Hesychian Sobriety

Volume III Table of Contents

2006-01-31T07:34:00.000Z

Information on Publisher, Copyright and ISBN, Volume III Introduction I On Sobriety – Text OS (Text) -- 1 OS (Text) -- 2 OS (Text) -- 3 OS (Text) -- 4 OS (Text) -- 5 OS (Text) -- 6 OS (Text) -- 7 OS (Text) -- 8 OS (Text) -- 9 OS (Text) -- 10 OS (Text) -- 11 OS (Text) -- 12 OS (Text) -- 13 OS (Text) -- 14

OS (Text) -- 30

2006-01-22T19:47:00.000Z

190 The Lord said ‘Learn from me for I am meek and humble in heart and you will find repose for your souls.’ [Matt. 11, 29.] 191 The Lord said ‘Whoever will humble himself as this child shall be exalted; he, then, who exalts himself shall be humbled.’ [Cf. Matt. 18, 4; 23, 12.] He says: ‘Learn from me.’ [Matt. 11, 29.] Do you see that humility is instruction? For his commandment is

OS (Text) -- 29

2006-01-22T19:45:00.000Z

180 Every thought (logismos) makes an imagination of a sensible object in the mind (nous). For the Assyrian, being a mind (nous), cannot otherwise have strength enough to deceive unless he should make use of sensible objects and habits that pertain to us. 181 Just as it is not possible, therefore, for us to pursue winged birds in the air, we being men, or to fly up just as they do, our

OS (Text) -- 28

2006-01-22T19:44:00.000Z

171 ‘Giving birth to light’ and ‘giving birth to lightning’ and ‘radiating light’ and ‘fire-bearing’ let the guard of the mind (nous) be called, suitably and in a manner which manifests its nature. For it surpasses, to speak the truth, limitless bodily and many virtues. On account of this, it is therefore necessary to call this very virtue with honourable names—for the

OS (Text) -- 27

2006-01-22T19:42:00.000Z

163 To the supposedly simple and more dispassionate thoughts (logismoi) follow closely on the impassioned thoughts (logismoi), as we found from the experience and observation of many years; and the first become the place of entrance of the second, and the dispassionate of the impassioned. 164 For in reality it is necessary to cut the man in two by deliberate intention; and, with a most wise

OS (Text) -- 26

2006-01-22T19:40:00.000Z

150 Sailing the intelligible sea, take courage in Jesus. For within he speaks secretly in your heart: ‘Fear not my servant Jacob, Israel few in number; fear not, worm Israel. I am protecting you.’ [Cf. Isa. 41, 13–14; Ps. 21, 7.] ‘If God, then, is for us, which wicked one is against us?’ [Cf. Rom. 8, 31.] —He, then, who has blessed the pure in heart [cf. Matt. 5, 8] and has legislated as

OS (Text) -- 25

2006-01-22T19:39:00.000Z

139 The legislator, Moses, is taken by the Fathers to be an image of the mind (nous): who sees God in the Bush [cf. Exod. 3, 2–6] and the face is glorified [cf. Exod. 32, 30] and who is established by the God of gods as a god to Pharaoh [cf. Exod. 7, 1]; and who scourges Egypt [cf. Exod. 7 et seq.] and who leads Israel out [cf. Exod. 12] and who legislates [cf. Exod. 20]: which very things taken

OS (Text) -- 24

2006-01-22T19:37:00.000Z

133 A wayfarer, having begun to be sent on a long and inaccessible and difficult road and suspecting error in his return, will plant certain signs and guides firmly in the ground during his journey, which signs procure for him an easy return to his own property. A man who journeys soberly, however, will set up words (logoi), he also suspecting this very same thing. 134 But for the wayfarer,

OS (Text) -- 23

2006-01-22T19:36:00.000Z

127 The mind (nous) is darkened and remains barren when it speaks worldly words or, having accepted [them], converses with them in the intellect (dianoia), or the body along with the mind (nous) occupies itself with certain sensible things, or the monk gives himself over to vanities. For directly and on account of these things, the mind (nous) loses warmth, contrition, and both the bold

