Discourse 63

Concerning how one is freed from the thoughts of the self through knowledge: it is inquired with spiritual desires like the thickness of the body. And how it is possible that the mind be raised above this. And what is the cause that it is not freed from it. And when and how it is possible that the mind be purified without images at the time of prayer. End. Blessed is his honor: may he open the door before us. So that there may be for us no need of anything, except the desire for him. Thus, when you let go of everything, and by your request alone your mind goes out, there is in it no thought of anything that sets or places itself before its face, before that vision of the Lord of all. As much as the mind abandons, my beloved, the thought of these visible things, and rejoices in that hope of the future, according to the measure of its elevation from the thought of the body and its thickness in it, thus it is purified and becomes clear in prayer. As much as the body is freed from the bonds of desires, so much is the mind freed. And as much as it is freed from the cares of worldly affairs, so much is it clarified. And as much as it is clarified, it is purified. And as much as it is purified, it is raised from the disturbances of this world that are the confusion of thickness. And it knows, by contemplation in God, his likeness, and not our likeness. But unless one first drinks of revelation, he is not able to know this.

And unless it comes to purity, its movements are not mingled with the hidden things. And as long as it is freed from everything that is seen in its own nature, it is not freed also from the movements concerning them, nor is it empty of the thoughts that accompany them. And as long as obscurity and the roots of thoughts, and also passions, remain. For a person is freed from all these that I have mentioned and from their causes, he is not left in the hidden things of the mind. Because of this, before everything, our Lord commanded the renunciation of the world and the separation from the disturbances of the world, and the release from the dominion of every person. He who does not leave his entire humanity and everything that he has, and also denies himself, cannot become a disciple to me. For in the matter of the mind, it is not trusted in sight, hearing, and the desire of the appetites and their corruption and their nurture, and in the person. And in that which binds our mind to hope alone of its own, it draws to itself the entire intention of its thoughts. And by it, it binds the entire dominion of your contemplation in the release of everything. From here, its exercise is stirred up by the tranquility of your desire upon it. Also, the discourse again: it requires prayer. For from the strong time of it, the mind becomes wise. For after the renunciation, when its movements begin to be released from the vessels, tranquility requires prayer.

from the many kinds of knowledge and the many kinds of thought, nor can it receive from others. For every mode of conduct that exists has its own nurture in the mode that precedes it, and that which precedes it is sought for the discovery of that which follows it. To prayer is prior stillness, and that stillness is for the sake of prayer. And prayer, as is known from it, is the love of God, because from it are found the causes for loving God. It is also right to know this, my beloved: that every movement that is in the hidden, and every beautiful thought of the mind concerning God, and every spiritual meditation, is conceived in prayer and is born through the name of prayer, and is encompassed within this name. Whether it be called the reading of the distinction, or the sounds of the mouth in the praises of God, or the deep thought of the Lord, or the prostration of the body, or the hymns of the chant, and the rest. For from these is received the teaching concerning true prayer, and from it the love of God is born. And that love is through prayer, and prayer through stillness, and that stillness is for this, because it becomes for us a place where alone with God we are occupied. To stillness again is prior the abandonment of the world.

without first leaving the world and being emptied of all that is his, he cannot become single. So too, the leaving of the world is preceded by patience. And patience is preceded by the hatred of the world. The hatred of the world is preceded by fear and love. Unless he cultivates the thought of the fear of Gehenna and kindles the love of the beatitudes, this hatred of the world will not dwell in him. And unless he hates the world, he will not endure its toil and hardship. And unless patience precedes the thought, he cannot choose a dwelling that is full of solitude and empty of inhabitants. And unless he chooses for himself a life of solitude, he cannot be filled with prayer. And unless he becomes accustomed to conversing with God and abides in those mixed movements of prayer and the doctrines that have been spoken concerning it, he will not perceive love. For the love of God is known from the toil of his people. And the toil of prayer is through stillness. And stillness is through renunciation. And renunciation, again, is through patience. And patience is through hatred of the passions. And hatred of the passions is through fear of Gehenna and the hope of the beatitudes. For the passions are hated by one who knows their fruits, that they bring him to what end, and from what beatitude he is excluded because of them.

And thus it is with all the practices: each is bound to that which precedes it, and from it receives its nurture and is extended to those that follow after it and above it. And if one of them is lacking from the middle, that which comes after it cannot be established. And it becomes evident that the whole chain is loosened and they are lost.