| The Lord endured a lengthy fast, as did Moses and Elijah , but only once. And certain other ones sometimes when entreating something from the Creator, laid upon themselves a certain time of fasting, but in accordance with natural laws and the teaching of the Divine Scripture. From the activity of the Saints, from the life of our Savior, and from the rules of those who have lived in good order, it is evident that it is splendid and profitable always to be ready and to be found in ascetic labor, in work and in endurance; however, not to weaken oneself by immoderate fasting and not to bring the body into a state of inactivity. If the flesh is inflamed because of youth, one must refrain a great deal; but if it is infirm, one must take much or little. Look and judge according to your own infirmity as to how much you can do. To each one there is a measure and the inward teacher is one’s conscience; not everyone can have the same rule and same ascetic labor, because some are strong and others are weak. Some are like iron, others are like copper, while others are like wax. And thus correctly discovering one’s own measure, take food once each day, apart from Saturdays, Sundays, and great feasts of the Lord. A moderate and sensible fast is the foundation and chief of all virtues. One should fight evil as one fights a lion and a fierce serpent—in the infirmity of the body and spiritual poverty. He who wishes his mind to be firm against defiled thoughts should make his body refined through fasting. It is not possible, without fasting, to serve as a priest. As it is indispensable to breathe, so also is it to fast. Fasting once having entered into the soul, kills to the depths the sin which lies therein. From The Little Russian Philokalia, Vol. IV: St. Paisius Velichkovsky (Platina: St. Herman Press, 1994), 74-75. St. Paisius (Velichkovsky) 27 ноября 2015 г. Подпишитесь на рассылку Православие.Ru Рассылка выходит два раза в неделю: Смотри также Комментарии Мы в соцсетях Подпишитесь на нашу рассылку |
| “By definition, an Orthodox Christian is one who strives to be obedient to the Commandments and, at the same time, obediently tries to fulfill the requirements of an Orthodox way of life, as revealed by Scripture and Tradition. Thus, [regular] attendance at Divine services, frequent reception of the Mysteries, observance of the seasonal fasts, the giving of alms, etc. — all of these, and more, constitute the bare minimum expected of those who follow Jesus Christ. This … is, however, only the beginning for anyone who wishes to call himself Christian; these are the ‘first steps’ in spiritual life …. Yet … they represent the patient, hard work of actually beginning to ‘walk’ the narrow path to the Kingdom of Heaven.’ Active spiritual life, then, is much more than “minimalism.” It is, in fact, nothing less than a sincere attempt to fulfill the Lord’s command, Be ye perfect, even as your Father Who is in Heaven is perfect (Matt. 5:48), so that at death we might be presented to God, holy and unblamable and unreproachable in His sight (Col. 1:22). The Church, in all of her grace-filled manifestations (the Sacraments, the Divine services, and even parish life itself), is the proper school for spiritual life, for the Church possesses abundant wisdom and experience, and this is the primary purpose — to lead us to sainthood by showing us how to unite our will to God. What is Spiritual Direction? Saint Paisius Velichkovsky Since the essence of spiritual life consists “in healing our impaired will, uniting it with the will of God and sanctifying it by this union,” and since “in order to do the will of God it is necessary to know it,” direction is a careful process by which we first learn and then apply the principles of spiritual life, thus coming to know God’s will for us with assurance. Some very few saints and righteous ones, finding themselves in circumstances where healthy and genuine spiritual direction was not available, were able to do this for themselves through a very patient, prayerful, and life-long study of sacred texts. Such, for example, was the great Saint Paisius Velichkovsky, the eighteenth-century Russian monastic reformer and teacher. Most of us, however, must imitate the Ethiopian in the Book of Acts -How can I understand unless someone guides me? |
| First we will give a brief outline of his biography, and then touch upon his works and his spiritual legacy. The future Elder Paisius, or as we call him now, St Paisius, was born on December 21, 1722, in the city of Poltava, to a family of priests: his father, grandfather and great-grandfather were all priests. His mother became a nun later in life, as did his grandmother and aunt. He was baptized with the name of Peter. His father, Fr. John, was the rector of Dormition Cathedral. His mother, Irina, worked with children. Peter grew up a quiet and meek boy; he loved to read, and at an early age read every spiritual book in his home and at the cathedral library. Among them were: Holy Scripture, several works of St John Chrysostom and of St Efrem the Syrian. His biographer noted that he was " bashful and unassuming, " so that even his parents almost never heard his voice, and visitors would often ask: " Is he dumb? " At the age of 13, Peter entered Kiev Theological School, which later became the Theological Academy, where Archbishop Simon (Todorsky) of Pskov taught at the time, along with Metropolitan Arsenii (Matseevich) of Rostov and others. Hieromonk Ioasaf was still there, the future Bishop of Belgorod. The education there was on a very high level. There were some 1200 students at the Academy then. But Peter was not drawn there for this reason, for his heart was consumed by churches, holy monasteries, the caves of those who took vows of silence, and by the conversations he had with friends about the hermit's life. They often met in secluded spots and spoke about spiritually-beneficial things. " It is better, " they would say to each other, " to remain in the world than to reject worldly goods just for show, and live a carefree, easy life in a monastery. " They swore to each other not to be tonsured in a wealthy monastery where it is impossible to emulate the poverty of Christ. During his third year of studies, Peter's enthusiasm for his work waned, and his striving for monasticism grew stronger and stronger. |