OS (Text) -- 22

2006-01-22T19:34:00.000Z

118 By means of false imagination the demons ever lead us into committing sin. For also in imagination of avarice and profit they prepared the wretched Judas to deliver the Lord and God of All Things. By means of a lie, then, instead of bodily repose and honour and glory, they threw a noose about him [cf. Matt. 27, 5] and purveyed eternal death to him, the wretched things having requited him

OS (Text) -- 21

2006-01-22T19:32:00.000Z

109 As it is impossible to live the present life without eating and drinking, thus it is impossible without guard of the mind (nous) and purity of the heart, which is and is called sobriety, for the soul to arrive at something spiritual and pleasing to God, or to be set free from sin in the intellect (dianoia), even if one forces oneself on account of the fear of hell not to sin. 110 However

OS (Text) -- 20

2006-01-22T19:31:00.000Z

102 Insensibility (lethe) knows to extinguish the guard of the mind (nous) just as water extinguishes fire. The continual prayer (euche) of Jesus with intense sobriety, however, consumes it completely from the heart. For the prayer (euche) has need of sobriety, just as a small torch has need of the light of a lamp. 103 It is necessary to toil over the guard of the things which are

OS (Text) -- 19

2006-01-22T19:29:00.000Z

95 A useful tutor of both body and soul is the unremitting memory of death and, passing over all that is between, ever to see it [i.e. death] in advance, the very bed where, giving up the ghost, we will lie outstretched—and the remainder. 96 Brothers, it is not for him who wishes to remain forever unwounded to take his sleep, but one of the two is a necessity: either to fall and be lost,

OS (Text) -- 18

2006-01-22T19:28:00.000Z

89 Since every thought (logismos) enters into the heart through the imagination of certain sensible things, at that time the blessed light of the Divinity dawns on it when it should be completely at leisure from all things and should become unfigured by these things, if, indeed, that splendour discloses itself to the pure mind (nous) in accordance with the deprivation of the mental

OS (Text) -- 17

2006-01-22T19:26:00.000Z

83 The property of the star is the light around it. The property of the religious man and of him who fears God, poverty and humility. For by nature there is no other token and declarative sign of the disciples of Christ than a humble-mindedness [cf. Matt. 11, 29] and a poor habit. And this the four Gospels cry out in everything. He who is not thus, that is, living humbly, falls from the

OS (Text) -- 16

2006-01-22T19:25:00.000Z

79 The Lord, wishing to show that every commandment is obligatory and that the adoption as son has been given in his own blood, says: ‘When you do those things which have been commanded you, say that we are worthless slaves and what we owe to do we have done.’ [Cf. Luke 17, 10.] Because of this, the Kingdom of the Heavens is not the wage of works (erga) but grace of the Master readied for

OS (Text) -- 15

2006-01-22T19:22:00.000Z

76 The watchtower of the reasons (logoi) concerning every virtue is the keeping of the mind (nous), as David’s watchman of old made manifest beforehand the circumcision of the heart [cf. 2 Kgs. 13, 34; 18, 24–7]. 77 Just as we are damaged when we see with the senses those things which are damaging, thus also in the mind (nous). 78 Just as he who has pierced the heart of the plant

OS (Text) -- 14

2006-01-22T19:20:00.000Z

67 The road towards gnosis—dispassion and humility, without which things no one will see the Lord. 68 He who unceasingly makes his occupations round those things which are within is continent; and not only, but he also contemplates, theologizes and prays. And this is what the Apostle says: ‘Walk in the Spirit and do not accomplish the desire of the flesh.’ [Gal. 5, 16.] 69 He

OS (Text) -- 13

2006-01-22T19:18:00.000Z

62 We received a great good, really, from experience, that he who wishes to purify his own heart should continually invoke the Lord Jesus against the intelligible enemies. And see how the word spoken by me from experience is in agreement with the scriptural witnesses. He says: ‘Prepare, Israel, to invoke the name of the Lord your God.’ [Cf. Amos 4, 12.] And the Apostle: ‘Pray unceasingly

