страшная у них пальба: military image of fierce exchange of fire/bombardment; rendered as 'the fire between them is terrible' to keep the combat metaphor without anachronistic gun jargon.
  23. 23 ↩«чай» is colloquial for 'I expect / probably'; rendered as 'you've probably already read it'.
  24. 24 ↩Sentence is cut off mid-phrase at the abbreviation «Ап.»; continues in the next sentence with «Павла».
  25. 25 ↩Citation is truncated mid-parenthesis at «(Рим.»; neighboring section supplies «7:23)».
  26. 26 ↩двоесоставие: Feofan's term for the human person's twofold constitution (the dual composition of mind and passion-bearing members), continuing the Romans 7:23 citation from the previous section.
  27. 27 ↩бесстрастнаго: the passionless / free-from-passion side (ascetical apatheia), opposed to страстнаго in the previous sentence.
  28. 28 ↩благим предложением сердца: rendered as "good resolve of the heart" (good intention/purpose of the heart), not a formal "proposal."
  29. 29 ↩смолкнут: implied subject is the tempting passions of the previous sentence.
  30. 30 ↩На помочах: child's leading-strings / supporting reins—an image of being held up and guided while danger still lurks beneath.
  31. 31 ↩«Омофор» is the Theotokos’s protective veil in Orthodox devotion (Feast of the Protection); «честный» is the traditional liturgical epithet, rendered here as ‘honorable’ rather than the weaker everyday sense of ‘honest’.
  32. 32 ↩Source sentence is only a bare period with no verbal content; left untranslated rather than invented.
  33. 33 ↩Source sentence is only a bare period with no verbal content; left untranslated rather than invented.
  34. 34 ↩Ascetical logic: the natural consequence of deep, sorrowful prayer (constricted throat and held breath) is deliberately used as a technique to foster the prayerful state that causes it.

Letters on the Christian Life companion

Rule yourself daily, not just on retreat

Chosen Portion turns the mirror into a daily practice — a short reading and examining question each morning before you lead anyone.

Chosen Portion makes the mirror daily: the ruler-formation questions this collection preserves become a two-minute morning examination in the app.

  • A daily formation reading drawn from centuries of counsel to those in authority
  • One pointed examination question a day — two minutes, before the meetings start
  • Track your practice over weeks and watch the examined life become a habit
Chosen Portion — Daily Prayer (free iOS app) →