| The collection that is the subject of our cycle, the “Philokalia”, became known in Russia comparatively recently. Certain ascetic fathers, its “authors”, had been translated long ago in Rus’, but the anthology itself first appeared in Russian, or it would be better to say, in Sloveno-Russian at the end of the eighteenth century thanks to St. Paisius Velichkovsky , who labored ascetically on Mt. Athos and was the disciple of the famous St. Nicodemos the Hagiorite . They zealously studied the manuscripts that were preserved on Mt. Athos and in other monasteries, by the way—not only in Athonite monasteries—but Paisius, and first of all, Nicodemos, found especially many of them in Vatopedi Monastery on Mt. Athos. The first publication of the “Dobrotoliubie” in Russia, in the Sloveno-Russian language, appeared in 1793. Dobrotoliubie (Moscow, 1905) In Russia this collection found quite fertile soil. Those who thirsted for spiritual life immediately saw that they would find here the answers to many questions connected with the path of spiritual life, with the search for that original Beauty, which is God. In the Philokalia, where are gathered not only sayings and teachings but whole works by holy fathers and ascetics, are shown the various sides and manifestations of spiritual life, the path of spiritual life, and the obstacles that are met on that path. On the path of what? What is this path? This path is the search for God; that is, the original Beauty. I want to note right away that when we talk about the “search for God,” we are not talking about what people have not found, what they are searching for, whether there is a God or not. Absolutely not, this is not what we are talking about. These are deeply believing people. But God in His essence, in His, we’ll put it, knowability, is truly limitless. Therefore the path to knowing Him is likewise limitless. It is in this sense that the holy fathers sought the original Beauty—God. What is the “fear of God”? Now let’s go directly on to the subject of today’s discussion—the question of the fear of God . Yes, this is one of the very important elements of spiritual life. Many fathers even call it the original state, without which man cannot understand anything in spiritual life nor attain to anything in it. |
| As a beginning, Prokhor set off with five companions to the Kiev Caves Lavra, desiring to receive the blessing of the Kiev Elders. Among the ascetics of that monastery was the famous elder Dositheus (who was found to be a woman after she died). That clairvoyant elder had been in continual contact with the blessed Elder Paisius Velichkovsky, and with those monastics who were of one mind with him. Dositheus gave Prokhor spiritual instruction, counselled him to study the ancient Holy Fathers on the work of interior prayer, and directed him to go to Sarov Monastery and remain there until death, for there he would find salvation. “Go, child of God,” Elder Dositheus said to him. “Go, and stay there. That place will be salvation unto you, with God’s help. There you will end your earthly journey. But strive to obtain a ceaseless remembrance of God through continuous calling on the name of God: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” This will be the object of all your attention and study—whether walking, sitting, or standing in the church, everywhere and in every place, entering and leaving—may this cry be ceaselessly on your lips and in your heart. In it you will find peace, attain purity of soul and body. The Holy Spirit will abide in you as a well-spring of many blessings, and it will lead your life into holiness, into great blessedness and purity. In Sarov is Abbot Pachomius of God-pleasing life—he is a follower of our Anthony and Theodosius.” Having received his hoped-for blessing, Prokhor returned to Kursk where he stayed for two more years, after which he departed from family and worldly life with two friends, setting out upon the monastic path. On November 20, 1776, in the evening dusk, three young pilgrims approached the gate of the Sarov bell-tower. Among them was Prokhor. That evening the All-night Vigil would be celebrated for the feast of the Entrance into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos. The entrance to the Sarov Dormition Church was open, and the festal All-night Vigil was beginning. Prokhor’s soul rejoiced—he had found his place. |