OS (Text) -- 12

2006-01-22T19:17:00.000Z

53 A mind (nous) which does not neglect its own secret labour will, together with the remaining goods from an unbroken labour of the guard, also find that the five senses of the body are idle from the evils without. Attending completely to its own familiar virtue and sobriety and wishing to revel completely in the good mental representations, it does not forbear to be stolen by means of the

OS (Text) -- 11

2006-01-22T19:15:00.000Z

48 Let a model of stillness (hesychia) of the heart be for you he who holds a mirror and gazes towards it, and at that time you will see in your heart those things which intelligibly are written in it, both wicked and good. 49 Keep watch ever to have in your heart no thought (logismos) at all, either irrational or reasonable, so that thus you recognize easily the foreigners, that is to

OS (Text) -- 10

2006-01-22T19:14:00.000Z

42 It is good that the inexperienced also know this, that enemies bodiless and invisible and evil-intentioned and prudent in doing evil and untiring and light and experienced in war the years from Adam up to now, we who are gross and weighed down towards the earth both in body and mindedness have in no other way at all the possibility of conquering than by means of everlasting sobriety of mind

OS (Text) -- 9

2006-01-22T19:10:00.000Z

35 ‘Upon Israel is his splendour,’ [Ps. 67, 35]:upon a mind (nous) seeing, as possible,the beauty of the glory of God himself.‘And his power is in the clouds.’ [Ps. 67, 35.]:In souls in the form of light,gazing in the mornings,him who sits at the paternal right hand [cf. Acts 7, 55–6],casting light upon them,as the sun casting its raysamong clouds that are pure,

OS (Text) -- 8

2006-01-22T19:08:00.000Z

32 Thus it is necessary to flee familiarity as the venom of the asp and to turn aside from an excess of encounters as snakes and ‘the brood of vipers’ [Matt. 3, 7], these things being extremely able to bring the soul quickly into complete insensibility (lethe) of the war within and to draw the soul down from the lofty joy which is from purity of heart. For the accursed insensibility (lethe)

OS (Text) -- 7

2006-01-22T19:07:00.000Z

27 Let the type and order of stillness (hesychia) of the heart, O monk, be for you—ever the pattern if you wish to contend in battle—the small little animal, the spider. If not, then you have not yet kept stillness (hesychia) in the mind (nous) as you ought. And that little animal hunts little flies: you, then, if thus you keep stillness (hesychia), and as one taking pains in the very soul

OS (Text) -- 6

2006-01-22T19:05:00.000Z

23 Just as a man who holds a mirror in his hand, standing in the midst of many persons and gazing into the mirror, sees on the one hand his own face, of what sort it is, and on the other hand sees in that one mirror also the faces of the others who are stooping down and peeping in—thus he who completely stoops down and peeps into his own heart on the one hand sees his own condition and on the

OS (Text) -- 5

2006-01-22T19:04:00.000Z

19 If, cutting off somewhat the causes of the passions, we occupy ourselves with spiritual contemplations but we do not pass our time in them, having this very thing as our work (ergon), we easily are turned round again to the passions of the flesh, reaping from there nothing other than the complete darkening of the mind (nous) and a turning aside to material things. 20 He who is

OS (Text) -- 4

2006-01-22T19:02:00.000Z

13 Behold! I will not shrink from explaining to you with an unadorned and unintricate tongue how many ways according to me there are of sobriety which up to now are able little by little to purify the mind (nous) from impassioned thoughts (logismoi). For in times of war I did not judge that in this treatise I should hide the benefit through the use of words, and certainly for those who are

OS (Text) -- 3

2006-01-22T19:00:00.000Z

8 The intellect (dianoia) standing and invoking Christ against the enemy and fleeing to him for refuge, as some beast encircled by many dogs, and setting itself in a fortress in opposition; from afar, then, intelligibly seeing in advance the intelligible bands of the invisible enemies; and, on account of entreating continually against them the Peacemaker Jesus, persevering unwounded by them.

OS (Text) -- 2

2006-01-22T18:58:00.000Z

4 He who is born blind does not see the light of the sun. In the same way, he who does not travel in sobriety does not see richly the rays of the grace from above; neither will he be freed from works (erga) and words and conceptions (ennoies) which are wicked and hated by God; and in their departure such men will not pass by the Tartarean rulers in a free manner. 5 Attention is

OS (Text) -- 1

2006-01-22T18:51:00.000Z

Hesychios PresbyterTowards Theodoulos Treatise On Sobriety and VirtueUseful to the Soul and Which SavesIn Chapters The Beginning of Illumination of the Soul and a True Teaching. The So-Called Matters Pertaining to Rebuttal and Prayer. 1 Sobriety is a spiritual method or way that entirely frees the man, with the help of God, from impassioned mental representations and

OS (Commentary) -- 30

2006-01-22T18:28:00.000Z

190 The Lord said ‘Learn from me for I am meek and humble in heart and you will find repose for your souls.’ [Matt. 11, 29.] Not only is this a caution about pride to him who has been adopted as son—a serious caution—but it also introduces the concept of ‘repose’. The reader may recall, in OS 42, above, St Hesychios’ following cryptic remark: ‘In the experienced, on the other hand, the

OS (Commentary) -- 29

2006-01-22T18:23:00.000Z

180 Every thought (logismos) This is ‘thought (logismos)’ in the sense of Evagrius in TPL, one of the eight most general thoughts (logismoi): gluttony, fornication, avarice, sorrow, anger, accidie, vainglory or pride. St Hesychios is using Evagrian terminology here, and we have learned in Volume II from TPL and OTT that there is a correspondence thought – demon – passion for each of the

OS (Commentary) -- 28

2006-01-22T18:15:00.000Z

171 ‘Giving birth to light’ and ‘giving birth to lightning’ and ‘radiating light’ and ‘fire-bearing’ let the guard of the mind (nous) Note that the subject of this chapter is the guard of the mind, which we ourselves have called the gate to contemplation. be called, suitably and in a manner which manifests its nature. What is being discussed is Theology and the adoption as son,

OS (Commentary) -- 27

2006-01-22T18:09:00.000Z

163 To the supposedly simple and more dispassionate thoughts (logismoi) follow closely on the impassioned thoughts (logismoi), as we found from the experience and observation of many years; and the first The supposedly simple and more dispassionate thoughts (logismoi). They are in fact impassioned. become the place of entrance of the second, The impassioned thoughts (logismoi).

OS (Commentary) -- 26

2006-01-22T18:01:00.000Z

150 Sailing the intelligible sea, Fighting the immaterial war, advancing towards purity of heart, practising the guard of the mind, entering into contemplation and gnosis. take courage in Jesus. It is difficult. We must have faith and a living relationship with Jesus. For within he speaks secretly in your heart: ‘Fear not my servant Jacob, Israel few in number; fear

OS (Commentary) -- 25

2006-01-22T17:02:00.000Z

OS (Commentary) -- 24

2006-01-22T16:54:00.000Z

133 A wayfarer, having begun to be sent on a long and inaccessible and difficult road and suspecting error in his return, will plant certain signs and guides firmly in the ground during his journey, which signs procure for him an easy return to his own property. A man who journeys soberly, That is: with sobriety; as a Hesychast; becomes a hermit or Hesychast; applies the method of Hesychian

OS (Commentary) -- 23

2006-01-22T16:46:00.000Z

127 The mind (nous) is darkened and remains barren when it speaks worldly words These are actual words spoken. They serve any of the eight most general passions. They include discussions of politics, of ecclesiastical affairs, of public persons and so on. However, St Hesychios may also intend thoughts in the mind silently spoken. or, having accepted [them] converses with them in

OS (Commentary) -- 22

2006-01-22T16:40:00.000Z

118 By means of false imagination the demons ever lead us into committing sin. This is a repetition of St Hesychios’ basic model (OS 2, 46, 89 and so on), where by ‘false imagination’ St Hesychios means the impassioned mental representation whose inception is occasioned by the excitation of the passion by a demon. In this chapter the subject is the difference between what the ‘false

OS (Commentary) -- 21

2006-01-22T16:32:00.000Z

109 As it is impossible to live the present life without eating and drinking, Since we are still in the body. This is a remark on the necessity of some food and drink, not a justification for gluttony. thus it is impossible without guard of the mind (nous) and purity of the heart, which is and is called sobriety, Again, the clear identification of sobriety with purity of heart.