| Father, let us resume the thread of your biography where we began to digress. So your life was divided between the Theological Institute and the Burning Bush Movement? To be sincere, my life was somewhere else. I was not yet a monk, but I was attracted by the sweetness of a simple life. However, did you develop a new understanding of monasticism when you learned more things about the Prayer of the Heart? Yes, now the prayer stool that Father Theodosius of Cernica Monastery used, the reading from those big volumes from the library and the droning of the monks walking on the monastery's paths made more sense to me. Now I knew what they were doing. Because they did not walk in the refined heights of St. Gregory of Sinai, they could not express what they were doing. You know, many times there is a need for others to interpret you. I am one of those who received a special blessing by Father John Kulegian. There is a special ritual to begin the Prayer of the Heart; it is like a little ordination. He laid his hand on my head and gave me the blessing to practice the Jesus Prayer. At the Burning Bush, we used to speak about breathing techniques when saying the Prayer, but I do not/think this has too much importance. Neither the blessing nor the breathing works magic. I rejected the methods because I found them to be too technical; they did not produce any results. So I started to pray as the Russian pilgrim—mechanically—because The Way of the Pilgrim was in vogue. At that time it was translated only into French, which was very accessible to Romanians. There was no consistency in my prayer; I did not have the patience. I did it when I could and when I had time What I found out is that if you are too preoccupied with methods, the Spirit disappears. It might be that I was too much influenced by my monks at Cernica. When Father Dionysius and Father Theodosius the hesychast learned of what The Burning Bush was doing at Antim Monastery, they smiled indulgently, saying " Mind you, they lecture about the Prayer of the Heart! " It was something new for them. How can you deliver lectures about prayer? Prayer is something to be practiced; you do not speak about it. It works mysteriously. And from them I know that a true spiritual father does not entrust to all his disciples this kind of prayer. It should be carefully controlled. So I was caught between two worlds: one was the world of the Burning Bush with the Russian method of St. Paisius Velichkovsky, a kind of democratization of hesychasm which said this Prayer should be for all; and the other world, less spectacular, but I think more profound—the attitude of the Cernica monks. |
| School vacation came, and Peter went home. His mother, who had learned of his desire to leave school and join a monastery, categorically objected. Peter had a friend in Poltava by the name of Dimitrii, with whom he went to school, and they took an oath to leave the country together. But their plan failed, because Peter fell ill and had to delay his trip to Kiev. When he regained his health, his mother accompanied him, thinking that he was going to continue to study. But in Kiev, Peter began to rethink his future. He decided to head to Chernigov, to see Elder Pachomii and ask for his counsel and instructions, and for his blessing for his future path. After spending a few days with Fr Pachomii, the latter said to Peter: " It is best for you to go to a monastery not far from Lubech, the homeland of St Anthony of the Caves. There you will find a Hieromonk Ioakim, who will instruct you what to do. " Peter did as he was told. When he approached the monastery, he noticed that there were turnpikes and guards between the town of Lubech and the monastery. Peter had no documents with him, and he was afraid that he would be detained. At the same time, a monk appeared on the other side. Stopping near the guard, the monk glanced at the approaching Peter, and remarked to the guard when he called to the boy, " Why do you ask who he is? Don't you see that he is a novice returning to the monastery? " And the guard let Peter pass. And so, with God's help, he was able to settle in the monastery. He was given the duties of the ekomonos (monastery manager), read the Lives of the Saints during meals in the refectory and took on various chores. He lived near Elder Ioakim, who blessed him to wear a cassock, and he rejoiced in his peaceful life. But Peter was not to remain in this monastery for long. Three months after his arrival, a new superior was appointed for the monastery, and because of certain troubles that followed, Peter left the monastery. He wandered throughout the right bank of Little Russia, which was under assault by Poles and Uniates. |
| School vacation came, and Peter went home. His mother, who had learned of his desire to leave school and join a monastery, categorically objected. Peter had a friend in Poltava by the name of Dimitry, with whom he went to school, and they took an oath to leave the country together. But their plan failed, because Peter fell ill and had to delay his trip to Kiev. When he regained his health, his mother accompanied him, thinking that he was going to continue to study. But in Kiev, Peter began to rethink his future. He decided to head to Chernigov, to see Elder Pachomius and ask for his counsel and instructions, and for his blessing for his future path. After spending a few days with Fr Pachomius, the latter said to Peter: " It is best for you to go to a monastery not far from Lubech, the homeland of St. Anthony of the Caves. There you will find a Hieromonk Joachim, who will instruct you what to do. " Peter did as he was told. When he approached the monastery, he noticed that there were check points and guards between the town of Lubech and the monastery. Peter had no documents with him, and he was afraid that he would be detained. At