OS (Commentary) -- 20

2006-01-22T16:23:00.000Z

102 Insensibility (lethe) knows to extinguish the guard of the mind (nous) just as water extinguishes fire. This is the third time that St Hesychios has used for lethe the simile of the water that extinguishes fire. The first two times were in OS 32 and 100. We discussed in the commentary on OS 100 the significance of the opposition of lethe to ‘attention’ (OS 32), taken to be equivalent to

OS (Commentary) -- 19

2006-01-22T16:05:00.000Z

95 A useful tutor of both body and soul is the unremitting memory of death and, passing over all that is between, ever to see it [i.e. death] in advance, the very bed where, giving up the ghost, we will lie outstretched—and the remainder. This is a contemplation, one which St Hesychios recommends that we attach to our practice of his method of sobriety. In OS 17, above, the memory of death

OS (Commentary) -- 18

2006-01-22T15:57:00.000Z

89 Since every thought (logismos) enters into the heart through the imagination of certain sensible things, This, in Evagrius’ language, is the impassioned mental representation of an object of sense, or the impassioned recollection of such an object. at that time the blessed light of the Divinity dawns on it when it should be completely at leisure from all things and should

OS (Commentary) -- 17

2006-01-22T15:41:00.000Z

83 The property of the star The characteristic, the peculiar property, of the star. is the light around it. The property of the religious man and of him who fears God, The characteristic of the monk. poverty and humility. For by nature there is no other token and declarative sign of the disciples of Christ than a humble-mindedness [cf. Matt. 11, 29] and a poor

OS (Commentary) -- 16

2006-01-22T15:29:00.000Z

79 The Lord, wishing to show that every commandment is obligatory and that the adoption as son has been given in his own blood, says: ‘When you do those things which have been commanded you, say that we are worthless slaves and what we owe to do we have done.’ [Cf. Luke 17, 10.] Does not the word of the Lord himself teach us what our attitude must be? Are not the commandments obligatory?

OS (Commentary) -- 15

2006-01-22T15:24:00.000Z

76 The watchtower of the reasons (logoi) concerning every virtue is the keeping of the mind (nous), as David’s watchman of old made manifest beforehand the circumcision of the heart [cf. 2 Kgs. 13, 34; 18, 24–7]. In this chapter, the circumcision of the heart symbolizes Evagrian dispassion,[1] which corresponds to the Hesychian guard of the mind (

OS (Commentary) -- 14

2006-01-22T15:13:00.000Z

67 The road towards gnosis—dispassion and humility, without which things no one will see the Lord. Fourth Century on Charity, Chapter 58.[1] If we exclude the word ‘humility’ from this brief chapter, then we have a summary of the Evagrian doctrine of the practical life: Dispassion is the flower of the practical life.[1] There was a cœnobium, operating much as any other cœnobium, and within the cœnobium there were monks living in stillness (hesychia) much on the model that St Hesychios is delineating in this work. The Ladder of Divine Ascent of

OS (Commentary) -- 7

2006-01-22T10:31:00.000Z

27 Let the type and order of stillness (hesychia) of the heart, O monk, Following the slightly better reading in Alphabetic ‘Z’ for ‘O monk’ instead of the ‘O so-and-so’ of the main text. be for you—ever the pattern if you wish to contend in battle—the small little animal, the spider. If not, then you have not yet kept stillness (hesychia) in the mind (nous) as you ought.

OS (Commentary) -- 6

2006-01-22T10:25:00.000Z

23 Just as a man who holds a mirror What is this mirror? For this chapter is based on a simile between a physical mirror and what the ascetic looks into when he ‘stoops down and peeps into his own heart’. What is St Hesychios driving at? Does it have anything to do with St Paul’s passage in 1 Cor. 13, 12: ‘For now we see by means of a mirror in a riddle; then, however, face to face; now

OS (Commentary) -- 5

2006-01-22T10:01:00.000Z

OS (Commentary) -- 4

2006-01-22T09:42:00.000Z

13 Behold! I will not shrink from explaining to you with an unadorned and unintricate tongue In fact, here, St Hesychios is using intricate syntax. This is rhetorical. how many ways according to me there are of sobriety The Greek word, tropos, here translated, in the plural, ‘ways’, can mean ‘way’ or ‘manner’, or else ‘a way of life or habit’. The sense should become clear

OS (Commentary) -- 3

2006-01-22T09:17:00.000Z

8 The intellect (dianoia) standing and invoking Christ against the enemy and fleeing to him for refuge, as some beast encircled by many dogs, The reader will recall what Evagrius said in TPL 42: ‘Tempted, do not first pray, before you say certain words with anger towards him [the demon, not the brother] who is afflicting you.’ We remarked then that we originally thought that Evagrius

OS (Commentary) -- 2

2006-01-22T09:03:00.000Z

4 He who is born blind does not see the light of the sun. St Hesychios is not a philosopher but a poet. He is introducing and reintroducing concepts, each time proceeding more deeply into the concept’s essence. He is also proceeding thematically from the most elementary stages of spiritual sobriety to the most advanced stages, and each time he passes to a new spiritual stage he repeats

OS (Commentary) -- 1

2006-01-22T08:45:00.000Z

II On Sobriety (Commentary) Hesychios Presbyter Nothing is known about who St Hesychios was. St Nikodemos of the Holy Mountain writes in his prefatory note to the text in the Philokalia that he was Hesychios of Jerusalem and that he lived in the time of the Emperor Theodosios the Younger (5th C.). This is surely in error. Some manuscripts say that St Hesychios was Abbot of the

Bibliography

2006-01-22T08:29:00.000Z

Alphabetic Osiou Hesychiou tou Sinaitou (St Hesychios the Sinaite). 24 Neptika Kephalaia Kata Akrostichida (24 Chapters Concerning Sobriety in the Form of an Acrostic). Critical Edition by M. Waegeman published as ‘Les 24 chapitres “De temperantia et virtute” d’Hésychius le Sinaïte. Édition critique.’ In: Sacra Erudiri (Steenbrugge), 1977, pp. 195–285. The author graciously donated

List of Abbreviations

2006-01-22T08:09:00.000Z

List of Abbreviations[1] CC — Centuries on Charity of St Maximos the Confessor. (Philokalia D, E, G Volume II, Philokalia F Volume I.) GC — Gnostic Chapters of St Diadochos of Photike. (Diadochos). KG — Kephalaia Gnostica of Evagrius Pontikos. (PO 28, 1 (French), KG E (English).) OJW

Epilogue

2006-01-22T08:01:00.000Z

Epilogue We started off this long journey with a look at the most basic aspect of Christian anthropology: the nature of the soul. We have now arrived, passing through a study of Evagrius Pontikos’ ascetical theory, at an elaborate method of Hesychasm that we have dated to the mid-Eighth Century. What have we learned? The practice of mental prayer in the heart is based on a very detailed and

Information on Publisher, Copyright and ISBN, Volume III

2006-01-22T07:38:00.000Z

The Psychological Basis of Mental Prayer in the HeartVolume III: Hesychian SobrietyFr Theophanes (Constantine) Published by:Timios ProdromosHieron Kellion ArchangelonKavsokalyviaGR 63087 DAPHNEAghion Oros – Mount AthosChalkidikiGREECE Website: (under construction) Email: timiosdotprodromos at gmaildotcom ISBN: Set: 960-88933-0-5

Introduction

2006-01-22T07:09:00.000Z

Introduction This is the third volume of The Psychological Basis of Mental Prayer in the Heart. In this volume, we present our translation of On Sobriety by St Hesychios. The full title of On Sobriety is: Hesychios PresbyterTowards Theodoulos Treatise On Sobriety and VirtueUseful to the Soul and Which SavesIn Chapters The Beginning of Illumination of the Soul and a True