the same time, a monk appeared on the other side. Stopping near the guard, the monk glanced at the approaching Peter, and remarked to the guard when he called to the boy, " Why do you ask who he is? Don't you see that he is a novice returning to the monastery? " And the guard let Peter pass. And so, with God's help, he was able to settle in the monastery. He was given the duties of the ecomonos (monastery steward), read the Lives of the Saints during meals in the refectory and took on various chores. He lived near Elder Joachim, who blessed him to wear a cassock, and he rejoiced in his peaceful life. But Peter was not to remain in this monastery for long. Three months after his arrival, a new superior was appointed for the monastery, and because of certain troubles that followed, Peter left the monastery. He wandered throughout the right bank of Little Russia, which was under assault by Poles and Uniates. |
| St. Macarius headed the group of scholars and writers (monks and laymen) who translated, edited, and put the writings of the greatest ascetics of ancient times into literary language: 5 Isaac the Syrian, Macarius the Great, and John of the Ladder (on the whole, in the translations of Elder Paisius Velichkovsky). His spiritual children, the Kireyev brothers, rendered him great assistance in this matter. Under St. Macarius’s influence there arose a whole school of publishers and translators of spiritual literature, of which Orthodox Russia was so in need. Archimandrite Leonid (Kavelin) described the elder during those years thus: “Of average height, all grey, dressed in an old worn mukhoyar 6 riassa in the summer, and a very, very worn old fur coat covered with dark green drap-de-dames 7 , with a crutch in one hand and his prayer rope in the other. There was nothing striking about his face at first glance—in general it was not handsome (in the usual understanding of physical beauty), it was even somewhat irregular, with the sadness of constant immersion into himself, consequently, he looked more strict than endearing. But such was the power of grace, that this face, serving as a mirror of his pure abundantly-loving and humble soul, shone with some sort of unearthly beauty, reflecting in itself one or another of the qualities of the inner man, the fruits of the Spirit listed by the Apostle. On the whole, there was united in him a rare combination of simplicity, quiet, and humility, making him accessible to each and every one.” His spiritual children remembered St. Macarius thus: “The starets was of enormous height, with an unattractive face marked with the traces of smallpox, but white and bright—his look was quiet and full of humility. His temperament was extraordinarily lively and active. His memory was excellent: after a person’s first confession St. Macarius remembered that person for the rest of his life. But a speech defect and shortness of breath in conversation bothered him all his life. He was always dressed in poor clothes. But on the other hand, he was clairvoyant: the first time he saw a person, sometimes he would call him by name before the person introduced himself. At times he answered questions in letters before he had received the letter, so that the person writing received an answer to a letter that he had sent only an hour ago.” |
| While at Kiev, Platon met two monks from Romania who were about to return to their country. After crossing the border into Moldavia, they came to Vlachia and the Skete of St Nicholas, which is called Treisteny, around 1745. The Elder of the Skete, Hieroschemamonk Michael, was away on business in Ukraine, so Platon and his companions were welcomed by the Superior, Fr Demetrius. Platon was placed under a general obedience and given a cell near the Skete, from which the church was visible. As he was sleeping one night, the semantron was sounded calling the monks to Sunday Matins, but Platon did not hear it. He woke up and ran to the church, only to find that the Gospel had already been read, and the Canon was being sung. In his grief and shame, he did not enter the church, but returned to his cell and wept bitter tears. After the Liturgy, when it was time for the meal, the Superior and the Elder were surprised that Platon had not been seen at the services. The Elder ordered that the meal be delayed while he sent a Fr Athanasius to find out what had happened to Platon. Fr Athanasius found him and asked why he was weeping. With difficulty, Platon was able to tell him the cause of his sorrow. Fr Athanasius tried to console him and urged him to come to the Skete, where the others were waiting for him. Finally, he was persuaded to go. Seeing the brethren at table but not eating, Platon fell down before them weeping and asking forgiveness. The Elder and the Superior lifted him up and heard from Fr Athanasius the reason for his sorrow. The Elder told Platon not to grieve so over something that had happened involuntarily, and did his best to console him. From that time, however, the saint would not sleep lying down in bed, but sitting up on a bench. One day the Elder Onuphrius of Kyrkoul visited the Skete and spoke about his Skete at Kyrkoul. Platon long to see Kyrkoul, and so he returned there with Fr Onuphrius. He remained there for a time, conversing with Fr Onuphrius about overcoming the passions, the struggle with demons, unceasing prayer, and other soul-profiting topics. This seed fell on good ground, later bearing spiritual fruit a hundredfold. |
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